Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

Yu Xietian looked at Ying Qin Guan in the courtyard, who remained motionless, as if he were already dead.

Inside the room, Shenxin's expression was gloomy as she kept scribbling and revising on the small blackboard. She had decided to pay any price for this incident. Among the three descendants who inherited the power of the Son of the Heir, the "Mute," who possessed the ability to 'face the truth' and 'view the natural database,' had always been the strongest in combat and was the most perfect, born magician.

She had a feeling... If she hadn't been awakened by fate and arrived at that room at the last moment, Shenzhou-9 might have left her forever. If it had been sooner or later, everything would have been different. The current situation was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

Himura Tan's seated in the living room was polishing his newly acquired sword. His eyes were sharp, and his movements were slow and deliberate, yet they revealed a chilling killing intent. If there were any people in this world that Himura Tan's attention was concerned about, there were only two: one was Naruto's father, who had already died, and the other was, of course, Kamiku, whom he had met when he was down on his luck. This grudge must be avenged.

In Yoshiwara's most bustling red-light district, a man dressed in a purple yukata, with a bandage wrapped around one eye, stood by a floor-to-ceiling window, a pipe between his right fingers. He wasn't smoking, but simply gazing at the vibrant city, a faint smile on his face, as if anticipating something.

Beside him was a woman in her early twenties, dressed in a backless, brightly colored kimono. She had delicate features, a gentle smile, and wore a brightly colored headdress. The hem of her kimono trailed on the ground, and a colorful butterfly was tattooed on her back. She had a beauty mark at the corner of her eye. She casually draped her kimono over the man's back, exuding a languid and alluring charm.

"Speaking of which, how long have we known each other?" the man suddenly asked.

"Nineteen years, Your Majesty," the woman's voice ethereal replied. "I have known Your Majesty since the first day you entered the palace, and my life began from that moment."

"Oh?" the man chuckled. "So you're only nineteen?"

"Does His Majesty prefer young people?"

"Heh..." The man chuckled softly, not answering, but simply saying leisurely, "A good show is about to begin."

In a dark corner, a man with crimson pupils sat in a chair, gazing calmly out the window. The only light source in the room was the not-so-soft moonlight, which illuminated a withered lotus enveloped in inner energy.

There were also some ritual props placed around... Everything was ready, just waiting for the lotus to bloom and the Ghost Festival to arrive.

“Looking at the autumn waters, the God of War, the Son of Man, the Beauty, the Nameless Swordsman of Southern Qin, and you, the Red Emperor.”

The man gazed at the withered lotus, a distant memory welling up within him—a scene from many years ago when he and that man conspired to kill the Red Emperor. He still remembered the crazed expression on the other man's face before his death, and for all these years, the man had felt that he had not truly killed him.

But... tomorrow, all of this will be answered.

He muttered to himself:

"Who will ultimately win?"

Chapter Forty-Four: Going to Their Door

July 15th is the Ghost Festival, a day for ancestor worship.

As dusk approached, the military still hadn't found anything. They had gradually given up on finding Ye Jiaofang and were now considering interrupting the ritual. More than twenty top mages were positioned throughout the cherry blossoms to stop the ritual in case of extreme circumstances.

"It's coming..."

As the sky gradually darkened, Yu Xietian said softly, "It won't be long before Ye Jiaofang holds the ceremony, and things will inevitably head towards the worst possible outcome. Once Ye Jiaofang actually starts the ceremony, there won't even be a chance for negotiation. Although that person is still Ye Jiaofang, a person and an ancestor are ultimately different."

Ying Qin Guan, Feng Yun Ke, and Fei Cun Tan Ying are not at the combat base. They are still conducting a final search, trying to find Ye Jiao Fang.

【“..”】

Shenxin fell silent for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Yu Xietian asked. "Is there anything you want to say?"

"Do you think... Ye Jiaofang is the kind of person who is so passive that he holds his own ceremony and lets us interrupt him?"

This was a concern not only for Shen Xin, but also for Yu Xietian and Ying Qin Guan. They had all considered whether Ye Jiao Fang would take the initiative to attack and defeat the main force one by one, and their common conclusion was...

"We have the logistical support of the entire military. The entire Sakura region is ours. The team that just checks the surveillance footage in Sakura region has hundreds of people, and there are countless spies and plainclothes officers. Every day, surveillance footage is transported to Sakura region by the truckload. Even so, we still can't find Ye Jiaofang... So how did he find us?"

This is something that is easy to understand. The military has gone to such lengths, yet they still can't catch a hair on Ye Jiaofang's head. The only time they met was when Ying Qin Guan and Ye Jiaofang made eye contact. It was a chance encounter and had nothing to do with the military's efforts. Even with the logistical support of the entire military, they still couldn't find Ye Jiaofang. So how could Ye Jiaofang possibly find them?

Shenxin naturally understood this, but she still frowned.

"...If that's really the case, then why doesn't Pies stay in Ouma?"

Yu Xietian paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "You're overthinking it. There are quite a few powerful figures in our combat base, they're just worried about being eliminated."

