That Sword Strike of the Nine Provinces Wind and Thunder Swordsman!
Liu Chang'an had classes in the afternoon. Since he didn't usually skip class unless there were important things to do, such as selling dog meat, digging pits for loaches, drying chili sauce, doing manual labor, or playing cards, he arranged to meet Li Hongfang in the classroom.
Liu Chang'an arrived at the classroom first and sent the address to Li Hongfang. She said she would be there soon and did not ask for detailed directions, which showed that she was quite familiar with Xiangtan University.
Sitting in the classroom, Liu Chang'an remembered that Zhu Juntang was grounded and must have asked Qin Yanan for leave, so he made a phone call to Zhu Juntang.
"What?" Zhu Juntang was bored, but hearing Liu Chang'an's voice made her excited. Did he come to play with her?
"Call me Grandpa."
"Grandfather!"
"It's okay, I'm going to class now, bye." Liu Chang'an politely hung up the phone.
Zhu Juntang stared at the disconnected call screen for two seconds before realizing that Liu Chang'an hadn't actually come to visit her; he was just expressing his schadenfreude over her being grounded!
"Sect Master!" Zhu Juntang threw the frisbee in his hand, watching the "Sect Master" run to catch it with great joy. He hummed several times, determined to continue his efforts to provoke Liu Chang'an and create more trouble for him.
Once I'm out, I'll deal with you... Ugh, so annoying! Since a flawless fairy like myself was created, she should be able to have all her wishes fulfilled and things go smoothly. Why does someone like Liu Chang'an, who leaves her helpless, have to appear?
Zhu Juntang angrily went to the Candy House to eat.
Liu Chang'an sat in the corner of the classroom. Not long after, Li Hongfang came in and sat down next to him.
With an extra student auditing the class, only Liu Chang'an's classmates would give him a second glance, and couldn't help but feel a little envious. Why was Liu Chang'an so popular with the opposite sex?
Although Li Hongfang is young, she still appears very mature among the many freshmen. However, with her baseball cap on, her figure is not particularly noticeable when she sits down, so she doesn't attract much attention. Only those passing by from the side can see that her legs are strong and her hips are rounded. Most female college students on campus lack exercise and rarely have such a healthy and energetic look, which is a different kind of alluring charm in the eyes of many.
If you didn't know she was profiting from the dead, you'd think she was quite cheerful.
"I didn't expect you to come to class so seriously." Li Hongfang expressed her respect for Liu Chang'an in the classroom, with his textbooks and pencils in front of him.
"Many novels set in school often leave readers who are still students wondering why the protagonist, who is so powerful, is still in school. Readers who gain freedom and a lifestyle after leaving school often find this unappealing, because they yearn for a higher level of life... Some protagonists are in school simply for plot purposes, but I attend school because, for me, being a domineering CEO or a school bully makes no difference." Liu Chang'an paused, then corrected, "I'm not very attentive in class."
Li Hongfang agreed with this. From the first time she met Liu Chang'an, his superb skills made Li Hongfang feel incredible. He even knew about her ancestor Li Daoren, who had never been recorded in history.
Most importantly, the one capable of guarding the Living Coffin must be a mysterious and unpredictable powerhouse. How can the actions of such a powerful person be judged by ordinary standards?
Because of certain things, Li Hongfang also began to doubt Liu Chang'an's age. Although she didn't intend to investigate, she couldn't believe that he was just an ordinary freshman.
"Actually, I also have another identity; I am a collector of Song Dynasty paintings," Li Hongfang said somewhat shyly, while also looking forward to refreshing her image.
Liu Chang'an nodded, not surprised. Who doesn't have a second face? For example, he also has a second identity: the Nine Provinces Wind and Thunder Swordsman.
