Chapter 143: Gift (5K)

Tang Lingwumin achieved the full mastery of the Spirit Crane Body.

It was like a person holding a hammer always looking for a nail, or picking up a straight little stick and hoping to find a patch of dogtail grass.

Tang Lingwumin had cultivated the Spirit Crane Body—now she wanted to go out and enjoy herself.

The three arrived at the small park where Zheng Fa had once trained.

It was already very late; the sky held few stars, making the night seem even darker.

The park was also very old, with sparse streetlights casting dim yellow glows—often one would walk a long stretch in darkness before encountering a single hazy glow.

It was precisely a summer evening.

The park was filled with plenty of mosquitoes and insects, hardly an ideal place for a leisurely stroll.

But it wasn't empty; as the three walked, they kept encountering young or middle-aged couples holding hands.

Originally, all three spoke cautiously, since they occasionally discussed matters of cultivation.

But after walking a while, they realized: they feared bumping into others, but others feared bumping into them even more.

The young couples, of course, would lower their heads upon seeing them.

The middle-aged ones reacted even more strongly—upon spotting the three, they'd immediately separate, walking far apart, one ahead and one behind, pretending to be strangers like someone covering their ears while stealing a bell.

"Tsk… I wonder who's more ashamed to be seen."

The old white-haired man shook his head, his face filled with envy for the declining morals of the world.

He and Zheng Fa walked side by side.

Ahead of them, Tang Lingwumin bounced along, her ponytail rising and falling, appearing lively even in the dark, as if glowing black.

To onlookers, she looked like she was running—each step covering a great distance, like a sprinter.

Only Zheng Fa and the old man could see: her feet didn't exert any force, not even bending her knees—she merely tapped the tips of her shoes lightly against the rough stone slabs, floating effortlessly, each tap propelling her two or three meters forward.

Clearly, she was holding back her power.

Tang Lingwumin seemed to love the sensation of wind rushing past during her swift movement; as she walked, she couldn't help but smile, her face radiating genuine joy.

But whenever people approached, she obediently stopped and waited for Zheng Fa and the old man.

Watching her childlike demeanor, not only did the old man wear a maternal smile,

but even Zheng Fa's mood unconsciously lightened.

"Not in a hurry anymore?"

Seeing his expression, the old man beside him asked softly.

Zheng Fa gave a slight nod, watching Tang Lingwumin turn back, her gaze concerned.

"I am in a hurry—but it's useless."

Honestly, he wasn't so much in a hurry as he was uneasy—he'd finally found some peace and happiness at Jiushan Sect.

Now, because of the Taiyang County matter, he couldn't shake a bad feeling.

"Yes, being in a hurry won't help."

The old man nodded, waving toward Tang Lingwumin ahead, as if he had something to say to the two.

Tang Lingwumin walked over curiously.

"I've taught you a lot of random things before," the old man paused, as if organizing his thoughts, then spoke slowly:

"How to do academic research."

"How to learn mathematics."

"I told you to work hard, to cooperate, to strive."

The old man looked at the two, who were deep in thought, then glanced around the park and said: "But there's one thing I've been wondering whether I should teach you."

"?"

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwumin both stared at the old man's troubled face.

"Beyond hard work, beyond cooperation—those old clichés," the old man spoke slowly, as if carefully choosing his words: "you must also learn to let go."

"…"

"We're all human; none of us can solve every problem," the old man said, glancing at Zheng Fa: "Even cultivation brings countless troubles, doesn't it?"

Zheng Fa's lips curled into a faint bitter smile.

Is cultivation good?

Of course it is.

But do people in the Xuanwei Realm live more happily than those in the modern world?

Zheng Fa doubted the disciples of the immortal sects would think so.

"Do I want to become a great mathematician? Win a Fields Medal? Win a Wolf Prize?" The old man pointed to himself: "I dream of it."

"Do I want to cultivate to the point of ascending to heaven? Of course I do—but even after training the Spirit Crane Body with Lingwu for so long, she's achieved full mastery, and I'm still far behind."

The old man's words caused a flicker of embarrassment on Tang Lingwumin's face—she felt her earlier behavior might have seemed boastful.

"I don't mean anything by it," the old man waved his hand. "I mean: human limits are normal. Don't think everyone else's fate depends on you. Don't shoulder everything—it's arrogance."

Zheng Fa froze.

"Especially in research, you must never be arrogant, never force things."

"Pushing too hard in cultivation leads to qi deviation; pushing too hard in research leads you astray… sometimes, neither academia nor cultivation matters all that much." The old man finished, rubbing his head and said to Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwumin: "I spoke nonsense… honestly, I'm not even sure what I meant to say."

Zheng Fa blinked, then turned to Tang Lingwumin: "Did you understand what Teacher Bai was saying?"

Tang Lingwumin shook her head.

Zheng Fa laughed: "I didn't understand either—but Teacher Bai…"

"…"

"I'm not in a hurry anymore."

Zheng Fa actually understood.

If Teacher Bai's earlier teachings were those of a teacher,

then today's words were those of an elder.

A teacher wants students to succeed; an elder sometimes tells you—happiness matters more than success.

