I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 278Book 2: : Qingxue Gives Up, Zheng Fa’s Path

Vol 2 Chapter 278: Qingxue Gives Up, Zheng Fa’s Path

Martial Uncle Pang’s remark brought a moment of silence to the grand hall on Heavenly Palace Island.

Madam Xuanhua seemed to recall what she had witnessed in the hall at Mount Tongming that day. She slowly nodded and sighed softly, “People who’ve grown used to life in the Jiushan Realm really wouldn’t fit in with Taishang Dao.”

This wasn’t purely praise for Jiushan Realm.

It was simply that the current state of Jiushan Realm had already drifted far from the norms of traditional Xuanyi sects. Whether or not Taishang Dao was “good” wasn’t the point—the habits and customs were vastly different.

The mortal realm of Jiushan was gradually stabilizing.

In terms of food, Zhenren Qian’s breakthroughs came one after another, and the disciples’ diets grew more and more varied.

In terms of spiritual materials, the Golden Core Project had already resolved their most urgent crisis.

As for talent reserves, in recent years, more and more children in the mortal world were learning both literacy and arithmetic.

You could say the foundation for Jiushan Realm’s grand development was slowly being laid—but the outside world just kept changing.

Immediate threats included the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor;looming trouble came from Leiyin Temple.

This kind of survival pressure was what made Zheng Fa begin to seriously consider a second path alongside independent development.

What surprised him, however, was that while his desire for independence was natural—he had never really fit into the Xuanyi-style sects, even clashing with the old Jiushan Sect—

Martial Uncle Pang and Madam Xuanhua, who had lived in the Xuanyi Realm for many years and should’ve been long accustomed to it, also seemed increasingly reluctant to rely on Taishang Dao.

And this was Taishang Dao—one of the Five Sects of Xuanyi, the pinnacle of prestige for Xuanyi cultivators!

He looked up and glanced around at the others.

Senior Sister Zhang, Old Yuan, Martial Uncle Pang, Martial Aunt Huang, and Madam Xuanhua were all looking at him. As their eyes met, everyone broke into quiet smiles.

Excitement sparkled in Senior Sister Zhang’s eyes:

“Looks like we’re all thinking the same thing?”

Martial Aunt Huang nodded, her face brightening with a rare smile. Usually expressionless, her smile now was quite charming.

Martial Uncle Pang suddenly spat on the ground and said, “The day we left the Hundred Immortals Alliance, I swore I’d never put up with that b******t again!”

“If we joined Taishang Dao, would we ever get to live like this?”

They chatted for a while, and in the end, every one of them leaned toward not joining Taishang Dao.

Seeing that Zheng Fa didn’t speak, they didn’t press him—just left Senior Sister Zhang to stay behind with him, while the rest filed out of the hall one after another. ꭆаＮòBËš

Watching their backs fade into the distance, Zheng Fa finally sighed, “Master, Martial Uncles... they’ve seen right through me.”

He knew in his heart: how much of their decision was truly their own aversion to joining Taishang Dao, and how much was just... understanding his deepest thoughts?

Truth be told, he had brought them in hoping to hear some dissenting opinions.

Instead—these folks were tougher than he was!

Senior Sister Zhang gave a nod and after a moment said, “Which is why we’re not suited to join Taishang Dao.”

“Hm?”

Zheng Fa turned to look at her, and she said, “Junior Brother, you’re sincere at your core—or put another way, not particularly scheming.”

That, Zheng Fa was aware of.

“Your Martial Uncles and Master—they often see through what you’re thinking...” She paused, then said, “That’s not a bad thing. Though people often think that the best sect masters are the inscrutable ones, your open and honest approach has served Jiushan Realm well.”

“What they said is a testament to your strength.”

She looked at Zheng Fa with a hint of pride in her eyes and continued:

“But your temperament only works in an environment you can control—or in a sect that’s truly friendly and open.”

“Taishang Dao might be such a place...”

“But more likely—not.”

Zheng Fa blinked. What she said really hit the mark—whether a personality trait was good or bad often depended on the environment. Kindness on the battlefield was stupidity;loyalty in a little black book was... well, a kind of kink.

His nature just wasn’t suited to scheming, politicking, or playing at power struggles. Not just unwilling—he’d probably be played to death.

Seeing his changing expression, Senior Sister Zhang added:

“Junior Brother, your strength lies in using facts to win hearts, in uniting minds to solve problems, in leading a sect to grow steadily.”

