I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 363Book 2: : Golden List Announcement, Teaching on Behalf of the Master
Vol 2 Chapter 363: Golden List Announcement, Teaching on Behalf of the Master
In the main hall of the Gu residence, the matchmaker Aunt Chen sat imposingly in the host's seat. Gu Chang and his mother sat to the side like guests.
"I'll be blunt upfront—the matter with Miss Sun isn't settled yet!" Aunt Chen side-eyed Gu Chang, her voice sharp. "Because of your son, I offended the Sun family!"
"Yes, yes!" Before Gu Chang could speak, his mother hurriedly responded with an apologetic smile. "Last time he was immature, but this time we'll trouble Aunt Chen again."
Aunt Chen looked at Gu Chang with a mocking smile. "Immature last time, but mature this time?"
"Mature! Definitely mature!" His mother insisted, tugging at Gu Chang's sleeve.
Gu Chang raised his eyes to glance at Aunt Chen, frustration boiling inside. But when he saw his mother's anxious, pleading gaze, his heart softened. Lowering his head, he murmured, "I was rude to you last time, Auntie. It won't happen again."
His mother beamed. "See, Auntie? He's matured! This time, we'd like you to find him a good match—someone talented, but most importantly kind and caring."
Gu Chang sighed inwardly.
If he really wanted a wife, Letu Island had no shortage of candidates. After all, he was a disciple of the Jiushan Sect. Finding an ordinary girl who couldn't enter the sect wouldn't be hard—he'd even have options. But his mother always wanted better for him. While he didn't care about talent or background, she treated marriage as a major affair, insisting on finding someone who ticked all boxes.
Hence they turned to Aunt Chen again.
Aunt Chen had a nephew in the Jiushan Sect with decent talent, already at Foundation Establishment. Through him, she had connections with cultivation families, running a high-end matchmaking business with many clients.
Seeing Aunt Chen's condescending attitude and his mother's fawning smile, anger simmered in Gu Chang. But then he noticed more white hairs on his mother's head—she looked older than years ago. Suddenly, all his pride drained away.
Gu Chang knew this aging came from years of his reckless research worrying her. Every time he coughed blood, she lost another night's sleep. Having failed in filial piety before, with an uncertain future ahead... What was pride compared to this?
Better to indulge her.
......
"It's not that I'm unwilling," Aunt Chen said evasively, still playing hard to get. "After he rejected the Sun girl last time, word spread that your Gu Chang has unrealistic standards—not husband material."
"Do the Suns still hold a grudge?"
"Grudge? Don't flatter yourself! They don't even remember Gu Chang's name!" Aunt Chen scoffed. "But Letu Island is small—everyone knows everyone."
Gu Chang's mother became even more deferential. "Then we'll trouble Aunt Chen further."
"Well, I'm soft-hearted, seeing as we're old neighbors..." Aunt Chen eyed Gu Chang. "Tell me, how many Merit Points have you saved?"
"None..."
"None?" Her voice rose sharply. "Not a single one?"
His mother quickly explained, "My son focuses entirely on cultivation and research—expenses are high."
"Research? Him?" Aunt Chen pointed at Gu Chang, laughing derisively. "With his cultivation? His talent? Research?"
Gu Chang abruptly looked up, meeting her gaze. Aunt Chen recoiled slightly as if startled by his stare, then stiffened her back.
"What, want to hit me? This is Jiushan Realm! And I came at your mother's invitation! Though I can't cultivate, I know many Jiushan disciples! I've heard of research too—who does research at your level? Look at yourself in the mirror!" S̈
"I don't mean to offend, but your delusional reputation is neighborhood gossip. Any decent family would hesitate to marry their daughter to yours."
Gu Chang pressed his lips together silently while his mother added, "He's not delusional—he passed the inner sect exam and had an interview with the Sect Leader."
"That might fool others, not me." Aunt Chen sneered. "My nephew reached Foundation Establishment two years ago and still finds the interview too competitive for inner sect admission."
"Today's the inner sect announcement—he's home instead of checking. Don't you know whether your son's name would be on that list?"
This left his mother speechless, bowing her head helplessly.
......
The inner sect admission results were indeed out.
At University Island, a luminous screen thirty feet high and fifty feet wide lit up before the Nine Chapters Calculation Array.
"It's starting!"
Over a thousand disciples packed shoulder-to-shoulder before the screen.
Mu Qingyan stood back while her fellow disciple from Qingmu Sect teased, "Qingyan, not anxious?"
"I can see from here."
Mu Qingyan replied calmly.
"Or are you just that confident?"
