I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 63: Not for Free

The Seventh Young Master’s face flushed with defiance after his sister’s remark. “Sis! Your brother is a genius!”

He then turned to Zheng Fa, puffing out his chest. “Zheng Fa! Go along with my sister to Qingmu Sect and endure for a few years. Once I rise to power there, don’t waste your time being her personal attendant. She barely made it into the inner sect after ten years; there’s no future with her. Follow me instead!”

The Eldest Young Lady’s smile froze, her gaze toward her brother growing dangerous. She gritted her teeth, about to retort, but Senior Sister Zhang spoke first.

“Your brother’s understanding of Yuan Fu varies greatly. For instance, he has a 40% accuracy with the Little Rain Talisman and Breeze Talisman but can barely identify 10% of the Vajra Talisman.”

The Seventh Young Master froze and glanced toward Zheng Fa, as though recalling something.

“That’s normal,” Senior Sister Zhang continued. “Most talisman masters have natural affinities for specific Yuan Fu.”

“Wait!” the Seventh Young Master suddenly exclaimed. “It’s… the Sea of Diagrams Strategy!”

“Sea of diagrams?” Senior Sister Zhang repeated, seeming to grasp the phrase but remaining puzzled.

“It’s… Zheng Fa’s secret method for tormenting—uh, training me.” The Seventh Young Master struggled for words before running off to his study. Moments later, he returned, panting and carrying a pile of talisman diagrams.

“These diagrams for the Little Rain Talisman and Breeze Talisman—I practiced them just a few days ago.”

The Eldest Young Lady raised an eyebrow at Zheng Fa, her gaze filled with surprise and doubt.

Senior Sister Zhang lowered her head to examine the pile of diagrams. After a long pause, she looked up.

Her gaze lingered on Zheng Fa as she asked, “How long have you been using this method?”

“Less than ten days, I think.”

Senior Sister Zhang’s eyes gleamed as she nodded slowly. “Your method is better than mine.”

“Senior Sister Zhang!” The Eldest Young Lady was taken aback. “You’re recognized as a talisman prodigy by the Hundred Immortals Alliance…”

“I’ve taught junior disciples in the Jiushan Sect before, but the results were often underwhelming,” Senior Sister Zhang said with a rare furrow of her brow, as if frustrated by something she couldn’t understand. “They’d say the things I thought were simple were too hard, while the issues they raised didn’t need to be explained at all.”

…Was that a line from Old Man Bai’s quotes?

“Judging by his performance with the Vajra Talisman, your brother’s foundation was worse than those juniors,” Senior Sister Zhang remarked.

Zheng Fa chuckled as he looked at the Seventh Young Master, whose face grew stiff, the pride gradually draining from his expression.

“Zheng Fa managed to teach him so well because…” Senior Sister Zhang scrutinized both Zheng Fa and the Seventh Young Master before continuing, “there’s a kind of mutual understanding between the two of you on certain issues.”

Zheng Fa’s smile froze.

…Could she stop with the subtle insults?

“Moreover,” Senior Sister Zhang said, now looking intently at Zheng Fa, “judging from these talisman diagrams, your aptitude for the talisman arts may not be inferior to mine.”

The Eldest Young Lady’s eyes widened as she stared at Zheng Fa.

The Seventh Young Master glanced at his sister, his expression saying, See? Didn’t I tell you so?

It reminded Zheng Fa of what she had said earlier on the way to the estate:

“His talent might be outstanding in the Zhao Estate, but how does he compare to the true geniuses of the cultivation world?”

“Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang are worlds apart. Do you understand?”

Now it seemed the sister had underestimated him, and the brother’s judgment was spot on.

“I knew from the start you were extraordinary!” the Eldest Young Lady declared, her eyes filled with genuine admiration as she looked at Zheng Fa.

The Seventh Young Master’s face turned to one of bewilderment.

“My foolish brother complained that your training was torturous and even begged me to save him!” The Eldest Young Lady turned to her now dumbfounded brother. “He’s ungrateful and has no appreciation for your hard work!”

