I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 36: Prestige

Zheng Fa’s understanding of Ling Crane Body wasn’t progressing as he had hoped. He had mostly mastered the Song Crane Stance, but the martial skill Ling Crane Piercing Cloud Hand from the fourth book relied heavily on concepts in the Ling Crane Heart Sutra.

The problem? He couldn’t make sense of the Heart Sutra at all.

For over a week—plus the seven days he spent back in the modern world—Zheng Fa had poured his efforts into deciphering the four volumes of Ling Crane Body. Nearly half a month later, he had made no progress.

At the training grounds, Zheng Fa handed the four volumes of Ling Crane Body to Instructor Xu.

“What’s this?” Xu asked, startled as he accepted the books.

“Could you return these to Madam for me?” Zheng Fa replied.

“You’re… giving up?”

Instructor Xu misunderstood.

Zheng Fa wasn’t planning to abandon the Ling Crane Body entirely, but his schedule was packed. He had too many things to juggle: Old Bai’s math lessons, preparing for his modern high school exams, studying under Teacher Shen in this world, and practicing the Song Crane Stance.

Even with double the time compared to others, Zheng Fa was spread thin.

The main reason he was returning the books, however, was that during his studies over the past two weeks, he had already memorized all four volumes.

Ling Crane Body was classified as a top-secret martial art within the Zhao household. Keeping such precious manuals in his possession was risky.

Before he could explain, Instructor Xu waved dismissively.

“Giving up is a good thing. Better than wasting time… Yes, it’s for the best.”

With that, Instructor Xu walked off, carrying the Ling Crane Body manuals. His retreating figure looked a bit melancholic.

At the training grounds, Xu’s nephew noticed his uncle’s forlorn expression.

“Uncle, are you alright?”

Xu gently ran his hand over the embossed title, Ling Crane Sutra, on the book cover.

“Do you think I scared Zheng Fa off by telling him about my own struggles with this technique?” Xu asked, guilt evident in his tone.

His nephew, aware of the years his uncle had spent on the Ling Crane Sutra, hesitated before replying, “Maybe Zheng Fa just didn’t have the perseverance…”

“No. He’s smarter than me. He knows when to let go. As for me… I just can’t give up.” Xu sighed deeply. “But I suppose it’s time to let go.”

When the seventh young master heard that Zheng Fa had returned the Ling Crane Body manuals, he simply nodded.

“Even a genius like me couldn’t figure it out. It’s normal that you couldn’t either!”

He pointed at Gao Yuan.

“Look at him—he hasn’t even gotten a chance to try!”

Gao Yuan’s helpless and innocent expression drew Zheng Fa’s attention.

For once, the seventh young master wasn’t laughing at anyone, but Zheng Fa still thought to himself, That was unnecessarily savage.

Back in the modern world, at Old Bai’s house.

“Here.”

Zheng Fa pulled a hidden milk tea out of his bag and handed it to Tang Lingwu. She took it eagerly, inserting the straw and taking a big sip.

The two of them had developed a subtle understanding.

“What about me?” Old Bai grumbled from the side.

Tang Lingwu blinked at Zheng Fa. “He’s your disciple. Shouldn’t you keep him in check?”

“How about I bring him one next time?” Zheng Fa suggested hesitantly, trying to be fair.

“Is that even the issue here?” Old Bai scowled, looking first at the radiant Tang Lingwu and then at Zheng Fa. The more he looked at Zheng Fa, the more irritable he became.

“Who says he’s my master? That stupid martial art he taught me—I’ve been practicing forever and haven’t made any progress!”

It was clear Old Bai’s initial enthusiasm for martial arts had waned. He was even on the verge of rebelling against his teacher.

Zheng Fa refused to take the blame.

“That’s because your aptitude is a bit lacking. I’d estimate it’ll take you about six months to get the basics down.”

“Six months? How long did it take you to master the basics?” Old Bai asked curiously.

“Me? Ten days, give or take.” Zheng Fa thoughtfully added the time spent in both worlds, trying not to make the gap sound too harsh.

“So, my aptitude really is terrible,” Old Bai concluded, nodding without a trace of disappointment.

“You’re not discouraged?” Tang Lingwu asked, surprised.

“Why would I feel disheartened?” Old Bai waved his hand with a smile. “At my age, what’s the point of worrying about aptitude or speed in training? You have to be magnanimous when it’s time to be magnanimous!”

Both Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu nodded, feeling a tinge of admiration for his broad-mindedness.

This old man truly had a big heart and a wise perspective.

