Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 143 - 48: Flew Away

Chapter 143: Chapter 48: Flew Away

Zheng Fa never expected that Zhao Jinglan would come to see him in the dead of night.

He was cultivating in the Quiet Room.

When he heard a soft knock on the door.

He initially thought it was Seventh Young Master, but upon opening the door, he saw Zhao Jinglan standing at the entrance, looking at him as if she wanted to talk; she put her index finger to her lips and made a shushing gesture.

Zheng Fa glanced at the guest room, knowing she probably had something to discuss that she didn’t want Seventh Young Master to hear.

He quietly opened the door, invited Zhao Jinglan inside, and threw a silence talisman toward the door before speaking, "Zhao, is there anything you need from me?"

Zhao Jinglan also looked back at the guest room where Seventh Young Master was staying, seeing that there seemed to be no activity before she sighed in relief.

"When we mentioned Taiyang County yesterday, I noticed your expression; you probably know what happened there?"

"I know, a spirit cave emerged." Zheng nodded.

Zhao Jinglan gently nodded in response, "Then you know what I’m going to do, right?"

"...Claim the spirit stone mine?"

Zheng Fa’s tone was hesitant; he seemed not quite confident in his own answer.

Zhao Jinglan curled her lip, "Am I seeking death?"

Zheng nodded, knowing even someone as strong as a Golden Core like Zhang was cautious regarding the spirit mine.

Zhao Jinglan was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage.

She would be insane to covet that.

"Besides spirit stone mines, the emergence of the spirit cave also brings other spiritual materials." Seeing he genuinely seemed uninformed she continued, "Of course, those valuable ones are out of my reach, but I might stand a chance with the lesser-valued ones."

"...You haven’t mentioned this to Seventh Young Master, have you?"

With just one sentence Zheng Fa rendered Zhao Jinglan silent.

Both knew the oversight in Zhao Jinglan’s words—

Yes, those influential figures are targeting the high-value spiritual materials.

But since they are there,

why wouldn’t they take the low-valued ones as well, as their storage bags are never too full to accommodate? Zheng once read an article about a billionaire who even picked up a coin he dropped, regardless of its truth, can’t those powerful people be frugal too?

Moreover, spiritual plants are becoming increasingly scarce with promising appreciation potential.

Who would find having them too much?

"Junior Brother, I’m not as fortunate as you." Zhao Jinglan spoke after a long silence, "I was favored by Zhang right from the start and immediately taken as a disciple by the Sect Leader."

"I’ve been in the sect for ten years, and barely managed to reach Foundation Establishment. I don’t have your talents for talismanic Dao, nor do I have the alchemy talents valued by Qingmu Sect."

"If I don’t take risks, I might remain stuck here my whole life."

Zheng understood.

Compared to Han Qi, Zhao Jinglan was much luckier—although her path to Foundation Establishment was hard, she at least achieved it.

However, her misfortune lies in seeing a sliver of hope, whereas sometimes having no hope at all might be better.

"If Jing Fan wasn’t relentless, I wouldn’t take the risk..." suddenly Zhao Jinglan mentioned Seventh Young Master again, "But now Jing Fan is protected by a Golden Core Master, whether his Foundation Establishment sister like me is around doesn’t make much difference."

"If no spirit cave emerged, I would also leave the sect after Jing Fan reached Foundation Establishment to find my own opportunities." Zhao Jinglan looked up at Zheng Fa, "Junior Brother Zheng, in this Xuanwei Realm, my only stake is my life."

Zheng Fa looked at Zhao Jinglan, momentarily speechless.

"What brings Senior Sister Zhao here then?"

"Jing Fan and you are close friends, I only ask you for one thing..."

"I will look after..."

"If I truly die in Taiyang County, please restrain Jing Fan from rash actions... I suspect there aren’t many in the world who could stop him," Zhao Jinglan made an unexpected request that even Zheng Fa hadn’t anticipated.

"..."

Zheng Fa pursed his lips and asked, "Is Taiyang County that dangerous?"

"I don’t know either, just rumors that someone from the Great Freedom Demon Sect appeared."

The Great Freedom Demon Sect?

Zheng Fa slowly frowned.

Zhang hadn’t mentioned this.

He now understood why even Zhang, with her cultivation level, seemed a bit troubled—the Great Freedom Demon Sect, the most ancient branch among the Demon Sects.

How ancient?

According to legends, that group of Ancient Cultivators who massacred all beings previously, were their predecessors.

In a sense, everyone in the Xuanwei Realm might descend from them.

Of course, now they disdain each other.

Cultivators of the Xuanwei Realm feel it’s shameful to have such ancestors.

The Great Freedom Demon Sect thinks these weaklings don’t deserve to be linked with them.

No wonder Zhang seemed a bit distressed.

"Then Senior Sister Zhao..." Zheng Fa wanted to persuade her further.

"Junior Brother Zheng, the opportunities from the emergence of a spirit cave are immense..."

Zhao Jinglan’s eyes brightened, flames seeming to flicker in her pupils.

Zheng Fa fell silent, leaving Zhao Mansion before he fully understood this lady of the Zhao Family—after ten years of hardship, she had become a typical cultivator of the Xuanwei Realm:

Recklessly pursuing opportunities.

Forsaking life and death to enhance her realm.

Every time she obtains resources, she does not hesitate to give her sweat and even blood.

Seeing that Zheng seemed to understand, Zhao Jinglan gently smiled again, repeating, "Junior Brother Zheng, not everyone is as lucky as you."

For a while, the room fell silent.

The door was softly knocked again.

Seventh Young Master sneakily pushed the door open, quietly calling out, "Zheng Fa? Zheng Fa?"

"My sister told me to go to bed early today for some reason."

