Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

Chapter 46 Ruoye, you schemed against me!

There are various speculations about Fear, the most widespread being the Fear Black Hand Theory, which posits that Fear is the root of all evil and the scapegoat of this world. The second most prevalent is the Joker Black Hand Theory, which suggests that the Joker and Fear worked together. Besides these, there are many other speculations. However, most of these are minor alterations and deletions, but the overall blame is generally placed on Fear and the Joker. Occasionally, Wang Qiushui is added—because she is suspected to be an ancestral alien race, possesses powerful spatial magic, her fate is unknown, and she is the only person capable of transferring so many troops, so she is included in the public's speculations (and boasts).

Yu Xietian had not cared about this matter before, but after hearing some news recently, he hesitated for a moment and temporarily sided with the Clown.

"I think the Joker is more likely the mastermind behind it all..."

He felt that simple fear was unreasonable. According to the legend, the Mu family ancestors made a pact with fear and would not be directly affected. They would only pay the price after using it. Mu Huai Ren had inexplicably run into trouble, which should be the clown's fault.

"I think it's quite the opposite; it's all about fear," Hishimura Tan's voice murmured. "There's rarely any friendship among the Primordial Races, perhaps because humans know too little about them. Besides, the Clown is one of the Primordial Races with the most recorded history; I find it hard to imagine him going to save people..."

Shenxin, who was on the other side, took some time to raise a bar.

"Dismissed. When you think the Joker wouldn't do something, he usually does it."

Himura Tanzaku was slightly taken aback, then smiled with narrowed eyes, "That seems to make sense..."

“If the Joker is the mastermind, things will be a little simpler,” Yu Xietian said.

Because the Joker... is suspected of being dead.

Few beings have been definitively proven to have achieved godhood through force, and even fewer have been definitively proven to have died as progenitors of alien races. To date, there is only one: the "Earth Mother Goddess," who was brutally beaten to death by the God of War. As for the Joker... his situation is similar to that of Ying Qin Pass or the Ring of Truth; people believe he is dead, but no evidence can be provided.

The Joker is the primordial alien race that has had the most contact with humans, although most of these contacts were ineffective, some of them are suspected to have been effective.

Why do we say "suspected"?

Because this potentially valid contact is the Black Dragon Empire, which is shrouded in countless mysteries. When various countries besieged the Black Dragon Empire, the Joker intervened and helped it escape its predicament.

What happened to the Black Dragon Empire a year ago should be self-evident.

The Joker should have been in the Black Dragon Empire's capital at that time. Logically, he should have been killed by the apocalypse, but like all those who achieve godhood through force, are you sure he's really dead? Probably not...

However, the Joker, as the most active Progenitor alien, has indeed disappeared for more than a year, which is a very strong argument, so people generally believe that... the Joker is dead.

If he is the mastermind, things will indeed be simpler.

Shinshin and Shinku discussed until late at night... In the end, Himura Tanzakura and Shinku left the Yorozuya.

-

Late July.

Luo Shui easily made his way into Zhong Hongyu's martial arts arena.

She had visited Zhong Hongyu's house quite a few times. Since she didn't care much about her final grades, she casually dealt with the requests and then wandered around. Today she would go to see Ruoye, tomorrow she would go to see Zhong Hongyu, and the day after she would go back to school to see Ying Qin Guan and Jiu Yi. She was free and did whatever she wanted.

Zhong Hongyu's mother recognized her and let her in directly. The only thing that puzzled Luo Shui was that she hadn't seen Zhong Hongyu's father much lately, even though he was usually home.

She entered the training ground...and happened to see Zhong Hongyu retreating repeatedly, then turning around...

This was the baiting and turning back technique from the "Separation and Union Sword" technique, followed by the life-or-death duel with that divine sword strike... But Zhong Hongyu turned halfway and saw Luo Shui, abruptly stopping her movements and failing to unleash the final sword strike.

