Chapter 31: Meeting is a Miracle

Clear broth goose.

The soup base is thick and milky white, with golden oil floating on top, and thin slices of pickled radish added inside; the flavor is fresh, fragrant, and rich, with a hint of sourness.

This is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant outside the North Gate.

Teacher Shi Qian didn't offer any extra pleasantries; while waiting for the food, he talked about some things from back in the day with Chen Jiaoshou, and once the pot was served, he picked up his chopsticks directly and asked:

"You said you only drank the Opening Agent half a year ago, what tier are you now? Have you reached the Second Tier?"

"I have."

"Not bad, how far into the Second Tier?"

"Emmm..."

Chen Shu hesitated for a moment, choosing to answer truthfully to avoid using more lies to embellish a lie: "I should be ready to push for the Third Tier."

"Really? That's impressive!"

"Is this you encouraging me?"

"Do your parents know?"

"They don't."

"Oh..." Shi Qian nodded, drawing out the tail of his tone to show he understood what Chen Shu meant. In this day and age, Ancient Cultivators are no longer encouraged; it's fine for young people to pursue it a little—who hasn't had a rebellious phase? —but if one shows a posture of charging forward at high speed on this path from the very beginning, parents will definitely worry, "But your talent is truly heaven-defying, much better than your dad's talent!"

"So, can I get the Thousand Machine Art in advance?"

"Of course you can, take it whenever! Oh, I forgot to mention in class, if there are students with a deeper background in this area, you can also come to me for it early." Shi Qian ate a piece of meat, "Generally, the students recruited into our major every year are hidden talents; many students, just upon entering school, already have a higher attainment in Spell Principles than students in their junior or senior years at other schools. For these students, there's no need for us to hold them back."

"Can I have the complete version?"

"You're still a bit short at the Second Tier, but if you're about to reach the Third Tier, you can learn the complete version at the Third Tier. I can give it to you early, though. Looking at the questions you asked me before, your level in this area is at least higher than most fifth-year students, so I'm not worried about you; just ask me if you don't understand something."

"That would be great."

"Do you have such a deep obsession with Traditional Cultivation?" Shi Qian glanced at Chen Shu, the soup and meat in his bowl emitting heat, "Isn't modern cultivation quite good? It's easy to find a job, the pay is high; besides joining the military, Traditional Cultivation isn't very useful and might even invite trouble."

"It's interesting."

"Basically everyone thinks so..." Shi Qian lowered his head to blow on the soup in his bowl, "If you want to pursue the path of Traditional Cultivation, your cultivation level is very important. Is the Promotion Potion ready?"

"I'm a bit short on money. Does Uncle have any good channels suitable for me to get money?"

"I do."

Teacher Shi Qian's tone was casual yet certain, and then he said to him: "Eat quickly, eat quickly. Talk less while eating, and we'll talk as we walk on the way back."

"That makes sense."

Focusing on food at the dining table is a good habit.

"This soup is not bad."

"It's a bit thick today; it's usually better."

"Is it salty? I haven't felt it yet, but after drinking too much, it gets a bit like that."

"Greasy, right?"

"Yes, there's not enough pickled radish, and it's not pickled enough. If you don't taste it carefully, you can't even tell it's pickled radish; you'd think it was fresh radish."

"You have a very picky palate!"

"That's what I'm most proud of..."

Discussing the taste of food appropriately and exchanging opinions is also very comfortable.

By the time they finished eating, the sky had already darkened.

Shi Qian took the initiative to pay the bill, which was less than a hundred yuan. As the two were walking back to the school, Shi Qian said to him: "There are many channels to make money, but they are all relatively slow. Students in our major usually choose a commission company to take on tasks that require a Cultivator or even an Ancient Cultivator to complete, fully leveraging their own advantages. At least it pays more than the part-time jobs students from other colleges do, and it saves time and effort."

As he spoke, he paused: "If you have other specialties that can make money, you can also make full use of them; in any case, working ordinary jobs definitely won't satisfy your requirements."

"Do you have any commission companies to recommend?"

"I'll have to go back and ask about that."

"Okay..."

"Why is that girl over there staring at you?"

"What gi..."

Chen Shu turned his head to look, only to see a graceful figure standing quietly by the sidewalk across the street, looking at him, wearing a mask, her gaze calm.

"Maybe it's because I'm quite handsome..."

"Ha..."

Teacher Shi Qian laughed: "Then you can stop here; I'm heading back too. If you have any questions you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

"Okay."

Chen Shu stopped his steps.

He crossed the street.

Qingqing was wearing a light blue sweater today, a very, very light color, in a loose style, with light beige wide-leg pants underneath, the texture of which looked very soft. Her hair looked like it had just been washed and blown dry, hanging naturally behind her back; it was a very clean and quiet outfit.

She was wearing a mask, her hands lightly behind her back, standing very straight.

Behind her were the embers of the sunset.

"Beauty, who are you waiting for here?"

