Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

Zhao Yunxian looked at Ying Qin Guan, whose expression was calm.

Both of them understood that it was different, but Zhao Yunxian didn't need to ask anymore; giving an irrelevant answer was also an answer.

Zhao Yunxian chuckled softly, closed the door, and left only her last words echoing in the room.

"Then you should search with all your might, but don't expect them to choose you."

Ying Qin Guan looked out the window and saw that some people had already started wearing long sleeves, indicating that this scorching summer was coming to an end.

Chapter One: Undercurrents

"You're always trying to play tricks on me."

Ji Chaoge put down his pipe, his tone tinged with amusement.

Not long ago, Xun Jiang handed over half of the control over the demi-humans... 60 million. Ji Chaoge was certain that the other party controlled more than 120 million demi-humans, but 60 million was more than enough.

However... of these 60 million, almost the majority are the elderly, the infirm, the disabled, and children. Moreover, they are all from individual families; if one is exposed, the others are all implicated. High-ranking officials, wealthy people, magicians, martial artists, and even those with high social status are few and far between.

Without a doubt, Xunjiang kept the truly elite portion of the demi-humans in his hands, only giving Ji Chaoge some that he thought could be discarded.

Ji Chaoge found this behavior utterly foolish. Xun Jiang had failed to grasp the true terror of the demi-human race from a higher perspective. Whether the demi-humans were elites or not was irrelevant; what truly mattered was their sheer numbers. The demi-humans didn't need to seize power through violence; they would become the regime themselves sooner or later... provided, of course, that Ji Chaoge was defeated.

Xun Jiang had given Ji Chaoge a rather unpleasant experience... Of course, there were some elites among the 60 million people. After all, if all 60 million were ordinary people, Xun Jiang himself wouldn't be able to explain himself properly; it would be too perfunctory.

Ji Chaoge didn't care much. Let alone 60 million, even 6 million would be enough for him to turn the world upside down. Xun Jiang could be considered an excellent commander. But there was still a huge gap between his military skills and Ji Chaoge's, not to mention the difference in their methods and techniques.

Cain's appearance also turned what should have been five-star missions, which were supposed to be completed by Wang Qiushui, into one-star missions. Although high-ranking officials and soldiers are both expendable during wartime, there are always some key figures who are irreplaceable.

"What a pity... if only I could have taken Wang Qiushui with me."

Such a thought popped into Ji Chaoge's mind.

Actually, he wasn't someone who particularly liked to betray those he had helped; he simply objectively and accurately assessed the level of threat each person posed to him. And some people were just too threatening... Back then, Hongyan told Himura Tan's wife that if she worked for him, as long as she didn't betray him, she would have a good ending. This was the truth, and Ji Chaoge never cared about loyalty or disloyalty.

"She will definitely go back there... It's a pity Cain isn't willing to wait there."

Ji Chaoge knew Wang Qiushui would definitely return to that basement. However, Cain was unwilling to wait there. Although Cain suggested that Ji Chaoge could install a surveillance camera and notify him when Wang Qiushui arrived, Ji Chaoge didn't believe Cain could kill Wang Qiushui given his attitude. It was obvious that Wang Qiushui's vigilance was at its highest point, and Cain's leisurely pace made it highly likely he would fail.

"And your life is coming to an end, isn't it?"

Ji Chaoge pulled up the surveillance footage from that time, glanced at it, and confirmed Wang Qiushui's body language at the time. She was wearing a golden mask, so her expression couldn't be seen, but her body language alone was enough for Ji Chaoge to analyze her inner thoughts. Wang Qiushui was very anxious, and there was no need to elaborate on what was urgent.

With the death of Marquis Mingxuan, Ye Jiaofang also frankly admitted that he had sensed the end of his life. So, Wang Qiushui will probably be the same, dying of old age as well.

She was one of Ji Chaoge's top three variables. When someone is about to die, they might make all sorts of crazy decisions, which are unpredictable. Especially since she could fly around the entire map randomly, who knows what kind of trouble she might cause.

"Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to deal with her right now. Although the stability would be slightly improved if we waited until she died of old age to restart the plan, we can't afford to drag it out for this person..."

