Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

"Fear... fear."

"What exactly is it?"

Chapter Twenty-Two: Bait

The next day, morning.

Shen Xin, Ying Qin Guan, and Gan Xing Yao, whether out of habit or work, had all gotten used to sleeping in late, while the rest of the people gathered in the living room for a meal.

The Snow Mountain Hotel puts a lot of effort into its breakfast – regardless of whether it tastes good or not, the ingredients are certainly not cheap, and the presentation is quite exquisite.

Yu Xietian had little appetite. He knew that after this meal, another long day of tedious work would begin, a work that was not only tedious but also seemed to have no end in sight.

Thinking about this, even the most exquisite delicacies lose their flavor. Besides, this is just a breakfast whose only redeeming quality is its appearance.

"I can't stand it," Yu Xietian complained. "Why is it so hard to find these foxes..."

"A fox?" Nocturne put down her knife and fork, rested her chin on her hand, and chuckled. "If we're talking about rare foxes, then the Saint Lotus Mountains are the place to be... Are you perhaps looking for the Snowrunning Fox?"

Nocturne truly lives up to her reputation as one of the two mobile libraries of the Imperial Academy. Although she is stereotyped as being proficient in poetry, songs, music, calligraphy, and painting, she is actually quite skilled in all the necessary professional knowledge. Just from Yu Xietian's sarcastic remark, one can guess the specific goals of these two.

"Yes." Yu Xietian didn't hide anything; this wasn't exactly a trade secret. Did they think Ye Qu would capture the remaining Snow Foxes before they did?

"Given the temperament and fighting prowess of the Snow Fox, its scarcity is unavoidable. Perhaps in a few decades, it will be declared endangered." Nocturne wiped her mouth with a tissue and said with a smile, "You've got a good search."

“We didn’t find any snow foxes, but we did find a bunch of random things.” Mu Nandong said coldly, “The World Wildlife Conservation Association has taken a lot of money, but all they say is bullshit. Not long ago, I saw their fundraising report for the protection of the vulnerable species silverback wolf. In the past two days, we haven’t seen a single snow fox, but we have seen seven or eight silverback wolves.”

Nocturne chuckled and said, "Could it be that all the silverback wolves you've seen are the same one?"

For a moment, Mu Nandong was stumped by Ye Qu's question and couldn't speak for a long time—although he had an excellent memory and wouldn't mistake someone he'd seen once or twice, the prerequisite was that he had to see them clearly. The silverback wolf was so far away that he could only barely identify its species; to see it clearly was just a dream... Saying they were all the same thing was definitely arguing for the sake of arguing, but if you wanted to refute it, you wouldn't be able to find any arguments to support it.

To stump a knowledgeable expert, you usually only need to offer a nonsensical argument, because they generally won't engage in quibbling or sophistry.

Mu Nandong ignored Nocturne, selectively ate part of his breakfast, and put down his utensils.

Yu Xietian, who had already finished eating, said, "Let's set off."

Mu Nandong stood up and packed the equipment in his backpack. He picked up a small device, fiddled with it for a while, frowned slightly, and muttered to himself, "How did it suddenly get better..."

After saying that, he shook his head and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

Chu Hui and Qiu Fei were having breakfast, but they were eating at a slightly faster pace.

-

Some distance from the snow mountain hotel, the two, carrying skateboards and matching ski equipment, did not ski. Instead, they watched Mu Nandong and Yu Xietian's backs from a secluded corner in the distance.

"How did it suddenly get better..." Chu Hui repeated Mu Nandong's words, her eyes shining brightly as she watched the two figures walk away, a look of joy in them. "That definitely means the alchemical equipment was broken before..."

Qiu Fei whispered, "You suspect... it's an anti-isolated ore?"

"What else could it be?" Chu Hui lowered her voice, but still couldn't suppress her excitement. "We've been searching for so long, constantly sliding, and our alchemical equipment hasn't failed at all. But judging from his words, his equipment has failed, so... it can only be anti-detached ore!"

In the past few days, Chu Hui and Qiu Fei appeared to be skiing, but in reality, they were carrying alchemical equipment, and skiing was just a form of surveying.

