Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

The smile on his face gradually disappeared.

"On such a cold night, why do you insist on going out alone... Who are you going to see? Can I interpret this as you going to see the person who wrote you that note?"

"Now, tell me, Ju Qiuming, what exactly is written on that note? Secondly, whatever it says, I will report this matter to the Empire truthfully. I advise you to... take care of yourself."

Ju Qiuming slowly raised his head.

His voice was hoarse as he said:

"So, can I go out and buy food now?"

“Of course.” The gray-haired man smiled and struck a pose.

"No."

Ju Qiuming did not speak again.

He has already made his choice, so there is no need for him to hesitate at all.

He had hesitated for a long time, but time was limited, so he needed to act quickly.

so..

Ju Qiuming remained silent, assuming a fighting stance.

Ju Qiuming's punches are dark and ruthless. Even a martial artist of Ying Qin Guan's caliber has to admit that very few people in the world can deliver such a ruthless punch.

"It seems you've already made your choice."

The gray-haired man said calmly, "I don't know if it's a pity or a stroke of luck, but that Fu Feihan went out to buy clothes not long ago, so now... it will only be one-on-one."

Ju Qiuming remained silent.

He was like a wild beast poised to strike, his eerie green pupils gleaming strangely in the murky orange light.

The next moment, Ju Qiuming suddenly pounced!

-

Zhong Hongyu's home.

Leaving aside the lost fellow, Zhong Hongyu was standing in the courtyard of her home.

There was a door opposite her; anyone outside could see her simply by pushing open that door.

She waited for someone here, just as the gray-haired man waited for someone over there.

However, the gray-haired man had a clear goal and didn't want Ju Qiuming to come out at all, while Zhong Hongyu was waiting here... for a predetermined ending.

She stood there, gazing silently at the moon in the sky, a sword hanging at her waist.

She has practiced martial arts for more than ten years.

I started practicing when I was very young, and I practiced and practiced without stopping for a moment.

Sometimes she wonders if, apart from her daily interactions with classmates and teachers, she will ever have a truly meaningful "encounter" in her life?

This feeling is confusing because martial artists are not like magicians. Magicians have many uses besides fighting; they are the cornerstone of a nation. Without them, alchemists cannot create magic circuits on their own, and the entire alchemical edifice would be impossible to build. But martial artists...

What use are martial artists if they don't fight?

Using that strong physique gained from martial arts training to do manual labor?

Isn't this typical of an emperor using a golden hoe?

Every martial artist born in this era will wonder if they can experience real battles or achieve great things like the martial artists of the past.

Zhong Hongyu had certainly thought about this as well.

But she never imagined that after more than ten years of martial arts training, the first real enemy she would face would most likely be her own father.

..

However, there was simply no other choice.

Suddenly, the sound of a key being inserted into the keyhole was heard, followed by the key turning and the door being pushed open.

Zhong Yu pushed open the door.

Without a doubt, he saw Zhong Hongyu standing there.

The location seemed somewhat familiar to him; it appeared to be the same two people from yesterday, only their positions were reversed. In fact, both times, it was Zhong Yu who opened the door.

"Why are you standing here?" Zhong Yu was slightly surprised to see his daughter as soon as he opened the door. But he quickly recovered and did not notice anything unusual about Zhong Hongyu today.

His gaze swept over the sword in Zhong Hongyu's hand, over her hand that was in her pocket, and finally over the plastic bag she had taken out.

Inside was a white powdery substance. An ordinary person might wonder what it was, but Zhong Yu... naturally understood.

The easygoing expression on his face gradually disappeared, his pupils shrank infinitely, revealing a hint of panic, but it was quickly suppressed.

“Hongyu…” Zhong Yu’s voice was hoarse, and he was interrupted before he could finish a sentence.

"Father," Zhong Hongyu said softly, "turn yourself in."

“I know what’s going on here… You don’t need to deny it. Mother isn’t home right now, and I hope to resolve this before Master Jifa can’t hold her off any longer.”

"Hongyu...you want to report me?" Zhong Yu finally spoke, his voice hoarse, his face bitter and full of sorrow.

“I haven’t done it yet. If possible, I hope you will turn yourself in, Father.” Zhong Hongyu lowered her eyes. “You taught me when I was a child to be an upright person, but I never expected you to do such a thing… I cannot tolerate it.”

Zhong Yu didn't understand his daughter, but even without deep knowledge, one could easily understand what Zhong Hongyu was capable of. If an ordinary child encountered such a situation, they would likely be utterly panicked. Even if they had the thought of sacrificing family for the greater good, it would take them a long time to make up their mind. But Zhong Hongyu…

"Hongyu... what are you planning to do with that sword? Are you going to attack Father? It was just a small misunderstanding. I admit that it's mine. But actually, I haven't even started the transaction yet. I just made a few minor mistakes. You don't need to be like this..."

“If that’s the case, then you should turn yourself in now.” Zhong Hongyu lowered her eyes and said softly, “But why did you reach for the dagger at your waist, Father?”

Chapter 74 It's also for your own good

Zhong Yu touched the dagger at his waist.

The Zhong family has a long tradition of martial arts, and Zhong Hongyu's Scarlet Shadow Style was passed down from him. Martial artists usually carry some weapons for self-defense, but at Zhong Yu's age, it's impossible for him to carry a sword all day long. So he switched to a dagger, which he hid at his waist. Zhong Hongyu heard about this from her mother. It seems that a few years ago, after the family business ran into trouble, Zhong Yu developed this habit.

