I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 16: Peering Eyes

Jiushan Sect, Dock.

Zheng Fa stood at the dock, bidding farewell to Han Qi and his two companions.

Senior Sister Zhang was as efficient as ever—within just a few days, the reception boat was ready.

Since this was their first trial run, both she and Zheng Fa decided to proceed cautiously.

Only one boat was sent out, and its destination was limited to nearby sects and markets. The entire round trip would take about half a month.

Apart from a few of Senior Sister Zhang’s personnel and some market disciples, Zheng Fa had also specifically arranged for Han Qi’s group to come along.

Not for political reasons—he wasn’t trying to place his own people in power.

Rather, after two days of discussions with Senior Sister Zhang, he had refined his original plan.

The current model was simple—take the talismans out, bring the customers back. Maximize transport efficiency.

Han Qi and his two friends, while lacking in cultivation, had sharp business instincts. Zheng Fa wanted them to help with sales.

“Senior Brother Han, this is just a test run—no need to stress too much,” Zheng Fa reassured him.

“Junior Brother…” Han Qi forced a wry smile. “That’s easy for you to say… but they handed an entire shipment of talismans to me. What if something goes wrong…?”

Senior Sister Zhang was bold—once Han Qi was recommended, she handed full control of the onboard talismans to him.

Pricing, marketing, sales—it was all up to him.

For someone like Han Qi, who had always operated at the bottom rung of the sect, this was overwhelming responsibility.

His anxiety was understandable.

Zheng Fa patted his shoulder and said, “As long as you do your job well, no one will give you trouble. You have me backing you, and I have Senior Sister Zhang backing me.”

Han Qi nodded, his nerves easing slightly.

The boat slowly rose from the water, and Han Qi watched as Zheng Fa’s figure grew smaller on the dock.

Then, he turned and led his two companions into the cabin.

As they climbed the stairs, they encountered two senior disciples.

These two usually patrolled the market, and Han Qi had always been wary of them.

He had feared offending them, yet had never been able to curry favor with them either.

Out of habit, Han Qi and his friends immediately stopped in their tracks, plastering ingratiating smiles on their faces and bowing in greeting.

Unexpectedly, the two senior disciples also paused, smiling at them with an unusual warmth.

“Senior Brother Han, no need to be so formal!”

“…Senior Brother?”

“We’re all under Junior Brother Zheng’s command now,” one of them said, placing a friendly arm around Han Qi’s shoulder. “You’ve been with him longer, so you must have his ear. He even entrusted you with all these talismans! I hope you’ll put in a good word for us.”

“…Of course!”

After some friendly exchanges, the two disciples took their leave.

Han Qi’s tall and lanky companion watched them go, then smacked his lips in amusement.

“Damn… are we really that important now?”

“…No, Junior Brother Zheng is that important.” Han Qi shook his head.

“Still, Senior Brother, this is a massive opportunity for us!” The lanky disciple’s voice filled with excitement. “We used to deal in scraps, but this… this is a shipload of talismans!”

“…If you want to die, don’t drag me down with you,” Han Qi smacked him on the back of the head.

“…Ow.”

“We just got our break, and you’re already looking for trouble?” Han Qi exhaled sharply. “You think the other disciples on this boat aren’t watching us? The friendlier they act, the more they want to take our place.”

“Ah…”

“Junior Brother Zheng has a bright future ahead of him—this is only the beginning. If you’re short-sighted enough to screw this up… you’re not coming with me next time.”

After a pause, he added, “Our cultivation is weak. Our only advantage is diligence. So sleep with one eye open for the next few nights.”

The lanky disciple winced, rubbing his head. “Senior Brother, ever since we started following Junior Brother Zheng, you’re not like your old self anymore.”

“…On the contrary,” Han Qi muttered, glancing at his surroundings. “This is the first time I feel like myself.”

“?” The lanky disciple looked confused.

“Isn’t this better?” Han Qi asked.

“…Yeah.”

“Then stop whining.”

