29 Coal Adrift of Snow

Just as Li Mo Shang placed his hand on the door handle, the restaurant owner finally coughed lightly before standing. Settling Wan Xue onto the bed, he then turned to Li Mo Shang, his rough voice tinged with a stern tone as he admonished.

"Young man, isn't it best to show some pity for those deserving of it? Little Wan's younger sister neither requested or pursued such an ending, nor do most of victims suffering from a traumatic injury. Shouldn't young people be planting seeds of good karma to accumulate luck in their next lives? It isn't appreciative to be condescending and arrogant before people with broken hearts."

"It is indeed an ancient and renowned saying to accumulate good karma whenever possible, but the same ancients did not state to become a Good Samaritan, for those people always resulted in a fatal betrayal from someone who received benefits. Why is it that I am to give my assistance to a person who I am not acquainted with nor even know their appearance?" Li Mo Shang countered.

Hearing his cold reply, the sitting Wan Xue broke into another wave of sobs. The restaurant owner hastily comforted her, before speaking once more, his voice edged with seriousness.

"Young man, why keep up the vicious attitude? Your eyes reveal that you wish for nothing more than to swiftly cleanse yourself from this mess, to return to your normal life. Could it be that you have no shred of pity or pathetic thoughts? Little Wan is your professor, and you are her student. Why must your be so antagonistic to the very person who guides you on the path of knowledge?"

The restaurant owner's voice was tinged with annoyance, his expression slightly unsightly from his anger.

"Does the relationship of filial piety provide a one-sided accumulation of benefits, for Professor Wan to attempt to blackmail me? Because I am her student, I must aid her for her sister's troubles? If I were to give help, who would compensate my family for their efforts?"

Unconsciously, Li Mo Shang's soul resonated with the personality of the recorded military general Lu Zhen assimilated by the spiritual core. An invisible, mental pressure suddenly exuded from Li Mo Shang, causing Wan Xue's breath to be cut off, and the restaurant owner's face blanched. After steadying his mind, the owner roared angrily, "This is a life we're talking about! Not a business transaction! Must you maintain that insufferable attitude!?"

"Professor Wan Xue earnestly desires a Yin Restoration Pill, and a physical makeover for her younger sister's treatments. The Yin Restoration Pill's main ingredients are from an extract of freshly obtained Nine Breaths, Withered Grass, and Yang Fruit. The Nine Breaths and Withered Grass both can only be obtained at a dangerous region of Blue Flame World, that even with thousands of people sent daily to recover this herb, only a few dozen stalks are retrieved each year. Can Miss Wan Ning's dignity and pride answer to these men who search for these herbs? Can restoring her dignity and pride compensate for the families' whose husbands and sons' lives were lost?"

Li Mo Shang enunciated each word slowly, his voice extremely icy and detached. Although the Li Family could make thousands of Nine Yin and Yin Restorative Pills from a single stalk of Nine Breaths, it was no embellishment that thousands of lives were sacrificed to determine a proper method of extracting these dangerous herbs with a relative guarantee of safety. Giving no regard for the restaurant owner's sudden stiffness and Wan Xue's frozen countenance, Li Mo Shang continued with an indifferent expression, his voice steely and even.

"Regarding Miss Wan Ning's treatment from the little information I received from the recent hearsay, a physique restorative operation would need to be conducted. Which doctor would then take up that role to restore her physical and mental dignity and reputation? Even if our Li Family did provide such medicinal treatment towards Miss Wan Xue, who will take up the role of defending against Bei Yan Long's wrath? Restaurant Owner Ah, do you expect for the Li Family to provide such a service on the basis of sowing seeds of good karma by taking the brunt of a calamity that can destroy the Li Family? Truly a just person indeed, wanting others to attract calamity!"

The restaurant owner's countenance had paled to a hideous degree, his aged face displaying hints of fear. All three in this room had heard of Bei Yan Long's wrath and military strength, and their conquests and expeditions were well known to all, especially their brutality to those who were captured or had rebelled. The restaurant owner shook with shame and terror, and as he opened his mouth to speak, he heard Li Mo Shang's voice resound once more.

"It isn't impossible for the Li Family to provide assistance towards Professor Wan's troubles. All that is required is the necessary compensation for the consumed and wasted materials during the treatment. After all, Owner Ah, your noodle dishes aren't distributed to the public for free, no? The age of the jianghu and common sentiment has long perished!"

Saying no more, Li Mo Shang strode out of the bedroom, leaving the two to sit blankly on the bed. Soon, his figure departed from the restaurant amidst the customers' curious glances. On the table where he previously had his noodles for lunch, lay two red banknotes of ten thousand yuan apiece.

-

Su Yuan'er directed a curious gaze towards Li Mo Shang's bedroom in Room 303, perplexed at his unusual behavior today. After returning to the dorm in the afternoon, she had seen nothing but a dark expression on his usually deadpan and indifferent countenance, causing her to ponder in confusion. Even his behavior seemed a little erratic and irritated, but by evening, the indifferent Li Mo Shang had returned, his oddity quickly erased.

