Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

Ying Qin Guan responded. The winter weather was very cold. He exhaled a puff of white breath, and his thoughts drifted back to the book on cultivating qi at home.

He thought he'd go back and check on it today.

Chapter Fifty-Three: A Great Dream Turns to Nothing

"Ying Qian...where's my book?!"

In the afternoon, Ying Qin Guan caught his younger sister in the village and bombarded her with probing questions. Not long ago, he and his father had finished a day's work and returned home. When Ying Qin Guan went back to his room, he found his "Qi-Nourishing Sutra" gone. Only his sister could have done such a thing, and knowing she had made a mistake, she was hiding outside. However, the village was tiny, and Ying Qin Guan naturally found her in no time.

After the younger sister begged for forgiveness, Ying Qin Guan pressed her for details and learned that a friend from the village had come to visit her that day. During their conversation, they got to the book on cultivating one's inner energy, and the younger sister, feeling vain, took it out to show off. As a result, the friend borrowed it, saying that he would return it tomorrow.

Upon hearing this, Ying Qin Guan knew it was all nonsense. How many people in the village could read? What could they possibly understand after borrowing it? It was nothing more than childish pranks. But since his younger sister had already made a promise, he couldn't say much; children are stubborn. Besides, forcibly taking the things back would be too heartless.

Ying Qin Guan had no choice but to forgive his younger sister and instructed her, "Tomorrow, you must get the things back."

"Definitely, definitely! They're just making a fuss!" The younger sister hurriedly pledged her loyalty. Ying Qin Guan didn't care much, guessing that the kids were just trying to learn some unparalleled martial arts from them. It was just a pity that his plans for today had been ruined.

And so, today passed just like that.

The next day, as promised, the younger sister brought back the book on cultivating qi. However, Teacher Liang's workload increased, and for several days in a row, Ying Qin Guan didn't have time to even open the book. Meanwhile, some alarming news began to circulate within and outside Southern Qin, saying that foreign troops were advancing towards the region. But when Ying Qin Guan occasionally went into the city, no one took it seriously. The scholars in the teahouses talked animatedly, saying that with tens of thousands of Southern Qin soldiers, those thousand-odd troops were nothing but chickens and dogs, insignificant.

Every time he heard such a statement, Ying Qin Guan felt a vague unease. But there seemed to be nothing he could do about it.

Several more days passed, and Ying Qin Guan still couldn't find the time to read the Qi Cultivation Classic. He just never had the time. Once, twice, three times, four times, the book slowly began to be forgotten by him, gathering dust in his room.

Meanwhile, he gradually began to interact more with the young lady from the city. She seemed genuinely unconcerned about Ying Qin Guan's family background and had secured him a job in the city. Although the income wasn't much, it was an astronomical sum for Ying Qin Guan, who previously couldn't even afford a hundred coins. Moreover, making a living in the city was obviously much more respectable.

For Ying Qin Guan at this moment, there was no such thing as love or not, only suitability or not. The other party was obviously very suitable in terms of finances... Moreover, Ying Qin Guan had never known what he wanted. Occasionally, he would think, "Let it be, what's wrong with it?"

After some time, he was taken to a young lady's family banquet. He heard that the young lady's father had been abroad and had seen a lot of the world. He was worried that he would not be appreciated by the young lady and would be embarrassed. However, the young lady's father and brother did not reject him. On the contrary, they both favored him. Just as Aunt Li said, Ying Qin Guan had a pleasing appearance.

After a few more days, Ying Qin Guan gradually settled down in the city and rarely returned to his hometown. He also forgot about the Qi Cultivation Manual at home. Ying Qin Guan would occasionally go back, but he couldn't find it. He didn't care and went back to the city. Days passed by like this.

A few days later, it was Ying's mother's birthday, a day that Ying Qin Guan's family didn't really care about in that small village. Unless it was a seventy or eighty-year-old's birthday, who cared about such things? But the young lady took it to heart, preparing gifts with Ying Qin Guan and accompanying him back to his hometown to visit relatives... Only then did Ying Qin Guan finally begin to fall for her, feeling that perhaps he had finally understood the taste of love. But what was unsettling was that some discordant news kept coming from outside. Fortunately, the city where Ying Qin Guan lived was Wuyang City in Yizhou, some distance from the border.

