Chapter 521
Gu Chang pursed his lips and lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought but hesitant to speak.
"I know what you're saying. On Le Tu Island, there are only mortals... That's why I'm giving you this journal."
"Many of the articles in here emphasize the importance of thought and wisdom, far surpassing cultivation and innate talent," Zheng Fa explained. "If you can fully grasp these research methods and impart these ideas to the disciples on Le Tu Island..."
"This is the foundation of our Jiu Shan Sect."
"Being a single spiritual root or whatever path you follow is far less important to Jiu Shan Sect."
Zheng Fa never shied away from expressing his emphasis on education, especially after the first fifty-year plan was released, which revealed a massive demand for talent across all sectors—a veritable black hole.
Education was the most crucial and fundamental part of the first fifty-year plan, and it was also the aspect Zheng Fa intended to oversee personally.
His reminders to Gu Chang stemmed from this very reason.
Seeing Gu Chang appear to understand, Zheng Fa added, "You may not know this, but in the future, our sect will invest more resources into education. Your responsibilities are extraordinary."
Gu Chang's expression stiffened, and he said seriously to Zheng Fa, "Disciple understands."
Zheng Fa nodded and said, "You can go back now."
As he watched Gu Chang walk away slowly, he felt a twinge of regret—after all, this disciple was likely being held back by his spiritual root.
This issue significantly impacted the development of Jiu Shan Sect, yet it had always seemed elusive.
...
On Le Tu Island, Gu Chang leaned over a lamp, reading the sample issue of the journal Zheng Fa had given him.
To be honest, he struggled to understand most of it, but aside from some unfamiliar terms, many of the ideas were surprisingly straightforward.
"Knowledge..." Tired from reading, he looked out the window at the distant streetlight, his gaze distant. "Can it really change fate?"
"Can a spiritual root be changed?"
At this thought, he chuckled and shook his head, as if he didn't quite believe it himself.
Yet he couldn't help but pick up the "Xian Dao" journal and read through it article by article.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 397: A Matchmaker's Visit, A Matter of Trust
Gu Chang sat at the table, carefully reading the sample issue of "Xian Dao," pen in hand, taking notes with an unusually serious demeanor.
He had already read this journal three times, and there were two articles he had gone over at least seven or eight times, filling the margins with his dense reflections and insights.
Initially, he read this book mainly because it was given to him by the sect leader—
He wasn't heartless; given his lack of talent, it was clear the leader was genuinely concerned for him.
Moreover, he hoped to find a way to change his fate or improve his spiritual root.
However, the more he read, the more he found the articles intriguing. Although his talent was lacking, he considered himself reasonably intelligent, having achieved excellent grades in many subjects on University Island.
At first, he could only understand about ten to twenty percent of the articles in this issue of "Xian Dao," but after some time, he felt he grasped roughly a third of the content.
Of course, there were still many things he hadn't studied, and most of the time, he still felt lost.
But this was enough for him to realize the uniqueness of "Xian Dao":
This book was unlike any previous techniques or manuals from Jiu Shan Sect or the Xuan Wei realm—
Though it was filled with content deeply related to cultivation, it rarely touched on specific levels of cultivation.
Just like the name of the journal, "Xian Dao," this book focused not on the heights of cultivation but on the fundamental principles of cultivation itself.
One article, titled "Three Shortcomings and Improvements of the Linking Symbol Technique," was packed with topology and rune knowledge. He found it familiar and, interestingly, this article seemed particularly useful, placed at the front of the journal, with the author rewarded with much merit.
It could even be said that this journal valued wisdom over cultivation, and certainly over innate talent.
He began to understand why the sect leader had entrusted this book to him.
"Merit..."
Gu Chang gently closed "Xian Dao," habitually organizing his thoughts aloud:
"There are no articles about spiritual roots, but that doesn't mean there won't be in the future..."
"Even if there aren't, this journal is still a path for me to earn merit!"
"Or perhaps I could research spiritual roots myself? If I achieve results, the merit would be substantial..."
"But spiritual roots..."
He had heard that "Xian Dao" had just been launched, and the submission process didn't seem too difficult. Some articles were even quite accessible.
