I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Book 2: Chapter 54: Life and Death

Vol 2 Chapter 54: Life and Death

Using Demon Sect disciples' blood to create talisman seals seemed like the perfect solution—

Except for the part where it was pure madness.

Even though the Demonic Path was in decline, and the status of the Thirteen Demon Ancestors remained uncertain, there was still one undeniable fact—

If you reaped the crops that a Demon Ancestor had cultivated for a million years...

Did you really think they wouldn't come for revenge?

Walking out of the Sect Master’s grass hut, Zheng Fa shook his head.

The talisman seal idea was a no-go.

Not only could it never be made public, but even if it saved a few spirit stones on spirit beast blood, it would also draw far greater enemies.

Not to mention... talisman seals were already a controversial topic within Jiushan Sect.

The risk-to-reward ratio simply wasn’t worth it.

"Junior Brother, that Lin Bufan still refuses to say anything. What should we do?"

Senior Sister Yuan asked as she walked beside Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment before turning to her.

"What do you think, Senior Sister?"

"Kill him."

She answered immediately.

Despite her usual cheerful and playful demeanor, she spoke of killing as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Two short words, yet they weighed heavily on Zheng Fa’s mind.

After a long pause, he finally nodded.

"Alright."

Even though he had been educated in the modern world, he now understood the reality—

Modern-day morality had no place in the Xuanyi Realm.

He couldn’t let his own hesitation put the people around him at risk.

This was the safest choice.

Not only had Lin Bufan originally come to assassinate him, but his very identity as a Demon Sect disciple already made him a death sentence in Jiushan Sect.

The only reason Lin Bufan had survived this long was because of two factors:

His blood was valuable.Zheng Fa and the others wanted to extract information from him.

But he clearly wasn’t cooperating.

And while his blood could provide huge benefits, the risks were even greater—

If that unknown sub-talisman in his blood really was linked to the Demon Ancestor, then the Ancestor might still have control over him.

Keeping him in Jiushan Sect was a ticking time bomb.

"One more attempt," Zheng Fa said. "If he refuses to talk today, we’ll end it."

Together, they headed toward Lin Bufan’s confinement chamber.

The moment Zheng Fa opened the door—

He saw something unexpected.

Lin Bufan was kneeling on the ground.

His face was pale, his lips bleeding, and his entire body trembled from weakness.

Clearly, even getting out of bed had been an immense struggle.

And yet—he knelt there, gasping for breath, a desperate light in his eyes.

"I swear loyalty to you," Lin Bufan rasped, his voice weak but firm with determination.

"Just... spare my life."

Zheng Fa blinked.

He turned to Senior Sister Yuan, who looked just as surprised.

"I didn’t say anything to him!" she muttered, confused.

Lin Bufan let out a weak laugh.

"This Senior Sister... didn’t have to say anything," he said.

"But she stopped coming as often."

"And the people healing me stopped showing up."

That alone had been enough for him to realize the truth.

He was about to be abandoned.

Zheng Fa frowned.

This guy... is sharper than I thought.

"Get up first."

Lin Bufan didn’t beg further, nor did he act pathetically humble.

With great effort, he dragged himself up, leaning against the wooden bed frame for support, then stared directly at Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa studied him carefully.

The first time he had heard of Lin Bufan, the innkeeper had described him as a naïve fool, easily manipulated.

The second time he met him, Lin Bufan had seemed numb to everything, carrying only a desperate desire for revenge.

Now, for the third time—

His eyes were filled with reckless madness.

Within just a few days, it was as if he had become a different person entirely.

"You’re clever," Zheng Fa said, narrowing his eyes.

"But I don’t want to take you in."

"Why?" Lin Bufan asked.

"Because even if you want to live, you still want revenge," Zheng Fa said.

Lin Bufan didn’t deny it.

He remained silent for a long moment before slowly nodding.

"My uncle served Lin Yangtian loyally his entire life," he muttered.

"He was more obedient than a dog, yet he was betrayed and killed."

"To others, he was just another Demon Sect disciple—his death meant nothing."

