Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

Ye Jiaofang chose to retaliate in kind, but because he seemed to be in good spirits, Kimura Kiyoshi didn't press the matter further and instead asked, "So what do you plan to do in the future?"

"I don't know," Ye Jiaofang said frankly. "After such a huge failure, it wouldn't make sense to talk about any plans for my life."

"I thought so too." Kimura Kiyoi took the ramen from the clerk, smiled and nodded in response, then looked at Ye Jiaofang. After her initial lapse in composure due to worry, she had regained her composure considerably, somewhat resembling the second-in-command of Kimura Rice Shop. "Would you like me to give you some life planning?"

Ye Jiaofang readily agreed, saying, "I would like to hear the details."

“You trust others too much. There are no permanent friends in business,” Kimura Kiyoi said. “I think you should understand this in your heart without me having to say it.”

Ye Jiaofang sighed, "Yes, I understand completely. Now I don't trust anyone but you."

"..!"

Ye Jiaofang laughed loudly and said, "I was just joking. I don't believe you either."

"..." Kimura Kiyoi coughed to hide her slightly strange expression, and said in a seemingly natural tone, "That's for the best. This is your first lesson, and it's priceless."

"I'd rather have a daughter than a lesson."

For some reason, Kimura Kiyoi joked, "The word 'qianjin' has multiple meanings."

Ye Jiaofang actually followed Kimura Kiyoi's train of thought and said, "With a daughter, one naturally has a daughter."

Kimura Kiyoi took a sip of ramen and asked in a muffled voice, "Do you want a thousand pieces of gold?"

Ye Jiaofang countered, "Who wouldn't want it?"

Kimura Kiyoi said, "If an opportunity were presented to you..."

Ye Jiao lowered her mind and looked out the window, where the Great Heavenly God Mountain was visible in the distance.

He said confidently, "I will seize it without hesitation, because I swore when I left my hometown that I would win everything."

Kimura Kiyoi chuckled. She was now certain that someone like Ye Jiaofang was incapable of committing suicide or being defeated, so she relaxed and said, "Eat your noodles. Stop thinking about winning everything. Do you think you're a fighting god? You should first think about whether you can get revenge on that unscrupulous businessman who cheated you."

Ye Jiaofang shrugged and said:

"I will do that sooner or later."

-

After traveling for two or three days, Ye Jiaofang finally made a decision: he wanted to work odd jobs at a martial arts school.

This is not a thousand years later. Even on the front lines where heavy firepower is used, martial artists are still the most elite fighting force. Their status and numbers are incomparable to those a thousand years later—of course, their overall quality is definitely higher a thousand years later.

"...In a place like this, it's better to go back to the rice shop."

Kimura Kiyoi was particularly concerned about this matter and had always hoped that Ye Jiaofang could return to the rice shop. She was also quite dissatisfied with his final choice.

She counted on her fingers, outlining the downsides for Ye Jiaofang.

"These private martial arts schools teach mediocre things, pay little, are unregulated, have a lot of work, and their safety is questionable. It's tiring, and if you go in to do odd jobs, you'll be doing odd jobs for life with absolutely no chance of climbing the ladder. Because the higher positions are the instructors and the school owner, which obviously won't let you become. The other odd-job workers are all middle-aged men and women in their fifties and sixties... Ye Jun, why did you choose this one?"

Clearly, this is a dead-end job, essentially no different from sweeping the streets or cleaning toilets. While no job is inherently superior or inferior, this type of work offers absolutely no growth potential, selling one's physical strength and life in the cheapest way possible.

Ye Jiaofang said, "It's just an experiment. I have to find what I'm good at in life. My previous job at the rice shop made me realize that I'm not suited for that kind of work."

Kiyoi Kimura frowned and retorted, "You've always done a good job."

Ye Jiaofang shook his head and said, "What I mean is, I don't have any passion for the work there."

Upon hearing this, Kimura Kiyoi was somewhat dissatisfied. She had been earnestly advising Ye Jiaofang, hoping he could have a better future, but his comment about lacking passion left her feeling like she was talking to a brick wall. She retorted somewhat discontentedly, "You mean, doing odd jobs at a martial arts gym can give you passion?"