"What kind of move is that? It's all so flashy." Luo Shui scratched her head. She and Zhong Hongyu were good friends and had exchanged ideas about different martial arts styles. They didn't shy away from such things. Martial arts practitioners were already declining, and if they continued to be stingy and isolated, they would be left behind by the times and have no one to blame but themselves.

Zhong Hongyu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Some moves I came up with myself... Is there something you need?"

Luo Shui had come to visit Zhong Hongyu before, but she refused. So Zhong Hongyu's question was a way of saying, "If you don't have anything important to do, don't bother me."

Luo Shui perked up and said, "Let's go to the Grand Arena! I heard that the Director of the Anguo Division is getting impatient with that madman Chu! He agreed to fight him at the Grand Arena this afternoon!"

Yes, Chu Kuangren has been staying next to Anguo Si these past few days. But he hasn't really bothered him; he just sits there like a door god. Nefertari finally couldn't stand it anymore and decided to fight him, whether he wins or loses, at least to get rid of him.

Zhong Hongyu hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Instead of wasting time, why not practice your martial arts at home..."

Upon hearing this, Luo Shui shook her head, put her hands behind her back, and said in an old-fashioned tone, "Your vision is too narrow. Hongyu, this Chu Kuangren wants to emulate Ye Jiaofang's unbridled conquest of the world, so he must have some skills. I heard that the Director of the Anguo Division used to be our country's special forces king. He only revealed his identity after retirement, so he must also be a master. Go and watch these two masters fight. Isn't that better than you staying at home and trying to figure it out?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Hongyu hesitated, feeling that Luo Shui's words made some sense, but still refused.

"Martial artists fight one-on-one, and speed is paramount. These two are both experts; their attack speed must be incredibly fast. We're already far away in the arena, and with their speed so great, what can we possibly see? Luo Shui, why don't you come with me to the training grounds for a bit..."

Luo Shui had been waiting for Zhong Hongyu to say this. With a snap, she pulled out two tickets and said smugly, "Haha, look what this is! These are tickets I got through Ruoye. Look at these seats! First row!"

In the first row, which is the closest position, if Zhong Hongyu and Luo Shui, as martial artists, can't even see clearly from the first row, then they shouldn't bother practicing and should just find an honest man to marry as soon as possible.

Seeing that Luo Shui had gone to such lengths, Zhong Hongyu had nothing more to say. She wasn't one to procrastinate. Since she had decided to do something, she wanted to do it well. So she said decisively, "In that case, let's go together this afternoon."

"Hmph, no one can refuse me, Luo Shui!"

-

In the afternoon, Luo Shui sat in his seat with a stern face.

To her left was Zhong Hongyu, but to her right was not Ruoye as she had imagined, but Ji Fa.

Without a doubt, it was Ruoye's act of betraying her teammates last time that angered her. The girl hardened her heart and decided to make her feel the same pain. Naturally, Ruoye specially bought this three-seater seat.

Hmph, Luo Shui, the person next to you isn't me, Ruo Ye, but my older sister, Ji Fa Da!

What could Luo Shui possibly do in response? She could only choose to possess Mu Nandong's spirit and roar in her heart:

"Wakaba! You tricked me!"

Chapter Forty-Seven: The Great Arena

The Colosseum, bustling with noise, is a massive ancient Roman amphitheater-shaped building that has undergone numerous repairs and reconstructions, but its overall form has remained largely unchanged.

However, this industry is actually close to decline. As countries have tightened their control, mercenary guilds and arenas have been forced to undergo reforms. Mercenary guilds have almost all disappeared, and arenas have been renamed Grand Arenas, with their level of gore and mortality rates greatly restricted.

Furthermore, with the enactment of the law prohibiting private ownership of dangerous magical beasts... the Grand Arena is now limited to person-to-person combat, which undoubtedly offers more refined techniques. But who the hell would come here? Those who come are definitely just amateurs looking for visceral, testosterone-fueled action.

