I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 34: Humiliation!

Zheng Fa looked at Zhou Qianyuan, his eyes filled with anticipation—

The reason he and Senior Sister Zhang didn’t avoid discussing such topics in front of Zhou Qianyuan was twofold:

First, his own status had changed.

Now that he was the Sect Leader’s disciple and had Senior Sister Zhang’s backing, he no longer saw his fellow disciples as competitors.

In fact, he hoped that through discussions like these, he could cultivate future allies.

Besides, with Master Pang personally placing Zhou Qianyuan by his side, this junior brother could already be considered one of his people.

If Zhou Qianyuan grew stronger, he would hold more influence within Master Pang’s faction, which would, in turn, help Zheng Fa integrate them under his influence.

But the main reason was—

Even if they kept secrets from Zhou Qianyuan, did they think Master Pang wouldn’t teach him?

Everything they were discussing now was already written in The Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method.

With Master Pang’s Nascent Soul cultivation, he would undoubtedly grasp the deeper mysteries within.

And as his personal disciple, Zhou Qianyuan would eventually learn them as well.

But beyond that, Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang shared an unspoken expectation—

They wanted Zhou Qianyuan to spill Master Pang’s hidden knowledge!

Ever since obtaining Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes, Zheng Fa had realized something—

With this technique, he could see the faint and elusive lines of talisman diagrams.

He suspected that this ability could help him and Senior Sister Zhang further refine The Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method.

But to be honest, their current understanding of Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes wasn’t deep enough to be useful.

That was likely because they were still at a shallow level in its comprehension.

But Master Pang was different!

He was a Nascent Soul cultivator!

His mastery of Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes was leagues beyond theirs!

Who said they had to be the ones doing the observation?

Hadn’t Master Pang been the perfect microscope for years?

So, when it came to Zhou Qianyuan—Master Pang’s most favored disciple—both Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang had expectations.

Unfortunately—

Under their scrutinizing gazes, Zhou Qianyuan stammered, his eyes blank, his mind seemingly emptied of all thought.

Zheng Fa sighed internally. Junior Brother Zhou is still too inexperienced. His cultivation is too shallow. Master Pang probably hasn’t had the chance to teach him the deeper knowledge yet.

His gaze shifted to Senior Sister Yuan, who had been quietly chuckling to the side.

"Senior Sister Yuan, you’ve been listening for a few days now. Do you have any insights?" he asked sincerely.

"Uh…?"

The blank look on Zhou Qianyuan’s face slowly transferred onto Senior Sister Yuan’s.

On the Eighth Peak, Master Pang’s eyes gleamed silver as he gazed down the mountain, shaking his head repeatedly.

"Master?"

Seeing this, Sun Daoyu couldn’t help but be curious.

"Qianyuan has had a rough few days…"

Master Pang’s tone was both pained and—strangely—pleased.

"A rough time?" Sun Daoyu was taken aback. "Did Senior Brother Zheng mistreat him?"

The silver glow in Master Pang’s eyes faded as his expression darkened slightly.

"When he first arrived at Zheng Fa’s side, though he looked disheartened, he also had a hint of expectation. He might have even been relieved to be away from his fellow brothers who had been giving him a hard time."

"But after two days, the lights in his residence never went out. I’ve seen him staying up all night, unable to sleep."

"And in the following days, his suffering only grew worse. Every time he left for Zheng Fa’s place, his face was filled with anxiety and fear…"

Hearing this, Sun Daoyu began to feel uneasy. "What exactly is Senior Brother Zheng doing to Junior Brother Zhou?"

Master Pang shook his head, a flicker of anger in his eyes.

"They’ve been going to Senior Niece Zhang’s place frequently. And every time Qianyuan comes back from there, he looks like he’s had the soul beaten out of him—he must have suffered some inhuman torment."

"Then… Master, why did you call for me?"

"Summon Qianyuan!" Master Pang commanded, his voice firm. "It’s time he realizes who truly cares for him!"

"Yes!"

Sun Daoyu hurried off and soon returned, bringing Zhou Qianyuan with him.

The sight of his disciple made Master Pang’s heart ache.

Compared to his previous state of dejection, Zhou Qianyuan now looked downright haggard.

His hair and beard were unkempt, his face covered in stubble.

His Daoist robe was dusty and wrinkled, clearly unwashed for days.

But what worried Master Pang the most was the look in his disciple’s eyes—

Dazed and unfocused, as if his soul had left his body.

It took him a long moment to even register his master’s presence before he slowly bowed in greeting.

Seeing this, Master Pang’s anger flared.

He had sent Qianyuan to Zheng Fa’s side as a gesture of goodwill!

And yet, Zheng Fa had utterly ruined his disciple?!

"Qianyuan, these past days must have been difficult for you…"

Softening his tone, Master Pang spoke gently to his cherished disciple.

"Mm…"

Hearing his master’s words, Zhou Qianyuan seemed to recall something, his expression shifting from blank to miserable. His eyes even turned slightly red.

Seeing this, Master Pang grew even more furious and immediately declared, “From today onward, you no longer have to follow Zheng Fa!”

But to his and Sun Daoyu’s surprise, Zhou Qianyuan hesitated, his face conflicted, before blurting out, “I… I want to go!”