At least, to Gu Chang, they didn't seem hard to understand.
If he learned more and earned merit through research, there might be some hope.
But his current level of cultivation made researching spiritual roots a different story—
Spiritual roots had been a concept in the Xuan Wei realm since ancient times. Surely, throughout history, many intelligent individuals had explored this issue?
In fact, there were likely cultivators far more powerful than him who had already studied this topic.
Yet, he saw no changes today.
Single spiritual root, genius.
Multiple spiritual roots, worthless.
This had almost become an accepted truth in the Xuan Wei realm.
He was just at the first level of Qi Refinement...
He still remembered Zheng Fa's words: knowledge changes fate, but at this moment, another voice coldly echoed in his mind: "If so many geniuses couldn't achieve it, how could you?"
Upon closer inspection, he realized this voice was his own.
Gu Chang found it incredibly difficult to make a decision—setting aside everything else, this journal was somewhat expensive for him. The money spent on it made him wince, and the chances of it yielding results were ninety-nine percent slim.
A soft knock came at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and his father stood at the entrance, seemingly apologetic for interrupting his reading. He spoke softly, "Aunt Chen has brought back some news."
Gu Chang felt a bit uncomfortable, a flush of embarrassment creeping onto his face.
Aunt Chen was their neighbor and often acted as a matchmaker.
He had previously felt hopeless about his path and wanted to return to Le Tu Island to teach, hoping to find a wife to share his life with.
There were two reasons for this:
On one hand, his parents had yet to shake off their mortal mindset, believing that at his age, he should have already married and started a family.
On the other hand, he wanted to have a child with good potential, whom he could teach well. If that child succeeded, he wouldn't have to worry about resources in the future.
Thus, his parents had entrusted Aunt Chen with the task.
Gu Chang followed his parents into the main room.
Aunt Chen sat in a chair, drinking tea. Though the tea wasn't expensive, his parents usually wouldn't indulge in it.
Upon seeing him, Aunt Chen set her teacup down with a thud, seemingly very excited.
She touched her lips and spoke in a high-pitched, almost sharp tone, "Chang Ge'er, I've really put in the effort this time, even wore out my shoes!"
Gu Chang didn't know how to respond.
But his parents were already expressing their gratitude.
Seeing him silent, Aunt Chen seemed a bit displeased.
His father gently nudged him from behind.
Finally, Gu Chang spoke, "Thank you for your hard work, Aunt Chen."
Aunt Chen smiled again and said, "We're neighbors, so it's no trouble at all. I thought since you're an outer sect disciple with an extraordinary status, I should find you someone perfect, without a single flaw, which is why I put in extra effort."
Hearing this, Gu Chang felt grateful, and his smile became less forced.
"That girl is beautiful and has a great figure!" Aunt Chen gestured with her hands to describe, "She's this tall!"
Then she spread her hands, indicating, "Her little face is half the size of my hand."
And then she gestured around her waist: "My waist is three times thicker than hers!"
As Gu Chang listened, he couldn't help but imagine a tall girl smiling brightly at him.
"Not only is she pretty, but her background is also impressive!"
Gu Chang was taken aback and looked at Aunt Chen. "Background?"
"This girl’s surname is Sun. You might not know, but she’s a collateral descendant of a true disciple in the sect!"
"True disciple? A Jindan (Golden Core) brother?"
This time, even Gu Chang was shocked.
"Isn't that right! You tell me, how's that for a good background? Aunt Chen is speaking the truth; we’re climbing the social ladder here!"
Gu Chang's parents exchanged glances, their joy evident on their faces.
Unexpectedly, Aunt Chen continued, "I heard this girl also has talent for cultivation, and she has three spiritual roots! She just didn't do well on the exam last time and missed entering the sect by a few points."
"Aunt Chen, do you think... she would like me?"
Gu Chang suddenly asked, his feelings of inferiority resurfacing.
"Like you? Of course she would!" Aunt Chen clapped her hands decisively. "The girl said she likes someone good at mathematics!"
"Maybe if you study hard, you can pass the exam next time!"
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