Just as Chen Shu walked close to her, she took her hands from behind her back and threw a straight punch.

"Boom!"

"Violent!"

Chen Shu rubbed his chest and said to her: "You even said that Xiaoxiao hitting people was something I taught her. If you let others say it, they would definitely say it was you who taught her!"

Ning Qing took off her mask and carefully put it away:

"I didn't teach her."

"She's been influenced by what she's seen and heard!"

"……"

"Look! You have nothing to say now, right?"

"What does that have to do with me."

"Still quibbling."

"Hmph."

"How did you come to find me? You didn't even tell me beforehand." Chen Shu walked forward, "How did you know I would pass by here?"

"Guessed."

"You can even guess that? Doesn't that mean I won't have any privacy in the future?" Chen Shu acted very scared, "Shivering with fear."

"You've told so many lies, when have I ever exposed you?"

"I didn't."

"That's one more."

"……" Chen Shu pursed his lips, "Have you eaten dinner?"

"I have."

"Then I'll take you to walk around the Sports Field; many young couples go for walks there in the evening." Chen Shu paused, "Let's pretend we're a young couple too."

"Okay."

The afterglow of the sunset gradually dimmed, and the evening glow faded completely, but the colors on the horizon became even more beautiful and clear; the first white star lit up, and the waning moon hung on the other side.

The Sports Field was very lively; some people were playing ball in the middle, the inner lane of the track was left for night runners, and the outer lane was full of people walking.

Chen Shu and Qingqing walked slowly and asked, "Are you getting along well with your roommates?"

"A bit better."

"Really?"

"I don't lie."

"How did you do it? Tell me about it."

"By relying on my wisdom."

"Not bad, Qingqing!" Chen Shu patted her shoulder; the shoulder was soft, and the sweater fabric was also very soft, "How does it feel?"

"Your hand is heavy."

"How does it feel to get along well with your roommates?"

"It's alright."

"Keep up the good work."

"I plan to go out and look for a place to live, find a courtyard."

"Have you decided whether you'll live in the dormitory in the future?"

"We'll see."

"……"

The floodlights at the corners of the Sports Field also lit up.

Thursday, Ling'an Academy.

Ning Qing had a full schedule of classes that day as well.

The morning was "Theoretical Astrophysics" and "Cosmic Observation," the first major session in the afternoon was "Cosmology and Galaxy Formation," and the second major session was "Cosmic Radiation and Spiritual Power." After finishing the first afternoon session, Ning Qing immediately came to the classroom for the second session and sat in the first row.

The teacher for this class was named Ouyuan Gong.

When she was very young, she had read popular science books written by the elderly Mr. Ouyuan Gong, which sparked her great interest in the universe, leading her to eventually apply for this major when she became an adult.

This was the first class of "Cosmic Radiation and Spiritual Power."

There were forty people in the whole class, which could only be said to be exactly full, with no expansion of enrollment. But there were definitely more than forty people in the classroom; there were students from other majors who came to audit the class. Clearly, whether it was the mysterious universe or the highly respected elderly Mr. Ouyuan Gong, both deeply attracted some young people.

The old gentleman walked in carrying a water cup; his hair was already gray, and age spots appeared on his face.

As a Cultivator, generally speaking, one maintains the best state of life until Spirit Decay, which indicates that the old gentleman was already nearing Spirit Decay, and his time was running out.

Spirit Decay is very painful; the higher the Cultivation Rank, the more painful it is. It is the old age of a Cultivator and also the most terrifying tribulation in a cultivation career. Accompanied by a series of symptoms, Cultivators tortured by Spirit Decay often die in a way that lacks more dignity than ordinary elderly people.

In ancient times, people had no way to deal with it.

So much so that many Cultivators chose to skip this stage; when their time was near, they would call their disciples and children to their side, tell them they were going to die, and then just die.

The pain was secondary; the main thing was the loss of dignity.

Modern times have made great progress in this regard.

If one is a Low-level Practitioner, Spirit Decay can basically be said to have been conquered; as long as medication is taken regularly, besides aging during these few years, one can guarantee a normal life.

If one is an Intermediate Cultivator, depending on individual circumstances, long-term medical monitoring or even hospitalization might be needed, which can greatly reduce the symptoms of Spirit Decay.

As for High-level Practitioner, even if a large amount of cost is invested, the results are not high.

Coupled with the fact that advancing to High-level is too difficult, the investment and return gradually become disproportionate, and at the same time, social instability factors increase. In modern times, unless necessary, the Government in principle does not encourage the public to advance to High-level, nor does it actively provide resource support and other help.

Except for the military or other necessary positions—

They sacrifice a great deal; even if they gain a longer lifespan, they do not use it to enjoy life, but constantly strive to improve, guarding the country and benefiting the people. When they reach Spirit Decay, if they choose to Transform into Dao like ancient Cultivators, the country will provide compensation to their descendants and give them a grand funeral. If they want to see this world for a few more years, the country will also do its utmost to make them as painless as possible and ensure the dignity of their later years as much as possible.

