Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

These two completely different styles, mixed together, have created an incredibly complex fighting style for Fengyunke. If it were the God of War, he could probably coordinate these two styles well. But Fengyunke is ultimately not the God of War. He cannot live without everything left behind by the God of War, yet he is not the God of War, and the God of War is not him. Now their fates are intertwined, ultimately resulting in such a chaotic fighting style... It can only be said that fate is playing tricks on them.

As the two were exchanging blows, Ying Qin Guan also came out of the room, yawning and looking sleepy, as if he hadn't woken up yet.

"You guys are really hardworking, getting to work first thing in the morning with all the humming and hawing."

He sat on the sofa to the side, watching the two fight, and soon noticed the contradictions in Fengyunke's style.

A martial artist's style cannot be hidden. Even if it is the same move, it will look different when used by different people. Fu Feihan and Ji Qiuming both have some of the techniques taught by the Imperial Academy, but the way they use them is completely different.

Ying Qin Guan didn't think too much about it, but he guessed the general idea.

"No wonder he kept such a clear distinction between himself and the God of War... they are indeed different."

As Ying Qin Guan was thinking about these things, the headphones he had been wearing suddenly started working. He gently pressed a button to turn them on, and P.E.'s voice quickly rang in his ears.

"Are you free now? I have something to tell you. We've received some powerful reinforcements... You've met her before."

Ying Qin Guan asked, "Who?"

"Gazing at the autumn waters."

Chapter Seventeen: Searching for the Failed Lotus

Gazing at the autumn waters...

The Enshrined Magician, the freest person in the world... or perhaps the least free, wanted to do certain things. However, due to her limited abilities, she could never accomplish them well. In the process, she offended many people, and coupled with her own limitations, she ended up pleasing neither side, finding herself in a rather awkward position. Finally, she let go of everything and followed Marquis Mingxuan, disappearing without a trace. Only a very few people knew that she was still alive.

Ying Qin Guan had met her briefly during the incident involving the Divine Powder... but she probably didn't recognize him. This is because Ying Qin Guan hadn't displayed any killing intent or true strength at that time. Otherwise, at that distance, it would have been enough for her to die. Although both were martial arts masters, there's a sequence to learning the Dao, and each has their own specialization. Wang Qiu Shui could take the head of the Seven Luminaries Emperor in three breaths, something Ying Qin Guan couldn't do. However, if he were face-to-face with Wang Qiu Shui, it's reasonable that he could take her head in half a breath.

Ying Qin Guan didn't know much about Wang Qiu Shui. He was just a little surprised that the military was able to contact her. According to the situation with Shen Xian San, it was only Wang Qiu Shui who could contact others, and others could not take the initiative to contact her.

Wait... how did Wang Qiushui find out about this?

When P.S. found Ying Qin Guan, he talked to him about this matter. The secrecy of this matter was quite high. How did Wang Qiu Shui know about it?

Ying Qin was puzzled, so he asked this question.

Without hesitation, P.S. on the other end of the headset replied quickly: "This is also what we are investigating right now. Logically speaking, she shouldn't have such an intelligence network, and she doesn't seem like the kind of person who could build one, but the fact is, she knows."

Ying Qin Guan summarized P.S.'s meaning—"I fucking don't know either."

"So, what's your opinion?"

“I’m just here to inform you.” This time, P.S.’s answer was clear: “She will not cooperate with us; she will only borrow our strength temporarily. Under this premise, it is naturally impossible for her to expose you.”

The identities of Ying Qin Pass's legendary guest, Himura Tan's Sakura, and the other two are top-secret. Even Himura Tan's Sakura is accompanied by a descendant of someone else's son.

"Understood... I'll tell them later."

"What are they doing? I tried contacting them just now but they didn't respond."

"fight."

"...Sounds like a martial arts fighter."

"ha.."

-

Meanwhile, the Yorozuya (Odd Jobs Shop) has already begun its search for Bai Lian.

The *Ailanthus praecox* has very strict requirements for its growing climate and is extremely fragile; the saying "ambitious as the sky, fragile as paper" perfectly describes it. Currently, this plant can only be found in Sakura Manor and Sora Island. On Sora Island, people aren't particularly interested in it, while in Sakura Manor, the opposite is true—the *Ailanthus praecox* seems to appeal to their aesthetic sensibilities. Therefore, there is indeed a small market for *Ailanthus praecox*.

For most people who want to buy dried lotus seeds, the problem lies in how to buy them at the right time. Essentially, it's a useless and expensive product; if someone has the time and money to spend on it, they will inevitably have the connections to do so.

Except for... Yorozuya.

They can tell when the lotus flower blooms, but they don't know where to buy it. How absurd is this phenomenon? For example, a student who can get a perfect score on the college entrance exam accidentally loses the 2B pencils issued by the school, and then can't buy them back until the college entrance exam.