“And besides,” Old Bai continued with a sly grin, “look at Zheng Fa. When it comes to math, he’s like an unevolved monkey who just can’t figure things out. If he doesn’t feel disheartened at his age, why should I?”

Zheng Fa, feeling the insult, immediately shot back, “Fine! Today I’ll let you experience the power of the Song Crane Stance! Prepare yourself!”

“Hmph! No need to hold back. Let me tell you something—I’ve got a secret technique I’ve been refining for sixty years. Once I unleash it, you’ll be begging for mercy!”

“What secret technique?” Zheng Fa asked, genuinely curious.

Old Bai dramatically threw himself onto a chair, clutching his chest, his face contorted in mock agony.

“Help! Someone’s hitting me! I can’t move!”

Zheng Fa: … Why do I even bother?

“I can’t even say for sure if I’ll live another six months. Taking six months just to get started with this technique is way too long!”

Old Bai seemed genuinely ready to give up.

But that wouldn’t do!

It didn’t matter if Old Bai trained or not. What mattered was that Zheng Fa couldn’t afford to lose his free, top-tier math tutor!

Studying with Old Bai was tough. When they started with topology, Zheng Fa could barely understand a word. Eventually, Old Bai decided to go back to basics and teach him high school math.

While Old Bai’s teaching style lacked politeness—often peppered with insults about his students’ intelligence—if one could endure the personal attacks and extract the actual lessons from the barrage of ridicule, the benefits were undeniable.

For Zheng Fa, whose foundational knowledge was already strong, sometimes all he needed was one or two key insights to make a breakthrough.

There was no way he’d let Old Bai’s aspirations of roaming the martial world derail his tutoring sessions!

“Did you know that the Song Crane Stance you’re practicing has the power to extend your lifespan?” Zheng Fa asked, his tone suddenly deep and serious.

“Extend my lifespan?”

Old Bai’s expression shifted. At his age, such promises were hard to resist.

“And that’s not all,” Zheng Fa continued, his face solemn. “The Song Crane Stance is just the introductory technique to my sect’s ultimate martial art: Ling Crane Body. And Ling Crane Body is a legendary technique that can lead to enlightenment through martial arts!”

“Enlightenment through martial arts?”

Old Bai looked skeptical, though Zheng Fa’s serious demeanor seemed to have unsettled him slightly.

“According to my sect’s records, Ling Crane Body was created by an ancestor who spent their entire life traveling across mountains, studying nature, and observing all kinds of birds. It’s a masterpiece born from the essence of the world’s avian species. Once you’ve mastered the Song Crane Stance, you can move on to the Ling Crane Heart Sutra, which grants enlightenment and significantly increases lifespan!”

Thank you to that bragging sect ancestor. You’ve made it so easy to spin a convincing tale, Zheng Fa thought, feeling thoroughly at ease as he weaved his story.

“Studying nature and birds across all the mountains in the world? Sounds pretty far-fetched,” Old Bai muttered.

“It doesn’t stop there. Legend has it that after mastering the Ling Crane Heart Sutra, our ancestor achieved immortality and ascended to a higher plane of existence!”

Zheng Fa wasn’t even exaggerating. The ancestor who created the Ling Crane Heart Sutra had indeed entered an immortal sect. By extension, wasn’t that essentially achieving enlightenment?

“So, that’s enlightenment through martial arts…”

While Old Bai didn’t believe in supernatural tales, he couldn’t help but respect the ancestor’s determination and vision.

“That ancestor must have been a person of immense perseverance and willpower,” Old Bai said, nodding in admiration.

“Do you want to learn it?” Zheng Fa asked, his voice dripping with temptation.

“Yes!”

The mere idea of extending his lifespan was enough to sway Old Bai.

“Master the Song Crane Stance, and I’ll officially initiate you into the sect and teach you Ling Crane Body,” Zheng Fa promised.

“Master! Your disciple pledges unwavering loyalty to the sect and will diligently train to one day restore its glory!”

From the side, Tang Lingwu raised her hand, her face showing a mix of confusion and curiosity.

“I have a question…”

“Hm?”

“That ancestor of yours sounds incredible. But… if observing birds was so important to developing the technique, wouldn’t it be easier for us to just visit a zoo?”

“Eh?”

Zheng Fa and Old Bai exchanged glances.

In an instant, the majestic and prestigious image of their sect ancestor seemed to crumble.

Tang Lingwu sipped her milk tea innocently, her voice soft.

“Did I say something wrong? Oh, I know—maybe we could check out the bird markets instead?”

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