Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 85 Discussing the Way

Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Discussing the Way

The ship arrived on the third day.

A ceremonial feast was held and Zheng Fa’s harvest was not substantial.

Many forces from Jingzhou State City heard the news and came.

But if the gift money given by the visitors was too much or too generous, he would decline it.

On the other hand, Zheng Fa also settled the money for the banquet with Housekeeper Wu.

Seventh Young Master said a few words about him being too formal, but Mrs. Zheng accepted the money quite readily.

Zheng Fa and she both understood that sometimes it’s better to keep some distance for a longer relationship.

After leaving some money for his mother and sister for emergencies, the gold Zheng Fa carried on him was about fifty taels.

That amount of money would make him a middle-class individual in Jingzhou State City.

But a single ticket to Jiushan Sect costs ten taels of gold, such prices... brought Zheng Fa back to reality.

The token was very practical: ever since it came into his possession, it was cold, with an unyielding expression, hardly paying any attention to Zheng Fa.

But when Zheng Fa placed ten taels of gold in front of it, the token performed a miracle—it really split apart.

The token divided into two symmetrical halves, revealing a pocket-sized space.

Zheng Fa placed the ten taels of gold inside, and it closed tightly again, without leaving any gaps, indicating a non-refund policy.

The originally black and cold token emitted faint luminescence and was slightly warm, which felt strangely enthusiastic compared to before.

This must be what Zhang referred to as the guiding marker.

Three two-hour periods after the token lit up, a dark shadow obscured the burning sun above, and when Zheng Fa looked up, he saw a gargantuan ship looming like a small mountain above his family’s courtyard.

"Those holding the Jiushan Sect’s token, quickly board the ship!"

A man’s voice came through, sounding somewhat impatient.

Zheng Fa, carrying his pack and holding the token, exited the courtyard gate, and before he could properly say goodbye to his mother and sister, a massive hand formed of yellow light extended from the ship above and brutally snatched him up alongside his token into the air.

When Zheng Fa regained his senses, he found himself already on the deck of the ship.

Standing on the deck were three men dressed in yellow Taoist robes, each with a small Jiushan emblem embroidered on the hem, clearly the Jiushan Disciples who came to receive him.

They didn’t look at him, and the token that was originally in his hand was now held by the slightly chubby male disciple in the middle.

They didn’t even ask for his opinion.

He turned his head and saw his younger sister Zheng Shan sobbing in Mrs. Zheng’s arms. Suddenly noticing her brother’s absence, she forgot to cry, her small mouth agape as she searched for a while, apparently not seeing Zheng Fa on the deck.

Zheng Fa heard the sound of Shan starting to cry louder, probably because she couldn’t see her brother, which tugged at his heart.

But the three Jiushan Disciple seemed to be oblivious to the sound of her poignant crying; the slightly chubby male disciple took out a waist tag, tapped it with his finger, and the ship beneath Zheng Fa’s feet gently vibrated, breaking through the clouds ahead, and began to move.

Zheng Fa could only helplessly stretch half his body over the railing of the deck waving towards his mother and sister.

Once the Zheng Family courtyard disappeared beyond the horizon, he turned around to find the three disciples that had come to fetch him were already gone, as if their sole purpose was for the token.

On the deck, there remained an unexpected acquaintance—Zhou Qianyuan.

Seeing Zheng Fa turn his head, Zhou Qianyuan said with a smile on his face, "Those fellow disciples are not very warm to any of us, I was afraid you, Mr. Zheng, wouldn’t find your way..."

Zheng Fa acknowledged him with a cupped-fist salute, feeling quite grateful in his heart.

"Are those fellow disciples like this to everyone?"

Zhou Qianyuan shook his head and whispered, "Sun told me that these older disciples don’t take kindly to us new ones."

Zheng Fa suddenly realized, recalling what Zhang had mentioned before.

The stringency of the Immortal Item meeting was also due to the large discontent among the lower-ranked disciples of the Hundred Immortals Alliance.

Zhou Qianyuan led the way, speaking as he walked, "This ship has three floors, the first floor is the main hall for us to dine or discuss the Dao, the second floor is for our rooms, and the third floor is where those fellow disciples reside."

