[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world":3,"chapter-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-174":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Cultivation: I Studied Abroad in the Modern World",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2263900,4418,"Chapter 174: Flexible","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-174",174,"\u003Cp>Modern era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more time passed, the closer it got to the one-month deadline, and the more Zheng Fa could sense the old man’s anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the old man, as if afraid of affecting Zheng Fa, never uttered a single word of pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This past month, the old man spent less time at the nursing home and more days at Teacher Tian’s house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This weekend, the old man wasn’t at the nursing home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandpa Bai is worried Aunt Wu can’t manage alone, so he goes over every day to help,” Tang Lingwumin whispered to Zheng Fa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa nodded slightly, pulled out his phone, and sent a text to the old man: “I have a way to cure Teacher Tian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Less than three seconds later, his phone vibrated violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the call connected, the old man asked, his voice trembling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I’ve condensed the Taiyi Talisman—it should work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Taiyi Talisman was among the most famous medical spiritual talismans in the Xuwei Realm—extremely complex, even ordinary Xian-grade talisman artists struggled to draw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa had failed once before finally condensing it in his dantian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Taiyi Talisman’s effect was unmatched—saying it could cure all illnesses wasn’t an exaggeration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, such talismans sold for exorbitant prices in the marketplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man on the other end fell silent, as if suppressing some deep emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher Bai, shall Tang Lingwumin and I go to Teacher Tian’s house to meet you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” the old man said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwumin took a ride-hailing car and arrived at Teacher Tian’s house over half an hour later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as they entered, they understood why the old man’s mood had been unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Tian could no longer get out of bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lay on the bed, her eyes still bright, but her face had grown withered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked far worse than she had a month ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing them enter, Teacher Tian smiled, her gaze carrying an inexplicable expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mix of unease and doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa froze, glancing at the old man beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man nodded, signaling they should step outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You told her everything, didn’t you?” Tang Lingwumin asked before Zheng Fa could speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This girl was sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told her…” the old man replied, dejected: “She refused to believe anything—I had no choice but to tell her everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa didn’t mind much—he’d gained some self-preservation power by now—but the old man was just too unreliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Tang Lingwumin had managed to hide her own mother’s secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought… if I couldn’t cure her, she’d just think it was a joke, no big deal… by the time she… by the time she passed, it wouldn’t matter anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man explained his reasoning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I do cure her, she’ll be my wife—I’ll have to tell her everything eventually… whether I tell her now or later makes no difference.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was sophistry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man snapped: “If you don’t believe me, test her with the Great Dream Talisman!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Will Teacher Tian agree to that?” Zheng Fa was speechless: “I just want to cure her directly—whether she joins the nursing home can come later…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frankly, the Great Dream Talisman was meant to guard against enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to be used on those close to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It bordered on violating privacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if I don’t explain clearly, she won’t let you treat her!” the old man sighed helplessly: “I’ve seen too many scientists like this—they need to understand everything. Death is fine, but living in ignorance? Impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few more words, they reentered the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Tian, as if knowing what they’d been discussing, spoke weakly but still smiled: “Don’t blame Old Bai—it was me who asked.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t blame Teacher Bai,” Zheng Fa said sincerely, glancing at the embarrassed old man before turning to Teacher Tian: “Do you believe me now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you notice something missing from the courtyard when you came in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa turned around and saw the stone table was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not gone—shattered into pieces, meekly piled in a corner of the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwumin exchanged glances, both thinking of the same possibility…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You guessed right—it was Old Bai,” Teacher Tian groaned: “He punched it into pieces. Luckily, my mom was out buying groceries…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I still haven’t figured out how to explain it to my mom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man beside her looked equally aggrieved: “You didn’t believe me—I had to prove I wasn’t… that table was just in the perfect spot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, you’re the oldest person in this courtyard now…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could you be so reckless?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa thought for a moment—this was no longer just about curing her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… Teacher Tian, would you be willing to join our nursing home?” he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Tian answered with crisp decisiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa hadn’t expected her to agree so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can live!” Teacher Tian smiled: “Old Bai said that herb was modified by spiritual energy? I’m curious too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides… isn’t there a saying: marry a rooster, follow the rooster; marry a dog, follow the dog?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwumin both gasped, stunned by the sudden dog food dump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was going on with these two?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside them, the old man grinned proudly: “I got a certificate two days ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher Tian, you’re awfully decisive,” Tang Lingwumin’s eyes sparkled with gossiping delight: “Didn’t you say you’d agree only after being cured?