Changed

To prove himself, Old Man Bai brought Zheng Fa and the other person to another room.

The door to this room was always kept shut, and Zheng Fa and the others had never been inside.

The room wasn't large, about ten square meters. Along the walls stood a row of tall bookshelves, the books on them arranged in extreme disarray. Books lay open on the floor and on chairs.

One could tell at a glance that this messy study belonged to the lazy old man.

The only thing that broke the haphazard style was the desk in the corner by the window. Besides a thick stack of papers and a pen holder filled with pens, there were no other items on it.

Most peculiar of all was that the stack of draft paper was piled neatly, like a smoothly cut piece of tofu.

"Is this your new book, sir?" Tang Lingwu also noticed the special stack of drafts.

Old Man Bai became humble at this moment. "It's just an idea I've had. I've been writing it for several years."

He turned to Zheng Fa and said, "I really don't have that much time. I promised someone I'd write this book before I retired, but it's been five or six years since retirement and I still haven't finished."

"The publisher actually called to rush me. I'm not bragging..." Under the suspicious gaze of Zheng Fa and the other, he stammered, "At most, I bragged one or two... five, six, seven, eight sentences."

Zheng Fa nodded, looking at the noticeably different desk. "You really value this book, sir."

"It's not that I value it so much. Like I said before, how much am I worth in mathematics?" Old Man Bai touched the draft paper on the desk, thought for a moment, and asked Zheng Fa, "Do you know why I've always been unwilling to teach you?"

"Because I learn slowly?"

"Well, being slow is one reason." Old Man Bai was always direct when it came to belittling Zheng Fa's intelligence.

"Because I'm about to take the college entrance exam?" Zheng Fa guessed again.

"That's also a reason, but the main reason is that you're not the type of person suited for mathematics."

Zheng Fa was taken aback, not quite understanding why the old man said that.

"I'm not saying your character is flawed, but you shouldn't have such strong intentions when studying mathematics. And you..." Old Man Bai glanced at Zheng Fa. "Are you trying to learn topology? Or are you after those strange patterns?"

Zheng Fa frowned.

"Isn't it good to be practical?" Tang Lingwu muttered.

"What is mathematics?" Old Man Bai suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"Mathematics fundamentally studies things that don't exist," Old Man Bai said to the two of them. "Do imaginary numbers exist? Do natural numbers even exist in nature? Can points, lines, and planes from geometry be found in nature?"

Zheng Fa remained silent, still not understanding what the old man was trying to say. But Old Man Bai seemed to have found the feeling of being a university lecturer:

"Mathematics is essentially an abstract, non-existent axiomatic system. To some extent, you can consider it a set of game rules invented by humans with no purpose, which just so happens to be able to explain some aspects of this world." He spoke eloquently.

"That's why many theoretical mathematicians look down on applied mathematicians. We agreed to be the mother of science together, but why are you so soft-bodied like a..." Looking at the young faces of Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu, Old Man Bai, who had gotten carried away, abruptly swallowed the indecent word that was about to leave his mouth and replaced it with: "fallen woman."

Seeing that Zheng Fa still didn't understand, Old Man Bai explained more clearly: "If you're studying topology for those patterns, then I ask you, have you ever considered whether topology can truly analyze all these patterns?"

Zheng Fa nodded.

"This is the peculiar nature of science. You can be right ten thousand times and still not be sure you're right. But if you're wrong once, you're truly wrong. At that point, would you still want to learn topology from me?"

Zheng Fa understood his meaning. The old man was beating around the bush, still advising him not to lose sight of the fundamental for the superficial.

"I want to learn, even if I learn slowly," Zheng Fa said slowly. Even without these Talisman Diagrams, he was very interested in the knowledge of this world.

