Chapter 64

The seventh young master, hearing his sister call him stupid, frowned in protest: “Sis! I’m a genius!”

He turned to Zheng Fa with arrogance: “Zheng Fa! You go with my sister to Qingmu Sect for a few years first. Once I rise in Qingmu Sect, don’t stick around her as her personal attendant—she’s taken ten years just to enter the inner sect, no future there. Come with me instead!”

The eldest daughter’s smile slowly faded; her gaze at her brother held danger, teeth clenched as if ready to speak.

But Zhang Shijie spoke first: “Still, your brother’s mastery of Yuanfu varies greatly—for example, he gets Cloud-Rain and Clear-Wind Fu right forty percent of the time, but he can’t recognize even ten percent of the Diamond Fu.”

The seventh young master froze at this, turning to look at Zheng Fa as if something had just clicked.

“But this is normal,” Zhang Shijie continued. “Most fu masters have greater talent for certain types of Yuanfu.”

“No!” the seventh young master suddenly spoke up: “It’s… Tu Hai Strategy!”

Zhang Shijie and the eldest daughter both turned to him, but the seventh young master’s eyes locked onto Zheng Fa.

“Tu Hai?” Zhang Shijie now understood the characters, but her expression remained confused.

“It’s… the method Zheng Fa used to torture—no, train me.” The seventh young master seemed unsure how to explain, so he sprinted back to his study and returned, panting, carrying a pile of fu diagrams.

“Cloud-Rain and Clear-Wind Fu—those are the ones I practiced just a few days ago.”

The eldest daughter looked up at Zheng Fa, her eyes filled with shock.

Zhang Shijie, however, stared at the pile of diagrams, silent for a long while before raising her head.

She gave Zheng Fa a deep look, then asked: “How long have you trained like this?”

“Less than ten days.”

Zhang Shijie’s eyes flickered, then she nodded slowly: “He teaches better than I do.”

“Zhang Shijie!” the eldest daughter exclaimed in surprise: “You’re publicly recognized by the Hundred Immortal Alliance as a fu genius…”

“I’ve taught junior disciples from Jiushan Sect before,” Zhang Shijie frowned, unusually troubled: “But their progress was always poor. They always say the simplest things I explain are hard, while their real problems aren’t worth explaining at all.”

…What kind of old man’s aphorisms?

“Judging by your brother’s performance with Diamond Fu, his foundation is worse than my disciples’.”

Zheng Fa smiled at the seventh young master, who seemed to realize Zhang Shijie was calling him stupid—his pride slowly froze on his face.

“Zheng Fa teaches him this well because…” Zhang Shijie studied Zheng Fa, then the seventh young master: “They understand each other on certain matters. Their minds are in sync.”

Zheng Fa’s smile vanished.

…You really know how to curse.

“Moreover,” Zhang Shijie suddenly looked seriously at Zheng Fa: “Just from these diagrams, your fu talent may not be inferior to mine.”

These words made the eldest daughter stare wide-eyed at Zheng Fa.

The seventh young master glanced at his sister, his expression clear: I told you so.

Think back to what his sister had said on the way to the Zheng family courtyard:

“His talent might stand out in the Zhao household, but how does it compare to the geniuses of the cultivation world?”

“Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie—one is in heaven, the other on earth. Do you understand?!”

Now, does my sister realize I have good judgment—and that she underestimated Zheng Fa?

“I’ve always known Zheng Fa is a talent!” the eldest daughter spoke up.

The seventh young master’s face slowly filled with confusion.

The eldest daughter’s gaze at Zheng Fa brimmed with sincere admiration.

“My foolish brother said enduring your training was a sea of suffering—he cried and begged me to rescue him!” The eldest daughter looked at the stunned seventh young master: “He’s clueless—he doesn’t appreciate your hard work!”

The seventh young master slowly opened his mouth.

“Don’t worry—train him as much as you want!” The eldest daughter smiled, eyes narrowed at the seventh young master who was about to speak: “If he disobeys, hand him to me—I’ll beat him to death!”

After saying this, the eldest daughter narrowed her eyes at her brother: “Do you have anything to say?”

