The Wizard of Fairy Tale World-Chapter 40Book 2: : Pursed Lips

Vol 2 Chapter 40: Pursed Lips

Since Aunt Ye was present, Old Man Bai didn’t elaborate on the person who supposedly had little time left.

Even though Aunt Ye and Zheng Fa were technically in a cooperative relationship, the three of them still instinctively held back certain things from her—especially anything related to cultivation. They avoided mentioning such topics in front of her whenever possible.

Even Tang Lingwu followed this unspoken rule.

As the car drove into the night, exhaustion gradually crept onto Aunt Ye’s face, her muscles growing stiff.

Zheng Fa knew that fatigue was causing her condition to worsen.

Beside him, Tang Lingwu looked visibly tense.

"Want me to massage you?" Zheng Fa asked softly.

Aunt Ye's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.

Tang Lingwu glanced at the driver ahead before standing up and leaning over to check on her mother. To an outsider, it seemed like she was observing Aunt Ye’s condition, but in reality, she was blocking the driver’s view.

Zheng Fa reached out, gently kneading Aunt Ye’s shoulder and neck. As he did, a Nourishing Spirit Talisman shot from his fingertips into the back of her head.

By the time Tang Lingwu sat back down, the driver could only see Aunt Ye sleeping soundly in the rearview mirror—along with Old Man Bai staring at Zheng Fa with eager, expectant eyes.

Zheng Fa ignored the old man’s desperate gaze.

It wasn’t that he was being stingy, but in the modern era, each Yuan Talisman could only be used three times. Overuse would cause the foundation of his Yuan Talisman Dao to collapse.

By the time they reached the first suitable mountain range, it was already 1 a.m.

It wasn’t safe to climb the mountain in the dark.

So, they simply found a hotel at the foot of the mountain and stayed the night.

At dawn, the four of them set out, following the driver’s lead up the mountain.

Only then did Zheng Fa learn that the driver was actually part of the research team and had been personally hired by Aunt Ye.

It was late spring, and the scenery was breathtaking.

As they walked along the mountain path, the cool breeze helped shake off some of their exhaustion from traveling through the night.

They occasionally passed hikers dressed in outdoor gear.

The driver, leading the way, explained as they walked, "This mountain is actually quite well-known in Jingcheng. It’s easily accessible by car, so a lot of outdoor enthusiasts like to visit—makes it a great spot for a retirement home."

It was clear that he strongly recommended this mountain for the project.

When they reached a high vantage point, a silvery glow flickered in Zheng Fa’s eyes as he gazed down at the landscape below.

After a moment, he nodded and said, "Let’s check out the other mountain."

Compared to the first location, the second mountain was much less accessible. They had to take the highway, switch to a provincial road, and finally drive through a stretch of rural roads before arriving.

"There’s not much to say about this place…" The driver sounded unimpressed. "This mountain belongs to a village collective, and it’s pretty remote… Probably not many people would be willing to retire here."

Zheng Fa’s expression turned thoughtful.

By the time they returned to the hotel, Old Chen and the others were likely still touring Jingcheng University with the other students.

Zheng Fa’s room was empty.

The four of them sat inside, all eyes on Zheng Fa, waiting for his decision.

"Both locations are suitable," Zheng Fa said first. "The deciding factors lie elsewhere."

According to The Theory of Spiritual Veins, there were over ten different types of spiritual veins, and these two mountain ranges happened to match two of them. From the perspective of cultivating the Lingshan Method, there wasn’t much difference between the two.

He turned to Aunt Ye. "Auntie, what do you think?"

Aunt Ye pondered for a moment before speaking. "Cost-wise, the difference isn’t huge. The first location will be more troublesome to get approval and contracts for, but the second one will have higher transportation costs."

"Which one you pick depends on your long-term plans."

Zheng Fa nodded slightly, signaling for her to continue.

"The first location is close to a scenic area, and there’s even a villa district nearby." Aunt Ye paused before adding, "If you want to network with influential people or become a guest of the elites, the first location is better."

"The second location is quieter."

"The choice depends on what you want to achieve."

Zheng Fa fell silent.

He knew that this was Aunt Ye’s way of testing him.

Seeing that he wasn’t speaking, Aunt Ye understood that he needed time to think.

She walked toward the door, glancing back at Tang Lingwu and subtly nodding, signaling her daughter to follow her out.

However, Tang Lingwu’s gaze remained fixed on Zheng Fa, completely missing her mother’s cue.

Aunt Ye saw the way her daughter was staring intently and could only shake her head helplessly. She gently closed the door behind her, leaving the three of them alone.

"What do you two think?" Zheng Fa asked Tang Lingwu and Old Man Bai.

Old Man Bai smacked his lips and declared, "Pick the first one! A miracle doctor descends the mountain, shocking the great families of Jingcheng with his medical skills! With a wave of his hand, he controls the winds and clouds!"

"……"

Why did this old man’s taste in stories seem to be getting worse?

Tang Lingwu pouted slightly, as if she disagreed, but under Zheng Fa’s gaze, she simply shook her head and said, "I’ll go with whatever you decide."

Zheng Fa shook his head.

Zheng Fa gazed out the window and suddenly spoke.

"Aunt Ye’s words just reminded me of something. Since we’re establishing this retirement home, there are a few principles I think we should clarify. Let me know what you think."

Old Man Bai and Tang Lingwu exchanged glances and listened quietly.

