I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 52: Awakening

Zheng Fa walked along the mountain path of Eighth Peak.

It was early morning, and many disciples from Uncle Master Pang’s lineage were out and about. When they saw Zheng Fa, the lower-level disciples would bow to him first, while even the higher-level ones greeted him with a smile.

Zheng Fa knew this was because of the Yellow Sprout Rice trade.

Initially, he had arranged with Qianhe Sect to purchase 300 stones of Yellow Sprout Rice per month.

But those 300 stones had sold out within just ten days. Eventually, they had to restrict purchases for outsiders.

Now, Jiushan Sect was ordering 600 stones per month—double the original amount.

The biggest beneficiaries of this trade were none other than the Jiushan Sect disciples.

As Zheng Fa walked, he returned every bow and greeting from his fellow disciples.

By the time he arrived at Uncle Master Pang’s hall, the sun was already high in the sky.

Inside the hall, Uncle Master Pang sat calmly, as if expecting him. He simply nodded and said, "Zheng Shizhi, what brings you here?"

Zheng Fa bowed respectfully before glancing around.

Many other disciples were present, watching him with curiosity.

Among the three Nascent Soul cultivators in Jiushan Sect, Uncle Master Pang was the one who paid the most attention to his disciples.

His own Master, Sect Master Yuan, was too high up to bother with daily affairs.

As for Senior Sister Zhang’s master, Zhenren Huang, Zheng Fa had never even met him—which showed how reclusive he was.

But Uncle Master Pang frequently gathered his disciples to personally teach them.

He was one of the few Nascent Soul cultivators who truly looked out for his students.

Zheng Fa couldn't help but feel a little envious of these senior brothers.

"Uncle Master, I have a request."

Zheng Fa cut straight to the point.

"Senior Sister Zhang took many disciples with her when she left. Now, the Administrative Hall and market district are severely short-handed. I’d like to ask Uncle Master to send some of his disciples to help manage the market." ȑ𝖆ℕȫΒÊ𝙨

"…"

Uncle Master Pang slowly straightened in his seat and gave Zheng Fa a look.

His expression said it all—"Senior Sister Zhang just left, and you're already making moves to take over?"

Zheng Fa, of course, understood his suspicions.

The Administrative Hall and market district had always been Senior Sister Zhang’s domain.

Uncle Master Pang’s disciples had never been allowed to interfere.

"I already spoke with Senior Sister Zhang about this before she left," Zheng Fa explained. "She agreed."

In truth, Senior Sister Zhang had taken so many people with her precisely to remove certain obstacles for him.

Seeing Uncle Master Pang’s doubtful expression, Zheng Fa elaborated further:

"In the past few years, some disciples have exploited their connection to Senior Sister Zhang to take advantage of others. Some have even colluded with corrupt merchants."

"Senior Sister Zhang has always dealt with these matters harshly, but let’s be honest—these problems never truly go away."

"The market district is growing rapidly, but that also means the greedy ones are becoming bolder and more numerous."

Zheng Fa understood that this problem would only get worse in the future.

He was confident that the market would generate even greater profits in spirit stones and resources.

But with spiritual energy declining, these resources would become even more valuable—and people even greedier.

Even Senior Sister Zhang couldn’t completely control human greed.

The best they could do was change the rules to curb it.

"So you want my disciples to handle this?"

"Senior Brothers from your lineage are skilled in the 'Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes' technique," Zheng Fa said with a smile. "I’d like to invite them to oversee the market—to prevent troublemakers and monitor the disciples working there."

Uncle Master Pang’s direct disciples had all trained in Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes—except for the unlucky Zhou Qianyuan, who hadn’t learned it yet.

In Zheng Fa’s mind, these guys were perfect for security work—they basically came with built-in surveillance!

Hearing this, the disciples in the hall exchanged uncertain glances.

They didn’t seem too interested—this job sounded boring and full of potential enemies.

After all, the market district belonged to Senior Sister Zhang’s faction.

Seeing their reluctance, Zheng Fa raised three fingers.

"Of course, I wouldn’t make Senior Brothers work for nothing. I’ll personally ensure that each of you receives three extra spirit stones per month—on behalf of Senior Sister Zhang."

That immediately changed their expressions.

Boring? Good!

Getting paid for doing nothing? Even better!

Making enemies? Even better—because those enemies are the ones who’ve been hogging all the benefits!

With spirit stones, anything was negotiable!

Uncle Master Pang glanced at his excited disciples, then back at Zheng Fa.

He was starting to feel that if Zheng Fa ever gave a speech, his disciples would all abandon him.

Three spirit stones per month wasn’t even a high wage.

His disciples were all Foundation Establishment cultivators—even a lazy disciple in the market could easily earn that much.

But the problem was… his lineage was poor!

They managed the Disciplinary Hall, which only paid fixed salaries.

