Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

The Nephalem suggested that since the alien races could secretly establish bases here, the humans naturally couldn't just sit idly by. There were also quite a few officials in the Chaos Province, although they might not be so official in name, because the Chaos Province was a place without "officials".

To reiterate, the chaotic province is not without laws, but rather the laws are rendered ineffective, which is fundamentally different from places like "Mirror Flower Water Moon."

Nephalem hailed a taxi. Chaotic Province has a less-than-ideal tradition: the price of any service fluctuates wildly, with both upper and lower limits, depending on the relative strength of the two parties involved. Of course, this doesn't always apply to all services.

Of course, this fluctuation is two-way; the lower limit can even fall into negative territory. Therefore, while service providers are choosing clients, clients are also choosing service providers. It's like the saying goes: while you're gazing into the abyss, the abyss is also trying to take away your life savings.

Therefore, in the chaotic province, good judgment is very important, and coincidentally... Ying Qin Guan and his group encountered someone who was not so good at judging things.

Ying Qin Guan and the Nephalem are indeed quite famous, but while most people know they exist, few know what they look like. Ying Qin Guan, needless to say, only had one real international appearance—at the City of Truth. As for the Nephalem, he had many opportunities to appear, but ultimately none of them materialized. Why? Because he used to be a special agent. Special agents are meant to carry out missions in other countries. So, which country was the unfortunate stepping stone? The answer is almost every country. They themselves became stepping stones; why would they go around publicizing the Nephalem? It would be like being slapped on the left cheek and then offering the right.

Moreover, these two didn't resemble the Ten Commandments or Athossa, possessing the physical and clothing characteristics that make you feel like you've seen them just by hearing their descriptions... In short, this time, the gangster with a blue dragon tattoo and a cigarette in his mouth quoted a price of two hundred pounds for the taxi.

This price is beyond simple ripping people off; it's outright robbery. Ying Qin Guan and Nefertari exchanged a glance, and finally Fu Fei Han stepped forward, telling them to go into the hotel first and meet up with the other two, while he would pay the bill himself.

This little incident gave Ying Qin Guan a real understanding of the atmosphere of the chaotic province.

He and Nephalem entered a suite in the hotel, where they sat on the sofa in the living room.

As usual, Shadow was dressed in all black with a veil, making it difficult to see her true appearance; this attire was actually quite eye-catching. However, considering that her job mainly involved pursuit, it wasn't a problem. Sitting on the other side was Darius, Ying Qin Pass's stepping stone. For this mission, he had taken off his black and white dreadlocks and dyed them all black.

The hair dyeing industry in this world seems quite advanced. Wakaba dyes her hair more often than Ms. Gin, a typical office worker, goes home after work to contemplate life and feel emo. But when she goes to dye her hair, the color always turns out quite well, and her hair still looks great.

When Darius saw Ying Qin Pass, he reacted just like the clown who saw Ying Qin Pass that night, his expression changing slightly. Nephalem, standing to the side, exclaimed that he was an expert, thinking that this might be the Sichuan opera face-changing technique that had been lost in Southern Qin.

"You're also involved in this mission...? We weren't notified beforehand," Shadow said, her voice cold. Clearly, she and Darius hadn't received any prior notification that Ying Qin Guan was also involved in the mission; otherwise, the latter's face wouldn't have turned up like that.

“Obviously,” Nephalem laughed, “the Seven Luminaries’ enthusiastic citizens have come to help.”

He clearly had no intention of discussing the hidden story with these two. Even among the same elite class, their status within their own countries differed. For example, a Nephalem held a relatively high position, knew a little about everything, held a very lucrative post, and wielded considerable power beyond that position. They were among the best of the elite. In contrast, Darius was far more ordinary; he was far inferior to even a Nephalem, let alone a Kyuubi.

"What a great group of enthusiastic members of the Seven Luminaries..." Perhaps to ease the awkwardness, Darius spoke in a deep voice. This term "enthusiastic member of the Seven Luminaries" came from the recent incident in Bird City, where the two from the Yorozuya were described as such. Because it sounded somewhat comical, it was talked about for a while.

“Having more people is a good thing for us.” Nephalem shrugged, changing the subject. “Enough of this small talk, do you have any contact with headquarters’ intelligence agencies?”

