Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World-Chapter 44 - Withdrawal from School
Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Withdrawal from School
Chapter 44 -44 Withdrawal from School
Zheng Fa could never have guessed that his lady would actually, from the fact that he practiced the “Spiritual Crane Body”, make the rational yet outrageous inference that he was hiding a Nascent Soul expert behind him.
Now his problem was that the old man behind him—Old Man Bai—was tired of studying.
No, he wanted to drop out.
One evening, after tutoring Tang Lingwu, he suddenly said to Zheng Fa: “Zheng, I probably won’t have time to practice martial arts in the future.”
Old Man Bai’s martial arts progress was too slow, with hardly any noticeable results, so naturally, his enthusiasm waned by the day.
Zheng Fa had noticed all along and had foreseen this day coming.
Looking at Old Man Bai, Tang Lingwu couldn’t help but suspect: “Sir Bai, is it because martial arts practice is too exhausting and painful that you want to give up?”
“What giving up?” Old Man Bai spoke with conviction: “I have other urgent matters, I’m too stretched thin!
Do you understand being too busy with important duties?”
“What could a retired person possibly be busy with?” Tang Lingwu clearly didn’t believe it.
“Don’t doubt me!” Old Man Bai said proudly: “Just the other day, I got a call from Beijing University Press; they’re waiting for my new book!”
Upon hearing this, both Zheng Fa were somewhat surprised.
“You’re still writing and proposing theories?
You never mentioned this before.”
“Could I boast to you two youngsters?” Old Man Bai said with a crooked mouth: “I may have retired, turned to helping out with chores, but they’re practically begging me to write a book!”
Hearing him boast like this, Tang Lingwu was a bit skeptical: “What book are you writing, sir?”
Old Man Bai sighed: “You don’t know, some of our university textbooks were written last century.
Not that they’re bad, they were written by learned scholars.
But now people realize, eh?
They could be written better, and some new knowledge has yet to be updated.”
“So what you’re writing is a textbook for Beijing University?” Tang Lingwu’s tone carried a bit of reverence.
“Just one, just one.” Old Man Bai waved off, feigning modesty: “It’s not an important book.
It’s just that they’re rushing me so much, I truly don’t have time!”
Seeing he wasn’t making it up, Zheng Fa started to view Old Man Bai with new respect.
“So, it’s not that I gave up martial arts, it’s really that I have no time.” Old Man Bai explained again, “Thinking of those students still learning those outdated materials, all eager and hungry, it makes me anxious!
I can’t even sleep well!”
Hearing this, Tang Lingwu glanced at Zheng Fa, her expression showing a trace of concern.
Sure enough, Old Man Bai then said to Zheng Fa: “Zheng, if you have any problems in the future, come to my house on weekends.
I can spare an hour or two to explain things to you.
As for topology and such, you don’t need that for now.
You can wait to learn it after the college entrance exams.”
Tang Lingwu opened her mouth, as if wanting to say something, but seemed unsure how to speak.
Zheng Fa nodded, harboring no blame towards Old Man Bai in his heart.
Zheng Fa had indeed enjoyed a period of personal tutoring from Old Man Bai, and although he hadn’t grasped topics like college-level topology, he felt more confident about the knowledge required for the college entrance math exam.
As for Old Man Bai…
he had been practicing the Songhe Stance for a while now, and really hadn’t gotten anything out of it.
Thinking about it, Zheng Fa was the one who had benefited more.
As for Old Man Bai’s current change of heart, on one hand, it was definitely due to insufficient positive feedback from martial arts practice.
On the other hand, it was indeed because Zheng Fa was a slow learner.
A disciple chooses the master, but the master also chooses the disciple, and this attitude is even stronger in the Xuanwei Realm.
After all, Old Man Bai was used to teaching the prodigies of Beijing University; it was only natural for him to be somewhat disparaging of Zheng Fa’s learning pace.
Moreover, his intentions were not ill; in his view, Zheng Fa’s main task at present should be the college entrance exams, not studying topology with him.
