Interpreting

Zheng Family.

As there was no study, Zheng Fa simply set up a small dining table and wrote at his desk in the courtyard.

His younger sister, Zheng Shan, wearing new clothes made by Mother Zheng, ran around the courtyard.

Afraid to disturb her brother, she could only run around the yard, or pull at the green grass by the corner of the wall, or pick up a stone and draw on the ground, her little head occasionally glancing in Zheng Fa's direction.

Until Zheng Fa looked up.

"Brother! Are you done?" Zheng Shan ran over with a clatter, tugging at Zheng Fa's sleeve, curiously standing on tiptoe to look at the table.

From inside the house, Mother Zheng, still busy at the loom, spoke, "Shan'er, don't disturb your brother's studies."

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

"Mother, it's fine, I was just writing this for my little sister," Zheng Fa said with a smile, pinching his sister's cheek.

"For me? Can I read now?"

Zheng Shan's eyes lit up. She leaned on Zheng Fa's knee and looked at the table, where two books with still-wet ink were placed.

On the cover of the top book were a few characters.

"Xiao..."

"Elementary School Mathematics Volume 1," Zheng Fa taught his sister to read.

Ever since they moved to the Zhao Family, he had wanted his sister to study, but it wasn't easy.

Currently, the family relied on Zheng Fa's monthly wages to live. Although they had enough to eat and wear, they had no savings after just arriving.

Mother Zheng had always wanted to find some work at a clothing shop, but when she inquired about her background at several shops, they learned she came from a farming family and deemed her unskilled.

Therefore, they couldn't afford tuition for Zheng Shan yet.

Money was a secondary issue; the most important thing was safety. Zheng Shan would have to go outside the manor to attend school, and Mother Zheng would have to accompany her, which made Zheng Fa uneasy.

During this period, Zheng Shan had no school and Mother Zheng didn't allow her to run around the Zhao Manor, lest she offend any noble. So, she could only play alone in the small courtyard.

"What, nothing to do lately?" Seeing her excitement, Zheng Fa knew that for the lively Zheng Shan, being confined to a small courtyard was quite difficult.

"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, and wait for Brother to eat dinner."

Zheng Fa stroked his sister's head. "So, you want to study?"

"Study!" His sister nodded vigorously. "Mother said Brother studied and became a page, so he could buy me delicious food and new clothes. I want to study too!"

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

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

Zheng Fa smiled, held his sister in his arms, and pointed to the Elementary School Mathematics Volume 1. "From now on, I'll teach you this in the evenings. Remember to study hard."

"Okay, I'll definitely study hard!"

The innocent and ignorant little sister made what might be the most solemn vow of her young life.

Watching his sister happily flipping through the new book she couldn't understand, Zheng Fa picked up another book and walked towards the study.

He had thought about teaching his sister mathematics for a long time. Even without involving Immortal Sect knowledge, mathematics was very useful in daily life in the Xuanwei Realm. However, he was naturally cautious and felt it wasn't safe in the village.

Only today, after mastering the Crane Body Technique and believing he had some ability to protect himself, did he decide to teach it to his sister.

As for the other book, it was prepared for the Seventh Young Master—Junior High School Mathematics Volume 1.

This was inspired by his Borrowed Brain Project and Old Man Bai's words.

Old Man Bai was only one person, and his time was limited. Facing an endless stream of Talisman Diagrams, he was bound to be overwhelmed. Moreover, he was indeed very busy and occasionally went on strike, so frankly, Zheng Fa wasn't entirely at ease.

He had to cultivate new brains; Tang Lingwu had great potential.

Knowledge that might involve the Immortal Sect, like Topology, he wasn't ready to spread yet.

But Junior High School Mathematics could be shared. For him, the book's greatest purpose was to screen for potential brains.

The first one was the Seventh Young Master.

In the study, the Seventh Young Master stood before Zheng Fa's desk, gently flipping through a stack of papers with Talisman Diagrams drawn on them, his lips tightly pursed.

"Young Master?" Gao Yuan, who felt their relationship had grown closer, looked at his somber face in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"How long has Zheng Fa been here?"

The Seventh Young Master silently put down the diagrams in his hand and suddenly asked.

"Less than two months?"

"It hasn't even been half a month since he started studying the Complete Explanation of Talisman Diagrams..."

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

"Young Master?"

"The Origin Talismans he's deciphered in the past half month are more than what I deciphered in three years..." He turned and took a book from the bookshelf, Complete Explanation of Talisman Diagrams Addendum: Basic Origin Talismans, opened it, and compared it with the patterns Zheng Fa had left on the paper, then dejectedly put it down. "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 a pang of emotion, as if he wanted to cry. "Young Master, everything you've said, I've already experienced... I've asked myself that question a hundred times already."

"I feel like we're kindred spirits now!" The Seventh Young Master slung an arm around Gao Yuan's shoulders. "Out of all the Pages, you're the one I like the most!"

As soon as Zheng Fa entered, he noticed 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 here that I thought might be useful for the Talisman Path. The Eldest Young Lady is returning soon, isn't she?" Zheng Fa handed over Junior High School Mathematics Volume 1. "Even though this book doesn't show any immediate effects, it's better to learn it sooner rather than later."

The Seventh Young Master blinked, as if recalling something. "This... was given to you by the person behind you?"

"Behind me?" Zheng Fa blinked, guessing what the Seventh Young Master meant. He could only vaguely reply, "You could say that."

There's a whole world of people behind me; I wonder which one you're referring to.

"Did you gain your current Talisman Path talent after studying this book?" The Seventh Young Master glanced at the Origin Talisman Diagram on Zheng Fa's desk, his excitement growing.

"You could say that, but this is just the foundation." Zheng Fa thought for a moment, feeling that it wasn't a bad way to put it.

"Young Master, out of all my Pages, Zheng Fa, you're truly the best!"

Gao Yuan, standing behind him, looked at his newfound kindred spirit. He opened his mouth, wanting to curse but finding no words.

The Seventh Young Master took the book Zheng Fa handed him, his hands trembling slightly. He looked at the title on the cover and softly read aloud, "Junior High School Mathematics Volume 1. The name alone screams immortal-grade secret art!"

"...Can you interpret it?"

Zheng Fa was quite curious how he saw it.

"The 'Junior' likely refers to the primordial beginning, before heaven and earth were formed, signifying that this secret art directly leads to ancient times! The 'Middle' speaks of the heart of the Great Dao, indicating this is a legitimate immortal art, perhaps containing the meaning of the Doctrine of the Mean." As he spoke, the Seventh Young Master frowned. "What does 'Mathematics' mean? Could it be related to the numerology of the I Ching? Was the great being who wrote this book perhaps from the Confucian school?"

Afterward, he added somewhat bashfully, "My knowledge is shallow, and I can't fully comprehend it. I need to study it further."

"Your interpretation is excellent, very profound," Zheng Fa praised. "I think it's even more profound than the person who wrote the book."

Holding the book, the Seventh Young Master fell silent for a moment. "Actually, my sister's return is also to prepare me for the Immortal Grade Convention."

"Immortal Grade Convention?" Zheng Fa looked at the Seventh Young Master with some confusion, wondering why he hadn't mentioned it earlier.

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

...I get it. Another guy who wants to secretly work hard, the scoundrel.