In other words, the Grand Arena hasn't been this lively in a long time.

Chu Kuangren, who is aiming to emulate Ye Jiaofang and has achieved a nineteen-game winning streak so far, faces Nephalem, the legendary retired spy of the Seven Luminaries Empire.

This battle certainly didn't attract as much attention as the Sword Saint's challenge against Kui. Almost no one even traveled from abroad to Seven Luminaries specifically to watch it. However, the excitement of this battle was likely to surpass that of the Sword Saint's fight against Kui.

What kind of battle is exciting? Ying Qin Guan fought Ji Fa and was instantly killed. Is that exciting? Obviously not. Generally speaking, battles between two strong and relatively evenly matched opponents are more exciting. But sometimes, due to differences in fighting styles and combat styles, the two sides may stand facing each other for ten hours, searching for each other's weaknesses, until one side can't hold on and is instantly killed.

Anything is possible.

Jiu was also Nephalem's classmate. They graduated from the Martial Arts Department together, ranking first and second respectively. Now that Nephalem was fighting someone, Jiu came to watch.

—Speaking of which, Jiu Yi is second because his strength is second, while the Nephalem is first because the highest is first.

Jiu Yi arrived, and Ying Qin Guan, having nothing to do by himself, thought it wouldn't hurt to see the Nephalem suffer a setback, so he followed along.

Unlike the Warner family, Jiu didn't have the same connections and influence. Although he could secure a better position, he wouldn't waste his energy on such matters. Besides, the two were positioned quite far apart, but fortunately, their eyesight was exceptional, so they didn't mind.

Although the fight between the Nephalem and Chu Kuangren didn't attract any foreign martial artists to watch, the arena was still packed. However, unlike the battle between Sword Saint Kui, the vast majority of the audience here were not martial artists; they were simply there to enjoy the spectacle.

Ying Qin Guan and Jiu Yi found their seats and sat down. Jiu Yi even brought a large bucket of popcorn.

Waiters in uniforms walked around the seats, asking each audience member if they planned to place a bet.

—The Grand Arena has a designated betting area, as regulars know. But most of the people here today are newcomers who might not know that betting is available here. The Grand Arena is already struggling to operate, so they can't afford to miss any opportunity to make money. That's why they're now directly offering the betting opportunity to everyone.

Ying Qin Guan and Jiu Yi are both the kind of people who aren't super rich but are definitely wealthy and don't lack money. Their salaries are very high, several times higher than the median salary in the Seven Luminaries Capital. Moreover, these two have no elderly parents or young children to support and are both single, so they can be considered eligible bachelors, which is not too bad.

"A little gambling is harmless, want to have a go?" Jiu Yi asked Ying Qin Guan as the waiter approached but before he came over. "And you?"

Ying Qin had never even met Chu Kuangren, so Jiu Yi naturally couldn't ask a question like "Who do you think has a chance of winning?"

"Whatever, let's go to Nephalem then." Ying Qin Guan wasn't interested in this and didn't care.

"Then I'll send Chu Kuangren." Jiu Yi also harbored malicious intentions. He had come to watch his old classmate and friend fight with a stranger, but instead sent the stranger.

Jiu also raised his hand to call over a waiter, and the two of them placed their bets.

The host stood on the platform, holding a microphone, and said two sentences.

To be honest, the current host at the Grand Arena only announces the start and end of matches and occasionally reads some advertisements. Previously, the host also provided commentary on the action in the arena. However, due to limitations in speaking speed, their commentary was often ineffective, and coupled with occasional hosts soliciting bribes or showing excessive bias towards one side, this led to resentment among the fighters being commented on.

After discussing some matters that were inconvenient to discuss, the Grand Arena abandoned the thankless task of providing commentary.

The arena gradually quieted down as the two contestants, Chu Kuangren and Naifeitian, entered.

