Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

One of them was Nocturne, whom the entire Imperial Academy didn't know why she had disappeared at this time. But since she was Nocturne, it was normal for her to be here. The other person, with silver hair and a "you owe me money" look on his face, was Mu Nandong. His presence here was very unusual.

Although these two are known as the two walking libraries of the Imperial Household Agency, they are actually completely unrelated.

Nocturne appears and disappears mysteriously every day; no one knows where she will suddenly appear—only the goddess statue silently bears all the consequences. If a goddess truly exists in the world, then the first thing she would do would surely be to send Nocturne to the factory to tighten screws.

You dare say I'm inferior to you?!

Compared to Nocturne's elusive nature, Mu Nandong had a regular daily routine, going back and forth between four places every day: class, alchemy workshop, canteen, and dormitory. He even had a fixed diet.

His presence in this place is, undeniably, thanks to the pot of tea in front of Nocturne.

Mu Nandong is a connoisseur of tea, but he rarely drinks it. However, the pot of tea that Ye Qu placed on the table is something that no tea connoisseur can refuse, just as no nameless swordsman from Southern Qin can refuse a lord with low health.

Your Majesty is ready to fight to the death, but I beg Your Majesty to die first!

Your Majesty must die if I command it!

Nocturne invited Mu Nandong, who hesitated for a while before finally deciding to give it a try.

—To be honest, he earns a lot of money, but Mu Nandong rarely spends money to improve his quality of life. When he gets money, he just throws it back into that bottomless pit he has been researching.

"What does Teacher Mu think?" Nocturne asked with a smile, fanning himself.

She wore a light purple dress today, which made her look elegant and refined.

Mu Nandong's stern face softened somewhat as he said, "Nanqin's Immortal Wonder, Dragon Heart Special Supply Grade, I didn't expect you could get your hands on this. Its color, aroma, taste, and shape are all superb, and its taste is mellow and leaves an endless aftertaste... It is indeed a fine tea."

"If Teacher Mu likes it..." Nocturne drawled out, and after drawing Mu Nandong's attention, she smiled and said, "I can sell the woman to you at cost price."

Nocturne's deliberate omission earlier would have made almost anyone think she was going to give the tea away. Mu Nandong knew he had been tricked, but he didn't care. He shook his head and said, "No need. I won't spend money in a place like this."

"Life is short, only a few decades. Why doesn't Teacher Mu seize the time to enjoy life?" Nocturne asked with a smile.

"It is precisely because human life is finite that we should do things that are meaningful."

"Isn't pleasure meaningful?"

"That only has meaning for me."

These words seemed to refute Nocturne's statement, and she fell silent, fanning herself.

While the two remained silent, a platypus walked by.

Chapter Sixty-One 'Fear'

After getting lost (scratch that) and exploring the way several times, Ying Qin Guan finally figured out some of the roads inside the Imperial Courtyard. For example, when returning to the teachers' dormitory, he could pass through this red maple forest.

After teaching the Lihe Can Si Sword, he planned to go back to his dormitory to take a nap and then go check on the Qingcheng Cup tomorrow. If Jiu Yi was still there, he would point fingers at him from the side. Ying Qin Guan usually wouldn't do such a despicable thing, but Jiu Yi had really gone too far today, so he had to teach him a lesson.

Surprisingly, I saw Nocturne and Munan Dong here.

This surprised Ying Qin Guan.

Mu Nandong didn't seem like someone with leisurely pursuits. As for Nocturne... almost half the people in the Imperial Courtyard were curious about where Nocturne was tonight. There were enough people who wanted to say goodbye to her to form a whole class, but she was just drinking tea here... but since it was Nocturne, it was normal.

"Would you like to come up for a drink, Teacher Ying?" Nocturne asked with a smile. "The lady has prepared four tea sets."

Ying Qin Guan wasn't interested in tea, but the unusual combination of Ye Qu and Mu Nan Dong sitting together piqued his interest. He nodded and casually said, "I'd be honored to accept your offer. I do have some knowledge of tea."

Upon hearing this, Mu Nandong closed his eyes and shook his head. Ye Qu opened her fan with a whoosh, covering the lower half of her face, but her eyes narrowed slightly.

He sat down in a few steps, and Ye Qu brewed him a cup of tea. Ying Qin Guan took a small sip, and the tea was indeed good. Even someone like him who knew nothing about tea could feel the aroma filling his mouth.

Ying Qin Guan exclaimed, "Excellent tea!"

"If Teacher Ying likes it?" Nocturne drawled, laughing as Mu Nandong gave her a look that said, "You're doing this again." "The rest of these women can be given to you."

Mu Nandong nearly choked on his tea, casting a death stare at Ye Qu. Few in the Imperial Academy could withstand his gaze; even Jiu Yi, the spineless coward, would probably tremble at the sight of him the next day while playing cards. However, it was useless against Ye Qu; she maintained her smiling expression, unchanged.