There's certainly some exaggeration involved, but that's roughly the gist of it: someone who could accomplish something no one else could, was held back by some trivial matters, like getting an entry ticket.

The Yorozuya had no other options but to contact their old customers to see if they had any connections. However, after contacting several, they all said they couldn't help. In this critical moment, Nocturne proved reliable. Shinshin made a phone call to Nocturne, and soon received a positive response from the customer.

"Go to No. 17 Langhuan Street and find Mr. Matsumoto. He is a friend of the woman and may have some 'sweethearts'. But it's not business; it's just a hobby, so the quantity won't be too large. I hope this can help you two."

"Thank you... Can I just give you my name then?"

"No need, just say you're looking for Mr. Matsumoto, he'll understand."

Yu Xietian thanked him, glanced at Shenxin's little blackboard, and didn't have the courage to read the cheesy sycophantic words on it. Then, he casually said, "This is what Shenxin said to you." He pretended not to see it and said, "I'll treat you to a meal after we get back to Qiyao. Whether this matter succeeds or not... goodbye."

Yu Xietian hung up the phone, and Shen Xin angrily questioned him.

"Why don't you read it aloud!"

"Think about what you wrote. Is it something I can read aloud?"

Shen Xin immediately revealed a pained expression.

"Xiaoyu, with your thick skin, how can you possibly succeed in the service industry? I'm really worried about you!"

—It seems she knew all along that Yu Xietian couldn't say those words, which is why she deliberately wrote it down to tease him. Otherwise, she wouldn't be acting this way now. But speaking of which, Yu Xietian really isn't quite up to it. If he were ruthless enough, he could have actually read it aloud and added a line at the end saying it was something Shenxin wanted to say to you. Then it would have been Shenxin who sent it. She just wanted to tease Yu Xietian; she wouldn't dare to actually say those things to Ye Qu.

"Come on..." Yu Xietian hailed a car and soon arrived at Langhuan Street with Shenxin.

To their surprise, "Mr." Matsumoto turned out to be a woman. After talking to her, they learned that she was a lawyer. In the old Manchu language, "Mr." is a respectful title used to address professionals such as teachers, doctors, and lawyers. Nocturne often teased her with this title. That's why they said to just look for Mr. Matsumoto, because as soon as she heard the title, she would know that Nocturne had referred them.

"As expected of Miss Nocturne..."

Shenxin sighed slightly; Nocturne's influence was quite effective. Mr. Matsumoto quickly took the two to see the withered lotus she had cultivated. Perhaps due to exceptional luck, Shenxin immediately spotted the withered lotus that matched Horn's needs and wanted to buy it right away. However, Mr. Matsumoto said that since she was Nocturne's friend, giving her a lotus was no big deal. Yu Xietian felt a little embarrassed, but Shenxin accepted it openly and honestly.

She had a strange admiration for Nocturne, and similarly, she believed that Nocturne's friends were all like her, so she didn't need to care about such things and was very open-minded.

However, Shenxin did not take this withered lotus away. Instead, she temporarily stored it with Mr. Matsumoto. The withered lotus was as noble as the sky but as fragile as paper. If it was taken away from its growing environment rashly, it might die directly. When the time comes, she can notify Horn to come and pick it up.

Chapter Eighteen: The Curtain Call of the Stage Play

"call.."

On the evening of July 7th, under the moonlight, the man with purplish-red pupils slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

He stood in a courtyard of moderate size, next to a huge banyan tree that looked weathered by time. Yet it still stood there, showing no sign of falling.

The man was shirtless, his body covered in countless tiny wounds.

Throughout his long lifespan, he was plagued by the limitations of his lifespan, leaving him almost no time to truly improve himself. This was fundamentally different from the progenitor race. Even a madman like the Joker accumulated countless knowledge and experience over his long lifespan. But he had almost none... well, not exactly none, but compared to his lifespan, what he gained was disproportionately small.

However, there is still one thing he will never forget.

That is practicing martial arts.

He has worked diligently on this matter for many years.

To be honest, it's a bit foolish. If he had put that time and energy into something else, he might have been an excellent doctor, or an alchemist. He might even have become a great magician; he could certainly have done better than Darius.

With so much time on his hands, he had countless choices, but in the end, he chose to practice martial arts.

Has the passage of hundreds of years made him much stronger?

The answer is no... Just like Ying Qin Guan, when he was twenty-seven, he felt that he had reached a limit. No matter how hard he tried in the future, he could only achieve some minor improvements, learn some new skills, and improve his combat power, but there would never be such a qualitative change again.

This is what ancient martial artists called the "limit of heaven and man," something that can only be encountered by chance and cannot be sought after, and it is also a constraint that every modern martial artist will encounter.

