Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

The smile faded, Ye Jiaofang's figure vanished, and his voice grew weak halfway through his sentence. But even so, he still managed to finish saying everything.

These words became his final words.

"I was just doing that kind of thing."

The Eternal Curse at the End of the Scroll

On the morning of July 17th, two days and nights had passed since that long rainy night, and the incident was finally concluded and temporarily put to rest.

The two Yorozuya walked out of the military base; their mission was now completely over.

The two found a nearby coffee shop and planned to summarize the incident, which is part of Yorozuya's corporate culture.

Shen Xin made an indelible and immense contribution in this incident, and was therefore rewarded by the military. Neither of them particularly desired anything else. So they asked for money, a huge sum of money... but insignificant compared to what they had lost in the incident.

First of all... half of Sakura was reduced to ruins. The battle between Ying Qin Guan and Ye Jiao Fang was incredibly powerful, destroying hundreds of houses and countless buildings. The direct and indirect economic losses have exceeded three million pounds. Fortunately, Ye Jiao Fang chose the far east and far west of Sakura. If it had been in the center of Sakura, the economic losses would have been even greater.

Of course, the damage to buildings is only part of the story; the loss of life is far more significant. Although the military evacuated all nearby civilians immediately after the beam of light appeared, in such a short time, even with forced evacuation, they still encountered many uncooperative and fearless individuals, and there were also some oversights... In short, some people were indeed affected by the aftershocks, resulting in injuries or deaths, but the military did its best to minimize these losses.

Secondly, there are those wounded in the battle.

Nephalem, Athosher, and Ying Qin Guan were all seriously injured, with Ying Qin Guan suffering the most severe injuries. He was blinded, lost half of his heart, had a pierced chest, and a large gash in his abdomen. However, his vitality was incredibly strong, and he was not in much danger of death. After emergency treatment, he was sent to the Seven Luminaries overnight. Nephalem and Athosher, on the other hand, would need to continue recuperating in Osaka for a few more days before being sent to the Seven Luminaries.

—The Seven Luminaries and the City of Truth are the two cities with the best medical conditions and methods, and many things are only available in these two places.

Then, another injured person, but one who had to be singled out.

Himura Tan Sakura.

Because of his physical limitations, he was nearly killed by Ye Jiaofang's single blow after his internal energy was exhausted. It's fair to say he was the peerless master with the lowest margin for error. But in the end, he didn't die... At the last moment, Feng Yunke ordered those around him to step back, and then had him inherit Feng Yunke's Undying Worm.

Relying on the Undying Worm's ability to revive the dead and heal the wounded, Himura Tan's health improved. Before she died, Feng Yunke left a note telling her that, based on past experience, repairing injuries of this severity would consume about twelve years of her lifespan, and that with Himura Tan's physique, she should be able to withstand the Undying Worm virus for about six years.

In other words, Himura Dan's remaining lifespan is basically less than or equal to six years—because as long as you are injured, the immortal insects will consume your lifespan to heal your injuries, and Himura Dan... he is a restless person, and he also has a restless partner.

Then there are the sisters, Shinshin and Shinku. Their injuries are quite peculiar. Shinshin lost a lot because of her ability as a child of man, while Shinku was treated by the military, but it's hard to say whether she has any aftereffects.

As for the dead, the number was even greater; the price paid to deal with Ye Jiaofang was simply too high.

However, in the end, it was the best possible outcome.

The military's initial best-case scenario was to make peace with Ye Jiaofang or capture him to extract crucial intelligence. However, the latter was clearly unrealistic, and as for the former, Ye Jiaofang not only aspired to become a Progenitor of the Alien Race but also had direct connections to it, showing no intention of making peace or cooperating. Ultimately, the fact that no one else had any say in the epic battle between Ying Qin Pass and Ye Jiaofang became irrelevant.

Yes, after the possibility of making peace and capturing him alive was no longer possible, killing Ye Jiaofang was the best option. A person who lived as long as the Ancestor, possessed power comparable to or even surpassing the Ancestor, had methods at the level of a half-Ancestor, and also wanted to become the Ancestor and had the means to do so... When a person meets all of these conditions, then his threat level is not much different from that of the Ancestor, or even higher.

This is probably the only consolation in this battle: Ye Jiao was killed last. Otherwise, he could have caused a huge disturbance, come and go as he pleased, and completely outmaneuvered the entire military.

"Regarding this matter... we should be thankful that guy was incompetent."

