Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

Three top-tier fighters ran in different directions. Even if Ying Qin Guan arrived, he could only kill one instantly and chase down another. The fate of the third depended on the specific circumstances. Let alone Hisumura Tan's, but whether he killed her or not was almost the same. Hisumura Tan's ability to repel all of them meant that no one dared to set foot in the ceremony's location. Hisumura Tan's allure was too strong, but precisely because of this, he dared not make a move.

The greatest contempt you can show to yourself is to treat your enemies as fools.

Himura Tan's observation also revealed that Wenren Geshi was a martial artist. However, his talent in this area was only average, at a second or third-rate level, even inferior to Zhong Hongyu. Moreover, Ji Chaoge was probably also a second or third-rate magician... He was already a de facto but unnamed god-level alchemist, so logically speaking, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume he was a second or third-rate magician.

In other words, before inheriting the destiny, Wenren Geshi certainly wouldn't have any combat power. So who could he rely on? The clown? That's possible, but... would Wenren Geshi really expect someone like the clown to protect him? After the Sakura incident, even Himura Tan Sakura, who was only a semi-outsider, realized the clown's unreliability. Wenren Geshi should have felt it even more clearly. So the biggest variable...

Himura Tanzaku naturally turned to the side, glancing at the man in black robes out of the corner of her eye.

That should be the only one.

"The ceremony should be held at exactly 12:00..."

Although neither the mysterious person on the plane nor Ji Chaoge mentioned it, Hisumura Tan's research on mysticism is quite extensive. Twelve o'clock and twenty-four o'clock are the two most common times in mysticism, not to mention the time when Ji Chaoge convened the meeting. It is clear that the specific time for the ceremony is noon.

"The time is 11:42:30. If you're going to make a decision, you should."

Himura Tan's spirit remained undiminished, despite the mysterious man's warning and Wenren Geshi's unusually confident summons.

How could I possibly be content to do nothing?

This might truly be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he misses it, how long will he have to wait? The Undying Worm virus lurks within his body, and it will erupt in a few years. And in thousands of years, only one progenitor has died—the Earth Mother Goddess. When will he be able to kill another progenitor? Will it even be his turn? Besides, Shen Jiu will awaken sooner or later. Even if the Black Dragon Emperor truly grants him what he promised, the ritual will inevitably be interrupted then.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Yes, no one can give up such an opportunity, because from any perspective, it's a golden chance that won't come again. Himura Danzai is a person with extremely strong willpower. That's why she's still struggling. If it were an ordinary person, they would have already jumped in headfirst. People always have all sorts of wishful thinking, thinking about "what ifs," thinking about what might happen.

Ji Chaoge's gaze swept over Hisumura Tan's, intentionally or unintentionally, before glancing at his watch.

It's 11:46... a little over 13 minutes left.

"Not going to make a move? That surprises me. Who reminded you... Even so, probably no third person would do this. What a busybody."

"However, you're not the main character either."

He glanced at the man in black robes, then at Ji Qiuming, who was rubbing his temples and seemed to be in poor condition.

Himura Tan's figure stood at a crossroads of fate, his heart pounding uncontrollably. The mysterious figure on the plane was of unknown origin and purpose, but now, having witnessed so much, Himura Tan's figured this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Moreover, he was undoubtedly at his strongest since birth, while his enemies were all at their lowest point, and he had no fear of external influences. Perhaps, he was destined to be a calamity...

"Should we make a move?! Let's do it! If we don't act now, when will we?!"

Hisumura Danzao's arm, clad in ronin's clothes, gently touched the long sword.

At the same time, Ji Qiuming suddenly felt nauseous. This feeling came out of nowhere, like taking another sip after drinking two and a half jin of 65-proof liquor. His body clearly expressed that he had completely collapsed and reached his limit. The urge to vomit came over him. Ji Qiuming bent over abruptly, trying to vomit something... but he vomited nothing.

A touch of crimson crimson crept into his eyes and instantly took over everything!

Chapter Forty-Five: The Red Emperor

"What's wrong?!"

Ji Qiuming's sudden movement attracted the attention of the Black Dragon remnants. Hishimura Tan's eyes also turned to look, but she did not take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. As for the human calamity, not only Wenren Geshi was thinking about it, but Hishimura Tan's eyes were also on whether it was her. Now that other strange things were happening, she naturally decided to wait and see.

Ji Qiuming slowly straightened up... His black hair was disheveled, and his scarlet pupils exuded an astonishing aura.

"Ji Chaoge..." Ji Qiuming spoke, his tone strange, his voice hoarse, uttering a name unfamiliar to everyone present, "Do you still remember me...?"

Everyone here knows that Ji Chaoge is Wenren Geshi. But few people know that Wenren Geshi is actually Ji Chaoge.