"I still have a lot to talk to you about; it wasn’t convenient when my sister was around!"

He poked his head into the Quiet Room and saw Zheng Fa and his elder sister looking at him.

"...Sister?" Seventh Young Master’s gaze suddenly became a bit complicated: "You also have secrets to share with Zheng Fa behind my back?"

...

Having sent away the siblings of the Seventh Young Master.

Zheng Fa sat back down in the Quiet Room.

The flames on the candlestick flickered, casting intermittently bright and dim light on his face, deepening the furrows on his brow.

Zhao Jinglan coming to him was actually not something he was particularly concerned about.

Although he disliked taking risks, everyone has their aspirations, and this was Zhao Jinglan’s own choice—At most, if a real problem arose, he could only soothe or even use his influence to protect the Seventh Young Master.

What truly worried him was Zhang.

The name of the Great Freedom Demon Sect was not among the Five Great Sects of the Xuanwei Realm.

Or rather, the Demon Sects had been stripped of their ranking—During the years of peace in the Xuanwei Realm, the living conditions for the Demon Sects had become quite harsh.

But this did not mean the Great Freedom Demon Sect was not powerful.

On the contrary, having endured silently for so many years, their emergence this time signified the peace of the Xuanwei Realm would be disrupted.

Previously, Yuan mentioned to him that Zhang, when stepping out, even if she encountered Nascent Souls, had means to preserve her life.

Yuan had appeared quite reassured at the time.

Because among the various Immortal Sects, there was an unspoken agreement that Nascent Souls would not partake in conflicts.

But such agreements were always informal.

And moreover—"Does the Demon Sect have any freaking agreement with you?"

The situation Zhang would face in Taiyang County might be more dangerous than Zheng Fa had initially thought.

It wasn’t just about Zhang’s caring for him.

To speak of Zhang herself, she held extraordinary significance to the Jiushan Sect.

Zheng Fa saw it very clearly, setting aside Zhang, setting aside the Jiushan Sect.

Right now, he was merely in the Qi Refinement Realm.

Probably even inferior to Zhao Jinglan.

Furthermore, if he wanted to effectively utilize modern advantages, he must establish his own foundation.

From research findings to practical application, he couldn’t do it without the Jiushan Sect.

His fate was tied together with the Jiushan Sect, and with Zhang.

Yet Zhang wouldn’t tell him anything—it was probably the same way Zhao Jinglan regarded the Seventh Young Master.

What he could truly help Zhang with right now, might only be the perfection of the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method.

He took out a Yuan Condensing Pill and swallowed it.

This was his sixth condensed Primordial Talisman, actually there wasn’t much choice—

He was now condensing the first yang Spirit Talisman, in terms of the Five Elements, that would be Earth Element.

In the amended Spirit Mountain Technique by the Sect Leader, he had combined his own talisman formation skills with the Spirit Mountain Technique created by the Jiushan Ancestor.

That is, to deploy the Spirit Mountain Technique, one needed a specific type of Spirit Talisman—an Enlightenment Talisman.

This type of Spirit Talisman wasn’t very powerful—it could endow spiritless plants and stones with a bit of Spiritual Power.

Generally, cultivators in the Xuanwei Realm use these things for marking, like leaving secret codes or directions for their peers.

Yet, the Sect Leader used this item to set up formations, perfecting the Spirit Mountain Technique.

The Enlightenment Talisman quickly settled into his Dantian, and within Zheng Fa’s Divine Sense, the previously ethereal lotus gradually revealed the Primordial Talisman of the Enlightenment Talisman.

After a long while, he opened his eyes and took out the Jade tube given by Master Pang, attentively taking notes.

...

Modern day, at Old Man Bai’s home.

Tang Lingwu was in the Songhe Stance posture, and Zheng Fa placed his hand on her back, slowly infusing Spiritual Power into her body.

These days, Zheng Fa had been helping Tang Lingwu and Old Man Bai practice the Spiritual Crane Body.

Perhaps due to her youth, Tang Lingwu was progressing much faster than Old Man Bai.

Zheng Fa’s hand rested on Tang Lingwu’s back, while his mind was still occupied with thoughts of Zhang.

He naturally hoped to further decrypt the talismanic diagram, to offer the greatest help to Zhang.

But he wasn’t very confident about it—thus, his face showed a bit of worry.

Old Man Bai watched the two.

Tang Lingwu was immersed in her visualization.

In contrast, Zheng Fa was distracted and looked troubled.

"Zheng Fa? What are you thinking about?"

"I’m thinking that our progress in researching the talismanic diagrams is too slow."

Zheng Fa sighed.

"Slow?" Old Man Bai blinked, then spoke: "I haven’t seen you in such a hurry before?"

Zheng Fa shook his head, he obviously knew that research wasn’t something that could be hurried, but given the current circumstances, he also found it difficult to adjust his mindset.

Seeing Old Man Bai looking at him puzzledly.

Zheng Fa sighed and said: "I’m thinking about helping someone."

"Helping someone?" Old Man Bai pressed: "An important person?"

"Important to me."

"...Male or female?" Old Man Bai stroked his chin, suddenly asking again.

"...Female."

Zheng Fa looked puzzledly at the old man, what did gender have to do with this.

Old Man Bai pursed his lips, glancing at Tang Lingwu who still pretended to focus on her training—could her ears tilt any more?

Suddenly, Tang Lingwu’s shoulder blades surged, and her robust legs under jeans fiercely pushed against the ground, leaping towards the ceiling of Old Man Bai’s house.

It was only Zheng Fa’s quick reaction to grab Tang Lingwu’s ankle that prevented her from testing the quality of this old residential building with her head.

"Is... jealousy taking flight?"

Old Man Bai stared blankly at Tang Lingwu, who looked bewildered, muttering to himself.