Chapter 118
“Do you really not understand what it means for that kid to be handing out Zhang Shizhi's *Fu Dao Zhu Ji Fa* everywhere?”
“Does it mean that Zhang Shijie has a good relationship with him?”
“It means he has the support of the sect leader, that Huang guy, and Zhang Shizhi! Even if I had three heads and six arms, I wouldn’t stand a chance against them!”
Hearing this, Sun Daoyu couldn’t help but bare his teeth, as if he was recalling the scene of his master being beaten up.
“I just don’t get it. I thought Zhang Shizhi was the one calling the shots with Zheng Fazhong…” Real Master Pang frowned and said, “But today, it seems like it’s Zheng Fa who’s in charge.”
Only then did Sun Daoyu realize that his master had sent Zhou Qianyuan to follow Zheng Fa precisely because Zheng Fa was the one with the momentum now.
“So what about Zhou Shidi…” Thinking of Zhou Qianyuan’s earlier state, Sun Daoyu worriedly said, “I’m afraid he might feel abandoned by our master.”
“Hasn’t he been having a rough time lately?” Real Master Pang suddenly asked.
Sun Daoyu lowered his head, not daring to answer.
“Right, I wanted to take Zheng Fa as my disciple before and neglected him. He must be feeling a bit upset about that,” Real Master Pang seemed to see through it all. “Have your senior brothers and sisters been treating him coldly, thinking he’s fallen out of favor?”
“Master, you see clearly. Zhou Shidi doesn’t care much about sect politics. He runs to Zheng Fa’s place every day, which has angered quite a few senior brothers. He’s definitely been through a lot these days,” Sun Daoyu said honestly.
“That’s why I sent him to Zheng Fa first.”
“Are you saying we should separate him from those senior brothers?”
Real Master Pang nodded but suddenly brought up Zheng Fa: “Zhang Shizhi supports Zheng Fa like this, but if he really wants to secure that future sect leader position, he’ll have to treat our lineage equally and win over your senior brothers.”
“Ah? So Zhou Shidi is testing Zheng Shidi’s attitude?” Sun Daoyu realized.
“Qianyuan is already the least sectarian among my disciples…” Real Master Pang shook his head. “If I can’t unite the two lineages, and Zhang Shizhi can’t either, I want to see if he can.”
“What if he can’t?”
“Then if Qianyuan suffers at Zheng Fa’s place, he’ll realize that I, as his master, haven’t treated him poorly.” Real Master Pang chuckled. “Doesn’t that teach him to respect his master and the way? As for the future sect leader position—who knows what the future holds?”
…
Descending from the Eighth Peak, Zheng Fa looked back at Zhou Qianyuan, who still seemed lifeless.
“Zhou Shidi, what’s wrong with you?”
He asked Zhou Qianyuan.
Zhou Qianyuan shook his head, seemingly unwilling to answer, and simply said, “Is there something you need, Shixiong?”
“Not really a need, but tomorrow I’ll be visiting Zhang Shijie. Come with me.”
Zhou Qianyuan nodded without asking anything else, just numbly cupping his hands in salute to Zheng Fa before turning to leave.
Watching his retreating figure, Zheng Fa frowned.
This state of his felt oddly familiar—like a young idealist stepping into society, only to be battered by the harsh realities of life.
…
The next day.
Zhou Qianyuan couldn’t sleep early on.
He didn’t get up, just lay in bed with his eyes open, quietly lost in thought.
When it was time to meet Zheng Fa, he finally pushed open his courtyard door and stepped outside.
He lived near many senior brothers from Real Master Pang’s lineage, who had been quite warm in the past, and Zhou Qianyuan had felt good about it.
But things had changed recently.
He kept his head down, hurrying past the various gazes of his senior brothers.
They didn’t say anything, but he understood the implications—
After Master sent the thousand-year-old Purple Bamboo Tears to Zheng Fa, these people looked at him with a hint of mockery, and the warmth of the past was gone.
Zhou Qianyuan gritted his teeth and arrived at Zheng Fa’s doorstep.
A bitter smile crept onto his face—before coming to Jiushan Sect, his master valued him, and he had a beautiful vision of the sect.
He was determined to pursue the path of talismans.
He wanted to bring honor to his master.
Even relying on his master’s favor, he never cared about sect divisions.
It was only today that he realized he had offended so many people.
When those once friendly and respectable senior brothers banded together to exclude him, he finally understood how deep the sectarianism in Jiushan Sect ran.
Looking at Zheng Fa’s courtyard door, Zhou Qianyuan shook his head.
Zheng Fa probably wasn’t much different.
