Chapter 520
Zheng Fa found himself caught in a whirlwind of thoughts about his senior sisters, Zhang and Yuan. Was he merely a tool for their cultivation?
Could it be that Yuan was truly a genius?
Noticing his dazed expression, Yuan felt a spark of cleverness: "Zhang is the smart one; she found such an easy path to cultivation..."
"Don't worry, I can learn that secret magic of the Demon Ancestor too!"
"If she won't help me, then you can, right, Junior Brother?"
Zheng Fa took a deep breath.
"Senior Sister?"
"Mm?"
Yuan snapped back to reality, only to see Zheng Fa staring at something behind her, silent.
"Zhang..."
As he glanced at the cold-faced Zhang behind Yuan, Zheng Fa silently nodded, trying to convey his innocence with just his eyes.
But Yuan let out a desperate cry:
"Junior Brother, save me!"
Zheng Fa dared not move.
No matter how kind Zhang had been to him before, he was certain that if he spoke up, she would show him the true power of the number one talisman genius of the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
In his life, he had used the method of transformation into a rainbow many times, but never had he felt so grateful for possessing such a divine ability!
...
After flying all the way to University Island, hearing Yuan's desperate cries fade into the distance, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Turning around, he came face to face with a true genius—Gu Chang.
Gu Chang was a boy of seventeen or eighteen. Upon seeing Zheng Fa, he respectfully bowed, "Sect Leader."
"Why didn't you go out with Uncle Pang?" Zheng Fa asked, frowning.
He had a strong impression of Gu Chang: this young man had entered Jiu Shan Sect alongside his younger sister, Zheng Shan, and had been the top student in mathematics back then.
It was worth noting that after years of his own guidance, Zheng Shan had still lost to this young man.
At that time, Zheng Fa had taken notice of him.
Gu Chang came from a humble farming family, and by a twist of fate, had entered the paradise of Jiu Shan Realm.
Without any background in the Jiu Shan Realm, his life was of average quality.
However, his talent in mathematics was exceptional. After just half a year of schooling, he began to shine, eventually gaining admission to Jiu Shan Sect, thus changing his fate.
In Zheng Fa's eyes, Gu Chang was a blend of himself and Zhang, which is why he remembered him so well.
Later, Gu Chang displayed a rare talent that surprised Zheng Fa—topology.
While Zhang also had a decent talent in topology, her main strengths lay in calculations and algebra.
Topology, with its abstract nature, often left her scratching her head.
Zheng Fa could completely understand that!
Yet Gu Chang's prowess in topology made even Zhang feel inferior; he consistently topped the exams in that subject.
Gu Chang's mathematical talent should have been nurtured by Uncle Pang, right?
So seeing him here puzzled Zheng Fa. Then he recalled that among the three hundred disciples, Gu Chang was indeed absent.
"My cultivation level is too low..." Gu Chang lowered his head, a hint of shame in his voice. "The Elder thought this task was a bit dangerous, so only disciples at the third level of Qi Refinement and above were allowed to go."
Hearing this, Zheng Fa realized that Gu Chang was still at the first level of Qi Refinement.
That was quite slow.
"I'm... a four-spirit root." Gu Chang noticed Zheng Fa's surprised expression and whispered, "In the past, I was too absorbed in mathematics and accumulated very little merit."
Zheng Fa had nothing much to say.
To be honest, Gu Chang's admission into Jiu Shan Sect was largely due to his outstanding mathematical talent. One could say he had changed his fate through his own gifts and hard work.
But such changes ultimately have their limits.
Zheng Fa scrutinized Gu Chang. Although his clothes weren't tattered, they were quite worn.
Among the disciples of Jiu Shan Sect, he likely belonged to the group with the lowest cultivation and the least wealth.
He understood that upon entering Jiu Shan Sect, Gu Chang faced a challenge that every cultivator must confront—the limitations of his spirit roots.
Jiu Shan Sect wasn't overly strict about spirit roots, and one could say that Gu Chang would have no chance of cultivating in any other sect of the Xuanwei realm.
Yet Jiu Shan Sect couldn't completely escape the characteristics of Xuanwei sects; a disciple with mixed spirit roots would always find it harder and poorer than those with single spirit roots or even those with a Dao body.
Gu Chang kept his head down, appearing quite self-conscious.
Zheng Fa, however, didn't say anything.