"I think Song Dynasty paintings better embody the national character and spirit of the times, while literati paintings after the Song Dynasty, especially those by the literati and officials of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, rarely showed a strong interest in reality. They were more concerned with inner expression... I have no interest in their inner world at all, and they have no research value. Moreover, James Cahill and Pu Ailun also believe that paintings from the Song Dynasty to the late Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties are not worth collecting by any serious collector or museum." Seeing that Liu Chang'an seemed unconcerned, Li Hongfang quickly explained in detail to prove that she was not just making up a rare and prestigious identity on the spot.
"Both James Cahill and Pu Ailun are United States, and for historical reasons, their comments on China cultural works always feel uncomfortable." Liu Chang'an casually scribbled a few lines on the paper with a pencil. "Leaving aside artistic achievements and the level of classical realism, the most important value of Song Dynasty paintings lies in their value as historical evidence through images, far surpassing other eras and even works from other countries of the same period... Let's talk about Rasputin?"
Liu Chang'an seemed uninterested in the topic, but when Rasputin was mentioned, Li Hongfang looked around and showed great interest.
"You must have heard of Rasputin's giant eagle, right?" Li Hongfang said in a low voice, a blush naturally appearing on her face from her research in science and medicine.
"Well, according to unofficial history, he was knocked unconscious and cut off, and it's still preserved in a museum... But that's not scientific, because the preservation technology of the early 20th century couldn't do that. It's impossible for it to be perfectly preserved to this day, unless he really had superhuman abilities as the legend says, and that object itself is difficult to preserve." Liu Chang'an nodded. This was a very serious topic involving science and medicine.
"Inhuman abilities?" Li Hongfang was clearly more interested in this, but she restrained herself from asking further questions and quickly said, "I have a friend who is a patron of that museum."
As she spoke, Li Hongfang looked around, sat up straight, and pointed to the pencil in Liu Chang'an's hand.
Liu Chang'an loosened his grip, and the pencil rolled down his index finger onto the white paper with several fine pencil lines.
Li Hongfang picked up a pencil and wrote down the name Nikola Tesla.
Upon seeing this name, many people might think of alternating current, radio, wireless power transmission, turbines, myths and legends... Some might think of a biological and medical research institute bearing this name, while others might think of electric cars called Tesla.
Some people might even think this is Zhao Si's English name.
Just then, the teacher walked into the classroom. Liu Chang'an took back his pencil. "Class has started. We'll talk after class."
So Li Hongfang had no choice but to listen to the lesson. During the lesson, Yan Qingcheng looked back at Li Hongfang a few times, but because Liu Chang'an was either listening attentively or writing and drawing on paper, Yan Qingcheng did not make eye contact with Liu Chang'an, so she was unable to convey any sense of doubt, which would have paved the way for her to greet him after class.
During the break, Yan Qingcheng didn't bother Liu Chang'an and the beautiful girl next to him... She was beautiful, but not as stunning as girls like An Nuan, Qin Yanan, Zhu Juntang, who made one feel inferior.
"Are you talking about the Nikola Tesla Institute of Biology and Medicine?" Liu Chang'an felt that this was the most likely possibility.
Rasputin and the great inventor Nikola Tesla were contemporaries, except that Rasputin and died earlier.
One is a charlatan, the other a myth in the scientific community; the two should have no connection... However, that research institute might be interested in an outlier like Rasputin, who possesses a mysterious aura.
"Yes, my friend is a patron of that museum, so he has access to some private information... Although the outside world often believes your earlier statement that the items Rasputin was cut off when he died in 1916 were definitely not genuine due to the inadequate preservation technology at the time, the fact is... they are genuine." Li Hongfang said with great certainty, "Sometimes the truth is just so unbelievable."
"What's the connection with the Tesla Institute...?" Liu Chang'an asked, looking at Li Hongfang.
"The real one was bought by people at Tesla Institute, who made an exact replica and provided it to the museum." Li Hongfang shrugged. "As far as the museum is concerned, since science has already disproven it, they might as well just make a fake one. And it won't stop people who come to worship, pray for children, or pray for strong male virility from coming to admire it."
"How was it counterfeited? Was it made of silicone, or some other material?"