Ji Chaoge's gaze was deep and unfathomable; she knew that moment was approaching.

-

"I'm back..."

In a chaotic province, inside an ordinary inn, Ji Qiuming threw a punch, his body brimming with continuous power. He unleashed hundreds of punches in succession, the powerful force radiating outwards. Even without using internal energy, its might was astonishing. Ji Qiuming used all his strength in every punch, yet his body felt no fatigue or soreness whatsoever. He was certain that he had returned.

Ji Qiuming, apart from a slight deficiency in martial arts skills, has already reached the hard standard of a peerless master in all other attributes. However, the deficiency in martial arts skills can be made up for by his dynamic vision and reaction speed, which are close to Ye Jiaofang's level. In terms of combat power, he is already a true peerless master, unparalleled and invincible in any era of human history.

For nearly a month, Ji Qiuming remained in the Chaotic Province, waiting to recover to his peak condition. He was always cautious in his actions. At the same time, he also purchased some medicines on the black market in the Chaotic Province.

He now knew that the Black Dragon Emperor was Ji Chaoge, a name Ji Fenming had mentioned to him before. However, Ji Qiuming didn't care... and wouldn't seek his help.

Back when he didn't know that the Black Dragon Emperor was Ji Chaoge, Ji Chaoge had told him that Ji Fenming had fallen into a coma and was being studied by the military. Moreover, in order to prevent him from suddenly waking up, they would definitely have to do some precautions.

Ji Qiuming could guess what these insurance jobs entailed without Ji Chaoge explaining. He didn't know how to save Ji Fenming's life, so he could only do his best to collect as many medicines as possible, and if necessary, he would have to kidnap a magician in the City of Truth.

As for what happened after that... I don't know, Ji Qiuming was no longer able to think about those things.

He neither wanted to nor had the capacity to think about the mysteries surrounding Ji Chaoge.

He had been preparing for this for a long time, and on August 25th, he finally completed what he considered to be perfect preparations... though they were far from complete. But given Ji Qiuming's current situation, there was no way to do any better.

Ji Qiuming felt an immense weariness. Ever since he learned of his identity as a rebellious ghost, this weariness had haunted him. In less than a year, he had been caught between the illusion of a mirage, the remnants of the Black Dragon Clan, and then discovered that Ying Qin Guan was actually the nameless swordsman of Southern Qin. Ji Chaoge had inexplicably become the Black Dragon Emperor, and he himself had been possessed by the Ancestor. Now, he had less than half a month left to live.

Ji Chaoge's attitude, Hongyan's attitude, and the Ancestor's attitude made Ji Chaoge clearly realize that he was nothing more than a pawn caught up in the tide of the times. He could no longer hope for life, let alone freedom.

I can only finish this last thing before everything is over. If all goes well, I might even be able to complete the second most important task. After all, by the time I reach the City of Truth, it will be around that time...

"Let it all end... I'm so tired."

Chapter Two: Undercurrents

Ji Chaoge's guess was quite accurate. Wang Qiushui was indeed at a critical moment, and she was about to follow in the footsteps of Marquis Mingxuan and Ye Jiaofang, heading towards death.

The difference is that Mingxuan Hou never expected that he would actually die. He just felt that something was wrong with him and wanted to argue with Ji Chaoge. As a result, this argument led to his death. As for Ye Jiaofang, he could clearly sense his death date. Because of their different individual martial strength and understanding of the structure of life, their perception of death was also different.

Wang Qiushui was caught in the middle of them. She could sense that death was coming, but she didn't know exactly when.

Those short-lived beings who have never experienced longevity often try to guess the thoughts of long-lived beings and label them with extremely impressionistic tags, such as "people who live a long time are either not afraid of death or are very afraid of death." In fact, each long-lived being has their own thoughts. For example, there is the clown who is not afraid of death at all, and the immortal worm who is so afraid of death that he can give up everything.

—Although it shouldn't be emphasized, I'll mention it anyway: the Joker isn't afraid of death, not because he can be resurrected, but because he's genuinely fearless.

So, is Wang Qiushui, who is also considered half a long-lived being, afraid of death?