"First, no playing tricks or acting mysteriously. Cultivation is hard to explain, but if someone comes to us for treatment, we treat them—just keep up the disguise. On the surface, we operate as an ordinary wellness center."

Hearing this, both Old Man Bai and Tang Lingwu understood that Zheng Fa had essentially made his decision.

"Second, we do not pursue worldly power. We neither fear power nor seek to curry favor with it."

"Third, I want this retirement home to function as a relatively pure research institution. Whether it’s treating people or developing agriculture, it should solely serve to sustain the retirement home and fund our research."

Zheng Fa’s voice was soft, but his tone grew firmer with each word.

To him, fame and fortune in the modern world were nearly useless—he couldn’t bring modern supplies into Xuanwei Realm anyway.

At least, they had no direct use in cultivation.

What truly mattered was the talent and knowledge that modern science could provide.

Through cultivation, he had already gained access to wealth that had once been far beyond his reach, and there was likely more to come.

But he had always been clear about what he truly wanted.

After finishing his words, Zheng Fa looked at the other two.

These three principles weren’t just his own beliefs; they were also expectations he was setting for them—especially for Old Man Bai, who had a tendency to let his imagination run wild.

Surprisingly, instead of looking disappointed, Old Man Bai actually seemed relieved. He muttered, "I was wondering about that… Those sidekicks in novels always act like complete idiots… I wouldn’t even know how to play that role!"

"……"

So you’d already assigned yourself a role?

As for Tang Lingwu…

Well, at this point, it seemed like she would agree with anything Zheng Fa said.

Today was another screening of "Saving the Little Cultivator: Pang Qian."

Zheng Fa stood inside the management building of the market district, accompanied by Senior Sister Zhang and Senior Sister Yuan. They watched as a Reception Ship slowly descended toward the docks.

Before the ship had even come to a full stop, a crowd of people rushed out, all sprinting toward the theater.

Zheng Fa spotted Han Qi among the arriving cultivators. He and his two companions disembarked and, instead of heading for the theater, came straight for the building, looking like they had urgent news.

"Junior Brother Zheng… our reception ships are running out of space," Han Qi’s first words left Zheng Fa momentarily stunned.

"Running out?"

"Yes." Han Qi’s eyes gleamed with excitement. "After the last screening of 'Saving the Little Cultivator: Pang Qian,' some visiting cultivators watched it… and when they returned to their sects, word spread. Now, way too many people want to come to Jiushan Sect this time!"

Zheng Fa glanced at the stream of people rushing toward the theater.

The reputation of "Saving the Little Cultivator: Pang Qian" was starting to spread.

There were no conventional marketing channels in Xuanwei Realm, but the visiting cultivators who had watched the play had become its natural promoters.

Even though only a handful of outsiders had seen the play during the last showing, they came from various backgrounds. After returning to their respective sects and market districts, they spread the word, and it had now gained traction.

"We originally planned to visit three sects and two market districts on this trip," Han Qi explained, "but after stopping at just one sect, the ship was already almost full… People were even willing to pay to board for the remaining destinations."

"……"

The reception ships that Jiushan Sect dispatched weren’t very large, accommodating at most three hundred cultivators per trip.

Before "Saving the Little Cultivator: Pang Qian" started screening, each ship barely brought in a hundred cultivators—sometimes, they weren’t even half full.

But this time, the demand was overwhelming.

"Junior Brother Zheng, do you think we should send more reception ships?" Han Qi suggested.

Zheng Fa turned to look at Senior Sister Zhang, then replied to Han Qi, "We’ll discuss it and let you know. You’ve worked hard—go rest for now."

Hearing this, Han Qi cupped his hands in salute before excusing himself.

Senior Sister Zhang said nothing, simply leaning against the window.

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.

The cultivators arriving on the reception ships, after purchasing their tickets for the play, found themselves with time to kill and wandered around the market district.

It was the same logic—"since we’re already here…"

Moreover, the cultivators willing to pay to watch "Saving the Little Cultivator: Pang Qian" seemed to be bigger spenders compared to previous visitors.

After all, the last group of cultivators had only come for Jiushan Sect’s talisman discounts and the free reception ship rides.

But this new crowd had willingly paid higher prices just to see a play.

Same number of passengers, but with drastically different spending habits—the impact on Jiushan Sect’s market district was night and day.

Watching the lively market below, Senior Sister Zhang subtly nodded toward Zheng Fa. "Junior Brother Zheng, you’ve done well with this theater project…"

"Senior Sister, our Jiushan Sect is going to get even richer."

Zheng Fa suddenly said.

"Hmm?"

"In the future, if you want to conduct any research, you won’t have to rely on sect resources anymore."

Senior Sister Zhang fell silent for a long time.

Zheng Fa continued, "Jiushan Sect’s resources are limited, so we’ll just earn external resources instead. That way, even Uncle-Master Pang won’t have any complaints."

"……Junior Brother Zheng, I just remembered—I have some matters to attend to."

After another long pause, Senior Sister Zhang finally spoke, her face seemingly calm and unchanged.

"Safe travels, Senior Sister."

Senior Sister Zhang took Senior Sister Yuan with her and returned to her own courtyard.

There, she simply sat in a daze, staring at the waterfall cascading down from the mountain.

"Senior Sister, if you want to laugh, just laugh."

Senior Sister Yuan sighed and looked at her. "Your lips are practically curling up already."