Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

—Whenever someone marvels at Shenzhou-9's character, one of its core members is rejected.

"Good afternoon." Feng Yunke nodded in response, and Ying Qin Guan followed suit, replying in kind.

On the balcony, P.S. and Hiramura Tanzaku finally finished their conversation and returned to their room.

Ying Qin Guan looked at P.S. and casually asked, "What can we do now?"

Just as Pies was about to answer, Fengyunke interrupted him, calmly saying, "Let's go."

"The news has arrived?"

"coming."

"when."

Just now.

The beauty has many tricks up her sleeve. Indeed, the constitutions of the Primordial Race and the Primordial Race cannot be generalized. Once, the Earth Mother Goddess tried to escape by burrowing into the ground in a state of extreme anger, but she was squeezed out of the ground after only a short time.

“That’s perfect,” Hisumura Tanzaku said with a smile. “Where is the location?”

Feng Yunke's eyes were calm as he spoke in a low voice:

“Cherry blossoms in full bloom”.

-

Cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Unlike the last time we went to Huanxing Plains, this time our logistics were well guaranteed. Speaking of logistics, we have to mention that Yu Xietian went to a place with a telephone to try to contact the Nephalem, but when he came back, his teammates had already finished the boss and he didn't even get an assist. Unlike Shenxin, who has already added a glorious chapter to his resume.

On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, with the help of a certain teammate, the progenitor of the alien race was slain.

Ying Qin Guan, Feng Yun Ke, Fei Cun Tan Ying, Shen Jiu, and P.S. traveled together on a private plane to Ying Man—but P.S. was ultimately flying to another place; he was really just looking for trouble.

During the journey, Pyth told everyone some secrets.

"The opponent we will face this time is an unparalleled martial arts grandmaster who is proficient in all martial arts under heaven. He has a box called the Ten Ultimate Machines, which can transform into a knife, sword, spear, halberd, axe, staff, hook, mace, whip, and a mysterious hidden weapon."

"These Ten Absolute Techniques were once the most prized creation of Marquis Mingxuan. They were made at the request of various countries. Originally, the intention was to give them to those who had fully mastered Tongliu and bestow upon them the title of the Ten Strongest Warriors in order to promote Tongliu. But unfortunately, no one has truly mastered all the essence of Tongliu, so no one has been able to truly use this weapon."

The Tōryū, or Nephalem school of martial arts, is an all-encompassing style created by various nations who gather top martial artists from different schools to integrate their skills and techniques. However, no one can master it all; everyone's energy is limited. Ultimately, this seemingly perfect all-encompassing style remains merely a wishful fantasy for laymen. While some praise the Tōryū's concept, in terms of its core principles, it is far inferior to the Teishin-ryū or the Nine Weapons of Heaven and Earth by Himura Dan's Sakura.

"Later, the Ten Absolute Weapons were stolen... According to prophecy, it should be in this person's hands. He is the most suitable person in the world for this weapon, and is the undisputed top ten martial artist. We do not yet know his true strength compared to the two of you. But one thing is very important: he knows more moves and understands more weapons than the two of you. I have emphasized this many times. But I still want to emphasize it again: he is proficient in all martial arts in the world."

To be proficient in all martial arts is truly an exaggerated assessment. Ying Qin Guan and Feng Yun Ke are both self-taught, one born in an era when martial arts were still in their infancy. How could they be proficient in all martial arts? On the other hand, Fei Cun Tan Ying has traveled all over the country and learned the essence of many schools of martial arts, making him one of the top ten martial artists.

"Speaking of weapons..."

Ying Qin Guan suddenly remembered the two needles that Ji Fen Ming spat out during the chaotic province, needles that even he felt were dangerous. Nephalem called those two needles Soul-Breaking Needles, saying that they were specifically designed to break through the protective inner energy of martial artists. Ying Qin Guan thought at the time that this was too powerful. Martial artists are all fragile, and their defense is all on their inner energy barrier. If this thing were used as a weapon, wouldn't they be invincible in a martial artist's internal war?

So he said, "Do you know about the Soul-Breaking Needle?"

"I've heard a little about it," P.S. said, but he didn't want to show off his limited knowledge, as he wasn't a professional.