The answer is that they are somewhat afraid, but not nearly as afraid as the immortal worm. The immortal worm's fear of death is practically etched into its DNA.

During the time the Black Dragon Emperor was out of contact, Wang Qiushui gained a sense of his predicament. She used to disappear at the drop of a hat, no matter who she was dealing with. Because of her unique spatial magic, only she could actively seek out others; no one could actively seek her out. Now, she was getting her comeuppance, as she herself couldn't find him.

Wang Qiushui could only focus his energy on prolonging his life.

Her, Ye Jiaofang's, and Mingxuan Hou's methods for prolonging life are largely similar, basically relying on special alien races or unique magical beasts like undead worms. However, these methods develop resistance over time, and it seems that a thousand years is roughly the limit; their lifespans can no longer be extended by these methods.

These methods had become useless, so Wang Qiushui had no choice but to resort to his last resort.

That was an unfinished gene optimization surgery left behind by Marquis Mingxuan before his death. Combining magic and rituals, according to her theory, it could prolong a person's life to a certain extent. However, the surgery was not completed before Marquis Mingxuan died.

Over the years, Wang Qiushui has tried to complete it, with occasional successes, but she still dares not say that she has completely finished it... However, she has no other choice.

In the past two weeks, Wang Qiushui has been running around searching for materials. She is very efficient and has gathered what an ordinary person would not be able to gather in ten years in less than two weeks.

Next, it was time to optimize his genes... Wang Qiushui didn't trust the Black Dragon Emperor at all. However, this was a mistake; the Black Dragon Emperor's genetic abilities were beyond what was simply a matter of being born with a natural gift.

To put it simply, if his knowledge and wisdom are not inherited, then in another thousand years, anti-separation technology and the magic network will all be cracked and far surpassed. Only in terms of genes, in another thousand years, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to rival him.

If Wang Qiushui had sought advice from the Black Dragon Emperor before Cain appeared, the emperor would probably have shared everything he knew... But how to put it, no one has ever truly understood Ji Chaoge. His brother, his parents, his subordinates, his partners, his enemies—no one has ever truly understood him. Everyone sees him as the embodiment of ambition and desire, a madman destined to overthrow the world—that's all there is to his impression.

Therefore, Wang Qiushui dared not ask him for advice... Of course, given the Black Dragon Emperor's level of expertise, leaving something behind and sending Wang Qiushui away would be too easy.

This surgery will last a long time...it probably won't be completely finished until early September.

Wang Qiushui finally went to the grave of Marquis Mingxuan and brought a bouquet of flowers. Then she began the surgery that would take her to an unknown destination.

The moment she lay down, she felt surprisingly calm, without much unease or panic.

"Will this be the end of this long journey?"

-

"Scatter the flowers!"

A streak of silver light flashed by, and a soft sound like flowing water echoed through the dense forest. The monster "Ghost Eater," which lived deep in the mountains and forests, slowly collapsed. Its body was enormous and its weight was even more exaggerated. The moment it fell, it seemed as if the entire forest trembled slightly.

Himura Tanzaku brushed the dust off his clothes, exhaled for a moment, and relieved his physical fatigue.

He is currently in the Ensfia Great Forest, a remote and harsh forest that has given rise to many magical beasts—the harsher the environment, the easier it is for plants and animals to evolve into magical beasts.

"She really knows how to order people around."

After catching his breath for a moment, Himura Tan's sword was drawn, and he gouged out the cantaloupe-sized eyes of the "ghost eater". He came here because of Ji Chaoge's instructions. Ji Chaoge really treated him like a black slave, giving him one task after another, and making Himura Tan's sword do all the dirty and hard work. In less than a month and a half under Ji Chaoge's command, he felt like he had aged twenty years.

However, Himura Tan's reward wasn't entirely empty-handed... After the ceremony at the end of July, Hime Asaka revealed her true abilities, handing Himura Tan's data—research on the immortal worm virus—to him.

Himura Tan's completely misunderstood Ji Chaoge's methods. Ji Chaoge had promised Himura Tan's help to solve the hidden danger of the Undying Worm. Himura Tan's thought that it meant he would inherit the fate of the progenitor. It's not his fault. If ten people came, all ten of them would think that way. Ji Chaoge had also hinted at that at the time. Even Hongyan thought that Ji Chaoge intended to do that. But in reality, there was no need to do that at all.

