Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 95 - 2 Eccentricity

Chapter 95: Chapter 2 Eccentricity

Zhang’s influence was palpable.

Upon her arrival, the uncle from the Discipline Hall turned apprehensive.

"Zhang? What brings you here?" His eyes inadvertently glanced at Zheng Fa.

"Mr. Wang."

Zhang bowed to him meticulously.

She turned to look at that Senior Li and returned to the issue, "May I ask what this junior brother said about me?"

"..."

Senior Li’s face fell, clearly aware of his guilt.

However, the uncle from the Discipline Hall chuckled dryly, "It’s just a petty squabble. Why should a person of your stature care?"

"I care."

"..."

The uncle was at a loss for words, his complexion turning sour: "Even though Junior Li spoke out of turn, your favoritism towards Zheng Fa is also too blatant! The whispers within the sect do not arise without cause!"

Zheng Fa glanced at Zhang.

Zhang’s face showed no emotion; she just stared at the uncle as if she didn’t understand what he was saying and spoke slowly, "How so?"

"The share you’ve given to this Zheng, despite his recent arrival, is comparable to that of a Xuan-grade Talisman Master... Given the scarcity of spiritual materials, don’t you think you’re being biased?"

"Those are my own possessions."

"But Junior Sister, you are representing Master Huang in managing the Affairs Hall. To avoid suspicion, one should not stand under a wall that’s about to collapse," said the uncle with a sneer.

"..."

Zheng Fa realised he was being used as a target against Zhang.

It wasn’t so much about the spiritual materials as it was about Zhang’s exceptional status.

Zhang remained silent, while the uncle began to speak up.

"The Affairs Hall is responsible for the allocation of spiritual materials within the entire Jiushan Sect. In managing it, you should be fair and impartial. Your favoritism towards one person..." Mr. Wang sneered softly, "Should others not make remarks?"

Upon saying this, the disciples present couldn’t help but reveal a change in their expression.

After all, the duties of the Affairs Hall were extremely sensitive.

"What do you imply, Uncle?"

"To demonstrate fairness, Zheng’s share should be the same as others’. If he indeed has talent, becoming a Xuan-grade Talisman Master will be a cakewalk for him—only then should he receive the corresponding share, and the rumors will naturally subside."

"But..." Just as he began to speak, a hesitant voice came from behind him: "Zheng is a Xuan-grade Talisman Master already!"

"?"

Everyone turned towards the speaker—Zhou Qianyuan, someone Zheng Fa was not very familiar with.

"He’s a Xuan-grade Talisman Master?"

The uncle from the Discipline Hall looked bewildered, turning to Zhang.

Unexpectedly, Zhang also looked at Zheng Fa with a puzzled expression, seemingly unaware of this matter.

"Yes!" Zhou Qianyuan confirmed, "I’ve been watching Zheng all along. That Water Margin Talisman just now, it was Zheng who threw it."

Zheng Fa: ...Why are you looking at me when I’ve been quietly avoiding trouble?

Senior Li looked down, slowly absorbed the state of his drenched clothes, and then raised his head to look at Zheng Fa.

"The power of that Water Margin Talisman just now is something you know best, isn’t it, Senior Li?" Zhou Qianyuan asked him.

Senior Li: "..."

He seemed reluctant to admit to this fact.

"Just now you were saying that was a Xuan-grade Water Margin Talisman."

Zhou Qianyuan pressed on with another question.

Senior Li opened his mouth and glanced at Mr. Wang, whose expression was unpleasant, but said nothing.

"Senior Li, you’re a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage, you couldn’t have been constrained by a mere Huang-grade talisman, could you? That would be too embarrassing, wouldn’t it?"

Zhou Qianyuan’s tone was sincere, his words showing great trust in Senior Li’s abilities.

"Yes!"

Senior Li admitted through clenched teeth.

The others viewed him with strange looks—being trapped by a Water Margin Talisman thrown by a novice disciple did seem rather embarrassing indeed.

Of course, their gaze towards Zhou Qianyuan became even stranger—had he taken a wrong stance? Why was he mingling on Master Pang’s side?

Hearing Senior Li’s admission, the uncle from Discipline Hall had an exceptionally interesting look on his face.

After a while, he folded his hand towards Zhang, speaking in a more amiable tone: "You do indeed have discerning eyes, Junior Sister."

This man conceded gracefully, choosing not to pursue the matter any further.

"I don’t have discerning eyes." Zhang looked at Zheng Fa and said, "I’m just biased."

"?"

"Even if he were just a Huang-grade Talisman Master, I wouldn’t change his share. If you’re unsatisfied, have Master Pang talk to me about it."

After listening to Zhang, the room fell silent.

The uncle from the Discipline Hall flushed with different shades, unable to utter another word.

He could only flick his sleeves and, without saying anything, transformed into a tunneling light, leaving the Talisman Magic Pavilion.

Upon seeing him gone, Zhang turned to Zheng Fa and said, "Come see me later, I have something to tell you."

As if she had come specifically to tell Zheng Fa this message, she left without attending to others.

Zheng Fa watched her departing figure and felt a tug on his sleeve. Turning around, Han Qi’s face was filled with a thirst for knowledge:

"Junior brother, teach me."

"Teach what? The talismanic Dao?"

"The talismanic Dao... I admit you have some talent to become a Xuan-grade Talisman Master so quickly, but that’s nothing major, it’s not important!" Han Qi’s voice dropped a little, "What I really want to learn is how you and Master Zhang... cough cough!"

