I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 303Book 2: : The Matchmaker’s Visit, A Token of Trust
Vol 2 Chapter 303: The Matchmaker’s Visit, A Token of Trust
Gu Chang sat at his desk, carefully reading that Xiandao sample issue, pen in hand making notes and annotations, his expression especially focused.
He had already read the journal three times. There were two articles he had read back and forth at least seven or eight times, the margins and gaps between lines filled with his densely packed reflections and insights.
At first, the reason he was reading the journal was simply because it had been given to him by Sect Master Zheng—
He wasn’t heartless. With his kind of spiritual roots, yet the Sect Master had taken such pains to instruct him—it was truly heartfelt.
Besides, of course he hoped to find in it a way to change his fate, or rather, change his spiritual root quality.
But the more he read, the more he found the articles genuinely interesting. His aptitude might be poor, but he believed himself to be intelligent. He had done quite well in many subjects on University Island.
At first, he could only understand about ten or twenty percent of the articles in this issue of Xiandao, but after further study, he figured he had grasped roughly a third.
Of course, much of the content he hadn’t formally studied, and most of the time, he still couldn’t fully comprehend it.
But even that was enough to make him realize just how unique Xiandao was:
This book was different from anything in Jiushan Sect—no, in the entire Xuanyi Realm. Unlike any previous cultivation manuals or secret scrolls—
It was clearly filled with content deeply tied to cultivation, and yet rarely mentioned cultivation levels directly.
Just like the title Xiandao—“The Dao of Immortality”—this journal wasn’t about power levels, but about exploring the fundamental principles of cultivation.
One article, for instance, titled Three Weaknesses and Improvements in the Linked Talisman Technique, was full of topology and talisman theory. He felt an instant sense of familiarity with it. And this very article had been placed at the front of the issue, with its author awarded a significant amount of Merit Points.
It could be said that this journal valued wisdom far more than cultivation—certainly not raw aptitude.
He began to understand why the Sect Master had handed it to him.
“Merit Points…”
Gu Chang gently closed Xiandao, instinctively organizing his thoughts out loud:
“There’s nothing in here about spiritual roots… but that doesn’t mean there never will be…”
“Even if there never is, this journal could still be a way for me to earn Merit Points!”
“Or maybe—I could study spiritual roots myself? If I manage to get results, I’d be well rewarded too…”
“But, spiritual roots…”
He’d heard that Xiandao had only recently been launched. The bar for submission wasn’t particularly high, and one or two articles were even pretty basic.
At least to Gu Chang, they weren’t that hard to understand.
If he kept studying, maybe he could earn Merit Points through research—it seemed possible.
But given his current cultivation level, studying spiritual roots was another matter entirely—
Spiritual roots were a foundational concept in the Xuanyi Realm. Surely there had been smarter people who had looked into this over the ages?
Chances were, many powerful cultivators had already tried to research this issue.
And yet—nothing had changed.
Single-root cultivators: geniuses.
Mixed-root cultivators: trash.
This had practically become an accepted truth of the Xuanyi Realm.
And he was just a first-level Qi Refining cultivator…
He still remembered what Sect Master Zheng said—knowledge can change fate. But now another voice was echoing in his mind, coldly whispering again and again: S
“If even so many geniuses couldn’t do it, you definitely won’t.”
Listening closely—he realized that voice was his own.
Gu Chang found it really hard to make up his mind—
Not to mention, this journal wasn’t cheap to him. Just the cost of buying it pained him, and this was something that, ninety-nine percent of the time, probably wouldn’t bear any fruit.
Knock knock.
The door was gently rapped.
“Come in.”
The door opened. His father stood there, seeming apologetic for disturbing his reading, and said quietly, “Aunt Chen brought back word.”
Gu Chang looked a little uneasy—more like embarrassed.
Aunt Chen was their neighbor, and she also worked as a matchmaker.
Earlier, when Gu Chang felt his Dao path was hopeless and thought about teaching on Letu Island, he had also considered finding a wife to settle down with.
There were two reasons:
One—his parents still had a mortal mindset. At his age, they felt he should’ve been married with children by now.
Two—he hoped to have a child with good aptitude, to teach and raise well. If that child turned out well, they’d never lack resources.
So his parents had asked Aunt Chen for help.
Gu Chang followed his parents to the main room.
Aunt Chen was sitting in a chair, drinking tea in big gulps. The tea wasn’t expensive, but even so, his parents usually wouldn’t touch it.
As soon as she saw him, Aunt Chen put the tea cup down with a loud clack—she looked absolutely thrilled.
She dabbed her lips and, in a loud and slightly shrill voice, declared triumphantly:
“Chang’er, this time your Aunt really looked far and wide for you—my soles are practically worn through!”
Gu Chang didn’t know how to respond.
But his parents were already thanking her profusely.
