Interpretation

Zheng Family.

Since they had no study, Zheng Fa simply set up a small dining table in the courtyard and bent over it to write.

His little sister, Zheng Shan, wore the new clothes Mother Zheng had made for her and ran back and forth through the courtyard.

She did not dare disturb her brother. She could only circle the courtyard, tug at the grass by the wall, or pick up a stone and scratch lines into the ground, her little head glancing toward Zheng Fa every now and then.

Until Zheng Fa looked up.

"Brother! Are you done writing?" Zheng Shan pattered over, tugged at Zheng Fa's sleeve, and curiously stood on tiptoe to look at the table.

Inside, Mother Zheng, still busy at the loom, spoke up. "Shan'er, don't disturb your brother while he's studying."

Zheng Shan pouted, but obediently let go of Zheng Fa's sleeve.

"Mother, it's fine. I wrote this for my little sister." Zheng Fa pinched his sister's cheek and smiled.

"You wrote it for me? Can I study now?"

Zheng Shan's eyes lit up. She leaned against Zheng Fa's knee to look at the table, where two books with still-wet ink lay.

There were several words on the cover of the top one.

"Elemen..."

"Elementary Mathematics, Book One," Zheng Fa taught his sister to read.

Ever since they had moved to the Zhao Family, he had wanted his little sister to study, but it was not an easy matter.

The household now lived on Zheng Fa's monthly wages. Though they did not lack food or clothing, they were newcomers with no savings.

Mother Zheng had always wanted to find work at a clothing shop, but whenever the shops asked about her background and learned that she came from a farming household, they assumed she had no skills.

So for the time being, they could not afford Zheng Shan's tuition.

Money was not the biggest problem, though. Safety was. Zheng Shan would have to leave the residence to attend school, and only Mother Zheng could escort her. Zheng Fa was not at ease with that.

These days, with no books to read and Mother Zheng forbidding her from running around the Zhao Residence for fear she might offend some noble person, Zheng Shan could only play alone in the little courtyard.

"What, have you had nothing to do lately?" Seeing how excited she was, Zheng Fa knew that for his lively little sister, being trapped in such a tiny courtyard was truly a little painful.

"I have things to do!" Zheng Shan shook her head. "In the morning, I help Mother cook, then wait for Brother to eat lunch. Then I help Mother cook again, then wait for Brother to eat dinner."

Zheng Fa stroked his sister's head. "Then do you want to study?"

"Study!" His little sister nodded rapidly. "Mother said Brother studied, became a book attendant, and could buy me delicious food and new clothes. I want to study too!"

"What will you do after studying?" Zheng Fa asked.

"Mother still doesn't have new clothes to wear!"

Zheng Fa smiled, gathered his sister into his arms, and pointed at Elementary Mathematics, Book One. "From now on, Brother will teach you this at night. Remember to study hard."

"Okay, I'll definitely study hard!"

In her innocence, his little sister made what might have been the weightiest vow of her short life.

Watching his delighted little sister clutch the new book she could not understand and flip through it, Zheng Fa picked up the other book and headed for the study.

He had considered teaching his little sister mathematics for a long time. Even without involving knowledge of the Immortal Sect, mathematics was useful in everyday life in the Xuanwei Realm. But by nature, he was cautious, and he had felt unsafe in Zhuang's village.

Only today, after mastering the Spirit Crane Body and believing he possessed some ability to protect himself, did he take it out to teach his sister.

As for the other book, it was prepared for the Seventh Young Master—Middle School Mathematics, Volume One.

He had thought of it because of the Brain-Borrowing Plan and Old Man Bai's words.

After all, Old Man Bai was only one person, and his time was limited. Faced with endless Talisman Diagrams, he was bound to be stretched thin. Besides, he truly was busy, and he went on strike every so often. To be honest, Zheng Fa did not trust him much.

He had to stockpile new brains, and Tang Lingwu had great potential.

As for knowledge like Topology, which might involve the Immortal Sect, he did not intend to spread it yet.

