I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 61 – Divine Manifestation

Zheng Fa and his companions arrived in Jingcheng around 9 PM.

By the time they reached the area where the nursing home was located, it was already close to midnight.

Since it was too late to head up the mountain, they decided to stay the night in a village at the foot of the hill.

The village was close to Jingcheng and seemed to attract occasional tourists from the city, so there were a few guesthouses and farm stays available.

They picked the one that looked the most well-renovated.

—

The next morning, the three of them got up early, preparing to set out.

The guesthouse owner was already awake as well. He stood in the courtyard, adjusting a selfie stick, seemingly trying to find the right angle.

"Morning," Zheng Fa replied, then glanced at the man’s actions. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, this?" The guesthouse owner waved the selfie stick. "Trying to find a good background for my live stream."

"Live stream?"

"Yeah, just some online promotion. This place is too unknown; I need to advertise it a bit," the owner said. "Look, if I stand here, I can capture my guesthouse in the frame, along with Hong Mountain in the background."

"Hong Mountain?"

Zheng Fa turned to look at the small mountain behind the guesthouse—where the nursing home was being built.

"Yeah, we villagers all call it Hong Mountain. It’s kind of a local tourist spot," the owner said casually.

Zheng Fa thought about it and decided there was no need to rush up the mountain. Since he might be staying here for a long time to cultivate, it wouldn’t hurt to learn more about the area.

"Boss, what’s your surname?"

The guesthouse owner paused, glancing between Zheng Fa, Old Bai, and Tang Lingwu, as if confused about why Zheng Fa seemed to be the one leading the group.

"No need for formalities. My surname is Mu."

"Are you a local?"

"Yeah, born and raised here," Mu replied, still looking at him suspiciously. "I used to work in the city, but things didn’t work out, so I came back."

Zheng Fa glanced around at the guesthouse.

It was a two-story building, decorated in a modern, minimalist European style—a design that had been popular in recent years.

It wasn’t cheap, that was for sure.

"Boss, if you say you ‘couldn’t make it’ out there, you’re being modest," Zheng Fa said with a smile. "Looks to me like you came back in glory."

Mu immediately waved his hands, but there was a hint of pride in his expression.

Beside them, Tang Lingwu picked up on the mood and asked,

"Boss, does Hong Mountain have any interesting history?"

Being praised by Zheng Fa and then asked a question by such a pretty girl, Mu seemed even more eager to talk.

"Hong Mountain? Now, that’s something only locals like me would know!" he said mysteriously. "If you walk up the mountain and go to the back, you’ll find a temple—the shrine of Hong Mountain Lady." 𝖗ἈNǒꞖËs

"……"

The three of them exchanged glances. They had no idea about this.

"Hong Mountain Lady?"

"Yep! According to local legend, a few hundred years ago, a rainbow suddenly descended upon the mountain. From it, an immortal maiden emerged, healing the sick and helping the villagers," Mu explained. His storytelling seemed well-practiced, almost like he had rehearsed it. "Over time, people began worshipping her, and the mountain became known as Hong Mountain. I tell you—that shrine is really effective!"

"Effective my ass!"

Before they could respond, a sharp elderly voice interrupted them.

An old woman, seemingly in her seventies or eighties, had walked out of the guesthouse.

Mu winced and called out helplessly,

"Grandma! It’s just a local legend!"

"You’re always spreading this nonsense online!" the old woman snapped. "It’s all fake!"

"Come on, it’s just a historical story! It’s part of the local attractions!" Mu argued.

"Attractions, my ass! If the Wang family brat hadn’t gotten rich and insisted this mountain had good feng shui, they never would’ve rebuilt that shrine! The new temple isn’t even as old as your son!"

"……"

—

After leaving behind the somewhat embarrassed Mu, Zheng Fa and his companions made their way up the mountain.

Their first stop was the nursing home.

The main building was almost completely constructed.

Entering through the front gate, they followed a white stone pathway.

To the right, a grove of transplanted trees swayed in the breeze.

To the left, a natural spring had been redirected from the mountain, forming a clear pond.

Beyond the bamboo forest, the main structure of the nursing home came into view—a three-story building in the shape of the Chinese character (pǐn).

The two side wings were only one story high, while the central section reached the third floor, giving it a balanced yet elegant look.

The architecture leaned toward a classical style, but the walls were white and the roof tiles were dark green, blending harmoniously with the lush greenery and cloudy sky above.

Beyond the main building was a large open space.

This was where Zheng Fa planned to experiment with cultivating spirit plants.@@novelbin@@

For now, the area had only been cleared of weeds and leveled—no further modifications had been made.

Finally, past the open space, they arrived at their reserved living quarters.

It was a two-story building, positioned atop higher ground, overlooking the entire nursing home.

From the outside, the building seemed embedded within the mountain wall, seamlessly blending with the natural terrain.

In fact, if viewed from a distance, it was nearly invisible, hidden within the landscape.

The design of the house was done by Tang Lingwu.

As they walked, she explained, "The first thing I considered was privacy."

Zheng Fa nodded.

Since the three of them frequently engaged in “certain activities” that might be considered superstitious, it was best to keep things low-key.

"By building it here, we're the farthest from everyone else. In a few days, when my mom's trees arrive, we’ll plant them around the place. Even with a telescope, no one will be able to see what we’re doing."