Seeing he remained silent, Aunt Chen looked a little displeased.
His father nudged him gently from behind.
Gu Chang finally said, “Thank you, Aunt.”
Aunt Chen smiled again and said, “We’re neighbors—what’s there to thank? It’s just, since you’re an Outer Sect disciple with real status, I wanted to find someone flawless for you. That’s why I went the extra mile.”
Hearing that, Gu Chang felt grateful, and his smile became less stiff.
“That girl—looks and figure, all top-notch!” Aunt Chen held her hand up near Gu Chang’s lower lip to gesture, “About this tall!”
Then she spread her palm, indicating, “That little face—only half the size of my hand.”
She then patted her own waist, “My waist is three times thicker than hers!”
As Gu Chang listened, the image of a tall, bright-eyed girl smiling at him surfaced in his mind.
“Good looks aside, her background’s decent too!”
Gu Chang paused and looked at Aunt Chen. “Background?”
“She’s surnamed Sun—you probably don’t know, but she’s from a branch family of a Core Disciple!”
“Core Disciple? A Golden Core senior?”
That shocked even Gu Chang.
“Exactly! You tell me, isn’t that a great match? To be honest, this is us marrying upward!”
His parents looked at each other, their joy practically written on their faces.
But then Aunt Chen added, “I also heard this girl’s got cultivation aptitude—three-root type! She just didn’t do well on the entrance test last time and missed admission to the sect.”
“Aunt… would she really go for someone like me?”
Gu Chang suddenly asked, the familiar self-doubt showing on his face again.
“Why not? Of course she would!” Aunt Chen slapped her palm decisively. “The girl said it herself—she likes guys who are good at math!”
“She wants to study with you. Who knows, she might pass the entrance next time!”
Gu Chang didn’t feel offended—in fact, he was a bit relieved.
Honestly, he was more afraid she’d want nothing at all.
He’d even started picturing life after marriage:
Once Miss Sun married into the family, he’d tutor her and help her pass the entrance exam into the sect.
Then with two Outer Sect disciples, it’d be easy to earn Merit Points and live comfortably, supporting each other.
And if they had a child with good aptitude—the future would be even brighter.
As for researching spiritual roots—that wasn’t something he should be daydreaming about…
Like the Sect Master said, maybe becoming a good teacher was the better path.
Seeing his expression grow more joyful, Aunt Chen teased, “So, you like her?”
“I do, I do!” Gu Chang’s father chimed in excitedly, “We’d be lucky if she doesn’t look down on us!”
“It’s not about looking down…” Aunt Chen hesitated a little before saying, “The girl herself doesn’t care about that stuff, but she has parents—parents always want to find someone their daughter can rely on…”
“You mean…”
“The Sun family said they want some Merit Points as a betrothal gift. The amount doesn’t really matter—it’s the thought that counts.”
Gu Chang’s heart sank, but he still asked, unwilling to give up, “What would count as a sincere gesture?”
Aunt Chen raised one hand and flipped it front and back.
“……”
Gu Chang did the math. While he wasn’t exactly well-off, he could probably borrow enough Merit Points to cover it.
“It’s not impossible…”
He hesitated a little, but still gave a small nod.
He also knew that women with spiritual roots usually came with high bride prices—rumor had it that the better the mother’s spiritual root, the more gifted the child would be.
On the other hand, he figured if he worked a bit harder in the future, this debt wouldn’t be too much of a burden.
“There’s another thing—the girl herself has a request. She wants to cultivate.”
Gu Chang blinked, not understanding what that meant. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
“What she means is, going forward, she wants to manage the family’s Merit Points. She’s a three-root type, and you’re a four-root. It’s better the Merit Points go to her.”
Gu Chang felt like he was falling into a bottomless pit. His heart pressed hard against his ribs, leaving him unable to speak.
Only now did he start to understand.
This Miss Sun had chosen him for simple reasons:
One—he was good at math and could help her pass the sect’s entrance exam later.
That wasn’t a big deal.
Second—what she really valued was… his low aptitude.
Compared to other four-root cultivators, his ability to earn Merit Points wasn’t that bad—
Thanks to his talent in topology, his talisman skills were actually quite strong, and he could complete sect missions quickly.
If he became a teacher, he’d have even more Merit income.
But since he was a four-root cultivator, Miss Sun’s thinking probably was—marrying him meant she could use his resources for her own cultivation.
That, naturally, was something he couldn’t accept.
Yet his parents were nodding along beside him.
They seemed to think it was a good deal.
Seeing his displeased expression, his father added:
“If the wife is strong, the grandson will have a better life.”
“We don’t need to fuss about all that.”
Gu Chang opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but looking at his father’s yellowed, chicken-claw-like hands and hopeful eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
But Aunt Chen spoke again:
“About the child—she had something to say too…”
“Huh?”
Even Gu Chang’s parents looked confused now.
