Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World-Chapter 35 - Empathy
Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Empathy
Chapter 35 -35: Empathy
In the study, Zheng Fa turned to the first page of the “Spiritual Crane Body,” still echoing in his ears were Mr.
Xu’s last words spoken in an indistinct tone:
“Don’t follow in my footsteps.”
Actually, even without hearing Mr.
Xu’s own experiences, Zheng Fa reckoned that he would not waste half his life on the “Spiritual Crane Body.”
Because to enter the Immortal Sect, he already had a better option: Talisman Master.
To Mr.
Xu, the “Spiritual Crane Body” was his sole opportunity for transcendence, which he naturally found hard to let go of.
But according to the Seventh Young Master, becoming a Talisman Master was also a chance to enter the Immortal Sect.
The bigger reason for Zheng Fa not valuing the “Spiritual Crane Body” like Mr.
Xu lies in the lady’s actions—showing a slight talent for talismans, and even deciphering the two simplest Primordial Talismans, was enough for the lady to bestow the “Spiritual Crane Body” upon him.
This indirectly showed that, in her eyes, the martial path depicted in the “Spiritual Crane Body” was far inferior to Zheng Fa’s talent for talismans, even less so than those two simplest Primordial Talismans. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Another thought added to Zheng Fa’s skepticism about the so-called martial path to becoming an Immortal:
If cultivating the “Spiritual Crane Body” allowed entrance to the Immortal Sect, then why would the Seventh Young Master bother with the intricate research of talismanic diagrams?
There were certainly issues that even Mr.
Xu didn’t know about.
However, these thoughts did not dampen Zheng Fa’s interest in the “Spiritual Crane Body,” a martial arts technique legendary in the pugilist world.
Beside him, the Seventh Young Master leaned over and flipped through the “Spiritual Crane Body” manual with Zheng Fa.
After scanning a few pages, the Seventh Young Master frowned and said, “This guy sure likes to ramble.”
Zheng Fa nodded; he hadn’t seen the martial prowess yet, but he definitely recognized the author’s narcissism.
This set of the “Spiritual Crane Body” consisted of four volumes.
Zheng Fa originally thought they would all discuss martial arts, but the first volume, also the thickest, was entirely the author’s preface!
The person just prattled on, detailing his life with meticulous verbosity.
He claimed to have been a martial artist, then joined the Immortal Sect but continued his passion for martial arts, creating the “Spiritual Crane Body” in the hopes that future generations would carry on and enhance his legacy.
A large portion of the text was spent boasting about his own martial prowess, his esteemed status in the Immortal Sect, and how exquisite the Cultivation Technique he developed was…
“Did he create this martial art just because he wanted others to hear him brag?” the Seventh Young Master rubbed his chin and remarked.
Zheng Fa actually found the idea of gifting martial arts in exchange for listening to boasts somewhat plausible…
He flipped through the subsequent volumes and, to his surprise, the second book contained martial arts knowledge regarding the Songhe Stance, which Zheng Fa had already begun learning.
Was this why the lady insisted on him studying the “Spiritual Crane Body”?
Because he had shown promise in the Songhe Stance?
He skipped over the second book to look at the third and fourth.
The fourth book was a martial skill called the Spiritual Crane Cloud-piercing Hand; the book claimed it was powerful, but it was not the core of the “Spiritual Crane Body” technique.
The third volume, however, with “Spiritual Crane Heart Scripture” written on its cover, was the essence of the technique.
But upon opening the third book, Zheng Fa instinctively furrowed his brow, and the Seventh Young Master, also looking bewildered beside him, muttered, “What the heck is this drawing?”
The page depicted a humanoid figure with wings on its shoulder blades and crane feet below the waist, draped in feathers and striking several indecipherable poses, void of any interpretive notes or annotations.
Zheng Fa looked for a long while but couldn’t grasp it.
Yet, he didn’t feel discouraged.
It was only normal that he couldn’t immediately comprehend a martial art that even Mr.
Xu hadn’t mastered in twenty years.
…
Inside the lady’s chamber, the Seventh Young Master lifted the curtains and strode in.
“Oh?
Look who’s here?” The lady’s face was adorned with mocking smile: “Such a rare visitor!”
The Seventh Young Master blushed: “Isn’t it only proper to visit you, Mother?”
“Proper?
Who’s been avoiding me all these years?”
