CHAPTER 625: CHAPTER 302: FALLEN GENIUS, CHANGING FATE_2

Because in the Jiushan Realm, having no background, his life was also rather average.

Yet this person had an extraordinary talent in mathematics. After attending school for half a year, he stood out, and later successfully entered the Jiushan Sect, which could be said to have changed his fate.

In Zheng Fa’s view, this person was somewhat like a combination of himself and Senior Sister Zhang, and thus he remembered him well.

Later, Gu Chang also displayed an uncommon but surprising talent to Zheng Fa—a talent in topology.

Although Senior Sister Zhang was not bad at topology, her main talent possibly lay in calculus or algebra.

She often found this abstract thing of topology rather headache-inducing.

Zheng Fa could totally understand!

But Gu Chang’s performance in topology was so exceptional that even Senior Sister Zhang felt inferior, always topping the topology exams.

Gu Chang’s mathematical talent, shouldn’t Master Pang have taken him out?

Seeing him here, Zheng Fa was a bit puzzled, but upon recalling, he realized that Gu Chang indeed wasn’t among those three hundred disciples.

"Disciple’s cultivation is too low..." Gu Chang lowered his head and said with some shame, "The Supreme Elder thought the mission was a bit dangerous, only allowing disciples above Qi Refinement Level Three to go."

With this explanation, Zheng Fa noticed that Gu Chang was still at Qi Refinement Level One.

This progress is rather slow.

"Disciple...is Four Spirits Roots." Gu Chang, seeing Zheng Fa’s enlightened expression, said softly: "I have been indulging in mathematics and accumulated very few good deeds."

Zheng Fa had nothing much to say.

Honestly, the fact that a Four Spirits Roots could enter Jiushan Sect was due to his excellent mathematical talent, and one might say that he used his talent and hard work to change his fate.

But this change ultimately has its limits.

Zheng Fa carefully examined Gu Chang, noticing that although his clothes were not tattered, they were quite old.

Among the Jiushan Sect disciples, he was likely one of the lowest in cultivation, with the least wealth.

He also understood that as soon as Gu Chang entered Jiushan Sect, he faced a problem that all cultivators would encounter—the limitation of the spirit root.

The Jiushan Sect is not overly strict about spirit roots, you could even say that in any other Xuanwei Immortal Sect, Gu Chang would have had no chance of cultivating immortality.

But Jiushan Sect could not completely escape the characteristics of the Xuanwei Immortal Sect. A disciple with a mixed spirit root was forever more difficult, more impoverished, compared to those with a single spirit root or even a Taoist Body.

Gu Chang lowered his head, appearing quite self-conscious.

Zheng Fa, however, said nothing.

He indeed favored disciples proficient in mathematics or those perceptive, but he was unwilling to provide undeserved rewards or help from this bias.

"Since you didn’t go out, what have you been doing lately?"

Gu Chang hesitated for a moment and then spoke: "Disciple...intends to go to Paradise Island to be a teacher."

Zheng Fa saw that he seemed to have more to say, so he remained silent and just listened quietly.

"Cultivation costs are high, and my talent is poor. I think to accumulate some good deeds for my own cultivation, or to marry and have children..." Gu Chang said with a slightly flushed face, "I am of age, and my family is arranging a marriage for me."

This choice...cannot be said to be bad.

Although Gu Chang’s life in Jiushan Sect was miserable, he is, after all, an official disciple of Jiushan Sect.

As a teacher like him, he earns quite a bit of good deeds too.

Zheng Fa could even imagine that the marriage his family was arranging was not with women from small families, but most probably with someone connected to a disciple of Jiushan Sect.

On the other hand, this choice largely places the hope of changing fate on the next generation—

In other words, if he were to have a child with excellent aptitude, he would use accumulated resources to raise them with all his might, thereby benefiting the family.

This is also a path, and even the survival path for many families in the Xuanwei Realm.

But from Gu Chang’s expression, one could see that this choice was not easy to make—it’s essentially giving up on his own path.

Seeing Gu Chang hanging his head in silence, Zheng Fa pondered for a while and then said:

"Follow me."

"Hmm?"

Zheng Fa didn’t explain but just led him to a secluded two-section yard.

This courtyard was deep within University Island, extremely quiet. At the gate hung a plaque with a line of ink writing:

"Immortal Dao Editorial Department"

Entering the main hall of the courtyard, there was a very long black wooden table, so large it oddly divided the whole room into a character 曰 (sun).

