Vol 2 Chapter 22: A Late Arrival
Senior Sister Yuan could carry everything—after all, as a Golden Core cultivator, she could probably crush this entire marketplace building with a single palm.
But she chose not to use her powers.
Instead, she carried the items with her arms, making trip after trip up and down the stairs, not seeming tired in the slightest.
In fact, she looked oddly pleased with herself.
It was obvious that these gifts weren’t from just one person.
The food items were one thing.
But among them were talismans, pills, and even handmade crafts.
The most unacceptable thing, however—someone, likely a tailor shop, had sent over several dresses.
Zheng Fa couldn’t shake the feeling that they had been delivered to the wrong person."Senior Sister Zhang, why don’t you take these dresses?" Zheng Fa suggested.
Senior Sister Zhang reached out and picked up the closest one.
As she unfurled the skirt in front of Zheng Fa, he finally got a clear look—
The unimportant areas were tightly covered, designed in an almost rigidly conservative style.
But the important areas?
There wasn’t a single thread of fabric.
Senior Sister Zhang stood there in complete silence, staring at Zheng Fa with an intense, piercing gaze.
Zheng Fa pressed his lips together, then coughed dryly and forced out a response.
"Uh… I-I’ll just take it back… and return it!"
Internally, he was shaken—
Who said cultivators in the Xuanwei Realm were conservative?
Their minds seemed pretty open!
…But could they at least ship these things discreetly?!
—
The gifts didn’t actually amount to much.
Senior Sister Yuan finished moving everything in just three trips.
They weren’t particularly valuable, either—after all, most of the senders weren’t wealthy.
But despite that, the three of them stood around the pile of gifts, staring at it in silence for a long time.
Finally, Senior Sister Zhang spoke.
"The escort ship must continue."
Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Yuan nodded without hesitation.
—
Han Qi and his companions strolled through the marketplace, their mouths stuffed with food.
"Senior Brother, is it just me, or does it feel like even the arguments have decreased today?" The tall disciple swallowed his bite of pie, looking puzzled.
Han Qi, however, wasn’t surprised.
With a smile, he explained, "When people make money, and life starts looking up, there’s less resentment."
The tall disciple nodded—though it wasn’t clear whether he actually understood.
His gaze shifted toward a group of disciples at the street corner, his tone a little bitter.
"Those were the same guys badmouthing us earlier, but now they’re eating just fine!"
"It’s fine," Han Qi’s expression remained calm, his tone light.
"There’s no need to be upset about these people. Junior Brother Zheng has already won over the hearts of the people. No amount of grumbling from them will change that."
"That’s true!" The tall disciple brightened up.
"Junior Brother Zheng has Senior Sister Zhang backing him from above, and now he has public support from below. With the way things are going, his position in the marketplace is unshakable."
"Senior Sister Zhang?" Han Qi’s tone suddenly turned odd.
"With Junior Brother Zheng’s talent and ability, it’s hard to say whether this marketplace will ultimately belong to Zhang or Zheng in the future."
—
"I want to take Zheng Fa as my direct disciple!"
Master Pang Zhenren spoke with absolute determination, his face set like stone.
Zhou Qianyuan looked at his master, wanting to say something—but he didn’t dare.
Instead, he turned toward his Senior Brother, Sun Daoyu, only to find that Sun Daoyu’s face was also clouded with reluctance.
Zhou Qianyuan had no personal grudge against Zheng Fa.
In fact, he deeply respected Zheng Fa’s mastery of talismans.
He wouldn’t even mind treating Zheng Fa as an equal and addressing him formally.
He wasn’t someone who clung to status and pride.
But…
His master taking Zheng Fa as a direct disciple was another matter entirely.
This decision could impact his own path to Nascent Soul.
Considering how highly Master Pang valued Zheng Fa now, the resources that had been stockpiled for Zhou Qianyuan might very well end up going to Zheng Fa instead.
How was he supposed to accept that?
As for Senior Brother Sun, Zhou Qianyuan could guess his reasons.
Sun Daoyu never got along with Zheng Fa.
There had even been an incident where he tried to steal Zheng Fa’s Immortal Token.
But even setting that aside—
Sun Daoyu had put in years of effort, investing time and resources to earn favor with Master Pang.
If Zheng Fa became a direct disciple, wouldn't that make all of Sun Daoyu’s efforts worthless?
Still, as disciples, they had no say in their master’s decision.
Master Pang was a Nascent Soul cultivator.
They had no right to argue.
Perhaps sensing their reluctance, Master Pang glanced at them, his expression unreadable.
"Do you both think I’m overestimating Zheng Fa?"
The two exchanged looks.
Then, bowing their heads, they said in unison, "We wouldn’t dare. We follow our master’s will."
"If Zheng Fa was just a talented disciple, I wouldn’t insist on taking him in," Master Pang explained.
"After all, Senior Niece Zhang was the one who introduced him to the sect."
"Do you really think I lack another disciple so badly?"
"Then why—"
"No matter how powerful he becomes, do you think he can threaten a Nascent Soul cultivator like me?"
Master Pang’s laugh was cold.
"But Master, then why—"
"It’s because you’re both idiots!" Master Pang glared at them, his brows furrowing in frustration.
"I told you before—don’t obsess over petty disputes. Compete, sure, but know your limits."
"And yet? Look at what’s happened now!"
"The two factions are at each other’s throats!"
"Right now, I can still keep things under control."
"But in the future?"
Sun Daoyu’s face alternated between red and pale.
He knew that the growing rift between the two factions was never Master Pang’s intention.
Master Huang Zhenren and Master Zhang Zhenren had originally just disagreed on ideology.
But over the years, their disciples first fought over ideals, then over resources, and eventually, it became a struggle where even the reason for conflict had been forgotten.
