Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 125 - 31 Invitation

Chapter 125: Chapter 31 Invitation

"I want to find a mountain."

In Old Man Bai’s house, Zheng Fa said seriously.

When Old Man Bai and his company heard Zheng Fa say this, and saw his serious face, they were both stunned.

"What mountain?" Old Man Bai asked, a bit confused: "Why are you asking me about that? Go ask a geography teacher!"

Tang Lingwu was also looking at Zheng Fa, seemingly not understanding what he had just been talking about.

The two people before him were the ones who understood him the best in the modern world, had given him the most help, and whom he trusted the most.

Zheng Fa’s future plans also needed to be made clear to them.

"If I want you two to be able to cultivate, we need to find a suitable mountain."

Zheng Fa explained, briefly.

After all, the "Spirit Mountain Technique" could not be explained in just a sentence or two.

Old Man Bai slowly furrowed his brows and muttered: "Mountain? Spirit land? Sanctuary?"

Zheng Fa nodded and said, "You could say that."

But the spiritual energy of this spirit land was provided by Zheng Fa himself.

"Are we, the Jiushan Sect, about to establish a new sect? No, reopen the sect?"

Old Man Bai’s eyes widened with excitement as he spoke.

"...It’s not the Jiushan Sect, it’s my own thing." Zheng Fa was silent for a while, then explained his thoughts to them: "This is not a sect."

"Not a sect?"

"I’m hoping to find some scholars, like Professor Bai, to study cultivation—um, kind of like a cultivation experimental lab."

"..." Old Man Bai smacked his lips: "Those two words sound strange together, but I get what you mean."

Tang Lingwu nodded as well.

"So why are you talking to the two of us about this today?"

They both could tell that Zheng Fa wouldn’t suddenly be so serious if there weren’t something else he wanted to discuss.

"Now, I’m formally inviting you to join this lab."

"Hey! Why so serious?" Old Man Bai laughed: "I thought I was part of it already, aren’t we all on the same team?"

Tang Lingwu nodded along.

"You haven’t understood what I meant." Zheng Fa said softly: "I need to find a mountain with special geographical features, wherever that mountain is, the lab will be there—that means, to join the lab, you’ll have to go there."

"You’re saying..."

Zheng Fa nodded: "For instance, Professor, you might have to leave your family, at least it’s equivalent to working out of town."

"Like Tang Lingwu, if there’s no suitable mountain in Beijing, then you won’t be able to go to Beijing University."

Hearing Zheng Fa’s words, Old Man Bai fell into silence.

Zheng Fa did not rush him; this was a significant life choice—for both of the Bai family members, he hoped they would follow him.

Not only did Old Man Bai have expertise in mathematics, but he could also help to build the framework of this research institution.

He had worked a lifetime at Beijing University, and even if he was not a manager, he understood better how to operate a lab than Zheng Fa did.

Tang Lingwu—well, her greatest help now was her family’s wealth.

But her effort was enough to win Zheng Fa’s approval.

If she learns computer science smoothly, it would be a massive asset.

But Zheng Fa would not insist.

Based solely on their friendship, Zheng Fa was willing to respect their choices.

After a long silence, Old Man Bai suddenly spoke, "Actually, if you really said you wanted to join the Jiushan Sect... I might really hesitate, that thing doesn’t sound fun at all."

"..."

Zheng Fa looked at him.

Old Man Bai smiled and said: "But a cultivation lab, now that sounds like a lot more fun!"

"Do you know what’s the luckiest thing in scientific research?"

"What is it?" Zheng Fa asked.

"It’s to discover a blank field that nobody else has ever explored, whatever you research in it, you’ll be a pioneer!" Old Man Bai exclaimed loudly: "Cultivation and mathematics, such an untouched interdisciplinary field... isn’t that free rein for me?"

Seemingly delighted by his own thoughts, there was even a brazen smile on Old Man Bai’s face.

"..."

Zheng Fa looked towards Tang Lingwu.

The girl had been silent all along, displaying a somewhat indifferent demeanor.

Tang Lingwu looked at both of them, a bit confused: "Do I need to make a statement too?"

"?"

"Wasn’t I clear enough?" Tang Lingwu asked, frowning in surprise: "I never considered the second option!"

"Even if it means not going to university?"

"...But this is about cultivation!" Tang Lingwu’s eyes widened: "Can’t I just get a degree online... No wait, I don’t need to find a job, I don’t even need a degree."

Okay, hearing Tang Lingwu say this, Zheng Fa was somewhat speechless.

Rich ladies are so willful.

"What’s more, if I don’t agree, my mom will probably kick me out of the house!" Tang Lingwu said, her tone somewhat strange.

"Your mom?"

Tang Lingwu said gloomily: "I didn’t even get a sip of that soup she made last time."

"..."

"I even suspect that if you said you were taking me away, she’d pack me up herself."

"Is this... the result of the check-up?" Old Man Bai guessed from the side.

Tang Lingwu nodded.

The three of them looked at each other and all started to laugh.

"By the way, you mentioned setting up a lab—are there standards for recruitment?"

Zheng Fa pondered for a moment before speaking: "Our advantage is, of course, cultivation—I might also be able to cure some other diseases in the future."

"The most attractive aspect of this condition is... patients? The elderly?"