After a delicious dinner of French cuisine prepared by the always withdrawn Wang Xing, Su Yuan'er quickly changed her clothes into the school uniform, before heading out of the dormitory. She had received an offer from a professor to join their research committee as an intern, and the first meeting was in an hour, on the other side of the university campus. Holding her terminal and a curfew bypass token, she departed from Magnolia Dormitory and headed towards the research facilities, when she spotted Li Mo Shang's distant figure.

Curious, Su Yuan'er dashed after his figure, after which she noticed that he had stopped in a relatively abandoned courtyard, with weeds decorating the gound. Some vestiges of buildings remained nearby, although they were in considerable states of disuse and rather desperate of repair. When Su Yuan'er focused her gaze on Li Mo Shang, her breath hitched as she fell into a momentary daze.

Dressed in light jeans, a simple white sweater, Li Mo Shang's casual appearance infatuated Su Yuan'er as she stared at his back, quietly visualizing his handsome facial expression. From observing that solitary figure among the knee-high weeds, she perceived feelings of loneliness and desolation emanating from him. Suddenly, Li Mo Shang withdrew his terminal, swiftly making a call as he departed once more. Before Su Yuan'er lost sight, his voice slightly echoed throughout the abandoned courtyard, and her heart.

"Old Tai, it's me, Li. How have you been? It's been a few years since we met. How about we meet sometime soon, there's a patient desperately asking for you…"

Greedily taking in Li Mo Shang's receding figure, Su Yuan'er lightly sighed before jogging towards the research facility. Just observing Li Mo Shang and getting lost in her daze had consumed nearly half an hour; if she didn't hurry, she would be late, and ruin any prospects of a amiable and pleasant first impression.

-

The next week, Wan Xue did not show up to Blue Rose University's campus. After she had attempted to plead for Li Mo Shang's assistance and failed, she had filed a substitute request stating that she would be taking a period of time to care for her family. Presently, her family was surrounding her younger sister, Wan Ning, as they prevented her from attempting suicide.

Looking at the struggling Wan Ning as she cried hysterically and demanded to die, the Wan family could not help but feel heartbreak. Wan Ning was a top-notch beauty of Nan Qing, regarded as one of the three great beauties in Nan Qing's younger generation. With her fair, delicate face, large lucid eyes, and a slim willow waist, she had previously been regarded as an insurmountable goal in the hearts of many men. Like a phoenix perched on the highest branch, looking at the world in disdain, she easily had hundreds of suitors, and anyone who succeeded would be a very lucky and blessed man.

Now, however, she was nothing more than a shell of her beauty. Although her physical attractiveness remained, faded knife scars decorated her arms and legs, and her countenance was shallow, devoid of expression save for walling despair. If she wasn't staring at the wall in hopelessness, she was attempting to end her misery in any way possible.

When she recalled the Wan Family's dire situation, Wan Xue could not help but tremble in indignation and fury. Wan Xue's boyfriend's family had withdrawn all forms of support after their humiliation by the Huo Imperial Family and had prevented others from lending aid to the Wan Family. Presently, her parents had lost their positions as research directors, and her brother was roaming Nan Qing, seeking medical aid for Wan Ning from among the commonfolk. From a prestigious and famous family in Nan Qing prided for their research, the Wan Family was now despised by the members of the upper levels of society.

"Little Xue, are you alright? Teaching at university isn't difficult for you?"

Wan Xue's mother patted her on the back with a worried tone, causing Wan Xue to ball her fists and hold back her tears of sorrow. Although the faculty members at Blue Rose University did not care for the Wan Family's incident, she had received no little amount of mocking marriage proposals for her and her sister from graduate students and wealthy young masters. Asking for both of them at the same time, she brimmed with anger and shame, desiring to retort coldly yet unable to.

Looking at her mother's expression, Wan Xue could tell that her mother was going though similar pressure as she sought funding for her stalled research projects. Although she maintained a smiling and amiable expression, Wan Xue could sense the pain and hurt within. Just then, the door opened, and an old man in his sixties entered, startling the family.

"Is this the room held by patient Wan Ning? Little Li said to search for a room registered by someone from the Wan Family…" The old man coughed. When Wan Xue turned towards the door, she saw an old man dressed in a green robe carrying a large handbag. Bald, sporting a long white moustache, and a wizened countenance well experienced with the vicissitudes of time, his appearance matched one in her memories, and Wan Xue came to a standstill, gaping in shock.

"What's wrong, little girl? Did I come to the wrong room?"

"No, no! Doctor Tai, please forgive my shock, I didn't expect you to come here." Wan Xue quickly broke from her reverie. Tai Zi Hua was truly standing before her, she had to get him to remain no matter the price. A doctor on the scale of Tai Zi Hua, perhaps her little sister could recover!

"Hehe, little Li sent me over to treat someone called Wan Ning, saying it would reduce my boredom. Just that, he didn't even know who they were, and he expected this old man to find out!?"

Just as Wan Xue struggled to comprehend Tai Zi Hua's statement, the old man had already walked over to Wan Ning, observing her expression. Suddenly, Wan Xue stiffened, and her delicate flushed hot with extreme shame and gratitude.