"Is this alright?!" Ying Qin Guan didn't know anything about tea, but precisely because he didn't know anything about tea, he dared to accept it without hesitation. He immediately smiled and said, "I can't accept this at all, thank you so much, Teacher Ye Qu..."

"A meager gift, nothing special." Nocturne shook her fan, looked at the bright moon in the sky, and sighed, "After tonight, the Imperial Court will lose many more people."

“There will be new ones next year.” Mu Nandong said in a cold voice. “This is nothing to be sad about. They are moving forward. Those who are here, those who are leaving, and those who are coming here are all moving forward. Moving forward is a good thing.”

Nocturne closed her fan, a rare hint of helpless smile appearing on her face. "Teacher Mu, you're always like this. I won't be able to invite you to banquets anymore."

"casual."

Mu Nandong finished his tea and got up to leave.

Ying Qin Guan stood aside without daring to utter a sound. After Mu Nan Dong left, he took a small sip of tea and said, "Mu Nan Dong always... how should I put it, doesn't waste time on things he considers meaningless."

"Because he has a goal that is difficult to achieve." Nocturne put down his fan, his expression deep.

Ying Qin Guan had been at the Imperial Court for almost two months and had heard bits and pieces about Mu Nan Dong. He was very unpopular, supposedly because of his ancestors' affairs, and that he was the son of a sinner. But Ying Qin Guan didn't know the truth. Now that he had an opportunity, he asked, "What exactly happened... can you tell me?"

Nocturne smiled and said, "Of course..."

-

Just like Longquanlu in the Southern Qin Dynasty, the Seven Luminaries Empire also has its own "master craftsmen," in other words, experts in arms research and development.

However, compared to countries like Southern Qin and Sakura, which were still focused on researching swords, the Seven Luminaries Empire had long since devoted its energy to alchemical equipment.

For example, the ultimate alchemical weapon that destroyed the capital of the Black Dragon Empire a year ago, 'Doomsday,' which requires the unanimous consent of the United Nations to be used.

However, the Doomsday Prophet is a 'deterrent' weapon that the United Nations has put a lot of effort into creating. This kind of weapon is usually just for show and is only used when there is absolutely no other way. That one shot almost set back the entire United Nations economy by several years.

The Mu family is one of the families responsible for researching alchemical equipment for the Seven Luminaries Empire.

The Mu family possesses a terrifying alchemical artifact, so magical that it, like the nameless swordsman of Southern Qin, caused the death of everyone who saw it.

This alchemical equipment is called 'Fear', and it has quite a history.

Legend has it that two hundred years ago, before the Seven Luminaries Empire was established, the patriarch of the Mu family went underground to search for special minerals, and encountered a sacred magical beast that had undergone thirty-five tribulations.

The twenty-first tribulation transforms one into a sacred magical beast, and the thirty-sixth tribulation transforms one into an ancestral alien race. These are two major leaps in the life level of magical beasts. If one can become an ancestral alien race and transform into human form, it would be like soaring to the heavens.

If we don't count alchemical equipment, then the peak combat power in this world is divided into three types. One type is the God-level magician, which symbolizes the ultimate destructive power. In the early days, the status of magicians in war was extremely terrifying. At that time, martial artists were used to protect magicians closely. When two armies fought, they used human lives to increase the magic power of the enemy magicians.

Secondly, there are the martial artists from the Investiture of the Gods. To be honest, the martial artists are in a somewhat awkward position. For example, in the Battle of Qin Pass, facing less than 1,500 Jue Tian soldiers, he was considered the strongest martial artist in history, a well-rounded warrior, yet he still struggled and was on the verge of death several times. But if it were Fen Mo fighting, well... as long as the position is well chosen, a sneak attack is launched, and with the right timing, location, and support, a single forbidden spell could wipe out most of them without taking damage... It's just that things would be more difficult afterward. After all, the Jue Tian army also has many ranged attack methods, but that's a matter for later.

It is indeed true that they wiped out most of them without taking any damage.

But if you send Ying Qin Guan to fight the Burning Demon... then honestly, within a hundred meters, even the Burning Demon wouldn't have time to react. The consciousness slash would get close and instantly kill him.

This is roughly the situation for martial artists.

Finally, there is the most special one, namely the alien race, and usually, the progenitor alien race—Kui is an exception, so we won't discuss him.

Mages excel at area-of-effect attacks, martial artists are super-strong individual fighters with powerful assassination abilities, while the Primordial Alien Race... possesses all sorts of bizarre methods—in fact, this is also true for this special alien race, such as the Gu Heart Demon, whose abilities are also very strange.

Humans have encountered no more than ten ancestral alien races, each possessing unpredictable and extraordinary abilities, giving the impression that "they are extraordinary powers from a completely different system than us."