Old Man Bai understood and responded.

"Yes, I need talents outstanding in their respective fields, and usually, such people are not too young—as if too young, they might not have a solid foundation in knowledge."

"On the other hand, the elderly, like you, Professor Bai, may have suffered from diseases and are a bit more fearful of death. Our place would be more appealing to these people."

"There’s another point," Zheng Fa paused for a while before revealing his final consideration: "Time reveals a person’s heart."

"Human heart?"

"If someone has maintained a good reputation and public opinion for decades, that’s generally somewhat trustworthy," Zheng Fa explained.

Of course, this was not certain.

But at least the likelihood of having a reliable character is higher.

Both Old Man Bai and Zheng Fa understood the implication—recruiting people still depended on character.

"So, this laboratory of ours needs a name, right?" Old Man Bai said excitedly.

"What do you suggest, elder?"

It was apparent that the old man already had some ideas.

"Twilight Hermitage!" Old Man Bai declared loudly: "Think about it, all old academic authorities, secluded in the deep mountains... This name is so fitting!"

"What sort of books do you usually read, elder..."

"This isn’t good?" Old Man Bai was taken aback, then muttered: "Right, it’s a bit too Western-style. How about the Daluo Dharma Meeting? This has a classical touch!"

Tang Lingwu, as if thinking of something, said: "In my dad’s business chain... places where these kinds of people get together are usually called nursing homes."

"..."

Zheng Fa and the others looked at Tang Lingwu.

Tang Lingwu blinked her eyes and whispered softly: "...Eco-friendly nursing home? Elite seniors’ eco-friendly nursing home?"

"..."

"You mentioned finding a mountain, what does that mean?"

Old Man Bai fell silent for a long while, as if suddenly forgetting the matter of naming, and asked.

Zheng Fa took out the "Spirit Vein Theory" he had transcribed from his backpack.

In this book written by the Sect Leader, he had summarized the configurations of the world’s spirit veins, identified some necessary characteristics, and stated in the "Spirit Mountain Technique" that only on mountains with these characteristics could the Spirit Mountain Technique’s power be utilized.

"This book, it looks a lot like some kind of geomancy theory..."

Zheng Fa couldn’t help doubting again what kind of books the old man usually read.

"This seems rather troublesome; we’re not knowledgeable about Feng Shui, nor do we know how to observe mountain ranges."

Old Man Bai flipped through the "Spirit Vein Theory" and sighed.

Zheng Fa was also somewhat troubled.

It was not just complicated in the modern world, but even more so in the Xuanwei Realm.

The Xuanwei Realm is vast and often has Cultivators or Demon Beasts within its mountains.

To fully observe the mountain ranges was extremely dangerous—one might provoke someone inadvertently.

It was only because the Jiushan Sect had numerous geographical maps of the Xuanwei Realm.

Using these resources, the Sect Leader summarized the "Spirit Vein Theory" and then amended the "Spirit Mountain Technique"—according to the Sect Leader, if it weren’t for Jiushan Sect being situated on a spirit vein, finding a place suitable for practicing the Spirit Mountain Technique would be very troublesome as well.

"Is it troublesome?" Tang Lingwu asked with curiosity, "Can’t we just use satellite images?"

"..."

Zheng Fa and the others looked at Tang Lingwu again.

"Can’t we?"

Tang Lingwu asked, perplexed.

"How about, elder, you don’t come?"

Zheng Fa always felt that Old Man Bai’s ideas were liable to lead him astray.

...

Even using satellite images, finding the right place was not easy.

But there was no rush to this matter.

He was currently only at the fourth layer of Qi Cultivation and was some time away from reaching the seventh layer necessary to practice the Spirit Mountain Technique.

As per Zheng Fa’s estimation, he would likely only reach the seventh layer of Qi Cultivation after the college entrance examination.

"The resolution of these maps still isn’t adequate."

They were primarily looking for locations near Beijing, and after half a day’s search, they found four or five mountains that seemed to meet the requirements for spirit veins mentioned in the "Spirit Vein Theory."

But to ascertain if they truly were suitable, they would still need to visit and see for themselves.

"Let my mom send out an inspection team."

Zheng Fa was startled and looked at Tang Lingwu.

"My mom has been asking you for favors recently," Tang Lingwu said softly, "Besides, even if we find a mountain, concerning the lease and construction—my mom can help you."

"Is it really okay for you to be pushing things out like this?"

Watching Tang Lingwu so readily ’sell out’ her mother, Old Man Bai was astonished.

"Teacher, you don’t understand... It’s not that I want to sell her, but my mom would sell herself," Tang Lingwu sighed helplessly: "When I came over today, my mom even said, no, asked Zheng Fa to visit our house tomorrow."

"..."

The next day, when Zheng Fa arrived at Tang Lingwu’s home.

He finally understood why Tang Lingwu had put it that way.

It was still that driver in boxer shorts, still that black sedan, but when Zheng Fa was about to get out of the car, he saw a hand eagerly opening the car door for him.

Zheng Fa looked up.

Mrs. Ye stood in front of him, beaming and extremely enthusiastic.

Tang Lingwu, as if she had anticipated this, sighed and walked over to her mother’s side.

The two standing together indeed looked like sisters.

It was apparent that Mrs. Ye was in excellent spirits that week.