Seeking Truth with a Sword

Chapter 441 - 392: Black Cat

The earliest stone box that contained Mo Si was proven to originate from the Pre-Sui Period, aboard the Wu County Changmen Sea Hawk No. 39.

That ship belonged to the already vanished Su Family of Suzhou. After Li Ang solved the Suzhou Water Poison epidemic, he specifically left a small piece of Mo Si around the Su Family ancestral tomb in the remote mountains. This was so that whenever someone approached, it would trigger the Mo Si and transmit the viewpoint back to Li Ang.

At this moment, in the dense forest outside Suzhou City, a round-faced young boy wearing a straw coat and a bamboo hat was braving the drizzly rain. He had a shoulder pole on his left shoulder and a chopper in his right hand, constantly chopping down the overgrown vines in the forest to clear a path.

Following behind him was a slightly fat black cat. Its fur gleamed slickly. The cat was mostly grey-black, with white on its paws, tail tip, and a triangular white patch on its nose that extended to its neck.

Li Ang’s expression turned solemn; the ship cat fur he had found next to the Su Family’s ancestral tomb was white.

He had also requested personnel from the Suzhou Town Guard Station to keep an eye on the ship cats around Suzhou Port.

However, because there were too many ship cats with white fur, the Suzhou Town Guard Station had not been able to find the specific one.

Birdsong filled the dense forest. The Ink Silk Clone, disguised as a beetle resting on tree bark, slowly unfolded its elytra, about to take flight to get closer. But the black cat stopped walking and looked back, its eyes lacking typical feline innocence, instead showing human-like sharp vigilance.

The beetle-like Ink Silk Clone immediately ceased moving, lying motionless on the tree bark. Only after a long while, urged on by the round-faced boy, did the black cat turn its head and continue walking.

A demon beast in the form of a cat...

The beetle clone was only slightly larger than a Copper Coin. With such a small size, even if it could change form, it probably still couldn’t subdue the opponent.

He couldn’t get too close and had to observe from a distance.

The beetle clone moved slowly, adjusting its viewpoint.

The round-faced boy approached the Su Family ancestral tomb, set down his shoulder pole, and took out items for offering—paper money, fruit, wine, and food—from his bamboo carrying baskets, placing them one by one before the grave.

He then broke a few lush green branches from a nearby willow tree and placed them on the tomb.

While burning the paper money, he spoke to the tomb.

The distance was too great for the beetle clone to hear clearly; it only caught intermittent words like "father, mother," "Doctor," "sick house," and "set sail."

Then, with a proud expression, the round-faced boy took a small, red-covered booklet from his chest and displayed it before the tomb.

A Medical Practitioner Certificate?

Li Ang raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.

During his time in Suzhou solving the Water Poison epidemic, he had drastically reformed the local sick houses, implementing a system where Doctors had to be licensed to practice.

Doctors from around Suzhou could take the exam at the Suzhou Clinic.

The exam included analysis of real cases—Doctors needed to prescribe medicine for the patient conditions described in the test. The Physician Association would review the answers to determine the effectiveness of the prescriptions.

It also included practical operations: Doctors had to treat a certain number of patients with minor illnesses at the local sick house to confirm their ability to practice medicine.

Doctors who passed the exam would receive a "Medical Practitioner Certificate" issued by the Suzhou Clinic.

If a Doctor was later proven to be incompetent or involved in serious medical malpractice, the Suzhou Clinic would revoke their certificate.

Considering the local specifics, Li Ang hadn’t suggested that the officials order all unlicensed Doctors to stop practicing. However, Doctors confident in their medical skills would definitely try to obtain the "Medical Practitioner Certificate" to enhance their persuasiveness with patients.

Clearly, this round-faced young man was also one of the 117 Doctors who had recently passed the rigorous exam and obtained his license.

RUMBLE. From the dark grey clouds gathering above the mountain forest came a dull roar of thunder. The rain was clearly about to intensify.

The round-faced boy regretfully put away his Medical Practitioner Certificate and kowtowed respectfully to the tomb.

After the offering, he left the food and wine at the site. He placed all the empty bowls and plates in the rear bamboo basket, using the front basket to carry the slightly fat black cat.

Seeing that the boy was preparing to leave, Li Ang controlled the beetle clone to climb further up into the tree canopy, listening intently.

The round-faced boy left the Su Family ancestral tomb and started back the way he came. As the wind gradually picked up, he had to hold down his bamboo hat to prevent it from being blown away.

"I really don’t get it; it’s just a medical license," the black cat in the bamboo basket curled up, opened its mouth, and spoke in a neutral human voice. "What’s there to be so proud of?"

"You don’t understand." The round-faced boy shook his head, saying proudly, "Since Dr. Li carried out reforms in the Suzhou Clinic, out of all the Doctors in the entire Jiangnan East Road, only 117 have passed the strict exam and received their license so far.

"That’s almost as difficult as getting into the Chang’an Imperial College. And I’m one of those 117."

"Wow, so impressive," the black cat rolled its eyes sarcastically. "So? Can this certificate help you make a lot of money?

"You’re just a kid; people won’t trust you. Even with the certificate, patients on land won’t believe in you, and no sick house will hire you. You’ll still just be a minor ship doctor."

"Don’t be such a jinx! And don’t forget, if I make money, you get to eat well too, right?" the round-faced boy pouted. "It might not be possible now, but as sick houses develop in other places, the Medical Practitioner Certificate will become more and more important. Eventually, some sick house will want me.

"Alright, the rain’s getting heavier. Let’s hurry. The SS Sea Charm leaves port the day after tomorrow. We need to get our belongings ready and move them onto the ship today."

"You’re just waiting to meet that Noble of Zhou, aren’t you? I just don’t get it. That young master clearly appreciates you. Why won’t you go with him to the Zhou Kingdom? No matter what, it would be better than being a ship doctor drifting at sea..."

The conversation between the boy and the cat gradually faded.

Meanwhile, in Chang’an’s Golden City Square, Li Ang furrowed his brow, his palms pressed against the tabletop.

From the round-faced young man’s behavior, he was undoubtedly the descendant of the Zhou Family Li Ang had been searching for. He was also likely the best lead to the source of the Mo Si.

But the black cat with him... was a rare Demon that understood human speech.