Chapter 18: Ghostly Talismans

Zheng Fa struggled to pretend he hadn't seen the blackened face of the Xu Sect instructor.

"You know nothing!" the Xu Sect instructor cursed Gao Yuan: "The martial arts those dojos outside produce may seem powerful, but those who practice them lose their vigor after middle age; those who practice poorly even shorten their lives!"

Zheng Fa understood the Xu Sect instructor's meaning.

The same martial arts, practiced well, can all enhance one's physique.

That extra buff of the "Pine-Crane Stance," which can extend lifespan, is naturally very precious.

And deep in his heart, he actually had another thought—Gao Yuan practiced for thirty years to extend his life by only twenty years.

The Xu Sect instructor had said his aptitude was top-tier when he felt his bones, better than Gao Yuan's; did that mean he wouldn't need thirty years?

More importantly: he could still travel to the modern world!

If he practiced martial arts in the modern world, that would mean double the time.

Then, according to Gao Yuan's simple lifespan addition and subtraction calculation method, he might not even lose out.

Probably angered by Gao Yuan, the Xu Sect instructor taught them personally for a while longer, then became a hands-off Shopkeeper and ran off to play with spears himself.

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan, however, kept practicing the stances of the Pine-Crane Stance right there on the spot.

Even Gao Yuan, who had been somewhat disdainful earlier, learned with extreme seriousness.

Sometimes Zheng Fa couldn't help but compare his peers in the Xuanwei Realm with those in the modern world; those classmates he met in modern schools would likely slack off a bit.

His peers in this world, like Gao Yuan, though born as servants, held official titles and had money at home; they were not ordinary families in this world either, and would cherish opportunities even more.

After standing in the posture taught by the Xu Sect instructor for a while, Zheng Fa felt the warm current in his body become increasingly obvious, making his bones tingle, while his breathing gradually became calm and long.

The Xu Sect instructor came over, saw Zheng Fa's state, and nodded with satisfaction: "I told you your aptitude was good; you entered the path very quickly!"

Zheng Fa clearly saw Gao Yuan's movements stiffen slightly beside him, seeming a bit anxious.

The Xu Sect instructor seemed to notice his movement too, but only glanced at him, neither praising nor scolding, before slowly walking away.

Watching the Xu Sect instructor's retreating figure, Gao Yuan's face showed obvious dejection.

On their first contact with the Pine-Crane Stance, the Xu Sect instructor didn't let Zheng Fa and the other practice for long; in less than half an hour, he began to dismiss them:

"Proceed step by step! The greatest taboo in martial arts is greed for speed!"

Zheng Fa could barely stand anymore; when leaving the training ground, he felt thunder rumbling in his stomach, so hungry that the green stone slabs on the ground looked like matcha cakes, and he almost wanted to take a bite.

He was already underfed in this world, but only after starting martial arts did he realize the Xu Sect instructor's statement that practicing martial arts requires eating well was a very simple truth.

As soon as they returned to their shared dwelling, Zheng Fa sat on his bed, feeling darkness before his eyes.

Gao Yuan saw his expression and knew what was wrong: "Hungry?"

"Yes, how do we eat?"

"The manor's rules: we are Seventh Young Master's people, so Seventh Young Master's maids should serve the rice, and then we go to fetch it."

"Then do you think they will serve us our meals?"

Zheng Fa posed a soul-searching question to Gao Yuan.

"That couldn't be... it's actually possible they didn't serve; I'll go to the main kitchen!" Being the child of the Second House's Steward, Gao Yuan displayed his extensive connections: "The Lady gave us our ration; if I go to the kitchen, they wouldn't dare refuse!"

Having spoken, Gao Yuan jumped up in a rush and walked outside, shouting as he went: "Wait a moment, I'll bring your meal along with mine later."

Watching Gao Yuan's departing back, Zheng Fa smiled.

This roommate of his had some ordinary person's petty thoughts, but to be honest, he was a decent person.

Gao Yuan took nearly another half hour to fetch the food; by the time he brought the food box over, Zheng Fa was already starving, his stomach and intestines twisting in pain.