"That's right, I'm worried about getting cut up."

Shenxin raised the small blackboard.

"Logically speaking, Ye Jiaofang shouldn't know where we are. But he has too many tricks up his sleeve, so I wouldn't be surprised if he really came looking for us. More importantly... even when the God of War killed the Earth Mother Goddess, it was with the help of a beautiful woman and a human child. Even after hundreds of years, it still took him more than ten days. When Ying Qin Guan fought the Earth Mother Goddess last time, she was clearly not in full condition, and that was only because it was on a plain, and she had no way to escape. And the Earth Mother Goddess has always been the most foolish of the Primordial Alien Races."

Yu Xietian quickly understood the meaning of the divine heart.

"You mean, Ye Jiaofang might have some helpers?"

"There is currently no evidence to prove this. But I believe that only the Founding Ancestor could have fought against and killed him."

"Are you worried that the progenitor is still helping Ye Jiaofang?"

"...To be precise, this worry is pointless. If it really is the Primordial Alien race helping him, then it doesn't matter who protects whom. Throughout history, killing and protecting people have never been difficult. Whether we are in Sakura or not... I hope I'm just overthinking it."

During their conversation, the earpiece was suddenly forcibly connected. This is a method the military uses to contact people in emergencies; they can forcibly connect without consent.

Pies was concise and to the point, and his words caused both Yu Xietian and Shen Xin to change their expressions drastically.

"Ye Jiaofang has appeared and is fighting with Wang Qiushui."

-

As dusk fell, Wang Qiushui looked tired and went into a coffee shop, intending to rest for a while.

Unlike Ying Qin Guan and others who were at the combat base, the military did not trust Wang Qiu Shui, and Wang Qiu Shui did not trust the military either, so naturally he would not stay at the combat base provided by the military.

On July 15th, she searched the high-risk areas provided by the military all day. However, she had little success; she couldn't find even a single pot of Bai Lian, let alone Ye Jiaofang—incidentally, in the current Yingman area, Bai Lian was even more dangerous than poison.

After a day of running around, she planned to rest for a while. It seemed she couldn't find anyone, so she could only wait for the big battle that night... Ye Jiao had countless tricks up her sleeve, and Wang Qiushui knew she had to be at her best.

She walked into a coffee shop, a small shop on the edge of the metropolis of Yingman. The decoration was minimalist, there were few pedestrians around, and there was only one employee in the room, looking at the clock and waiting anxiously for the end of the workday.

Wang Qiushui dragged her heavy body inside and ordered a cup of Goddess's Kiss with sugar and milk. This was Mingxuan Hou's favorite drink before his death, and it later became her favorite as well. However, in recent years, Goddess's Kiss has gradually withdrawn from the market, and now only a very few coffee shops are still willing to make it.

The clerk worked quickly and soon handed Wang Qiushui a less-than-perfect cup of Goddess's Kiss. ​​She sat quietly in the coffee shop for a while, lost in thought.

"Ding Dong"

Suddenly, a sound rang out, the greeting of a guest opening the door. Wang Qiushui subconsciously looked up and saw a young man who looked to be in his twenties, with short, black hair and striking, deep purple eyes that seemed to possess a captivating power.

He went to the bar and ordered a Goddess's Kiss as well.

The shop assistant muttered a few words.

"It's quite rare to see two people ordering this in a row these days."

The man with purplish-red eyes shrugged, took the Goddess's Kiss from the shop assistant, and then naturally sat down opposite Wang Qiushui.

He spoke first, looking at Qiu Shui with a calm smile, "Did you hear what that shop assistant said?"

"..?"

Wang Qiushui secretly became more vigilant, but made no other move.

Although Wang Qiushui didn't respond, the man still spoke up, saying, "He said, 'These days, it's unbelievable that two people order this in a row...' Hearing this, it really brings a sense of things having changed. It reminds me of our time, of the 'Goddess's Kiss'..."

As soon as "our era" was uttered, alarm bells rang in Wang Qiushui's heart. Just as she was about to chant, the world suddenly darkened, and a man with crimson pupils emerged from the pure darkness, drew a knife from the void, and instantly severed Wang Qiushui's body!

"But it's the most popular drink on the mainland!"

Chapter Forty-Five: Investiture of the Gods

The person who arrived was none other than Ye Jiaofang!

He somehow obtained Wang Qiushui's location, and upon arriving here, he immediately took action!

The move he used was Ying Qin Guan's Consciousness Slash. Everyone who comprehends this move will feel how useful it is. It is instantaneous, locks onto targets, and has pseudo-strong control. At the same time, you can do other things. Learning this move is like going from a Soul-based world to a hack-and-slash game.

Compared to martial artists, mages are obviously much less resistant to mind-based attacks. However, Wang Qiushui had been prepared beforehand and, being a god-level mage, possessed extraordinary reaction speed. Despite being engulfed in darkness, she still managed to complete the incantation at the last moment.

“SI!”