Unlike Senior Sister Zhang’s faction, which controlled the market district and made huge profits.

And in terms of talisman crafting, Uncle Master Pang’s disciples simply couldn’t compete—the high-end talisman market was entirely monopolized by Senior Sister Zhang’s side.

This was why, despite Uncle Master Pang’s diligent teaching, his disciples were never able to surpass Senior Sister Zhang’s faction—because they simply had fewer resources.

No wonder there was resentment.

Senior Sister Zhang’s offer wasn’t just about cleaning up the market.

It was also a concession.

"I underestimated Senior Sister Zhang’s generosity."

After a long silence, Uncle Master Pang finally nodded.

"Very well. If any of my disciples wish to go, they may follow Zheng Shizhi."

Then, he glanced at Zheng Fa and suddenly asked,

"You’ve reached Qi Refining Sixth Layer?"

"Yes!"

Zheng Fa nodded.

His cultivation speed had never been slow, and these past few days living at Senior Sister Zhang’s place, where spiritual energy was abundant, had made his breakthrough effortless.

"Most people take longer with each breakthrough," Uncle Master Pang murmured. "But you’re getting faster…"

He suddenly frowned.

"Your cultivation speed is already catching up to Senior Sister Zhang in her youth."

Zheng Fa was startled.

He didn’t know how fast Senior Sister Zhang had advanced—but he did know that she had been the fastest to reach Foundation Establishment in Hundred Immortals Alliance history.

Thinking about it, it made sense—

The Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Method had benefitted Zheng Fa far more than it had Senior Sister Zhang.

And if he counted his modern world experience, he had been cultivating for quite some time.

Plus, he had been living in the most spiritually rich area of Jiushan Sect.

"If you’re progressing this fast, as an elder, I must reward you."

Uncle Master Pang waved his hand, and a jade scroll appeared.

"This contains additional cultivation techniques for Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes. Take it and study it with Senior Sister Zhang."

Zheng Fa blinked.

So you did hold back some secrets, huh?

Of course, he understood—this was Uncle Master Pang repaying a favor.

Later, Zheng Fa was surprised when he received a report.

"You’re saying… someone’s been watching me?"

"Yes," Sun Daoyu explained. "Our lineage is responsible for Jiushan Sect’s security, so we had disciples keep an eye on your surroundings."

Zheng Fa was taken aback, then quickly said,

"Thank you, Senior Brother. I appreciate the effort."

Sun Daoyu waved his hand dismissively. "Junior Brother, you’re giving us spirit stones to earn, and we don’t have any secret techniques to offer you like Master does. The least we can do is help out with small matters like this."

Zheng Fa forced a smile. "This is not a small matter."

He hadn’t expected Senior Sister Zhang’s foresight to actually save him from trouble this soon.

Sun Daoyu led him to a corner inn, where several senior brothers were already there, speaking with the innkeeper.

"Zheng Zhenren!" The innkeeper, who wasn’t a Jiushan Sect disciple but seemed to be a relative of one, greeted him. He had set up the inn within the sect for a living.

"You were the one who noticed them?" Zheng Fa asked.

"Of course! Those two checked in and then never left their room—no idea what they were up to." The innkeeper nodded. "And their room window faced directly toward your courtyard."

"When these seniors came asking if I’d noticed anything suspicious around your place, I immediately thought of them."

As he spoke, the innkeeper’s expression turned a bit uneasy. "Honestly, I was just a little suspicious. I never expected them to be actual threats. That younger guy even seemed to really like Jiushan Sect."

"…Like?"

"Yeah, after watching 'Rescuing the Young Cultivator Pang Qian', he kept talking to me about how great Jiushan Sect was. He sounded genuinely envious."

Zheng Fa and Sun Daoyu exchanged looks.

"Wait… he actually believed it?" Sun Daoyu muttered.

"…More than I do," the innkeeper replied, looking equally baffled.

Even Zheng Fa was momentarily speechless.

When they’d staged the play, most of Jiushan Sect had just seen it as entertainment—it wasn’t exactly brainwashing material.

Yet somehow, it had moved an enemy spy to admiration.

Distance really does make the heart grow fonder…

"Where are they now?"

"We went to knock on their door, just to ask some questions, but as soon as they saw us, they bolted," one of the senior brothers reported. "Several of our brothers went after them, but they used the rumored ‘Heavenly Demon Shadowstep’ technique."

Sun Daoyu’s expression hardened immediately.

"The Heavenly Demon Shadowstep is a secret art of the Great Freedom Demon Sect," he said gravely. "Zheng Shidi, I need to report this to Master. What do you think?"

"I’ll go speak with the Sect Master as well."

Ninth Peak – Sect Master’s Hall

"Heavenly Demon Shadowstep?"