"Then I suggest you learn properly from me." Old Man Bai saw his determined expression and didn't think he was lying. His expression softened a little, and he offered Zheng Fa rare comfort: "It's okay to be slow. You haven't even fully grasped your high school knowledge. Topology is a second-year undergraduate course at Beijing University. You need at least the knowledge reserve of a first-year undergraduate to truly get started. It's normal to be slow now."

Old Man Bai meant well, but Zheng Fa still refused:

"But I still want you to help me analyze those patterns."

Zheng Fa had thought it through clearly. He was interested in mathematics, but only as a tool.

Much like Old Man Bai's brain.

"I really don't have the time!"

Zheng Fa turned to Tang Lingwu beside him and pointed at her, asking, "I remember you saying she's already learned university-level courses?"

"Huh?"

"Since I have to start from high school, why don't I learn from her?"

There's no problem that can't be solved by borrowing a brain. If that doesn't work, borrow another one.

Tang Lingwu was stunned for a moment and pointed at herself: "Me?"

"I'll teach you martial arts, and you teach me mathematics, okay?"

Tang Lingwu hesitated and looked at Old Man Bai.

Old Man Bai frowned, but he didn't deny Tang Lingwu's ability. "This is also a way. If you encounter something you can't teach, you can bring it to me. Actually, teaching him would greatly improve your own understanding of those knowledge points, but it would delay your time..."

"I'll teach him! I want to learn martial arts!"

"Didn't you not want to?" Old Man Bai snorted.

Tang Lingwu didn't speak, just pursed her lips and smiled.

Zheng Fa grinned and took out the draft notebooks. "So, which one do we start with today?"

Old Man Bai was stunned.

He pointed at Tang Lingwu. "She's become your teacher, and she can even practice martial arts now."

"That's right."

"From now on, she won't scold you, and I can't scold you. Not only will you not be scolded, but you'll also have a beautiful young girl as a teacher, and me, who's working for you."

Zheng Fa smiled slyly. "Seems so."

"And I, not only have to work for you, but I've also lost the joy of scolding you?"

The reasoning process was so flawless that it made Old Man Bai's expression despair.

"At least you've learned your lesson," Zheng Fa patted Old Man Bai on the shoulder. "Next time, don't threaten to drop out so readily."

Because Tang Lingwu needed to be taught how to practice, Old Man Bai's house became too small.

The group came to the small clearing where Old Man Bai had witnessed Zheng Fa learning the Crane Pine Stance before.

Old Man Bai continued to practice the Crane Pine Stance on the side with a bitter expression, though he seemed much more focused than before.

Zheng Fa stood in front of Tang Lingwu, guiding her in her stance. They were very close, and the tips of their noses tickled each other with stray strands of hair, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance from the young girl.

He, however, was not affected. He quickly gathered his focus and then discovered the difference in this world—after mastering the Crane Body Technique, when he circulated the internal energy within his body, he would feel a force in the void responding to him in the Xuanwei Realm.

But it wasn't like that in this world!

The difference made Zheng Fa unable to help but speculate.

"Zheng Fa, you... smell so good!"

Huh?

Tang Lingwu seemed to think her words were too vulgar, and her eyes darted around.

Zheng Fa's gaze was serious as it fell on her, his eyes filled with inquiry, as if trying to see another acquaintance on her face:

...Gao Yuan, is that you?

"Zheng Fa! I've discovered something strange!" Gao Yuan saw Zheng Fa and jogged over to his side, sticking his head in front of Zheng Fa as if wanting to whisper something to him.

"Stop, stay away from me," Zheng Fa closed his eyes.

"?"

"I'm not used to you suddenly becoming so ugly."

Gao Yuan touched his face, which was full of confusion, but quickly dismissed it and said in a low voice, "I haven't changed, the Seventh Young Master has changed!"

"Changed? Changed into what?" Zheng Fa was a little curious upon hearing this.

"He's become..." Gao Yuan seemed to have trouble describing it, scratching his head. "He's become a bit like me."

...What a coincidence, I know someone else who's become a bit like you.