I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 66: Heavenly Monument

“Grandpa Bai, Mr. Tian didn’t invite you,” said Tang Lingwu helplessly, glancing at Bai Laotou as they sat in the ride-share heading to Mr. Tian’s house.

“Who cares about an invitation? Can’t I have a meal with an old friend?” Bai Laotou huffed from the front passenger seat, clearly displeased.

“She said… only Zheng Fa and I should come. She even told me specifically—not to bring you.”

“And what? Is she going to block me at the door?” Bai Laotou declared stubbornly.

“Grandpa Bai, do you really like Mr. Tian that much?” Tang Lingwu, catching a glance from Zheng Fa, couldn’t help but ask curiously.

“Nah,” Bai Laotou waved off the idea, “I’m a man of… broad affections.”

“Then why are you still—?”

“It’s your fault. Both of you!”

“Huh?”

Bai Laotou shot them a scornful look through the rearview mirror. “You two and your lovey-dovey nonsense—hell, even a eunuch would get lonely after being fed so much couple fluff.”

“And besides,” he continued, “there aren’t many folks at the retirement home. Who knows if the next batch of newcomers will be people I can stand? Better to pick someone now, someone I already know and feel comfortable with.”

“…”

“But what if Mr. Tian doesn’t welcome you?”

Bai Laotou patted the large snakeskin bag at his feet, grinning smugly. “That’s why I brought a gift.”

“…”

---

Mr. Tian’s home was in the outskirts of Beijing—

A neighborhood that felt like an old urban village.

The place was roomy enough—three single-story houses and a small courtyard—

But the buildings looked aged and worn.

As soon as they stepped out of the car—

A woman burst out of the house—holding a cleaver.

“You again?!”

“Why can’t I be here?”

“I told you—don’t come to my house! I’ll treat you to a meal outside, anywhere but here—Now get lost!”

Zheng Fa exchanged a glance with Tang Lingwu.

Both looked equally confused.

Does Mr. Tian hate Bai Laotou that much?

Why didn’t we notice it last time?

“Who’s there?”

An elderly woman peeked out from behind the door—her eyes sharp despite her age.

“Mom!”

The moment she appeared, Mr. Tian froze—

The fire in her voice vanished into a sigh, and she stopped chasing Bai Laotou off.

The old woman’s face broke into a wide smile the instant she saw him. “Little Bai? Come in, come in!”

Her tone was warm, and her hospitality extended to Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu as well.

The three followed her inside, leaving Mr. Tian to retreat into the kitchen—her movements carrying a sort of resigned acceptance.

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu sat with the old woman at a stone table in the courtyard. The table was weathered, flanked by round stone stools.

The old woman, whom Bai Laotou respectfully called Grandma Wu, looked about ninety years old, but her mind and body seemed sharp. Her hearing and eyesight were still keen—though her speech was a bit slurred, probably from missing teeth.

After some light-hearted chatting—

Grandma Wu’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “Well, aren’t you going to help her?” she asked Bai Laotou.

“Hmm?”

“Go on—help!”

Bai Laotou’s eyes lit up instantly, and he dashed into the kitchen without another word.

Through the window, they saw Mr. Tian glance at him but… didn’t seem surprised.

Just… weary.

She threw a helpless look outside toward Grandma Wu—

But didn’t drive Bai Laotou out.

So that’s why she was trying to chase him off earlier, Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu realized.

She wasn’t rejecting Bai Laotou—she was rejecting… her matchmaking mother.

---

“Grandma Wu, are you trying to set up Grandpa Bai and Mr. Tian?” Tang Lingwu couldn’t help but ask.

“Set them up?” Grandma Wu sighed softly. “Once, yes. Little Bai’s a fool, but a good-hearted one. I used to think they’d make a good pair.”

“But now…”

She paused, her voice carrying a subtle weight.

“Now… with her illness… If I push them together, wouldn’t I be burdening Little Bai?”

“Then why…?”

“I just…” Grandma Wu’s voice softened. “I don’t need them to be together—”

“But if Little Bai is willing to keep her company… even just as a friend—”

“At least she won’t be alone. And I…”

“I get to enjoy a little sweetness, too.”

