I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 136: The Plan

Zheng Fa had always known that Senior Sister Zhang usually kept a cold expression when outside, but it had been a long time since he had seen her with that cold face.

Seeing her looking so frosty today—it was kind of refreshing.

"What is it?"

So brief. She must really be in a mood.

Zheng Fa was confused. Had he offended Senior Sister recently?

Seeing his puzzled and hesitant look, Senior Sister Zhang lowered her gaze slightly, but her tone softened a bit. "I just saw you looking quite happy. Is it good news?"

"Good news!"

Zheng Fa nodded firmly and said to Senior Sister Zhang, "Senior Sister, I’ve made another breakthrough in the Heavenly Monument Realm!"

"This is..."

"This is the transformed form of the Investiture of the Gods. Based on my calculations, I’m the first cultivator to obtain a bronze seal!"

Hearing this, Senior Sister Zhang's lips curled into a small smile. "You’ve worked hard, Junior Brother. The Heavenly Monument Realm is now our Jiushan Sect’s best fallback option..."

Zheng Fa nodded and said, "Senior Sister, this bronze seal has another function!"

"Hmm?"

"It can bring others into the Heavenly Monument Realm!" Zheng Fa grinned. "As long as you fuse your blood essence and divine soul into it, I can take you through the Thunder Pool and into the Heavenly Monument Realm!"

Previously, despite her formidable cultivation, entering the Heavenly Monument Realm had been difficult for Senior Sister Zhang—she hadn’t cultivated thunder techniques, and the powerful lightning near the monument was enough to block her path.

But now, with the bronze seal, she could follow Zheng Fa into the realm.

Senior Sister Zhang was stunned for a moment before she seemed to grasp what Zheng Fa was saying.

"This is why you were so happy just now?"

"Of course!" Zheng Fa nodded. "Senior Sister Zhang, you’ve always protected me before."

"Now I can protect you."

Senior Sister Zhang opened her mouth slightly, looking at Zheng Fa. Her expression gradually softened, and the corners of her lips lifted just a little.

"Senior Sister, this bronze seal has two slots. I’d like to bring Senior Sister Yuan along as well."

Zheng Fa had already thought it through. In the Jiushan Sect, he was closest to Senior Sister Zhang. Then came Senior Sister Yuan, his master, and Martial Uncle Pang in that order.

Senior Sister Yuan, though often scheming against him in her silly way, had once shielded him when fighting Copper Coffin Elder—he hadn’t forgotten that.

For the second deity position, she was his first choice.

"She doesn’t deserve it!"

Unexpectedly, Senior Sister Zhang snorted.

Huh?

Weren’t these two close?

Who was stirring up trouble between them?

Thinking about Senior Sister Zhang’s icy face earlier, Zheng Fa suddenly understood—Senior Sister Yuan must have upset her.

But just after saying that, Senior Sister Zhang frowned slightly as if hesitating about something.

"Senior Sister?"

She stared at the bronze seal for a long moment before suddenly speaking again.

"Forget it. If you like, bring her along."

Looking at her face, Zheng Fa couldn’t help scratching his head—what did she mean by if you like?

Senior Sister Zhang was acting weird today. She was speaking in riddles.

...

Xiao Yuying slowly walked into the Jiushan Sect disciples' camp.

As she walked, she observed the layout of the area—most of the disciples’ residences were close to the Thunder Pool, seemingly relying on it for defense.

However, the disciples inside showed no signs of tension. They probably had no idea that the demon race was about to attack Jiushan Sect.

Following a guiding disciple, she arrived at Zheng Fa’s courtyard and glanced around. In her heart, she was certain—Zheng Fa was highly valued within Jiushan Sect.

To his left, there was a courtyard with a Nascent Soul presence, likely meant to protect him.

That was understandable.

But further left, there was another Nascent Soul presence, also seemingly acting as a guardian.

She knew that Jiushan Sect currently had only two Nascent Soul cultivators stationed at the Thunder Pool.

And both were guarding Zheng Fa?

Zheng Fa quickly walked out and apologized, "I was in the middle of cultivating just now. My apologies for not greeting you sooner!"

Xiao Yuying nodded but hadn’t yet spoken when she saw Zhang Wuyi emerge from the courtyard on the left.

Zhang Wuyi fixed her gaze on Xiao Yuying with an expression that carried some emotion—definitely not a friendly one.

Xiao Yuying frowned slightly but said nothing. She merely nodded toward Zhang Wuyi before following Zheng Fa into the courtyard.

Yet, that look from Zhang Wuyi lingered in her mind, leaving her puzzled.

After a moment, she figured it out.

That gaze... was full of jealousy?

Looking at Zheng Fa’s back, she couldn’t help but shake her head with a chuckle.

She never expected someone like Zhang Wuyi to be blinded by love.

Xiao Yuying admired Zheng Fa’s achievements in thunder techniques.

She also acknowledged his potential.

But she was more interested in working with him.

As for romantic feelings… Zhang Wuyi was overthinking things.

At that thought, she sighed inwardly—Zhang Wuyi, who once had such high standards, was now reduced to someone who lost her composure over a man.

Her vision had narrowed.

And she had underestimated her.

There were thousands of male cultivators in the world—why would Xiao Yuying bother competing over this one?

Zheng Fa turned back, as if noticing the emotion in her eyes, and asked, "Fairy Xiao?"

Xiao Yuying shook her head, pushing aside her previous thoughts, and said, "I helped you capture that demon. Does your previous promise still hold?"

"Of course!" Zheng Fa nodded. "Regarding the secret realm exploration, I will follow your lead."

They had agreed earlier—Xiao Yuying would help set up the situation, and Zheng Fa would help her explore the secret realm, which seemed to be related to Tianhe Venerable.

