Chapter 112
“Senior Sister... are you saying that Zheng Fa is an ungrateful person? Has he forgotten you now that he’s climbed the ranks?” Yuan Shijie widened her eyes, a hint of surprise in her voice.
“He doesn’t owe me anything. He learned the Five Elements Talisman from me, so it can’t be called ungrateful,” Zhang Shijie gently shook her head. “People naturally seek higher ground; it’s human nature—after all these years, how many people like that have we seen?”
“…” Yuan Shijie’s expression still looked unhappy, as if she was a bit angry with Zheng Fa.
“Actually, it might not be that he doesn’t want to come; he’s probably just considering Uncle Pang,” Zhang Shijie suddenly said.
“Ah?”
“I thought about why Uncle Pang insisted on taking Zheng Fa as his disciple,” Zhang Shijie explained. “It’s probably because Zheng Fa’s performance has been too outstanding, making Uncle Pang worry about the safety of his lineage. If Zheng Fa continues to get close to me, Uncle Pang might worry even more.”
Yuan Shijie listened, somewhat confused, as if she didn’t fully understand.
“Zheng Fa is now the sect leader’s disciple. If he keeps coming to see me every day, wouldn’t Uncle Pang think that the sect leader is favoring our lineage? It wouldn’t be good to disrupt the balance within the sect—especially with external threats looming, we can’t afford any internal strife.”
Zhang Shijie had to explain in detail.
Yuan Shijie nodded, finally grasping the situation.
But after a moment, she suddenly spoke again, “Zhang Shijie, why are you suddenly coming up with so many reasons?”
“…”
Yuan Shijie realized, “You’re not used to this, are you? If I had known, I wouldn’t have asked…”
“Better than having to beg Uncle Pang,” Zhang Shijie chided. “At least we’re not enemies now. Yuan Shimei, you should try to be more open-minded.”
“I just can’t be as open-minded as you, Senior Sister!”
Yuan Shijie muttered.
She sat on a chair nearby, falling silent, puffing her cheeks like a child sulking.
“Zheng Fa! Yuan Shijie!”
A voice came from the doorway.
Zheng Fa strode in, then paused, glancing at his own attire.
“Why are you two looking at me like that? Is something wrong?”
“Why are you here again?” Yuan Shijie huffed.
Zheng Fa didn’t understand the implication of “again” and didn’t even notice the dissatisfaction in Yuan Shijie’s tone.
He smiled and said, “A few days ago, Uncle Pang called for me and gifted me a thousand-year-old Purple Bamboo Tear!”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shijie and Yuan Shijie exchanged puzzled glances.
“When did Uncle Pang become so generous?”
“I’m not done yet!” Zheng Fa chuckled. “Uncle Pang actually gave me enough for two! I brought one for you, Zhang Shijie!”
With a microscope in hand, how could one forget the laboratory?
Zhang Shijie, I’m using Uncle Pang’s generosity to support you!
“...for me?”
Zhang Shijie was taken aback, her expression particularly complex as she looked at Zheng Fa.
“Yeah, two portions. I’ve already used one,” Zheng Fa explained. “I’ve been practicing the ‘洞虚灵眼’ (Dongxu Lingyan) technique these past few days. It’s quite marvelous and should be very useful for the ‘符道筑基法’ (Fudao Zhujifa). The other portion is just right for you.”
Even without discussing the potential benefits for future research in talismans after reaching a deeper understanding, just the realm of observing energy could significantly enhance one’s combat power.
Seeing Zhang Shijie staring at him, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but ask, “Zhang Shijie, are you…”
Suddenly, Zhang Shijie broke into a smile.
How to describe this smile? It was like the warmth of spring melting the last remnants of winter.
Yuan Shijie glanced at Zheng Fa, then at the smiling Zhang Shijie.
She grinned, as if feeling a bit nauseated, and muttered under her breath, “Be more open-minded? Pfft!”
…
Zhang Shijie took the two pieces of the thousand-year-old Purple Bamboo Tear and suddenly said, “You should take the ‘符道筑基法’ to Uncle Pang in a couple of days.”
“Ah?”
Zheng Fa was taken aback, unsure why she would say that.
He had never considered this; the ‘符道筑基法’ mostly belonged to Zhang Shijie. Although he practiced it, he hadn’t planned to pass it on to anyone else.
“Uncle Pang mentioned wanting to exchange the thousand-year-old Purple Bamboo Tear for the ‘符道筑基法.’ Now that you have this tear, even though it was a gift, he might feel uncomfortable about it.”
“Right.”
Zheng Fa had thought of this point too.
Uncle Pang had clearly looked pained at the time.