“Sweetness?” Zheng Fa blinked, puzzled.

Grandma Wu’s eyes gleamed playfully. “You don’t get it?” She flashed a grin, a little smug.

“I ship them. I love watching their chemistry. You get me?”

“…”

Zheng Fa stared.

“…You’re ninety years old—”

“And you’re into shipping couples?!”

Grandma Wu chuckled and, with a proud smirk, pulled out her smartphone.

The screen lit up—

Shopping apps. Social media apps. Food delivery apps—

Her phone was packed with more apps than Zheng Fa’s.

“You’re… really up to date…”

Grandma Wu beamed. “Didn’t know a thing about this stuff before. Never had a smartphone. But now?”

“I learned it all. So my daughter could feel at ease… knowing I’m keeping up with the world.”

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu fell into a brief, thoughtful silence.

“…But,” Grandma Wu broke it with a playful chuckle, “guess I started too late.”

“…”

“Smartphones are so fun.”

“…”

Then, as if proving her point, she snapped two quick photos of Bai Laotou and Mr. Tian through the kitchen window—

Peeking at the photos, she clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.

“Little Bai’s useless. Not a word out of his mouth!” she grumbled. “Can’t you just—oh, I don’t know—bring a small gift? Find something she likes? That’s how you start a conversation!”

“…Wait!” Tang Lingwu suddenly remembered. “Grandpa Bai did bring a gift!”

“Eh?” Grandma Wu’s eyes lit up. “Little Bai, making progress?”

Her gaze shifted—just in time to see Zheng Fa dragging Bai Laotou’s snakeskin bag into view.

Bold black letters were stamped across it—

‘XX Cement’.

“…”

“…Never mind.”

Grandma Wu’s face fell flat.

“…Progress? Not much, apparently.”

Grandma Wu muttered to herself as she eyed the snakeskin bag.

Zheng Fa carried the bag into the kitchen and handed it to Bai Laotou.

Bai Laotou smacked his forehead, opened the bag, and pulled out his gift—

A flowerpot, carefully planted with a single stalk of grass—

Freshly dug from the retirement home’s garden.

“…This grass? Why does it look so familiar?”

Back in the courtyard, Grandma Wu’s eyes narrowed as she glanced toward a corner of the yard—where a nearly identical plant grew, just a size smaller.

“Not bringing flowers is one thing… but grass?” Grandma Wu slapped her thigh in exasperation. “Fine, grass is grass, but a weed? Does that fool have a screw loose?”

“…”

In the kitchen—

Even Mr. Tian paused, her gaze locking onto the grass with an odd look of recognition.

She didn’t seem annoyed. In fact—

She began inspecting the leaves carefully, her expression growing more serious.

Suddenly, she turned and hurried outside to grab a small garden trowel.

Returning to the kitchen, she dug into the soil around the plant, gently lifting it to examine its root system with bright, eager eyes—

All the while, she was chatting animatedly with Bai Laotou.

“...Seriously?”

Grandma Wu froze mid-gawk from the courtyard. Her eyes darted to Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu in confusion.

“This… is this some new internet trend? Young people’s dating rituals these days—” She shook her head.

“I can’t keep up.”

Her gaze shifted to the kitchen—

At the two ‘young people’ whose combined age was over a hundred and twenty—

Zheng Fa felt the corner of his mouth twitch.

‘Young people’… he thought.

Very much a Xuanyi Realm kind of vibe.

---

Xuanyi Realm.

The Sect Master had summoned Zheng Fa, Master Pang, and several others once again.

“News from Junior Sister Huang,” the Sect Master announced.

“Good or bad?” Master Pang pressed.

“Good.”

“Did she find Senior Sister Zhang?”

“No.”

“Then what’s so good about it?” Master Pang scowled, visibly unimpressed.

“She found a Heavenly Monument.”

Master Pang’s expression froze—

Then his features twisted—

Joy. Shock. Greed. Worry.

All mashed together, like his face was performing an entire opera on its own.

“A… Heavenly Monument?”

His voice carried disbelief—so much that he had to confirm it.

