The World's Number One Medical Hall

Chapter Sixty-Six: Stalking

In the autumn afternoon, the golden sunlight illuminates the city, making it both ancient and vibrant.

Mo Bai wanted to calm down and take a good look at this city, which, although in a different world, was equally impossible to ignore.

From the moment he woke up, he began to ponder what kind of world and what kind of era he was living in.

When a person wants to quickly adapt to an unfamiliar environment, they will subconsciously look for familiar coordinates in their own cognition to give themselves a sense of belonging.

Mo Bai was no exception, but all along, this Great Xia was undoubtedly quite different from the world he knew.

Just like that glorious gate, he never saw it in the history of any dynasty.

Fortunately, if he doesn't get bogged down in these specifics and instead takes a broader perspective to grasp the pulse of the times, he can still find a familiar framework within his familiar past history to define the environment of this world.

That's right, it was the most turbulent period in modern history, the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China!

He traveled all the way from Beijing to Mingzhu, passing through many cities, and constantly confirming his suspicions.

However, it was not so easy. Before the war broke out, the many cities along the way did not have any particularly distinctive features to reflect the atmosphere of the era.

In most cities, people still live within a feudal framework, repeating their poor and backward lives day after day, without much distinct spark of collision between civilization and backwardness.

Therefore, Mo Bai had always looked forward to coming to Mingzhu, because he knew that if he was not mistaken, then this "Oriental Pearl" from his previous life would definitely give him an accurate answer.

And that is indeed the case. In fact, he didn't even have to wait until now. The voices of the newsboys that he heard as soon as he stepped off the dock already gave him the most obvious coordinates of the era.

Without a doubt, nothing made Mo Bai more clearly grasp that breath of freedom than newsboys standing on the street, openly and unabashedly commenting on the secrets of the dynasty.

Here, feudalism may still exist, but the mind has been opened up, just like the atmosphere that should exist in the chaotic world in the history I am familiar with.

At this moment, Mo Bai sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on the wide street, on the bustling crowds, and on their diverse styles of clothing.

Suits, long skirts, robes, short shirts, school uniforms!

Horse-drawn carriages, automobiles, pedicabs, and rickshaws!

On the buildings that are neither Western nor ancient, there are huge and distinctive signs.

Peddlers, elites, scholars, warriors, Westerners...

There was no need for further doubt; all of this converged in Mo Bai's eyes, allowing him to clearly identify the imprint of the era.

"Hoo..." Mo Bai let out a soft breath, but he didn't pay any more attention. Clearly, at this moment, he was not at peace because of the faint sounds of discussion that could still be heard from below the tavern.

I closed the window, got up and went to the table, poured a cup of tea, held it in my hand, watched the water droplets ripple, and then put it down.

He went to the bedside and sat down cross-legged.

He sat alone, quietly, and at that moment, a deep, rarely seen ripple of emotion appeared in his eyes.

Indeed, the news that came this morning still left him unable to remain indifferent.

If it weren't for the so-called truth about the assassination, who could know the truth better than him?

However, after hearing the news of the Crown Prince's death, for some reason, the image of the Empress, whom he had only met once and was not actually very familiar with, kept flashing through his mind.

His understanding over the past few days had led him to know that the Empress had only two sons.

One of them was himself, and the other, the deceased crown prince, was the emperor he had seen that day.

At the time, Mo Bai did not know his identity, only that he was the emperor's elder brother, and wondered why he was targeting him like this.

Later, after learning from Tie Xiong that the person was actually the Crown Prince, he became even more puzzled.

Why would someone like me, a prince who poses no threat, be so disliked by him?

However, afterward, I began to understand a little. It turned out that it was related to the Empress's caring attitude towards me and the princess I had never met.

Princess Lin Suyin is said to be destined for greatness, and it is said that His Highness the Crown Prince had long harbored feelings for her, but unexpectedly, he ended up marrying her...

At this time, the Crown Prince was dead, so there was no question of brotherly affection. Perhaps even if the former Prince Ming were alive, he wouldn't feel much sadness. However, Mo Bai couldn't help but think of his mother, who was now suffering the pain of losing her son.

A fleeting look of obvious worry crossed Mo Bai's eyes. He gently shook his head, his gaze flickering again, and the image of that arrogant man echoed in his ears once more.

The arrogant scholar's words, "Who will save the country? Who will save the country?"

Mo Bai knew the trends of the times better than anyone else, but he never imagined that the great chaos would originate from him.

With his eyes closed and his hands forming a mudra, Mo Bai fell into silence.

He had to put everything aside for the time being. He was too weak; anything he said was superfluous, and thinking about everything was just overthinking.

His most pressing need right now is to survive.

He needs time.

But he probably didn't expect that he wouldn't have much time to relax, and that this newly arrived pearl was not so peaceful either.

………………

……

Xingdeli!

This is a small street.

Tie Xiong got off the rickshaw and walked alone on the small street, his steps becoming increasingly hurried.

He was about to see Ning'er. Over the past month, he had been filled with worry and was extremely eager to know how his sister, who had suffered so much, was doing.

His gaze followed the inconspicuous yet extremely familiar marks on the corner of the wall.

Although I had never been to Mingzhu before, I had already made arrangements and discussed what to do after I came.

This is a small street lined with residential houses, obviously not as bustling as a main avenue, but the environment is quite peaceful.

Tie Xiong finally stopped in front of a courtyard after traveling for a long time.

"This is it!" He looked at the courtyard, a hint of excitement in his eyes.

But he suppressed his eagerness and walked a little further, observing the surrounding environment.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Tie Xiong paused, glancing furtively at two figures dressed in black short outfits at the entrance of the courtyard.

His years of vigilance made him immediately aware that these two people were different. It wasn't that they were observing him, but rather that their gazes were clearly falling on the courtyard gate from time to time.

Tie Xiong immediately became alert, his eyes flashing slightly. He walked past the two men without making a sound. The two men glanced at him and then ignored him.

Tie Xiong drove away without looking back. He didn't stop until he was a distance from the alley entrance, when he sat down at a teahouse by the roadside, ordered a cup of tea, and began to observe the area with a seemingly casual gaze.

"Something happened?" He seemed relaxed at the moment, but in reality, his heart tightened instantly.

No one knew his fellow disciples' abilities better than him; there was no way they wouldn't have noticed such obvious surveillance...

Tie Xiong glanced at the two figures in black again, his eyes flashing with conflicting emotions. Even though it was only their first meeting, he could tell that the two were not benevolent.

His eyes were fierce, and he stood slouching, looking like a thug or a social outcast.

Tie Xiong eventually got up again, went to a restaurant next door to buy some food, and carried it in his hand as he walked back towards the courtyard.

In any case, his fellow disciples did not leave him any other signals, which meant that they were still there and had not reminded him not to go there.

As he passed the two men again, they clearly noticed him. One of them, with a displeased look, shouted at him, "What are you doing walking around like that?"

Unbridled!

It was obvious that these two were nothing more than thugs.

"Looking for trouble?" Tie Xiong paused, glancing at the two men. His voice was low but extremely intimidating.

"Hey, I said..." The first person to speak was annoyed and took a step forward.

Tie Xiong said nothing, lifted his foot, and stomped on the ground: "Crack!"

The bluestone clearly showed cracks.

"Hmm..." With such an obvious commotion, how could the two not notice? Their expressions immediately changed: "Go, go..."

Without uttering any more threats, he turned and ran.

Tie Xiong watched their retreating figures, his brow furrowing once more...

Without lingering any longer, he strode quickly toward the courtyard.