Shen Xin held up the small blackboard, without explicitly stating who it was, but Yu Xietian understood and whispered, "The Clown..."

This guy... well, I'm speechless. Let's move on.

Although I felt that the other party's actions were simply idiotic, it didn't seem out of place... Perhaps the cooperation between the other party and Ye Jiaofang was not solid from the beginning.

As Shinshin was scribbling on the blackboard, the door to the coffee shop was suddenly pushed open, and a woman walked in. Shinshin glanced at her and felt that she looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was Yoshiwara's Tsukimei.

She looked tired, her hair was messy, her clothes were covered in dust, and her dark circles were very obvious. She no longer had the composure and elegance she had shown the last time we met.

She saw the Yorozuya duo, but didn't greet them. She found a seat by the window, sat down, and then stared straight out the window.

Yu Xietian followed her gaze and saw someone walking by outside.

The man, dressed in a cherry-colored ronin outfit, walked past the coffee shop with his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Yueming stared blankly at his retreating figure until it disappeared from sight.

She lowered her head, as if she wanted to sigh, but when she took a breath, it felt like she was suffocating. Two lines of tears streamed down her face, but she did not show any expression.

She stood up and fled the place as if she were escaping.

The two from Yorozuya watched the entire process.

Yu Xietian looked at Shenxin, only to find that Shenxin was also looking at the departing Feicun Tan Ying, or rather, the immortal worm on his body, or even the God of War.

The son of man and that immortal worm... seem to have many similarities.

After a long, long time, Shenxin withdrew his gaze and wrote a sentence on the blackboard as a final summary.

"An endless cycle of reincarnation, a..."

"An eternal curse."

Interlude

".."

The man who had lost an eye sat in the dimly lit room, his legs crossed and propped up on the table. He held the pipe he had brought back from Yingman in his hand, taking a few puffs here and there. His expression was calm, and his eyes were deep.

Even before this incident began, he had anticipated most of the possibilities. The best-case scenario was that Ye Jiaofang would successfully inherit the ancestral destiny, and then he would take action and use his methods to kill Ying Qin Guan. The worst-case scenario... well, let's not go into those. The current situation is basically the worst-case scenario.

Yes, this is basically the worst-case scenario the man had imagined... The ritual failed, Ye Jiaofang died, and before he died, he even managed to make Wang Qiushui disappear. The clown's series of lousy actions were completely useless, and he even got himself involved. Although he can definitely be easily resurrected, after this incident, he probably won't have any illusions about this guy anymore.

Ye Jiaofang and the Clown, both of their insurance policies failed, leaving him with the bad news that the Red Emperor was still alive. If there was any variable involved, it was probably Cain, whose appearance was completely unpredictable.

Who could have imagined that behind that door, there would be someone devoured by the Existence Butterfly? The man didn't know Feng Yunke's specific reaction. But he felt that Feng Yunke, or rather, the God of War, probably didn't know either. The Existence Butterfly was such a terrifying weapon; people wouldn't remember ever using it, and even if they did, they wouldn't know who they used it against.

The man exhaled a puff of smoke. Despite the dire situation, he didn't seem too affected. Compared to the battle where he lost almost his entire fortune, the death of an old ally and the addition of an enemy he had already defeated once were nothing to worry about.

"However... considering all this, the matter of replacing the Earth Mother Goddess's destiny must be put on the agenda. The Ancestor's methods are boundless; we can't afford to make a mistake and end up doing all the work for someone else."

"The development of anti-detached equipment has reached its final stage, but unfortunately I went to Sakura-man during this time, so the development cannot continue... Moreover, it will have to be put on hold for a while, as all my energy must be focused on the destiny of the Earth Mother Goddess."

"Passerby, apocalypse, Black Dragon Ruins..."

His expression was calm, neither sad nor happy.

"As expected, I have to personally bring this to a close. It's a pity...it will still be some time. By then, you'll probably be fully recovered."

【"Oh.."】

-

The Seven Luminaries City, one of the most developed cities in the world, was for a period of time affectionately called "Little Black Dragon"—of course, Black Dragon was soon exposed for its wildly skewed technological development.

If you ask where in the world the best medical conditions are, you'll only get two answers: the Seven Luminaries City and the City of Truth.

Ying Qin was sent to the Seven Luminaries Capital overnight and received the best medical treatment... but now it seems somewhat unnecessary.

His vitality was unbelievably strong, almost like a great man who had "not yet completed his historic mission." Even the heavens refused to take him away. The word "death" was completely irrelevant to him. His attending physician even joked that he wouldn't die even if he healed himself; it would just take a little longer.

