I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 38: Comprehension

The documentaries were amazing.

Tang Lingwu had clearly put effort into selecting them, all high-quality productions. Crystal-clear visuals, top-tier production teams, and every frame exuded the beauty of burning a budget.

Several of these documentaries were highly rated online, considered holy grails for bird enthusiasts.

What pleased Zheng Fa even more was how close these films got to their subjects. Cameras were hidden in trees, near nests, on cliff edges, and sometimes even mounted directly on the birds.

They provided an intimate look into the natural lives of these observed creatures.

Even without his goal of gaining insight into Ling Crane Body, these meticulously crafted documentaries were captivating enough for a bumpkin like Zheng Fa.

One documentary, then another…

Every night, Zheng Fa immersed himself in these films, watching the birds’ daily lives.

He observed their takeoffs, soaring flights, and graceful landings. He watched their hunting, feeding, and playful antics.

It felt like he was catching glimpses of something familiar, as though there was a subtle connection between what he saw and the diagrams in the third volume of Ling Crane Body, Ling Crane Heart Sutra.

But the connection remained elusive, like a veil separating him from the truth.

Even as he neared the end of the documentaries, Zheng Fa had yet to piece everything together.

One evening, he idly clicked on The Vanished Sky Overlords: Pterosaurs, which he hadn’t touched before. Its opening line made him pause.

"Among the many theories about the origin of birds, the idea that they evolved from dinosaurs is the most widely accepted by mainstream scholars."

"Some even say that birds are the closest living relatives of dinosaurs."

Zheng Fa froze for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing across his mind.

So, birds really are connected to dinosaurs?

"Pterosaurs have been extinct for millions of years, so we can’t observe their behavior directly. However, through fossil evidence and studies of modern bird behavior, we can use modeling to reconstruct their movements and lives."

Watching the CGI-rendered pterosaur on screen, a series of strange images flashed through Zheng Fa’s mind.

That’s it!

The creator of Ling Crane Body must have approached it like this documentary: observing countless bird species’ movements and habits, building models—no, creating a completely original style based on their traits.

The diagrams in the book began to align with the on-screen depictions of the pterosaur.

Zheng Fa almost wanted to grab the creator by the collar and demand:

"You were drawing animation! Why didn’t you leave a note?!"

In the following days, Zheng Fa threw himself into the documentaries with newfound purpose. Now that he had grasped the essence of Ling Crane Heart Sutra, he rewatched the films he’d seen before.

He painstakingly deconstructed every diagram in Ling Crane Heart Sutra, comparing them with the bird movements in the documentaries to deepen his understanding.

This binge of late-night study took its toll. Even with his enhanced physical stamina from mastering the basics of the Song Crane Stance, Zheng Fa looked exhausted. At school, his face appeared haggard, with faint dark circles under his eyes.

"Zheng Fa, what’s been going on with you lately?" Wang Chen asked, noticing his pale complexion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, haven’t you been sleeping? You look like you’ve been sick."

"Oh, I’ve just been watching videos at night," Zheng Fa replied, rubbing his face as he explained.

"Watching videos? What kind of videos... Wait, huh?"

Wang Chen’s expression suddenly turned strange, as though a wild thought had crossed his mind.

"Tang Lingwu gave them to me," Zheng Fa said casually.

"From Tang Lingwu?" Wang Chen seemed to be grappling with an immense misunderstanding.

"Yeah, the same day your phone got confiscated by Old Chen."

Wang Chen twitched at the mention of that unforgettable day. He did recall that Tang Lingwu had messaged Zheng Fa on that exact occasion.

However, he was more intrigued by another matter, his face brimming with gossip. "Don’t tell me, let me guess!"

"?!"

"Is it… the kind where they don’t wear clothes?"

"Why would they wear clothes?" Zheng Fa looked genuinely puzzled by such an odd question.

"One of those places where there’s hardly anyone around?"

"Um… you could say that."

A strange gleam of excitement lit up Wang Chen’s eyes.

"Indoors?"

"No, mostly outdoors."

"Wow, Tang Lingwu is into this kind of stuff?"

Wang Chen murmured to himself as if he’d stumbled upon a groundbreaking secret. He patted Zheng Fa’s shoulder and solemnly declared, "The adult world is colorful, but remember to take care of yourself!"

Zheng Fa remained silent, giving Wang Chen a look that screamed, You’ve lost it.

But Wang Chen sighed deeply. "You know, Tang Lingwu’s one of those in our class who’s top in academics, beautiful, and has Old Chen keeping an eagle eye on her. Most of the boys don’t even dare talk to her. Yet I swear, at least half the boys in our class have a crush on her."

"That many?" Zheng Fa had never given this any thought. Who liked who in the class was entirely beyond his interest.

"You’re all about studying, so you don’t notice. I’d wager it’s even more than that. But wow, her private hobbies are so… intense..." Wang Chen rubbed his chin with a hmm-I’ve-learned-something-today expression. "If the whole class knew? Tsk tsk…"

"Tsk what?"

"She’d totally captivate the remaining boys!"

Zheng Fa stared at Wang Chen’s deadpan face.

Somehow, his words sounded both crude and oddly convincing.

When Seventh Young Master saw Zheng Fa in his study later, he was even more shocked by his haggard appearance.

"You…?"

"I’ve been contemplating Ling Crane Body," Zheng Fa explained.

Seventh Young Master exchanged a skeptical glance with Gao Yuan before shaking his head.

After all, Zheng Fa had already returned the books; what was there to contemplate?

Seventh Young Master grabbed a book from the shelf and handed it to Zheng Fa.

"What’s this?"

"Forget about Ling Crane Body. Let me tell you, there’s no future in martial arts. Come learn talismanic arts with me!" Seventh Young Master sighed.

Zheng Fa glanced at the book, its cover bearing the title: Comprehensive Talisman Guide, Volume One.

"This is?"

"Didn’t I tell you before? Talismanic diagrams."

Flipping through the book, Zheng Fa saw pages filled with abstract, intricate diagrams that were a headache just to look at.

Fresh from being tormented by bird documentaries, the sight of these diagrams made his head throb. He put the book down and asked, "So, finishing this book means I’ll understand talismans?"

"Ha, finishing? Do you know how many volumes this set has?"

"No idea."

Seventh Young Master held up one finger.

"Ten volumes?"

Seventh Young Master shook his head.

"A hundred?"

"A whole room!" Seventh Young Master pointed to a side room in the study and grumbled indignantly, "They’re all in there!"

Zheng Fa turned and saw rows of bookshelves stretching to the ceiling. He swallowed hard.

"And the worst part? They add new volumes every year! I’ve been studying this stuff since I was a kid, and the unread ones just keep piling up!"

Seventh Young Master’s aggrieved tone was almost heartbreaking.

Zheng Fa could relate—this was true academic infinity.

"So, what exactly are these talismanic diagrams?"

"I don’t know." Seventh Young Master shook his head. "According to the book, all talismanic diagrams originate from celestial cultivators’ insights into the universe, embodying profound truths. Many early talismans were just these diagrams."

"Later, someone realized that different diagrams sometimes produced the same effects. That’s when a theory about meta-talismans was proposed, seeking to uncover their commonalities."

"And since celestial cultivators keep discovering new diagrams…"

Enlightened, Zheng Fa finally grasped why the collection filled an entire room.

"Ah, exhaustive enumeration!"

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