Ancient martial arts training methods were imperfect, making it virtually impossible to unlock one's full potential. Therefore, very few reached their full potential, and the number of modern martial artists is far less than in ancient times. However, anyone who dares to call themselves a martial artist, unless they are too young, has essentially already reached their limit.

But for hundreds of years, he never thought of stopping.

This is truly an unreasonable act. Before Ying Qin Guan appeared, in terms of personal combat strength alone, he was a genuine human natural disaster, an invincible overlord who could sweep away everything. At that time, there was no alchemical technology that could really deal with him. Did it make a difference whether he was a little stronger or a little weaker?

The answer is no difference.

only..

The pursuit of power, however, requires no reason and no meaning. For a man, power itself is the greatest meaning.

Irreplaceable, unsurpassable, even if it is insignificant, it will continue until death.

But... he guessed that it wouldn't be long before their century-long perseverance would bear fruit.

"One to four... Ah."

He raised his head, looking at the bright moon in the sky, his expression serene.

"Let us conclude this battle as human beings, as a final act."

"There should always be a few supporting roles in a stage play."

-

After that, several days passed, and the military still found nothing.

Faced with a character who possesses countless mystical-level skills, even a thorough search would be utterly useless.

Not to mention him, even Ying Qin Guan could use his inner energy to distort light and create illusions, walking openly in front of others without being noticed. Not to mention the one who has mastered all the martial arts in the world, whose methods must be even more numerous. Everything you see, hear, smell, and touch may be fake, because he is a half-ancestor level figure.

Ying Qin Guan and his group stayed at the combat base, not wandering around. Although Pies hadn't explicitly instructed them not to leave, their wandering was certainly not a good thing. Apart from Ying Qin Guan, the other two weren't actually capable of directly confronting him. While theoretically escape wouldn't be difficult, the opponent had many tricks up his sleeve, so it was best not to risk it. Although this was their home turf, in terms of strength and visibility, the opponent held a significant advantage.

In terms of strength, Feng Yunke and Feicun Tan Ying are inferior to him. As for recognizability, while Ying Qin Guan and Feicun Tan Ying aren't as strikingly distinctive as the Ten Commandments, they are still quite well-known. And so far, they haven't even seen a single hair of each other. In other words, if they were to meet on the road, and the other side launched a sneak attack, Ying Qin Guan would only be on the defensive, with no initiative.

The three of them got together and, having nothing else to do, began to discuss matters of martial arts.

On Fengyunke's side, although he inherited everything from the God of War, he lacked innovation and was unable to make stylistic changes to the God of War's techniques. However, the God of War's memories were still a valuable asset.

On Ying Qin Pass's side, it's all unorthodox methods. Their training and usage are basically all "what I figured out" and then came up with. However, it just so happens to perfectly match the thinking of modern martial artists, who pursue "effective hits." But unorthodox methods are still unorthodox methods. It's always good to communicate more.

As for Himura Tan's side, he could be described as a young prodigy. He had met Shinku when he was very young, but he didn't take her away immediately. Instead, he returned to the Sword Saint's Mansion to hone his martial arts skills. Books were his teachers. The Imperial Heart School had extremely high ideals, and Himura Tan benefited greatly from it. In the end, he surpassed his teacher and established his own school. He was the most respectable martial artist among the three—but also the weakest.

But losing to these two is not shameful at all. Ying Qin Guan once rated Fei Cun Tan Ying as one of the top ten martial artists in history, which is by no means an exaggeration.

Their enemy this time is extremely powerful, possessing many fantasy-level skills and being proficient in all martial arts. They will be a very troublesome opponent. The strength of fantasy-level, or rather, ancestral-level skills lies in their ability to kill upon first encounter. It is easy to achieve a crushing effect on the first meeting.

The three chatted for a while, and Ying Qin's thoughts once again turned to improving the Consciousness Slash. This move was something he'd come up with on a whim, but it had gradually become one of his main methods of combat. It was convenient to use, incredibly effective, and impossible to defend against; not using it would be foolish. However, in previous battles against Ji Fenming and Kui, it hadn't been very effective. If he were to use it against the enemies of this trip, it might not even work... Was there room for improvement in this move?

Ying Qin Guan began to ponder this matter, attempting to make further improvements to the Consciousness Slash. However, the results were minimal. The concept behind this move was already quite mature, and the various details had been perfected through Ying Qin Guan's daily use. Among them were two major killing moves: time-space cutting and swordplay. Making any further changes would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Ying Qin Guan worked hard for half the night but achieved nothing, and could only sigh.

It was already evening of July 11th, and the military still hadn't gained anything.

Chapter Nineteen: Not Wanting to Lose Anymore

Seven Luminaries Imperial Academy, Library.