Chapter 144: Farewell (Couldn

"Professor Bai, your Three-Character Rune Law is impressive!"

Two days later, when Zheng Fa returned to Old Bai's house, he couldn't help complimenting Bai Yuan Ying.

This old man had pulled off a big trick behind his back.

"A little insight, just a little insight!"

Old Bai waved his hand, speaking as if modest, but his face beamed with arrogance.

Zheng Fa watched the smug Old Bai, then suddenly pulled out his notebook from his backpack.

"Professor Bai, I didn't understand some aspects of the Three-Character Rune Law in my notes—could I ask you, its creator, for clarification?"

Zheng Fa asked with sincere expression.

"Go ahead," Old Bai smirked, leaning back in his chair, radiating dominance.

"Besides the Five Elements sub-runes, how many of the other two types of sub-runes are there?"

"...", Old Bai grimaced, fell silent for a long while, then said: "Uncertain. More rune diagrams are needed for research."

"Are these sub-runes limited in number?"

"... lso uncertain."

"What about the functions of the other two types of sub-runes?"

"... ncertain."

Zheng Fa slowly set down his notebook, his gaze deep and fixed on Old Bai.

Old Bai slowly sat upright; his earlier pride slowly turned to embarrassment.

"This... these are just results from the algorithm," Old Bai whispered, sounding like a child making a feeble excuse: "I've had so little time, and I've never even touched real spiritual energy or spiritual runes—what could I possibly understand?"

Zheng Fa flipped through the notebook and found Old Bai's tone was mostly speculative.

Old Bai hesitated, then spoke again: "Actually, Lingwu had a hypothesis—I thought it was interesting."

"Hmm?"

Zheng Fa turned to Tang Lingwumin; her cheeks were flushed, slightly embarrassed, murmuring: "I was just guessing randomly."

"What hypothesis? Tell me."

Zheng Fa was genuinely curious—what idea could make even Old Bai find it interesting?

"Lingwu studies computer science, so she thought—ultimately, spiritual runes are a process of humans communicating with heaven and earth, similar to how computers interact with hardware."

Zheng Fa felt a flash of understanding—he now grasped Tang Lingwumin's hypothesis.

"Code?"

Zheng Fa recalled how Zhang Shijie had once told him about the nature of runes—she believed runes were trajectories of spiritual energy flow, yet others called them Dao script.

"Exactly!" Old Bai clapped his hands. "Lingwu, what did you say again?"

Seeing Zheng Fa's curious gaze.

"I've been wondering—what actually makes spiritual runes work?" Tang Lingwumin no longer hesitated, explaining to Zheng Fa: "Based on your description, in my view, spiritual runes are fundamentally about using the soul or spiritual power to manipulate all things in the world."

"I thought—could the primary rune be seen as a function?"

"The three types of sub-runes might be three different kinds of statements—for example, the Five Elements sub-runes could be function calls—telling heaven and earth which type of spiritual energy I need."

"The other two types might have different functions—one handling logical computation, the other serving as an output interface with heaven and earth..."

Tang Lingwumin's voice grew quieter, sounding unsure, ending with: "I was just guessing randomly."

Zheng Fa and Old Bai both laughed.

"That's quite interesting—if it holds, this would be Tang's Second Rune Law!" Old Bai chuckled.

Zheng Fa nodded, his gaze encouraging toward Tang Lingwumin—the idea was certainly naive and needed much refinement and verification.

But it wasn't impossible.

And both Zheng Fa and Old Bai knew Tang Lingwumin was always lacking in confidence.

This lack of confidence drove her to work harder.

In truth, both Zheng Fa and Old Bai felt this girl had already helped immensely.

But Tang Lingwumin seemed unaware of the power of money.

Seeing Zheng Fa and Old Bai's smiling gazes, Tang Lingwumin lowered her eyes, yet her expression sparkled with quiet joy.

Tang's Second Rune Law still existed only as a hypothesis.

But Old Bai's First Rune Law had now been revised into the Three-Character Rune Law (incomplete version)—honestly, this was a pleasant surprise, yet it also brought even more mysteries.

But after Old Bai's explanation, Zheng Fa no longer felt rushed.

At least they were slowly uncovering the essence of Rune Dao.

"By the way, Professor Bai, how's that person you said you were going to see in the capital—the one with little time left?"

Old Bai had gone alone then—after all, Zheng Fa didn't know the person, and a seriously ill person might not want visitors, so they hadn't intruded.

"I didn't meet her," Old Bai's tone was odd: "I even missed her funeral—she held it herself."

"... he held her own funeral?"

Zheng Fa felt as if he didn't understand Chinese characters anymore.

"Yes, she said while she was still alive, she threw herself a funeral. Word is, everyone cried their eyes out..."

"..."

"And now?"

Old Bai pulled out his phone, opened a video app, and selected one of his followed creators.

"There."

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwumin leaned in to see a screen showing an old woman in a military-green jacket, wearing sunglasses, hair flying, grinning wildly, riding a black motorcycle roaring across an open field.

"This is..."

"Traveling the world, obviously."

Zheng Fa now understood why Old Bai said he hadn't met her.

"Professor Bai, who is this woman?"

Tang Lingwumin stared at the old woman on screen, eyes bright—perhaps she imagined herself as this woman.

"Didn't you say you needed an agricultural expert?" Old Bai explained. "She spent her whole life researching agriculture, never married, never had children—just tended the land."