The crescent moon hung high in the sky, draping the night in darkness.

Two streets away from Zheng Fa’s small courtyard, in a larger estate, Sun Daoyu and Zhou Qianyuan sat in a pavilion.

Sun Daoyu’s gaze was fixed in the direction of Zheng Fa’s courtyard.

“Senior Brother? What are you looking at?” Zhou Qianyuan asked.

“Zheng Fa.”

“…Zheng Fa?” Zhou Qianyuan was puzzled. He glanced toward the courtyard but saw nothing unusual.

When he turned back, he noticed that Sun Daoyu’s eyes had changed color—his once dark pupils now glowed with a silvery light, exuding a mysterious aura.

“…Void-Seeking Spirit Eyes?” Zhou Qianyuan’s expression shifted, and a terrible realization struck him.

He took three steps back, cautiously increasing the distance between them.

“Senior Brother… isn’t this a bit inappropriate?”

“…It is a bit inappropriate.” Sun Daoyu sighed. “But I can’t exactly stand in front of him and stare, can I?”

“Uh… well…” Zhou Qianyuan’s face twitched. He hesitated before tentatively suggesting, “I mean… it’s not uncommon for noble young masters in the mortal world to have similar… interests.

“Cultivators are more open-minded. Why don’t you just go and confess your feelings to Junior Brother Zheng?”

“…Feelings?”

Sun Daoyu turned to look at him, his expression blank.

Zhou Qianyuan met his gaze with a look of understanding and encouragement.

Sun Daoyu seemed to process the meaning of the word for a moment—then his face contorted in horror.

“I’M WATCHING HIM BECAUSE OF THE THOUSAND-YEAR PURPLE BAMBOO TEARS!”

Seeing Zhou Qianyuan’s skeptical expression, Sun Daoyu gritted his teeth and explained,

“A few days ago, Senior Sister Zhang asked our master if she could trade Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique for two portions of Thousand-Year Purple Bamboo Tears.”

Zhou Qianyuan frowned. “And what does that have to do with Zheng Fa?”

“Senior Sister Zhang claimed that Zheng Fa’s cultivation speed had skyrocketed after cultivating the technique—his speed even doubled after condensing his Yuan Talisman Foundation.”

“…That effective?”

“Neither you nor our master believed it, right?” Sun Daoyu sighed. “And our master wasn’t willing to give away two portions of the bamboo tears.”

Zhou Qianyuan hesitated.

Sun Daoyu elaborated,

“Our master’s bamboo produces less and less tears each year—he only has two portions left.”

“…Because of me?”

“Yes. If he gives away two portions, you’ll have to wait at least ten years.”

“…”

“Besides, Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique has flaws. It’s not worth that much.”

Zhou Qianyuan was confused. “Then why does our master still want it?”

“For one, it’s indeed an excellent technique for talisman cultivators.

“Senior Sister Zhang might not be able to fix its flaws, but our master believes he can—he’s already forming theories.

“And… if he succeeds, he’ll be able to overshadow the rival faction.”

“So you’re spying on Zheng Fa to—”

“Master wants to know if Zheng Fa’s cultivation speed is really that fast…

“More importantly, he wants to see if Senior Sister Zhang has already fixed the flaws in the technique.”

Zhou Qianyuan fell silent.

Sun Daoyu chuckled.

“Relax. No matter how fast Zheng Fa is progressing, I’ll report that the technique isn’t worth two portions of bamboo tears.”

Zhou Qianyuan exhaled in relief.

“…Thank you, Senior Brother.”

“You’re my junior brother. Of course, I’ll prioritize you.”

Zhou Qianyuan hesitated before muttering, “Senior Brother… I hold only respect for you.”

Sun Daoyu: “?”

Zheng Fa had no idea he was being watched.

At that moment, he was dreaming—back in the modern world, sitting in front of a laptop with Old Bai and Tang Lingwu.

“Still not working…” Zheng Fa muttered, scrolling through Han Xiaobai’s results with a frown.

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