While he favored disciples who excelled in mathematics or had insight, he didn't want to give undue rewards or help simply because of that preference.
"Since you didn't go out, what have you been doing lately?"
Gu Chang hesitated for a moment before speaking: "I... intend to go to Le Tu Island and become a teacher."
Seeing that he hadn't finished his thought, Zheng Fa remained silent, listening intently.
"Training costs a lot, and my talent is lacking. I thought I could accumulate some merit for my own cultivation or perhaps to marry and start a family..." Gu Chang's face flushed slightly as he continued, "I'm of age now, and my family is already discussing marriage for me."
This choice... wasn't necessarily a bad one.
Though Gu Chang had a tough life in Jiu Shan Sect, he was still a formal disciple.
As a teacher, he could earn quite a bit of merit.
Zheng Fa could even imagine that the marriage proposals his family discussed were likely not for someone from a poor background, but rather for a side branch of a disciple from Jiu Shan Sect.
On the other hand, this choice likely placed the hope of changing his fate on the next generation—
In other words, if he were to have children with exceptional talent, he would use the resources he accumulated to nurture them, thus benefiting his family.
That was indeed a path, even a survival strategy for many families in the Xuanwei realm.
However, looking at Gu Chang's expression, it was clear that this decision wasn't easy to make—after all, it could be seen as giving up on his own path.
Seeing Gu Chang silent and downcast, Zheng Fa pondered for a moment and said:
"Follow me."
"Huh?"
Without further explanation, Zheng Fa led him to a small courtyard.
This courtyard was deep within University Island, extremely secluded. At the entrance hung a sign that read:
"Editorial Office of 'Xian Dao'"
Upon entering the main hall of the courtyard, Zheng Fa saw a long black wooden table that divided the room into an odd cross shape.
On the table lay various jade tubes and envelopes, all containing recent submissions from disciples.
Gu Chang stood in the hall, bewildered and at a loss.
Zheng Fa tidied up the clutter on the table and pulled out a sample issue, handing it to Gu Chang.
"Sect Leader... what is this?"
"You've heard of 'Xian Dao,' right?" Zheng Fa asked him.
"I've heard of it..." Gu Chang replied hesitantly, "But I can't afford it. I heard that those in the Qi Refinement stage can't understand it anyway."
The 'Xian Dao' journal required payment, and it was quite expensive. The money mainly went to pay contributors, though the bulk of the payment came from the sect's merit rewards—regardless, the journal was not free.
In Zheng Fa's view, the value of knowledge and the need to disseminate it weren't contradictory. Only by having everyone recognize the value of knowledge would they be motivated to learn old knowledge and create new knowledge, which in turn would lead to the widespread dissemination of knowledge.
On the other hand, most articles in the current journal had little relevance to those in the Qi Refinement stage.
Zheng Fa didn't agree with the idea of forcing growth; in his opinion, the early stages of cultivation should focus on solidifying foundational knowledge and learning research methods.
Showing this journal to Gu Chang was merely Zheng Fa's way of expressing his sentiments—because of Bai Laotou and Tang Lingwu, he had developed a certain undeniable fondness for those with a talent for mathematics.
"I'll cover the cost of this," Zheng Fa said to Gu Chang.
"Thank you, Sect Leader."
Gu Chang took the sample issue, still confused, and then heard Zheng Fa say:
"I'm giving you this because I want you to understand two things—"
Gu Chang looked at Zheng Fa.
"First, talent isn't everything in Jiu Shan Sect. Wisdom and knowledge are, in my opinion, more important. Relying on luck to change your fate by having a child is too uncertain. I hope you cherish your mathematical talent... No matter what profession you choose, it's best not to give up learning. Sometimes, knowledge can change your fate."
Gu Chang opened his mouth, softly replying, "…Yes."
He seemed to feel that with such low talent, Zheng Fa, as the Sect Leader, was so earnest in his advice, which moved him deeply.
Just as he was feeling touched, Zheng Fa's tone turned serious:
"Second, being a teacher shouldn't be a choice made out of desperation."
"It's fine to hope to gain merit through this profession; that's expected... but your mindset doesn't align with my expectations for teachers on Le Tu Island."
Gu Chang stammered, "Sect Leader..."
"Both I and Senior Sister Zhang, as well as all the Elders, are teachers on University Island. Have any of us ever looked down on this role?"
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