I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 49: The Difference

"I... I didn’t mean to keep it from you,” the Seventh Young Master stammered, his face red as he tried to explain. “I just want to join the Immortal Sect through the Immortal Talent Conference. You don’t need it—you’re already favored by a great cultivator. Isn’t it easy for you to enter the sect?”

Zheng Fa blinked, finally realizing that the Young Master had fully convinced himself that Zheng Fa was backed by some mysterious, powerful figure. From the perspective of the Xuanyi Realm, it made sense. After all, tales of impoverished youths being discovered by Immortals and ascending to greatness were abundant in popular stories.

“What exactly is the Immortal Talent Conference?” Zheng Fa asked, sensing that this might be his own path to the sect.

“You don’t know?” The Young Master looked at him in surprise before continuing, “Well, I suppose you don’t need to.

“There are two ways to enter the Immortal Sect. One is to be lucky, like you, and catch the attention of a great cultivator who accepts you as a disciple.”

Zheng Fa: …I’m not, I don’t, and you’ve got the wrong guy.

“The other way is the Immortal Talent Conference. Participants are judged on their spiritual root aptitude and their skills in alchemy, formations, talismans, or artifact crafting. Based on a comprehensive evaluation, they’re assigned a rank. Those with high ranks can enter the sect.”

Zheng Fa nodded, realizing the two paths were akin to private recommendations versus standardized exams. The conference sounded a lot like an entrance exam.

The Young Master sighed. “The conference is normally held once every ten years. My sister entered the sect through the last one. It wasn’t supposed to happen again until after the new year, but she wrote recently saying it’s been moved up to two months from now.”

No wonder the Young Master had suddenly become so diligent.

He had likely been preparing for this moment for ten years. Despite his usual laziness, he had been seriously dedicated to talisman studies. The twisting, dizzying diagrams of talismans were enough to make anyone’s head spin, but he had persisted daily for a decade. His desire to join the Immortal Sect was clear.

“If it weren’t for you being chosen, I would’ve wanted to give you one of the Zhao family’s two slots,” the Young Master suddenly said.

“Slots? There’s a limit?”

“Of course!” The Young Master looked surprised. “Otherwise, wouldn’t everyone try to join?”

Zheng Fa nodded. This limitation was likely one of the reasons the Zhao family had maintained its prominence for a thousand years.

…

“I should remind you, this book won’t improve your understanding of talismans in the short term. It’s just the basics of basics,” Zheng Fa warned, unsure if Middle School Mathematics would be of any real use to the Young Master with the conference so close.

“I know,” the Young Master said calmly. “If Immortal methods were so easy to master, they wouldn’t be called Immortal methods. The Linghe Body was hard enough to train in, let alone this secret technique from a great cultivator.”

“And yet you’re still—”

“I’ve hit a bottleneck in my studies of talismans,” the Young Master admitted with a wry smile. “For years now, I’ve continued reading the Comprehensive Guide to Symbol Diagrams without making any progress.”

The world’s understanding of talismans, at least according to the Young Master’s methods, relied on intuition—essentially a mix of luck and inspiration.

For true geniuses, this approach might work, but for the Young Master, it had reached a dead end.

“So now I’m willing to try anything,” he said, pointing to the annotated diagrams on Zheng Fa’s desk. “At least your ‘secret method’ gives me some hope.”

“But two months…”

“If two months isn’t enough, I’ll take ten years. If ten years isn’t enough, I’ll spend twenty.” The Young Master looked up, his eyes filled with a determination Zheng Fa had never seen before. “It’s not like I can’t wait.”

Seeing Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan stunned, the Young Master laughed. “I’m just saying. I’m not relying on your book to get into the sect. Ten years ago, if my family hadn’t been short a slot, my dual spiritual roots would’ve been enough for admission. Talisman studies are just for a slight edge—and preparation for what lies beyond the sect gates.”

His confidence was palpable.

“My sister is the one who insisted I study talismans. She even seemed unusually urgent in her letters.” He frowned, puzzled. “But enough about that. Tell me about this ‘secret method.’”

Zheng Fa was about to begin when he noticed Gao Yuan standing silently in a corner of the study, his expression distant and forlorn.

“Gao Yuan.”

“Hmm?” Gao Yuan snapped out of his daze.

“Do you want to learn?”

“I…” Gao Yuan glanced at the Young Master. “I don’t have any talent for talismans.”

There was a stark difference in how the Young Master and Gao Yuan were treated. Zheng Fa’s talent for talismans earned him access to the Comprehensive Guide, while Gao Yuan focused on academics and accounting. Their paths of cultivation were clearly distinct.

“This book isn’t about talismans. It’s a mathematical text,” Zheng Fa explained. “If you want to learn, come over.”

Gao Yuan hesitated, looking at the Young Master.

The Young Master’s face was impassive. “The book belongs to Zheng Fa. Why are you looking at me?”

Relieved, Gao Yuan hurried over.

…

By evening, as Zheng Fa walked out of the study, Gao Yuan followed him, silent until they left the courtyard.

“Why?” Gao Yuan finally asked.

“Why what?”

“Why would you teach me?”

Because I want to see if your brain is useful… Zheng Fa thought but offered a different reason. “If I can teach the Young Master, I can teach you too. It’s not actually some Immortal secret method like he says.”

“The Young Master and I… we’re not the same,” Gao Yuan muttered.

“How so?”

“He can learn things I can’t.”

Zheng Fa stopped walking, turning to face Gao Yuan’s unreadable expression. “What’s the difference? You both have one nose and two eyes. If he can learn, so can you.”

“That’s not what I meant. The difference is…” Gao Yuan’s gaze lingered on Zheng Fa’s face. “He’s the master, and I’m the servant.”

“Hmm.”

“That’s all you’ve got to say?” Gao Yuan pressed.

“To me, there’s no difference,” Zheng Fa replied simply and started walking again.

“No difference…” Gao Yuan murmured, falling into silence. Watching Zheng Fa’s back, he jogged to catch up. His voice was complicated as he asked, “Who taught you this? Were you always like this?”

“Not always. It started about five years ago.”

Another pause, then Gao Yuan muttered under his breath, “Such rebellious thoughts—you’re not afraid I’ll report you?”

Zheng Fa chuckled but said nothing. The Young Master probably knows better than you.

Neither spoke again until they were about to part ways. Then Gao Yuan suddenly said, “There is a difference, though.”

“Oh?”

“When he scolds me, I can’t scold him back.”

Zheng Fa gave him a sincere suggestion. “Then when he scolds you, curse him ten times in your head.”

“That… I don’t think ten’s enough.” Gao Yuan frowned, deep in thought. “I usually go for a hundred. Ten doesn’t quite cut it.”

Zheng Fa gave him a sidelong glance.

And you think I’m rebellious?

“Now you can report me too. Neither of us can snitch on the other,” Gao Yuan said with a grin.

…

That evening, as the Zheng family sat down to dinner, a knock came at the courtyard door.

When Zheng Fa opened it, he found Steward Gao and Gao Yuan standing outside.

“Uncle Gao, are you here… for dinner?”

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