I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 72: Protect You

Sun Daoyu stared at Zheng Fa for a while before giving him a slight bow.

“May I ask your name?”

“Zheng Fa,” Zheng Fa responded, returning the gesture.

“Brother Zheng, are you an old acquaintance of Senior Sister Zhang?” Sun Daoyu asked, his tone now carrying a hint of respect.

“I’m not an old friend of Senior Sister Zhang,” Zheng Fa replied honestly. “I’ve only known her for a few days.”

With Senior Sister Zhang present, Zheng Fa felt compelled to be truthful.

“And what is your innate potential?” Sun Daoyu pressed.

“I have dual spiritual roots of fire and wood.”

“No, I come from humble origins. Until recently, I was a study attendant in this residence.”

Hearing this, Sun Daoyu no longer bothered to look at Zheng Fa and instead turned to bow deeply to Senior Sister Zhang.

“Senior Sister Zhang, I don’t mean to overstep, but my yet-to-be-initiated junior brother possesses extraordinary talent. It would truly be a loss for our sect to miss such a prodigy.”

Senior Sister Zhang’s expression remained unmoved.

“Our Jiushan Sect is renowned within the Hundred Immortals Alliance for our talisman techniques. Such an exceptional talent, having been discovered by my master, cannot be overlooked!” Sun Daoyu’s tone was earnest, as if trying to persuade Senior Sister Zhang for her own benefit.

“If you allow this Immortal Token to be given to my junior brother, not only would it bring a great talent to Jiushan Sect, but you would also gain the favor of my master. My junior brother, upon entering the sect, would surely be deeply grateful and unwaveringly loyal to you.

“This is a win-win situation both publicly and personally. I urge you to consider it carefully!”

Senior Sister Zhang listened but seemed unconvinced. Instead, she countered,

“Immortal Tokens are indeed rare, but does Uncle Pang, a Nascent Soul cultivator, truly have no other options than to request one from me?”

“Other Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators have already promised theirs to others,” Sun Daoyu explained.

“I’ve also given mine away,” Senior Sister Zhang replied.

“...Those others gave theirs to their descendants or disciples,” Sun Daoyu argued.

Zheng Fa understood now. Sun Daoyu had asked him three questions to determine that he had no significant background, calculating that taking the token from him would have the lowest cost. He didn’t even bother trying to persuade Zheng Fa directly, focusing entirely on convincing Senior Sister Zhang.

After listening, Senior Sister Zhang nodded lightly. “You make a fair point.”

Sun Daoyu’s face brightened, but then Senior Sister Zhang continued,

“Our Jiushan Sect is indeed known for talisman techniques, and we cannot miss out on a prodigy in this field.”

“Senior Sister, you’re absolutely right!” Sun Daoyu agreed eagerly.

“Your junior brother, his talent in talismans is extraordinary?” she asked.

“My master said he has exceptional potential!” Sun Daoyu exclaimed.

“And how does he compare to me?” Senior Sister Zhang asked suddenly.

“...Senior Sister, surely you jest. Everyone knows you’re renowned within the Hundred Immortals Alliance as a once-in-a-millennium prodigy in talisman techniques. How could my junior brother compare?”

“He’s better than me,” Senior Sister Zhang declared, pointing to Zheng Fa.

“What?” Sun Daoyu was dumbfounded.

“Publicly, I’ve found the Jiushan Sect a disciple with greater talent in talismans than myself. Personally, I believe his gratitude will be more valuable. Do you have any objections?”

Sun Daoyu gave a bitter laugh and bowed deeply to her. “With Senior Sister stating this, I have nothing more to say.”

From his tone, it was clear he didn’t believe her assessment of Zheng Fa’s talent. However, her statement came across as if she was willing to forgo her own reputation in the field of talismans just to give Zheng Fa the Immortal Token, leaving him no room for further argument.

After saying his piece, Sun Daoyu ignored the others and left swiftly. The remaining people exchanged awkward glances before Senior Sister Zhang addressed them.

“Anything else?”

The others hurriedly excused themselves.

“Zheng Fa, stay.”

