Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

The style of the Seven Luminaries Imperial Academy changes every year. Not to mention anything else, in the year or so that Ying Qin Guan has been in the Imperial Academy, it has undergone several renovations, both large and small, and the architectural style has changed frequently. No wonder Nephalem didn't know the way when he returned after graduating.

But there is one place that remains almost unchanged, only occasionally renovated, but never with any stylistic changes.

This place is the Imperial Household Library.

The atmosphere of time and civilization has settled here. As soon as you step inside, you can feel the long-standing cultural heritage of the Imperial Academy. As a school, the Imperial Academy has not existed for a very long time. But generation after generation of the empire's most outstanding young people have come here and left their own mark. Some things have naturally accumulated over time. If there are two places in the Imperial Academy that best reflect its cultural heritage, it is the library and the alumni hall.

In the quiet library, Mu Nandong put a book back on the shelf. This was one of his weekly routines, something he hadn't missed even when he went to the Snow Mountain Hotel. He would read a book and then leave some comments.

Personally, this was a move that didn't offer him much benefit; the students of the Imperial Academy might benefit from it. But it would likely provoke more malice. It's common for scholars to belittle each other, especially those who receive negative evaluations. They felt quite wronged, being labeled as inferior by Mu Nandong for no reason. Even if it was an undeniable fact, it was still hard to accept, so naturally, they had to retaliate.

While this matter isn't entirely without merit, it certainly doesn't offer any benefits. It's hard to understand why an ordinary person would do something like this. But if it were Mu Nandong, it would be more convincing. When Ye Qu asked him if pleasure had no meaning, Mu Nandong didn't launch into a grandiose, hypocritical attack on pleasure. Instead, he calmly acknowledged the significance of pleasure and then replied with that one sentence.

That only has meaning for me.

A person who can answer such a question is hard to ignore, making others think that he has transcended low-level interests. If we're talking about low-level interests, he has indeed transcended them, but he has fallen into something deeper. If given a choice, many people would probably choose low-level interests, but unfortunately, he doesn't have that choice.

Mu Nandong stepped out of the bookshelf, intending to leave, but saw Ye Qu by the desk... She was also holding a book, but her face looked somewhat haggard.

This was truly a strange thing. No matter when she appeared, Nocturne was always radiant and made others feel inferior. But now she looked haggard in public... Mu Nandong was slightly surprised.

Although it was summer vacation and there were very few students in the library, someone like Nocturne would greet someone with the utmost elegance even if they were alone in their own room, let alone in a public place.

"What's wrong?" He took two steps over, his expression the same as always, not giving Nocturne a kind look just because she looked haggard. "It looks like you've run into trouble. That's quite rare."

The woman thought she should receive at this moment a word of sympathy, such as, "Teacher Nocturne, did you not sleep well last night?"

Mu Nandong remained expressionless and did not respond, clearly believing that it was unnecessary to say anything.

Nocturne smiled helplessly and said, "The woman probably understands what Teacher Mu means, but there's probably no one who can help her with this... Let her try again on her own."

Mu Nandong didn't respond, but instead glanced at the book Ye Qu was reading... a book related to rituals.

Ritual... can be considered a variant of formation, or more accurately, formation is a variant of ritual.

During the Age of Gods, there were only rituals, not formations. Although the two are variants, their functions are quite different. Formations are the cornerstone of all modern alchemical technology, but rituals are not.

During the Age of Gods, there existed a series of creatures such as angels and demons, which could be summoned through rituals. They were mythical beings, and in modern times they are classified as a special alien race.

This is also one of the most important functions of rituals: summoning.

Besides functional differences, rituals cannot be sustained in the long term, which is a fatal flaw. Of course, rituals were eliminated not only because they could not be sustained, but also because they were dangerous.

In modern times, rituals are forbidden, for reasons of course, such as danger. What if some reckless person thought they were some movie protagonist and summoned a demon in the city? That would be so absurd it would be like something out of a movie.

The actual reasons are naturally more complex, but the dangers of rituals are indeed high. At the end of the Age of Gods, when array formations were developed, their safety, stability, and sustainability became the final piece of the puzzle for modern alchemy, completely replacing rituals. Until modern times, virtually no one actually knows any rituals anymore.

The book Nocturne is holding contains basic popular science content about rituals, the kind of book you can just read for fun. Even if a few rituals have survived in modern times, they would never have been written into a book.

Mu Nandong asked, "Are you trying to get some inspiration from this?"

"Just killing time." Nocturne naturally denied it. Mu Nandong's question was tactless, making it sound like he was treating her like a fool.

But in fact, for someone like Mu Nandong, when he asks a question, he already has his own answer.

"Why don't you guess who you remind me of just now when you answer my question?"

Nocturne paused slightly, then couldn't help but rub her forehead and sigh, "It's hard for me to believe that Teacher Mu would ask such a question... To be honest, I have an answer in my heart, but I really don't want Teacher Mu to think that way."