Xiao Yuying smiled. "In that case, we set off tomorrow."

"This..." Zheng Fa was taken aback. "So soon?"

"It’s not soon. I’ve already waited long enough."

Xiao Yuying added, "Besides, Taiyang Prefecture is too crowded right now. If we delay any further, unexpected trouble might arise."

"Fairy Xiao, you..."

"I’m not afraid of trouble, but I have to be careful since I’m bringing you along. If something happens to you..."

She glanced at Zhang Wuyi’s courtyard and said, "I’m afraid someone would fight me to the death over it."

"..."

When she said that, Zheng Fa's expression showed a hint of gratitude. He cupped his hands toward Xiao Yuying and asked, "May I know the details of this secret realm?"

Xiao Yuying thought for a moment, then a streak of light flew from her hand, revealing a pale blue gauze scarf.

The scarf rose with the wind, expanding larger and larger until it covered the sky above, enveloping Zheng Fa’s courtyard.

Zheng Fa asked, "This is...?"

"A small magical treasure that can block others’ divine sense and sight," Xiao Yuying said nonchalantly. "I'll tell you about the secret realm now."

"Alright..."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa glanced at the scarf but pulled out a small booklet from his hand.

The booklet was already filled with densely written notes, which piqued Xiao Yuying's curiosity.

"The secret realm is not near the Thunder Pool but at the edge of the spiritual cavern here, more than ten thousand miles to the east," she continued.

As she spoke, Zheng Fa picked up a brush and carefully recorded every detail.

Xiao Yuying grew even more intrigued but merely continued, "The secret realm is somewhat dangerous, but I can handle it. There's only one bronze hall, which should be where the treasures are stored."

Zheng Fa nodded, looking at Xiao Yuying as if sensing she was about to mention the key point.

"This bronze hall has a large lock. I tried, but unlocking it requires an extremely high mastery of thunder techniques."

"So... Fairy Xiao, you’re looking for me to unlock it?" Zheng Fa mused.

"Yes. Of course, there may be other mechanisms inside the hall as well," Xiao Yuying admitted frankly.

After thinking for a moment, she couldn't help but add, "There’s one thing I need to make clear to you."

"Please speak, Fairy Xiao."

"Although your cultivation isn’t high, you seem to have some status in Jiushan Sect. You’re probably used to making decisions, and I suspect you have your own ideas."

"..."

Seeing that Zheng Fa remained calm and showed no sign of displeasure, Xiao Yuying continued, "But for this trip to the secret realm, I hope you don’t act on your own unless necessary. That place is extremely dangerous for you, and I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to protect you completely."

"Understood..."

After a pause, Xiao Yuying still felt the need to explain, "I’ve been to many secret realms and worked with others before. The ones who die the fastest are always those who insist on having their own way..."

She valued Zheng Fa to some extent, so her words were sincere.

Zheng Fa seemed to understand her good intentions. Instead of feeling offended, he actually looked a bit grateful. "Fairy Xiao, don’t worry, I’ll remember that."

After saying that, he glanced at his booklet, shook his head with a smile, and said, "I did have some ideas before, but since I’ve never been to a secret realm, I’ll naturally follow Fairy Xiao’s lead."

"Oh?" Seeing how receptive he was, Xiao Yuying smiled, her interest piqued. "You had some ideas? Mind letting me take a look?"

"It’s just some wild thoughts of mine."

Zheng Fa handed over his booklet.

Xiao Yuying flipped through it, and the first thing she saw on the first page was a title— Gold Hunting (crossed out) Archaeology Plan.

She didn’t understand but kept flipping.

On the next page, eight large characters were written at the top: Data Collection, On-Site Investigation.

Below that were several key points:

Gather records on Tianhe Venerable’s life, focusing on the activities of the Tianhe Sect in the secret realm.

Map the secret realm’s terrain, prioritizing the safety and convenience of its entrances and exits.

Collect intelligence on surrounding cultivator factions that may pose a threat.

...

Xiao Yuying pursed her lips and continued flipping.

She found that Zheng Fa had divided the exploration into three sections: Preliminary Preparation, Exploration Key Points, and Risk Assessment, with contingency plans in the latter part.

For example, in Exploration Key Points, Zheng Fa emphasized that besides gathering magical treasures and spiritual materials, it was equally important to study the realm’s restriction techniques, architectural structures, and historical context.

This was something Xiao Yuying had vaguely considered before but had never paid much attention to.

The most detailed section was Risk Assessment.

"Major risks come from three main sources—"

She read aloud softly:

"First, potential threats within the secret realm that could endanger explorers’ lives, such as dangerous restrictions or sealed ancient demons... Solution: Prepare artifacts or talismans for breaking restrictions and escaping."

"Second, conflicts with other cultivators over the treasures..."

"Third, external threats after obtaining the treasures... Solution: Conceal identity and adopt demon-hunting tactics."

"You..."

Xiao Yuying gently closed the booklet, momentarily at a loss for words.

Some of these ideas were novel, while others had been vaguely recognized by people before. However, this kind of systematic summarization and planning was something she had never encountered before.

She had never met someone like Zheng Fa, who wanted to consider every aspect before entering a secret realm and had even devised multiple contingency plans.

"What were you thinking?"

What was he thinking?

Copying...

"Fairy Xiao, I’m just the type who likes to overthink things..." Zheng Fa laughed a little sheepishly. "Of course, with your experience, this booklet is probably just laughable."

"No... You’ve thought it through quite well," Xiao Yuying said softly.

After a while, Zheng Fa heard her sigh.

"No wonder... Zhang Wuyi really has a good eye!"

Huh?

What does this have to do with Senior Sister Zhang?

Why was Xiao Yuying acting strange too?