The name was certainly unfamiliar, but there was simply no time to make any connections to this completely unknown name. After all, the surname Ji wasn't exactly rare.

"Of course," Ji Chaoge replied calmly. "I haven't forgotten how horribly you died. It disgusted me so much that I couldn't eat for three hours."

“Three hours? Sounds like I’m dying cheaply…” Ji Qiuming laughed and took a step toward Ji Chaoge.

Just as the three souls were about to make a move, Ji Chaoge's indifferent voice rang out.

"Step back. Do you think you're Ye Jiaofang?"

The three souls were slightly taken aback. Even they didn't know that Ye Jiaofang had once joined Ji Chaoge in besieging the Red Emperor. But at this moment, they understood the meaning behind Ji Chaoge's words: Ye Jiaofang had fought against someone who was clearly no longer "Ji Qiuming".

Ji Qiuming walked slowly, unhurried, his eyes sparkling with a joyful glint of revenge.

"Ye Jiaofang... what a nostalgic name. How is he? Why isn't he here?"

“If he were here, you probably wouldn’t be so composed.” Ji Chaoge shook her head meaningfully and said, “He’s dead.”

"...?" Ji Qiuming's face showed surprise, but the expression was somewhat stiff. Of course, Ji Qiuming's expressions in his twenty years of life hadn't changed as much as in these ten seconds. "Dead...? Died of old age?"

Dying of old age sounds like a ridiculous way to die, but for someone of Ye Jiaofang's caliber, it's actually the most normal way to die. Ji Qiuming doesn't think anyone can kill him with force. As for dying of old age, no matter how strong a person is, he's still human. At Ye Jiaofang's age, he can only survive by relying on his special connection with mythical creatures and various taboos. Dying of old age is indeed the most reasonable guess.

“He was beaten to death.” Ji Chaoge’s pupils were deep as he said, “Red Emperor, it seems you have indeed been asleep for a long time and do not know what has happened outside.”

Red Emperor!

Within the broad category of "Alien Races," this name's fame is second only to Kui and the Clown. It even surpasses the legendary beauty who became a god, the passerby whose threat to humanity is off the charts, the Red Emperor, and the progenitor of the rebellious demons!

Everyone present was shocked, and their three souls felt a chill run through their bodies... The Ancestor!

The ultimate creature that truly stands at the top of the food chain is a hidden boss that even humans may not be qualified to challenge in the next version. Who wouldn't fear the name of the progenitor?!

"That's not my name... No, it doesn't matter."

The Red Emperor smiled. Of course, he wasn't called the Red Emperor. "Red Emperor," or "Passerby," were names humans came up with based on the characteristics of the corresponding alien race. And that's how he was called. The progenitor himself never actually said, "That's my name." But over time, it just stuck. Sometimes, if changing something becomes too costly, the wrong thing is simply corrected. The Red Emperor was clearly one such example; he was too lazy to change his title.

"I seem to have been asleep for a long time, Ji Chaoge. You look quite disheveled... But that's not important. You said Ye Jiaofang was beaten to death... What, did he perish together with that madman from the earth? No, that madman wasn't that good at fighting... What happened?"

Ji Chaoge, seized by a playful impulse, pulled a pipe from his robes and sang in a voice as if performing an opera:

Have you heard the story of the nameless swordsman from Southern Qin?

"..?"

"It seems not." Ji Chaoge smiled, lit the pipe, and a magic circuit formed on it. It was immediately activated. This scene was witnessed by the Red Emperor, but he didn't care.

"What are you still struggling for?" the Red Emperor laughed loudly. "You don't think you can escape from me, do you?"

You have some misunderstandings about me.

"Misunderstand?"

"Yes, it's a misunderstanding."

"Tell me, someone like you probably wouldn't beg for mercy at the end, would you? That would be too ugly, and it would make me feel that this revenge would lose its value and beauty."

Neither of them was in a hurry, so they started chatting.

"Are they stalling for time...?"

The two of them weren't in a hurry, but the emperor wasn't worried while the eunuchs were. Sanhun and Hishimura Tan's companions were really anxious, but no one dared to make a move and could only guess in their hearts.

Their consensus was that Wenren Geshi... or rather Ji Chaoge, was stalling for time, trying to drag the time until exactly midnight to carry out the ceremony, because at present, the ceremony seemed to be the only variable.

"Do you think the Red Emperor doesn't know about this? Why hasn't he taken action yet...?!"

Regardless of outsiders' speculations, the conversation between the two continued.

“I never intended to escape from you,” Ji Chaoge said. “From beginning to end, I’ve been wondering if you can pull off the same trick again and escape with your life.”

The Red Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly.

"...You're not one to be stubborn, but you're also full of lies. Are you serious? If this is your last word, I hope you won't regret it."

Ji Chaoge smiled and said, "If I said I guessed a long time ago that you would be resurrected inside Ji Qiuming's body, would you believe me?"