Those senior brothers shared the same master as him, and their past friendliness was merely superficial.
He and Zheng Fa belonged to different lineages; Zheng Fa likely viewed him as more of a stranger than those senior brothers. The previous politeness and respect were probably just for show.
He knocked on the door, and when Zheng Fa opened it, he said directly, “Let’s go to Zhang Shijie’s place.”
Following Zheng Fa, Zhou Qianyuan arrived at Zhang Shijie’s small courtyard.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.
In their lineage, Zhang Shijie was a figure that inspired a certain fear.
This small courtyard had a deterrent power akin to a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den; in the past, no fellow disciples dared to approach.
Zhang Shijie was waiting for the two of them in the back courtyard, accompanied by Yuan Shijie. They both saw Zhou Qianyuan but didn’t seem surprised, merely nodding lightly.
The few of them sat by the lake in a small pavilion, exchanging words.
Gradually, Zhou Qianyuan sensed something was off—
What Five Elements Talisman?
What Yuan Talisman Foundation?
What Yin and Yang in Talismans?
Were these things something he, as their “rival,” could comprehend?
Sure enough, as they spoke, Zhang Shijie and Zheng Fa seemed to finally realize there was an outsider present and turned to look at him.
Zhou Qianyuan pursed his lips, stood up, and wanted to excuse himself.
“Zhou Shidi, why don’t you share your insights?” Zheng Fa suddenly said.
“Ah?”
Zhou Qianyuan blinked, suddenly realizing—he hadn’t encountered the sectarian exclusion he had imagined.
But he was facing the silent pressure of these two geniuses.
Beside him, Yuan Shijie looked at him with sympathy.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 128: Embarrassment!
Zheng Fa looked at Zhou Qianyuan, his gaze filled with expectation—
The reason he and Zhang Shijie didn’t avoid discussing things in front of Zhou Qianyuan was twofold:
First, due to his own change in status:
Now that he had become the sect leader’s disciple and had Zhang Shijie’s support, he didn’t feel competitive when looking at Zhou Qianyuan and his peers.
In fact, he hoped to cultivate some support for the future through this mutual exploration.
Moreover, with Real Master Pang having thrown Zhou Qianyuan into his orbit, this junior could be considered one of his own.
If Zhou Qianyuan were a bit stronger, he would have more say within Real Master Pang’s lineage.
This would also benefit him in winning over Real Master Pang’s faction in the future.
But the main reason was—since the *Fu Dao Zhu Ji Fa* had already been given to Real Master Pang, did he think Real Master Pang wouldn’t teach Zhou Qianyuan?
What they were discussing now was already written in the *Fu Dao Zhu Ji Fa*.
With Real Master Pang’s Yuan Ying (Nascent Soul) abilities, how could he not see through the mysteries within?
As his direct disciple, Zhou Qianyuan would eventually learn all of this.
But there was another unspoken expectation from Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie—
They wanted Zhou Qianyuan to spill the secrets that Real Master Pang had kept hidden!
Ever since obtaining the *Dong Xu Ling Yan*, Zheng Fa immediately realized a problem:
By cultivating the *Dong Xu Ling Yan*, he could see those faintly visible talisman lines.
In Zheng Fa’s view, this technique could help him and Zhang Shijie further refine the *Fu Dao Zhu Ji Fa*.
But honestly, right now, the *Dong Xu Ling Yan* wasn’t much help to either of them.
This was probably because both he and Zhang Shijie were still inexperienced with the *Dong Xu Ling Yan*.
But Real Master Pang was different!
He was a Yuan Ying!
His mastery of the *Dong Xu Ling Yan* was on a level far beyond what he and Zhang Shijie could imagine!
Who said a microscope had to be operated by oneself?
Real Master Pang had been doing it for years!
So, for Zhou Qianyuan, the disciple most valued by Real Master Pang, both Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie held a glimmer of hope.
But unfortunately—under their watchful eyes, Zhou Qianyuan stammered, his gaze vacant, his mind seemingly blank.
Zheng Fa sighed inwardly; Zhou Shidi had entered the sect too late and was still a bit too inexperienced.
It seemed Real Master Pang hadn’t had time to teach him the deeper knowledge yet.
He shifted his gaze to Yuan Shijie, who was stifling a laugh.
“Yuan Shijie, you’ve been listening for a few days now. Do you have any thoughts?” he asked sincerely.
“Eh?”
Zhou Qianyuan’s dazed expression slowly shifted to Yuan Shijie’s face.
…
On the Eighth Peak, Real Master Pang’s eyes glimmered as he looked down the mountain, shaking his head repeatedly.
“Master?”
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