Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

“That tattoo belongs to the Yaojin Gang.” The guard was clearly quite familiar with the gangs in the Chaotic Province and recognized it at a glance.

Ji Qiuming didn't know the specific strength of the Yaojin Gang, but that didn't stop him from drawing a conclusion. He tugged at his scarf and whispered, "No gang is of any use."

“I’ve heard that Chaotic Province is not a good place.” The woman who was surrounded spoke up. She wore a veil, had a slender figure, and a light body. No wonder some people wanted to open this blind box, betting that she had two tumors in her head rather than having some skills. “But I’ve only been here for a few hours, and I’ve already been held at gunpoint. I really didn’t expect this.”

This person was none other than Shadow. She had never been to the Chaotic Province before and was just looking around when she unexpectedly encountered this situation.

At this point, someone was naturally pointing a gun at her; the gun ownership rate in the chaotic province was so high that no other large city in history could compare.

"Nobody wanted things to turn out this way!" the leader of the Yaojin Gang shouted, trying to cover up his guilty conscience. "Woman, you will pay the price for your recklessness!"

The shadow sneered, offering no reply, but its inner energy slowly surged.

"Tell me, where did he get his courage from?" Ji Qiuming asked. "Is it ignorance, or pride?"

The guard said, "In my opinion, it has both."

"Let's go back..." Ji Qiuming wasn't interested in what was about to happen. He turned halfway around, about to walk back, when a familiar voice suddenly came from afar!

"There were a few fools who didn't know their place, so I took care of them!"

Ji Qiuming, who was about to take a step, suddenly stopped. He turned around slowly, his body stiff, like a machine.

The teahouse sign and street vendors couldn't block his view.

The person who arrived... was none other than Fu Feihan!

He burst out from mid-air, showing no martial virtue whatsoever, and in the blink of an eye, he rushed into the formation. His long sword flashed repeatedly, and the disadvantages of the spear became apparent at this moment. When the opponent rushed into the formation, this weapon was very easy to injure his teammates. In addition, Fu Feihan's footwork was exquisite, and in just a few seconds, the gang members fell to the ground.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Search

The person who arrived was none other than Fu Feihan!

Ji Qiuming never expected to see Fu Feihan here. He subconsciously took a step back and retreated into the teahouse. Fu Feihan had been in the middle of a battle and probably hadn't seen him.

Fu Feihan had finished his fight. Two guys, whether they were brave or stupid, chose to fire. They didn't even hit Fu Feihan, but hit their own teammates and even nearly hit some bystanders on the sidelines. Fortunately, the bystanders who were relatively close were not ordinary people, and nothing serious happened.

Fu Feihan sheathed his sword. He first glanced discreetly at the few who had been hit by the pistol, and only looked away after confirming that none of them had hit any vital areas. He then walked to the person who looked most like the leader and gave him a light kick.

"You'd better keep your eyes open in the future, and get lost!"

"Still the same as before..."

Ji Qiuming leaned against the wall, listening to the sounds outside the street.

"You even want to save scum like that... No, how am I any different from them?"

"You've done something unnecessary." Miss Shadow was not grateful for Fu Feihan's sudden appearance. She said coldly, "Don't think I can't see through your little schemes. It's not important right now, but if you're still like this when we're carrying out our mission... don't blame me for being ruthless."

Shadow, far from being appreciative, reprimanded Fu Feihan... which was understandable. Fu Feihan's actions were far too obvious; rather than teaching these thugs a lesson, he was saving them. Who was Shadow? A top-tier expert. As the saying goes, "He who has a weapon in his heart will kill," and this place was the most chaotic province, the epitome of a fantasy world's kill-or-be-killed map. If she actually attacked, who knew if people would die, or how many? To prevent this, Fu Feihan acted first, defeating these ungrateful and clueless fools.

Shadow was slightly concerned about this matter, since she herself hadn't taken action, she was definitely not happy about it, but the main reason was the personality traits that Fu Feihan had displayed.

Even when faced with a bunch of scumbags who had no connection to him, he still had to lend them a hand. He knew that the final enemy on this trip was his master, and who knew what Fu Feihan would do then? Shadow had no choice but to warn him first.

He does not mean that.

Shadow assumed that his simple statement about a mission would be easily understood by anyone nearby. However, Ji Qiuming was right behind him and heard it all clearly.

Ordinary people would not be able to guess anything from the shadow's words, but Ji Qiuming is special.

First, he understands Fu Feihan.

Secondly, he knew about the relationship between Fu Feihan and Gu Xuan.

Third, he had recently encountered the wounded Gu Xuan and knew that he was being hunted.

Then, he also realized that Shadow was a top-tier expert... With these multiple reasons combined, Ji Qiuming almost instantly guessed the other party's purpose in coming to the Chaotic Province.

He remained calm, leaning against the wall, hoping to hear more. However, Shadow realized he had spoken out of turn; these were things that shouldn't be discussed here. He then led Fu Feihan away.

Ji Qiuming didn't hear anything more... but to be honest, that was enough. Just from what he heard, Ji Qiuming already understood that the two sides were bound to be enemies this time.