Zheng Fa followed him up the wooden stairs to the second floor.

There were probably over thirty rooms on the second floor, half of which were already occupied. Zheng Fa chose a room near the corner.

He put down his bundle and turned to look at Zhou Qianyuan, expressing his sincere thanks: "Thank you, Zhou, for the guidance."

Zhou Qianyuan waved his hand, a smile inevitably spreading across his face. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I have some standing among those seniors. If Mr. Zheng needs anything, just tell me and I will talk to them for you."

Zheng Fa was a bit puzzled, since those few people had been quite dismissive towards him.

"Sun, when you sent me aboard, did you put in a good word for me with those seniors?"

...Does Sun still need more juniors?

Sister Zhang, look at this senior brother!

Remembering Zhang, who had disappeared days earlier, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but feel envious.

...

The boat wasn’t just for picking up Zheng Fa; it took three days to collect all the new Jiushan Sect disciples.

Zheng Fa kept a low profile on the boat, staying in his room cultivating Spiritual Crane Body, hardly interacting with others.

One day, there was a knock on Zheng Fa’s door, and when he opened it, he saw Zhou Qianyuan.

"Mr. Zheng, those three seniors have invited us to discuss the Dao."

"Discuss what Dao?"

Zheng Fa was confused. I haven’t learned anything yet.

"I’m not sure myself, but everyone else is going."

Zheng Fa nodded and followed Zhou Qianyuan downstairs. Indeed, the first-floor hall was set with dozens of meditation cushions, upon which sat men and women with confused expressions.

The three seniors who had brought them were sitting at the head, smiling warmly at them, much more enthusiastically than before.

As Zhou Qianyuan led Zheng Fa in, the three of them nodded kindly toward Zhou Qianyuan, and the slightly chubby senior pointed to a cushion at the front, clearly valuing Zhou Qianyuan a bit more than the others.

Watching Zhou Qianyuan take his seat on the cushion, Zheng Fa found a spot at the back to sit down.

"Fellow junior brothers and sisters, it’s fate that brought us together to lead you into the sect, so now we’re all one family."

The slightly chubby senior brother spoke first.

Zheng Fa felt their previous behavior wasn’t quite like how one would treat family.

"As your senior brothers, seeing you reminds us of when we first joined—we were just like you, knowing nothing and taking many wrong turns after joining the sect. We only hoped for a senior to give us guidance. Now that we’ve become seniors, remembering those days, we want to help you out."

Everyone below listened quietly.

Zheng Fa looked at the obediently seated new disciples and then at the closed cabin doors, suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu.

"Once you enter Jiushan Sect, you will realize that only by mastering talismanic magic will you have a fundamental standing."

"But talismanic magic isn’t easy to learn." The senior brother showed a bitter smile: "The talismanic Dao is vast and profound, and without the guidance of a renowned teacher, it’s difficult for ordinary people to get started. Where can one easily find such a mentor? When I first joined the sect, it took me a full ten years to become a Gold Talisman Master, and during that time it was hard to even make a living."

As he spoke, the two senior brothers beside him also displayed expressions of deep empathy.

"But now you juniors are in luck!" The slightly chubby senior brother’s voice rose with excitement, pulling out a pile of books from behind: "Master Zhang, a talismanic genius of our Jiushan Sect, took pity on you new disciples struggling to learn talismanic magic, and specially revised a book called ’Master Zhang’s Discussion on Talismans,’ which can be said to be the best aid for beginners learning the talismanic Dao!"

...Who?

"Now, we three have a bond with you. The original price is twenty gold per book, but for today only, we’ll take just ten gold from you! Ten gold, and you will have acquired the work of a genius Talisman Master. After today, you’ll no longer have such a good opportunity!"

"That’s right, never again!" One of his fellow senior brothers echoed.

Another even urged, "Senior brother, let’s stick to twenty gold per book, we’re not exactly swimming in wealth either!"

Zheng Fa finally understood why this all felt so familiar to him.

Are you the legendary dodgy tour guide?