Chapter 59: Hobbies

The qingluan in the sky folded its wings, and the two women on its back landed.

"Senior Sister Zhang, let's go see my mother first!" said the Zhao family's Young Lady, dressed in red.

The Senior Sister Zhang said nothing, only nodded slightly, her expression appearing somewhat cold.

The two walked toward the two-story pavilion where Lady was staying; the closer they got, the faster the Zhao Young Lady's steps became.

Lady, who rarely left her pavilion, was already waiting at the door.

Seeing her mother's figure, the Zhao Young Lady could no longer hold back her emotions; she ran forward and threw herself into Lady's arms.

"Mother!"

After ten years apart, reunion should have brought a thousand words.

But now, besides "Mother," she could not utter a single other word—her mouth opened, and sobs burst forth from her chest; she buried her head in Lady's arms and wept.

Lady gently stroked her daughter's hairpin, remembering how her daughter had been a tiny child when she left home, still a girl just beginning to grow her hair, her braids tied into thin little knots.

Now, the daughter in her arms stood tall and graceful, taller than Lady herself, her head crowned with thick, dark, glossy hair.

For some reason, her heart filled with bitterness, and her eyes began to warm.

Lady sniffled, holding back tears as she scolded: "You've grown up, yet still cry the moment you see me—what kind of behavior is that?"

But the huskiness in her voice betrayed the turmoil within.

Senior Sister Zhang stood at a distance, seemingly giving the long-separated mother and daughter some space.

Lady looked up and saw Senior Sister Zhang, then patted her daughter's back: "You brought a friend back, yet leave her standing there without even introducing her?"

The Zhao Young Lady lifted her head, face streaked with tears; she shamefully rubbed her cheek against her mother's shoulder before turning to greet the other woman: "Senior Sister Zhang, this is my mother."

Senior Sister Zhang stepped closer, gave Lady a slight nod, her expression polite yet distant, and said nothing.

The Zhao Young Lady introduced again: "Mother, this is Senior Sister Zhang of Jiushan Sect, the youngest prodigy calligrapher of the Baixian Alliance—she's already reached Jin Dan cultivation!"

Lady had thought the woman slightly rude, but upon hearing her identity, she felt the woman had every right to be so.

Jiushan Sect, like Qingmu Sect, was a sect guarded by a Nascent Soul Laozu; the Baixian Alliance was even more extraordinary—a close-knit alliance formed by numerous immortal sects, immensely powerful, with countless cultivators under its banner.

Both Jiushan Sect and Qingmu Sect were members of the Baixian Alliance.

In such a vast power, for Senior Sister Zhang to be called by the Zhao Young Lady the youngest prodigy calligrapher, her calligraphy cultivation was evident—let alone that she was a Jin Dan True Person.

Lady bowed deeply to Senior Sister Zhang with solemn respect: "I did not realize I stood before a Jin Dan True Person—this humble woman has been impolite."

Senior Sister Zhang's expression remained cool, but her tone was humble and courteous: "Lady, you honor me too much. Young Lady Zhao is my close friend, and her Elder Ancestor Zhao is also my senior—I speak only of sentiment, not cultivation rank."

"Then…" Lady hesitated, glancing at her daughter; seeing her nod, she spoke: "Then I'll presume upon our kinship and call you my virtuous niece. I've already ordered tea prepared—please be seated."

Even so, Lady remained cautious, her heart uneasy, afraid of offending this prodigy Jin Dan True Person.

The three ascended the pavilion; after the Zhao Young Lady tidied her appearance, they sat and chatted over tea.

Lady, fearing she might offend Senior Sister Zhang, constantly observed her expression.

Gradually, she realized Senior Sister Zhang was not aloof or cold—she simply spoke little; whenever Lady tried to engage her, the woman's face showed faint awkwardness.

When Lady spoke only to her own daughter, Senior Sister Zhang's expression subtly relaxed.

Lady now understood the woman's nature; she stopped deliberately seeking conversation—and indeed, Senior Sister Zhang's demeanor became more natural, showing no interest whatsoever in their talk.

As Lady chatted with her daughter, Senior Sister Zhang seemed bored; she pointed to a small bookshelf and asked: "May I look?"

"My virtuous niece, feel free to treat this as your own home," Lady said warmly.

Senior Sister Zhang nodded, found a book on the shelf, and began reading.

They chatted for a while; Lady still feared neglecting Senior Sister Zhang, and kept glancing at her—she noticed the woman was utterly absorbed in the book, indifferent to whether they paid attention to her or not.

"My virtuous niece is interested in this book?" Lady glanced at the book in her hands—*Elementary Mathematics*—and smiled: "This book gives me a headache, but I've heard it was passed down by a Nascent Soul."

Senior Sister Zhang looked up, thought for a moment, then nodded: "This is no idle claim—I may take this book to read?"

Lady blinked in surprise; seeing no explanation forthcoming, she did not press, only replied generously: "It was presented to me by my son's page—take it if you're interested."

She thought again: it was improper to leave their guest aside while she and her daughter talked, especially since a Jin Dan True Person carried such a strong presence.