Mu Nandong said calmly, "Your answer is correct."

“The woman and Teacher Ying are somewhat different.” Nocturne said with a smile, “If Teacher Mu insists on misunderstanding that the woman is researching rituals, then the woman has nothing to say... But speaking of which, Teacher Ying really needs to change his bad habits.”

Nocturne naturally changed the subject and tried to bring Mu Nandong into the conversation as well.

What does Teacher Mu think?

".."

However, Ye Qu was somewhat surprised that Mu Nandong didn't answer her immediately. Mu Nandong always responded instantly and rarely took the time to think about anything. This was because he didn't care about others, nor did he need others to care about him. He was very good at using the eight-character mantra of "it's none of your business" and "it's none of my business," but he just wouldn't actually say it.

"...Teacher Mu?"

The nocturne was sung again, finally waking Mu Nandong. He frowned slightly, thought for a moment, as if he was considering some guess.

Ultimately, he fell for Nocturne's trick and had his attention diverted.

"perhaps.."

"He just doesn't want to lose anything more."

Chapter Twenty: Memories

July 11th, evening.

Ying Qin Guan and his group remained at Ying Man's combat base. There was really no need for them to go out to gather information. Although Ying Man was not as powerful as Qi Yao, it was still a large city. They couldn't find many professionals, and since they wouldn't be of much use, they could only wait here.

They weren't entirely clear on what was going to happen, only that the other party was going to perform a ritual. But they knew nothing about what kind of ritual it was, when it would take place, or what materials would be used, so at this point, they could only wait.

Feng Yunke would occasionally tell the three of them about the secrets of the Age of Gods. It was a truly barbaric era, with angels, demons, dragons, and all sorts of incredible mythical creatures and monsters running rampant.

Humans defeated a small portion of the magical beasts, but most of them perished in their struggle against nature. Some creatures transformed from magical beasts into ordinary plants and animals, while others evolved from plants and animals into magical beasts... It all depends on whether one possesses a powerful will to fight against nature, even at the cost of genocide.

Monsters are inherently defying the laws of nature, otherwise they would lose all their mystery. But for monsters, extinction and becoming ordinary animals are their destiny, unavoidable. In time, this is inevitable. It's just that after them, other new creatures will appear and become new monsters.

Ying Qin Guan also found this matter very strange.

Generally speaking, the degree of evolutionary perfection of an organism is judged by its adaptability to its environment; the more perfect its evolution, the better it can adapt to the environment. But Warcraft, on the other hand, has to fight against its environment and nature. Is this also a kind of struggle?

—A common flaw among martial artists is that they see everything as a struggle.

After telling a secret story, Fengyunke went to the balcony to light a cigarette. He had told the story rather vaguely, but it still involved many old friends—friends of the God of War, and also his own, making him feel nostalgic.

Ying Qin Guan also came to the balcony; of course, he didn't smoke.

Feng Yunke's words also stirred up some of his memories... His memories were just memories, but Feng Yunke's memories were more than just memories.

"Aren't you going to go take a look?" Ying Qin Guan rested his hands on the balcony, gazing into the distance. "That courtesan... it seems she's waiting for you to redeem her."

I've been watching TV these past few days, and Yoshiwara's formalization has become part of Ouma... How to put it? It's strange to call it a tourist attraction, and it's strange to call it a distinctive building. It's more like there's been a certain level of promotion, and to some extent, Yoshiwara has become part of Ouma's culture.

Therefore, Ying Qin Guan also learned some things from the advertisement. Later, he asked P.S. for confirmation, and it didn't take much effort. He learned that the courtesan who knew Feng Yun Ke's identity was still in Yoshiwara, perhaps waiting for someone to redeem her.

Feng Yunke remained calm and asked, "Do you think this makes sense?"

Ying Qin asked, "Why do you say that?"

"First of all, it wasn't me who wanted to say goodbye to her, but the original owner of this body. He inherited the memories of the God of War and had a more lofty ideal and goal in his heart. He didn't want to drag the person he loved into it. So he left Sakura. After that, the Undying Worm Virus broke out, and I gained control of the body... But in general, I only have his memories, but I am not him, just as I am not the God of War."

"Secondly, this body is nearing its end, and I will soon die... Whether I see you or not is just a matter of mortals worrying themselves about."

Feng Yunke was indeed much more rational than Ying Qin Guan. He and the courtesan were the original hosts, and he was not. Moreover, he was now even about to die. With these three reasons overlapping, from any perspective, there was no reason for him to see her.

After hearing these words, Ying Qin Guan realized that his previous thoughts were somewhat inappropriate. He hadn't thought too much about it; he simply felt that since he was here, why not go and meet him? However, Feng Yun Ke was right. He was himself, and the original owner was the original owner. They were different. He had no reason or right to make a choice for the deceased original owner.