As the two syllables were uttered, Wang Qiushui's figure vanished without a trace. This is the superiority of modern magic. Ancient magicians would chant hundreds of words at a time, which is incomparable to modern magicians. It's like two ninjas fighting. You spend a long time forming hand seals and releasing a low-level ninjutsu, while the other one just strikes a pose and uses it. What's the point of fighting then?

In the rush of the teleportation, Wang Qiushui didn't have time to lock onto a distant coordinate. He only retreated a hundred meters and arrived at the deserted street outside the coffee shop, but he didn't have time to do anything more.

Because displacement is not purification, even though you used Flash, it doesn't mean that the W given to you by Nasus no longer exists. Although Wang Qiushui retreated from 100 meters, he was still immersed in the illusion created by the consciousness slash.

Ye Jiaofang remained calm and indifferent as she pulled out a black box from her bosom. It was none other than the Ten Absolute Machines, the most prized work of Marquis Mingxuan. If Marquis Mingxuan knew that this weapon was ultimately used to deal with the person she couldn't let go of the most, one wonders what he would think.

Ye Jiao flicked his wrist, and countless fine black lines appeared on the black box, dividing it into countless small cubes. The cubes floated rapidly and, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a jet-black Tang sword.

At the same time, Ye Jiaofang's inner energy surged out, distorting the light.

A myriad of paths to explore, a thousand lights to refract!

Wang Qiushui, having just broken free from the illusion, saw Ye Jiaofang's sword already upon her. She was horrified; how could his attack speed be so fast, almost catching up to hers? Based on her extensive experience, Wang Qiushui judged that at this distance, there wasn't enough time to chant a spell longer than two syllables. She quickly chanted a single syllable, casting a defensive spell, hoping to block Ye Jiaofang's attack.

However... nothing happened after the knife fell.

An illusion, just another illusion!

The illusion of the Consciousness Slash was simply forced upon Wang Qiushui's brain to imagine. The illusion of the Thousand Lights Divide, however, was a fabrication created by Ye Jiaofang using his identity as a Doctor of Optics!

The goal... is, of course, to stall Wang Qiushui!

Ye Jiao's speed was not as exaggerated as Wang Qiushui had imagined. Those two consecutive moves were both intended to hold Wang Qiushui back.

By using the time it took for Qian Guangzhe to delay for a syllable, Ye Jiaofang had already caught up, and his black Tang sword slashed out, aiming to take Wang Qiushui's life!

From the moment they met to the surprise attack, from the mental strike to the thousand-light refraction, if Wang Qiushui were still in the same state she was in when facing Ying Qin Pass at the Seven Luminaries, she would have already been cut down. However, the Wang Qiushui of today is not the same Wang Qiushui of then; she maintained an extremely high level of vigilance from beginning to end. Therefore, even though Ye Jiaofang unleashed a control combo, Wang Qiushui still managed to narrowly escape by using spatial magic to dodge this astonishing attack.

This time, he ran a long distance, a full hundred meters, and instantly teleported to the rooftop of an office building.

Wang Qiushui didn't hesitate. After pressing a button to notify the military, he ripped off his headphones, afraid of being disturbed.

From her own perspective, this action was correct. Her battle with Ye Jiaofang was a fight fought at a speed measured in tenths of a second. If the military used forced communication and she was even slightly careless, that single moment would likely be fatal. Secondly, the military hadn't yet decided to tell Wang Qiushui the secrets of Ying Qin Pass and Feng Yunke. This led Wang Qiushui to believe that since she was the only one at the God-level participating in this battle, and the military dared not use heavy firepower in the city, she saw the military as weak and incompetent. She thought that simply relaying the message was enough, and anything else was a waste of her time.

"How dare you come looking for me..." Wang Qiushui's face flashed with a fierce light. If anyone thought she was someone easy to bully, they would be sorely mistaken. Back then, she single-handedly intimidated the entire world, and that wasn't just intimidation; she had genuinely killed many people. She wasn't someone with a gentle temper. However, after the death of Marquis Mingxuan, she had to consider more things. Hence, she had many concerns. But now, it was clear that she didn't need to worry about so much.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Jiaofang had already crossed a hundred meters and caught up. Wang Qiushui chanted a simple sentence, and with the ripples in the space, a gun appeared in her hand!

It was the H47 anti-Warcraft holy sniper rifle that the military had prepared for her!

Magic? What magic? Magic is nowhere near as useful as this. Using magic requires mana and chanting, which lowers your voice's durability. But firing a gun only requires spending someone else's money. I don't need to say which is more cost-effective, right?!

You ate poop, sir!

Wang Qiushui's gaze was calm as he pulled the trigger, chanting a phrase as he did so.

"I!"

A 12.7-99mm bullet was fired instantly. However, the moment it left the barrel, the bullet disappeared. At the same instant, the bullet suddenly traveled over a hundred meters and arrived at the position it should have reached in one-eighth of a second. At this point, the bullet was less than 1 meter away from Ye Jiaofang. The bullet's velocity was approximately 900 m/s, and it only took 1/900 of a second to travel 1 meter.

In other words, Ye Jiaofang only had about one millisecond of time left.