"I don't know about that. Although I'm a single woman, I've never worked with biomimetic materials like silicone before."
"Oh."
"Mmm, mmm, mmm."
Liu Chang'an wasn't particularly concerned about the material. He only knew that since the research institute, now controlled by Su Nanxiu, was interested in this thing, it meant that it must be part of an abnormal creature. If it were part of an ordinary person, it wouldn't have any research value worth stealing.
"Have your friends heard anything about Rasputin's resurrection, or that he's reappearing under a different identity?" Liu Chang'an continued.
"No, not at all." Li Hongfang shook her head and shrugged. "Who knows? Shortly after Rasputin was assassinated, the Romanov Dynasty collapsed, followed by the February Revolution, the October Revolution, the fall of Tsarist Russia, the establishment of the Soviet Union which was then subject to further changes, and so on until now. There has been too much turmoil..."
"Okay, thank you." Liu Chang'an knew that it was impossible for Li Hongfang to uncover all the mysteries surrounding Rasputin, but he did know that Su Nanxiu might also be investigating Rasputin.
If Liu Chang'an really wanted to know more, asking Su Nanxiu would have been a more effective way, but Su Nanxiu didn't have a reason to necessarily tell him... That's what Liu Chang'an thought.
"Actually, I also need to explain something to you... The last time I was spying on you at the Gao Family Manor farmhouse, it was entirely at Su Nanxiu's behest. I had no choice. That woman used every trick in the book, from threats to bribes. My little gang of petty thieves was no match for her... Fortunately, she didn't seem to intend to formally recruit me. But... you'd better not reveal that I'm here to see you." Li Hongfang sized up Liu Chang'an for a moment, then looked away.
Li Hongfang realized during their time at the Gao Family Manor farmhouse that Su Nanxiu had no intention of harming Liu Chang'an; Su Nanxiu actually liked Liu Chang'an! Even a blind person could see that! And Su Nanxiu was incredibly jealous!
"You're a descendant of Li Daoren... It seems like your lineage isn't easy to die from; you have an exceptionally strong will to survive and many ways to do so. Don't worry." Liu Chang'an waved his hand, full of confidence that Li Daoren's bloodline descendants wouldn't perish.
The saying "a scourge can last for a thousand years" refers to the fact that the descendants of a scourge like Li Daoren can remain for a thousand years.
"Speaking of my ancestor, I must mention his friend, the Nine Provinces Wind and Thunder Swordsman. This swordsman, like my ancestor, was famous throughout the world in his time, with friends all over the world... but his fame faded in later generations."
Liu Chang'an glanced at Li Hongfang, thinking, "He's really good at bragging... It's true that Li Daoren has creditors all over the world."
"Although the Nine Provinces Wind and Thunder Swordsman was later heartbroken and disillusioned with the world, he did not take all the wealth he had accumulated with him. Instead, he hid it in a secret place. It is said that the missing section of the 'Along the River During the Along the River During the Qingming Festival' scroll, depicting Jinming Pool, was also in the Nine Provinces Wind and Thunder Swordsman' possession. When Zhang Zeduan completed the painting, it was snatched away by the Swordsman of Nine Provinces, who was fond of collecting paintings. In the struggle, Nine Provinces Wind and Thunder Swordsman drew his sword and slashed this masterpiece, so that the magnificent scene of Jinming Pool in 'Along the Along the River During the Qingming Festival the Qingming Festival' has never appeared in the world." Li Hongfang sighed with regret, "This man was truly wicked!"
Liu Chang'an raised an eyebrow at Li Hongfang, utterly disgusted! This was one of the reasons he had no interest in leaving a name for himself; they were just throwing mud at him without thinking!
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I highly recommend Guan Sheng's new book, "The Ming Dynasty," a historical fiction masterpiece. It's a slice-of-life story set in the late Ming Dynasty, full of satisfying moments of showing off and slapping faces. It's exactly the most popular type of historical fiction right now. He's an established author, so feel free to add it to your collection.