Previously in Bird City, the situation was special, so we had to send these top-tier individuals deep into the city to gather intelligence. Although Chaotic Province is also special, it's not so special that we need to send these top-tier individuals to work from the bottom up and slowly find Gu Xuan in the sea of ​​people. That would be too stupid.

After all, this isn't a detective game where you need to slowly deduce where the other person might be. In this kind of situation, you have to rely on professional teams to take action. Chaotic Province isn't Xinyang City; the kind of behavior of finding people by force using individual strength can't be replicated in this city.

—The Nephalem are an exception, because they are also part of the professional group.

"Then why don't I go take a look? In such a short time, it's unlikely we'll find anything," Nephalem suggested. "I can also go and look for it with you. You don't need to go; it's not of any use... Also, keep your cell phones with you at all times."

To ensure the smoothest operation, all the top-tier personnel were equipped with cell phones for easy communication. Ying Qin Guan also had one, which Nephalem had given him on the plane.

"You have a really unpleasant way of speaking."

Shadow spoke in a lukewarm tone, and Nephalem smiled in response, saying, "I probably don't need your liking."

"Tsk..."

Before Miss Shadow could retaliate, the door opened, and Fu Feihan, who had finished paying and had even more money on him than before, walked in. Although it was his first time in the Chaotic Province, he had already learned the local customs.

"You are Gu Xuan's disciple." Seeing another person arrive, Shadow quickly guessed Fu Feihan's identity. "Gu Xuan's school is the Divine Appearance Formless School. Although he is injured, he should not be underestimated. Kid, practice the moves of this school. It might be of some use."

Chapter Twenty-One: The True Man

Generally speaking, a martial artist's style won't be easily identified as having weaknesses, unless the opponent's martial arts skills are vastly superior. But in that case, there's no need to look for weaknesses; simply overwhelming them with superior strength is sufficient.

Not to mention that the opponent is a top-tier martial artist. Martial artists of this level are no longer bound by the rules and regulations between moves. They can do whatever they want without overstepping the bounds. Every move is like a free-flowing horse. At this level, even if there are obvious flaws in the opponent's style, they are basically impossible to find.

But... can you say it has absolutely no effect?

No, that's not it. It definitely has some effect. Knowing the opponent's skills is definitely better than not knowing them. Although there is an extremely low probability that "the opponent knows you know their style and sets a trap for you," our side is not stupid. We are not that easy to fall for.

Regardless, knowing the opponent's preferred fighting style will definitely be helpful in battle, though perhaps not to a great extent. When facing a top-tier enemy, caution is absolutely the right thing to do. If there is an opportunity to learn about the opponent, then don't miss it.

“Alright…” Fu Feihan did not refuse. Knowing that the situation was special, he agreed and began to practice the Divine Appearance Formless Flow in sequence.

His figure flashed, sword light raged, and he unleashed his moves in the room, using only a small amount of internal energy to demonstrate the characteristics of his techniques with minimal damage.

To be fair, even just looking at the moves, the Divine Formless Style is indeed a decent technique. Gu Xuan, the creator of this style, certainly had some skill. While the moves may seem unremarkable, they actually place great emphasis on improvisation and on-the-spot reaction. The arrangement and combination of moves are extremely important. Shadow and Nephalem nodded as they watched. At their level, they generally no longer need to learn from others' training methods and usage techniques, as their own styles are already fully developed. However, they can still draw inspiration from certain aspects, such as the underlying concepts.

At the same time, top fighters each have their own characteristics. For example, when Nephalem was an agent, he was ruthless, which immediately revealed his personality or methods at the time. Furthermore, the style of fighting that one develops during the peak of their martial arts skills can fully reflect their combat style.

“He’s a pretty confident person,” Nephalem said.

Shadow nodded in agreement. Someone who could develop such a style must be quite confident in themselves.

This can be seen in many people. Only those who are extremely confident in themselves can develop all sorts of flashy skills, such as Ying Qin Guan and Himura Tan Ying.

Nephalem, on the other hand, is different. It's not that he lacks confidence. Rather, his early experience as a secret agent instilled in him a habit of seizing every opportunity, leaving little room for showing off. Therefore, when he takes action, his style is relatively simple and unpretentious.

