Chapter 133: Worrying

"I still have to go and see it in person."

Looking at the data transmitted by the survey team, Zheng Fa pondered for a moment and said.

It wasn't that the survey team Aunt Ye found was careless.

On the contrary, these were probably all professionals, and the survey was extremely detailed.

The transmitted data included not only photos but also some geographical data collected locally.

There were even some videos shot with drones.

But the Lingshan Art is after all not a cultivation technique of this world; some arguments in the Master's Treatise on Spirit Veins seem rather mystical by modern standards, making them impossible to explain.

Only by going there personally could he truly determine whether the location was suitable for the Lingshan Art.

"At least two places have been ruled out." Tang Lingwu nodded beside him and comforted, "There are still two spots; let's find time to check them out."

Zheng Fa thought for a moment, feeling somewhat troubled: "We have no time before the Gaokao."

They currently get only one day off every two weeks.

And a trip to Jingcheng, round trip, would take at least half a day.

Adding the time needed for surveying in the mountains, it would take at least two or three days.

But he also wanted to confirm the nursing home site as soon as possible—now that he had reached Qi Refining Layer Five, it would only take two or three months to reach Qi Refining Layer Seven.

Ideally, Aunt Ye should start construction before he reaches Qi Refining Layer Seven.

"Is taking leave not an option?"

"Old Chen is a person..." Zheng Fa shook his head slightly: "He is a worrier."

Old Chen had been his homeroom teacher for nearly three years.

As for his personality, Zheng Fa could see some of it—the teacher was responsible to the point of being nagging.

"A worrier..."

"If you want to take leave, it's easy to get." Zheng Fa explained to Tang Lingwu: "You don't even need to attend class anyway; besides, it's convenient to have your mother come ask for leave... but I can't."

Tang Lingwu immediately understood what Zheng Fa meant.

Zheng Fa had no parents...

Plus, he lived right inside the school.

Skipping class casually would easily lead to being caught at home.

With Old Chen's worrying personality, if Zheng Fa wanted to take leave, he truly could not find a valid reason, nor could he find an adult to guarantee it.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and said: "In a couple of days, I'll try asking Old Chen for leave; if it doesn't work, I'll just act first and report later."

"Exactly, we cultivators are free and unfettered; how can a leave slip bind us!" Old Bai, sitting nearby, agreed.

Tang Lingwu also nodded slightly, though her gaze was thoughtful.

Zheng Fa hadn't even asked Old Chen for leave yet.

Old Chen suddenly found him.

"The school is organizing a study tour." Old Chen called Zheng Fa to the office: "The top twenty students in the Gao San grade before this monthly exam can go; it's voluntary registration."

"Study tour?" Zheng Fa paused, then asked: "Where are we touring?"

Old Chen's face also showed a strange expression, as if he himself hardly believed the answer: "Jingcheng."

"..."

"In the past, for such events, being able to go to the provincial capital was already a huge expense... this time they are generous, not only going to Jingcheng, but flying round trip, totaling about three to four days." Old Chen, looking completely confused, said to Zheng Fa: "Among the top twenty in this monthly exam, our class has only two people—one is you, the other is Tang Lingwu; I've already asked Tang Lingwu."

"..." Zheng Fa's expression grew increasingly strange.

"She said she needs to go back and ask her mother; since you have no parents, I'll just ask you directly." Old Chen added: "By the way, this study tour is free."

Zheng Fa remained silent for a long time before forcing his expression back into place, nodding seriously to Old Chen: "I'll go."

"Alright, I'll register your name... you can go back first."

As Zheng Fa walked to the door, he still heard Old Chen muttering behind him:

"With this money to burn, why not give me a higher salary?"

"..."

When returning to the classroom, Zheng Fa couldn't help but look at Tang Lingwu, who was pretending nothing had happened.

Tang Lingwu didn't even look at him, her gaze seriously fixed on the book before her; who knew what great charm this book, Data Structures and Algorithms, possessed.

As he passed Tang Lingwu's desk, he caught a glimpse of the girl's lips curling slightly upward, seeming somewhat smug.

"What did Old Chen call you for?"

Seeing him return to his seat, Wang Chen asked curiously.

"About the study tour."

"Study tour?" Wang Chen's eyes lit up: "Are we going out to play? Where? The provincial capital?"

"To Jingcheng." Looking at Wang Chen's expectant face, Zheng Fa paused and said: "It's me going, not us going... for you, definitely next time."

"What do you mean 'next time'?"

"Next time is when you rank in the top twenty of the entire grade." Zheng Fa thought for a moment and added: "And it also requires a rich young lady with nowhere to spend her money willing to burn money for you."

"That's a bit difficult..." Wang Chen understood, his expression inevitably becoming dejected.

"... You try hard, maybe..." Zheng Fa wanted to encourage him with a few more words.

"Usually, with such dreams, I wake up laughing halfway through..."

The day of the "study tour" arrived quickly.

Many people were going to Jingcheng this time.

All the students ranked in the top twenty of their grade had arrived.

It was only to be expected; a round trip to Jingcheng was not cheap, let alone under the guise of a study tour.

Few parents would stop them.

Besides these twenty students, the school had specially assigned three adults to accompany them—

Old Chen, a female teacher, and a vice principal.

"Once we leave, I am responsible for your safety," Old Chen said seriously, looking at the group of students and admonishing them: "No one is allowed to go out alone. Boys must tell me before going out; girls must tell Teacher Wang. Outside, all actions must follow orders. Understand?"

