Chapter 66: Lies

"Was that an illness? That was my medal for hard work!"Bai Lao insisted stubbornly.

Bai Lao's daughter ignored him, snatched his phone, and read it carefully: "Is the Second Hospital so unreliable? They could get this wrong?"

After reading for a while, she looked up and asked: "This person has the same name as you, and the same age too? Could it be such a coincidence?"

"Maybe the reports got mixed up..."

"Could they mix up everything?"Bai Lao's daughter frowned: "The blood draw, the urine test, and what else, CT scans, so many things, could they all be wrong?"

Bai Lao was stunned, thought for a moment, and said: "From a statistical perspective, this possibility isn't zero..."

"... Your body is healthier than mine!"Bai Lao's daughter, too lazy to argue with the old man, read the report carefully with a look of surprise.

Bai Lao immediately shook with excitement and shouted at his daughter: "What did I tell you? My body is in great shape."

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm just happy that your health is good."His daughter's tone was much gentler, though she couldn't help but be curious: "Did you take some Immortal Pills recently? Can you turn back into a youth?"

Hearing this, both Bai Lao and Tang Lingwu looked at Zheng Fa at the same time.

Bai Lao reached out and scratched the curly hair on his head, thought for a while, and then spoke: "Recently I went to watch square dancing and met a nice old lady."

His daughter suddenly looked up at him: "... At my age, can I have a stepmother?"

"No, what I mean is, my body, like my love life, has experienced a second spring; when the mood is good, the body is good."

"..."His daughter looked at him speechlessly as he spun a lie.

"It's all the power of love, understand?"

"I'm in my forties; I don't understand the love and affection of you old men and women."His daughter's face was expressionless.

"Alright, isn't it true that nothing is wrong with me?"Bai Lao, unable to explain, pushed his daughter out: "Go do your work; I still need to give them two make-up lessons."

"Dad!"

"My body is so healthy; what are you worried about?"

Bai Lao waved his hand.

Seeing his state and recalling the report from earlier, his daughter could only leave helplessly.

As soon as the door closed, Bai Lao suddenly turned his head, his eyes shining as he looked at Zheng Fa.

"Is our sect's martial arts that miraculous?"

Tang Lingwu, standing nearby, also curiously read Bai Lao's report.

This medical checkup report didn't show zero problems; some indicators had a small arrow next to them, indicating they were outside the normal range.

But for a sixty- or seventy-year-old, it was indeed considered very healthy.

"This has fewer problems than my checkup at forty."Bai Lao sighed with a "tsk tsk," then looked at Zheng Fa: "Zheng Fa, you don't blame me for hiding this for you, do you?"

"You did it for my own good."Zheng Fa shook his head.

"I can't be certain what would happen if this were revealed; perhaps someone would keep an eye on you, or perhaps it would bring you immense fame and wealth."When Bai Lao said this, his expression as he looked at Zheng Fa was very serious: "But whether for good or ill, you are not yet ready to handle these things. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

Who was he? An orphan, a high school student only a few months away from adulthood.

Except for a body trained in martial arts, he had almost nothing.

The effect of the Pine Crane Stake shouldn't be this great.

But the Spirit Crane Body was different.

Although Bai Lao's progress was slow and it would still take him several months to master the Spirit Crane Body, this didn't mean his body hadn't benefited from it.

On the contrary, cultivating the Spirit Crane Body seemed to be repairing his aged body, preparing it to undergo a transformation into a Dao Body.

"I just have to make you tell a few lies and sacrifice your reputation."Zheng Fa felt a bit embarrassed.

To hide this for him, Bai Lao had even concocted a twilight romance.

"What lies?"

"The second spring."Zheng Fa recalled the words Bai Lao had just used to deceive his daughter.

"Who said I deceived her?"Bai Lao widened his eyes, looking at Zheng Fa in confusion.

"?"

"What, are only you young people allowed to fly together and be affectionate in front of me? Am I not allowed a bit of old people's romance?"

"..."

After asking Bai Lao all the questions accumulated over these few days, Zheng Fa remembered Shijie Zhang's request.

"I have a friend..."

"Oh, a friend..."Bai Lao nodded, looking completely understanding.

"She really likes those calculation processes that are quite complex, or even the kind of questions twisted question-setters use specifically to make people sick."Zheng Fa objectively and fairly described Shijie Zhang's hobby: "Do you know where I can find many such questions?"

"You have this hobby too?"Bai Lao looked delighted.

"It's really not me,"Zheng Fa paused for a moment: "No, what do you mean 'too'..."

"Wait!"

Bai Lao ran to the bookshelf behind him and took out several thick folders: "I just love collecting these difficult and strange questions."

Zheng Fa could see that a cabinet as tall as a person behind him was stuffed with similar folders.

This is... Shijie's Happiness Cabinet?

"You... also like doing these questions?"

Zheng Fa was greatly shocked; what virtue or ability did he have to meet two such perverts!

"Oh, I don't like doing them; calculating is too torturous."Bai Lao waved his hand.

Fortunately, this old man wasn't that terrifying.

"I am the kind of perverted question-setter you mentioned who likes to make people sick."

"?"

"Didn't I work on Olympiad problems for a while before? These are all problems I collected or came up with myself."

"Are they all in the cabinet?"

"Not exactly. There are different types of problems; us problem-setters must accumulate these in our daily lives. Speaking of which, every time the problem-setting group tries to stop me." Bai Lao looked regretful: "They say if such problems are released, people will scold us."

Xuanwei Realm.

Zheng Fa walked toward the small courtyard where Zhang Shijie was staying as a guest in the Zhao residence; this small courtyard was only a few dozen steps from the Young Lady's courtyard.

When he entered Zhang Shijie's courtyard gate, the Young Lady was just walking out of her own small courtyard.

She frowned at Zheng Fa's back, a hint of thought flashing across her face, and walked toward the Lady's small building.

"Mother, I saw Zheng Fa go to find Zhang Shijie."

She said to the Lady.

The Lady nodded and said nothing.

"Mother, Zhang Shijie is a person who loves quiet. Is it not inappropriate for Zheng Fa to disturb her like this? What if he angers Zhang Shijie?"

The Lady shook her head: "Zheng Fa is not the type to be rash or ungrateful. If he goes to find Zhang True Person, it must be because he has received Zhang True Person's approval."

The Young Lady frowned, seeming to doubt her mother's judgment: "How is that possible? The Baixian Alliance has countless people wanting to befriend Zhang Shijie, yet she never shows any courtesy. I was able to invite her only because my ancestor had an old connection with Zhang Shijie's master."

"You said earlier that Zhang True Person said Zheng Fa's talent in talisman arts is not inferior to hers?"

The Lady suddenly asked.

"Yes, Zhang Shijie said it herself."

The Lady fell into silence for a long time. After a while, she suddenly looked at her daughter, her expression serious: "Lan'er, I have something to discuss with you."

"Mother?"

"I intend for Zheng Fa to marry into my Zhao family. What is your opinion?"

"Marry into the family? Mother, you value him so highly? Indeed, given his talent, this is a way for my Zhao family to secure his heart." The Young Lady spoke while thinking: "Mother, which sister are you planning for him to marry? Is Father willing?"

She frowned, as if calculating which of the many half-sisters in Zhou Qianyuan would be suitable.

"You."

The Young Lady froze, pointing a finger at her own nose: "Me?"