The group leader of the Mu family encountered a sacred magical beast that was close to the ancestral alien race. It was about to undergo its final tribulation, but it was about to fail and die.

And coincidentally... the Mu family patriarch was able to help that sacred magical beast overcome its tribulation, allowing it to become a true ancestral alien race.

However, it was impossible not to set conditions at this point, so the Mu family patriarch made a pact with the sacred magical beast, allowing it to become the progenitor of the alien race after its tribulation. But the beast had to become his weapon and serve him for two hundred years.

The Holy Beast agreed to the Wood Clan Chief's request, and the two parties entered into a 'contract' using an ancient magic that is now forbidden. The Holy Beast successfully transcended its tribulation, transformed into the Primordial Alien Race, and then became a weapon.

The most unique, terrifying, bizarre, and mysterious alchemical equipment in the entire continent.

'fear'

Chapter Sixty-Two: A Long, Unending Drunkenness

What kind of weapon is "fear"? No one knows, no one has ever seen it, or more accurately, no living person knows or has ever seen it.

All that was known and all that was seen are dead.

The Mu family ancestor earned his formidable reputation by relying on "fear," but he rarely used this weapon... The power of the progenitor alien race is mysterious and strange, carrying an inexplicable evil nature. If used rashly, one will lose something unseen and intangible.

The word "fear" was used twice: once by the ancestor and once by Mu Nandong's grandfather. One of them died young, and the other went mad.

These two instances of action both brought about terrible consequences.

Twenty-five years ago... a border war suddenly broke out in the Seven Luminaries Empire. At that time, the Seven Luminaries Empire was in trouble, with a depressed economy, a weak army, and outdated equipment. Several countries wanted to get a share of the spoils. Mu Nandong's father, Mu Huai Ren, was ordered to lead an army to fight against the enemy in the north... but that army was too weak, so weak that it was almost impossible for them to resist the enemy.

Everyone understood that, although it wasn't explicitly stated, this was essentially a request for Mu Huai-ren to use "fear."

Mu Huai-ren didn't want to use it, but he had no choice but to. Why?

Because his wife was seven months pregnant, Mu Nandong was about to give birth.

Did he ultimately use it?

No.

Perhaps because he desperately wanted to survive, or perhaps because he didn't want to be cursed by the ancestral alien race, Mu Huai-ren ultimately deserted his post and became a deserter.

When he returned to the Seven Luminaries City... the "fear" was gone.

Mu Huai-ren said that such a weapon would bring endless disasters; this might have been his excuse, or it might have been his true intention. But in the end... he terminated the contract, which still had decades left to expire, and released the progenitor of the alien race.

Because of Mu Huai Ren's desertion, the morale of his army collapsed, and under the leadership of a deputy general, they abandoned the battle and fled back. At its worst, nearly a third of the Seven Luminaries Empire's territory fell to the enemy. But later, the Seven Luminaries Empire seemed to have divine assistance and launched a counterattack step by step, but we won't go into those details.

Mu Huai-ren was ultimately convicted as a deserter, his property was confiscated, his title was stripped, and he was imprisoned in the Imperial Prison for life. When someone visited him, they found that he had gone mad.

This matter is full of twists, turns, and illogical plots. How could Mu Huai Ren, as an imperial soldier, desert his post for such a reason? Not only did he desert, but he also took the initiative to terminate the contract. Didn't he understand that only by possessing "fear" could he have any say?

Moreover, he inexplicably went mad... Many people went to see him, and the empire did not torture him, but he just went insane.

Moreover, there are many unreasonable aspects to this incident, but... it still happened.

-

Nocturne opened her folding fan again, the smile gone from her face. She said calmly, "For the past twenty-five years, there have been various theories about 'fear' and Mu Huai-ren, and the most widespread one, even one that Mu Nan-dong himself agrees with, is this..."

"Legend has it that the ancestral alien race bewitched Mu Huai-ren, causing him to lose his mind and choose to desert in the face of battle, releasing himself in the process. They then drove Mu Huai-ren mad, thus avenging themselves for being used as a weapon and losing their freedom for over a hundred years..."

Ying Qin Guan reviewed the matter and hesitated, saying, "It seems so... If that's the case, all the unreasonable parts can be explained by the bewitchment of the ancestral alien race."

This is the most important part.

There are many inexplicable and illogical aspects to this whole affair. The only explanation that can be found is the mysterious and unpredictable ancestral race.

In four thousand years of human history, no more than ten primordial alien races have actually come into contact with humanity. They all displayed unfathomable and mysterious abilities, existing independently of the three major systems of magic, martial arts, and alchemy.

When an event that actually happened contains many illogical aspects, and there happens to be something in that event that could make the illogical seem reasonable, many people will speculate in that direction.

"Teacher Mu also believes that it was the work of the Primordial Alien race... For many years, his heart has been occupied by hatred, and he wants to find the Primordial Alien race to vent his hatred."