“Joining an old-school Xuanyi sect wouldn’t suit you, or me, or the current Jiushan Realm.”

“Besides, who says Taishang Dao isn’t also eyeing the Tranquility Bamboo, the Fusang Tree... or the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method?”

Zheng Fa fell silent. Her words weren’t profound, but they struck right at the core—the kind of freedom he wanted for Jiushan Realm simply wouldn’t exist in a traditional sect environment.

Joining Taishang Dao might resolve the current crisis—or maybe not. After all, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor was already his mortal enemy.

But new problems would surely arise.

“So you mean...”

“Fight, and we’ll see!” Senior Sister Zhang’s eyes flashed with resolve. “We’ve already seen what the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor is like.”

“With Tranquility Bamboo, a fully formed Fusang Tree, and now the Qingping Sword aiding us...”

“Are we weaker than before?”

Zheng Fa slowly nodded. He was the cautious type, always assuming the best of others.

But Senior Sister Zhang... was a traditional Xuanyi prodigy—cross-realm combat was her bread and butter, and her record proved it.

When in doubt? Throw a punch and find out. That was Senior Sister Zhang’s way.

After she left, Zheng Fa returned to his courtyard to take stock of their assets.

Against a Dao Fruit cultivator, others were essentially irrelevant.

What mattered was first: the Tranquility Bamboo—extremely effective against the Demon Ancestor. It had protected the Jiushan Realm last time.

Second: the humanoid Fusang Tree—his Qingyang Dao Body was nearly perfected. It wasn’t yet a true Fusang Tree, but then, the Demon Ancestor’s Demon Emperor Dao Fruit was also kind of... prepubescent?

A pair of rough drafts—neither had the right to laugh at the other.

Call it a draw?

If the Demon Ancestor had some hidden trump card, then they’d have to count on...

Xie Qingxue’s contribution!

...

But Xie Qingxue wasn’t exactly cooperating.

These days, aside from cultivation and research, Zheng Fa was spending time rehearsing with her on how to wield the Qingping Sword.

Put simply, Zheng Fa was like the switch, activating the sword. Xie Qingxue... was like the battery, supplying spiritual energy.

But during their collaboration, Xie Qingxue was reluctant—actively resistant, even.

After one session, Zheng Fa turned and looked at her. Xie Qingxue stared right back, lips pressed, a look on her face that screamed: “Doing this on purpose.”

They stared at each other for a long time in silence.

Zheng Fa had already expected this—

The two of them weren’t truly cooperating. They were cautiously watching each other.

He wanted her sword and her power... but feared the trouble the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method might bring.

She feared he’d expose her secret... but also craved the method.

Their alliance was one of fear and profit—not a stable foundation. Worse still, in this arrangement, Xie Qingxue was the passive one.

Zheng Fa had seen how proud Senior Sister Zhang was.

Xie Qingxue’s background, fate, and talent were even greater—naturally, her pride ran even deeper. Her resentment and frustration were no surprise.

Over the past few days, the more they practiced, the more her resistance showed.

Zheng Fa could still use the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method to activate the Qingping Sword, but to truly unleash its full power required Xie Qingxue’s full cooperation.

Now? The opposite was happening.

Why was she daring to resist? It wasn’t hard to guess:

Even though Zheng Fa had her by the short hairs, he couldn’t risk an all-out fight—if he exposed her secret, his method would be exposed too.

She couldn’t stop Zheng Fa from influencing the sword... but that didn’t mean she couldn’t play dead.

After several sessions with zero progress, Xie Qingxue just stood there silently, watching Zheng Fa.

Seeing this, Zheng Fa didn’t push. He only said they’d try again another time.

To make it easier for her to participate in research, she had a guest courtyard on Ten Thousand Immortals Island, right next to Yan Wushuang’s. Both of them had been staying in Jiushan Realm lately.

When Xie Qingxue returned, Yan Wushuang had just come down from Mount Tongming, face full of gossip.

“Senior Sister!” He shouted the moment he saw her, face beaming with the joy of sharing juicy news. “Guess what I heard?”

“What?”

Xie Qingxue frowned, clearly also troubled about how to handle Zheng Fa. She hated being manipulated—but she also didn’t dare to fully break with him.

“Zheng Fa rejected offers from Taishang Dao, Haori Mountain, and Yaochi—all three!”

Xie Qingxue paused, stunned: “He didn’t align with any of them?”