So she addressed Senior Sister Zhang: "You've endured a long journey—I've had someone prepare a clean guest room, just beside Shan'er's courtyard—why not rest first?"

Senior Sister Zhang nodded and rose, following the serving girl.

At the door, she seemed to remember something and suddenly turned back to ask: "What is the page's name?"

"Zheng Fa."

"Zheng Fa."

Senior Sister Zhang nodded, as if memorizing the name, then left with the book.

Only when her figure vanished into the pavilion did Lady gently press her chest and exhale deeply.

Her daughter beside her asked: "Mother, why are you so afraid of Senior Sister Zhang?"

Lady snapped: "Isn't it your fault for bringing back such a patriarch!"

But her daughter ignored her words and asked another question: "That Zheng Fa—is he the page you mentioned in your letter?"

"Yes, him."

"Mother, you promised him a personal attendant position in your letter—but before, that might have been fine; now, it's probably impossible."

Lady froze, frowning: "I've already promised him."

"Mother, you don't understand the reason," the Zhao Young Lady explained. "When I entered the Inner Sect, I received two personal attendant slots—one I've already promised to a senior brother for his family. The other, I want to reserve for my younger brother, just in case."

"Your brother? Isn't he going to the Immortal-Grade Examination?"

"When I returned, I heard the requirements for this Immortal-Grade Examination have been raised—my brother's dual-elemental affinity may not qualify as top-tier, so entering Qingmu Sect…"

Lady had never heard this news; she was instantly at a loss: "Then what will your brother do?"

"Mother, don't panic—I brought Senior Sister Zhang back specifically to have her tutor my brother in calligraphy. Senior Sister Zhang is famed in the Baixian Alliance for her calligraphy; with her teaching, my brother may still have a chance to become top-tier through calligraphy."

Only now did Lady understand why her daughter had brought Senior Sister Zhang home.

"Then what about the personal attendant position…"

The eldest daughter sighed: "My brother's character is clearly described in Mother's letter—he's lazy and unmotivated. I fear that even with Zhang Shijie, his talisman arts won't improve much. If he fails the Immortal-Grade Exam, let him become my personal attendant and accompany me to Qingmu Sect."

The Lady still hesitated.

"Mother! The requirements for the Immortal-Grade Exam grow stricter each year—if he fails this year, he'll never get in later!" Her voice suddenly dropped: "Mother, do you want my brother to end up like Father—unable to enter an immortal sect, wasting his life in drink and debauchery?"

Hearing this, the Lady finally nodded.

"No matter what, I must get my brother into an immortal sect this time. If he passes the Immortal-Grade Exam and enters Qingmu Sect, then the position of personal attendant—just as Mother said—will go to Zheng Fa."

The Lady recalled Zhang Shijie's demeanor a moment ago and asked hesitantly: "That Zhang Shijie… isn't she difficult to get along with? Fan's personality—I'm afraid he won't learn anything, and might even offend her. A Jin Dan, and a talisman prodigy—our Zhao family cannot afford to anger her."

"Zhang Shijie…" The eldest daughter's expression turned strange: "She's just bad at interacting with people. In truth, she's kind—even naive about the world."

"Bad at it?"

"More accurately, others are afraid to approach her. Over time, she stopped speaking to anyone at all." The eldest daughter hesitated slightly, a flicker of fear crossing her face as she bit her lip: "Her hobbies… are unusual."

The Lady's face showed confusion.

"Mother, don't worry about what Zhang Shijie is like. Just know that if not for our family's old ties with her elders, and my personal friendship with her, she would never have come here." Here, Zhao's eldest daughter's expression turned proud: "Many seek her counsel in talisman arts—she's notoriously hard to invite!"

…

The Zheng Fa household.

After lunch, Zheng Fa stood in the courtyard practicing the Stance.

He had always been diligent; even though he had fully mastered the Songhe Stance, he practiced it daily.

A soft knock came at the door.

Who could be visiting him?

He walked to the door and found a pale-faced woman in a green Daoist robe, holding a book.

"Did you write this?"

She handed the book to Zheng Fa. He looked—it was *Elementary Mathematics*.

This thing, besides the Young Master's study, only one copied version existed—in the Lady's hands.

"Someone taught it to me."

Zheng Fa knew this woman had some connection to the Zhao household—and her origins were no small matter. He decided to speak plainly.

"So you're good at math?" To his surprise, the woman's eyes suddenly brightened, her expression becoming more animated.

"Not particularly good—just… studied more than others."

Remembering his mediocre math talent in his past life, Zheng Fa was humble.

But compared to people in this world, he felt he was still far stronger.

"Do you also solve math problems for fun when you're bored?" The woman's gaze grew even more eager.

"Also? Bored? Solving problems for fun?"

Zheng Fa struggled to grasp the logic of that phrase, repeating it aloud.

Then he saw the woman nodding vigorously, her expression bright with anticipation, her eyes filled with hope—as if searching for a rare kindred soul.

In the courtyard, Zheng's mother watched Zheng Fa, her expression asking: Who is this uninvited guest?

…Hmm. A freak.