But Middle School Mathematics was fine. To him, the book's greatest use was to sift out minds with potential.

The first would be the Seventh Young Master.

In the study, the Seventh Young Master stood before Zheng Fa's desk, lightly flipping through a stack of papers covered in Talisman Diagrams, his lips pressed tightly together.

"Young Master?" Gao Yuan, who felt his relationship with the Seventh Young Master had grown much closer, looked at his gloomy face in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"How long has Zheng Fa been here?"

The Seventh Young Master silently set down the diagram in his hand and suddenly asked.

"Less than two months?"

"And he's been studying Complete Guide to Talisman Diagrams for less than half a month..."

As he spoke, the bitterness on the Seventh Young Master's face deepened.

"Young Master?"

"The Origin Talismans he has analyzed in this half month are more than I managed in three years..." As he spoke, the Seventh Young Master turned and took <Supplement to Complete Guide to Talisman Diagrams: Basic Origin Talisman Section> from the bookshelf. He opened it and compared the diagrams one by one with those Zheng Fa had left on the paper, then let it fall dejectedly. "And they're all correct."

He turned to Gao Yuan, his eyes vacant. "Tell me, how can the gap between people be so vast?"

Gao Yuan felt like crying. "Young Master, I went through all of that long ago... I've asked myself that question a hundred times already."

"I feel like we're kindred spirits now!" The Seventh Young Master threw an arm around Gao Yuan's shoulders. "Among all these book attendants, you're the one most to my liking!"

The moment Zheng Fa entered, he noticed that the atmosphere between the Seventh Young Master and Gao Yuan was much more harmonious than usual, making him feel like an outsider.

"Zheng Fa, what are you holding?"

"Oh, I have a book. I thought it might be somewhat useful for the talisman path. Isn't Eldest Miss coming back soon?" Zheng Fa handed over Middle School Mathematics, Volume One. "Though its effects may not be apparent for now, the earlier you learn it, the better."

The Seventh Young Master froze, as though remembering something. "This... was given to you by the person behind you?"

"Behind me?" Zheng Fa blinked. Guessing some of what the Seventh Young Master meant, he could only answer vaguely, "You could say that."

There's a whole world of people behind me. Who knows which one you mean.

"You studied this book, and that's how you gained your talent for the talisman path?" Glancing at the Origin Talisman diagrams on Zheng Fa's desk, the Seventh Young Master asked excitedly.

"You could put it that way, though this is only the foundation." Zheng Fa thought about it and felt that was not wrong.

"Of all my book attendants, Zheng Fa, you're still the best!"

Behind him, Gao Yuan stared at his newly acquired kindred spirit, opened his mouth, and looked as though he wanted to curse but had nothing to say.

The Seventh Young Master accepted the book Zheng Fa handed him, his hands trembling slightly. Looking at the title on the cover, he softly read, "Middle School Mathematics, Volume One. Just the name tells me this is a marvelous immortal art!"

"...Care to interpret it?"

Zheng Fa was rather curious how he had figured that out.

"Middle School—'middle' must refer to the heart of the Great Dao, showing that this is an orthodox immortal method. Perhaps it even contains the meaning of the Mean." As he spoke, the Seventh Young Master frowned. "And what does 'mathematics' mean? Could it have something to do with divination? Might the mighty expert who wrote this book have come from the Confucian school?"

After speaking, he added somewhat embarrassedly, "My learning is shallow, so I cannot fully comprehend it. I'll need to contemplate it more."

"You understand it very well. Very profoundly." Zheng Fa praised him. "I think you understand it even more profoundly than the person who wrote the book."

Holding the book, the Seventh Young Master was silent for a moment. "Actually, my sister is returning to prepare me for the Immortal Selection Fair."

"Immortal Selection Fair?" Zheng Fa looked at the Seventh Young Master in confusion. Why had he not mentioned it before?

"..." The Seventh Young Master avoided Zheng Fa's gaze, shame coloring his face.

Got it. Another bastard trying to work hard in secret.