“Yep!” Yan Wushuang nodded. “Haori and Yaochi I can understand. But I heard that Zhenren Chengkong from Taishang Dao was really disappointed...”

“He turned them down...”

Xie Qingxue lowered her gaze, her thoughts drifting.

“Senior Sister, why do you think Zheng Fa would reject them?” Yan Wushuang kept talking. He understood Jiushan’s assets, and he understood the current state of the Xuanyi Realm—he knew how precarious Jiushan Realm’s position really was.

They had strength.

But the treasures they held and the secrets they possessed... could attract even greater enemies.

“Zheng Fa’s just a Golden Core... Jiushan doesn’t even have a Soul Formation cultivator. And he had a chance to join Taishang Dao... and he turned it down?”

Yan Wushuang’s voice was full of disbelief.

“Just because he beat the Demon Ancestor once, does he think Jiushan Realm is invincible now?”

“From what I know of him, he’s not that arrogant!”

“It doesn’t make sense...”

As Yan Wushuang mumbled, Xie Qingxue slowly lifted her head. She whispered,

“No... maybe their choice... was the right one.”

“Huh?”

She didn’t explain further—just stared up at the sky, a trace of confusion in her eyes.

She didn’t want to be controlled by Zheng Fa—but she was more hesitant than he was.

She didn’t even know which way to go anymore.

“Fairy Xie?”

Zheng Fa’s figure suddenly appeared at the courtyard gate.

Xie Qingxue looked up, startled. Zheng Fa pointed outside the door and said,

“Fairy Xie, since you’re new to Jiushan, I haven’t had the chance to show you around. I happen to be free today... shall we?”

Xie Qingxue thought for a moment—then nodded.

The two of them walked out of Ten Thousand Immortals Island, one behind the other, heading straight for the mortal realm.

“Fairy Xie.”

“Mm?”

“I now know your deepest secret, and you know the most critical cultivation method of Jiushan Realm…” Zheng Fa’s voice carried clearly on the wind to Xie Qingxue’s ears, “So I think, maybe you and I aren’t necessarily enemies, right?”

Xie Qingxue said nothing.

But Zheng Fa seemed to have expected that, and continued, “Fairy Xie, I’ve always wanted to ask—why do you want to resurrect the Tianhe Patriarch?”

“For what?”

Xie Qingxue froze, as if the question had never occurred to her—or perhaps, she had thought about it but never figured it out.

She pondered for a moment before saying, “Because I grew up hearing the Patriarch’s name… He was the person I admired most.”

“That admiration, after reaching Soul Formation and learning certain truths, turned into indignation.”

“Then I encountered the Qingping Sword...”

Xie Qingxue had always been chatty, and now her words came in a flow, no longer silent like before.

Zheng Fa simply listened quietly, and when she finished, he asked, “And what if the Tianhe Venerable is resurrected?”

That was what he hadn’t figured out. The lineage of the Third Disciple, Shouzhong, was certainly worthy of respect—but Zheng Fa truly didn’t understand what Xie Qingxue wanted.

That Shouzhong Patriarch loved his master—Zheng Fa believed it.

But for Xie Qingxue to risk her life just for that lingering grievance in her heart?

That seemed a bit much.

Xie Qingxue caught the meaning behind his words, opened her mouth—and fell silent, as if even she couldn’t answer.

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying,” Zheng Fa said seriously, “if you’re unhappy with the current state of things, or if you’ve lost hope in the future—then I’d like to ask you to take a look at the Jiushan Realm now.”

Zheng Fa looked at her intently.

He once heard a saying: sometimes, longing for the past is really just dissatisfaction with the present.

That, he suspected, was the case with Xie Qingxue.

Her pupils contracted slightly, as if Zheng Fa had struck a chord deep in her heart.

“What, you want me to be like Yan Wushuang—formally a Tianhe Sect member, but truly loyal to Jiushan?”

Xie Qingxue blinked for a moment, then raised the corners of her lips with a slightly mocking expression.

“That’s right.”

Zheng Fa suddenly smiled—so earnestly that it caught Xie Qingxue off guard. She looked at him for a while, then asked, “What do you want me to see?”

“Has Brother Yan told you about the Shenxiao Airship?”

Xie Qingxue nodded. Zheng Fa pointed to the sky, where dozens of improved Shenxiao Airships were speeding through the air.

Below was a wide river.

The new Half-Mountain City stood on its left bank. Airships departed from there, following the river, passing through village after village, and reaching a newly built provincial city in under half a day.