On the table were an assortment of jade slips and envelopes, the latest submissions from disciples.

Gu Chang stood in the main hall, bewildered and at a loss.

Zheng Fa tidied up some clutter on the table and pulled out a sample publication, handing it to Gu Chang.

"Sect Leader...what is this?"

"You’ve heard of ’Immortal Dao’, haven’t you?"

Zheng Fa asked him.

"Yes..." Gu Chang said hesitantly, "Disciple cannot afford it; I heard even those in the Qi Refinement Realm find it hard to understand."

The "Immortal Dao" journal was pricey because it paid article fees to authors, most significantly, the sect’s reward from good deeds—but anyhow, the journal wasn’t free.

In Zheng Fa’s view, the value of knowledge and the need for its dissemination were not contradictory. Only when everyone recognized the value of knowledge would they learn old knowledge and create new knowledge, leading to wide dissemination of knowledge.

On the other hand, most articles in today’s journal have little to do with the Qi Refinement Realm.

Zheng Fa also did not advocate for quick fixes; he believed that in the early stages of cultivation, consolidating basic knowledge and learning research methods should be the primary focus.

Presenting this journal to Gu Chang was a reflection of Zheng Fa’s sentiment—due to Old Man Bai and Tang Lingwu, he had an undeniable preference for those with good mathematical talents.

"This one is on me." Zheng Fa said to Gu Chang.

"Yes, thank you, Sect Leader."

Gu Chang, in a daze, took the sample publication and listened to Zheng Fa say:

"I give you this in hopes that you understand two things—"

Gu Chang looked at Zheng Fa.

"First, aptitude is not everything in my Jiushan Sect; wisdom and knowledge, in my view, outweigh aptitude. Hoping to have a talented disciple, relying on luck to change fate is too elusive. I hope you cherish your mathematical talent... Whatever the profession, never give up on learning; sometimes, knowledge can change fate."

Gu Chang opened his mouth and said softly, "...Yes."

He seemed to feel that though his talent was so low, Zheng Fa, as Sect Leader, was so earnest, it was quite touching.

As he was moved, Zheng Fa’s voice suddenly turned stern:

"Secondly, being a teacher should not be your choice out of necessity."

"Hoping to earn good deeds through this profession is fine and expected... But your mindset does not align with my expectations for the teachers of Paradise Island."

Gu Chang mumbled, "Sect Leader..."

"Neither I nor Senior Sister Zhang, nor even all the Supremes, have ever had the slightest disdain?"

Gu Chang pursed his lips and lowered his head, seemingly having thoughts but not daring to voice them.

"I know, you mean that on Paradise Island, there are all mortals... That’s why I’m giving you this journal."

"Many of the articles here stress the importance of thoughts and wisdom, far beyond cultivation or aptitude." Zheng Fa explained, "If you can thoroughly grasp these research methods, if you can pass on these ideas to those students of Paradise Island."

"This is the essence of our Jiushan Sect."

"It’s more important to Jiushan Sect than being a Single Spirit Root or having a Taoist Body."

Zheng Fa never shied away from emphasizing the importance of education, especially after the First 50-Year Plan’s introduction, which created an enormous demand for talent across industries.

Education is the most crucial, fundamental part of the First 50-Year Plan and is something Zheng Fa intends to oversee personally.

His advice to Gu Chang stemmed partly from this reason.

Seeing Gu Chang slowly nod in understanding, Zheng Fa continued, "You may not know, but in the future, the sect will invest more resources into education. Your responsibilities are extraordinary."

Seeing Gu Chang pondering deeply, Zheng Fa added, "You may leave now."

Watching Gu Chang slowly walk away, he felt some regret in his heart—regardless of everything else, this disciple was afraid of being delayed by this spirit root issue.

This matter does impact the development of the Jiushan Sect quite a bit, but there has never been a clear solution.

...

On Paradise Island, Gu Chang was bent over a table, bewildered, his hands and feet at a loss.

The jade slips and letters, filled with the latest submissions from disciples, lay on the very large mahogany table, dividing the room into an unusual 卍 (manji swastika) shape, so large it filled the whole room.

Tired from reading, he leaned back and stared at a distant streetlamp outside the window, eyes unfocused, "Knowledge...changes fate?"

"Can a Spirit Root be changed?"

At this thought, he first laughed, shaking his head, as if not believing it himself.