Chapter 135
He knew that the Seventh Young Master might come specifically to visit him.
But Zhao Jinglan wouldn’t.
After all, they weren’t that close.
“No need, I’m planning to go to Taiyang County, and I just happen to be passing by Jiushan Sect,” Zhao Jinglan explained.
“...Taiyang County?”
Zheng Fa’s expression froze for a moment; why was it this place again?
Seeing his reaction, the Seventh Young Master asked, “You’ve heard of Taiyang County too?”
Zheng Fa was about to respond when he noticed the young lady giving him a discreet signal.
She seemed a bit anxious.
After a moment of thought, he smiled and said, “I’ve heard of it. The Changchun Sect in Taiyang County has some ties with our Jiushan Sect.”
Zhao Jinglan let out a soft sigh, and it seemed the Seventh Young Master hadn’t caught on. He turned to Zheng Fa and asked, “Zheng Fa, how’s life at Jiushan Sect?”
Zheng Fa pondered for a moment before replying, “It’s not bad, I guess?”
He wasn’t quite sure how to describe his situation—he always felt that saying too much would come off as bragging, especially since it might sound unbelievable to the Seventh Young Master.
“I’ve heard that Jiushan Sect is quite chaotic.”
To his surprise, the Seventh Young Master scoffed.
“Chaotic?” Zheng Fa was taken aback. Did Jiushan Sect have a bad reputation outside?
“My senior brothers say that Jiushan Sect has three major troubles!”
“The first trouble is Senior Sister Zhang. She relies on her talent and looks down on others. Not only does she bully the disciples of Jiushan Sect, but she’s also quite rude to the other disciples of the Baixian Alliance.”
“…”
Zheng Fa glanced at the Seventh Young Master’s mouth. Hadn’t he learned anything during his time at Qingmu Sect?
However, Senior Sister Zhang’s reputation was always mixed.
Especially among those she had beaten; there were probably quite a few who hated her.
“What’s the second?”
“The second trouble is your sect leader, who hides on the mountain and doesn’t manage anything, making his position almost meaningless.”
“…”
Now Zheng Fa was certain.
The Seventh Young Master was living quite happily at Qingmu Sect…
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so bold.
“And… the third?”
Zheng Fa was genuinely curious.
“The third trouble is your Fufa Pavilion. It’s supposed to be a place for studying talismans, but I’ve heard there’s constant fighting, and the disciples can’t focus on their studies.”
“…”
Was he now part of the gossip?
Thinking about his future position as the head of the Fufa Pavilion, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but feel alarmed.
With his identity as a staunch supporter of Senior Sister Zhang, a disciple of the sect leader, and the future head of the Fufa Pavilion—wasn’t he embodying all three troubles?
Seeing Zheng Fa’s strange expression, the Seventh Young Master looked worried. “Zheng Fa, is Jiushan Sect really that chaotic?”
He glanced at the items sent by Han Qi and shook his head. “It seems you haven’t suffered much, though. After all, your talent in talismans is impressive.”
“...I haven’t suffered, but my reputation seems to be tarnished.” Zheng Fa turned to the Seventh Young Master and asked, “How’s life at Qingmu Sect for you?”
The Seventh Young Master broke into a smile, not saying much but clearly brimming with pride.
The young lady, Zhao Jinglan, shot him a glance and said, “He, when he first entered, because of his good talent in talismans and his family connections—he got a Golden Core master who specializes in talismans as his teacher.”
Zheng Fa nodded.
Just as Jiushan Sect had cultivators who liked alchemy and artifact crafting, other sects also had those skilled in talismans—though, of course, they couldn’t compare to Jiushan Sect’s legacy.
After training with Zheng Fa, the Seventh Young Master’s talent in talismans might be considered average at Jiushan Sect.
But at Qingmu Sect, he was a genius in talismans.
He had quickly risen to the top!
Looking at the Seventh Young Master, it was clear he was already puffed up with pride—he was positively strutting.
Seeing that his sister wasn’t saying anything, the Seventh Young Master pressed on, “What else?”
“What else is there?”
“Your cultivation level!” the Seventh Young Master reminded him.
“Right, this fool broke through to the third level of Qi Refinement three days ago,” Zhao Jinglan said, pausing for a moment before adding helplessly.
Zheng Fa was genuinely surprised this time.
He and the Seventh Young Master both had dual spiritual roots, so they understood the speed of advancement for dual roots.
Aside from himself, who was not a fair comparison, the Seventh Young Master’s speed was indeed quite fast.
The Seventh Young Master seemed to humbly wave his hand. “It’s nothing special, just that my master dotes on me and gave me some pills.”
Of course.
Qingmu Sect was famous for its alchemy.
