I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 10: The Carrot

Zheng Fa felt like he had been thoroughly duped.

As he looked at Senior Sister Zhang, her smile seemed almost wicked, like someone dangling a carrot in front of a donkey—infuriatingly smug.

“This technique… you have it too?”

“Won it in a bet,” she admitted openly. “Only then did I understand why Uncle Pang never loses a bet.”

“Why?”

“Because to cultivate this technique, you need a spiritual material called Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears.” Tossing the jade tube to Zheng Fa, she added, “The only one who has a Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo in the entire Jiushan Sect is Uncle Pang. And buying it in the market? Besides being outrageously expensive, it’s nearly impossible to find. Even I couldn’t get my hands on one.”

“…”

Catching the jade tube, Zheng Fa was speechless.

If he had accepted Uncle Pang’s offer and received the Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, wouldn’t he have been left with an incomplete technique due to the lack of materials?

“I’ve studied this technique for some time,” Senior Sister Zhang continued, shaking her head. “From what I can tell, it’s extraordinary—a perfect match for talisman masters and potentially very useful to you. But without Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears, it’s impossible to cultivate.”

Zheng Fa wasn’t too disappointed.

“No wonder Uncle Pang uses this technique as a betting chip,” she mused. “He probably wanted to trade his Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears for the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique. He’s very invested in Junior Brother Zhou.”

Zheng Fa was baffled.

“I hesitated for a while,” she said, glancing at him. “But if I can trade enough for both of us, I might consider it. That is, if you focus on cultivating the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique properly.”

“…Huh?”

“Uncle Pang will need proof that the technique is worthwhile.”

“…”

“Otherwise, how could I negotiate for a high price?”

“But doesn’t the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique already double cultivation speed? How could he not be interested?” Zheng Fa asked, confused.

“Double?” Senior Sister Zhang looked at him in surprise. “Who said it doubles cultivation speed?”

“I condensed the True Form Shadowless Talisman, and my cultivation speed increased by 10%. Ten talismans would double it, wouldn’t they?” Zheng Fa asked, startled.

Was he being overly optimistic?

“…”

Senior Sister Zhang stared at him for a long time before finally speaking in a faint voice. “When I condensed my first talisman, my cultivation speed only increased slightly—barely 5%. Even after forming my Yuan Talisman Foundation, the speed boost was only 30%.”

Her expression was complicated. If Zheng Fa had to interpret it, it would likely mean: Is there really someone who cheats better than me?

“…”

Realizing the difference, Zheng Fa attributed it to his unusually strong divine sense. A stronger soul meant attracting more corresponding talismans during cultivation—a trait even a prodigy like Senior Sister Zhang couldn’t match.

“Keep cultivating!” Senior Sister Zhang clapped her hands decisively. “I’ll negotiate with Uncle Pang for more Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears.”

“What if Junior Brother Zhou doesn’t progress as much as I do?”

“Did you lie? Does the technique not double your speed?”

“No, but I doubt he’ll achieve the same results.”

“Then he’s just incompetent.”

“…”

“Remember, geniuses don’t need explanations. If they can’t do it, it’s their fault for not being talented enough,” Senior Sister Zhang said confidently, patting his shoulder. “You focus on cultivating, and we’ll profit off Uncle Pang together!”

Zheng Fa felt something was off. Why was he the one cultivating, but she was the one profiting?

“Senior Sister, aren’t you—”

“Do you dare negotiate with Uncle Pang yourself?” she interrupted.

“…No.”

Modern World, Old Man Bai’s House.

Zheng Fa, Old Man Bai, and Tang Lingwu gathered around a table. On it lay a copy of the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique that Zheng Fa had painstakingly transcribed.

The first group study session of their cultivation learning group was about to begin!

Despite the dark circles under his eyes, Old Man Bai looked eager.

Tang Lingwu’s bright eyes sparkled with excitement.

Zheng Fa understood their enthusiasm—this was about cultivation, after all!

But after reading through the technique, Old Man Bai’s expression fell.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Zheng Fa confirmed.

“It’s too short to make sense of,” Old Man Bai grumbled, pushing the papers aside as though disappointed by a wasted effort.

Zheng Fa couldn’t agree more. The technique, conceptualized by the Jiushan Ancestor and barely refined by Senior Sister Zhang, lacked the depth and clarity of more established methods like the Crimson Sky Technique.

With fewer than a thousand words, it left too much unexplained.