…

At Zheng Fa's dining table.

He wore the gloves he used while practicing the Five Thunder Body, the gloves connected to a transformer plugged into the power outlet; his expression was far calmer than before.

Though Teacher Bai's comfort was somewhat incoherent, it strangely calmed his anxiety.

Teacher Bai was right: don't shoulder everything—would Jiushan Sect collapse without him? Would Zhang Shijie fail without him?

Jiushan Sect had three Nascent Soul True Persons.

Zhang Shijie herself was extraordinarily gifted.

He was merely a Qi Refining cultivator; honestly, worrying so much was like a man fearing the sky would fall—arrogant and beyond his station.

He closed his eyes, feeling the current slowly flow into his palms, stimulating his muscles.

Zheng Fa had removed his shirt; if anyone were present, they could clearly see his muscles had grown more than an order of magnitude larger than before.

Zheng Fa's diet had improved considerably since leaving Zhao Fu.

In the modern world, of course, he'd always been a loyal fan of the cafeteria ladies.

Now in Jiushan Sect, he was no longer short on funds.

Duntun Spirit Rice was the bare minimum.

Under the effect of the Five Thunder Body, these foods gradually transformed into sleek, streamlined muscle masses on his body.

But now, the small, rat-like bulges were gone.

Zheng Fa believed this meant his current level of Five Thunder Body cultivation was nearing its limit.

As time passed, all his muscles began trembling and swelling, beads of sweat breaking out across his skin.

Under the light, he looked as if wearing an exaggerated armor woven entirely of muscle.

But after a while, his muscles began to contract, leaving only clear, defined lines beneath his skin.

Yet if he put on clothes, he appeared noticeably thinner.

Zheng Fa opened his eyes, stood gently from his chair, feeling strangely light—after achieving the Muscle Refinement stage, he sensed a harmony within himself, from inside out.

According to the martial arts texts he'd seen in Zhao Fu, this was probably "body and mind united"—no, it was even higher than that.

Zheng Fa placed his phone on the dining table, opened the camera, stood before the lens, and performed the Spirit Crane Piercing Cloud Hands.

When he watched the video, he noticed the difference from before his breakthrough—the phone's camera couldn't capture his movements at all; even at the highest frame rate, his hands appeared as a blur.

He was faster!

Zheng Fa grinned, sat back down, put the gloves back on, and prepared to continue cultivating the next stage: Bone Strengthening.

But after a moment, he opened his eyes in disappointment.

Each stage of the Five Thunder Body required a leap in voltage intensity.

This transformer's maximum voltage was only 300V—now insufficient for Bone Strengthening.

Zheng Fa reluctantly put away the transformer.

This divine treasure seemed unable to keep pace with his cultivation progress—but perhaps someday he could use it to shock Teacher Bai; the old man had always been interested in the Five Thunder Body.

…

Zheng Fa sat in his classroom seat, pondering how to continue cultivating the Five Thunder Body.

Others around him were buried in books, making their final push before the college entrance exam.

Tang Lingwumin walked over to his desk again.

Now, not only Wang Chen and his group, but even the large cluster of classmates around Zheng Fa had grown utterly indifferent to Tang Lingwumin coming to see Zheng Fa.

A common sight, calm and detached.

As if Tang Lingwumin had always belonged here.

Or perhaps the pressure of the college entrance exam had left Wang Chen and the others with no energy to care about Zheng Fa and her.

Tang Lingwumin was carrying quite a few things.

A bulging file folder, along with a notebook.

Zheng Fa blinked, looking at Tang Lingwumin's face—had this girl been staying up all night again?

But Tang Lingwumin didn't look like it; her fair, delicate face radiated vitality, showing no trace of sleeplessness. On the contrary, having perfected the Spirit Crane Body, her beauty had reached another level.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Tang Lingwumin stopped walking, puzzled, touching her own face.

"You look even more beautiful."

Zheng Fa honestly voiced his thought.

Tang Lingwumin blushed slightly.

From behind, Wang Chen's sardonic voice came: "Enough already! If you're going to flirt, take it outside!"

"..."

Aren't you supposed to be studying?

"... ough." Tang Lingwumin placed the file folder on Zheng Fa's desk, opened it, and pointed to the blueprints inside: "My mom had the architecture institute design this. Take a look—any changes you'd like?"

Zheng Fa glanced—it was a small estate layout.

Because it was on the mountainside, flat ground was scarce, so the area was small and the buildings few.

The blueprint showed only two main structures—

After entering the courtyard, there was a three-story Chinese-style building. Tang Lingwumin pointed to it: "This is for visiting guests or patients—basically a guesthouse or ward."

Behind the building, a patch of land had been deliberately left empty.

It was reserved for Zheng Fa's future farming plans.

At the far end of the empty land, against the cliff face, was a marked question mark.

"My mom says this is for us to live in—better privacy. She wants your opinion: what kind of house do you want?"

Zheng Fa shook his head; he had no strong preferences. He simply said to Tang Lingwumin: "Whatever you like. Oh, by the way, ask White Teacher—you'll all be living there too."

"Wait..." Wang Chen's voice came again, clearly still eavesdropping.

"Hm?"