Everyone nodded one after another; regardless of gender, their faces were filled with uncontrollable excitement.

The bus picking them up had been waiting at the school gate for quite some time.

The moment Zheng Fa saw the driver, he was one hundred percent certain this matter was Tang Lingwu's doing—

Big Underwear, don't think I won't recognize you just because you're wearing suit pants and sunglasses today!

Once on the bus, the vice principal and the two teachers sat in the first row.

The other students filed in one by one toward the back, each finding a seat.

Zheng Fa sat in the third row from the back, basically behind everyone else.

Everyone had a tacit understanding; unless they were relatively close, they all sat alone in a row.

But what Zheng Fa found somewhat incomprehensible was that several boys, originally sitting in aisle seats, had suddenly switched to window seats for no apparent reason, as if saving a spot for someone.

Waiting until Tang Lingwu boarded the bus and seeing the suppressed expectation on those boys' faces, Zheng Fa finally understood...

Tang Lingwu stood at the bus door, first glancing at the driver, then sweeping her gaze across the cabin, and walked straight toward Zheng Fa.

After she sat down beside Zheng Fa, he saw those several boys silently move back to their original seats...

"Did you arrange this?"

Hearing this, Tang Lingwu shook her head quickly, as if refusing to admit responsibility; seeing that disbelief still hung on Zheng Fa's face, she explained in a low voice: "A gang operation."

"?"

Upon arriving in Jingcheng, he learned exactly what a "gang operation" meant.

The hotel they stayed at was not expensive; it was just an economy hotel.

Zheng Fa was paired in a double room with a male student he wasn't very familiar with.

Just as the two of them fell into an awkward silence in the room, there was suddenly a knock at the door.

Upon opening the door, standing at the entrance were not only Tang Lingwu but also Aunt Ye.

What surprised Zheng Fa the most was—there was also Old Bai.

"What are you all..."

"Let's talk while we walk; I've already spoken with your principal," Aunt Ye said softly: "Time is a bit tight... it will take several hours just to enter the mountains, so we depart tonight."

"I can go alone," Zheng Fa said, immediately understanding Aunt Ye's intent as he looked at the sky outside.

It was already past ten o'clock at night.

He estimated that entering the mountains would require pulling an all-nighter.

"In the middle of the night, who would feel at ease?" Aunt Ye waved her hand: "If you're really afraid I'll get tired... just give me a massage."

"..."

Old Bai beside her hurriedly added: "I want one too!"

Was he addicted to Spirit-Nourishing Talismans now?

In a room upstairs, Old Chen and the vice principal shared a room.

"Eh?" Through the window, he happened to see the figures of Zheng Fa and the others: "Isn't that Zheng Fa... where are they planning to run off to?"

He pushed open the window, preparing to call out to Zheng Fa, when a hand draped over his shoulder.

"Don't shout; I approved it," the vice principal said with a smile.

"Ah?"

Old Chen was somewhat baffled.

"Do you know how this study tour came about?"

"Wasn't it organized by the school?"

"Heh!" The vice principal wore an expression saying 'you are so naive': "With the money our school has, couldn't we spend it on something better?"

"..."

"To tell you the truth, someone came knocking with money, claiming it was a sponsorship to give back to society... guess who?"

"Tang..."

The vice principal patted Old Chen's shoulder and said: "Besides, the fact that we can visit Jingcheng University this time was also arranged by them—otherwise, where would our school get such face?"

Old Chen understood.

He gazed at the retreating figures of Zheng Fa and the others, saying with a sudden realization: "So this was wrapping a whole table of dumplings just for Zheng Fa's vinegar?"

"Exactly!"

"But this..." Old Chen still frowned: "After all, Zheng Fa has no family members here; I still need to keep a closer eye on him."

"You..." The vice principal shook his head helplessly: "They didn't want to make Zheng Fa feel special, yet they were willing to spend a huge sum, handling everything comprehensively."

"Look, the students get to relax and broaden their horizons."

"As for the school, we can take some photos, write a few promotional articles, and have plenty to boast about in the future."

At this moment, there were two knocks on their room door.

"As for the two of us," the vice principal opened the door, returning cheerfully while carrying four bottles of beer and a large bag of skewers: "we've obtained the freedom every married man dreams of!"

"Everyone is happy!"

"But Zheng Fa doesn't know if he knows or not..." Old Chen stared at Zheng Fa's retreating figure, still a little uneasy.

In his line of sight, Zheng Fa suddenly raised his arm and waved it in mid-air.

Old Chen's phone vibrated; he picked it up, took a look, and suddenly smiled as he walked back inside: "Eh? Principal, you're hogging all the food? What's the fun in drinking alone? I'll keep you company!"

"Deputy, deputy!"

"I understand, Principal!" Old Chen laughed, snatching a skewer: "It's only a matter of time!"

Zheng Fa lowered his arm, while Tang Lingwu beside him asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

"Sending a peace report to a man who worries too much," Zheng Fa replied, then turned to ask Bai Lao nearby, "How did you end up coming too, elder?"

"I helped you contact Jingcheng University, and by the way, I came over to see someone..." Bai Lao's eyes flickered, as if harboring some other thoughts.

"See someone?"

"A dying person."

Bai Lao's tone carried deep implication.

Understood... this is a test of my wits.