The Seventh Young Master’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

“Don’t worry; you can push him as hard as you like!” the Eldest Young Lady said, her eyes narrowing as she silenced her brother’s protest with a look. “If he disobeys, just leave him to me—I’ll make sure he learns his lesson!”

She turned to the Seventh Young Master with a sly smile. “Anything you’d like to add?”

The Seventh Young Master opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words. After a long sigh, he muttered, “Qingmu Sect… it’s so harsh.”

…

As the Eldest Young Lady enthusiastically dragged the Seventh Young Master away, Zheng Fa turned to Senior Sister Zhang, who lingered in his courtyard.

“Senior Zhang, there really are no more questions!” he said helplessly.

“Really?”

“Absolutely!”

“Do you want to participate in the Immortal Talent Conference?” she suddenly asked, her gaze steady.

“…”

Looking into her clear eyes, Zheng Fa realized this Golden Core cultivator might not be as indifferent as she appeared.

“You’re exceptionally talented. The patterns hidden within these talisman diagrams can’t be coincidental,” she said, pointing to the pile of diagrams. “Your comprehension of Yuan Fu is remarkable.”

Zheng Fa stayed silent, curious about where this was going.

“You’re both lucky and unlucky,” she said.

Zheng Fa tilted his head, puzzled.

“Do you know why a talisman master would test you but not take you as a disciple?”

…No, I haven’t come up with an excuse yet.

“It’s because of the depletion of spiritual energy,” Senior Sister Zhang explained. “In the Hundred Immortals Alliance, Nascent Soul cultivators have reached a consensus. Unless approved by half of them, each Nascent Soul cultivator may only take one direct disciple every fifty years. Other sects likely have similar restrictions.”

Zheng Fa was stunned. “It’s gotten that bad?”

“It’s also because spiritual materials are scarce. Even if someone isn’t a genius, taking them in would be futile. Quality over quantity.”

“Do you know why the Immortal Talent Conference was convened ahead of schedule?” she asked, shifting topics.

Zheng Fa shook his head.

“There are rumors that further restrictions will be placed on disciple quotas at the conference, making them even scarcer,” she said with a smile. “Do you know who usually gets these slots?”

“Families like the Zhao Clan.”

“Exactly. Mostly descendants of Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators. They heard about these changes and decided to hold the conference early to avoid complications.”

Zheng Fa listened and realized the situation in the immortal sects was grimmer than he’d thought.

The direct disciple route was already limited, and now the conference itself was imposing further restrictions?

Suddenly, Senior Sister Zhang produced a jade token inlaid with gold, depicting nine mountain peaks. It exuded an air of elegance and prestige.

“What’s this?”

“The Immortal Token. With it, you can participate in the Immortal Talent Conference,” she said, placing it on the table.

“Senior Zhang, you…”

“I’m a Golden Core cultivator, so of course I have a slot. But I have no family, and I’m too lazy to curry favor with anyone,” she said, treating the token as if it were of little value.

“If my master were here, he might have given you one based on your talent. But I don’t care about talent,” she said, turning her gaze to Zheng Fa.

“…So?”

“It’s not worth much to me, but it’s not free,” she said, pointing at the token before turning to Zheng Fa. “Understand?”

Zheng Fa leaned back slightly.

“Don’t worry, soul-searching is strictly forbidden in the Hundred Immortals Alliance,” she added.

Zheng Fa remained skeptical; trust in this world was a luxury he couldn’t afford.

“And besides,” Senior Sister Zhang continued, “I don’t like seeing the answers to questions before solving them.”

That’s actually a convincing reason.

“…Name your price!”

“One hundred questions.”

“Deal!”

“I’m not done. One hundred questions per month.”

So this was about sustained joy?

“…Fine!” Zheng Fa gritted his teeth.

“Start with three hundred questions,” Senior Sister Zhang added. “I need to see if you can even pass the conference.”

“Alright!”

Satisfied, Senior Sister Zhang nodded, picked up the token, and walked toward the courtyard gate. Suddenly, she stopped and said,

“Stop being so paranoid around me.”

“Hm?”

“To me, the true enemies of cultivators have never been other people.”

The words sounded oddly familiar.

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