Decades of accumulated resentment had turned into a tangled mess, impossible to resolve.
And disciples like himself had only made things worse, either by inaction or by fueling the flames.
Master Pang suddenly turned to Zhou Qianyuan.
"Qianyuan, be honest—can you compare to Senior Niece Zhang?"
Zhou Qianyuan lowered his head in shame. "I… do not have the confidence."
The longer he stayed in Jiushan Sect, the more he understood how terrifying Senior Sister Zhang truly was.
Her mind, her abilities—she was undoubtedly the strongest of the next generation.
Within the sect, her status was already comparable to their own master.
"And now, Zheng Fa has appeared," Master Pang sighed.
"It’s one thing that he has talent. But now, he has also won over the lower-ranked disciples.
"If he and Senior Niece Zhang work together, do you think there will still be a place for the rest of you in the future?"
"…We are incompetent."
Both Zhou Qianyuan and Sun Daoyu bowed their heads.
Master Pang shook his head and sighed.
"That bastard Huang Zhenren is too damn lucky. First, he picks up Senior Niece Zhang, and now, Zheng Fa falls into his lap!
"If you two want any chance at a decent future, the best option is to bring Zheng Fa into our faction."
Sun Daoyu slowly nodded, finally understanding his master’s intentions. He mused,
"If Junior Brother Zheng joins us… it would be a matter of addition and subtraction.
"**One gain, one loss—**the balance between the two factions would be restored.
"And then, we wouldn’t have to worry anymore."
Master Pang looked out toward the mountains, his gaze deep and unreadable.
"Not only that," he added, "but given his relationship with Senior Niece Zhang…
"Who’s to say he won’t be the key to resolving the conflict between our factions in the future?"
"Master?"
"The Hundred Immortals Alliance is already in turmoil…" Master Pang gave them a meaningful glance.
"Do you both understand?"
—
After parting with Master Pang, Zhou Qianyuan and Sun Daoyu walked in silence.
Zhou Qianyuan felt stifled, but Sun Daoyu seemed deep in thought.
Finally, sensing Zhou Qianyuan’s frustration, Sun Daoyu spoke.
"Master cares about us. Even if he favors Zheng Fa, he will always consider your future.
"Don't worry."
Zhou Qianyuan hesitated, then let out a small breath and cupped his hands in gratitude.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Sun."
"You’re being too polite, Junior Nephew Zhou."
"…Huh?"
—
Zheng Fa sat cross-legged in his study, consuming a freshly purchased Condensing Yuan Pill, preparing to form his third Yuan Talisman.
The spirit stones he used to buy this pill had come from the escort ship’s earnings.
Han Qi and his companions no longer ran stalls themselves, but they still helped Zheng Fa sell talismans.
Some of the newly drawn talismans he had placed on the ship were among the best sellers.
Inside Jiushan Sect, these talismans would barely fetch ten spirit stones.
But in other marketplaces, they sold for twenty spirit stones—
Jiushan Sect’s Talisman Masters were so competitive that even the prices of Mysterious-Grade Talismans were lower than those outside.
This time, Zheng Fa had far more options when selecting his next Yuan Talisman.
Thanks to his discovery of Five Element Sub-Talismans and the top-tier lab provided by Senior Sister Zhang, they had managed to research countless new talisman patterns based on Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.
Currently, he planned to condense a Yin-element, Water-attribute Yuan Talisman—
And since Senior Sister Zhang likely had a Water Spiritual Root, she had done the most research in that field.
Among hundreds of choices, Zheng Fa had selected the Nourishing Spirit Talisman.
Its effect was simple:
It nourished the soul and repaired spiritual damage.
This was for Tang Lingwu’s mother.
It wasn’t just about repaying their bond—
The discovery of Five Element Sub-Talismans owed much to Old Man Bai, but Tang Lingwu had also played a crucial role.
At the very least, she had contributed a great deal of money.
Beyond that, Zheng Fa believed that if the Nourishing Spirit Talisman worked for Tang Lingwu’s mother, it could have huge potential in the modern world.
He had thought carefully about this—
The Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method wasn’t just about accelerating his cultivation.
Its greatest potential was in the modern world.
In the Xuanwei Realm, talismans were commonplace.
No matter how advanced his Yuan Talismans were, they wouldn’t dominate the market.
But in modern society?
These talismans could allow him to perform magic in the real world!
With that in mind, he realized his talisman selection didn’t need to focus solely on combat.
Instead, support-type talismans could be even more valuable.
Zheng Fa had two principles when choosing his Yuan Talismans:
- Self-defense—like the True Form Shadowless Talisman, for worst-case scenarios.
- Solving real-world problems that modern science couldn't—like the Nourishing Spirit Talisman.
That way, he could acquire more resources in the future.
His spiritual sense entered his dantian, and in no time, he had successfully condensed the Nourishing Spirit Talisman.
As soon as it formed, it naturally aligned itself with his previously condensed True Form Shadowless Talisman and Frost Blade Talisman, as if they were meant to be together.
—
Modern World – Old Man Bai’s House
As they left class, Tang Lingwu suddenly said she had something to do and told Zheng Fa to go ahead—
She would be late.
But she wasn’t just a little late.
By the time she arrived, more than an hour had passed.
What concerned Zheng Fa and Old Man Bai even more—
Her face was slightly wet, as if she had washed it recently.
And if one looked closely, her eyes were still a little red.
Old Man Bai suddenly stood up, his face dark with anger.
"You were crying?!
"Did someone bully you on the way here?!"
Zheng Fa also walked over, worried, though he had a different suspicion.
Tang Lingwu sniffled and spoke with a heavy, nasal voice.
"…No."
Then, after a pause, she continued:
"Teacher… I might not be able to come to class anymore."
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