"That guy... I encountered him once. He was incredibly powerful. Some nobody actually broke through my inner energy barrier." Hiyoma Tan's eyes narrowed slightly as he remembered something, but it didn't matter. He was always a squinty-eyed person, so it didn't matter whether he squinted or not, since no one could see his eyes anyway.

"Why bring this up?" Feng Yunke had grasped the crux of the matter.

"Why not use this to make a weapon?" Ying Qin Guan asked. "If this were used as a weapon, it could break through any protective aura; wouldn't that be incredibly powerful?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jiu, who was sitting quietly with his eyes closed, turned his head slightly, glanced at Ying Qin Guan, and then turned back. Pierre XIV rubbed his dwindling hair with a complicated expression, Feng Yun Ke remained expressionless, and Fei Cun Tan Ying smiled.

Seeing everyone's expressions, Ying Qin Guan immediately knew he had messed up, but he still forced a smile and said, "Isn't that right?"

Finally, the understanding Shen Jiu spoke up gently, saying, "The raw material for the Soul-Breaking Needle is a variant of the Cloud-Suppressing Stone. Under special radiation, the Cloud-Suppressing Stone has a probability of less than one in a hundred million mutating. If it mutates, only milligrams of the Soul-Breaking Needle raw material can be extracted from one ton of mutated Cloud-Suppressing Stone."

“Shen Jiu is right. I’d like to add two more points.” Hishimura Tanzakura said with a smile, “Mutation is currently random and uncontrollable, so there’s no such thing as artificially creating mutated Cloud Suppression Stones. Besides, this thing has no price or market value. There are probably only a dozen or so in the whole world. If you melted them all down to make swords, it wouldn’t even be enough to color and change the skin. The idea of ​​an invincible artifact is naturally nonsense.”

"Is that so..." Ying Qin Guan forced a straight face and said calmly, "I didn't expect this thing to be so rare..."

"No wonder he secretly stole my gear after I looted there after defeating the Nephalem last time..."

Ying Qin Guan was heartbroken. Just then, the plane slowly landed, and amidst the loud roar, Ying Qin Guan turned his head and saw houses of varying heights standing in rows.

Sakura Mang, we've arrived.

Chapter Nine: Died Unknown

Sakuraman, Yoshiwara, also known as Takamagahara, the City That Never Sleeps, the Underground City.

It was once the world's largest pornographic region, but it had to undergo some degree of formalization. However, it wasn't really that formal. Simply put, whether it was formal or not depended on the people involved and the money. If the money was right, then people didn't matter.

Shenxin and Yuxietian arrived at this place. They had previously had a dispute about a rumor concerning a courtesan in Yoshiwara. It was said that this courtesan was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting and was a master of her time. The two had some disagreement on this matter, so they agreed to come to Yoshiwara to find out for themselves.

Yoshiwara is built beneath Sakura, a true underground city. After several expansions, it has gradually moved beyond being just a place for prostitution. However, the ingrained impression is hard to overcome; in the minds of most people, this place can only be a place for sex.

But when it comes to making money, it doesn't matter if it's shabby or not. The problem is that it's embarrassing for Sakura. If someone asks you what your country is famous for, and you say things like, "Dojo," and then, "Yoshiwara," that's just too undignified. So, Yoshiwara has to be dignified. If you don't want to be dignified for the sake of making money, then you'll have to be dignified.

In any case, Ouma finally found a balance between economics and dignity.

Shen Xin and Yu Xietian stepped into Yoshiwara. In the past, their combination of a man and a woman would have been considered odd. But Yoshiwara today is inclusive and accepting of all. Years ago, an unknown feminist group launched a campaign against Yoshiwara, not accusing women of using their bodies for profit, but rather of only catering to men and not women – a blatant act of sexism. This attack made many in Yoshiwara realize the truth. Thus, host clubs emerged. Now, it's perfectly normal for two men to walk hand-in-hand into a host club, let alone a man and a woman.

—At least in this place.

Shenxin and Yuxietian spent a day wandering around Yoshiwara, trying to meet the legendary courtesan. Unfortunately, they returned empty-handed.