Master Pang frowned, looking at his disciple in disbelief. “You want to go?”

“Yes!” Zhou Qianyuan hesitated for a moment before mumbling, “Maybe not every time, but every few days…”

“Hmm?”

“Master, could you maybe talk to Senior Brother Zheng and ask him to stop with those pre-class quizzes?” Zhou Qianyuan suddenly pleaded. “I… I just can’t keep up anymore!”

“……”

Master Pang suddenly felt like he had misunderstood something. “Tell me exactly what they’ve been doing to you.”

After hearing Zhou Qianyuan’s account, Master Pang stared at him for a long time. The pain in his eyes had completely disappeared.

Instead, his voice turned eerily calm. “So, you’re saying… they discuss the Talisman Dao openly and don’t mind you listening in?”

“…Yes,” Zhou Qianyuan muttered. “But after their discussions, they always like to quiz me…”

“And before every discussion, both Zheng Fa and Senior Niece Zhang test you on what you learned last time?” Master Pang’s face was unreadable as he continued his questioning.

“Yes,” Zhou Qianyuan whispered, his voice full of suffering. “They say it’s a form of mutual teaching and learning. Senior Brother Zheng even mentioned some ancient scholar named ‘Fei’ who came up with this study method…” His voice cracked with despair. “Master, every night, I have to review and memorize their discussions! I haven’t had time to sleep for days!”

He looked at his master expectantly, pleading again, “Master, please… talk to Senior Brother Zheng. Maybe he could stop these quizzes?”

Master Pang stared at his disciple for a long time in silence.

Then he slowly said, “So, what you’re telling me is… they’re engaged in deep discussions, and you just sit there, dumbfounded?”

Zhou Qianyuan suddenly had a very bad feeling. He instinctively lowered his voice. “…Yes.”

“You can’t keep up with them, fine. But they even give you extra time to study on your own, and you still can’t understand?”

“……Yes.”

Zhou Qianyuan lowered his head further.

“Then you deserve to lose sleep!” Master Pang erupted. “Jiushan Sect only has three Nascent Soul cultivators! Three!”

“That old bastard Huang has Senior Niece Zhang! Now Zheng Fa is the Sect Leader’s disciple! And you—you are my disciple!”

“Of the three, you’re the weakest! Do you think it’s me who should feel ashamed? Or you?”

Master Pang was absolutely fuming. “The next time I run into Old Huang, she’s going to laugh me to death! And you have the nerve to come complain to me?!”

“B-But… Master, you never taught me anything either…” Zhou Qianyuan mumbled.

“And what about Zheng Fa?! Before he took the Sect Leader as his master, he had no guidance either!” Master Pang’s voice rose. “I know the Sect Leader. You think he’s capable of teaching anyone? He’s never kept a single disciple alive long enough to learn anything!”

“And that damn Huang! Tch—she’s never taught a disciple properly in her life! Senior Niece Zhang was completely self-taught!”

“So tell me, why is it that my disciple is the most useless?!”

“…I’m not the most useless,” Zhou Qianyuan muttered weakly. “Senior Sister Yuan was there too, and she wasn’t doing any better…”

“That’s a damn bird!!!” Master Pang’s lips trembled in rage. “You’re actually comparing yourself to a bird?! And you feel proud about it?!”

Zhou Qianyuan fell silent.

Master Pang took a deep breath. Several deep breaths. He slowly regained some composure. “Enough. This isn’t entirely your fault.”

“Master…”

For the first time in days, Zhou Qianyuan felt touched.

“It’s my fault!”

“…Huh?”

“It’s my fault for not pushing you harder!” Master Pang gritted his teeth. “From now on, every time you come back from Senior Niece Zhang’s, you will report directly to me!”

“…Master, what do you mean…” Zhou Qianyuan’s expression slowly turned fearful.

“If my disciple is falling behind, then I personally will make sure you catch up!” Master Pang declared. “I refuse to lose face any longer!”

As Zhou Qianyuan descended from the Eighth Peak, his expression remained dazed.

“I asked Master to reduce my burden…” he murmured to Sun Daoyu, his voice full of grievance. “Why does it feel heavier now?”

“…Want to switch places with me?” Sun Daoyu raised an eyebrow at him.

“This suffering is mine to bear!” Zhou Qianyuan declared with righteous determination and ran down the mountain.

“Pfft!” Sun Daoyu watched his retreating figure, then turned toward Zheng Fa’s courtyard.

His expression was complicated.

It looked… almost like he wanted to be married off there.

In the Market District

Han Qi and his two companions stood among the crowd, watching a group of senior disciples construct a rather unusual building.

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators threw Strength Talismans into the air, summoning towering stone golems. The golems carried massive slabs of stone from the distant mountains, stacking them in place.

Within a single night, the structure had taken shape.

It was cylindrical, open-roofed, with a vast empty space in the center.

Surrounding it were rows upon rows of seats, rising in tiers. The place could probably accommodate ten thousand people.

This was already the largest structure in Jiushan Sect. After all, even counting the sect’s disciples and the families in the market district, the total population barely exceeded a few thousand.

“Do we even have enough people to fill this thing?” the tall, skinny disciple beside Han Qi muttered under his breath.

“Shut up!” Han Qi smacked him. “This is something Senior Brother Zheng wanted to build!”

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