Chapter 59: The Addict
In the Zheng family’s main hall, Zheng Fa sat across from the icy-faced young woman, still trying to process her peculiar enthusiasm for math problems.
The last time he’d heard someone suggest solving math problems for fun was during a pre-holiday pep talk in modern times. A math teacher had walked in with a stack of test papers half a person tall and said something similarly absurd:
“If you get bored during the holiday, you can relax with a set of math problems.”
No one in the class understood the logic behind that statement, and every student silently questioned: If I wanted to relax, why on earth would I torture myself with math?
Yet here, in another world, Zheng Fa had found that teacher’s soulmate.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked, “What’s so enjoyable about solving math problems?”
The woman raised her gaze, as if she’d never considered the question. After a moment, she replied, “Maybe because they’re challenging?”
“So, anything challenging is fun for you?”“There aren’t many truly challenging things in this world, are there?”
Faced with her earnest expression, Zheng Fa was at a loss for words. He could only respond with a twisted smile of begrudging admiration.
The woman lifted her right hand, where a white jade bracelet glimmered with a faint, mystical light. A scroll about the length of a forearm materialized in her hand.
A storage artifact?
Zheng Fa recalled the massive Qingluan that had obscured the sky earlier. It was clear she was the companion of the Zhao family’s eldest daughter—after all, the daughter’s hobbies didn’t involve math, but rather martial arts. Or at least that’s what the Seventh Young Master claimed.
“This book of yours,” the woman said, gesturing to Middle School Mathematics, “is meant to test talisman aptitude, isn’t it? Many talisman masters start by assessing their disciples’ mathematical talents. My master gave me a math book when I was younger, and he only accepted me as a disciple after I solved every problem in it.”
… Someone had plagiarized his brain-filtering method!
It made sense. While this world lacked modern mathematics, its scholars clearly understood the relationship between mathematical aptitude and the mastery of talismans.
Placing the scroll on the table, the woman unrolled it to reveal a blank surface. “Of course, my master later admitted it was just a formality—he would have accepted me even if I hadn’t solved the problems. But I found it enjoyable, so even after joining his tutelage, I continued solving math problems.”
With a tap of her finger, a problem appeared on the scroll. “I even commissioned this artifact to collect interesting problems.”
She commissioned a custom artifact just for this? Zheng Fa was dumbfounded.
“I’ve read every math book in my sect and scoured ancient texts for more. Now, I’ve solved them all and haven’t encountered a challenging problem in years.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “The problems in this book of yours aren’t particularly difficult, but they’re unique and intriguing. Do you have harder ones?”
Zheng Fa couldn’t fathom how anyone could say they’d solved every math book without a hint of irony.
Clearly, this world had its own mathematical prodigies, and this woman was one of them. When writing Middle School Mathematics, Zheng Fa had intentionally avoided introducing the axiomatic framework of modern math, but traces of it inevitably remained.
That was likely what she found “intriguing.”
Seeing Zheng Fa’s hesitation, she offered generously, “I can trade you other challenging problems for yours.”
Who would want that trade?
Weighing her obvious status as a cultivator, her persistence, and her unnerving passion for math, Zheng Fa eventually relented.
“I do remember some problems. I’m not sure if you’ve seen them before.”
He wrote out a simple fill-in-the-blank question from the recent monthly exam.
The woman studied the problem intently, her brow furrowing. “This is more difficult than the ones in the book.”
Despite her words, her eyes gleamed with predatory excitement.
After nearly the time it took for an incense stick to burn, she solved it.
Her method wasn’t standard, but the answer was correct, proving she had used the world’s existing mathematical knowledge to work through the problem.
As she finished, her eyes narrowed in satisfaction, a faint smile on her lips as if savoring a rare treat.
“Is it correct?” she asked.
“Yes,” Zheng Fa confirmed.
“Give me a harder one!”
“...”
He wrote another problem.
“More!”
“...”
“Just one last one!”
“...”
“Another!”
Faced with her insatiable demands, Zheng Fa massaged his temples, his mind feeling utterly drained.
For the first time, he had encountered someone who could exhaust others like an addict!
...
Meanwhile, the Zhao family’s eldest daughter stormed into the Seventh Young Master’s courtyard after visiting her mother.
“Zhao Jingfan!”
She flung open the study door, yelling loudly.
A disheveled head rose from the desk, its expression blank.
“Where’s Zhao Jingfan?” she demanded.
“Sister?”
“Who are you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at the vaguely familiar face. “And what happened to you?”
“Sister! You’re finally here!” The Seventh Young Master rushed forward, clutching her arm as he burst into tears. “I called for you earlier! Why didn’t you answer me?”
Wrinkling her nose, she pushed his tear-streaked face away with one hand, clearly unwilling to let him ruin her clothes.
Looking him over, she frowned. “Are you really my brother?”
“Of course! After all these years, you’ve forgotten my face?”
“I’d recognize that ugly face anywhere,” she retorted, glancing at the desk cluttered with talisman diagrams. “But I’ve never seen you so hardworking before.”
The Young Master’s face fell further. “Sister! I begged you to save me, and you only just arrived!” he wailed. “Zheng Fa’s been forcing me to study these diagrams with Mother’s rattan! If you came back any later, I’d either be dead or insane!”
The eldest daughter sighed regretfully. “If I’d known…”
“You would’ve come back earlier to save me?” he asked, hopeful.
“I’d have stayed at Qingmu Sect a few more days,” she replied, patting his shoulder sympathetically. “Mother called Zheng Fa a talent, and now I believe her. He’s done a great service to our family—he deserves a reward!”
The Seventh Young Master: “???”
“Enough about Zheng Fa,” she said dismissively. “I brought Senior Sister Zhang to teach you talismans. She’s a master in the field, so listen carefully for the next two months!”
“A master?” The Young Master looked at the unfinished diagrams on his desk. “So… what about these?”
“Forget them!” She waved a hand. “With Senior Sister Zhang’s guidance, you’ll improve faster than ever!”
“You mean… I won’t need Zheng Fa to teach me anymore?”
“Exactly!” she replied cheerfully. “You’ll finally escape this misery. Isn’t that great?”
“I’m not going!” he declared abruptly.
“...”
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