Chapter 42
Zheng Fa, you stand out like a tree in the forest! Although I can't compare to you in many ways, from now on, I will be the one to receive the young master's favor!
"Young master! I..." He was about to express his loyalty again.
"With Zheng Fa around, I feel like I can't compete with him at all. I feel like a useless person," the Seventh Young Master interrupted him, his gaze softening as he looked at Gao Yuan, and he said with emotion:
"But when I see you, I feel much better. Your talent in academics doesn't match his, and you're far behind in martial arts. You have no talent for talismans either. The only thing you have over him is a slightly better background and a fairer complexion... oh, but now you're not even as fair as he is."
The smile on Gao Yuan's face gradually froze.
"Looking at you makes me think, if you, who are so useless, can be fine, then at least I'm still a young master. That thought eases my pain a bit." As he spoke, the Seventh Young Master sincerely sighed, "Gao Yuan, I won't be able to do without you in the future."
Gao Yuan: ... Is this favor really so hurtful?
---
**Chapter 48: Interpretation**
Zheng Family.
Without a study, Zheng Fa simply set up a small dining table in the yard to write.
His little sister, Zheng Shan, wearing a new outfit made by their mother, ran around the yard.
She didn't dare to disturb her brother, so she just circled the yard, tugging at the grass by the wall or picking up stones to scratch on the ground, her little head occasionally glancing in Zheng Fa's direction.
Until Zheng Fa looked up.
"Brother! Are you done writing?" Zheng Shan came running, tugging at Zheng Fa's sleeve, curious as she tiptoed to peek at the table.
Inside, their mother, busy at the loom, spoke up: "Shan'er, don't disturb your brother while he's studying."
Zheng Shan pouted but obediently let go of Zheng Fa's sleeve.
"Mom, it's fine. I'm just writing something for my little sister," Zheng Fa said, pinching her cheek with a smile.
"For me? Can I read it?"
Zheng Shan's eyes lit up as she leaned on Zheng Fa's knee to look at the two books on the table, still wet with ink.
The first book had a few words on the cover.
"Elementary..."
"Elementary Mathematics, Volume One," Zheng Fa helped his little sister read.
Ever since they moved to the Zhao family, he had been thinking about getting his sister an education, but it wasn't easy.
Right now, the family was living off Zheng Fa's monthly allowance. Although they didn't have to worry about food and clothing, they had just arrived and had no savings.
Their mother had always wanted to find some work at a clothing shop, but when the shopkeepers learned she came from a farming background, they deemed her unskilled.
So, for now, they couldn't afford to pay for Zheng Shan's schooling.
The money issue was manageable, but the more pressing concern was safety: for her to attend school outside the estate, their mother would have to escort her, which made Zheng Fa uneasy.
During this time, without any books to read and with their mother not allowing her to run around the Zhao estate for fear of offending the nobility, Zheng Shan could only play alone in the small yard.
"What's wrong? Are you bored lately?" Seeing her so excited, Zheng Fa knew it must be tough for his lively little sister to be cooped up in such a small space.
"I have things to do!" Zheng Shan shook her head. "In the morning, I help Mom cook, then I wait for you to have lunch. After that, I help Mom cook again, and then I wait for you to have dinner."
Zheng Fa patted his sister's head. "So, you want to go to school?"
"Yes!" She nodded vigorously. "Mom says if you study and become a scholar, you can buy me delicious food and new clothes. I want to study too!"
"What do you want to study for?" Zheng Fa asked.
"Mom still doesn't have new clothes!"
Zheng Fa chuckled, pulling his sister into his arms and pointing at the book, "From now on, I'll teach you this in the evenings. Make sure to study hard."
"Okay, I promise I'll study well!"
The innocent little sister made what might be the heaviest vow of her short life.
Watching her happily flipping through the new book she couldn't understand, Zheng Fa picked up the other book and headed to the study.
He had thought about teaching her mathematics for a long time. Even though it didn't involve knowledge of the immortal sect, mathematics was quite useful in daily life in the Xuanwei realm. However, he was naturally cautious and felt it wasn't safe in the village.
Now that he had mastered the "Spirit Crane Body" and felt he had some self-defense capability, he finally decided to teach it to his sister.
As for the other book, it was prepared for the Seventh Young Master—"Junior High Mathematics, Volume One."
This idea came to him from the brain borrowing plan and the words of Old Bai.
After all, Old Bai was just one person with limited time. Faced with endless talisman diagrams, it was inevitable that he would fall short. Plus, he was indeed very busy and occasionally took breaks, which made Zheng Fa feel uneasy.
He needed to stockpile new brains, and Tang Lingwu had great potential.