Fu Feihan practiced the use of the Divine Appearance Formless Flow twice until Nefertiti called a halt.

"That's about enough... I should be setting off too." Nephalem stood up and said to everyone, "Well then, I'm going to gather intelligence. Everyone, please feel free to act as you see fit. But make sure you carry your cell phones with you at all times for easy communication. If you're interested, you can go out and search. But don't go overboard... Finally, Fu Feihan, be careful. With our strength, we can cause trouble in the Chaotic Province without any problems. But you might not be so lucky, especially since you're currently in a state of physical transformation, and your strength has greatly diminished..."

Nephalem tends to talk a lot at times like this.

After handing over his things, Nephalem left, and Darius, not wanting to stay in the room for even a moment longer, also left. Shadow pondered for a moment and then left the room as well. She and Ying Qin Guan had an awkward past; he had taken her sword but refused to stop her. Just recalling it made her feel embarrassed, especially since Ying Qin Guan seemed to lack emotional intelligence. If he brought up the past during a conversation, things would truly fall apart.

In the blink of an eye, only Ying Qin Guan and Fu Fei Han remained in the room.

Knowing that some things couldn't be avoided, Ying Qin asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Although he didn't explain himself clearly, Fu Feihan could still understand Ying Qin Guan's meaning at this point.

"I don't know." Fu Feihan shook his head and said, "My answer is the same as last time. Until that moment truly arrives, I never know what choice I will make."

Having already guessed that this would be the other party's answer, Ying Qin Guan sighed, rested his chin on one hand, looked out the window, and said, "You really are the complete opposite of Zhong Hong Yu."

Fu Feihan asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"What kind of person is Zhong Hongyu?" Ying Qin Guan muttered to himself. "Although she has never said it herself, I think she is someone who has no choice and will not make a choice."

Fu Feihan wondered if Teacher Ying was possessed by the Nocturne, and then repeated, "What do you mean?"

“I don’t know how to explain it to you… For example, it’s like ‘choices,’ Fu Feihan. You know those novels where you can choose the direction of the plot, right? Each page ends with an option, and different options lead to different pages. You’re like that; you’ll make different choices. And then, those different choices make up your life.”

Fu Feihan said, "Whose life isn't like this? Everyone's life is like this. Because of the different choices we make, we have different lives... Isn't Zhong's life different?"

“Ah… I feel there’s something different about it; it’s like a real novel,” Ying Qin Guan said.

"A real novel?" Fu Feihan repeated, his tone questioning.

"Calling it a true novel seems a bit too complimentary. Let's put it another way: a 'traditional' novel, even though she's not a traditional person. Traditional people, as you said, choose everything and create their own lives. But she... she's like a traditional novel. What is a traditional novel like?"

Ying Qin Guan spoke casually, saying whatever came to mind.

"There are no options at all. Readers can't choose. The end of the chapter won't let you jump to a specific page. Once things have happened, the rest of the plot is what it is and won't change because of the reader's ideas... I'm rambling a bit, Fu Feihan, can you understand?"

Fu Feihan shook his head honestly.

"Not really..."

"Is that so? Well, there's nothing we can do about it then." Ying Qin Guan sighed. "Just forget about the strange things you said."

Fu Feihan responded, and after a while, he also went out to find his master and to find his own 'choice'.

Ying Qin Guan looked out the window and saw Fu Fei Han leaving.

His language skills are indeed somewhat lacking; what he actually meant was...

Zhong Hongyu doesn't make a 'choice' because she 'fully understands herself' and knows that she 'is just going to do this,' so she 'doesn't make a choice.'

"This is probably what they call a 'real person,' although perhaps she herself doesn't really want to be one."

Chapter Twenty-Two: A Reunion in the Dark

"It's been so long..."

Inside a teahouse, Ji Qiuming picked up a teacup, took a small sip, and savored the rich, mellow aroma that lingered in his mouth.

He had always had the habit of drinking tea, but after returning to Mirror Flower Water Moon, he hadn't been able to drink it. Ji Qiuming was an extremely patient and silent person, so he naturally wouldn't think of causing Ji Fenming any trouble, even though this matter wasn't too difficult for Ji Fenming.

But that's what makes him always silent.

Those who are good at being silent and patient always suffer more losses.

"Third Young Master, if you like them, please buy more to take home."