“Hongyu, I should have had a wonderful life.” Zhong Yu gripped the dagger and said softly, “I have a virtuous wife, an outstanding daughter, and while I wouldn’t say I’m incredibly wealthy, I have some savings. Although you’re not a man, you’re quite talented and hardworking; you’ll definitely be able to carry on the Scarlet Shadow Martial Arts tradition…”

Ying Qin Guan believed Zhong Hongyu's talent in martial arts was mediocre. But who was he? He was Ying Qin Guan, and Zhong Hongyu was at the bottom of her class. But what was her class? The Imperial Academy's Martial Arts Department, Class A, a place teeming with aliens. Ying Qin Guan believed that Zhong Hongyu might one day reach Wu Changying's level. But who was Wu Changying? The head of the Imperial Academy's Martial Arts Department!

To ordinary people, Zhong Hongyu is already a celestial being, so to say she has no talent... there are indeed people in this world who have no talent. But you would never see her in the martial arts department of the Imperial Academy.

Zhong Hongyu listened to Zhong Yu's words but did not reply.

“I thought everything would be fine... but my business ran into trouble.” Zhong Yu said softly, “The times are changing, and some things are hindering the progress of the times. So, with a wave of the hand, a small wave crashes over and lands on my head, like a mountain.”

“My Zhong family has a tradition of martial arts, but by my father’s generation, it had completely declined. I dropped out of school when I was eleven and went to the dock to transport goods. The first time I carried things, I was a little slow, and the foreman kicked me in the waist, sending me flying five or six meters away. I lost three teeth. He asked me if I could do it, and if I couldn’t, I should get out. I said I could and went back to carry things. When I got home that night, I looked at myself in the moonlight.”

"His mouth was full of blood, and he was filled with rage; he couldn't swallow it."

"When I was seventeen, I went to work as a shop assistant in a cloth shop. A young servant came and ordered a set of clothes from me. I made them according to his measurements. When his young lady came, she was a full 100 pounds heavier than he said. The clothes didn't fit her, and she accused me of shortchanging her and embezzling money. The young lady came from a wealthy family, and the shopkeeper couldn't afford to offend her. In front of everyone, he slapped me ten times and asked me if I had stolen the cloth. I said no ten times, but on the eleventh time, I couldn't take it anymore and said yes, I stole it."

"At twenty, I had nothing. I came to this city with a dream. I was robbed, cheated, and beaten. People looked down on an outsider. I took countless detours and endured countless hardships. I spent countless nights crying alone in an empty office, yet the next day, I would still shout the company slogans loudly when I saw my boss. At a dinner party, a client made me drink three jin of Polya liquor. After drinking, I went straight to the hospital. No one could sign my consent form, so I signed it myself before they started the surgery. I worked so hard, without complaint, and honestly and dutifully to earn this little bit of wealth..."

Zhong Yu opened his arms.

"A wave of time crashed over me, and in that tiny moment, *splat*—all my thirty years of hard work vanished!"

His eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth, saying:

Thirty years!

"From twenty to fifty! The most important, energetic, and capable thirty years of my life, my entire life was spent in that time! And it's all gone!"

"Do you think I want to get involved in this? Do you think I want to? What do you think I can do? Me, a fifty-year-old middle-aged man, what do you want me to do? I'm not one of those people. I know I'm incompetent. I got to where I am today by cutting my own veins and paving the way with my own blood. I'm incompetent. Thirty years of hard work are gone. When I apply for jobs at other companies, they'll see through me in a few days. They'll see I'm an old guy who doesn't know anything. Do you expect me to go to the docks and move things? Hongyu, if I were ten years younger, I'd do it, but now I'm fifty. I can't move!"

"What do I have left?!"

Zhong Yu suddenly drew his dagger.

"That's all!"

"I have no time, no energy, no ability. If I have anything left, it's this!"

"so.."

Zhong Yu's pupils were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse as he growled, "Zhong Hongyu...go back immediately, go to sleep, pretend nothing happened, forget about this, right now!"

“Father…” Zhong Hongyu stepped forward and said softly, “You’ve said a lot, but you’ve actually avoided one question…”

"Why didn't you tell me and Mother that there aren't any major expenses at home, and we could easily lower our standard of living? Besides, if you were willing to tell me, I could withdraw from the Royal Academy, and we wouldn't have to bear the exorbitant tuition fees anymore..."

"The difficulties you are facing now are not insurmountable. It's just that you want to maintain your previous quality of life, even though there are better ways to solve these problems."

Zhong Hongyu said in a low voice, "But why don't you tell me or Mother? And why do you just give me the runaround when we ask?"

“Of course I do—” Zhong Yu hissed.

"It's all for your own good."

Zhong Hongyu spoke the second half of the sentence for him.

Yes...of course, it's all for your own good.

Not letting children know about the family's financial situation so they can focus on their studies seems to be a common choice for parents.

but..

“When I was a child, you taught me martial arts and told me about your struggles and hard work in your youth. I thought to myself, ‘Ah, my father is such a great person. I want to become like you when I grow up.’”

"But actually... Father, you are just an ordinary person, so now, you have also made a mistake."

"I remember once in class, Teacher Nocturne said something like this: He said the meaning of parents' existence lies in the fact that no matter how remarkable their children become, parents can still discipline them. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that if children achieve success, parents can prevent them from becoming arrogant. The bad thing is that, from a macro perspective, each generation is destined to be stronger than the last. So Teacher Nocturne told us the second half of his statement, which is..."

“If your parents make a mistake, you must correct them.”

Zhong Hongyu gently pressed her hand on the hilt of the sword, but the sword remained unsheathed.

“Father, you probably meant to say, ‘Of course I’m doing this for your own good,’ and that’s exactly what I’m saying now.”

"Please turn yourself in."

"Of course, I'm doing this for your own good."

Chapter Seventy-Five: The Answer of That Day

boom!!