I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Book 2: Chapter 37: A Heavy Responsibility

Vol 2 Chapter 37: A Heavy Responsibility

When Senior Sister Zhang brought it up, besides her and Zheng Fa, there were also Senior Sister Yuan, Zhou Qianyuan, and the Sect Leader present in the thatched hut.

"You want me to be a lecturer at the Talisman Hall?" Zheng Fa pointed at himself in disbelief. "Me?"

He distinctly remembered that the lecturers at the Talisman Hall were all Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He had only been in the sect for a short time, and he was only at Qi Refining level four.

"You are already a Mysterious-grade Talisman Master," Senior Sister Zhang nodded. "I have observed your talisman mastery over these past few days, and it is more than enough for you to be a lecturer."

Zheng Fa was still hesitant.

"But the theater project has only just started," he reasoned. "I’m already stretched too thin..."

He wasn’t just making excuses.

Saving Junior Cultivator Pang Qian had already been screened twice within Jiushan Sect, but few outside cultivators had seen it yet.

This was mainly because he and Senior Sister Zhang had set a steep price for external tickets—

One spirit stone only bought three tickets, which was three times the price of internal tickets.

During the last screening, not many visiting cultivators had attended—

After all, the ones who came on the free reception ship tended to be low on money.

This pricing was tough on their wallets.

There was no immediate solution—word of mouth would have to spread naturally.

But the second play had already been put into development—he had discussed it with the Sect Leader.

With Jiushan Sect disciples as a guaranteed audience, they could at least break even on production costs.

And more than that, it enriched the sect’s entertainment options.

Not to mention, he still needed to cultivate, make money, and study talismans—his time was already stretched thin.

Seeing his reluctance, Senior Sister Zhang shook her head.

"For you, the Talisman Hall is far more important than the theater project."

Zheng Fa frowned slightly, unsure of what she meant.

He then noticed Zhou Qianyuan silently nodding in agreement.

When Zheng Fa looked at him questioningly, Zhou Qianyuan sighed and explained,

"I think Senior Sister Zhang is suggesting that you take over the Talisman Hall in the future."

"...Take over the Talisman Hall?"

Zheng Fa glanced at Senior Sister Zhang. She didn’t say anything, just nodded slightly.

"Senior Brother Zheng, the conflict between our two factions ultimately stems from how disciples are trained at the Talisman Hall," Zhou Qianyuan sighed. "You’ve already seen the tensions there yourself."

Zheng Fa nodded, recalling how the first thing that happened when he joined was a brawl between disciples.

"We teach different philosophies in the Talisman Hall," Zhou Qianyuan explained. "After listening to you and Senior Sister Zhang discuss talismans, I now understand—your faction focuses on Yuan Talismans."

"But my master’s faction? We don’t emphasize Yuan Talismans—"

"If we have Yuan Talismans, we use them. If we don’t, we just reuse old talisman diagrams instead."

Zheng Fa found this argument ridiculous. "That’s what you’ve all been fighting over?"

"It’s not just that," Senior Sister Zhang shook her head. "It’s about how we understand the Dao."

"Simply put, I believe that people can overcome destiny."

"Master Pang believes in going with the flow of nature."

"For example, in response to the decline of spiritual energy, I believe we should find a solution."

"Master Pang believes we should accept it and not force what cannot be changed."

The more Zheng Fa listened, the more he felt like these two didn’t actually have a direct conflict.

If Senior Sister Zhang wanted to research solutions, why couldn’t she just go ahead and do it?

Why did Master Pang care?

"I never told you this before, but even within the Hundred Immortals Alliance, there are cultivators who think like me, and others who think like Master Pang."

"People like us believe that since our predecessors failed, we should seek new paths to prevent the decline of spiritual energy."

"I research new talisman techniques—others research other solutions... But ultimately, we’re all working toward the same goal."@@@@

"..."

"When I was young, if I had the chance to contribute to the sect, I would’ve thrown myself into it without hesitation! Without question! I would’ve led from the front!"

"..."

Zheng Fa didn't believe a word of that—this old man was definitely exaggerating.

"Now, as the sole heir to the Sect Leader, you'll shoulder even greater responsibilities in the future. How can you back down just because of a little difficulty?"

The Sect Leader continued, sounding heartbroken.

Zheng Fa was silent for a moment before cupping his hands toward Senior Sister Zhang. "Senior Sister, I'll take the instructor position."

A satisfied expression appeared in Senior Sister Zhang’s eyes.

The Sect Leader also nodded in approval, clearly pleased that he had successfully motivated his disciple.

"Senior Brother just thought about it—if I want to bridge the gap between the two factions, ordinary teaching methods won't work," Zheng Fa suddenly said. "I want to try something different."

Senior Sister Zhang raised an eyebrow. "How do you plan to teach?"

Zheng Fa turned to look at the Sect Leader.

The Sect Leader’s smile slowly froze—he had a bad feeling about this.

"I want to use the Grand Simulation Technique to conduct combat training for the disciples of the Sigil Arts Pavilion."

"Simulation...?" Senior Sister Zhang frowned, not quite understanding. "Combat training?"

"The Grand Simulation Technique?" The Sect Leader’s face screamed one thing—this is bad news.

"My idea is to modify the sect’s stage plays into something new, something that lets the disciples experience real battles from the cultivation world," Zheng Fa explained. "A training ground where they can hone their skills."

He proceeded to elaborate on his concept.

What Zheng Fa envisioned was essentially eSports, but with full realism.

This idea had been in his mind ever since he first saw the sect's stage plays.

With the Grand Simulation Technique, Nine Mountains Sect disciples could experience true warfare.

After hearing his idea, Senior Sister Zhang and the others lit up with excitement.

"Training the disciples in real combat?" Senior Sister Zhang, always considering things from the sect’s perspective, nodded. "That’s necessary. The chaos is approaching, and our disciples have been at peace for too long."

"This sounds way more fun than stage plays!" Senior Sister Yuan chimed in.

"Senior Brother Zheng, when are you officially taking over?!" Zhou Qianyuan asked eagerly, looking impatient to try it out.

But one person remained silent.

The one who had spoken the loudest earlier...

Not only had he stopped talking, but he had even taken two steps back.

"Master?" Zheng Fa looked at the Sect Leader, flashing an innocent smile. "Do you have any thoughts?"

"I think your idea is... great. Really great."

"Then, we’ll need to rely on you, Master, to develop this new technique!"

"This isn't something that can be done easily!" The Sect Leader grumbled.

Zheng Fa, of course, knew it wouldn’t be easy. The logic behind video games and movies was completely different.

But judging from the Sect Leader's expression, he wasn’t incapable of doing it—he just found it troublesome.

After all, the Grand Simulation Technique was the Sect Leader’s favorite pastime. If it was something he loved, then working on it shouldn’t be a problem.

But this new idea? It was an unexpected burden dropped on his shoulders.

Given the old man’s lazy nature, getting him to move was a challenge in itself.

"Master," Zheng Fa said, smoothly repeating the Sect Leader's own words back at him. "Back when you were young, you were willing to throw yourself into anything for the sect, leading from the front, taking on responsibilities without hesitation... But now that you're older, how can you be so timid?"

The Sect Leader: "..."

—

At Zheng Fa’s residence, he sat on a meditation cushion.

Before the Sect Leader finished developing the new technique, there wasn’t much he could do at the Sigil Arts Pavilion—going now would be pointless.

In the meantime, he intended to focus on improving his cultivation.

Tonight, his goal was to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refinement.