Ye Jiao chuckled and said, "Not really. As I said, it's just a search, a search for what I truly love, and that certainly won't be doing menial tasks."

Kimura Kiyoi hesitated for a moment. Working odd jobs at a martial arts gym, if what she was looking for wasn't the job itself, then without a doubt...

"You... want to be a martial artist?"

Ye Jiaofang repeated it again and again.

“As I said, I’m just looking, and this is the first thing I’m looking for.”

He turned his head and looked at the martial arts school not far away.

"There is something there that fascinates me."

Chapter Eighty: The Spirit of Struggle (Part Five)

Kimura Kiyoi ultimately couldn't understand Ye Jiaofang, and the two parted on bad terms. Ye Jiaofang was also somewhat puzzled, so he went to Mount Datianshen to find Shenya and told her about his argument with Kimura Kiyoi, hoping that this wise woman could enlighten him. He could also sense that Kimura Kiyoi meant well for him. But he didn't know why the two had such a conflict.

After listening to Ye Jiaofang's words, Shen Ya pondered for a moment and then wrote down her thoughts on the blackboard.

"Isn't this easy to understand... because you're looking at things from different perspectives?"

"You yourself don't yet know what you truly want to do. So you only dabble in everything you do, never truly committing yourself fully. Unless you're certain that's what you want to do, like working odd jobs at a martial arts gym. If you tell her, 'I want to be a martial artist, lend me some money,' then according to your logic, she will definitely lend you the money and let you go to a better martial arts gym..."

Ye Jiaofang was slightly taken aback, and rubbed his right thumb and forefinger back and forth on his chin.

But Shenya didn't respond; she continued writing on the blackboard.

"However, you won't fully commit because you're unsure how it will all end. What if, as I just said, you borrow money, enroll in a good martial arts school, and after training for a while, you realize you don't actually like martial arts? Martial arts isn't like doing odd jobs; you can't just come and go as you please. You won't get your tuition back, and you'll embarrass others."

Ye Jiaofang nodded, then hesitated and said, "It seems so."

"She thinks you're wasting your life, but from your perspective, you're making this choice precisely to avoid wasting your life...dabbling in everything is to dedicate more energy to what you truly enjoy and what truly attracts you. Neither of you is wrong, so don't let it bother you; it's just a difference in perspective. If you want to overcome this, go find what you truly want to do as soon as possible."

Shen Ya succinctly pointed out the core issue in the conflict between the two sides. Ye Jiaofang suddenly understood and smiled, "Thank you for your help."

"That's not a problem... but doing odd jobs, to be honest, even I think it's a bit unreliable. Do you think you're some kind of super genius who can learn just by watching? Think about it, is that even possible?"

"Hey, can't you do it?" Ye Jiaofang asked, somewhat puzzled.

Just as Shenya was about to reply, she heard a few scattered voices from not far away. It was the priestesses calling her. In her haste, she only had time to write a sentence on the blackboard before she hurriedly left.

"Nonsense! How could that be!"

Shen Ya quickly disappeared into the distance, leaving Ye Jiaofang alone in the same spot.

"Can't you do it..." He frowned slightly and lowered his gaze. He had tried to do it all day yesterday, and if he had to describe his feelings, it would be...

Halfway up the mountain, a gentle but undeniable internal energy swept by, like a light breeze.

"But I already..."

-

A month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Ye Jiao quit his odd jobs without any trouble. The martial arts school owner knew that a young man of that age wouldn't really want to do menial work, and he understood what Ye Jiao was thinking. But he didn't care at all. If one could learn something just by glancing at it a few times, that would be utterly ridiculous.

...A thousand years later, the court officials who allowed the sale of such low-level cultivation methods as the "Qi Cultivation Manual" among the common people also thought the same thing: what kind of skill could be achieved by practicing such a thing?

Ye Jiaofang received his wages and used them to pay back the money he owed. He planned to pay back the rest later. The wages for odd jobs at the private martial arts school were really low back then. If you didn't have a house in Yingman, it would be difficult to even make a living.

Kimura Kiyoi didn't care about the money; she was quite happy that Ye Jiaofang had quit his job, so she brought up that question again.