As for knowledge like "Topology," which might involve the immortal sect, he didn't plan to spread it around.
But "Junior High Mathematics" was fine. For him, the greatest purpose of this book was to filter out those with potential.
The first candidate was the Seventh Young Master.
---
In the study, the Seventh Young Master stood in front of Zheng Fa's desk, gently flipping through a stack of papers covered in talisman diagrams, his lips pressed tightly together.
"Young Master?" Gao Yuan, feeling closer to the Seventh Young Master, asked in surprise at his gloomy expression, "What's wrong?"
"How long has Zheng Fa been here?"
The Seventh Young Master suddenly asked, putting down the diagram in silence.
"Less than two months?"
"He started studying 'Complete Explanation of Talisman Diagrams' less than half a month ago..."
As he spoke, the bitterness on the Seventh Young Master's face deepened.
"Young Master?"
"In just half a month, the fundamental talismans he's deciphered are more than what I've deciphered in three years..." He turned and took a book titled "Complete Explanation of Talisman Diagrams: Basic Fundamental Talismans" from the shelf, opened it, and compared it with the diagrams Zheng Fa had left on the paper, then dejectedly set it down. "And they're all correct."
He turned to Gao Yuan, his eyes vacant. "How can the gap between people be so vast?"
Gao Yuan felt a lump in his throat, wanting to cry. "Young Master, I've been through all this... I've asked myself that question a hundred times."
"I feel like we're kindred spirits!" The Seventh Young Master threw an arm around Gao Yuan's shoulder. "Among all my attendants, you're the one who understands me best!"
As Zheng Fa entered, he immediately sensed that the atmosphere between the Seventh Young Master and Gao Yuan was much more harmonious than usual, making him feel like an outsider.
"Zheng Fa, what are you holding?"
"Oh, I have a book that I thought might be useful for talisman studies. The eldest young lady is coming back soon, right?" Zheng Fa handed over "Junior High Mathematics, Volume One." "Although this book might not show immediate effects, the earlier you learn, the better."
The Seventh Young Master paused, as if recalling something. "Is this... something your benefactor gave you?"
"Benefactor?" Zheng Fa blinked, guessing at the Seventh Young Master's meaning, and could only vaguely say, "Sort of."
We have someone from another world behind us; I don't know which one you're referring to.
"Did you gain your talent for talismans from studying this book?" Glancing at the fundamental talisman diagrams on Zheng Fa's desk, the Seventh Young Master asked excitedly.
"You could say that, but it's just the basics," Zheng Fa thought for a moment and felt that was a fair answer.
"Among all my attendants, you're the best, Zheng Fa!"
Gao Yuan, standing behind, looked at his new confidant, opening his mouth as if to curse but finding no words.
The Seventh Young Master took the book Zheng Fa handed him, his hands trembling slightly. He looked at the name on the cover and softly read, "Junior High Mathematics, Volume One. This title clearly hints at some celestial mysteries!"
"...Can you interpret it?"
Zheng Fa was quite curious about how he figured that out.
"‘Junior’ should refer to the primordial beginning, when heaven and earth had not yet formed, indicating that this secret method points directly to ancient times! ‘Middle’ refers to the path of the great way, suggesting that this is the orthodox method of the immortals, perhaps containing the essence of moderation." As he spoke, the Seventh Young Master furrowed his brow. "What does this mathematics mean? Could it be related to the Book of Changes? The one who wrote this book, could they be from a Confucian background?"
After saying that, he added a bit shyly, "My understanding is still shallow; I can't fully grasp it yet and need to ponder more."
"You understand it very well, and it's quite profound," Zheng Fa praised. "I think your insights are deeper than those of the person who wrote this book."
Holding the book, the Seventh Young Master fell silent for a moment. "Actually, my sister is coming back to prepare me for the Immortal Goods Conference."
"The Immortal Goods Conference?" Zheng Fa looked at the Seventh Young Master in confusion, wondering why he hadn't mentioned it earlier.
"..." The Seventh Young Master avoided Zheng Fa's gaze, his face slightly flushed with embarrassment.
...Got it, another sneaky little rascal wanting to work hard in secret.
---
**Chapter 49: Differences**
"I... I didn't mean to keep it a secret. I want to enter the immortal sect through the Immortal Goods Conference, and you don't need to," the Seventh Young Master defended himself, his face turning red. "You're valued by the powerful; entering the immortal sect isn't that easy!"
Zheng Fa blinked, finally confirming that the Seventh Young Master had likely convinced himself that he had a mysterious benefactor behind him—something that seemed quite reasonable from the perspective of the Xuanwei realm, as there were plenty of texts on that topic.
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