Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

He walked slowly to Mu Huai Ren's cell, knocked lightly on the iron door, and then passed the contents of the lunchbox through the small window.

After the end of July, Nocturne told him that she had taken care of things and that he could now go see Mu Huai Ren.

Mu Nandong visited three times in August, and now in September, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he came to see Mu Huai Ren for the second time... Although it wasn't quite the right time, he still brought a mooncake.

Mu Huai-ren never responded to him, not even once.

He was like a dead man, not saying a word.

This has been the case since she was a child, and Mu Nandong has long been used to it.

"You've caused me quite a bit of trouble."

Mu Nandong's expression remained indifferent; even when facing his father's madness, his demeanor did not change in the slightest.

He slowly sat down cross-legged.

"I'm still gathering intelligence on fear, but with little success... or perhaps I haven't devoted much effort to it yet, at least not until that weapon is complete. Like the proverb my mother always told me, a snail shouldn't be curious about what's in a dragon's lair."

Although his expression remained indifferent, those familiar with Mu Nandong might have sensed that he was different from usual.

"The Empire probably knows I'm working on that weapon. They also have leverage over me. The material collection went too smoothly; they must be pulling the strings behind the scenes. Perhaps by the time this weapon is finished, I'll be arrested for illegally manufacturing Class A alchemical equipment, or perhaps they'll allow me to end my revenge..."

Mu Nandong's expression was calm, as if he were talking about an insignificant past event.

"But even so, I still had to make it. Sometimes I wonder if this kind of weapon should exist in this world, and how much pain and suffering it will bring after it appears."

Mu Nandong stared at the prison door.

"Of course I understand that it is people who use weapons, and it is people who inflict pain. But a person's desires can swell with the weapons in their hands... Is it all really worth it?"

"do not know."

"I had no choice but to do it."

Mu Nandong stared at the iron gate.

His eyes were icy cold, like an eternal iceberg.

"If I don't make this weapon, all the speculation will remain just speculation."

“If I don’t make this weapon, then after I die, no one will ever think of exonerating you, and the so-called speculation will become the truth.”

"If I don't create this weapon, then what is the meaning of my life, and the lives of you, Mu Nandong, and Mu Huai Ren—the combined lives of this father and son—over sixty years?"

"So...I will make it."

"I plan to call it 'Courage'."

"There is no name more fitting for it than this, for me and for you."

As Mu Nandong spoke, he lowered his gaze slightly.

"If the mastermind behind it all is fear, then it gives me the courage to challenge that fear."

"If the Joker is the mastermind behind it all, then it will give me the courage to challenge him."

"If... there is no mastermind behind it all, and you are just a deserter, then it still has a use."

Mu Nandong never revealed the purpose of it, but a hint of relief suddenly appeared in his eyes.

That is... to give him the courage to drink that glass of wine.

Of the entire royal court, only Nocturne could understand a little bit. Mu Nandong actually had a rather serious self-destructive tendency. She later hinted at it to Ying Qinguan, but it had little effect.

But... if someone forgets their keys, they might suddenly wonder, did such a strange guy ever exist?

"Do you think I'm a coward, Father? But that doesn't seem to apply. I wouldn't do this if you weren't a deserter. And if you are a deserter, you have no right to judge me. Because I'm far more remarkable than you. I'm a remarkable person, always have been, and I hope you are too."

"But perhaps that's the meaning of being a father: no matter what kind of person his son is, a father can reprimand or teach him."

".."

".."

Silence remained, and Mu Huai-ren, standing on the other side of the iron gate, did not utter a word.

Mu Nandong had many things he couldn't say.

As the most heinous deserter in the history of the Seven Luminaries, attacking Mu Huai Ren and his son Mu Nan Dong has become a politically correct code for some people. Mu Nan Dong's heart is as firm as stone, so he let it go. However, the fact that Mu Nan Dong's mother, Mu Huai Ren's wife, died so young is also partly due to the efforts of those people.

This mother and son have many unspeakable grievances.

Sometimes, what is fake becomes real, and what is real becomes fake.