“I…
that’s because…”
“Alright, you never visit without a reason.
So, what’s the matter?”
“I’ve been wanting to learn the ‘Spiritual Crane Body,’ but I just can’t understand it at all.
Mother, do you perhaps know any secrets to it?”
“You want to learn?” The lady arched her eyebrows, looking at her son: “Didn’t I give the ‘Spiritual Crane Body’ to Zheng Fa?”
“I am the Young Master.
If I want to look, if I want to learn, can he stop me?” The Seventh Young Master said with a headstrong air.
“Really?”
“I just figured Zheng Fa, that idiot, can’t learn it no matter how hard he tries.
If there’s a secret technique and I learn it, it’d piss him off to death!” Seventh Young Master coughed and said.
“Is that so…” The lady nodded, seemingly persuaded by him.
“Mother?
The secret technique?”
“Secret technique?” The lady patted her forehead and said: “I seem to have heard someone say that the creator of this Cultivation Technique once stated, to master the Spiritual Crane Body, the mystery lies entirely in the first volume.”
“Really?”
“Would your mother deceive you?”
“Mother, I have things to do, I’m leaving!” Seventh Young Master turned and ran off, while the lady looked at his retreating back with a smile that was not quite a smile.
…
“Zheng Fa!
My mother said to master the Spiritual Crane Body, you have to look at the first volume of the secret scroll!”
Seventh Young Master rushed in, saying eagerly.
“Young Master, did you go ask the lady?” Zheng Fa was a bit surprised.
“Just some small talk, and we talked about this.” Seventh Young Master waved his hand: “Hurry up and bring out the first volume, let’s study it closely.”
Zheng Fa gave Seventh Young Master a look and took out the first volume of the Spiritual Crane Body.
Gao Yuan stood far away, consciously avoiding looking at the Spiritual Crane Body, but his eyes still curiously glanced over.
Zheng Fa and Seventh Young Master carefully flipped through the first volume, both frowning.
It was just an ordinary autobiography, and even because the author was a martial artist with no proper education, the story was written in a tacky and boring manner.
“Could it be some kind of cipher?”
Seventh Young Master guessed.
Zheng Fa shook his head: “It’s not impossible, but with a cipher, we need to know the pattern, right?”
After hearing this, Seventh Young Master did not give up and, pulling Zheng Fa with him, flipped through the book back and forth, trying to find some pattern.
After a long while, Seventh Young Master threw the book away angrily, starting to launch personal attacks on the author of the Spiritual Crane Body:
“What a crappy book!
Not even worth a third-rate novel!”
“I’m about to puke from reading it!”
“Was this person bored stiff?
Boasting about going to Qianshan Temple and Qian Yu and gaining ultimate knowledge, with that much time, why didn’t he spend it on some education, learn how to write!”
Zheng Fa shook his head and laid the book flat on the desk, but he had to admit in his heart—this book really didn’t reveal any training secrets.
Gao Yuan, standing to the side, saw the somewhat disappointed expressions of the two, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled into a slight smile.
Seventh Young Master saw his expression and asked, “What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing.” Gao Yuan shook his head.
“Do you think it’s funny, seeing me, the young master, and Zheng Fa, who is more talented than you, both unable to understand it, and it makes you feel happy?”
Gao Yuan’s face flushed and he replied softly and honestly, “I’ve also been having some trouble with my martial arts practice recently, and now it seems…
we’re pretty much in the same boat…”
Zheng Fa was quite understanding of Gao Yuan; Gao Yuan was the type who liked to compare himself with others, easily influenced and prone to anxiety.
Even he believed that Gao Yuan probably didn’t harbor any ill will towards him, and it was even less likely that he was jealous.
But according to Zheng Fa’s observation, when someone fails an exam, no consolation is as good as their best friend’s failing paper…
“Pretty much in the same boat?” Seventh Young Master glanced at Gao Yuan: “Have you mastered the Songhe Stance?”
“Not quite yet.”
“You haven’t mastered the Songhe Stance, and he hasn’t mastered the Spiritual Crane Body.
It’s like one failed the scholar examinations, and the other failed to become the top scholar.” Seventh Young Master had a sincerely perplexing look on his face: “Do you…
really sympathize with him?”
The smile slowly faded from Gao Yuan’s face, then reappeared on Seventh Young Master’s smug one.