"But to me... he was the man who raised me."

Seeking Approval from the Sect Master

"If the Demon Ancestor truly descends into this world, we can prepare in advance."

There was one more reason Zheng Fa didn’t mention—

He wanted to study the Demonic Path more deeply.

Lin Bufan’s blood, his sub-talisman, his insights—

If Zheng Fa could understand their inner workings, he could develop countermeasures for the future.

The Sect Master looked at him, then turned his gaze toward the lands below Jiushan Sect.

Zheng Fa didn’t say anything else.

This wasn’t a personal decision—it affected Jiushan Sect’s security.

He couldn’t make this call on his own.

After a long silence, the Sect Master finally spoke.

"Do as you see fit."

Zheng Fa blinked.

"Master?"

The Sect Master sighed.

"I’ve killed my fair share of Demonic Path scum."

Zheng Fa stared at him.

For the first time, he felt that—

Maybe this old man was actually reliable.

Modern World: The Provincial Capital

Zheng Fa sat in the car belonging to Tang Lingwu’s family.

This time, they weren’t heading to her house—they were going to the provincial capital.

The agricultural expert that Old Bai had mentioned—the elderly woman from the short video—had arrived.

The driver, wearing baggy shorts, drove them while chatting through the rearview mirror.

"Your college entrance exams are the day after tomorrow. Are you sure you’re okay skipping review?"

Zheng Fa knew the driver was talking to him.

After all, Tang Lingwu didn’t even need to take the exams.

"It’s fine," Zheng Fa replied casually.

His rankings in the monthly exams were already stable within the top three.

Most of the points he lost were from essays or subjective questions—things that depended more on luck than knowledge.

As for the other subjects... There was nothing left to review.

Their school had given them two days off before the exams, and it just so happened that the agricultural expert had arrived in the city at the same time.

Less than three hours later—

They reached the provincial capital.

A Luxurious Surprise

When they arrived at the final destination, all three of them—Zheng Fa, Old Bai, and Tang Lingwu—paused.

"This is...?"

They were standing in front of the most expensive five-star hotel in the city.

The kind where even the cheapest rooms cost several thousand yuan per night.

Zheng Fa wasn’t sure about the exact price—

This was simply far beyond the scope of things he would even think about researching.

The only reason he even knew about this hotel was because one of his wealthier classmates had stayed there once and bragged about it to the entire class.

"Old Bai," Zheng Fa turned to him, confused.

"That agriculture professor—is her family rich?"

Old Bai shook his head, looking just as bewildered.

"She comes from an ordinary family," he said. "At least... I never knew she had this much money."

Just then, as they approached the hotel entrance, the doorman suddenly greeted them—

"Welcome, Miss Tang!"

"..."

Zheng Fa and Old Bai turned their heads simultaneously—

And saw Tang Lingwu calmly nodding, as if this was completely normal.

Oh.

So this is what real wealth looks like.

Inside, Old Bai checked his phone.

"She’s waiting for us in the restaurant," he said.

"She wants to treat us to a meal."

The Encounter

Upon entering the restaurant, they immediately spotted the elderly woman.

She sat alone at a large table, surrounded by a feast of dishes, drawing the attention of several nearby guests.

"Did you strike it rich?" Old Bai asked as he walked over, confused.

"Or are you just giving up on saving money?"

The old woman laughed and stood up.

"Of course I’m not saving money!" she grinned.

"I already did the math—my doctor says I have six months left to live."

"So I calculated exactly how much money I can spend in those six months—not a single yuan more, not a single yuan less."

"..."

"So, Old Bai," she added, still smiling.

"Don’t bother finding me a doctor—I’ve already spent all my money. If you actually cure me... I’d just be a broke old woman."

Old Bai fell completely silent.

Turning toward Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu, the old woman beamed.

"You must be Zheng Fa!" she said.

"And this beautiful young lady must be Tang Lingwu!"

"Come, come, sit down and eat!"

She was completely relaxed—

Her face full of joy and freedom.