Not only did the Seventh Young Master have a foundation-building older sister, but he also had a Golden Core master—he probably didn’t have to worry about pills for the Qi Refinement stage.
Zheng Fa began to understand.
This guy wasn’t here to see him.
He was definitely here to show off!
And he brought a mouthpiece along!
The Seventh Young Master cheerfully handed over the bottles and jars from his bundle to Zheng Fa. “Don’t say I don’t remember old friends; I brought you some pills!”
The pills in those bottles were few, just one or two each, clearly saved from his own stash.
“By the way, what’s your cultivation level now?” the Seventh Young Master asked curiously.
Zheng Fa glanced at the pills in front of him.
He decided to maintain the Seventh Young Master’s joy.
“About the same as yours, I guess,” he said vaguely.
“You’re that fast too?” The Seventh Young Master was taken aback, looking at the pills as if he wanted to take them back.
He glanced at the pile of items sent by Han Qi and nodded. “You seem to be doing well too.”
The Seventh Young Master smacked his lips, his expression filled with an inexplicable sense of regret, and suddenly said, “If only Gao Yuan were here.”
There was a hint of longing in his tone for Gao Yuan.
…
Qingmu Sect was not close to Jiushan Sect, and the Seventh Young Master and his companions were tired from the journey.
Zheng Fa arranged for them to rest in the guest room before he had time to take out the jade tube from Master Pang.
He closed his eyes and immersed his consciousness in the jade tube. Less than half a stick of incense later, he opened his eyes in pain.
How to describe the contents of this jade tube?
It was filled with seemingly ambiguous talisman diagrams.
To put it simply, if the talisman diagrams were the Seventh Young Master, Zheng Fa felt he knew him quite well.
But looking at the talisman diagrams in Master Pang’s jade tube was like seeing the Seventh Young Master come this time with nine furry monkey tails sprouting from his backside and six fox ears sprouting from his head…
Compared to the talisman diagrams Zheng Fa had previously learned, these contained many more additional patterns.
Zheng Fa set down the jade tube, his expression unexpectedly invigorated.
Master Pang was the best at the “洞虚灵眼” (Dongxu Lingyan, “Void Spirit Eye”), and this jade tube he brought out was likely filled with talisman diagrams he observed using that technique.
Compared to the general knowledge Zheng Fa had previously acquired, the talisman diagrams seen through the eyes of a Yuanying (Nascent Soul) master were probably much closer to the essence of talismans.
…
The next day, Zheng Fa didn’t have much time to properly entertain the Seventh Young Master and his companions.
Senior Sister Zhang was leaving Jiushan Sect and was worried about Senior Sister Yuan.
There were many matters that Zheng Fa needed to take over.
Of course, most of these matters were initiated by Zheng Fa himself.
For instance, ordering spiritual grains from Qianhe Sect.
Or deciding where to send the ferry this time, how many talismans to load, and whether to send an extra ferry since the market at Jiushan Sect was booming.
Also, considering that the market at Jiushan Sect was thriving, whether the rent should be raised a bit.
He was so busy in the management building that he could hardly see straight, leaving Han Qi and the others to take the Seventh Young Master around.
Watching Zheng Fa scribble away, sometimes frowning in deep thought, the Seventh Young Master felt an inexplicable sympathy.
As they stepped out of the small building, he murmured to Han Qi and the others, “Yesterday, I was a bit envious when I saw you bringing him things… but now, it seems Senior Sister Zhang is really working him to the bone.”
Han Qi and the others exchanged strange glances but didn’t dare to speak.
“By the way, you three have a good relationship with Zheng Fa?” the Seventh Young Master asked again.
“We?” Han Qi laughed. “We’re following Zheng Shidi.”
The Seventh Young Master looked a bit confused, glancing back at the small building and then at Han Qi and the others. “Zheng Fa just entered the sect, and you have to listen to him? Were you all that miserable before?”
“…”
Upon arriving at Jiushan Sect, they naturally had to explore the Jiushan Sect market.
“I’ve heard for a long time that Jiushan Sect’s market is lively, but I didn’t expect so many people,” the Seventh Young Master said, looking at the bustling crowd in the market with surprise.
Beside him, Zhao Jinglan, perhaps more aware of the hardships of life, shook her head and sighed, “The vendors in this market probably earn more than I did.”
“Senior Sister Zhao has done business before?” Han Qi asked.
“In my early years, I hustled for a few years to build my foundation,” Zhao Jinglan said, her tone revealing a hint of bittersweet nostalgia. “Looking at the disciples of Jiushan Sect today, they seem to be doing a bit better than I did back then.”
Her gaze towards the vendors of Jiushan Sect was tinged with envy.
But as they walked, she noticed something was off.
These vendors seemed very enthusiastic when they saw Han Qi and the others.
Or rather, they wore expressions of respect and were not afraid.
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