"Your mom's building him a house?" Wang Chen pointed at Zheng Fa, then at Tang Lingwumin: "You two are going to live together?"

"... ren't you supposed to be studying?"

Zheng Fa asked, baffled—why was this guy always listening to his conversation with Tang Lingwumin?

"I want to study too..." Wang Chen pointed at the College Entrance Exam Essentials on his desk, gritting his teeth: "I'm staring at this book while you two chat. I can't focus at all—I finally managed to make out words between the lines. Guess what they said?"

"What did you see?"

"Two words, packed tight—jealousy!" Wang Chen turned to Tang Lingwumin: "Tang Lingwumin, do you have a younger sister?"

"?"

Tang Lingwumin looked confused.

"I'm not after the house—I just can't bear to lose my good brother Zheng Fa..." Wang Chen said solemnly. "I want to be his brother-in-law."

Wang Chen had made it impossible for Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwumin to talk in the classroom. They stepped out into the hallway, where Tang Lingwumin handed Zheng Fa the notebook.

Zheng Fa took it and found the handwriting was White Teacher's.

Flipping further, his expression turned surprised—

This notebook was based on Master Pang's rune diagrams.

First, Master Pang's overly complex diagrams had been simplified further.

Then, with Tang Lingwumin's help, using previous methods, they'd identified similar sub-runes.

On the first page, Zheng Fa saw White Teacher's writing clearly:

"Algorithmic proof: the Five Elements sub-runes are not unique. Every rune diagram contains three distinct sub-runes, and the Five Elements sub-runes are merely one category."

"The Five Elements sub-runes are probably the easiest to observe, while the others seem to rarely manifest fully."

"I hypothesize that every rune diagram consists of three distinct sub-runes. Beyond the Five Elements sub-runes, the functions of the others remain unclear."

Zheng Fa flipped through it.

The handwriting was fresh, even rushed.

White Teacher used Zheng Fa's first formed Standing Shadowless Rune as an example—

He had broken it down into three sub-runes.

Besides the Earth sub-rune, there were two others, but their meanings remained unclear.

"This is..."

Grandpa White has been studying the runes you gave him over the past few days, and I also asked that senior brother to test them in every possible way. We didn't expect much, but since the runes were more complete, the patterns became clearer, and the computer automatically classified them.

"After studying them together, we realized—every rune diagram consists of three parts. We call it the Three Sub-Rune Law."

Zheng Fa pressed his lips together.

Tang Lingwumin made it sound simple.

But Zheng Fa knew the difficulty—the runes Master Pang gave him were more complete than any he'd seen before.

But also far more complex.

He'd been studying them himself these past few days—he knew the workload involved.

"White Teacher..."

"He says he needs two days' sleep, and not to bother him."

Tang Lingwumin relayed White Teacher's words—the tone was blunt, unmistakably his.

Zheng Fa felt the notebook suddenly grow heavy in his hands. He whispered: "That old man told me not to push myself..."

"... 'm kidding." Tang Lingwumin's eyes narrowed into slits as she said: "It's a gift."

"Huh?"

"You're eighteen today!"

Zheng Fa froze, then remembered—by this body's age, today was indeed his eighteenth birthday.

In either the modern world or the Xuanwei Realm, he'd never celebrated birthdays.

In the modern world, no one remembered. In the Xuanwei Realm, there was no way.

On past birthdays, no one had ever wished him well—not even software reminders.

He never expected—White Teacher and Tang Lingwumin would remember.

"... ou both remembered?" He looked at the notebook, exhaling softly.

"I saw it at Old Chen's." Tang Lingwumin smiled. "We didn't have anything to give you, but luckily, we finished this."

Zheng Fa looked deeply at Tang Lingwumin, then turned to gaze at the dormitory where White Teacher lived. He pressed his lips and asked: "So all those things White Teacher said before—were they deliberate?"

"Of course!" Tang Lingwumin grinned. "We planned this surprise together. But Zheng Fa—those words were also true."

Zheng Fa shook his head. No wonder the old man had spoken so oddly.

He didn't doubt White Teacher's sincerity—he'd just sensed the old man was acting unnaturally, his words disjointed.

Now he understood: it was all to make sure Zheng Fa wouldn't guess what they were doing.

"Zheng Fa, Tang Lingwumin, look here!"

A classmate's voice suddenly rang out from inside the classroom.

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwumin looked up to see a flash— a boy was taking a photo of them with his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Aren't we about to take the college entrance exam?" the boy grinned. "I thought I'd capture this— you two standing out here look great. Here."

Zheng Fa looked at the phone screen: in the twilight, he and Tang Lingwumin stood side by side.

Tang Lingwumin was grinning unrestrainedly—clearly proud of surprising Zheng Fa, her gums still visible.

Zheng Fa looked at his own face and realized—he was smiling too.

He'd never known he could smile so freely, so carelessly.

"Can you send me this photo?" he asked the boy.

"Of course!" the boy waved, hesitantly asking: "I was thinking of using this for our class album cover. Is that okay? You two look so sweet—this picture would get tons of clicks online."

"..."

"Yes!" Tang Lingwumin spoke before Zheng Fa could answer.