Ji Chaoge has conducted considerable research on the Undying Worm Virus. Although she has only studied a portion of it and only understands a little, Himura Tan's realization is that Ji Chaoge doesn't need the Ancestor at all; she can solve the Undying Worm Virus on her own.

They had already achieved the ability to enjoy the high regeneration provided by the Undead Worm without being harmed by its virus. Their research even indicated that the next step was to reduce, or even eliminate, the cost of lifespan while still achieving the Undead Worm's high regeneration. Unfortunately, the Black Dragon Capital was struck by the apocalypse, and this research came to a halt.

"He could have told me about this before the end of July, but he didn't..."

Hishimura Tan's heart trembled as he recalled this matter. He had believed it was his only chance in this life, and even after being warned by the hazy figure, he had still considered it several times. Hime Chaoge could have told him the truth, which would have surely made Hishimura Tan give up his thoughts, but he deliberately remained silent.

"So wicked, like a devil. Is this a warning... no, a test? And it seems I've passed. But where does the name Ji Chaoge come from...?"

Chapter Three: Undercurrents

"ah..!"

From deep within the villa's basement came a chilling scream.

The ghost, whose face appeared extremely sinister and fierce due to the absence of eyebrows, sat on the sofa, glanced at the entrance to the basement, and asked in a low voice, "Has he always been like this?"

“That’s how it is when it’s acting up,” another middle-aged man replied, carefully wiping his longsword. He didn’t use a sword in actual combat; it was a collectible.

"I've stayed in that small town for quite a while now, but I never imagined that Gu Xuan would end up like this," Youjing sighed softly. "Even His Majesty couldn't do anything about it?"

“I didn’t dare to say it.” The middle-aged man shook his head. “His Majesty also used that medicine back then, and he didn’t even blink. Ji Fenming also used this medicine, and he didn’t have any side effects. Only he became like this after using the medicine, and it was all psychological. He couldn’t get over it himself, so how could he dare to speak to His Majesty?”

The spirit nodded slightly in agreement.

"Too.."

The person who fell ill in the basement was Fu Feihan's master, Gu Xuan, a wanted officer of the military, while the two sitting upstairs were the other two of the Three Souls.

Gu Xuan had fought Ying Qin Guan on the Huanxing Plains and was defeated. However, at that time, the Earth Mother Goddess awakened, and Ying Qin Guan didn't have time to use any more methods. He could only severely injure Gu Xuan, inflicting an injury that would indeed render Gu Xuan unable to move. Gu Xuan used a secret medicine to escape. But that medicine had an extremely serious side effect.

That is "pain".

It hurts, it hurts terribly, it hurts beyond the limits of human imagination.

A martial artist of Gu Xuan's caliber can sit calmly as a needle pierces his eyeball if the battle demands it, break his own arm without hesitation, and use his ribs as weapons. To escape the enemy's control, he can twist his limbs into a pretzel. The tough guys in movies who break out in a cold sweat without anesthesia when removing bullets are nothing compared to him, like pretty boys who have to go to the hospital for a scrape.

However, even someone like Gu Xuan could not resist the pain brought by the secret medicine. The pain, which penetrated to the bone marrow and struck the soul, would surge like waves from time to time, engulfing him. When the disease flared up, it would be like this now.

"But is this really a good thing?" Shuangling whispered, "Although His Majesty didn't say it directly, it's probably about to begin, given his current state..."

“Whether you say it or not, it’s all the same.” Youjing said calmly. “If Your Majesty had had the time back then, that secret medicine wouldn’t have had such severe side effects. Now that the situation is critical, how could Your Majesty possibly have time to research these things? Besides, Your Majesty and that person can both hold on… they simply can’t bring themselves to speak up.”

"I'm just worried that he might mess up on the final battlefield. The three of us, and many, many rats born in the sewers, are all counting on this moment."

"Don't overestimate yourself," said Youjing. "If the final battle is affected by insignificant figures like us, His Majesty will laugh his head off."