However, even so, hospitalization is still necessary, and a period of rest is unavoidable; the heart needs time to recover. As for the eyes... that was no longer a problem by the Second Alchemical Revolution, let alone just being blinded. Even if all organs related to vision were to perish, modern medicine could easily handle it. Since the Third Alchemical Revolution, there has been a saying that "money can cure any disease."

Of course, Shenzhou-9, which is directly deprived of its visual abilities from an occult perspective, is clearly not something the medical industry can solve.

Therefore, Ye Jiaofang preferred to sever his arm rather than allow Ying Qin Guan's internal energy to enter his body. Being invaded by internal energy made him more difficult to fight, and replacing his arm wasn't difficult either. However, the Undying Worm's core competitiveness wouldn't diminish because of this. It provides a recovery buff during battle, a feature that will remain irreplaceable even a thousand years from now.

After treatment, Ying Qin Guan regained his initial vision in just five days. Subsequently, at Ying Qin Guan's request, some of the devices fitted on him were removed; these devices were meant to aid his recovery. However, Ying Qin Guan felt he didn't need them... mainly because these things were heavy and bulky, which was extremely uncomfortable for a martial artist who even had to take off his down jacket during fights.

He returned to the ward, where a Nephalem lay on the bed next to him—he had made an urgent request and was then sent back to the Seven Stars on July 19th. The military then decided to put them together, since they were both in the same boat.

Ying Qin Guan returned to his room, and Nefertari immediately asked, "How are you feeling?"

Ying Qin Guan sat back down on the hospital bed and casually asked, "Which aspect are you referring to?"

"Body."

"The recovery is going well."

"Ah... I'm so envious, I'm almost at my limit here."

"..." Ying Qin Guan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "You didn't say that when you dismantled the equipment and sneaked out to eat hot pot yesterday."

Yes, yesterday, the Nephalem couldn't resist the urge to ditch its protective gear and went out for a nice meal. Naturally, it was carried back, and today its condition has worsened. While it's unlikely to be life-threatening, it will certainly be uncomfortable for a while. This is what happens to those who don't follow medical advice.

"Lying in the hospital bed every day, drinking that nutritional solution that they won't even add a drop of sugar to, my mouth is getting so bland." Nefertari sighed, feeling quite regretful about his actions yesterday—of course, this regret had already been there the moment he finished eating.

"Are you a child...?"

Ying Qin Guan shook his head helplessly.

Nephalem didn't care about the matter; he simply reminisced about yesterday's meal, as if he could taste a lingering flavor from his memory.

After a moment of silence, the Nephalem suddenly asked, "Speaking of which... what's inside that pillar of light over there?"

This has always been a mystery. No one has asked Ying Qin Guan about it. Ying Qin Guan only vaguely said that he saw the clown inside.

"What is it..." Ying Qin Guan paused slightly, then said, "Those things are a bit complicated to explain."

Nephalem readily agreed, "Then let's get straight to the point."

".."

Ying Qin Guan remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"If I had to summarize it in some way, then I would probably say..."

He looked up, thought for a moment, and was about to speak when he suddenly caught a ray of sunlight shining in through the window, and he was stunned.

Nephalem urged, "What's wrong? Tell me."

Ying Qin Guan withdrew his gaze and inexplicably smiled.

“Sorry,” he said, “I’ve forgotten everything.”

Chapter One Visit

dong dong.

A rhythmic knocking sounded, followed by an elegant female voice.

"It's a woman. She heard that you two were hospitalized and came to visit you."

Lying on the hospital bed, Ying Qin Guan and Nephalem exchanged a glance. The military hadn't made their injuries a top secret. The Sakura incident was publicly known as being about killing a mythical creature... Does that sound familiar? The Crimson Beast gave a thumbs up.

This time, the fight in Yingman caused quite a stir... However, to be fair, the battle between Ying Qin Pass and the Earth Mother Goddess on Huanxing Plains actually caused an even bigger commotion. Although the Earth Mother Goddess's direct combat strength was inferior to Ye Jiaofang's, she unleashed a considerable number of area-of-effect attacks.

These logistical tasks were naturally handled by the military. They must be facing a period of hectic activity ahead.

But none of this concerns Ying Qin Guan and Nephalem, who are already recuperating in the Seven Luminaries. Look, someone has come to visit them; as for who it is... judging from their self-identification, it should be easy to guess.

The Nephalem said, "Please come in."