Marketing is essential in this line of work. As one of the legendary courtesans of Sakura, and with the added artistic flair of a master calligrapher and painter, she puts on a very high-handed air. She only appears once every two weeks, and each time she does, she only plays one piece of music. Then, she uses the methods that Nanqin has already exhausted: composing poems, lyrics, music, or even erotic verses. If someone can satisfy her, they can listen to a piece of music on their own, or copy some famous calligraphy, or even have a painting done for them. This method is outdated in Nanqin, but it's very trendy in Sakura.

When Shenxin and Yu Xietian arrived, they naturally missed the opportune moment, making a wasted trip, which was quite inexcusable. After deciding to come to Yingman, they should have done some preparation; they should have known these basics. This preparation was originally Shenxin's responsibility, as she had always been in charge of the Yorozuya (Odd Jobs Shop). However, Shenxin didn't take the courtesan too seriously, so naturally she didn't do her preparation, and the two of them made a wasted trip.

"What's with the attitude?!"

Shen Xin was furious that she had made a wasted trip. She didn't think any great calligraphers or painters could come from such a place. She just wanted to see the other party as soon as possible and then mock the increasingly stubborn Yu Xietian. She didn't expect the other party to have such rules.

Yu Xietian was quite satisfied. The other party's airs actually gave him some confidence; he must have real ability to dare to put on airs like that.

"Looks like we'll have to wait a few more days until the cherry blossoms are in full bloom." Yu Xietian stroked his chin, displaying the spirit of "since we're already here," determined not to give up until he saw the courtesan. "I might have to write a poem then, are you sure you're okay with that?"

"Hmph, as long as the people here have even a little bit of discernment, I won't lose."

"Very confident..."

Yu Xietian joked, but despite his words, he still had a lot of faith in Shenxin's abilities.

"But speaking of which, we still have several days left. Since we're already here in Sakura, why not visit other places as well..."

When the two left Yoshiwara and returned to the ground, it was about three o'clock in the afternoon. There was still some time before lunchtime. Yu Xietian thought for a moment and suggested, "Why don't we go and take a look at the Buried Sword Pavilion? It's said to be the place where Ye Jiao buried his sword, the starting point of his invincible power. Last time we came to Sakura, we spent all our time on missions and only had time to take a quick look. Besides, there were people all around, so we didn't get to see it properly."

When Yu Xietian last came to Yingman, the Sword Saint and Kui had a duel. There were so many people that he only got a quick glance and didn't get to enjoy it. This time, he came to make up for the regret.

"Anything is fine, I'm thinking about what to eat tonight."

After she became rich, Shenxin thought about this almost every day until she spent all the money.

Yu Xietian hailed a taxi. Yingman's taxi fare was outrageous; he had been ripped off once before. However, he was in a foreign land, didn't know the bus routes, and couldn't possibly walk there. He figured he might as well accept being overcharged; there was nothing he could do.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Yorozuya arrived at the Buried Sword Pavilion.

—In addition, Yu Xietian was not sure if it was just his imagination, but he always felt that there were many plainclothes officers and secret agents in Yingman. Perhaps because he was sitting on the bus, his perception was not very clear, so he did not pay much attention to it.

As the legendary martial artist Ye Jiao embarked on his path to godhood, the Buried Sword Pavilion always attracts visitors, regardless of whether they are martial artists or not. It's just that the number of visitors on ordinary days isn't as large as when the Sword Saint fought Kui Yue. Therefore, there's no need to queue; everyone simply stands outside the cordon and observes the sword.

Yu Xietian gazed at the sword... This was Ye Jiaofang's sword, an unparalleled divine sword, immortal for a thousand years—of course, this was because Yingman had to come and maintain the sword every now and then, otherwise it would have been long gone.

"Speaking of which, Ye Jiaofang was a figure from a thousand years ago..."

The three martial arts masters who were enshrined in the Investiture of the Gods are from the Divine Era, the Ancient Era, and the Modern Era, and are relatively evenly distributed. Ye Jiaofang is a figure from a thousand years ago, and in the eyes of the world, he has long passed away. Unlike the other two martial arts masters, Ye Jiaofang did not leave behind any merits that were indispensable to him. He did not have any achievements such as clearing out alien races or defeating the Jue Tian Army. He had no merits, only battle records. He defeated all the heroes and warriors in the world and learned all kinds of martial arts. He was a martial artist who was pure to the extreme.