Then, just half a day later, astonishing news arrived: the border of Southern Qin had been breached in an instant, and the Black Dragon Empire was advancing unstoppably.

People in the city began to flee for their lives, but only a small number did. Miss Fu's family had no intention of fleeing, and Ying Qin Guan naturally had no intention of fleeing either. He couldn't escape anyway. However, when he heard the news, an indescribable unease welled up in his heart again. He returned to the village, but there he met an unexpected person, the kind Miss Fu. She was leading a large caravan with many people, and it seemed that they were going to escape Wuyang City and go to a distant place.

She also remembered Ying Qin Guan, and the two greeted each other.

Ying Qin asked, "Are you... leaving the Qin state?"

—Although people always refer to it as Southern Qin and Northern Qin, this was actually a way for foreigners to distinguish between the two regimes after the fall of the Qin state. When Southern Qin still existed, at least the people of Southern Qin called it Qin, unless there were special circumstances.

Fu Hanwen nodded, then hesitated and said, "If you can leave, you'd better leave too."

Ying Qin Guan did not answer the question. He could not leave this land. To the west of Yizhou, there were mostly mountains and forests, which were natural barriers. If he did not use a large amount of money and grain to pave the road and prepare an entire army, he would not be able to leave Yizhou at all.

He took out his money pouch from his pocket, counted out twenty-one coins, and returned them to Fu Hanwen.

This was hardly any money to Fu Hanwen, but she still accepted it earnestly, saying, "I didn't misjudge you, you don't owe me anything."

"Ah... thank you." Ying Qin Guan murmured, his voice somewhat weak, because he hadn't started practicing yet, something he didn't want to talk about. But now that he had returned the twenty-one coins, the matter would naturally be brought up.

Fu Hanwen asked, "Have you started practicing? How's it going?"

"It hasn't started yet..." This answer was really hard to say, Ying Qin Guan said in a weak voice, "I've been delayed by all sorts of things lately."

"Is that so..."

Fu Hanwen didn't say much, and Ying Qin Guan couldn't discern her thoughts. But if he were Fu Hanwen, he would probably be somewhat disappointed at this moment.

The two quickly said goodbye. Ying Qin Guan actually wanted to say, "I'll practice as soon as I get back today." But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Perhaps he felt that the sentence was a bit strange. Whether he practiced or not was his own business, and it would seem odd to tell others.

When he returned home, his parents and younger sister had not received any related news. They only remarked that caravans had been frequently passing through the village recently and would rest there temporarily. Ying's father felt that this frequency was abnormal and suspected that something was going to happen. Ying Qin Guan did not want them to worry, so he brushed it off.

He returned to his room, where the Nourishing Qi Scripture was still on his bedside table, covered with a thin layer of dust. Ying Qin Guan brushed the dust off, and a strange tremor surged in his heart once again. He thought of the Black Dragon's army and finally made a decision. He put the Nourishing Qi Scripture into his pocket, intending to take a look at it a few times during his free time in the evenings after returning to the city, so that if the Black Dragon's army really attacked in the future, at least there would be some power to resist.

But when he returned to Wuyang City, a shocking piece of news arrived.

The Black Dragon's army was wiped out.

Chapter Fifty-Four: A Great Dream Turns to Nothing

Yizhou was a poor place, but the harsh climate produced many generous and tragic heroes. Upon hearing that the Black Dragon Empire had entered Qin, martial artists from Yizhou, Xuzhou, and Yangzhou gathered together, intending to strike back at the invaders. They elected a martial arts alliance leader, a young swordsman named Su Mingyi. It was this man who delivered firsthand information about the Black Dragon Empire's invaders via express courier. Subsequently, a martial arts conference was held, where he defeated all the other heroes and won the position of alliance leader.

He discovered the spy that the Black Dragon had planted in Southern Qin. His every move was as if divinely inspired. He was decisive and ruthless, and his actions were flawless. He was also a rare military strategist who had calculated the Black Dragon's movements perfectly. He ambushed the Black Dragon with a large army and wiped him out in one fell swoop. He became a great hero of Southern Qin and thus became famous throughout the world after this battle.

When Ying Qin Guan learned of this news, it was already late at night. He lit candles in his room and was about to open the book on cultivating inner strength when his young mistress suddenly pushed open the door and told him the good news. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Fortunately, the Black Dragon was defeated. Otherwise, Father would have considered taking us and running away, and all the assets in this city would have been lost."

