Chapter 39
Zheng Fa had truly enjoyed a period of private tutoring from the old man Bai. Although he hadn’t yet grasped the complexities of topology, a branch of advanced mathematics, he felt he had gained considerable insight into the math concepts relevant for the college entrance exam.
As for the old man Bai… he had been practicing the "Songhe Zhuang" (Pine Crane Post) for quite some time, yet he hadn’t made any noticeable progress.
To be honest, it was Zheng Fa who had benefited from this arrangement.
Regarding Bai's current change in attitude, it was clear that the feedback from his martial arts practice wasn’t sufficient. On the other hand, Zheng Fa was indeed learning at a slower pace.
In the world of martial arts, the teacher chooses the student, and the student must also choose the teacher. This principle was even more pronounced in the mysterious realm they inhabited.
After all, Bai was accustomed to teaching the elite students of the capital’s university, so it was only natural for him to feel a bit disdainful of Zheng Fa’s learning speed.
Moreover, he meant well; in his eyes, Zheng Fa’s primary task was preparing for the college entrance exam, not dabbling in topology.
Zheng Fa felt a flicker of gratitude in his heart: Bai’s willingness to let him come over for guidance on weekends showed a certain fondness, especially since he had no ulterior motives.
Seeing Zheng Fa nodding with his usual expression, Tang Lingwu let out a soft sigh, then suddenly seemed to notice something, her gaze fixed on Zheng Fa’s face, her expression filled with confusion.
“What are you staring at Zheng Fa for?” Bai, noticing her unwavering attention, frowned and said sternly.
“He… seems to have changed?”
Bai squinted, looking Zheng Fa up and down, seemingly unable to discern any difference. “No change at all—just the same nose and two eyes.”
“You’re getting old and can’t see clearly,” Tang Lingwu dismissed him, her eyes still locked on Zheng Fa’s face. “Zheng Fa, have you started using some skincare products recently?”
Zheng Fa knew that Tang Lingwu had noticed the changes in him after mastering the "Linghe Shen" (Spirit Crane Body).
“I’ve made some progress in martial arts lately,” he explained to her.
“Martial arts!” Tang Lingwu’s mouth dropped open, clearly surprised by his answer.
“What’s wrong?”
“I thought…” She glanced at Bai, who was rummaging for his reading glasses. “You were just pulling Bai Grandpa’s leg.”
Bai, now wearing his glasses, leaned in closely to scrutinize Zheng Fa, as if conducting some kind of research.
“Do you see any changes?” Tang Lingwu asked.
“No!” Bai replied.
“Then why are you staring for so long?”
“I don’t even know what he looked like before, how can I tell what’s changed?” Bai retorted, defensively. “I’m not like you, staring at young boys all day!”
“…”
“So, you’re saying you’ve mastered a martial art, and that’s why your skin looks better?”
Ignoring Bai’s comment, Tang Lingwu turned to Zheng Fa with curiosity.
“Yeah, one morning I woke up feeling like I had shed a layer of skin.”
“Then what you said about longevity is true?” Tang Lingwu’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Of course it’s true! Do you think I’d lie to you?” Zheng Fa shot back, then turned to Bai. “Do you think I’m lying too?”
Both of them nodded vigorously.
“Then why are you still practicing?”
“Just… I’m bored in retirement, so I’m playing around with it.”
Bai chuckled awkwardly.
“Really amazing…” Tang Lingwu reached out a finger, as if she wanted to poke Zheng Fa’s face, but then hesitated.
“Wait, is this really how you see me?” Zheng Fa felt a bit frustrated.
Were these two just playing house with him before?
“It’s just that there are too many scammers on short videos these days.”
Both of them exchanged embarrassed smiles with Zheng Fa.
“Now you believe me?”
“Believe, believe, believe!” Bai and Tang Lingwu nodded enthusiastically, their eyes glued to Zheng Fa’s face.
After a moment, Bai suddenly looked a bit sheepish. “Xiao Zheng… I want to learn martial arts again.”
“Want to learn again?”
“Yeah!”
“But aren’t you busy?”
“Busy? Not at all! I’m a retired old man; who cares about me?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be writing a book?”
“I can take my time with that.”
Zheng Fa shook his head slowly. “That won’t work; your students are waiting for you every day.”
“Let them wait; they won’t starve!” Bai waved his hand dismissively. “What am I? I’m not some great mathematician, so why should I take myself so seriously? My book is so poorly written it could be used for toilet paper—it's not important.”