This is a unique survey method for anti-detached ore. It doesn't require any special equipment; all you need is an ordinary alchemical tool—anything will do. As long as it's alchemical equipment, it's inseparable from miniature arrays and special inscriptions. And as long as it's a miniature array and special inscription, it can't escape the influence of anti-detached ore. Even if it doesn't fail, it will still cause some problems.

Using the motion of skiing, the two explored the surrounding area, hoping to find anti-depleted ore. But they found nothing until this morning, when Mu Nandong uttered those words.

"There's no mistake, he must have encountered the anti-detached ore!" Chu Hui's face lit up with joy, but as time passed, her smile gradually faded. Because she realized... this was not a good thing at all.

While both were searching for something, Mu Nandong would probably be quite happy to know that someone had spotted the Snow Fox. But Chu Hui and Qiu Fei shouldn't be happy that someone had confirmed the location of the anti-detached ore before them...

After a fruitless initial attempt to find the body, I was momentarily overwhelmed with excitement upon hearing the news, believing that my mission finally had a chance of being completed. However, upon closer examination, I realized that this was not the case at all.

Qiu Fei whispered, "Although the organization hasn't explicitly stated it, mining anti-isolation ore privately is illegal. Ice Lemon Mountain is high and far away; the organization can't reach it all, so they'll definitely have to mine it secretly. Therefore, the location of the anti-isolation ore must not be known to anyone else. If they report it to Ice Lemon, our mission will be considered a failure..."

"I don't need you to emphasize that to me!" Qiu Fei analyzed the situation, but Chu Hui was unmoved. Suppressing her irritation, she said coldly, "I see things more clearly than you do!"

Qiu Fei timidly agreed, then asked, "Then... what should we do?"

These indecisive words only fueled Chu Hui's frustration... The best-case scenario, she thought, was that even without relying on these two's intelligence, they would find the anti-detached ore today. And that these two would leave after finding the Snow Fox, without reporting the matter to Bing Ning.

After all, it wouldn't cost much to report it upfront. For an ordinary person, making the trip might be worthwhile, but Mu Nandong clearly didn't need the money.

Chu Hui's judgment was both right and wrong. The truth is that Mu Nandong is short of money, always short of money, but he is not short of this particular amount of money.

—Or to put it more bluntly, the two of them didn't even realize it was an anti-isolated ore. After all, it's common for instruments to malfunction, and minor issues are often overlooked, so this is a pretty good result.

However, it is undeniable that both of these rather good results have a fatal flaw.

That means everything depends on Mu Nandong and Yu Xietian.

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Old, Weak, Sick, and Disabled Win the Qin Pass!

Whether they realize it or not, whether they speak up or not, whether they report it or not, is entirely up to them. If they realize it, if they casually tell someone... If they, or others who know about it, report it...

Qiu Fei and Chu Hui's mission was a failure.

In all of this, everything was determined by the actions of Mu Nandong and Yu Xietian, and Qiu Fei and Chu Hui could not change anything.

“I don’t think we need to do anything…” Qiu Fei said in a low voice, “The possibility of the mission failing is very small. They haven’t realized it yet, and even if they have, they may not report it.”

This is a fairly common sense of wishful thinking, and it can't be said to be right or wrong. Although it's passive, it's also a way of dealing with people.

"How can you entrust your fate to others!" Chu Hui scolded, then looked at their backs and whispered, "You're not worried, after all, you're a veteran member. This is my first mission, and if I fail at such an easy first mission... what will others think of me?!"

“Then…then we can’t possibly make a move here,” Qiu Fei said helplessly. “Bingning isn’t like those backward little countries where nobody cares if people die. Besides, these people are from the Seven Luminaries Imperial Academy. Let’s not even talk about whether we can win or not; even if we could, what would be the point of killing them? The trouble would be even greater then…”

Yes, although I was very unhappy at first, I had to admit that Qiu Fei was right.

Taking action is not a good choice. Even if we could kill them, it wouldn't matter; it would only lead to bigger problems later. We might be able to escape unscathed, but what about the anti-detached ore?