Ying Qin Guan was somewhat dazed... The Black Dragon's army was completely wiped out?

"What's wrong?" the young lady asked. "Aren't you happy? This should be good news."

“No… I’m very happy,” Ying Qin Guan said. “But not because of this news. My heart tells me that it’s happy, as if it has protected many things. But at the same time, it also tells me that it’s sad because I won’t be able to meet many interesting people.”

"How interesting, your heart can speak?"

"Yes, the heart can speak too, because no one truly knows their own heart, which is why we need to communicate with it."

“It’s really profound…” The young lady paused, then noticed the Qi Cultivation Manual in Ying Qin Guan’s hand. “You’re looking at this, aren’t you? If you’re interested in this, I’ll buy you a copy tomorrow. You won’t get anything out of this cheap stuff.”

Ying Qin Guan was once again in a daze, and the same mysterious feeling he had experienced the first time he picked up the Qi Cultivation Manual and the second time he put it down surged back up. But this time the feeling was not as strong as before, nor did it have the same strong guiding significance. It simply told Ying Qin Guan that this was a crucial moment in his life.

Ying Qin Guan was silent for a moment, then said softly, "No need... no need."

"No need?" The young lady tilted her head and said, "Why not? Do you really have to practice this?"

"No... it's that I don't need to practice anymore."

Ying Qin Guan picked up the book on cultivating qi and placed it on the candle. The flame slowly climbed up to it, until finally it took the initiative and burned the book to ashes.

The flickering flames reflected in Ying Qin's pupils seemed to burn not just a book, but also a life.

"Goodbye."

He thought, goodbye, whatever that part of my life may be.

Afterwards, Ying Qin Guan got married, and his wife was naturally that young lady. His father-in-law provided the new family with tremendous financial support and then dismissed Ying Qin Guan from his job, hoping he would stay home and study diligently for a few years. Like him, he wanted to travel abroad for a few years to broaden his horizons, so that he could reach a different level of achievement. Even if he didn't finish his travels until he was thirty, it wouldn't be too late.

This father-in-law was a rare man. Ying Qin Guan had thought that he hoped he would take the imperial examinations, but he never expected it to turn out like this.

He didn't refuse; he stayed home and started reading.

But the father-in-law's wish ultimately went unfulfilled because Ying Qin Guan and the young lady had a child. Before having children, home is a person's root. But after having children, the child becomes a person's root. Ying Qin Guan read enough books, but ultimately he was unable to go abroad to see the things he longed to see.

From an outsider's perspective, he was already incredibly lucky. Born into poverty, he was loved by a wealthy heiress. And this heiress's family was so open-minded, even willing to provide them with such assistance, allowing Ying Qin to marry and have children. Although he didn't get to travel to various countries, after several years of studying, he had changed significantly, started a small business, and achieved success.

His life was happy and fulfilling, but occasionally, in the quiet of the night, Ying Qin Guan would think of the Qi Cultivation Manual he had burned. What would have happened if he hadn't burned it? What would have happened if, on that very night, he had lit a candle and opened that manual? He didn't know, and he would never know.

Five years passed in the blink of an eye. Ying Qin Guan bought a courtyard house for his parents in the city, and they moved there. Apart from Ying Qin Guan and his younger sister occasionally going back to visit Teacher Liang and Aunt Li, their contact with the village gradually faded away.

Ying Qin Guan always thought that his life would end peacefully like this, and if it ended like this, it could perhaps be called a beautiful dream.

But... the black dragon is back again.

Five years later, they're making a comeback.

Ying Qin Guan had expected a repeat of the previous defeat, but it didn't. Su Mingyi's allied forces were easily defeated, and the Southern Qin border proved utterly vulnerable. The Black Dragon Army advanced unimpeded, as if entering an empty field, and in the blink of an eye, they reached Wuyang City. This time, the people in the city didn't even have a chance to sell their assets and escape.

It seemed like in the blink of an eye, the beautiful dream turned into a nightmare, and he had no chance to resist.

Fortunately, Ying Qin Guan's father-in-law was not only incredibly resourceful but also had a keen sense of smell and acted decisively. He didn't even bother to sell off assets; he instructed Ying Qin Guan and the others to prepare travel expenses overnight and take only the essential items they needed to bring before making their escape.