Nephalem had been a spy and was a master of disguise. When needed, he could make his face look plain and be forgotten as soon as he saw it. But as a scoundrel who would even resort to underhanded tactics with Silver when playing Time Kill, he was actually extremely competitive. Knowing that he would be watched by many people during this confrontation, he naturally prepared his appearance well in advance. Now that he appeared, he stood out from the crowd with his extraordinary temperament, directly overshadowing Chu Kuangren in terms of appearance.

So, all these Nephalem, Yu Xietian, and Himura Tan Ying are more and more flirtatious than the last. Only Ying Qin Guan, Jiu Yi, and Mu Nan Dong are real men, straight men!

In comparison, Chu Kuangren, who was opposite Nephalem, was much more ordinary. He had an average appearance, looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, had a buzz cut, a high nose, and wore a black jacket and ripped jeans. He wore black fingerless gloves, and his white T-shirt underneath the black jacket tightly hugged his upper body, outlining obvious, but not as terrifying, muscle lines as Kui's.

His style is self-created, and he has recently become famous for imitating Ye Jiaofang's challenge to the world. He calls himself the Wolf Devouring Style.

Rather than calling it a school of martial arts, it's more accurate to describe it as a brutal fighting style. Martial arts schools are essentially about how to utilize internal energy; techniques and weapons are all designed to better utilize internal energy. Chu Kuangren's fighting style... close-quarters combat, where every inch is short and dangerous. While its power may be somewhat lacking, it can be fully compensated for by striking the vulnerable parts of the human body.

Coincidentally, Nephalem are also rare martial artists who do not use weapons.

The arena had fallen completely silent, and the announcer was no longer speaking... The battle had actually already begun. But these two weren't serious competitors; they had simply chosen this place as their battlefield because it was spacious and legal.

Chu Kuangren slowly assumed a stance, but his posture didn't seem particularly special.

"Wolf Devouring Style, Madman Chu, please enlighten me."

Nephalem shook his hand. He was also annoyed by this guy's constant pestering and was determined to give him a good beating today. He revealed a fierce smile and said:

"Tongliu, Naifeitian, please enlighten me."

The two men assumed their stances, and both were indeed masters. Even Ying Qin Guan couldn't determine the outcome of the battle solely by observing their physical attributes and internal energy fluctuations.

They stared at each other, maintaining their stances, neither making the first move, but constantly searching for each other's weaknesses.

After a brief standoff, the Nephalem lost its composure and took a step forward!

Chapter Forty-Eight: Should we fight again?!

There are some special schools of thought in this world, such as the Tongliu school.

This style, known as the "Universal Style" or "All-Purpose Style," was created by the United Nations in collaboration with leading figures from various martial arts circles. It encompasses the use of various weapons, including fists, palms, fingers, knives, swords, and staffs, and can handle all kinds of extreme situations. It can be described as a true "all-rounder" style, with no weaknesses. The original intention was for all martial artists to practice this, but it turned out that this thing... is really difficult to teach, and the results are far less than expected. Knowing everything means knowing nothing.

Although it has no weaknesses, it also has no outstanding features. The original intention was to promote it widely, but unfortunately, very few people actually learned this style.

Even a Nephalem, a martial artist, only learned a few branches of the main style, namely fist and palm techniques.

While it may sound similar to the Imperial Heart Style and the Dugu Swordplay of Southern Qin, it's not quite the same. The core of the Imperial Heart Style lies in countering a move, while the core of the Tong Style lies in the concept of "righteousness"—upright and honorable, emphasizing the restraint of underhanded and unorthodox techniques, and overwhelming the opponent with sheer force. There is indeed a certain degree of mutual restraint between the styles. However, this restraint only becomes truly effective when the strength of both sides is extremely close.

Generally speaking... it depends on the person!

The Nephalem rushed forward and threw a powerful punch, the immense inertia carrying the weight of its body as it crashed down.

Ying Qin Guan narrowed his eyes slightly. He noticed that just as Nephalem's fist was about to touch his opponent, Nephalem made a barely perceptible jumping motion.