"... his aura? Doesn't seem right?"

Zheng Fa looked again at the screen, skeptical.

"She said she spent her whole life being rustic, and now that she's dying, she wanted to be fashionable," Old Bai sighed. "Total rebel."

"..."

"Professor Bai, what's your relationship with her?"

Considering their ages and the old woman's striking presence on screen, Zheng Fa couldn't help a suggestive thought.

"Back in the capital, I joined a senior intellectual matchmaking group," Old Bai admitted, slightly embarrassed. "I met her there."

"Did you like her?"

"..."

"Did she turn you down?" Zheng Fa asked.

"...", Old Bai sighed. "She wasn't there to matchmake! She said she never wanted to marry—her mom forced her, saying no one would care for her when she got old."

"How old was she then?"

"Fifty-eight."

Zheng Fa fell silent. At fifty-eight, still pressured to marry—no wonder she turned rebellious.

"She even said, 'Good, now I'll die early—Mom won't have to worry anymore,'" Old Bai sighed, as if still carrying lingering feelings for the woman.

"You two..."

"Can't be life partners, can't we still be old friends? I've been messaging her these past two days, but she's on the road, replies slowly." Old Bai opened the chat list: "Huh? She replied?"

He glanced at the message, then looked up at Zheng Fa: "She's coming to the provincial capital next month."

He didn't say more, but his pleading gaze was clear.

He looked at the notebook in his hand and said: "If I can help, I'll try."

In Xuanwei Realm, today was the day Zhang Shijie left the sect.

She wasn't leaving alone.

This time, heading to Taiyang Commandery, she would take a group of her disciples.

If Zhang Shijie traveled alone, she'd go as fast as possible.

But with these disciples, for safety, she chose the sect's flying shuttle—a common cultivator vessel, spindle-shaped, five to six times faster than a reception boat, yet carrying far fewer people.

A group stood on the dock; Zhang Shijie stood at the front.

The departure time had passed.

Yet Zhang Shijie didn't move, only slightly frowning—as if waiting for someone.

Some disciples felt strange but dared not speak, exchanging glances with nearby companions:

"Who is Zhang Shijie waiting for?"

After all, Zhang Shijie was decisive, always leaving immediately.

Who could—no, who dared make her wait?

Yet here she stood on the dock for a long time, seemingly willing to wait hours longer.

One disciple's gaze shifted, nudging toward the distance.

Dust rose as Zheng Fa hurried toward them from afar.

He had spirit-speed talismans affixed to his legs, moving as swift as a galloping horse; upon reaching the dock and seeing Zhang Shijie's group, he finally relaxed: "Sister Zhang!"

He called out to Zhang Shijie.

Behind Zheng Fa followed the Seventh Young Master and his sister; they were acquainted with Zhang Shijie as well, and upon hearing Zheng Fa say she was heading to Taiyang County, they had come to see her off.

Zhang Shijie looked at his disheveled attire and couldn't help smiling.

The disciples behind exchanged glances, their eyes filled with mutual understanding.

"I'm late…"

Zheng Fa said awkwardly, opening his mouth as if to explain.

Zhang Shijie waved her hand, cutting him off: "I know you."

Zheng Fa froze, then laughed, handing her a book from his hand.

"The Three Masters' Talisman Laws? For me?"

Zhang Shijie glanced at the book's title, then looked up at Zheng Fa.

"Yes, though incomplete, it might help you, Sister," Zheng Fa said. "I was copying this book and nearly missed seeing you off."

Behind them, the Seventh Young Master and his sister watched the exchange but dared not approach.

Zhang Shijie had old ties with the Zhao family, but those were between the previous generation—she herself was not close to the Zhao household.

They both saw Zhang Shijie's brow soften slightly, her eyes brightening, making them almost feel this was not the Zhang Shijie they knew.

"Are you also going to Taiyang County?"

Zhang Shijie suddenly asked Zhao Jinglan.

"... es!"

"Do you currently live at Zheng Fa's home?"

"... es!"

"Come aboard," Zhang Shijie nodded to Zhao Jinglan, who seemed not to understand, standing frozen for a long moment before finally saying:

"Is that... appropriate?"

"We're old acquaintances. There's nothing inappropriate about it."

Zhang Shijie cast a sidelong glance at Zheng Fa and spoke with solemn propriety.

"... es!"

Zhao Jinglan turned to look at Zheng Fa, his gaze thoughtful.

Traveling with Zhang Shijie was certainly better—there was guaranteed safety, and he could ride under her protection.

Watching the flying shuttle grow distant, the Seventh Young Master stroked his chin and eyed Zheng Fa suspiciously: "Did Sister Zhang really take my sister along because of our families' ties?"

"... ister Zhang is a kind-hearted person!" Zheng Fa said sternly.

"... saw it clearly—when you handed her that book, she smiled so happily!" the Seventh Young Master scoffed. "What's in the book? Love poetry?"

"..."

Zheng Fa realized the Seventh Young Master thought the book was a love letter.

But...

The first author, Old White, couldn't even win over a rebellious old lady.

That hardly fits.

The second author... was Tang Lingwumin...

On a small boat beside the dock stood a young man in a scholar's long robe; he watched the departing flying shuttle and whispered to the two beside him: "Zhang Wuyi has left. Let's probe Zheng Fa's background."