He did seize the last opportunity. One night, a large group of more than 30 people, with their families, were about to leave the city. Ying Qin Guan tried every means and finally succeeded in bringing his younger sister and parents with him. They looked confused and did not seem to have the same sense of the seriousness of the matter as his father-in-law.

As the group prepared to leave the city, the father-in-law had already made arrangements. The city gates opened wide, and more than thirty people walked out one by one. Ying Qin Guan and his family of three walked at the back. He held his wife's hand and carried his daughter in his arms. Just as they were about to walk out of the city gate, he suddenly stopped.

He slowly, very slowly turned his head to look back. Under the night sky, Wuyang City was pitch black and quiet. The people here had no idea what they were about to encounter.

"What's wrong?" His wife was the first to notice that something was wrong with Ying Qin Guan and asked, "Are you reluctant to leave? Well, there's nothing we can do... Let's not waste any more time, let's go."

The father-in-law turned around at this moment. He was the person Ying Qin Guan respected the most. At this moment, he looked serious and said, "Why did you stop? Be quick about it."

The younger sister turned around, her voice low, and said, "Brother... what's wrong? Why did you stop?"

Ying Qin Guan turned around... Everyone was looking at him. Everyone stopped in their tracks, their faces showing confusion and urging, hoping he would start walking. Ying Qin Guan then turned to look at his young daughter. She was still young and didn't understand much, but she looked at Ying Qin Guan with the same confusion and said in a childish voice, "Daddy... why aren't you moving?"

Ying Qin Guan glanced at the crowd again and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes...yes."

"You all really want me to leave."

Chapter Fifty-Five: A Great Dream Ends in Vain

"What nonsense are you spouting?!"

The father-in-law was the first to react. He said in a deep voice, "If we don't leave now, are we going to wait until we can't leave anymore before we think about leaving?"

“…Perhaps now is the time to leave.” Ying Qin Guan responded softly, his expression inscrutable, his pupils reflecting a phantom image. “If that’s really the case, then they are indeed going to take me away.”

Ying Qin Guan put down his daughter, released his wife's hand, and took a step back.

He was almost out of the city gate, but by taking this step back, he returned to Wuyang City.

"..father?"

Hearing his daughter's clear, crisp call, Ying Qin Guan looked sorrowful. He touched her head, then took a step back. With this step back, he could no longer hold his wife's hand or touch his daughter's head.

“You know what?” Ying Qin Guan looked at his father-in-law, his voice gradually calming down, “Every time I make a choice that will affect my life, I have a feeling. Every single time, it’s like that. For example… one night five years ago, I got my hands on a book called ‘Cultivating Qi Classic.’ It was very late. But I still had a feeling that if I wanted to, if I opened it, if I did that, I could change my destiny… It’s incredible, isn’t it? That’s the feeling.”

Ying Qin Guan raised his head and gazed at the sky. For five years, he had never seriously looked at this sky; it was so beautiful it seemed unreal.

"Time and time again, when I pick up that book on cultivating qi, when I put it down, when I burn it... I have this feeling, but I don't care."

Ying Qin Guan paused for a moment, then said, "Because, whether I study or not, whether I live well or poorly, whether I live or die, I am still Ying Qin Guan. This is the answer my heart gives me, and it will never change. No matter what choice I make in the end, I will always be Ying Qin Guan. No matter how many lives I have, I will always be Ying Qin Guan."

The father-in-law's voice was starting to distort and change color. He said sharply, "What are you trying to say? Does taking this step mean you're no longer Ying Qin Pass? Does Ying Qin Pass mean you can't leave this place?!"

Ying Qin Guan's eyes were blank, as if they had lost focus. He looked towards the outskirts of Wuyang City and said softly, "No... if Ying Qin Guan really faced this situation, he would also leave, because he also wanted to live and be responsible for his wife and daughter."

"Since that's the case—"

"but!"

Ying Qin Guan's voice suddenly rose, interrupting the other person. He said, "Ying Qin Guan is no longer just Ying Qin Guan."

It's not that 'Ying Qin Pass is no longer Ying Qin Pass,' but rather that 'Ying Qin Pass is more than just Ying Qin Pass.'

The other person's voice went mad, their expression twisted, and their body began to deform as they screamed, "Then who are you?!"