"Speak up!"

A dissatisfied mutter came from the side; Zheng Fa turned to see a crowd clustered around them, their faces all reflecting a desperate desire to know.

...

"Zheng."

When Zheng Fa left the Talisman Magic Pavilion, Zhuang suddenly called out to him.

Zhuang quickly walked a few steps to catch up with Zheng Fa, walking side by side with him for a while, yet he remained silent.

Not until they approached the doorway did Zhuang lift his arm and gave a deep bow to him: "Thank you for stepping in to help just now."

"I didn’t really help you though..."

It wasn’t that Zheng Fa truly intended to retaliate; it was just that he only had one talisman in hand, and could only take action when that Senior Li was careless and lacked the protection of the Golden Armor Talisman.

"It’s not for my sake, but for those new disciples," Zhuang shook his head and said: "If you hadn’t stepped in, those new disciples would have been humiliated by Senior Li."

After his defeat, if Zheng Fa hadn’t subdued Senior Li, indeed it would have been terrible for them here.

"..."

Zheng Fa looked at Zhuang and noticed a sincere expression of gratitude on his face.

It was Zhuang who then spoke: "Do you think I’m embezzling the talisman paper for personal gain? Hoarding it?"

"Not at all."

That was truly how Zheng Fa felt.

This Senior Brother didn’t seem like a particularly stingy person—at the brawl just now, he indeed used a lot of talismans to protect those new disciples.

After all, everyone has their limits.

This Senior Brother could have just stood by and saved his own talismans.

"...How do you see the Jiushan Sect?"

"The grandeur of the Immortal Sect."

"..." Zhuang looked at him, seemingly perceiving his insincerity, and suddenly laughed: "I actually think it’s the advent of a chaotic era, where grievances are boiling over."

"Er..." Zheng Fa looked at him, somewhat confused, "Is this something we can talk about?"

"Geniuses like you who are favored as soon as they join probably don’t understand the suffering of those lower-class disciples."

"..."

Zheng Fa didn’t argue, just listened to him speak.

"I’ve read history books in the mortal world, and at the end of every dynasty, it’s always the commoners who suffer the most." Zhuang spoke as if not expecting a reply: "The Immortal Sect is the same, and even more frightening—if these lower-class disciples of the Immortal Sect truly harbor resentment, even if they cannot bring chaos to the Sect, what about the mortal world?"

He looked at Zheng Fa with a meaningful glance, "Those are the people who are truly defenseless."

"..."

"I’m just thinking, if those in power use one less talisman, those lower-class disciples could get one more, and perhaps feel a little less resentful. To be honest, I also know I can’t stop these things—and I know it’s futile." Zhuang smiled and looked at Zheng Fa, drawing out three talisman papers from his sleeve and passing them over: "Since you are a Xuan-grade Talisman Master, naturally you should have those portions, it was my mistake to have been mean."

Zheng Fa didn’t move, but Zhuang stuffed the talisman papers into his hand.

He bowed once more to Zheng Fa and turned to walk towards the distance.

His clothes were full of wrinkles and dust, but his posture remained upright.

...

Inside the gates of the Talisman Magic Pavilion, Han Qi watched Zheng Fa with an unsettled expression, his face changing colors.

"Senior Brother? What are you thinking?"

"What do you suppose Zheng likes?"

"?"

The tall, thin one was startled and asked, "Didn’t you say that you weren’t going to side with him?"

"How would I have known that he could draw a Xuan-grade talisman right after he joined?" Han Qi’s expression showed some regret.

"Senior Brother, that’s not easy."

The tall, thin one hesitated as he spoke.

"What’s not easy?" Han Qi asked in confusion, "Zheng Fa seems to have a good character; he doesn’t seem to be someone who is hard to please... It’s just that we’ve offended him before, which is not good."

"No, I’m not talking about him, but that one."

The tall, thin one pointed into the distance, where Zhou Qianyuan was standing and gazing after Zheng Fa’s back.

"What’s with him?"

"Don’t you feel that his gaze upon Zheng Fa is exactly the same as yours just now?"

"..."

Han Qi looked at Zhou Qianyuan’s expression full of incomprehension—

No, who are you?

Master Pang’s most beloved disciple!

A Single Spirit Root, Geng Metal Dao Body, a supreme genius!

And you’re vying with me for the role of a lackey?

Our two branches fight every day, to the point of being mindless!

You are betraying your teacher and your ancestors!

No wonder you were speaking up for Zheng Fa...

Such a schemer!

"Senior Brother, should we give up?" suggested the tall, thin one: "We cannot surpass him!"

"No way!" Han Qi insisted with gritted teeth: "Zhang is one thing, but Zhou Qianyuan is Master Pang’s favorite disciple, I’ve heard that he is extremely favored. If both of them value Zheng Fa so much, wouldn’t we be fools not to follow along now?"

The tall, thin one was taken aback and slowly nodded: "You have a point, but we still can’t surpass him."

"..."

...

Zheng Fa arrived at the gate of Zhang’s courtyard; her courtyard was at the foot of the ninth mountain and was very spacious.

To him, it wasn’t even clear whether this courtyard was larger or smaller than the Zhao Family’s.

But the location of the two couldn’t be more different—the ninth mountain was known to have the richest spiritual energy within the Jiushan Sect.

Just as Zheng Fa entered the courtyard gate, he heard Master Zhang’s voice: "Walk straight ahead, pass three doors, and come directly to the back courtyard to find me."