Mu Qingyan smiled assuredly. In talent, diligence, and academics, she ranked among the best. Her cultivation lagged some competitors only because sect projects consumed her time—but these were advantages in the Sect Leader's eyes.
During her interview, his questions focused on academics, not cultivation. His approving gaze told her everything. Nervous beforehand, she left feeling certain.
Seeing her confidence, her senior sister whispered curiously, "You... have inside information?"
Mu Qingyan shook her head firmly. "Senior Sister, I just trust my years of effort."
"You're amazing!"
Her senior sister, more excited than her, grabbed Mu Qingyan's arm playfully. "I'll rely on you from now on!"
"It's out!"
Names cascaded down the screen in a dozen columns, each headed by a mentor's name followed by admitted disciples. Some mentors took twenty disciples;others fewer...
"Qingyan! I see your name!"
Her senior sister jumped excitedly, but Mu Qingyan stood frozen, staring at the screen.
"Huh? Who's this Gu Chang? Why's his name above yours?"
Mu Qingyan stayed silent, gazing at those two characters.
"Didn't they say the Sect Leader planned to take one disciple? Why two now? And who's this Gu Chang? Never heard of him."
"Not impressive..." Mu Qingyan finally murmured. "Not impressive at all."
......
Back home, Gu Chang's family knew nothing of the list.
His mother still fawned, Gu Chang remained silent, and Aunt Chen held all the cards.
"Gu Chang!"
A shout came from the doorway. Gu Chang looked up to see a Jiushan colleague—a fellow teacher on Letu Island—red-faced and panting despite being a cultivator.
"Why are you still here?"
"What?"
Gu Chang stood bewildered. His mother and Aunt Chen also turned to the newcomer.
"The list is out! Didn't you know today's the announcement?"
"I knew."
"Then why are you home?"
"......"
"...You got in!"
The hall fell dead silent.
"Got in? For what?"
"The Sect Leader's disciple! You!"
Gu Chang stared blankly into space, dumbstruck with disbelief. His colleague, frantic, grabbed his arm and dragged him outside. "I'll show you!"
As they rushed out, Gu Chang's mother and Aunt Chen sat stunned before finally reacting.
"I... I'll definitely find a perfect match for your exceptional son!"
"......"
"I'll put in all effort."
"My son Gu Chang isn't delusional!" His mother suddenly stood, glaring at Aunt Chen. "He's not!"
......
Gu Chang stumbled along dazedly, nearly tumbling several times before reaching University Island.
There it was—his name on the screen!
Tears streamed down his face as he gazed up.
"Junior Brother, failing isn't the end. We can try again next time."
A nearby disciple, mistaking his tears for grief, tried comforting him.
"Who said he failed?" His colleague retorted, pointing at the screen. "See? Gu Chang! That's him!"
The disciple blinked, scanning the screen before studying Gu Chang thoughtfully—if a Sect Leader's disciple cried like this, should I jump off a cliff?
"Gu Chang?"
Word spread through the crowd. Soon a group of over a dozen people—young and old—surged toward him with alarming momentum.
Tearful and terrified, Gu Chang froze as the lead man asked eagerly, "Young Master Gu! Are you married?"
Gu Chang shook his head blankly.
The man beamed. "My daughter is talented, virtuous, and has Triple Spiritual Roots—a perfect match!"
Gu Chang gaped.
"Triple Roots? My daughter has Dual Roots!"
"Your daughter fails talisman class yearly—she's an idiot!"
"Your daughter's ugly too!"
The group split into factions, arguing fiercely around Gu Chang, who shrank back fearfully, trapped. The quarrel escalated until they started... pulling at him.
"You'll tear me apart!"
Clutching his nearly ripped pants, tear-streaked Gu Chang envisioned becoming the first Sect Leader's disciple to lose his trousers in public—his eyes reddened further.
Suddenly, a whirlwind swept him through the crowd. Landing safely, he found himself beside Mu Qingyan.
"Senior Sister?" Recognizing her, Gu Chang bowed gratefully. "Thank you for saving me."
Mu Qingyan studied him strangely before finally saying, "You should call me Junior Sister."
"Huh?"
"My name's below yours."
Gu Chang understood—the screen's order reflected seniority.
......
They met again in the Sect Leader's courtyard. Standing beside Mu Qingyan, Gu Chang fidgeted awkwardly, still unaccustomed to his new status.
"Never been here?"
Gu Chang shook his head quietly. "Senior... you have?"
"Often."
Envy flashed across his face—understandable given her talent. But he couldn't bring himself to call her "Junior Sister."
"Here?"
