I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 55: Comfort

After the monthly exam results were released, Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu visited Old Bai’s home once again.

“I heard you did well this time?” Old Bai asked, his tone more smug than congratulatory.

“It’s all thanks to your teaching, sir,” Zheng Fa replied smoothly.

Hearing this, Old Bai’s face crinkled into a radiant grin.

“I have a friend who struggles with studying too...” Zheng Fa began cautiously while the old man was in a good mood.

“Stop right there!” Old Bai raised his hand, frowning slightly. “I refuse.”

Zheng Fa hadn’t expected Old Bai to be so guarded, shutting him down before he could even finish. He wasn’t flustered, though; he simply stared at the old man, waiting.

Sure enough, the silence got to Old Bai first. “You’re really not going to say it?”

“Couldn’t you at least plead a little?”

Taking the cue, Zheng Fa asked, “Do you have a quick and easy method for solving talisman diagrams?”

“Quick and easy? What kind of shortcut are you thinking?”

Zheng Fa hesitated, unsure how to phrase it. Tang Lingwu stepped in, helpfully providing an explanation: “You know, things like ‘three long lines, choose the shortest; three short lines, choose the longest.’”

Old Bai’s face darkened. “You dare bring this nonsense to me, a professor at Jingcheng University? You insult my craft with such trickery!”

Zheng Fa had asked for these shortcuts with someone else in mind—none other than the Seventh Young Master. With just two months left before his entry into the Immortal Sect, starting him on Elementary Mathematics was out of the question. The only feasible option was to rely on probability, or as Zheng Fa preferred to frame it, the great science of probability theory.

Predictably, Old Bai shook his head violently, his curly hair flailing as if expressing its own indignation.

Zheng Fa gave Tang Lingwu a knowing look, and she immediately struck a Pine Crane Stance.

Placing his hand on her back, Zheng Fa said, “I’ve thought of a shortcut to speed up her progress.”

“How fast?” Old Bai blinked in curiosity.

“Based on my calculations, she should be able to master the stance in about half a month,” Zheng Fa replied thoughtfully.

Old Bai’s eyes widened slightly. He remembered Zheng Fa estimating that Tang Lingwu, being young and physically fit, might take two to three months to reach this stage.

“Half a month, you say...” Old Bai rubbed his hands together hesitantly. “Uh, could I... maybe try that method too?”

“No way. I couldn’t possibly insult you with such underhanded means,” Zheng Fa declined with exaggerated sincerity.

“Well... maybe a little insult wouldn’t hurt,” Old Bai muttered, gritting his teeth before heading into his study. He returned with a black notebook in hand.

“What’s this?”

“I don’t know any shortcuts, nor will I teach you any, but this should speed things up a bit,” Old Bai said stiffly, handing over the notebook.

Flipping through it, Zheng Fa found notes outlining patterns Old Bai had identified in talisman diagrams. Rather than random guessing, it was a system to deduce which foundational Yuan Fu (base symbols) the diagrams evolved from based on their visual features.

“For all but the most complex patterns, this method should guarantee about 80-90% accuracy,” Old Bai explained.

The notebook wasn’t thin, and it was clear that Old Bai had poured a lot of effort into it. Each base symbol was matched with characteristic patterns, and each pattern was illustrated with ten or more examples.

“Did you prepare this in advance?” Zheng Fa asked, noting the meticulous organization.

“I wrote it on a whim while bored. Just some casual notes,” Old Bai coughed awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

Seeing the effort Old Bai had put in, Zheng Fa’s heart warmed.

“Don’t get all sentimental,” Old Bai grumbled, clearly uncomfortable. Then, his expression turned serious. “I told you before—I didn’t want to take you on as a student initially.”

“You said I wasn’t cut out for mathematics,” Zheng Fa recalled.

Old Bai pointed at the notebook. “I planned to give this to you later, but since I’m handing it over now, I need to say something.”

It was rare for Old Bai to wear such a serious expression.