The Red Emperor looked at Ji Chaoge, and after a moment, he slowly but firmly shook his head.

He was incredibly stubborn, even more so than the Earth Mother Goddess. While the Earth Mother Goddess knew to run away when she couldn't defeat Ying Qin Guan and the God of War, he chose to fight Ye Jiao Fang to the death.

“Then let me tell you what I’m thinking,” Ji Chaoge said.

"Speak." At this moment, the Red Emperor resembled Ji Qiuming somewhat, his face expressionless.

"Back then, Ye Jiaofang and I joined forces to kill you, but at the last moment, you altered your memories and hid a secret. This secret is your method of resurrection."

Ji Chaoge remained calm and said, "The Ancestor had two ways to be resurrected. One was the common thirty-six sacrifices, and the other was unique to him. You deleted the latter. At that time, I had some ideas, but I wasn't sure. Until recently, Ye Jiaofang launched the ritual, trying to inherit your destiny, but failed because you were not behind the door."

"After that, I was basically certain."

Chapter 46 Evidence and Preparation

(PS: 63 missing)

The Red Emperor did not speak, because it was not yet his time to speak. Ji Chaoge simply stated the facts without adding his own opinions or interpretations.

"The fact that your remnant soul wasn't behind the door is quite intriguing. There are two possibilities. First, you never really died. Second, before that, you used the second method of resurrection that was erased from your memory and resurrected prematurely."

"The first one will probably be eliminated soon; you couldn't possibly be alive. Otherwise, you would have come looking for me long ago. Your desire for revenge is so intense, like a bottle of fire that will take countless lives."

"Firewood" is a strong liquor produced in Polya, a border region of the Seven Luminaries. The area is bitterly cold, and people there need to drink to keep warm; the locals are accustomed to drinking Firewood. However, this liquor is extremely strong, with a pungent smell; once the cap is removed, the entire room is filled with the acrid odor of alcohol. As for the claim that it has cost countless lives... given the environment of Polya, the consequences of getting drunk and going out are self-evident.

The Red Emperor did not deny it, and said frankly: "I am indeed dead. Ye Jiaofang was too strong. I have never seen a God of War. He was the most powerful individual I have ever seen in history."

"Then, only the second possibility remains: you died, and then you were resurrected in a second way. So, what would that way be?"

"I made many guesses, and I won't reveal the wrong ones now to avoid embarrassing myself. Because no matter what, at least one of them was correct."

"Your thirst for revenge is very strong, Red Emperor... I was certain of that when you fought Ye Jiaofang. Back then, you obviously had a chance to escape. I don't know much about martial arts. But Ye Jiaofang told me that you had a chance to leave, but you didn't. So, I think you have a strong thirst for revenge, am I right?"

“I always seek revenge, and waiting until the next day would be an insult to those thirty-seven calamities.”

"But there's something strange. Even if you're really vengeful, why don't you leave? Why do you insist on staying? Are you so confident that we can't handle your legacy? Or perhaps you're very confident in your ability to alter memories?"

The Red Emperor remained silent, so Ji Chaoge continued speaking.

"I've thought about this a lot and finally come up with some plausible guesses, one of which I think is very reasonable."

"what?"

"Your second way of resurrection is to awaken within the body of another race of your own lineage, that is, within the body of the Rebellious Ghost, and then... be resurrected!"

Without giving anyone a chance to speak, Ji Chaoge spoke calmly and clearly, delivering these words at an astonishing speed.

"If that's the case, then everything makes sense. Why did you specifically modify the resurrection memories but not the ritual ones? Because your resurrection speed must be faster than the ritual's. Why were you able to escape from Ye Jiaofang but not run away? Because your desire for revenge is strong; you can't wait until tomorrow, you want to resurrect directly from my body, completing both revenge and resurrection simultaneously. And why were you so confident in letting your memories be viewed? Because Ye Jiaofang clearly doesn't understand those techniques, so I ended up handling them. When you resurrect within me, it'll be the same..."

Yes... if the Red Emperor's second method of resurrection really is awakening within the body of the Rebellious Demon, then everything makes sense, and all his strange choices are explained.

...The only question is why the Red Emperor ultimately chose to resurrect Ji Qiuming instead of Ji Chaoge.

This is precisely the most fatal and crucial point... at least that's how it seems to outsiders. But neither Ji Chaoge nor the Red Emperor discussed this issue.

...Because the Red Emperor only found out later, when he entered the gate intending to be resurrected, that Ji Chaoge was a top-notch biology expert before he even met him.

—It would be hard to vent the Red Emperor's hatred without using some profanity. Back when he was outside, he clearly sensed that Ji Chaoge was a rebellious ghost; he had even written the script. But when he went inside, he discovered that Ji Chaoge was more than just a rebellious ghost; he was truly...