"Those people in the main kitchen said the Lady gave no orders! They just wanted to steal our meal money!" Gao Yuan said with some indignation: "It was only after I found my father that they told the truth!"

Hearing this, Zheng Fa looked up and thanked Gao Yuan: "Then I must properly thank your father; otherwise, I wouldn't even get this meal."

"No problem! This is our rightful ration!"

Gao Yuan said, waving his hand.

There really was quite a lot of food in the box.

The top layer held two large bowls of meat and one large bowl of vegetables.

The middle layer was full of rice.

It looked like the taste was average, but the portions were generous.

Zheng Fa picked up his chopsticks and devoured the food.

While shoving rice and dishes into his mouth, his gaze casually swept over the very bottom layer of the food box.

This was supposed to be empty, but he saw a piece of paper, or rather a corner of a piece of paper, wedged in the gap between the two layers of the box.

Gao Yuan seemed to have seen his gaze too; his hand suddenly shrank back, as if not wanting Zheng Fa to see.

Zheng Fa then understood that this fellow, having been gone so long, had probably done some private business besides fetching food.

He lowered his head and shoved another mouthful of rice into his mouth, as if nothing had happened.

Gao Yuan, however, sitting beside him, seemed restless, eating with his mind elsewhere.

For the next two days, Zheng Fa lived with extreme regularity.

Early in the morning, he went to Seventh Young Master's courtyard to stand in punishment, and would also accompany Seventh Young Master to attend Mr. Shen's class.

By afternoon, he would go to the Xu Sect instructor to study the "Pine-Crane Stance."

Zheng Fa's learning speed was indeed a bit faster than Gao Yuan's, but the Xu Sect instructor had also told both of them that although Zheng Fa learned quickly, he started late; without special opportunities, it would be very difficult to master the Pine-Crane Stance.

At night, after eating, the two would each do their own things.

Zheng Fa would be very busy at night.

Besides silently reciting the classics taught by Mr. Shen in class, he also had to review the knowledge from modern textbooks.

He even had to set aside half a shichen every day to practice brush calligraphy.

But Gao Yuan was different:

As soon as he returned to his quarters, he hid in his room, mysteriously examining something.

Zheng Fa occasionally caught a glimpse; Gao Yuan was always holding a few sheets of paper.

They looked very much like the few sheets hidden inside the food box that day.

When Gao Yuan looked at the few sheets of paper, he usually hid from Zheng Fa; the moment Zheng Fa entered the room, he tucked them into his bosom.

But occasionally, when he was so engrossed that he lost himself, Zheng Fa inadvertently saw what was written on the paper, or rather, what was drawn—entirely complex lines that revealed no pattern whatsoever.

Even with just a glance, Zheng Fa felt a bit dizzy.

Gao Yuan, staring at those few sheets of paper all day, was obviously even more on the verge of collapse.

That night, when Zheng Fa walked into the room, he saw Gao Yuan slumped on his bed like a salted fish.

Those few precious sheets of paper lay scattered on his quilt.

His entire body radiated an aura of having no will to live, of giving up and waiting to die.

"What's wrong?"

Gao Yuan's gaze was vacant, looking as if he did not want to speak.

After a long while, he suddenly sat up and shouted: "I'd rather not be this book boy than look at these things anymore!"

Zheng Fa was stunned; his gaze involuntarily turned to those few sheets of paper: "Looking at these can prevent you from being driven away?"

"Do you think that's what the Seventh Young Master reads all day?" Gao Yuan pointed to the patterns on the paper: "They are all these ghostly talismans and incantations!"

Zheng Fa picked up a sheet of paper and looked; the patterns on it were chaotic and complex, showing no discernible regularity.

"What does the Seventh Young Master do with this?"

"Talismans and incantations; these are the legendary talismans and incantations of the Immortal Sects!"

Zheng Fa could not help but feel a sudden respect; looking again at the patterns that resembled a child's scribbles, he felt they were full of profound mystery.