Chapter 137

After Zheng Fa finished speaking, he saw the eyes of these Foundation Establishment instructors in the classroom grow complex.

These people weren't wrong.

He was literally cursing them to their faces.

In fact, from the start, he intended to give them a lesson.

To be fair, these senior brothers were surprisingly courteous—they didn't wait for Zheng Fa to seek them out, but came to him themselves, as if afraid he'd have to take two extra steps.

Zheng Fa wasn't someone who liked to clash with others for no reason.

For instance, he had once helped Zhang Shijie manage the marketplace, yet he still treated those senior brothers there with great courtesy.

When he wanted to do something, he usually discussed it with them first.

Of course, under Yuan Shijie's watchful gaze, it was usually Zheng Fa who did the discussing, while the senior brothers simply agreed.

But honestly, Zheng Fa felt he had always respected those senior brothers.

But in the Talisman Hall, he would no longer behave this way.

The reasons were complex: first, since he would one day take charge of the Talisman Hall, he needed to establish his own authority; in the marketplace, he was merely Zhang Shijie's subordinate—a mere executor, even a consultant.

But on the other hand, he genuinely believed these instructors were nearly destroying the entire Talisman Hall.

From the perspective of Zhang Shijie and True Person Pang, the two factions' rivalry within Jiushan Sect was truly insignificant.

It was merely a difference in philosophy.

True Person Pang didn't oppose Zhang Shijie out of personal grudge.

Zhang Shijie wasn't the type who couldn't tolerate dissent.

At most, they competed for resources.

From the bottom level, what did these newly admitted disciples even know?

They were simply indoctrinated from the moment they entered with the idea that the two factions were irreconcilable, then blindly followed their senior brothers.

But in "The Great Dao Strives for Immortality," they would actually kill each other!

In Zheng Fa's view, the biggest problem was this group of instructors.

Perhaps they weren't acting out of selfish motives, but the prevailing atmosphere in the Talisman Hall couldn't be separated from them.

If Zhang Shijie had no intention of entrusting the Talisman Hall to him, fine—but since she planned to hand him the position, he must take a stance like today's, even if it meant overcorrecting.

Under his gaze, these Foundation Establishment senior brothers all lowered their heads, not daring to retort.

This was why Zheng Fa chose "The Great Dao Strives for Immortality" as his opening strike—the facts don't lie.

The Qi Condensation disciples' performance in trials was so abysmal.

Those embarrassing displays aside.

To attack one's own people? That could never be justified.

The dangers of the two factions' rivalry were so obvious that these senior brothers had no room to argue.

In fact, not just these instructors, but the Qi Condensation disciples also understood Zheng Fa's implied meaning.

Some wore expressions of resentment—after so long in the sect, the old grudges between the two factions had been carved into their bones, not just by one or two.

Zheng Fa saw their discontented expressions.

"Starting today, I will select a few students each day to experience 'The Great Dao Strives for Immortality,'" Zheng Fa said slowly.

Unsurprisingly, Zheng Fa saw longing on the faces of these students.

"But not everyone can participate," Zheng Fa smiled warmly. "I will randomly divide you into small groups; only the group with the highest daily score will earn the chance to experience it."

The expressions on everyone's faces turned slightly dumbfounded.

Can't you make your intentions any clearer?

What do you mean by "random" grouping?

There are no fools here—they all knew Zheng Fa would deliberately break up the disciples' factional ties.

"Any objections?"

Seeing their expressions, Zheng Fa grinned even more broadly.

He had never intended to hide his intentions—he lacked the cunning to do so.

But wasn't there a saying: adults only screen, they don't educate?

Those who wanted to play the game—or improve their combat skills—had to accept his philosophy.

"None!" The disciples all shook their heads.

This scene left the instructors watching him with complicated feelings, yet speechless.

"Alright, today I'll first teach you the Stasis Talisman…"

Zheng Fa waved his hand, and a water screen appeared before them.

On the screen appeared the figures of several disciples present.

"Look, this senior brother—he's trying to draw a Stasis Talisman right now. Can you see it?"

"..."

"Can't see it? That's right—he failed to draw it."

One disciple in the room blushed, seeming embarrassed, but Zheng Fa didn't mock him; instead, he nodded and praised him:

"This senior brother's idea to use a Stasis Talisman is quite clever."

The disciple froze, his embarrassment fading, his gaze sharpening.

"The only problem is—the stroke here broke," Zheng Fa continued. "The Yang Yuanfu of the Stasis Talisman isn't difficult, but everyone must pay attention: there are two places where the line easily breaks, and they must be continuous."

Seeing the disciple seemed to be listening, Zheng Fa gestured, and the screen now showed several other disciples, pointing out the most obvious issues.

This method of teaching talisman arts through real examples had the disciples hanging on every word.

In the past, those instructor senior brothers had also taught them talisman precautions.

But how could that compare to the deep impression left by personal experience?

Moreover, they had just learned that committing these mistakes truly meant death.

As the sun gradually set, hanging on the horizon and dyeing the clouds at the edge of the sky red, only then did everyone realize that Zheng Fa had been speaking for a full day.

Seeing that it was already late, Zheng Fa said to the crowd: "Today's discussion on talismans ends here. Fellow senior and junior brothers, let us meet again next month."

After he finished speaking, he saw these disciples spontaneously stand up one after another and bow to him with clasped hands.

What surprised Zheng Fa a little was that several lecturers also stood up.

Zheng Fei felt a touch of gratification in his heart—at the very least, these disciples knew he had put his heart into it.

After returning the bow to the crowd, he walked out of the Talisman Law Pavilion.

The various lecturers still remaining in the classroom looked at each other, momentarily speechless.