Upon hearing the name of the technique, Sect Master Yuan frowned deeply, an uncharacteristic look of worry appearing on his face.

"Great Freedom Demon Sect?"

He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly turned to Zheng Fa.

"You didn’t happen to seduce their Saintess, did you?"

"……"

What kind of senior disciple PTSD is this?

"…No, that’s impossible," the Sect Master muttered to himself.

Zheng Fa felt oddly comforted—at least his master had faith in his moral character.

"Senior Sister Zhang wouldn’t give you the chance."

"……"

Beside them, Senior Sister Yuan nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with guarded suspicion as she stared at Zheng Fa.

"Master, what exactly is this Great Freedom Demon Sect?" Zheng Fa asked.

"…A demonic sect," Sect Master Yuan sighed. "You both know that the Great Freedom Demon Sect was founded by survivors of the previous great catastrophe, correct?"

Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Yuan nodded.

"There are rumors that some of those survivors are still alive."

"…Huh?"

That sounded ridiculous.

The previous catastrophe was over a million years ago.

Was it even possible for someone to have lived that long?

"There are thirteen ancient sects we call the Thirteen Great Demon Clans. Each of them traces their lineage back to a different ancient cultivator, and together, they are what we call ‘the Demonic Path’ today."

"These cultivators are known as the Thirteen Demon Ancestors. Some say at least one of them might still be alive—the most likely candidate being the founder of the Great Freedom Demon Sect."

"…Master, I have just one question," Zheng Fa said.

"If there’s really an immortal old monster that ancient, how did the Immortal Sects even survive?"

After all, in the Xuanyi Realm, age equals power.

If there were people who had lived for over a million years, how could anyone else even compete?

"The historical records say that the last era truly was ruled by the Demonic Path," the Sect Master explained. "But then Tianhe Zun single-handedly took up his sword and annihilated the Thirteen Great Demon Clans, fighting against other hidden titans of that era until he finally unified the Xuanyi Realm."

"…And that’s why this era is ruled by the Immortal Sects, and why we’ve been working tirelessly to suppress the Demonic Path ever since."

The Sect Master sighed. "Now that the Great Freedom Demon Sect has resurfaced, it’s a troubling development."

"Master… why do these Demon Ancestors care so much about continuing their bloodlines?" Zheng Fa couldn’t help but ask.@@novelbin@@

Cultivators sought immortality. Reproduction wasn’t exactly a priority.

Especially for someone over a million years old—their descendants would be so far removed they might as well be strangers.

"Their cultivation techniques all originate from the Thirteen Demon Ancestors. Only those with their bloodline can practice them," the Sect Master explained.

"I’ve never seen these techniques firsthand, but some great cultivators have warned—to the Demon Ancestors, their descendants are not just heirs. They are also cultivation tools."

"Some even say that, at the end of the day, they are nothing more than food."

"…"

"There are rumors that certain Demon Ancestors have survived this long by repeatedly taking over the bodies of their most talented descendants."

Zheng Fa froze.

"So… this is how they’re dealing with the decline of spiritual energy? They’re essentially cultivating a type of resource that only they can use?"

"…That’s actually a good way to put it," the Sect Master said after a long pause. "But it sounds horrifying when you say it like that."

Meanwhile, the uncle and nephew who had been spying on Zheng Fa were running for their lives.

The Heavenly Demon Shadowstep was an exceptional escape technique, but unfortunately, their pursuers had called in a Golden Core cultivator.

They weren’t just failing to escape—their pursuers were closing in.

"Uncle! Where do we go?!"

"The Young Master told us—if we’re exposed, we should head to a secret meeting place. He will save us."

The middle-aged man pointed ahead. "We’re almost there!"

They reached a small fisherman's hut by the riverbank.

"That’s it!"

But just as they arrived at the door, the uncle suddenly stopped and handed his nephew a blood-red pill.

"Uncle?"

"If something happens inside, swallow this Heartburn Pill immediately."

The young man was confused, but he nodded.

His uncle took a deep breath and opened the door.

A mystical light flickered from within—

"Swallow the pill!"

Hearing this, the young man instantly obeyed.

The moment the pill entered his stomach, his blood started to solidify, and his heartbeat slowed to a stop.

And then—he understood.

There was no Young Master inside.

This wasn’t a safe house—it was just a warning formation.

The moment they entered, their Young Master had been notified of their failure.

And now, he was offering them up to the Demon Ancestor’s will.

In the Great Freedom Demon Sect, those with pure bloodlines and high cultivation could claim the lives of others within their lineage as sacrifices—without even lifting a finger.

As his vision darkened, he clutched the doorway, whispering with his last breath—

"Save… me…"

Behind him, their pursuers arrived.

The Jiushan Sect disciples stared at the fallen young man, confused.

"…Did he mistake us for the wrong people?"