Old Mr. Ouyuan was over three hundred years old and was naturally a High-level Practitioner.

This old man looked ordinary, his posture was still very straight, and he had no fear of the end of life; he even persisted in teaching young people.

His voice was also like that of an ordinary old man:

"Hello, students."

"Hello, teacher."

"Before we start the class, I have to nag a bit more." The old gentleman looked around at everyone, "As everyone knows, the universe is vast, and most areas are dead zones. It is an incredibly wonderful and inconceivable thing that life could be born on our planet, and that we meet here, think here, and talk here is a seemingly ordinary miracle."

Ning Qing listened quietly, a smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

It is a miracle.

The old gentleman's voice continued to come through: "So in this class, I hope more that we can get to know each other, to know one another as unique beings in the whole world, to know this miracle that the universe took eighty billion years to gestate; perhaps we can realize the brilliance and indescribable wonder contained within it. I hope even more that we can get along as equals, casting aside our teacher-student status; we can discuss anything about the universe in class, like friends—curricular, extracurricular, rigorous, or whimsical, all are fine."

"I hope that by the day we part, you all won't feel that you have wasted a period of time, and that years later, you will still remember me, this teacher, and occasionally think of me."

"And if anyone feels that this course is very dull, or has other more important matters, you may choose not to attend this class at any time."

"I allow you to skip class."

"In this world, there are simply many things more important than attending class, many."

"For example, if the moonlight is bright tonight, you are walking on the road, and suddenly you don't want to come to class, you don't have to come. For example, if the person you like has traveled for a long time today to see you, you ought to go see them, and remember to dress up nicely."

"Or for example, all sorts of beauty in the world are attracting you..."

"The universe is vast and boundless, but believe me, it is by no means the most important thing; while being intoxicated by the starry sky, don't forget to withdraw your gaze and admire the beauty of this world."

The old gentleman's tone was full of the vicissitudes of time, and his eyes held too many things; they were no longer as bright as they were in his youth.

"Let's begin the class."

"I noticed that your previous class was cosmology, and the teacher must have told you about the Big Bang and cosmic background radiation, so I won't say much more. In this class, we can discuss cosmic embers and the origin of Spirit Power separately; this can also lay a foundation for our Plane Studies next semester."

The content of this class was all things Ning Qing already knew well, but listening to a lecture in person was naturally different from reading a book, and she still gained something.

Two hours passed quickly.

The old gentleman slowly packed up his things with the leisurely air peculiar to his age, while outside, someone was calling for Ning Qing.

"Ning Qing!"

"Ning Qing!"

"Hey! Over here!"

The windows of this classroom were very high, and Ning Qing saw Zhang Suannai's head popping up from time to time; she could imagine her jumping outside the window.

At the same time, she kept waving at her.

Ning Qing pursed her lips, took her book and water cup, and walked out.

Zhang Suannai stood under the window, waiting for her with a radiant face, and said to her: "I've come to pick you up!"

"Why are you here?"

"I told you, to pick you up!"

"?"

"I happened to be having class upstairs, and it just so happened that the teacher let us out early, so I came to try my luck to see if you were still in the classroom. It turns out I saw you sitting in the first row right away. Hey, you're so tall, aren't you afraid of blocking others by sitting in the first row?"

"Let's go."

"You're so cold and aloof!" Zhang Suannai followed by Ning Qing's side, "Which cafeteria are we going to? Do you want Grandma... Senior Sister to take you to another cafeteria?"

"Talk less."

"Why?" Zhang Suannai asked back with a look of confusion, then said, "I grew a mouth just to talk!"

"I don't like others talking too much."

"Are you like this to everyone?"

"..."

"Are you like this to your parents too?"

"Also like this."

"Then you must be very unfilial."

"Shut up."

"Why didn't you answer when I asked about everyone just now? Could it be that it's not everyone? Then you're even more unfilial..."

"..."

"How about Senior Sister takes you shopping at the Royal Plaza this weekend?"

"Not going."

"Look at you! You didn't answer just now, so there's definitely something wrong!"

"Don't bother me."

"Alright, alright..."

Ning Qing walked to the corner of the hallway; this was the first floor. She looked back and saw the old gentleman holding his water cup, standing at the classroom door, looking up and admiring the sweet osmanthus in the courtyard alone. Countless young students came and went around him, talking and laughing; only his hair was white, and only his expression was serene.

The clusters of golden flowers on the tree emitted a faint, sweet fragrance that everyone could smell, yet only he stopped to admire them.

Ning Qing stopped and watched for a few seconds before withdrawing her gaze.

It's the season for the sweet osmanthus to bloom, after all...

She had self-awareness; she was actually very lacking in the ability to stop and admire the world. If there were no miracles, her life would have been very dull.

Fortunately, there is always someone to remind her.

Just like these sweet osmanthus flowers; last year it was Chen Shu's sweet osmanthus cake, and this year it is a teacher.