Watching the Seventh Young Master and the rest leave, Zheng Fa turned to Senior Sister Zhang and bowed deeply.

“Thank you, Senior Sister Zhang, for standing up for me.”

It was clear to him that Sun Daoyu had completely disregarded him upon learning of his humble background. If not for Senior Sister Zhang’s insistence, the Immortal Token would no longer be his.

“If it weren’t you, I wouldn’t have given it to him either,” Senior Sister Zhang said.

Zheng Fa was taken aback.

“Uncle Pang and my master often differ in their interpretations of talisman techniques,” Senior Sister Zhang explained briefly. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have waited until I left the Jiushan Sect to approach me.”

So the two Nascent Soul cultivators of Jiushan Sect were at odds. That didn’t sound like good news.

“Just a scholarly dispute, nothing major,” she continued. “Even if my master and Uncle Pang had no disagreements, I still wouldn’t have given it to him.”

“What?” Zheng Fa was confused by her contradictory statement.

Senior Sister Zhang abruptly changed the topic. “Since you’ll be joining Jiushan Sect, you’ll likely encounter more situations like this in the future.”

“...”

“Competing for Immortal Tokens, spiritual stones, and other resources—someone will always want to take them from you.”

“Yes...” Zheng Fa listened, unsure what she was getting at.

“I grew up dealing with the same,” she said, locking eyes with Zheng Fa. “With our talent, you needn’t fear such things. Walk the righteous path without hesitation. You have me behind you, and I have my master behind me.”

“?” Zheng Fa was stunned. Slowly, he began to understand her point. “Senior Sister, are you saying... our talent?”

“What about it?”

“I thought... you were just trying to fool that Sun Daoyu.”

“I never lie,” she replied firmly, staring him down.

Now Zheng Fa fully grasped her meaning—and why something felt off. Senior Sister Zhang genuinely believed his talent in talismans surpassed hers.

Wait, why?

Perhaps noticing his confusion, Senior Sister Zhang frowned and said,

“Did you really think I gave you the Immortal Token just because of those math problems?”

“...”

“You think I didn’t notice the deeper intricacies in the diagrams you drew, the profound insights in talisman structures, and your unparalleled understanding of Yuan Fu?”

“...”

“I know you’ve come from humble beginnings, so you’ve learned to be cautious. But now that you’ve left the Zhao family, there’s no need for that anymore. Sun Daoyu’s visit today was the perfect opportunity for me to show you—within Jiushan Sect, with your talent, I will protect you.”

“...”

Zheng Fa was speechless.

Now he recalled—Senior Sister Zhang had decided to give him the Immortal Token after seeing the talisman diagrams he had drawn for the Seventh Young Master.

True, those diagrams were well-structured. But the truth was, he hadn’t devised them himself.

Senior Sister Zhang probably assumed he had hidden his abilities due to his low status in the Zhao household.

“I don’t mince words,” she added, her tone unwavering. “I value your future. Do you understand?”

In the modern world, at Old Man Bai’s house.

“Professor Bai,” Zheng Fa called out.

“What now?” Old Man Bai frowned, glaring suspiciously. “Whenever you call me ‘professor,’ it’s never anything good.”

“I just wanted to ask if you know how to code. Maybe make a game?”

“...Why don’t you ask if I know how to have kids?” Old Man Bai snorted. “What do you need that for?”

Zheng Fa explained his idea:

He wanted to create a small game, like the scroll interface for selecting runes on Senior Sister Zhang’s talisman diagrams—a supercharged simulation of the Sea of Diagrams strategy.

This misunderstanding of being a top-tier genius had its pros and cons.

On the bright side, it helped him escape the Zhao family, earned him a spot at the Immortal Talent Conference, and gave him Senior Sister Zhang’s backing.

On the downside, unless he truly performed like a genius, he risked being exposed.

In fact, he would need to demonstrate talent at the upcoming Immortal Talent Conference that aligned with Senior Sister Zhang’s expectations.

If he couldn’t be a talisman prodigy, he’d just have to be the king of problem-solving!

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