“Yes,” the Sect Master said grimly.

“…That’s… incredibly good news.”

But Zheng Fa heard it—

In Master Pang’s voice—

That ‘incredibly good’ came laced with heavy concern.

“It is,” the Sect Master replied, his expression grave. “I’ve already sent word to every Nascent Soul sect in the Hundred Immortals Alliance.”

Master Pang’s face twisted harder, his reluctance palpable—like he was parting with treasure from his own hands.

But he didn’t argue.

“…That’s the right call,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

“Heavenly Monument?” Senior Sister Yuan, confused, finally asked. “What is it?”

The Sect Master glanced at them, then spoke slowly—

“This concerns you all as well. The Heavenly Monument… is an ancient spiritual artifact.”

“Ancient?”

“Ancient beyond measure,” the Sect Master confirmed. “Its legends date back to the era before the last great tribulation.”

“…!”

“It's said that within the Heavenly Monument lies peerless Dao comprehension—”

“—Those who comprehend it… become invincible.”

“And people believe that?”

“They don’t believe—”

“They know.”

Because someone already had.

A name flashed through Zheng Fa’s mind—

Tianhe Zunzhe.

A cultivator who once stood above all in the Xuanyi Realm—

A sword immortal who dominated his era—

It was said his power came from comprehending a Sword Dao Heavenly Monument—

One that belonged to the Tianhe Sect.

No further explanation was needed.

The proof was in the legend.

A Heavenly Monument could create a Tianhe Zunzhe.

“Where do they come from?” Zheng Fa asked.

“No one knows,” the Sect Master said.

“Some say they were forged by ancient immortals, their origins lost to time. Others believe they are natural creations of Heaven and Earth itself.”

Master Pang cut in suddenly, “Which Heavenly Monument is it?”

“Junior Sister Huang believes it is the Thunder Dao Heavenly Monument,” the Sect Master replied.

“Thunder Pool—” he added gravely, “—exists because of it. That’s why its power is so fearsome.”

“…”

Now Zheng Fa understood why Master Pang’s reaction had been so complex.

A Heavenly Monument, with the endorsement of a figure like Tianhe Zunzhe, was priceless beyond measure.

And—

The Thunder Pool—within Jiushan Sect’s territory.

A treasure fallen from the heavens.

But—

The sheer power that made the Thunder Pool uncontrollable—

Was also the reason they couldn’t hide it.

And once revealed—

It wouldn’t just bring fortune—

It would bring disaster.

“If someone powerful decides to take it by force,” Zheng Fa thought grimly, “it could mean destruction for Jiushan Sect.”

Master Pang shared that same fear. “Sect Master…” he began cautiously, “are you planning to—”

“I have already decided,” the Sect Master interrupted firmly.

“For a treasure of this magnitude—”

“—Only the worthy shall claim it.”

“I have informed the Hundred Immortals Alliance and invited all Nascent Soul sects to freely enter Taiyang County and comprehend the monument.”

“Of course,” he added, “our disciples may also enter.”

“…”

Zheng Fa immediately understood—

A classic move—

‘Share the table, not the treasure.’

Joint access—mutual ownership.

“If you can’t keep it—”

“Then you control the gateway.”

Master Pang sighed. “The Five Great Sects will definitely come.”

“They will,” the Sect Master agreed with a shrug, “But what can we do? Stop them?”

Zheng Fa’s eyes narrowed—

Suddenly, he spoke up—

“Master—”

“Why don’t we set up a new market district around the Thunder Pool?”

The Sect Master’s gaze sharpened instantly. “Go on.”

Zheng Fa smiled faintly.

“My point is—”

“If they want to comprehend the Heavenly Monument, fine. But they’ll have to ensure our market’s safety—”

“And—”

“No other market district is allowed within the Thunder Pool region—only ours.”

A long silence—

Then—

The Sect Master’s eyes glinted.

“…You,” he muttered, staring at Zheng Fa with a mixture of amusement and pride—

“How does your brain even work?”

Zheng Fa smiled.

Because he knew—

In a gold rush—

The richest man—

Was never the one mining gold.

It was the one—

Selling the shovels.

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