“If you take the ‘符道筑基法’ to him, Uncle Pang will see that you’re considerate. In the future, as the sect leader’s disciple, you’ll need his support.”
“Support?”
Zheng Fa looked at Zhang Shijie, suddenly sensing that there was more to her words.
“Senior Sister, are you…”
Zhang Shijie looked at the two pieces of the thousand-year-old Purple Bamboo Tear and smiled, “At least in front of others, you need to show that you’re impartial between our two lineages, understand?”
Zheng Fa also looked at the two pieces of the thousand-year-old Purple Bamboo Tear.
Could it be that these two items made Zhang Shijie think so much for him?
This was clearly a blatant show of support for him to become the future sect leader of Jiushan Sect.
Had he known, why was Uncle Pang even competing?
He could have just uprooted that thousand-year-old Purple Bamboo and sent it over!
(End of this chapter)
---
**Chapter 123: Teach Me**
Zheng Fa sat cross-legged on a mat at home, his spiritual energy circulating according to the route of the ‘赤霄诀’ (Chixiao Jue).
He had been practicing for three hours—much longer than his usual training time.
Suddenly, a flush crept onto his face, and the next moment, a vortex of spiritual energy appeared above his head.
When he opened his eyes, a sense of exhilaration shone in them.
“Have you broken through?” The sect leader’s voice suddenly rang in his ears. “Come see me.”
He had no idea when this old man had started keeping an eye on him, but he noticed right after his breakthrough.
When Zheng Fa arrived at the thatched cottage, the sect leader was sitting on a mat, a proud smile on his face, as if he could hardly wait to show off something.
“Master?”
“You’ve reached the fourth level of Qi Refinement? Not bad.”
The sect leader glanced at him, smiling as if genuinely pleased.
Zheng Fa lowered his head in response.
“Since you call me Master, I should teach you some things.”
Zheng Fa looked at his master with anticipation.
“However, the ‘神霄御雷真法’ (Shenxiao Yulei Zhenfa) requires you to cultivate the Five Thunder Body before you can practice it after your foundation is established.”
The sect leader shook his head.
“…”
“As for the ‘灵山法’ (Lingshan Fa), you need to reach the seventh level of Qi Refinement to even begin.”
“…”
“With your current cultivation level, it’s quite difficult for me to teach you!”
Zheng Fa had previously not understood why his two senior brothers had been so difficult.
But now, hearing the sect leader speak to his disciple like this, he finally got it.
No doubt, it was revenge!
“Actually, I don’t lack techniques; I just need a bit of…”
Zheng Fa looked up at the sect leader, the meaning in his gaze unmistakable.
When Uncle Pang had mentioned taking him as a disciple, he had said he was preparing spiritual materials that could last until the Nascent Soul stage.
You, the esteemed sect leader of Jiushan Sect, can’t let your junior brother outshine you, right?
“…” The sect leader pointed to his thatched cottage. “This cottage will be passed on to you in the future.”
Zheng Fa looked around the place.
Inside, there were only two mats and nothing else.
How should he put it? This house was barely fit for cattle on a farm.
“...You know, I wasn’t planning to take on any more disciples.”
The sect leader seemed to feel that the place was a bit too shabby, almost apologetic towards Zheng Fa, and explained in a low voice.
…So you’re just poor by default?
“Suddenly, I feel that Uncle Pang is quite a catch,” Zheng Fa said, a hint of regret in his tone.
“Exactly! He prepared it for you, so just take it from him!”
The sect leader clapped his hands, cheerfully saying.
“...Take?”
Zheng Fa recalled the four pieces of the thousand-year-old Purple Bamboo Tear.
Then he looked at the kind and encouraging smile on the sect leader’s face.
He finally understood Uncle Pang’s reluctant yet generous expression back then.
“Master, I can’t learn the techniques, and I can’t take advantage of Uncle Pang’s generosity… what about you?”
That one “Master” felt like it was said in vain!
“It’s not like I wanted to take on a disciple!” the sect leader said, quite justified.
“...So, Master, did you call me here for something?”
“Right, I wanted you to take a look at this ‘Saving Little Cultivator Zheng Fa’.”
As the sect leader mentioned this, a proud smile appeared on his face—clearly, he was eager to show off his creation.
Zheng Fa twitched his lips. “Master, can we change the name of this play?”
Right, this thing had been named a play by Zhang Shijie—quite reasonable for a script adapted from a story.
To show that he really had a lot of scripts, Zheng Fa not only adapted several domestic novels or films into a mystical format but also specifically wrote a collection of ideas—
Which was essentially a summary of some classic modern literary works.
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