[{"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-57":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},2263783,4418,"Chapter 57: Cleverness","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-57",57,"\u003Cp>The Seventh Young Master’s study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turns out that taking an exam can be Qingsong  and pleasant, utterly stress-free—even enjoyable as you sit back and watch the drama—provided you’re the proctor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you’ve just taken the monthly exam yourself, you’ll feel, like Zheng Fa, a strange thrill of fate turning full circle—the dragon-slayer becoming the dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood before the hall, three low tables before him, behind which sat Gao Yuan, the Seventh Young Master, and his younger sister Zheng Shan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each person’s expression was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yuan was tense but determined, as if ready to fight a great battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Seventh Young Master was fidgety, glancing left and right, clearly unaccustomed to such a setting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His younger sister Zheng Shan, however, was not nervous at all; instead, she squirmed in her seat, eyes darting about curiously as she examined the unfamiliar study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Giving them a surprise exam was not merely for amusement—well, not entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady had tied the success of Dengxianmen to the position of the eldest daughter’s personal attendant; thus, Zheng Fa’s only course now was to improve the Seventh Young Master’s talisman arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With only two months, they had to use a crash course to train him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this required the Seventh Young Master’s cooperation—at least more diligent study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How would you describe the Seventh Young Master’s current study habits?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……He sleeps soundly while reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Zheng Fa’s view, the Seventh Young Master wasn’t stupid—but over a decade of lazy, indulgent living had made it nearly impossible for him to focus and study hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asking him to study as intensely as Gao Yuan was truly unfair to this pampered eldest son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main purpose of this exam was to make the Seventh Young Master recognize his current level, to shame him into motivation, at least to become driven in the short term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This method was like some teachers giving a sudden, brutally difficult exam right after students returned from vacation—to crush their nostalgia for the break, make them realize they were garbage, and force them to study with their tails between their legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa silently observed the Seventh Young Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the morning sun had been fierce; the maids had all retreated indoors, leaving the courtyard utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Seventh Young Master’s expression was even more agitated than the outside temperature, his eyes darting everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa recognized this look well—a struggling student entering an exam hall looked no different from a pig entering a slaughterhouse: both terrified of impending death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Seventh Young Master first glanced at Gao Yuan, frowned, calculated for a moment, then grew more anxious—he seemed to think Gao Yuan was studying better than him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then turned to look at his younger sister Zheng Shan, and his expression brightened considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa knew exactly what he was thinking—the Seventh Young Master believed that no matter how poorly he did, he couldn’t possibly do worse than a six-year-old; among the three, he’d at least rank second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa’s assessment: naive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brought Zheng Shan here precisely to deliver the final blow to the Seventh Young Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Zheng Shan’s level well—in his view, the Seventh Young Master was the worst of the three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yuan was undoubtedly the best; he had some foundation, struggled with Junior High Math, but mastered Elementary Math quickly and had already begun advancing to higher-grade material.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Shan had no foundation, but she still had genuine interest in studying, a simple mind, decent intelligence, and learned quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Seventh Young Master—he was older, mentally cluttered, lacked good study habits, was lazy and sluggish, fell asleep the moment he opened a book, and clearly learned worse than Zheng Shan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa pulled out the exam papers he’d prepared and handed one to each. “One hour. Begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, all three immediately bent over their papers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yuan and the Seventh Young Master used ink brushes; Zheng Shan, who had never practiced large-character writing, used a charcoal pencil Zheng Fa specially made for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a time, the only sound in the study was Zheng Fa’s quiet footsteps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Seventh Young Master’s focus didn’t last long; after a stick of incense burned, Zheng Fa saw him sneakily lift his head, glancing left and right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he looked at the Seventh Young Master’s paper, Zheng Fa understood at once:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good news: He finished what he could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bad news: He could do very little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short: He was out of tricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Seventh Young Master himself seemed uneasy; he quietly lifted his head again, observing his two opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Gao Yuan’s intense focus unsettled him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then Zheng Shan’s rapid writing likely shattered what little confidence he had left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the vast blank spaces on his paper, as if hoping the answers would sprout like crops from the soil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as his expression grew increasingly desperate, a sudden, childish cough echoed through the study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa narrowed his eyes as he watched Zheng Shan slowly raise her now slightly plump left hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if fearing the Seventh Young Master couldn’t see, she deliberately shifted her paper toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To block Zheng Fa’s view, she tilted her small buttocks, leaning left to conceal her actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa sighed helplessly—after tormenting Wang Gui, Zheng Shan had taken a liking to the Seventh Young Master and was now secretly giving him answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Seventh Young Master stared in stunned disbelief at Zheng Shan’s actions, his expression twisted in agony; Zheng Fa could feel his dilemma—was it more humiliating to fail a six-year-old, or to cheat off one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, Zheng Fa saw the Seventh Young Master’s head turn slightly, clearly using his peripheral vision to peek at Zheng Shan’s paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa did not expose them, only shook his head and gave the Seventh Young Master a pitying smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the results confirmed the Seventh Young Master’s worst fear: he had cheated—and still failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the Seventh Young Master, his face ashen, as if he’d shattered into pieces, Zheng Fa signaled to Gao Yuan and Zheng Shan beside him; when they quietly left, he sat beside the Seventh Young Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zheng Fa, am I stupid?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Seventh Young Master suddenly asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master, you’re clever,” Zheng Fa shook his head—it was true. In his view, the problem wasn’t his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief reassurance, Zheng Fa began to deceive him: “You simply need better study methods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Seventh Young Master wasn’t comforted; he still doubted himself: “I can’t even beat your six-year-old sister—how can I ever learn talisman arts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I have a secret technique—no math required—that will improve your talisman arts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Another secret technique? I can’t learn it. Not interested.” The Seventh Young Master looked wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll teach it only to you, not to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?” The Seventh Young Master’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, only you can learn it—they don’t even know talisman diagrams,” Zheng Fa said in a coaxing tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Seventh Young Master, failing an exam meant nothing—he’d always scored poorly in Master Shen’s tests; his mindset was already hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But being crushed by the other two, especially a six-year-old, was what truly tormented him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this secret technique was only for him, the Seventh Young Master immediately regained his sense of superiority: “Then… is it easy to learn?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Crash course! Just accept my training for these two months—I guarantee your talisman arts will skyrocket!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No math at all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Absolutely!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll learn it! I knew it—you’re the best to me, Zheng Fa!” The Seventh Young Master, crushed by the other two, now adored Zheng Fa and asked eagerly: “What’s the name of this secret technique?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Sea of Problems—no, the Sea of Diagrams strategy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What sea?” The Seventh Young Master, confused, muttered: “I’ve only heard of the boundless sea of suffering…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment, then admired him: “Young Master, though your hearing’s poor, your comprehension is excellent!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That doesn’t sound like a compliment,” the Seventh Young Master eyed Zheng Fa suspiciously: “Aren’t you just trying to torment me after being scared by my mother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Never! This is my ultimate method—fast-acting, and I’m giving it only to you!” Zheng Fa swore earnestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, no one knows a child better than his mother—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Seventh Young Master always had untimely flashes of cleverness.\u003C\u002Fp>",1386,"2026-06-19T19:16:02.864Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5930af11bfe5fbc8cd9ec0ba4d95a4902dc91dd45b58b23d6fffd6edb86ef346","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-58","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-56",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]