Even though he possessed all of the original owner's memories.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think it through and said something unnecessary."

“It’s alright…” Feng Yunke was silent for a moment, then said, “Speaking of which, I’ve told you quite a bit about my past, but you haven’t said anything… I’m quite curious, what exactly was your past like?”

The past of Ying Qin Pass... Once upon a time, there was only one mainstream theory in the market: Zhao Yunxian's theory of becoming a god through martial arts training in a month. There were also some theories about "hidden masters," but their reach was naturally not as wide as Zhao Yunxian's. However, recently, Zhu Huan's movie has become a huge hit. This has led to the resurgence of theories like Su Mingyi's, who received help from ancestral alien races or mythical creatures, and these have gained considerable acceptance. Rationally speaking, Zhu Huan's... or rather, Ahe's creation, is more reasonable and logical.

—So reality doesn't need logic; what Yunxian wrote is already quite outrageous. But who would have thought that Ying Qin Guan even had to borrow money to buy the breeding method?

Ying Qin Guan looked into the distance and said softly, "My past wasn't that dramatic."

"That's exactly what he wanted to see."

"But in the end, it wasn't complete."

"Yes.."

After a moment of silence, Ying Qin Guan spoke.

He didn't think carefully about his words, just saying whatever came to mind.

His memories of his hometown were somewhat hazy, even though only a little over two years had passed. He couldn't recall many things, perhaps because his life in the past two years had been too colorful, or perhaps because he was unwilling to reminisce about the past.

“I was born in a village.” Ying Qin Guan looked at the sky, trying to recall something. “It was a small place, so small that the people inside couldn’t get out even if they wanted to… But that’s hindsight; I didn’t think that way at the time.”

“It sounds like Yunxian’s guess is correct.” Feng Yunke’s voice was calm. Since Ying Qin Guan said that he came from a small place, he couldn’t possibly have been a peerless master to begin with. But Feng Yunke didn’t care about this topic. Instead, he asked, “What about you now?”

“If it’s just about coming out, I think I will.” Ying Qin Guan didn’t dwell on the topic. He continued, “If there’s anything I’m grateful for that changed the course of my life, there are two things… First, someone lent me twenty-one coins, which was very important to me.”

Fengyunke asked, "How important is it?"

"It's important enough to directly change my life," Ying Qin Guan said in a low voice. "Otherwise, I could have foreseen my final fate, even if I eventually managed to collect a hundred coins. But if I had spent an extra day or two up there, the outcome would have been different."

"That sounds very lucky."

"And... even more fortunately, I reunited with her."

Chapter Twenty-One: Elopement

Hearing this, Feng Yunke's expression shifted slightly. He was accustomed to farewells, and they were all too familiar to him. But reunions after separation were rare, and even when they did, things were usually different. Just like now, the original owner had once had a forbidden love affair with a courtesan, and he had had his chance. But in the end, it was Feng Yunke who stood here, and he had no intention of seeing that courtesan.

In this world, it is always easier to part than to reunite.

Moreover, Fengyunke himself was well aware of the situation that Nanqin had encountered... It was quite remarkable that Ying Qinguan was able to reunite with someone under such circumstances...

After a moment of daze, Feng Yunke murmured, "It truly is a destined fate..."

Ying Qin Guan smiled, but didn't talk about that matter further, instead bringing up another issue.

"The second thing that changed my life happened before the first... There was a storyteller in our village. He lived there when I was a child. He was about forty or fifty years old. Every day he would walk fifteen miles to the town to tell stories and earn a living... He was the only literate person in our village. Therefore, he was very arrogant... He was the one who taught me to read."

"He taught you to read...why?"

Ying Qin Guan smiled slightly but did not answer. Feng Yun Ke immediately realized that Ying Qin Guan's appearance, while a plus in a large city like Qi Yao, was largely irrelevant. There was no shortage of handsome men and beautiful women there. However, in a small village, it was a different story. Perhaps the storyteller foresaw Ying Qin Guan's future success and wanted to cultivate good relationships, or perhaps he simply found Ying Qin Guan pleasing to the eye... In conclusion, he was at least half right.

Ying Qin Guan remained silent, so Feng Yun Ke said, "I thought you would at least tell me about your life before..."

"No matter how much you miss what's gone, it's no use. Besides, what I miss isn't the past life, but the people from the past."

Ying Qin Guan was quite at ease and did not miss life in Southern Qin, which was too backward. What he missed from the beginning was the people there.

“Then it’s better to reminisce about that kind of life.” Feng Yunke suddenly made a lame joke. “At least you can recreate the life there, but you can’t recreate the people there.”

".."

Ying Qin Guan could only remain silent. He suddenly understood Ju Qiu Ming somewhat; sometimes, people have no choice but to remain silent.

What I don't want, I happen to get; what I want, I can't get.