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He comes every day, every day—my mom was moved,” Teacher Tian sighed: “Besides, a dying person can’t afford to wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa heard Teacher Tian whisper: “I’m glad I didn’t know you were cultivators before—I didn’t want Old Bai to think I married him because he cured me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Bai’s eyes gleamed brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa looked at the two elderly people and felt unexpectedly moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying that, Teacher Tian seemed slightly embarrassed and added: “Old Bai told me you have some test to join the nursing home—you know they’re cultivators, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa nodded: “Let me treat you first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rules must be upheld,” Teacher Tian insisted firmly: “I already know too much—I still need to pass the test.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa glanced at the old man, who gave a slight nod and murmured: “That’s just her nature.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa sighed, then shot a Great Dream Talisman into Teacher Tian’s forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Tian fell into a deep sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above her head, black vapor slowly formed a vortex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa didn’t want to leave her with a bad impression—he focused on her deepest desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the vortex appeared a laboratory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Tian stood in a white lab coat before a device Zheng Fa didn’t recognize, surrounded by several younger men and women.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like her students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words they spoke were half-gibberish to Zheng Fa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d only studied high school biology and had little interest in the field—understanding what Teacher Tian was doing was difficult—but he could see her face was filled with focus and excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She operated the device, her mouth never stopping as she chattered to the students beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this… Teacher Tian’s deepest desire?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Lingwumin didn’t understand either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh…” the old man shook his head: “This woman’s been obsessed with labs since she was young—said it felt comfortable, and if she didn’t do this, she’d never have gotten married.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa nodded slightly, gaining a deeper understanding of Teacher Tian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She is purer than I am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, at least the old white man had a wish to win an award and show off—but Teacher Tian dreams of nothing but the lab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they thought this was the full extent of Teacher Tian’s wish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, someone knocked on the door outside the lab: “Professor Tian, your beloved has come to pick you up after work!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beloved?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa and the others froze—wasn’t Teacher Tian unmarried?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the dream, Teacher Tian muttered softly: “Is Lao Bai here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, the old white man couldn’t help but flash a smug smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look! Look! This is what it means to have you in my heart!” the old white man said to Zheng Fa and the others; “Now even in her dreams, it’s me coming to pick her up after work!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Lingwumin thought for a moment, then said: “To spend your whole life doing what you love, with someone coming to pick you up after work—that’s wonderful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone was full of envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group watched as Teacher Tian stepped out of the lab, changed clothes, and went downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone was waiting there…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandpa Bai…” Tang Lingwumin stared at the person waiting for Teacher Tian, stunned: “Who is this? Why does he look familiar?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person waiting for Teacher Tian had the height of the old white man, his clothes, even his curly hair and his expression—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he did not have the old white man’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a face Zheng Fa also recognized, but somehow, placed on the old white man, he hadn’t realized it at first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Your namesake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah?” Tang Lingwumin recognized him: “Isn’t this...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, hold a feather fan and you’ll know,” the old white man said with a sigh. “Decades ago, he was famous—everyone called him Little Handsome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the scene, Teacher Tian smiled and walked over, saying: “Lao Bai, didn’t I tell you not to come pick me up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three outside the dream fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwumin exchanged a glance, cautiously glancing at the old white man’s expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This dream... was a little hurtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old white man frowned, lost in thought, seemingly a little angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Zheng Fa.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know any spell that can change one’s appearance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teach it to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...” Zheng Fa paused a moment, then said: “Aren’t you angry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why be angry? You don’t get it... who wouldn’t want to date a handsome man?” the old white man waved his hand. “Does she not like me? She does—but she doesn’t like my face... so I’ll just change it, won’t I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa couldn’t help but admire him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder he was the old white man—his emotional control was flawless, and he always grasped the core issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, she can learn it too, later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old white man glanced at him, his eyes tinged with disdain: “I used to be a fanboy too, you know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa admired him even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He really knew how to play it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Tian slowly woke from her bed, still half-dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked around, her gaze landing on the old white man’s face, as if remembering something: “Lao Bai, did I just dream about you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, we saw it too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But something felt off...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing’s off. That was me,” the old white man said firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>",1811,"2026-06-19T19:16:02.864Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","63626accbf3109efcb6befd404e98924dfb876eb843b16ee7d6d2bf0532fda2b","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-175","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-173",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]