Entering the Gate

Wang Chen's words made Zheng Fa ponder if these patterns had something to do with the math competition.

"Does anyone in our class do competitions?"

"Our class?" Wang Chen gave him a strange look. "Our Qingshui Middle School doesn't even have many people doing competitions! This stuff is a field that only the strong from provincial key high schools can get into!"

Qingshui Middle School was actually pretty good in the city.

Every year, there were one or two promising students for top universities, but provincial key schools? That was still a tough nut to crack.

"However, I heard Tang Lingwu should be studying for competitions privately."

Zheng Fa's gaze couldn't help but drift towards the front of the classroom.

In the first row, near the podium, a girl with a ponytail was resting her chin on her hand, reading a book. The morning sun slanted across her profile and fingers, making her look youthful and delicate.

Tang Lingwu, the top student in the class, had held the first place in the entire class for three consecutive years, a strong contender for the school's top spot, the homeroom teacher Old Chen's darling, and the uncrowned queen of the class without any class officer titles.

Although her face was quite alluring, few boys in the class dared to act presumptuously in front of her—some brave souls had already proven that you might not get killed if you called Old Chen bald to his face, but if you dared to have improper thoughts about Tang Lingwu...

Then, sorry, a full package deal of changing seats and calling parents would surely make a prodigal son turn over a new leaf.

"Dating early is normal, but when a swan is flying beautifully, why would a toad be flailing around on the ground."

Old Chen's words almost made that boy cry.

From then on, the air around Tang Lingwu became quiet and studious.

However, being treated specially by Old Chen, she was inevitably a bit of a loner in class, seeming to have few friends.

Zheng Fa picked up the patterns he had drawn and walked towards Tang Lingwu's direction.

"Big brother, you're really brave!" Wang Chen exclaimed in alarm, blocking Zheng Fa. "What are you trying to do?"

"Go ask Tang Lingwu."

Zheng Fa pushed Wang Chen's arm away and walked to Tang Lingwu's seat.

"Tang Lingwu, may I disturb you for a moment?"

Not just Wang Chen, but other classmates were also looking in this direction, intentionally or unintentionally.

Ever since a boy had expressed his admiration for Tang Lingwu and was severely punished, no other classmate, or rather, no male classmate, would approach Tang Lingwu for no reason.

Tang Lingwu put down the book in her hand, turned her head to look at Zheng Fa, and her face clearly conveyed one sentence: You have already disturbed me.

"I wanted to ask you if you are preparing for the math competition?"

Tang Lingwu nodded.

"Then... are these patterns something that would be tested in the math competition?"

Zheng Fa placed the drawings in front of Tang Lingwu.

Tang Lingwu frowned, looking at the patterns, then shook her head slightly.

"No?"

"You might have a misunderstanding of the math competition," Tang Lingwu said, seeing his disappointed look, and actually explained, "For example, these geometric shapes would be tested, but there must be problems with the questions. It wouldn't just be a few shapes."

Zheng Fa suddenly understood. He got it.

Even the college entrance exam wouldn't just give you a diagram.

What could you figure out from this?

"However, these geometric shapes should have a certain pattern," Tang Lingwu looked again carefully, frowning. "Perhaps the person who drew them had their own ideas, but I just can't see them."

"I see..."

Compared to his own intelligence, Zheng Fa trusted the top student Tang Lingwu more.

"Maybe the teacher who teaches me competitions will understand a bit more."

Zheng Fa's spirits lifted, and he couldn't help but shamelessly ask, "Can you ask your teacher then?"

He wasn't actually familiar with Tang Lingwu, but at this moment, he couldn't help but be a little presumptuous.

After all, he knew very well that Gao Yuan wanted to understand these patterns to keep his position as a page.

In fact, Zheng Fa needed this position even more than him.

Gao Yuan had a housekeeper father at home at least.

If he were sent back, the days when his family's fortunes were just starting to improve might take a sharp downturn.

If there was even a sliver of hope, Zheng Fa was willing to throw his face away.

Tang Lingwu looked at him quietly for a moment before slowly nodding. "Actually, the teacher who teaches me competitions lives right here in Qingshui Middle School. I go to his house for tutoring every weekend. I'll take you to ask him then."

"Take me?"

"I don't know what you want to ask, wouldn't it be better for you to go yourself?"

When Zheng Fa returned to his seat, he still felt that Tang Lingwu wasn't as cold as she appeared on the surface.

"Brother, what did you say to her?"

"Don't you know? I just asked about these patterns."

"You're really... for a few pictures?" Wang Chen's expression suddenly turned lewd.

"What else?"

"Didn't you just randomly find a few pictures and then go talk to her?"

The more Wang Chen spoke, the more serious he became, even convincing himself.

Zheng Fa shook his head. "You're misunderstanding."

"It's not me misunderstanding, it's that everyone else probably misunderstood too."

Wang Chen pouted. Sure enough, several classmates nearby were smiling at him ambiguously, with a hint of respect.

Zheng Fa was also a bit helpless. For high school students, seeing boys and girls talking together often led to teasing. Whether it was true or not didn't matter, they just liked to do it.

Especially when it involved Tang Lingwu.

"Forget it, I can't control what they think, but it's really not like that."

Compared to these classmates, Zheng Fa had more important things on his mind and not that many romantic notions.

"They don't care, but..." Wang Chen pointed to the doorway. "Old Chen seems to have misunderstood too."

Zheng Fa looked up and saw Old Chen standing at the front door with a stern face, his gaze like a searchlight, fixed intently on Zheng Fa's face.

For the next few days, Zheng Fa attended classes quietly, trying to appear focused.

At the same time, he woke up an hour earlier every morning to practice the Crane Pine Stance.

He didn't dare go to the park anymore. Instead, he found a spot behind the Qingshui Middle School staff dormitory.

This place was in a corner of Qingshui Middle School's outer wall, concealed by several old trees. Zheng Fa was hard to spot inside unless someone was deliberately looking.

Moreover, Zheng Fa woke up very early. He finished his stance practice by six o'clock, a time when most people were still asleep.

So for several days, no one discovered him practicing.

On Friday morning, Zheng Fa was still immersed in the warm current within his body.

Since Instructor Xu taught him the Crane Pine Stance, he had been practicing for nearly a week in the Xuanwei Realm and the modern world combined.

At first, the warm current in his body was faint and uncontrollable.

Later, he could sense this warm current with every breath.

By today, the warm current no longer disappeared during practice; instead, it felt continuous.

"I've truly entered the initial stage!"

Instructor Xu had told them that when the warm current in their body moved like a line around their waist, abdomen, and hips, it meant they had truly entered the initial stage of the Crane Pine Stance.

That's exactly how he felt now!

After he finished his stance, Zheng Fa immediately felt the difference.

Besides the hunger he felt from practicing daily, his waist and abdomen felt warm, giving him the illusion that his legs and hips possessed a surging power that wanted to be released.

Zheng Fa looked around the deserted environment and bent his knees.

Using all his strength... he leaped!

"Swish!"

"Ouch!"

Zheng Fa felt his thigh act like a spring, propelling him directly into the air!

The branches and leaves above rustled and hit his face.

His head even broke through the canopy of the over three-meter-tall tree!

When Zheng Fa landed on the ground, still startled, he clutched his chest and exclaimed:

"Holy crap!"

No, that wasn't his voice.

Zheng Fa looked up. The curly-haired old man from the park was staring at him blankly.