Chu Hui understood this point, but Qiu Fei's words only fueled her argumentative nature. She coldly replied, "That's not necessarily true! What if those two guess about the anti-detached ore and casually mention it later? If Bing Ning's people come to investigate and run into the organization's mining personnel, that would be a real disaster. In my opinion, it's better to nip it in the bud. As for the trouble you mentioned..."

After a moment's thought, Chu Hui said, "We've been searching for so long with a specific purpose, but we haven't been able to find the anti-external mineral. Do you think Bing Ning, who came here to investigate the case, can just find it so easily? Probably not. Most likely, they'll just be putting on a show of investigating. But their area of ​​operation should be limited to that part of the crime scene. As long as they don't die at that anti-external mineral, it shouldn't be a big problem. It would be even better if we could control it a little..."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but think of a place.

'Snow Mountain Hotel'

This location is absolutely stable. If someone were to investigate, they wouldn't be so bored as to wander around aimlessly and discover anti-exposed minerals. This is because it's different from the 'wilderness.' The police will focus their investigation on the snow mountain hotel, unlike in the wilderness. If someone dies in the wilderness, then the investigation will have to be expanded outwards continuously.

At this thought, Chu Hui actually found the plan feasible, muttering to herself, "That's it. They won't investigate for long, because by then our fake identities will probably be exposed, and we'll have fled far away. We don't need to hide the murderer's identity. As long as we divert their attention from this snow mountain, once the initial excitement wears off, the secret of the anti-detached mine will still be in our hands..."

—With the perpetrator's identity, the method of the crime, and the location of the crime all known, few people would keep focusing on the crime scene, let alone an anti-separation mine that is quite a distance away from the crime scene.

Chu Hui's insane idea startled Qiu Fei, who quickly shook his head. However, due to his limited abilities, he couldn't point out the numerous flaws in this crazy plan and could only advise, "We can't win..."

This is a good reason; by pointing out the flaws in the plan, the initial meeting can patch them up one by one. But being unable to win is different. Being unable to win is simply being unable to win. An opponent you can't beat is like a math problem beyond your syllabus; no amount of rushing will help.

"That Yu Xietian's origins are unknown, but his strength is extraordinary, even surpassing the Seven Luminaries Imperial Academy's Dean by half. We wouldn't be a match for him in a one-on-one fight, but if it were two against one, our chances of winning would be quite high," Chu Hui calmly stated. "As for Jiu Yi, he might be able to defeat us in a one-on-one fight, but it would be a difficult victory. If we could win two against one, it would be an absolute crushing defeat..."

This plan, so flimsy it could hardly be called a plan, certainly didn't convince Qiu Fei. He couldn't help but say, "You want to take action in a hotel, and it has to be two against one. How can you do that?"

"How could this not be possible?!" Chu Hui glared at Qiu Fei and said, "Yu Xietian went out with Mu Nandong, and what about the rest of the people at the inn? Apart from Jiu Yi, aren't they all old, weak, sick, and disabled?!"

"The three women are all defenseless, and the two men, Feng Yunke, sound intimidating with his name and aura. But he's just a second-rate martial artist. What, are you afraid that that dead-eyed guy with a hunchback is a peerless master?!"

Qiu Fei, unable to maintain his composure after their first meeting, whispered, "Our internal energy was feigned, and so might Feng Yunke's, and Ying Qin Guan's too. Perhaps we simply can't see through his level..."

Upon hearing this, Chu Hui burst into laughter, thinking that Qiu Fei couldn't even argue properly.

"Can't see through his level? Are you kidding me? Even if it were a Sword Saint in front of us, we could at least see through his abilities! I know you heard about Himura Dan's story not long ago and think it's outrageous that he's almost invincible at such a young age. But how can everyone be Himura Dan's? You're overthinking it."

-

Not long after Yu Xietian and Mu Nandong set off, they heard voices behind them. Turning around, they saw Chu Hui and Qiu Fei.

"Gentlemen! Please wait a moment!"

The two skateboarders were moving quite fast. After calling out to Mu Nandong and Yu Xietian, they skated a distance further before finally regaining their balance. They then turned around and walked in front of Mu Nandong and Yu Xietian.

