Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 144 - 49: Gift (5K)

Chapter 144: Chapter 49: Gift (5K)

Tang Lingwu’s "Spiritual Crane Body" has been fully realized.

It’s like how someone with a hammer always seeks nails, or how finding a straight stick makes one long to find bushels of foxtails to sweep.

Having perfected the "Spiritual Crane Body," Tang Lingwu yearned to feel the breeze.

The trio arrived at the small park where Zheng Fa used to train.

It was quite late by then, the sky bereft of much starlight, making the night seem even darker.

The park was old too, with sporadic streetlamps casting a dim yellow light, often one had to walk a long shadowy stretch before encountering a hazy halo of light.

It was a summer evening.

The park was also full of flying insects, not exactly the best place for a leisurely stroll.

But it wasn’t deserted; as the three walked, they encountered young or middle-aged couples holding hands.

They had initially spoken with caution, for they would occasionally discuss matters of cultivation.

But as they walked, they realized that those couples were more concerned about running into them than they were of encountering anyone else.

The young lovers would look down when they saw them.

The middle-aged ones were more drastic; spotting the trio, they’d spread far apart, pretending to be strangers to each other as if trying to conceal their ears by thievery.

"Tsks... hard to tell who wants to be seen less."

Old Man Bai shook his head, his face filled with an envious smirk at the declining social mores.

He walked alongside Zheng Fa.

Ahead of them, Tang Lingwu bounded along, her ponytail bobbing up and down, which in the night seemed to sparkle with a lively darkness.

To onlookers, she appeared to be jogging, bounding forward with large steps like a sprinter.

Only Zheng Fa and Old Man Bai could see that she wasn’t actually exerting any effort with her feet, not even bending her knees—just lightly tapping the rough stone pavement with the tips of her shoes, floating along and leaping a good two to three meters with each touch.

Clearly, she was still controlling her power.

Tang Lingwu seemed to greatly enjoy the sensation of cutting through the wind at a rapid pace, unable to resist smiling as she moved, her face brimming with inner joy.

Only when she saw people approaching, she would obediently stop, waiting for Zheng Fa and the other.

Watching her girlish antics, not only did Old Man Bai beam with an indulgent smile.

But even Zheng Fa’s mood involuntarily lightened considerably.

"Not in a hurry anymore?"

Seeing his expression, Old Man Bai to his side quietly asked.

Zheng Fa nodded slightly, looking ahead as Tang Lingwu also turned back, looking at him with concern.

"I’m in a hurry, but it’s useless."

To be frank, rather than being in a hurry, he was more uneasy—after all, he had been living quite happily at Jiushan Sect.

Now, due to the matters of Taiyang County, he couldn’t shake some bad premonitions.

"Right, being in a hurry is useless."

Old Man Bai nodded, gesturing to Tang Lingwu who was ahead, as if he had something to tell the two.

Curious, Tang Lingwu approached the men.

"I’ve taught you a lot of things haphazardly," Old Man Bai pondered a bit as if organizing his thoughts, then slowly started to speak to the two.

"How to do scholarly research."

"How to study mathematics."

"I’ve told you both, to work hard, to collaborate, to make progress."

Old Man Bai, looking thoughtfully at the two and then glancing around the park, began, "But there’s something I’ve been debating whether or not I should teach you."

"?"

Both Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu looked towards Old Man Bai’s somewhat distressed face.

"Besides the common lectures on effort and cooperation," Old Man Bai spoke slowly, seemingly pondering over his words, "you must also learn to give up."

"..."

"We are all human, and it’s normal that we can’t solve every problem," Old Man Bai continued, glancing at Zheng Fa again, "Even with cultivation, isn’t there a myriad of troubles?"

A wry smile appeared at the corner of Zheng Fa’s mouth.

Is cultivation good?

Definitely.

But are people in the Xuanwei Realm happier than in modern times?

Zheng Fa suspected that the disciples of Immortal Sects might not think so.

"Do I want to become a great mathematician? To get a Fields, or win a Wolf Prize?" Old Man Bai pointed to himself, "I dream of it."

"Do I want to cultivate to the point I can ascend bathed in light? Certainly, but Ling Wu and I have trained in the ’Spiritual Crane Body’ for so long, she has fully realized it, and I’m still far behind."

Old Man Bai’s words made Tang Lingwu’s face flash with embarrassment, as if she felt her recent action was a bit too showy.

"I mean no offense." Old Man Bai gestured with his hands, "What I’m saying is, it’s completely normal to have limits, don’t think you need to shoulder everyone’s fate, don’t carry everything on your own back—this is arrogance."

Zheng Fa was taken aback.

"Especially in research, one must never be arrogant or force things."

"Too much strain in training leads to deviation, too much force in research leads to the wrong path...Sometimes, whether it be academia or cultivation, it’s not that significant." After finishing, Old Man Bai rubbed his head and said to the two, "I’m rambling... I’m not even sure myself what I’m trying to say."

Zheng Fa blinked, then asked Tang Lingwu, "Did you understand what Mr. Bai is saying?"

Tang Lingwu shook her head.

Zheng Fa laughed, "I didn’t catch it either, but Mr. Bai..."

"..."

"I’m not in a hurry anymore."

Zheng Fa actually understood.

If before, Old Man Bai’s teachings were as a mentor.

Then today’s words likely came from a place of viewing himself more as an elder.

A teacher hopes his students will excel, but an elder might tell you—at times, success isn’t as important as happiness.

...

At Zheng Fa’s family dinner table.

He was handling gloves for training the "Five Thunders Dharma Body," connected to a transformer that was plugged in. His complexion was much calmer than before.