The seventh young master opened his mouth but couldn’t speak; after a long silence, he sighed deeply: “Is Qingmu Sect really this brutal?”

…

Zheng Fa watched the enthusiastic eldest daughter drag the seventh young master away, then turned to Zhang Shijie, still standing in his courtyard.

“Zhang True Person, you really have no more questions!”

He said helplessly.

“Really?”

“Absolutely!”

“Want to attend the Immortal Product Assembly?” Zhang Shijie looked at him quietly, then asked.

“….”

Zheng Fa looked at Zhang Shijie’s clear eyes and suddenly felt this Jin Dan True Person wasn’t as oblivious to worldly matters as she seemed.

“You have exceptional talent,” she pointed to the diagrams the seventh young master had brought: “These fu diagrams contain patterns—this can’t be coincidence. Your understanding of Yuanfu is extremely high.”

Zheng Fa said nothing—he wanted to hear what she would say next.

“You’re lucky—your understanding of Yuanfu rivals mine. But you’re also unlucky.”

A flicker of confusion crossed Zheng Fa’s face.

“Do you know why a fu master tested you but refused to take you as a disciple?”

…Don’t know. I haven’t made up an answer yet.

“Because spiritual energy is declining,” Zhang Shijie said to Zheng Fa: “At least within the Hundred Immortal Alliance, Nascent Soul True Persons have reached a consensus: unless approved by half the Nascent Soul True Persons of the Alliance, each can take only one direct disciple every fifty years. Other sects likely have similar rules.”

Zheng Fa asked in surprise: “Has it really come to this?”

“It’s also because spiritual materials are scarce. Unless someone is truly a genius, even if taken in, they’ll struggle to grow. Disciples should be rare and refined, not numerous.”

“Do you know why the Immortal Product Assembly is being held earlier than usual?” Zhang Shijie changed topics.

Zheng Fa shook his head.

“Rumors say that besides limiting Nascent Soul True Persons to one disciple, the Immortal Product Assembly will also impose stricter limits—possibly fewer slots. Do you know who holds the slots?”

“Families like the Zhao clan.”

“Correct. Mostly descendants of Nascent Soul and Jin Dan True Persons. Hearing this news, they feared delays and rushed to hold this year’s Assembly.”

Zheng Fa listened, realizing the cultivation world’s situation was even grimmer than he’d imagined.

Direct discipleship was already restricted—and now the Immortal Product Assembly slots would shrink too?

Zhang Shijie suddenly produced a jade token, its edges inlaid with gold, depicting nine mountain peaks—elegant and valuable.

“What’s this?”

“Immortal Product Token. With it, you can attend the Immortal Product Assembly.” She placed the token on the table.

“Zhang True Person, you…”

“I’m a Jin Dan too—I naturally have a slot. But I have no family, and I’m too lazy to use it to make connections.” Zhang Shijie treated the token as if it meant nothing, setting it casually on the table.

“If my master were here, your current talent would likely earn you a token too,” Zhang Shijie looked at Zheng Fa: “But I don’t care about your talent.”

“…So?”

“It’s worthless to me—but it’s not free.” Zhang Shijie pointed at the token, then turned back to Zheng Fa: “Understand?”

Zheng Fa leaned back slightly.

“Don’t worry—soul-searching is strictly forbidden in the Hundred Immortal Alliance.”

Zheng Fa said nothing. Outside a few people, he trusted almost no one in this world.

Zhang Shijie saw his doubt: “Besides, I don’t like checking answers before solving problems.”

That reason was highly credible!

“…True Person, name your price!”

“A hundred questions.”

“Deal!”

“Not done—one hundred questions per month.”

So you’re after long-term satisfaction?

“…Fine!” Zheng Fa gritted his teeth.

“Bring me three hundred questions first.” Zhang Shijie glanced at Zheng Fa’s confusion: “How do I know you’ll pass the Immortal Product Assembly?”

“Fine!”

Zhang Shijie nodded in satisfaction, tucked away the token, and walked out of the courtyard. At the gate, she paused and spoke:

“Drop those suspicious thoughts when you’re before me.”

“Huh?”

“At least in my view, our cultivation brethren’s enemies have never been people.”

This remark… sounded oddly familiar.