Chu Hui's face was slightly flushed and she was a little out of breath, looking like she had overexerted herself. She looked at Mu Nandong and said apologetically, "Mr. Mu, did you say earlier... the equipment was ready?"

Mu Nandong and Yu Xietian exchanged a glance and asked, "What is it?"

Chu Hui said, "'It's fixed' makes me think of... this instrument was broken for a while, and from what you're saying, Mr. Mu, you didn't bother to fix it, and it just suddenly worked on its own, right?"

Mu Nandong frowned slightly and said, "That's how it is... It's a bit strange, I don't know why it suddenly got better."

"When did Mr. Mu discover that the instrument was broken?" Chu Hui asked. "Was it while we were outside?"

Mu Nandong looked at her and said coldly, "You keep asking this and that, but you don't say what your specific purpose is. It's hard for me to answer you like this."

"It's like this!" Chu Hui said embarrassedly, "Qiu Fei and I aren't rich. We came to Bingning this time because we'd saved up for a long time, to fulfill a life dream... And what you just said about the device breaking down and then suddenly fixing itself, I think it's very similar to something..."

Yu Xietian, who was standing to the side, suddenly looked enlightened and blurted out, "Could it be anti-detached ore?!"

"Yes!" Chu Hui nodded with a smile and said, "Private mining of this is prohibited, but there's a reward for reporting anti-detached ore to the government. It's not much, but it's free money, and some extra income is nice. I think you two might have encountered anti-detached ore, so you came to ask..."

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Three of Us Are Really Amazing

This was a perfectly reasonable reason, and no one could find fault with it. Mu Nandong and Yu Xietian either didn't need the money, or they were busy with their mission and couldn't be in two places at once, so neither of them intended to report it to the Bingning government. But for the young couple who had saved up money to come here... this was indeed a pleasant surprise.

"I hope you two can recall roughly where you found the instrument malfunctioning. We'd like to go take a look... Of course, if it really is anti-exposed ore, we won't keep all the government's prize money for ourselves." Chu Hui looked at the two of them and suggested, "I heard you're looking for Snow Foxes... You're looking anywhere, and Snow Foxes aren't inanimate objects like ore. Even if you've searched a place before, they might still appear, right?"

These words were quite apt; refusal or agreement was entirely up to Mu Nandong and Yu Xietian. The two exchanged a glance, and finally, Mu Nandong, with a cold expression, nodded and said, "It's alright... but this snow-covered mountain is vast and boundless, and I'm only relying on vague memories to navigate; I might not be able to find the anti-separation ore..."

“And it’s not even certain if it’s an anti-external mineral.” Yu Xietian interjected, but then added nonchalantly, “Of course, you’re the employer, so you decide.”

"It's just a try. Whether it succeeds or not, I'll thank you both." Among the man and woman, Qiu Fei, who was the man, had been silent the whole time, while Chu Hui spoke eloquently and appropriately. She smiled and said, "Thank you for your help."

"Just doing it as it comes," Mu Nandong said with his stern face. "But we still need to go back to the hotel first, otherwise... I can't remember any of the directions here."

This is a reasonable request. If someone walks from A to B, and is now walking from A to C, asking them to walk from C to B is probably impossible. But going back to A and then to B might help them recall some things.

-

"Kill! Let's fight! Give it to me!"

In the first round today, Ying Qin Guan was blessed with divine intervention and once again pulled out his God of War card. He pointed a Kill card at Jiu Yi and then, without giving him a chance to speak, directly snatched the last card from Jiu Yi's hand under the pretext of a duel.

Jiu Yi has developed a resistance to Ying Qin Guan's fighting spirit—he was initially extremely excited when he soloed with Ying Qin Guan, but later he was gradually beaten by the fighting spirit and turned into a sullen face. Now he has gotten used to being beaten by the fighting spirit and his expression has become indifferent.

If you can't resist, then learn to enjoy it, hypnotize yourself, and find pleasure in pain.

"I'll take it!"

Because Jiu Yi's generals this time are all super tanks with strong healing abilities, Ying Qin Guan managed to collect enough Battle God Marks in 1v1 matches and draw two God Era generals.

That draw... he got the Ring of Truth!