“Why do talisman patterns exhibit Yin-Yang and Five Elements characteristics?”

“More importantly—why does using this framework to form the Yuan Talisman Foundation work at all?”

These were Zheng Fa’s primary doubts.

For Senior Sister Zhang, steeped in the Xuanyi Realm’s understanding, the framework was self-evident. But Zheng Fa, with his modern education, needed answers to the whys.

“There’s no way to tell yet,” Old Man Bai admitted after some thought, frowning. “We’d need to analyze more talismans to understand.”

Unlike Senior Sister Zhang, who could rely on her innate Yuan Spirit Dao Body for experimentation, they had to explore their questions methodically.

“The best solution would be using computers,” Old Man Bai said before falling silent.

Zheng Fa understood. To process such massive amounts of data, they’d need computational power—which meant exposing their secret to someone tech-savvy.

“Still, the person who wrote this confirmed one of my suspicions,” Old Man Bai said suddenly. “There are too many Yuan Talismans.”

“Too many?”

“If they can be categorized by Yin-Yang and Five Elements, Yuan Talismans likely aren’t the most fundamental form of talisman patterns.”

“You mean Yuan Talismans can be subdivided?”

“Yes. That’s the simplest explanation.” Old Man Bai nodded.

It was one of Zheng Fa’s own theories, though verifying it remained a challenge.

The three discussed this at length, agreeing that topology and computational analysis were necessary for further breakthroughs.

As their conversation wound down, Old Man Bai’s head began to droop.

“Did you sleep last night?” Zheng Fa asked curiously.

“Got caught up studying and stayed up late,” Old Man Bai admitted, rubbing his face. To save face, he added, “Also, this stuff is boring—it’s sleep-inducing!” He pointed at the technique.

“Boring?”

“Your electric body stuff was way cooler,” Old Man Bai grumbled. “Bioelectricity, magnetic fields, punching stars—it’s thrilling!”

“…What exactly were you studying last night?” Zheng Fa asked, side-eyeing him.

“Uh… comics.”

“…”

“I got curious about your ‘powers’ and looked some up online. Those comics are pretty entertaining!”

“You’re surprisingly trendy.”

“Of course!” Old Man Bai puffed his chest before sighing. “But compared to those, this book is dull—just symbols and diagrams, no flashiness!”

Zheng Fa exchanged a look with Tang Lingwu, whose earlier excitement had clearly faded. The technique hadn’t lived up to their expectations.

“Want to shock me again?” Old Man Bai suddenly asked. “Let me experience the wonders of cultivation one more time?”

…Are you using cultivation as an excuse to indulge in some peculiar fetish?

Deciding to demonstrate something more impressive, Zheng Fa activated the True Form Shadowless Talisman in his dantian.

“Hmm?”

Before their eyes, Zheng Fa vanished, leaving behind only an empty chair.

“Zheng Fa?” Old Man Bai jolted awake, startled.

Tang Lingwu’s eyes lit up with curiosity. She reached out, poking at the air where Zheng Fa had been sitting.

“Don’t touch!”

Reappearing, Zheng Fa grabbed her hand, exasperated by her overly curious nature.

“Zheng Fa, what was that?!” Old Man Bai asked, wide-eyed.

“The ‘boring’ stuff,” Zheng Fa replied.

“Boring? Where?!”

“It’s not flashy like the comics.”

“Not flashy, but it’s practical!” Old Man Bai exclaimed. “When I was young, I dreamed of being invisible!”

“Oh? Why?”

“When you’re poor, invisibility is a game-changer. I could’ve gone overseas and become a master thief! Banks? Vaults? Mine for the taking!”

“…Overseas?”

“Of course! I wouldn’t steal domestically!”

“You’re patriotic, even as a potential outlaw,” Zheng Fa said wryly.

“Well…” Old Man Bai blushed and hesitated before adding, “Back then, I also thought about sneaking into women’s bathhouses…”

Tang Lingwu immediately shifted her chair away from him, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“I was young and dumb! Just a thought!”

“Domestic bathhouses or overseas ones?” Zheng Fa deadpanned.

“Domestic! What’s there to see overseas?”

“You really are patriotic,” Zheng Fa muttered sincerely.

Smack!

Tang Lingwu slapped her bank card on the table.

“I want to learn this!” Her eyes sparkled.

“You want to sneak into bathhouses too?” Zheng Fa blurted out, confused—wasn’t she already wealthy?

“No. Sometimes, I just wish my mom couldn’t see me…”

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