The middle-aged man beside Ji Qiuming said that the other party was a guard arranged for him by Ji Fenming. He was the steward of the Ji family during the Night Sky City period, and he has been following Ji Fenming ever since the fall of Night Sky City. He is loyal and devoted, and he is also a master at the weak first-class level. But to be honest, it is really hard to say who will protect whom when the two of them are together.

After Ji Qiuming was taken to Mirror Flower Water Moon, Ji Fenming taught him everything without reservation.

Although Ji Fenming's strength is inferior to Ying Qin Guan's, teaching isn't simply a matter of superior strength. It also depends on the teacher's ability to impart knowledge and the compatibility between the two individuals. For example, it's clear that Ying Qin Guan and Gao Shu are destined to be incompatible, lacking any synergy. In contrast, Ji Qiuming and Ji Fenming, as brothers, have an exceptionally high compatibility. Ji Qiuming's strength has surged dramatically, and he is now a solid first-rate expert. Even Jiu Yi would struggle against Ji Qiuming.

"Alright." Ji Qiuming nodded slightly. He knew that Ji Fenming lacked many things, but that definitely did not include "small money." Just like Ying Qin Guan and Jiu Yi, they didn't have a lot of money. But they were not short of money at all. Ji Fenming's situation was similar. There was no need to be stingy before having tea.

To be honest, he didn't really like being called "Third Young Master," finding it a bit strange. But Ji Qiuming keenly sensed a hint of relief in the other person's expression when they called him that... perhaps they were thinking of his parents from the Night Sky era, whom he had never met and would never meet in the future.

Ji Qiuming is born cold-blooded and doesn't have much feeling for family or the like. Even now, he doesn't feel much belonging to the alien race. To be precise, he has never felt a sense of belonging to anything, including the orphanage he spent as a child, the Seven Luminaries, and everything else.

Sometimes Ji Qiuming wondered what he was living for... The answer he came to was that he didn't know; he was just living, and there was nothing he wanted to accomplish.

If it were an ordinary person, discovering this would surely have been disheartening. But Ji Qiuming didn't have any such thoughts. He felt like an empty shell. But so what? So what if he was an empty shell? Even if he was just an empty shell, as long as someone came to lead him forward, that would be enough.

He thought Ji Fenming would be the one to give him a reason and motivation to move forward, but when he arrived, he found that Ji Fenming had no intention of letting him do anything. He brought Ji Qiuming back not so that he would fight to the death.

Ji Qiuming remained silent.

I don't know if he likes silence, is good at silence, or is simply the only thing he can do.

"Third Young Master, Gu Xuan's mental state seems somewhat unstable... Is it really a good idea to leave him in our base?" The guard leaned down and whispered in Ji Qiuming's ear, "And for some reason, that Black Dragon hasn't sent anyone to meet him..."

"Second Brother has his own plans, so let's not overthink it," Ji Qiuming shook his head.

"Yes.."

As the two were talking, a commotion arose outside the teahouse, with hurried footsteps and a crowd moving rapidly. This was a common occurrence in chaotic provinces, indicating that something must have gone wrong outside.

"I wonder what's going on outside." The guard whispered, "Third Young Master, I'll go out and take a look."

"Let's go together." Ji Qiuming finished his tea and stood up calmly.

The guard could only agree. He might have had a reason to stop Ji Qiuming before. But not long ago, while watching a similar spectacle, Ji Qiuming saved Gu Xuan, whom he had only met a few times, thus performing a great service. After that, it was no longer appropriate to stop him.

As the two walked out of the teahouse, they saw a group of people surrounding a woman whose face was covered by a light veil on the street about forty or fifty meters away, while several men lay on the ground groaning in pain.

"We've kicked a hornet's nest."

The guard said that in the chaotic province, the chances of a woman being killed while traveling alone were about the same as the chances of a woman of distinct ethnicity being killed while traveling alone. In other words, a woman who dared to travel alone either had some skills or some serious problems. But whether she had skills or problems, they would have to try to find out... Clearly, this group had opened the wrong box. But due to the nature of their gang, they dared not back down for the time being.

The Chaotic Province has no sects from Southern Qin, nor dojos from Yingman; it is mainly composed of gangs of all sizes scattered throughout the region.