“She said, if the child is anything less than a three-root, she doesn’t really care.”
“But if the child is dual-root or better, then the firstborn must take the Sun surname.”
Even Gu Chang’s father was stunned.
“Surname Sun? How is that acceptable?”
“Hey, if you ask me, it’s not a big deal… Dual-root kids aren’t that easy to come by,” Aunt Chen quickly added when she saw Gu’s father hesitating. “This condition is practically like not having one.”
Gu Chang’s parents were honest folks. That sounded fair enough, so they started nodding again.
But Gu Chang couldn’t take it anymore.
“Aunt Chen, this marriage… it’s way out of my league.”
He was young. Even though he was holding back his anger, his face had turned pale with rage.
“Chang’er, what are you saying… The girl picked you!”
“What I’m saying is—we’re not a good match…”
Seeing him say that, Aunt Chen’s smile faded. She said, “Chang’er, if even a girl this good isn’t good enough for you, I really won’t be able to find anyone for you in the future…”
Gu Chang suddenly raised his voice: “Then don’t! I’m done with matchmaking!”
Seeing he was truly angry, Aunt Chen looked flustered and quickly made her exit.
His parents, however, didn’t understand. They looked at him with some blame in their eyes.
Gu Chang took a deep breath and forced down his frustration, but his tone remained stiff:
“Dad, this Miss Sun… she’ll never truly be your daughter-in-law, and she won’t care about your grandson either.”
His father murmured, “What do you mean?”
“If our child ends up dual-root or better, the surname goes to the Sun family. And with the Sun family’s status, that child might as well belong to them.”
“But… isn’t it hard to have a dual-root child?”
“But Miss Sun herself is a three-root!” Gu Chang had always been smart. His earlier fantasies were just due to inexperience, but now the more he thought about it, the clearer it became.
“What she really means is—if the child isn’t three-root or better, she doesn’t care… If the child’s inferior, she’ll just give it to us.”
His father said nothing. His mother still didn’t quite get it:
“Isn’t that… fine?”
“Fine? Miss Sun wouldn’t raise a child with lower aptitude than herself! If our child isn’t dual-root, they won’t get a single cultivation resource!”
Only then did his mother understand: “If the child’s dual-root or better, they belong to the Sun family. If not, she controls the Merit Points and won’t give us any. That’s…”
Gu Chang nodded slowly.
“If Miss Sun isn’t suitable, then we’ll look for someone else…”
After a long silence, Gu Chang said solemnly, “Dad, Mom, I’ve decided. I’m not rushing into marriage for now.”
“Not rushing?” Both parents looked displeased. “How can you not rush? You may not be in a hurry, but we are!”
Seeing them about to explode, Gu Chang quickly added, “I ran into the Sect Master earlier. He really values me… even gave me a book!”
“Sect Master Zheng?”
At the mention of the Sect Master, both parents’ faces changed. It was like they suddenly came to their senses.
“Yes!”
“He values you?”
“He does! The book’s right here!” Gu Chang said smartly. “He even told me to teach well and keep studying—said one day I might even change my spiritual roots!”
“Change spiritual roots?” Though they were mortals, living in the Jiushan Realm meant they knew the basics of cultivation. “Is that even possible?”
“Sect Master said it…”
“Then it must be true!” his father said immediately.
“But the book’s expensive. And if I want to complete this method someday, it’ll cost a lot too.” Seizing the opportunity, Gu Chang pushed further: “All my Merit Points, and whatever I earn later, will have to be used for that. I won’t have the money to marry a ‘high-status’ wife.”
“This…”
His mother hesitated. “Then we won’t even have a grandson?”
“You’re saying… the Sect Master told you to do this?” His father stared at him, asking again, “Really?”
Gu Chang put on a straight face and nodded seriously—the Sect Master had said the first part. He figured out the second half on his own. No problem.
“Then I won’t push you anymore.”
“Yes!”
……
Gu Chang ran out the door and bought two more issues of Xiandao.
Back in the Gu family’s main room, his mother was still grumbling, “No pushing? If you don’t push him, when are we going to get a grandson?”
“Grandson…” Gu’s father sat at the table. “Without the Sect Master, we wouldn’t even be living this good life. We’d probably be dead. What’s the point of worrying about grandsons?”
“Still…”
“You don’t get it. Our son—he’s not willing to settle.” Gu’s father added, “That Sun girl, relying on her aptitude and family background, treating him like this… We can’t help him, but at least don’t make it harder for him.”
“But… can spiritual roots really be changed? What if it doesn’t work? Then wouldn’t Chang’er waste his whole life?”
Gu’s father couldn’t promise anything. After a long silence, he finally muttered a completely off-topic sentence: “The Sect Master… wouldn’t lie to us.”
And somehow, that nonsensical line convinced Gu’s mother. She slowly nodded in agreement.