He leaned against the wall, his eyes lowered.

"It seems...it's better if we don't meet again."

-

"Although it's unpleasant to think about, coming back to this place actually feels familiar..."

As Nephalem walked through the dark alley, a strange thought flashed through his mind. Although he was unwilling to admit it, he did feel a sense of familiarity.

He had spent a considerable amount of time in the Chaotic Province, and the city had left a deep impression on him. His work exposed him to a wide variety of things, people, events, and situations, and the completely unregulated Chaotic Province reminded him of his ruthless and unscrupulous days as a secret agent.

His martial arts skills were nearing completion, but his fists weren't as fierce or fast as before. Now, returning to this place to carry out a mission, he felt a little rusty at first. But his familiarity with the environment allowed him to quickly become comfortable.

Yes... This is a chaotic province. The best way to gather intelligence is not to sneak in and peek at someone's files, search their residence, and deduce the results from the slightest clues, but to simply hold a gun to their head and ask them everything you want to know.

In other words, even secret agents in other places have to adhere to code of conduct. Everyone has some unwritten rules. For example, if you infiltrate the residence of a high-ranking official, he'll be sensible, turn around, close his eyes, and squat down. You take what you need and leave; you can't turn around and kill him. But in Chaotic Province, it's different. Not only can you turn around and kill him, but you can also enjoy his sixteenth concubine.

The Nephalem returned to this wretched place, yet felt a strange sense of familiarity... though he was unwilling to admit it. This feeling came from within, and he couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with him.

However, this period of reflection did not last long, as the Nephalem had already reached their destination.

A place that intelligence personnel have identified as a suspect.

It's unclear exactly where Gu Xuan is, but someone spotted him in a certain area. Using that area as the core, they conducted a thorough search and eventually selected several areas with a high probability of being there, including the area where Nephalem is currently located.

Due to time constraints and the large area, the intelligence agency did not conduct a detailed investigation of the residents in the area; the specific investigation will have to be carried out by the Nephalem themselves.

The main problem is that Nephalem has never actually met Gu Xuan and can only determine his identity based on factors such as the other party being a top-tier expert, a middle-aged man, and injured. However, identifying someone as a top-tier expert isn't easy; after all, it's normal for someone injured and with weakened energy. In a place like Chaotic Province, there are countless injured middle-aged men who fit these criteria. He just hopes he doesn't make a mistake...

Nephalem thought to himself, and walked into a dark alley. The chaotic province had a huge gap between the rich and the poor, and there were many slums like this in the city. These places were a melting pot of all sorts of people. But they were also good places to hide. Although these places were not as invincible as "the quilt in the princess's boudoir" from all angles, they were still places that people did not want to stay for long. It was like someone telling you that I hid diamonds in this house and asking you to find them. The person assigned to the toilet would definitely be the least willing.

Slums are certainly not toilets, but they are not without their share of hardened criminals. If you say you'll let them go, what if they're right there? If you insist on looking for them, you might run into a middle-aged woman who's five feet tall, wide, and high, and full of energy. You might get gossiped about for half a year, and who knows, ten years later, she might still be saying "that son of a bitch" to you every now and then while doing laundry.

"Luckily, this is a chaotic province where we can use force at will... No, I can't think like that."

The thought crossed Nephalem's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. It was indeed this land that had stirred up thoughts he shouldn't have.

He shook his head, shooed away the children who came to ask for money, and continued on his way.

Suddenly, a desperate cry for help rang out not far away.

"Murder...murder! Help!"

Chapter Twenty-Four: Corpse Dog!

Along with the cry for help came a powerful surge of internal energy!

Nephalem remained calm and strode forward. There was a very faint sense of familiarity about this inner energy. But he couldn't remember who it was for the moment. He figured he had only met the person a few times... But it didn't matter. He would remember soon.

People came and went in the slums, but only the Nephalem responded to the cry for help. The numb adults didn't even bother to lift their heads, while the child curiously glanced at them. But then he was smacked hard on the head, signaling him not to look around, lest he invite disaster.

See less, speak less, do less, listen less—this is the way of life for people at the bottom of the chaotic province.

The Nephalem's movements were clean and efficient, revealing an extreme simplicity and beauty as it rushed towards the source of the sound.

High emotional intelligence: extreme simplicity and beauty.

Low emotional intelligence: No special effects, I'm so envious of Darius's skills next door.

He moved quickly and with explosive power, taking three steps at a time, covering dozens of meters in just one second, and smashing the wooden house with his backhand in order to reach his destination faster.

After smashing the wooden planks, the Nephalem passed through the house and entered another dark, damp street. A shocking scene came into view: in front of the dilapidated house, two elderly people, a man and a woman, lay slumped on the ground, facing the Nephalem. The cries for help from earlier had come from the old man, Suohan. In front of them, a tall, handsome young man, with his back to the Nephalem, punched the other young man through the heart. Although it was only a fleeting glance, the injury was so severe that survival was practically impossible.

At the same time, the huge noise caused by the Nephalem smashing through the wooden planks and running through the house with its body also attracted the man's attention. He quickly turned his head, his eyes flashing with a kind of excited and cruel light, and saw the Nephalem.