“It’s a pity…” Yu Xietian sighed, “Such a person ultimately died in obscurity.”

Dying in obscurity doesn't mean dying without fame, but rather dying in a way that isn't spectacular or worthy of him. On the other hand, someone like the nameless swordsman of Southern Qin died spectacularly, a death befitting his status and achievements... It's just that Ying Qin Guan didn't die.

"To die anonymously is indeed a very sad thing."

A voice of agreement came from the side. Yu Xietian turned his head and saw a tall and slender young man dressed in a purple chivalrous outfit. The hem of his clothes fluttered in the wind. He was handsome and dashing. His purplish-red pupils showed infinite indifference, as if he was looking down on the whole world.

“So…” he said calmly, “we cannot die anonymously.”

Chapter Ten: Unacceptable to Heaven and Earth

Such a sudden response was not unusual for martial artists. Yu Xietian thought for a moment and quickly replied to the other party.

"That's not right..."

Yu Xietian shook his head, disagreeing with the other person's words. He said softly, "A person's life is but a fleeting few decades. What does it matter if one is unknown or not? A person like Ye Jiaofang, who is invincible in the world, would be a pity to die anonymous. But who are you and I? How can we seek the same treatment as such a person?"

The man with deep purple eyes turned slightly, his expression calm, and asked, "Then do you think it's acceptable to die nameless?"

“This kind of thing doesn’t matter at all,” Yu Xietian said. “As long as we’re happy now, that’s all that matters.”

“That means your values ​​are somewhat different from universal values,” the man with purplish-red eyes said. “Do you know what people are most willing to give up?”

Yu Xietian tried to guess, "Happy?"

"That's too general." The man with crimson pupils turned around and chuckled. "But the answer of happiness is correct to some extent... The correct answer should be the future. If it's for the future, many people can endure hardships they never dared to imagine before. Desires will give way to stronger desires. Only stronger desires can suppress desires, and there is nothing more powerful than the desire for the 'future'."

"Students who study late into the night and struggle to get out of bed as soon as the alarm clock rings before dawn."

"Workers on the construction site, enduring temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius, were so hot they were almost burning up."

"White-collar workers who work until late at night, until the whole city is completely silent."

"Most people spend their entire lives thinking about the future, constantly investing in it. But as long as they hold this mindset, the future will never arrive. Because until the moment they die, there seem to be many things to consider, many things to pay for, and they are willing to pay any price for them. This is what people are most willing to pay the highest price for: the future."

The man with crimson pupils laughed inexplicably and said, "When someone appears who is willing to pay a higher price for other things, people will give completely different evaluations based on his status, contributions, wealth, power, and other conditions. They will judge him as either a lazy bum or a carefree wanderer. It's not just about what you do, but also what you are."

"It's very uncomfortable to be divided into different classes when everyone is doing the same thing."

So, what do you consider yourself to be?

The man looked at Yu Xietian.

Yu Xietian hesitated for a moment before saying, "A prodigal son who is currently slacking off, but hasn't yet caused any negative impact on society."

"Interesting self-evaluation."

"I'll just follow your lead."

Yu Xietian looked at the ancient sword in the Sword Burial Pavilion. After a moment, he asked, "So, you mean that a person lives for only a few decades, but has almost infinite time after death? Then, if a person becomes famous before or after death, it's equivalent to the greatest 'investment' in the future, is that right?"

This is Yu Xietian's understanding of what the man had just said. If investing in the future is the greatest investment, then since one's life is only a few decades long, but one has infinite time after death, would one be willing to sacrifice everything before death for the sake of posthumous value? To dedicate oneself without seeking reward in life and leave behind a good name after death is truly a remarkable awareness—of course, assuming it's a good name; if it's to be infamous for eternity, that's another story.

"If that's how you interpret it, I don't object." The man with purplish-red eyes chuckled softly, without saying anything more.