"But the truth is there, on that night more than 20 years ago. Whether you were blinded by fear, encountered a clown, or were simply cowardly... in any case, the truth was there that night."

Mu Nandong stared at the iron gate and said softly:

"I will find out the truth behind the fear."

It's not a 'swearing oath,' but a 'declaration.'

It's not 'I want to,' it's 'I will.'

Mu Nandong stood up, about to leave, when he heard a faint sound that was so subtle it was almost imperceptible, and could even be mistaken for an illusion.

He frowned and gently, very gently, approached the iron gate.

A faint, almost imperceptible sound came from the other side of the iron gate... It wasn't the sound of eating, but the sound of "talking"!

Mu Huai-ren spoke?!

Mu Nandong closed his eyes and pressed his ear against the iron gate.

He has been disappointed countless times, but he is still willing to be disappointed one more time.

However, the sound just now seemed like an illusion, disappearing in an instant.

Inside the prison, all was silent. The only sounds were one's own heartbeat and the dripping of water.

Was it just my imagination after all...?

Mu Nandong's expression remained unchanged.

He naturally wouldn't place any hope in the insane Mu Huai Ren; everything depended on him. But... even just hearing his father's voice would be good.

Just as Mu Nandong was about to leave, a dry, awkward voice rang out.

“kong..”

Mu Nandong's ears truly caught that sound!

Mu Nandong suddenly turned his head and looked at the iron gate!

The dry, awkward voice didn't stop, uttering a lot of incoherent words or phrases.

Mu Nandong remained silent and pressed his ear against it.

"country.."

"have.."

"No.."

"I.."

Mu Huai-ren is repeating the same sentence.

He kept talking and talking.

However, his voice was extremely dry, his pronunciation was wrong, and his volume fluctuated. Mu Nandong could only understand one or two words each time.

He pressed his ear against the iron gate, listening patiently over and over again.

..

..

again and again.

I only understood one or two words each time, and I heard the same words many times. But eventually I understood everything and put them together.

Mu Nandong finally heard it clearly.

As if his bones had been removed, he leaned against the iron gate and slowly slid down until he finally sat down on the ground.

Yes... he heard me clearly.

Mu Huai-ren is speaking, he is speaking...

"I hold fear in my hand, deterring nations from attacking."

Chapter Fifty-Nine: People with Nowhere to Go (Part Two)

Mu Nandong walked out of the prison. It was almost dusk, and half the sky was crimson.

Some people travel thousands of miles to go home today to be with their families, some lament the long journey and compose poems to express their longing, and some are separated from their families by death and will never see them again.

Of course, there are also people like Mu Nandong who can only see their family once they come to the Heavenly Prison... In reality, it probably doesn't even count as a meeting.

Mu Nandong looked back, stared for a moment, then left the place and returned to the Imperial Palace.

Whether it was fate or not, Mu Nandong met Ye Qu, who was about to leave the school, at the school gate.

Nocturne seemed to be waiting for a car. Upon seeing Mu Nandong, she smiled and said, "Teacher Mu, did you just return from the Heavenly Prison?"

Mu Nandong's answer was brief, essentially meaning he wanted to kill the conversation.

"Yes."

"Should we go back to the alchemy workshop now?"

"Yes."

It can only be said that Mu Nandong is indeed Mu Nandong. If Jiu Yilai had asked these two questions, he would have been too scared to utter a word by now, and would not have dared to continue the conversation. But it is not enough to make Ye Qu back down.

"Hehe... On this Mid-Autumn Festival, I think it would be good to put aside our work and take a short break. What do you think, Teacher Mu?"

Mu Nandong's answer this time was a little longer; he said, "It varies from person to person."

Some people have boundless energy, working 365 days a year without a break, while others, like Yunxian, are so lazy they feel exhausted after writing just 500 words a day. She should probably learn from her colleagues who have eight times the workload. So, holidays and rest really do vary from person to person, or rather, from job to job.

Nocturne nodded in agreement.

"That's right, it really does vary from person to person... Does Teacher Mu feel that he doesn't need to rest?"