Zheng Fa and Xie Qingxue stayed hidden above, not disturbing the mortal world.

These new airships came in two types: one for transporting people, the other for transporting goods.

The passenger ones were more refined and safer;the cargo ones were rougher but had greater capacity—each with their own advantages.

Though Half-Mountain City was newly built, thanks to the airships, its market was bustling. There were local products from other provinces, villagers selling fresh produce, and even traveling merchants exploring the stalls.

Its vibrancy rivaled even some major cities in the Xuanyi Realm.

Outside the city were neatly divided farmland plots, planted with all sorts of crops, all growing beautifully.

“What’s that?”

Xie Qingxue couldn’t help pointing at a Qi Refining cultivator giving a lecture in the fields.

“He’s a disciple of our sect, currently serving in the Agricultural Division of Half-Mountain City.” Zheng Fa recognized him at a glance and explained.

Xie Qingxue’s nature showed through a little at this—she asked, “Agricultural Division?”

“It’s the department that spreads agricultural knowledge within our sect.”

Xie Qingxue’s eyes widened, and she exclaimed, “Agricultural knowledge? You used that knowledge to cultivate Tranquility Bamboo and the Fusang Tree!”

“Of course, those secrets won’t be passed on lightly,” Zheng Fa said frankly. “What they’re teaching is mostly new methods of planting.”

Xie Qingxue nodded but kept her eyes fixed on that Qi Refining disciple. Seeing how seriously he was teaching the farmers, she turned to Zheng Fa and asked in confusion, “Why?”

Zheng Fa looked at her, not sure what she meant.

“What’s the point of this?”

Her reaction was very different from Yan Wushuang and Elder Han.

Those two had a kind of compassion for the world.

But Xie Qingxue didn’t. She genuinely struggled to understand why Zheng Fa would have cultivators help mortals.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and descended with her to the ground. The two of them walked through Half-Mountain City like an ordinary young couple. Around them, a school echoed with the chatter of children.

“Because I’m also dissatisfied with the present.”

Zheng Fa suddenly said.

Xie Qingxue froze, turning to look at him.

“I don’t know what you find so wrong with the Immortal Sects that you want to resurrect the Tianhe Patriarch.”

“But I also think there’s something wrong with them.”

Zheng Fa’s words deepened the confusion in Xie Qingxue’s eyes.

“It’s just that—I don’t put my hope for change in people of the past.” Zheng Fa pointed at the children laughing inside the classroom. “I place it in my own hands—and… in them.”

“Them?” Xie Qingxue’s voice was full of disbelief. “How could they compare to the Patriarch?”

“Didn’t we create the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method?”

Zheng Fa countered.

“That’s because of your extraordinary talent,” Xie Qingxue replied naturally.

“No.” Zheng Fa’s gaze was calm as he looked at her. “There are many parts of the Nine-Turn Golden Core Method that were perfected by low-realm disciples.”

“But Spirit Particle Cycle Theory, and the Five-Elemental Sub-Talismans—those were your theories!”

Zheng Fa slowly shook his head and smiled. “Fairy Xie, whether you believe it or not, the one thing I have that surpasses all the other Xuanyi cultivators… was actually taught to me by people with no cultivation at all.”

At this, Xie Qingxue looked bewildered. But seeing the honesty in Zheng Fa’s eyes, she couldn’t find the words to argue.

“Fairy Xie, I’m not saying you have to help me. You know I don’t want us to become mutual enemies of the Xuanyi world.” Zheng Fa’s voice seemed to reach into her heart. “I’m just saying—if you want to change something, maybe… resurrecting the Patriarch isn’t the only way.”

Zheng Fa watched as Xie Qingxue returned to her quarters. His intention, of course, was to persuade her. But he wasn’t much of a persuader.

As Senior Sister Zhang had said—he only knew how to use facts to move people, how to use collective wisdom to solve problems, how to lead Jiushan to grow by his ideals.

What he showed Xie Qingxue now was just that—and only that.

In the days that followed, Xie Qingxue would occasionally stroke the Qingping Sword in contemplation. Zheng Fa didn’t approach her again—it seemed he had said all he needed to.

Until one day, Zheng Fa had a small box sent to her.

There was a note affixed to the lid:

“Fairy Xie, this is the path I want to take.”

Xie Qingxue opened the box and found inside a single thin, brand-new book.

On the cover, two characters were written at the top—

《Immortal Dao》.