Sect Leader Zheng Fa entered briskly, gesturing to stone stools. "Sit."
They obeyed—Mu Qingyan poised naturally, Gu Chang slightly hunched.
"Briefly—will you two become my disciples?"
"Willing!"
Only Mu Qingyan answered. Gu Chang stayed silent.
"Gu Chang?"
Both Zheng Fa and Mu Qingyan turned to him.
"Sect Leader... why choose me?" Gu Chang whispered. "With my talent, even cultivation is hard—Foundation Establishment is impossible now."
Mu Qingyan looked shocked, but Zheng Fa only sighed.
Gu Chang's self-experimentation was simple yet profound. As a Quadruple Spiritual Root cultivator (Metal, Wood, Water, Earth), he deliberately destroyed part of his Wood-rooted nerves—reducing it to Triple Roots to study spiritual energy absorption ratios.
But while this changed root proportions, his total absorption capacity plummeted. Despite healing elixirs, nerve regeneration—especially specific structures—proved extremely difficult. After repeated experiments, his energy absorption became negligible—a unique "Waste Physique" with virtually no roots.
Moreover, delicate nerves affected his entire body, leaving him riddled with hidden ailments. This was why Senior Sister Zhang said he was ruined—possibly dying young.
Having detailed this in his thesis, his confusion was understandable.
"You refuse?"
"If I could cultivate, I'd accept a thousand times over." Gu Chang's earlier excitement had faded into resignation. "But with no path forward... I shouldn't waste sect resources."
"So devoted to the sect?"
"Not exactly." Gu Chang smiled sheepishly. "You accepted me for my thesis' value. I only ask one thing..."
"Hmm?"
"Let someone finish that thesis."
"That's all?"
Encouraged by Zheng Fa's gentle tone, Gu Chang ventured further: "And... if the thesis earns Merit Points... could my family keep them if I'm gone?"
Zheng Fa stayed silent so long that Gu Chang grew increasingly anxious.
Finally, the Sect Leader spoke: "I thought... you'd want to complete it yourself."
Gu Chang's eyes widened.
"Your thesis only identifies spiritual roots—not how to alter them." Zheng Fa studied him. "Don't you want to continue researching?"
"I do!"
"Then isn't your current condition perfect for pioneering new paths?"
Gu Chang stood stunned, eyes lighting up.
"Gu Chang."
Zheng Fa called his name solemnly.
"Yes?"
"When I gave you 'The Path of Immortals,' I said knowledge changes fate—remember?"
"I've never forgotten."
"Now that you have knowledge, why submit to fate?"
Gu Chang's lips trembled as he bowed his head. "But having me as your disciple... might shame you."
"You fear death less than I fear taking one disciple?"
Gu Chang had no reply.
Zheng Fa continued, "Masters choose disciples, but disciples also choose masters... Gu Chang, do you refuse me?"
"Of course not! I only worry about failing you."
"Spiritual roots affect all cultivators—why would I spare resources?" Seeing Gu Chang's lingering doubt, Zheng Fa added, "And in research, how can success or failure define worth?"
"Your success would delight me."
"Your failure would still make me proud to have you."
Gu Chang's knees hit the ground with a thud. "...Master!"
"Rise. Jiushan Sect doesn't kneel."
Helping him up, Zheng Fa turned to the silent Mu Qingyan.
"Qingyan, no bow?"
Mu Qingyan clasped hands cheerfully. "Master!"
Far more familiar and confident with Zheng Fa, she even dared complain: "Master... can I be the senior disciple?"
Gu Chang blinked meekly. "I'll be junior."
Zheng Fa nearly laughed. Disregarding cultivation, Gu Chang's late start couldn't compare to Mu Qingyan's experience—including her past life. Having some kid as senior brother clearly discomforted her.
"...Qingyan, I have a task."
"What?"
"I'm busy, and your senior brother has much to learn. Teach him."
Mu Qingyan gaped. "Me? A junior sister? Teach my senior brother?"
Even her composure cracked at this absurdity.
"Remember, I planned one disciple. Your senior brother's case is special."
"......"
"You're the second. Without him... you could've waited five years."
Mu Qingyan looked between Zheng Fa and the awkward Gu Chang, dazed.
"Shouldn't you thank him? Doesn't that merit good teaching?"
"Yes!"
Zheng Fa smiled, satisfied—if he was too busy to mentor, why not delegate?
Mu Qingyan, essentially a Nascent Soul cultivator, made the perfect junior mentor.
......
Retirement Home.
"This is...?"
Old Man Bai eyed Zheng Fa's stack of documents curiously.
"Half a thesis, one case study."