Then, the man's expression changed drastically, but Naifeitian's expression remained unchanged.

They recognized each other!

When Nephalem sensed the fluctuations in the other person's inner energy earlier, it felt somewhat familiar. However, he couldn't quite place who it was. Now, upon seeing the face, he immediately remembered...

It's a corpse dog!

Long ago, around the time of the Sword Saint incident, the Nephalem went to the Holy Alliance to investigate the matter of the Gu Heart Demon. On the way, he encountered the Corpse Dog and the Devouring Thief. These two ambushed the Nephalem while he was resting, gaining the upper hand, but were then retaliated against by the Nephalem, leaving him bedridden for months until Ying Qin Pass went to the City of Truth, at which point he finally recovered. However, this misfortune could be considered a blessing in disguise; if they hadn't been injured and had gone to besiege Himemura Tan's Sakura, they would likely have met their demise.

But of course they wouldn't thank the Nephalem for that... Two against one, and with a sneak attack at that, they still got completely crushed. Do they even know how to play?!

Therefore, when he saw the Nephalem, he couldn't help but show his expression.

But despite the change in demeanor, the basic qualities of a martial artist remained. Corpse Dog reacted extremely quickly, his inner energy surging, and he flung the corpse in his hand, trying to block Nephalem's view. If it were Nephalem during his time as a special agent, after that one glance confirming that the other was dead, he would have definitely punched the corpse to pieces without hesitation, so as not to have his vision obscured.

However, he hesitated for a moment and then reached out to catch the other party. In the short time that followed, the Corpse Dog was already gathering its inner energy and throwing out its fists, trying to kill the two old men who were still lying on the ground!

Despite his formidable strength, the Nephalem was momentarily delayed by the young man's corpse, which then drew closer. Left with no other option, the Nephalem forced himself to gather his inner energy and unleash a divine light, disregarding the energy expenditure.

This is a secret technique that can reduce the pre-cast animation of moves by consuming a large amount of internal energy. Its practical value is not very high, but it can occasionally have surprising effects.

Just like now!

Corpse Dog never expected that Nephalem could launch such a move without any warning, and even strike first after being attacked later. If he insisted on throwing those two punches, he would probably be hit by those two divine lights and lose his life!

Without time to weigh the pros and cons, Corpse Dog forcibly withdrew his inner energy, glared hatefully at the two people on the ground, glared at the ground, and his body shot out like an arrow.

Nephalem wanted to give chase, but he wasn't proficient in that secret technique, and he had exerted too much force just now. As he took a step, his inner energy surged back up, and his face turned pale and then red. It took him a while to suppress it. When he looked up, the other person was already gone.

"They run fast..."

Nefertari snorted coldly and looked at the two old men on the ground and the corpse in his hand. He should have looked away, because once he did, Nefertari was immediately shocked. The corpse looked extremely similar to the Corpse Dog. Judging from their ages, they were probably brothers!

This discovery sparked many thoughts in the Nephalem's mind.

The Corpse Dog and Devouring Thief he encountered, as well as Chu Hui and Qiu Fei whom Ying Qin Guan and others met in the snow mountain, all seem to have a mysterious and powerful organization behind them. They hadn't been able to catch them before, but now that they were investigating Gu Xuan, they unexpectedly had this pleasant surprise. Or... are they all in cahoots?

Nephalem didn't have time to think. He laid the corpse in his hands flat on the ground, walked over to the two old men, and asked them a few questions.

The two men initially cried and made a scene, but after Nephalem emphasized the situation, they finally revealed something: they claimed the Corpse Dog was their son. However, they didn't know why they did this. Nephalem could tell from their expressions that it was all nonsense, and after using force to intimidate them, the two finally told the truth. It turned out that this family was from Southern Qin and had some wealth. When the Black Dragon attacked Southern Qin, they chose to flee. But during their escape, the elder brother harbored evil intentions and wanted to seize the family fortune for himself. So one night, he knocked his younger brother unconscious and abandoned him.

After that, they fled to the chaotic province, thinking that they had money and could survive there. However, they were robbed of everything in no time and could only eke out a living in the slums. They always thought that Corpse Dog was dead, but they never expected that he was still alive and would suddenly come to kill them.

Nephalem knew how much of that was true and how much was false. Was it really just his older brother's problem? Ha! He'd rather risk being spared by Nephalem than not deliver a few more punches and kill his own parents.

The corpse dog ran away without even fighting when it saw him, which shows that it was aware of the difference in strength between the two sides. However, under such circumstances, it still risked all kinds of dangers to finish him off. It really couldn't wait a moment longer. Was there no other factor involved? Nefertari didn't believe it, but in any case, the other party's hatred was a point that could be used.

Nephalem had been eyeing the Corpse Dogs, and even the mysterious organization behind them, for a long time, but had never been able to seize an opportunity. Unexpectedly, now there seemed to be a glimmer of hope.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Intelligence Exchange

As evening fell, the group returned to the hotel, and unsurprisingly, apart from the Nephalem who was a professional, the others had gained nothing.