She gestured toward the large floor-to-ceiling windows. "I chose these because they let in plenty of sunlight. But more importantly, this spot has the best view of the mountain."

Zheng Fa stepped inside the small building and looked out the window.

The mountain scenery was indeed stunning.

"And also," Tang Lingwu continued, "all the furniture, appliances, and decorations were just things I picked on short notice… If you don’t like anything, I can replace it."

Zheng Fa turned to look at her. She was watching him nervously, waiting for his reaction.

He glanced around the room again.

From the outside, the house looked simple and unassuming.

But inside? It was anything but.

Zheng Fa had never lived in a luxury home before, but even he could tell—the furniture, appliances, and overall layout weren’t chosen randomly. Every detail carried Tang Lingwu’s personal touch.

No matter what she said, it was clear she had put a lot of thought into it.

Wealth and effort were things that couldn’t be faked—they were immediately recognizable.

"I like it," Zheng Fa said with a small nod.

He wasn’t someone who cared much about material things.

But he wasn’t blind to Tang Lingwu’s sincerity, either.

"No other requests?"

Tang Lingwu smiled, relieved, but still a little uncertain. She hesitated, then asked again, "Are you sure?"

Zheng Fa shook his head.

"I have one!"

A voice interrupted.

Tang Lingwu turned to look at Old Bai, confused.

"What is it?"

"My room—" Old Bai squinted at them both with a look of disgust.

"Make sure it’s far away from yours!"

—

After finishing their tour of the nursing home, Zheng Fa finally began his main purpose for coming to Jingcheng—

Practicing the Lingshan Method.

Standing in the open clearing, he closed his eyes and recalled the Sect Master’s notes on the technique.

The terrain of Hong Mountain matched what the Sect Master had described as a "Turtle-Serpent Spiritual Vein."

According to The Study of Spiritual Veins, the nursing home was built right on the turtle’s back.

Zheng Fa opened his eyes and began to walk.

His steps were unpredictable, yet they followed an invisible rhythm.

His pace gradually increased, becoming faster and faster.

Old Bai and Tang Lingwu were getting dizzy just watching him.

Eventually, his form became blurry, almost impossible to follow.

Then, something incredible happened—

Starlight began to flicker on the fabric of his robes.

As he moved, the tiny glowing specks turned into streams of light, swirling around him.

Even though it was broad daylight, with the summer sun blazing overhead, the radiance around him was dazzling.

Suddenly, Zheng Fa stopped.

With a flick of his right hand, two Awakening Talismans shot into the air.

One talisman flew toward the highest peak of the mountain—the "Turtle’s Back".

The other flew toward a slightly lower hill—the "Serpent’s Head."

As the talismans soared, the starlight surrounding Zheng Fa followed them—

To Old Bai and Tang Lingwu, it looked like the talismans were tiny kites, with glowing threads connecting them to Zheng Fa.

The talismans flew too fast for the naked eye to follow.

But in Zheng Fa’s vision, he could see them reach their destinations and shatter, dissolving into fragments of light that seeped into the mountains themselves.

At that moment, he felt something change.

He had the strange sensation that he was now connected to Hong Mountain itself.

The spiritual energy in his dantian suddenly boiled like a raging storm, surging out of him in waves of glowing clouds.

—

Meanwhile, down in the village…

At the guesthouse where Zheng Fa had stayed the previous night, Boss Mu was live-streaming to promote his business.

"Yes, yes! Two days and one night, only 198 yuan! Three days and two nights? Minimum 248 yuan!"

"Limited-time deal! Only ten slots! Once they’re gone, they’re gone!"

"What’s there to do here? Fresh mountain air, delicious farm-style meals, scenic hiking trails! What more do you want?!"

"And let me tell you—Hong Mountain has a legend…"

He repeated the same story he had told Zheng Fa earlier.

His livestream chat wasn’t very active—most of the few viewers were dismissing it as "cliché" and "unbelievable."

But Mu didn’t get discouraged.

He smoothly transitioned into talking about the local cuisine.

Then—

"Host! HOST! TURN AROUND!"

A comment suddenly popped up in the chat.

"Turn around?"

Mu looked confused.

"Hong Mountain Lady has appeared! She’s manifesting!!"

Mu hesitated for a second, then slowly turned his head—

And froze.

A massive rainbow bridge arched across Hong Mountain, its colors vivid and breathtaking.

"…But it hasn’t rained in days…"

Mu muttered to himself, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.

And then, an even more shocking sight unfolded—

A massive flock of birds erupted from Hong Mountain, filling the sky.

They swirled around the rainbow, their chirping echoing joyfully through the air.

Mu stumbled forward, wanting to get a closer look—

But then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something even stranger inside his house.

His grandmother…

She was kneeling before a makeshift altar, muttering prayers under her breath.

"…Grandma?"

"Lady of Hong Mountain, I didn’t mean to offend you!"

"……Grandma??"

"If you must strike someone down, don’t smite me—"

"Smite that old Wang bastard instead! He was the one who led the charge to tear down your temple!"

Mu’s mouth fell open.

"……What?"

"I don’t care if he rebuilt it later! His grandson is a greedy little bastard too!"

"Don’t let him fool you!"

Mu stood there, speechless.