Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 166 - 66 Heavenly Stele

Chapter 166: Chapter 66 Heavenly Stele

"Sir Bai, Mrs. Tian didn’t invite you."

On the ride-share to Mrs. Tian’s house, Tang Lingwu helplessly said to Old Man Bai.

"Invited or not, can’t an old friend have a meal?"

From the front passenger seat, Old Man Bai huffed discontentedly.

"She said... she wanted me and Zheng Fa to have a meal, and specifically said not to bring you."

"Is she really going to stop me at the door?"

Old Man Bai said persistently.

"Sir Bai, do you really like Mrs. Tian that much?"

Exchanging glances with Zheng Fa beside her, Tang Lingwu couldn’t help but curiously ask.

"Not really, I’m quite affectionate in general."

"Then why are you still...?"

"Isn’t this your two’s fault?"

"Huh?"

Old Man Bai raised his eyes and disdainfully glanced at them through the rearview mirror: "Been fed too much dog food, even eunuchs want to find a partner."

"And besides, this nursing home has so few people, who knows if those who come in later will be agreeable? Shouldn’t I find someone I like and have some feelings for in advance?"

"..."

"What if Mrs. Tian doesn’t welcome you?"

Old Man Bai patted the snake-skin bag under his feet and smiled with a hint of pride: "Didn’t I bring a gift?"

"..."

Mrs. Tian’s house is in a rather remote suburb of Beijing.

A place like a village within the city.

The place isn’t small though, three bungalows and a small courtyard.

It just looks a bit old.

As soon as they got out of the car, Zheng Fa saw Mrs. Tian running out with a kitchen knife.

"Why are you here?"

"Why can’t I be?"

"Didn’t I tell you not to come to my place? I can treat you to a meal outside... go, go go!"

Seeing the kitchen knife in Mrs. Tian’s hand, Zheng Fa turned to look at Tang Lingwu.

Both had the same puzzled expression on their faces.

Does Mrs. Tian hate Old Man Bai this much?

Why didn’t I notice last time?

"Who’s there?"

An elderly old woman came out, leaning on the door, and asked.

"Mom!"

Seeing this old woman come out, Mrs. Tian seemed to give up, no longer trying to chase Old Man Bai away.

As soon as she saw Old Man Bai, Mrs. Tian’s mother’s eyes lit up with a smile, clearly quite familiar with Old Man Bai.

"Little Bai came? Come in, come in and sit!"

She warmly welcomed the three of them into the house.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Tian seemed resigned, walking into the kitchen to cook.

There’s a stone table in the courtyard, with several round stone stools beside it, where Zheng Fa and the others started chatting with the old woman.

Old Man Bai called her Granny Wu, so Zheng Fa and the others followed suit.

Granny Wu must be around ninety years old but seemed quite sprightly, not deaf or blind. She just spoke a bit unclearly, likely missing quite a few teeth.

After a few moments of idle chat, Granny Wu’s eyes shifted slyly, seemingly casual as she spoke to Old Man Bai: "Aren’t you going to help inside?"

"Hm?"

"Go on!"

Upon hearing this, Old Man Bai’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly ran inside.

Mrs. Tian, hearing him come in, showed no surprise on her face, just a resigned look as she glanced through the window at Granny Wu, letting Old Man Bai just stand by her side.

But she seemed rather unwilling to bother with him.

Now Zheng Fa and the others understood why Mrs. Tian drove Old Man Bai out as soon as she saw him.

Clearly, it was because of a mother who liked playing matchmaker.

...

"Granny Wu, are you... trying to arrange a match between Sir Bai and Mrs. Tian?"

"Arrange a match?" Unexpectedly, Granny Wu sighed and said, "Although Little Bai is not very reliable, he has a good heart. I used to want to set them up."

"Now..."

"With her condition now, if I matched these two, wouldn’t it just burden Little Bai?"

"So, what about you?"

"I just think, even if they don’t end up together, it’s good if Little Bai is willing to come and keep my daughter company... and it lets me chat more too."

"Chat?"

Zheng Fa turned his head to look at Old Man Bai and Mrs. Tian inside, then back at the enthusiastic Granny Wu, somewhat doubting what he heard.

"Don’t understand?" Granny Wu curled her lips, smiling with a bit of pride: "Ship them! Get it?"

"..."

"I mean, I get it, but you’re ninety... and still so trendy?"

Granny Wu pulled out her cellphone, turning on the screen.

Sure enough, there were shopping apps, social media apps, even food delivery apps—all of which she had, more than Zheng Fa had on his phone.

"You really keep up with the times."

"I didn’t understand these things before, didn’t even have a cellphone, now I think... If I learn a bit more, my daughter will feel more reassured."

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu fell silent for a moment.

Then they heard Granny Wu laugh: "But I guess I started learning late!"

"..."

"Cellphones are really fun!"

"..."

Saying this, Granny Wu, still holding her cellphone, took two pictures of Old Man Bai and Mrs. Tian inside.

After taking the pictures, she put down her cellphone, looking at the photos a bit dissatisfied: "This Little Bai, can’t make conversation, why don’t you give a small gift or something, cater to her interests then you’ll have something to talk about?"

"..."

"Right! Sir Bai brought something for Mrs. Tian!"

"Has Little Bai improved?"

Granny Wu laughed as she watched Zheng Fa come through the door carrying a large snakeskin bag.

The bag was inscribed with the words "XX Cement".