In his heart, Zheng Fa was actually somewhat grateful: Old Man Bai’s offer to help on the weekends showed he cared, after all he had no expectations of Zheng Fa now.
Seeing him nod calmly, Tang Lingwu let out a quiet sigh, then looked at Zheng Fa’s face as if she had discovered something, her expression very puzzled.
“What are you staring at Zheng Fa for?” Seeing her intense gaze, Old Man Bai bristled, frowning as he spoke.
“He…
seems to have changed?”
Old Man Bai narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Zheng Fa head to toe, but seemed to find nothing amiss: “No change, still has one nose and two eyes.”
“You’re far-sighted; of course, you can’t see clearly.” Tang Lingwu paid him no heed, continuing to stare intently at Zheng Fa’s face: “Zheng Fa, what skincare have you been using recently?”
Zheng Fa knew that Tang Lingwu had noticed the change after practicing the “Spiritual Crane Body.”
“I’ve made some progress in martial arts recently.”
He turned to Tang Lingwu to explain.
“Martial arts!” Tang Lingwu’s mouth was agape, seemingly surprised by the answer Zheng Fa gave her.
“What’s the matter?”
“I thought…” Tang Lingwu glanced at Old Man Bai, who was searching for his reading glasses: “You were just pulling Sir Bai’s leg earlier.”
Old Man Bai, with reading glasses, pressed up to Zheng Fa’s face and scrutinized him closely, as if conducting some kind of research.
“Do you see any changes?” asked Tang Lingwu.
“No!” Old Man Bai answered.
“Then why have you been looking for so long?”
“I don’t know what he looked like before, how could I notice any change?” Old Man Bai said righteously: “I’m not like you, a young girl, staring at young boys all day long!”
“…”
“So, you’re saying, you mastered a martial art, and then your skin improved?”
Tang Lingwu asked Zheng Fa, curious, seemingly not having heard the old man’s words.
“Yes, one morning when I woke up, it was as if I had shed a layer of skin.”
“So, what you said before about prolonging life, is that also true?” Tang Lingwu’s eyes shone brighter than ever.
“Of course, it’s true.
Do you think I was lying to you?” Zheng Fa questioned her back, then turned to look at Old Man Bai: “Did you also think I was deceiving you?”
They both nodded in unison.
“Then what are you practicing for?”
“That’s because…
I got bored after retirement, just practicing for fun.”
Old Man Bai laughed awkwardly.
“Incredible…” Tang Lingwu stretched out a finger, as if she wanted to poke Zheng Fa’s face, but then halted.
“Is this the image I portray in your minds?”
Zheng Fa felt somewhat gloomy. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Had these two been humoring him all this time?
“It’s just that there are too many scammers in those short videos.”
Both of them smiled embarrassingly at Zheng Fa.
“Do you believe me now?”
“Believe, believe, believe!” Old Man Bai nodded frantically, staring at Zheng Fa’s face.
After a while, Old Man Bai’s complexion suddenly became twisted: “Zheng…
I want to learn martial arts again.”
“Want to learn again?”
“Yes!”
“Weren’t you busy?”
“What busy?
Not busy!
Retired and helping with chores, who cares?”
“Weren’t you supposed to write a book?”
“Can write it slowly as well.”
Zheng Fa shook his head slowly: “That’s not right, your students are eagerly waiting every day.”
“Let them yearn, they won’t starve!” Old Man Bai didn’t care at all: “What am I?
I’m not a great mathematician, do I really see myself as something special?
My book is too rough to use as toilet paper, insignificant, insignificant.”
Zheng Fa couldn’t bear to look at his flattering old face, and turned his head to Tang Lingwu.
Tang Lingwu pushed an unopened milk tea towards Zheng Fa with a finger.
“?”
“I want to learn, too.” Tang Lingwu’s eyes held an uncommon passion: “I’ll buy you milk tea in the future.”