“I didn’t want to take you on because you’re not like her,” he said, gesturing toward Tang Lingwu.

“She’s straightforward, while you’re full of schemes,” Old Bai continued, his sharp gaze landing on Zheng Fa. “You have two flaws—impatience and selfishness.”

The words were blunt, and Tang Lingwu opened her mouth as if to defend Zheng Fa.

“It’s not criticism. Given your circumstances, it’s natural to be calculating,” Old Bai interrupted her. “But that approach won’t work in academia. I’ve already spoken to you about your impatience. Now, let’s address your selfishness. To be honest, I’d prefer if you truly were seeking help for a friend.”

“You practice martial arts, where the strongest reign supreme, and everyone hoards their secret techniques, unwilling to share. But academia is different,” Old Bai said sternly. “Our enemy isn’t other scholars. It’s the mysteries of the world, the unanswered questions.”

Zheng Fa began to understand.

“Why do I want to write a book?” Old Bai asked rhetorically. “Because I learned from books written by others. Without those, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have. I’m standing on the shoulders of giants. Now that I’m old, I want to be a shoulder for others to stand on.”

“I understand,” Zheng Fa said sincerely.

He admired Old Bai’s perspective, though he wasn’t sure he could adopt it himself—at least not in the Xuanyi Realm, and not yet.

“No, you don’t,” Old Bai said with a shake of his head. “We academics are, at best, a league of failures. The world is vast, science has no end, and tomorrow’s truths may become tomorrow’s lies. Humanity may never uncover the ultimate truths of the universe. Failure is inevitable.”

He paused, his tone softening. “So we must embrace failure and support each other. There’s a saying that applies perfectly to us: ‘If you want to go far, go together.’”

“I’ll remember that,” Zheng Fa replied earnestly.

“No, you still don’t get it,” Old Bai said, suddenly flashing a mischievous grin. “All that was just fluff. The real point is—if failure is inevitable, don’t let it get you down.”

Zheng Fa froze. “How did you know?”

He realized Old Bai had seen through him. Ever since meeting the Madam, a weight had been on his mind. Though he prided himself on concealing his emotions, it seemed Old Bai had noticed.

The notebook, the lecture on failure—they were all subtle ways of comforting him.

Old Bai smirked and pointed behind Zheng Fa. “This little girl told me.”

Turning, Zheng Fa saw Tang Lingwu standing there with a milk tea in hand. She extended it toward him, her face expressionless. “Here, drink this.”

After a moment of silence, Zheng Fa accepted the drink, took a sip, and said, “It’s sweet.”

Behind him, Old Bai muttered, “I told you teaching students is a hassle. So much effort, and they haven’t even mastered martial arts yet. What a loss!”

“Grandpa Bai,” Tang Lingwu said, puzzled by his earlier remarks. “Wasn’t your view a bit idealistic? I’ve seen plenty of news about plagiarism and academic fraud.”

She and Zheng Fa both understood that Old Bai’s earlier words weren’t just “fluff.” Despite his grumblings, his constant guidance revealed his high hopes for them.

Old Bai pointed at Zheng Fa and said, “What’s his martial prowess for? Decoration?”

Zheng Fa translated silently: In academia, most people are decent. For those who aren’t, you’ll make them decent.

...

When Zheng Fa woke up in the Xuanyi Realm, Gao Yuan eyed him curiously. “Zheng Fa, why do you seem so much cheerier today?”

“I was in a bad mood before, but I’ve decided to do something fun today,” Zheng Fa replied.

“What’s that?” Gao Yuan asked.

“You’ve all been studying math for a while. I think it’s time for a pop quiz to celebrate!”

Gao Yuan whipped his head toward Zheng Fa.

Seeing the genuine joy on Zheng Fa’s face, Gao Yuan’s expression turned into a slow, confused frown. “You’re giving us a quiz… for fun?”

“No,” Zheng Fa replied earnestly. “I’m giving you a quiz for my fun.”

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