Looking at the new disciples whose expressions still showed they were unsatisfied, they felt a mix of frustration and shame.

"Why did you stand up and bow just now?" someone suddenly asked the person beside them.

"Zheng Fa spoke well!" the person beside him replied: "He resolved many of my doubts. I saw you nodding along just now! Shouldn't one bow?"

"..." That person's face turned a bit red: "But he... was just a bit too impolite."

"Enough!" Suddenly, an older senior brother among the lecturers said: "Don't you yet understand the character of this Zheng Shidi?"

"..."

"He plays by the book, overwhelming others with momentum! Leaving aside the appeal of the 'Great Dao Striving for Immortality', just look at his skill with the Shadow-Returning Talisman, the concept of using these disciples' combat performance to teach, and his talisman Dao cultivation during the lecture just now—where is he not superior to us? He is more than qualified to be a lecturer; the only thing lacking for him to be the Pavilion Master is his cultivation!"

Speaking to this point, this senior brother sighed, stood up and walked out, saying as he went: "At the very least, I have no objection to him becoming the Pavilion Master in the future."

Watching this person slowly walk away.

This group of lecturers glanced at each other, suddenly feeling that this familiar Talisman Law Pavilion of the past seemed like the sunset on the horizon; it appeared ordinary, yet it was also the end of a cycle.

Zhou Qianyuan walked along the path leading to the Eighth Peak, his brows slightly furrowed.

He was thinking about the jade slip his Master had entrusted to him.

His Master had said then—if Zheng Fa could reconcile the rift between the two branches, he would hand the jade slip over to Zheng Fa.

This statement left him somewhat undecided.

He had also seen through Zheng Fa's attitude in the Talisman Law Pavilion.

Zheng Fa had the courage, even being very forceful in promoting his own philosophy.

He also believed that in the near future, Zheng Fa would be able to accomplish these things his Master spoke of.

What he hesitated over was whether he should hand the jade slip to Zheng Fa right now; after all, Zheng Fa had only produced the 'Great Dao Striving for Immortality', and whether this alone could reconcile the two branches, Zhou Qianyuan truly lacked confidence.

"Master's statement is too vague," he couldn't help but feel depressed.

When he reached the halfway point of the mountain, he suddenly heard a series of arguments coming from the hall where his Master resided, sounding like several senior brothers of the same branch scolding someone.

"Add a shield to me! Add a shield!"

"Don't rush! There's an ambush!"

"Died again?"

Amidst these urgent voices, one or two suppressed angry curses occasionally mixed in.

But he did not hear the voice of True Person Pang.

With his Master absent, were these senior brothers now so unrestrained?

What made him feel even stranger was that Sun Daoyu was squatting at the door, seemingly unwilling to go inside.

"Senior Brother Sun? This is..."

"Oh, Master went to ask the Sect Master and learned the 'Great Dao Striving for Immortality'," Sun Daoyu explained.

"Isn't this something only Foundation Establishment disciples can play?"

"Just seal your own cultivation and divine sense," Sun Daoyu explained.

"Then... is Master not here?" Zhou Qianyuan asked.

"He is! The Sect Master ordered that only Master can learn this; it cannot be passed to us," Sun Daoyu said regretfully: "Master is having quite a lot of fun."

Zhou Qianyuan listened carefully again.

Amidst the cursing voices, there was indeed no sign of his Master.

"I didn't expect Master's temper to be so good..." Zhou Qianyuan sighed with emotion: "These senior brothers are shouting so loudly, even using some foul language, yet he doesn't get angry."

"..." Sun Daoyu looked at him and said nothing.

"Senior Brother?" Zhou Qianyuan was a bit puzzled.

"Guess who they are scolding?"

"..."

"Master's talent is naturally extraordinary; how could he cooperate with others? Moreover, he often forgets he is at the Foundation Establishment stage."

Zhou Qianyuan still didn't quite understand what Sun Daoyu meant.

Sun Daoyu used a highly emotionally intelligent phrasing: "Master is... just a bit too brave."

Understood.

Likes to throw his life away!

Zhou Qianyuan looked at the main hall, then suddenly turned and left.

"Junior Brother, where are you going?"

"To deliver the jade slip!"

Can the 'Great Dao Striving for Immortality' reconcile the dispute between the two branches?

Judging by the way his master would rather be scolded than stop playing—he was extremely capable of it!

……

Zheng Fa was in the market town receiving the middle-aged cultivator from Qianhe Sect.

"True Person Qian," Zheng Fa asked with a beaming smile, "how does our Jiushan Sect's market town compare to your esteemed sect's?"

"..." The middle-aged cultivator's expression soured slightly, but he still said, "Jiushan Sect's market town has ferry boats and spoken dramas; it is far livelier than our sect's."

"... I heard True Person Qian wishes to return and set up a ferry boat as well?"

"... Yes, does Jiushan Sect object?" the middle-aged cultivator asked, frowning, his expression toward Zheng Fa growing even more resistant.

"No objection," Zheng Fa said, shaking his head. "I only wish to remind True Person Qian of one thing: nowadays, cultivators in the surrounding areas are all willing to come to our Jiushan Sect. If your esteemed sect sends out ferry boats, I fear not many cultivators will go... you might even incur losses."

The middle-aged cultivator's expression grew even uglier; looking at Zheng Fa, he frowned and said, "What does True Person Zheng mean?"

"I intend to cooperate with your Qianhe Sect," Zheng Fa stated his purpose in inviting this person. "You see, Jiushan Sect's market town has such heavy foot traffic; if Qianhe Sect's spirit grains could be sold here..."

The middle-aged cultivator's eyes lit up.