What do you plan to do in the future?

Ye Jiaofang thought for a moment and said, "I want to open a martial arts school."

"...?" Kimura Kiyoi was completely confused and didn't understand what Ye Jiaofang had just said. She repeated blankly, "What did you say?"

When some people say "What did you say?", they mean they didn't hear clearly. When others say "What did you say?", they mean, "Do you even know what you're saying?"

Kimura Kiyoi's original intention was the latter, but she was so shocked that her tone sounded like the former, so Ye Jiaofang honestly said, "I want to open a martial arts school, a dojo is also fine."

In Sakuraman, dojos are larger than martial arts schools. Martial arts schools are considered commonplace, while dojos teach unique styles. Generally speaking, one needs to obtain a full license or establish a reputation for their own style to be qualified to open a dojo. This is also the case in Nanqin. Sects and martial arts schools are simply not on the same level.

In Ye Jiaofang's view, there was nothing wrong with saying these words. He could see through the martial arts school master's skill level at a glance, and he felt that if he were to make a move, defeating or even killing him would be a matter of a single thought. Therefore, he could say these words without hesitation. But in Kimura Kiyoshi's view, what kind of behavior was this...?

It's like someone going to work as a toilet cleaner or security guard at a third-rate university. A month later, they quit and come back saying, "I want to be a professor at a prestigious university, or even be nominated for academician."

You think you're so great?! Do you even know what you're saying?!

Fortunately, Kimura Kiyoi has a very good temper and is well-mannered. If it were Shinya, she would definitely be looking at Ye Jiaofang like he's an idiot by now. But Kimura Kiyoi suppressed her temper and was even able to force a smile.

"That joke isn't funny..."

"Isn't it funny? I think it's quite funny." Ye Jiaofang shrugged, not insisting on her opinion.

Hearing this, Kimura Kiyoi felt a little relieved and complained, "What were you saying just now? I was thinking you were crazy. You can't joke like that."

"That's the kind of humor I have back home," Ye Jiaofang said with a smile, though of course it was a lie.

"Is that so..." Kimura Kiyoi looked doubtful. She had originally wanted to ask about what had just happened, but Ye Jiaofang interrupted her and then changed the subject, quickly managing to gloss over the matter.

That same afternoon, Ye Jiaofang met Shen Ya, who also asked about the matter.

"What are your plans for the next step?"

“It’s settled.” Ye Jiaofang laughed. “This is what I want to do. I want to travel the world, visit famous mountains and rivers, and hone my martial arts skills. But before that, I need to have some money. So, I plan to open a martial arts school or dojo and save up for two or three years.”

Shen Ya remained calm and raised the small blackboard.

"Are you skilled enough?"

"I haven't used it in actual combat, but it should be enough."

"Then, where did the money come from?"

"The general has put a bounty on a notorious bandit. That guy has been very arrogant lately. If we can take him down, we will allow a martial artist to establish a sect and dojo, with all the money coming from the shogunate."

Chapter 81 The Heart of Struggle (Part 6)

"...I have to say, Ye Jiaofang, of all the people I know, you are the bravest one."

Ye Jiaofang knew that the other party was not actually praising him, but he still smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment."

Shenya was quite dissatisfied with the result and picked up the small blackboard.

"You actually think I'm praising you? Are you serious? This is a life-or-death situation. Don't you know why those bandits have been able to act so arrogantly?"

"I will win," Ye Jiaofang said. "I definitely will... That's what the voice in my heart tells me. I came into this world for martial arts. When I come into contact with it, I will have the whole world."

If it were an ordinary woman, upon hearing that Ye Jiaofang was about to do something so crazy, she would definitely do everything in her power to stop him. But after thinking for a moment, Shen Ya realized that she probably couldn't persuade Ye Jiaofang with words alone. She had tried to dissuade him when he wanted to do business before, but he wouldn't listen and ended up losing all his savings. So she changed her approach and picked up the small blackboard.

"...I'll go with you."

"..?"

Now it was Ye Jiaofang's turn to be shocked. He said, "Are you serious?"

"If you're serious, then of course I am too."