"It seems there hasn’t been much improvement..."

Granny Wu murmured as she looked at the bag.

Zheng Fa handed the snakeskin bag to Old Man Bai in the kitchen.

Old Man Bai patted his forehead and opened the bag to reveal the gift inside.

It was a flowerpot, carefully planted with a tuft of grass — a tuft dug up from a nursing home.

"This grass? Why does it look so familiar?"

When Zheng Fa returned to the chairs in the courtyard, he heard Granny Wu muttering, and while talking, she glanced towards the corner of the yard — where there was an identical tuft of grass, only a size smaller.

"Not even flowers, but a tuft of grass?" Granny Wu slapped her thigh, disappointed, "Grass is fine, but why a weed? Does little Bai have a screw loose in his brain?"

"..."

In the kitchen, Mrs. Tian also seemed stunned upon seeing the grass.

She didn’t despise it, instead, she closely examined the shape of the leaves, seeming to notice something odd. Mrs. Tian quickly walked out of the kitchen, fetched a small trowel from the corner of the yard, and returned.

She dug up the soil in the flowerpot, cautiously removed the roots, and studied them intently.

All the while, she excitedly discussed something with Old Man Bai next to her.

"Is this really okay?"

Granny Wu was puzzled in the yard, glancing bewilderedly at Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu, muttering, "Is this some new trend from the internet? I can’t understand these young people’s romance at all."

Looking at the two together adding up to 120 years old.

Zheng Fa always felt that this phrase ’young people’ carried the style of the Xuanwei Realm.

...

Xuanwei Realm.

The Sect Leader had once again summoned Master Pang and several people including Zheng Fa.

"Sister Huang has sent another communication."

"Good or bad?"

Master Pang asked eagerly.

"Good."

"Did you find Nephew Zhang?"

"No."

"What kind of good news is that?" Master Pang huffed, clearly dissatisfied.

"She found a Heavenly Stele."

Master Pang’s expression froze, his gaze somewhat vacant, but after a while, he couldn’t help but smile, only for his eyebrows to furrow again — his entire face contorted.

It was a mix of joy and sorrow, like playing a game of changing faces.

"Heavenly Stele?"

He seemed to doubt it, questioning again.

"Yes."

"This news... is too good."

Zheng Fa could hear that Master Pang’s praise of ’too good’, was filled with deep worry.

"It is indeed very good." The Sect Leader’s expression was extraordinarily solemn: "I have already sent messages to all other Nascent Soul sects in the Hundred Immortals Alliance immediately."

Master Pang’s face showed reluctance, and his expression was pained, but he didn’t speak against the Sect Leader’s decision: "It should be so."

"What is the Heavenly Stele?"

Several people nearby were confused, and Yuan couldn’t help but ask.

The Sect Leader looked at them and explained, "This matter also concerns you. The Heavenly Stele... is an ancient Spiritual Treasure."

"Ancient?"

"It should be said that even before the last catastrophe, there were legends of the Heavenly Stele."

"..."

"Rumor has it that the Heavenly Stele contains the supreme Dao charm, and whoever comprehends it could be invincible."

"Do people actually believe this?"

"It’s not about belief, but that someone has actually done it."

The name suddenly popped into Zheng Fa’s mind.

"The Tianhe Venerable, it was rumored that he comprehended a Sword Dao Heavenly Stele of the Tianhe Sect, and managed to dominate Xuanwei."

"..."

Zheng Fa and the others thus understood the value of the Heavenly Stele.

After all, its spokesperson was the Tianhe Venerable!

"What is the origin of this Heavenly Stele?"

"Don’t know; it’s rumored to have been created by ancient figures lost in history, but due to no records being left — some also say it was formed naturally."

"Brother." Master Pang interrupted the Sect Leader to ask, "Which one is this Heavenly Stele?"

"Sister Huang guessed in her letter that it is the Thunder Dao Stele. The Thunder Pool is also formed from this stele, which is why it’s so formidable."

"..."

Zheng Fa understood why Master Pang was both joyful and worried upon hearing this news.

The Heavenly Stele seemed extremely powerful because it was endorsed by the Tianhe Venerable.

However, since Taiyang County was part of Jiushan Sect’s domain, this truly was a gift from heaven.

But...

Since the Thunder Pool was uncontrollable, Jiushan Sect couldn’t conceal the existence of the Heavenly Stele.

If they encountered unreasonable people, it could easily bring deadly trouble.

"Brother, are you thinking..."

"This spiritual treasure, let those with virtue possess it. I’ve communicated with all Nascent Soul sects in the Hundred Immortals Alliance, opening Taiyang County for them to come and comprehend — of course, disciples from our sect can go too."

"..."

Understood, setting aside disputes, developing together.

"I’m afraid people from all Five Sects will come."

Master Pang sighed.

"What do you suggest we do, can we really stop them?" The Sect Leader retorted resignedly.

Zheng Fa suddenly suggested, "Master, shouldn’t we set up a new workshop around the Thunder Pool?"

"Hmm?" The Sect Leader’s eyes brightened: "Explain your thoughts."

"My meaning is, those who want to come to the Thunder Pool to comprehend the Heavenly Stele can, but they must ensure the safety of our workshop, and also ensure that near the Thunder Pool, there will only be our workshop."

"...You young man, how did you come up with this." The Sect Leader was silent for a while, then suddenly exclaimed.

How did he come up with this.

The gold miners might not get rich, but those selling shovels surely did.