Zheng Fa couldn’t bear to look at Bai’s flattering old face and turned to Tang Lingwu.
Tang Lingwu pushed an unopened milk tea toward Zheng Fa with a finger.
“?”
“I want to learn too.” Tang Lingwu’s eyes sparkled with a rare enthusiasm. “I’ll treat you to milk tea from now on.”
---
Chapter 45: Borrowing Brains
(Non-Text: The previous chapter was overshadowed by new plot developments. For those who read the last chapter before 2 AM last night, please flip back to avoid losing track of the story.)
Looking at the milk tea in front of him, Zheng Fa gazed at Tang Lingwu in confusion. “Old Bai is afraid of dying, and you’re still so young…”
“I want to be fairer,” she whispered.
Zheng Fa stared at her delicate face for a long time, puzzled. “Do you really need that for your skin?”
To him, Tang Lingwu’s complexion was already fairer and more refined than his own.
With a glimmer of eagerness in her eyes, Tang Lingwu nodded earnestly, indicating that she truly needed it.
Zheng Fa shook his head in confusion and turned to Bai.
Bai, sensing Zheng Fa’s lack of understanding, defended himself quietly. “It’s not that I’m afraid of dying; it’s that I have a deep appreciation for this world!”
He sighed, “Those young people online complain about wanting to die every day. When you reach my age, you’ll understand what a beautiful life is, how precious life is. In the blink of an eye, it’s all over, and you’ll learn to cherish this life.”
Looking at Bai’s white hair and wrinkled face, and hearing his reflections on life, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but feel moved.
Tang Lingwu, with admiration in her eyes, said, “Bai Grandpa, I rarely see someone as passionate about life as you.”
“You don’t understand!” Bai waved his hand. “When I was young, my doctoral thesis was a pile of garbage. I was terrified I wouldn’t graduate, and when I started working, my boss didn’t treat me like a person. I thought about becoming a great mathematician and leaving a legacy, but I didn’t have the brains for that. I also didn’t have the guts to just coast through life.”
“Back then, I’d wake up every day wishing the world would end, thinking about hanging myself from that crooked tree outside the office just to spite that idiot boss.”
“Now it’s different! My retirement pension is several thousand a month. I have a house in the capital, don’t have to work, and don’t have to take care of grandkids. Every morning, I stroll through the park to exercise, feeling strong and healthy, and I don’t even need young people to give up their seats on the bus.”
“In the evenings, I go out to watch the square dancing, and those little old ladies in the square, ten years younger than me, hear about my situation and want to start a romance with me!”
Bai looked at the two of them, sighing. “After paying into social security for decades, I finally reached this day. If you were in my shoes, would you want to die?”
Tang Lingwu’s eyes widened. “So you’re saying when we reach this age, we’ll understand…”
“Exactly! You’ll understand when you retire.”
Bai said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
---
“The so-called ‘law should not be lightly passed on,’ especially when it comes to the secret arts of my school. Your desire to learn martial arts is simply insincere.”
Though Bai’s reasoning was sound and convincing, Zheng Fa didn’t easily agree.
“Master, can you give me another chance? I promise I’ll study hard!” Bai looked at Zheng Fa with hopeful eyes.
“Really want to learn?”
“Absolutely!”
Zheng Fa nodded. “I’ll make it clear: your aptitude isn’t great, so if you truly want to learn, you can’t give up halfway.”
“I won’t!” Bai patted his ribs, making a loud sound.
“Wait! Let’s see your sincerity first!”
Zheng Fa turned and pulled out several thick stacks of draft paper from his backpack, which he had recorded from memory, containing the symbols from the "Complete Explanation of Symbols." He had put a lot of effort into the first few volumes.
To his pleasant surprise, it seemed that after mastering the "Linghe Shen," his memory had improved even more due to enhanced physical capabilities.
Bai looked at the thick stack of draft papers, his lips trembling, sensing something ominous. “How many of these do you have?”
Zheng Fa slowly extended one finger, smiling brightly. “A whole room full.”
Without needing to master the "Linghe Shen," Bai was already fairer than Zheng Fa.
In the past, Zheng Fa hadn’t shared many symbols with Bai for analysis; he had preferred to learn topology with him instead.
After all, he was more inclined to master this knowledge himself.
But he had to admit that his talent in this field was quite limited.
He looked at Bai’s curly-haired head.
“You keep saying my brain isn’t good enough, but yours seems to work just fine. Can I borrow it?”
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