Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

As soon as she finished speaking, she uttered another ancient and mysterious syllable, and then vanished without a trace.

Her sudden departure after giving a vague answer was unexpected by both of them, and they exchanged a glance, bewildered.

The file about the Soul-Returning Powder was placed on the desk. Nineteen Xiu stepped forward and took the file... Whether it would work or not, those guys from the drug rehabilitation center would have to try it out.

-

Wang Qiushui appeared in a dimly lit room. The room was small, with only an oil lamp emitting a faint light. There was only a desk and a stool in the room, with many books scattered haphazardly on the desk and even placed directly on the floor to the side.

A man was sitting at the desk.

He looked to be in his thirties, with disheveled hair, wearing a black robe, but it wasn't properly worn; it was just a forced-on outfit that exposed his chest, revealing horrific burns.

He had deep-set eyes and a slender figure, but unfortunately, he was plain-looking, and one of his eye sockets was completely empty.

He wasn't wearing shoes, leaning back in his chair with his left foot on the chair, his left hand resting on it, and his right hand holding a book, glancing at it half-heartedly.

He was laughing, not just because he saw Wang Qiushui, but because he had been laughing the whole time.

How could a man in his thirties, with disheveled hair, haphazard clothes, and even blind in one eye, be able to laugh while sitting in such a dimly lit and cramped room?

Wang Qiushui remained silent, gazing at the man before her.

The man put down his book and said with a smile, "You're back?"

Wang Qiushui nodded silently.

"How is it?" the man asked casually.

"It should be done."

"That's hard to say..." the man laughed and said, "If you go against the trend of the times with forceful methods, you never know what you'll face next."

Wang Qiushui snorted coldly and retorted, "Is this based on your experience?"

The man laughed and said, "What do you think?"

"The nameless swordsman of Southern Qin has descended with divine might, unstoppable. You have encountered such a predicament, suffered a crushing defeat, and fallen to this state, no one can say anything about you. But if you want to use these as your life experience to instruct others, then forget it." Wang Qiushui said coldly, "I am much older than you."

The man smiled and shook his head, placing the book on the table. He said, "No, no, no... Wang Qiushui, you're completely wrong. What do you think 'immortal powder' is? Is it cigarettes? Is it alcohol? It's neither..."

He smiled and said, "The existence of the Divine Elixir, the continued existence of that huge industrial chain... will naturally disappear even if you do nothing."

Chapter Fifty-Eight: I Am the Era

Tobacco, alcohol, and betel nut are all addictive, albeit to a relatively low degree. People smoke, drink alcohol, and chew betel nut as a form of 'consumption,' a 'consumption' aimed at bringing them 'physical and mental pleasure.'

From this perspective, tobacco and alcohol can never be eliminated by the progress of the times. Unless better alternatives emerge, these so-called alternatives are merely passing the baton, changing the name of tobacco and alcohol, and continuing to circulate. They may be more or less addictive, and more or less harmful to the body. But their essence remains unchanged; as consumer goods, they will not be eliminated. However, "miracle drugs" are different; they will inevitably be eliminated.

The fundamental nature of Shenxian San (神仙散) is different from that of tobacco and alcohol.

Shenxiansan (a type of sedative) is not very addictive, and some people quit smoking and drinking. But I have never heard of anyone trying to quit Shenxiansan. If someone does, it is a very rare exception, which can be classified as pica. It is somewhat like caffeine or a non-drug version of a stimulant. It can cause mild dependence in the human body. If you have been using it for a long time and then suddenly stop, you may feel slightly uncomfortable for a while, but it will not be as difficult as quitting smoking or drinking.

So, what exactly is this "immortal powder"?

Cigarettes and alcohol are considered "consumption" and "enjoyment," while "miracle drug" is a "necessity of life." It doesn't fall into the category of consumption, and those who use it know it's bad for their health. But what can you do? Go to the docks or construction sites and see; the foremen there, when looking for workers, will even add a clause like "those who use miracle drugs will be given priority."

why?

People who inhale "divine powder" have more energy and can endure more hardship.

So, are manual laborers the ones who truly cannot live without the "divine powder"?

Wrong, wrong, don't try to secretly shift the blame like that.

Those who cannot live without the "divine powder" are, of course, capitalists.

Of course, they don't smoke this.

This is no different from employees working overtime in office buildings. They work overtime, are so tired they can't sleep, and drink coffee.

When manual laborers couldn't take it anymore, they would take "divine powder".

Mental labor usually can't be forced, otherwise the result will be a mess. But physical labor is different; as long as you have some energy left, you can work yourself to the bone.

Mental work, if you persevere, you can always keep going; it's just a matter of your own will and a lack of inspiration. Very few people will actually push themselves to the point where their body or mind can't take it anymore. But physical work is different. If you can't do it anymore, you just can't do it anymore. You could kill me, but I wouldn't be able to get up.

Therefore, the status and importance of things like "divine powder" and coffee are not even in the same league.

The money earned from the "miracle powder" is completely irrelevant. Although the taxes paid are considerable, they are not important because the "miracle powder" is very cheap. What is important is the hidden benefits!

If the benefits of the "Immortal Powder" are so great, why would a man say such a thing?

What makes him think that even if Wang Qiushui does nothing, the huge industrial chain of Shenxiansan will disappear on its own?

In fact, this was inevitable.

What does the "Immortal Powder" enhance?

Simply put, it helps capitalists further exploit manual laborers.

In other words, it can barely be considered an increase in productivity.

So here's the question—does increasing productivity rely on drugs? Is it possible to rely on drugs now, and forever?

Obviously not, science and technology are the primary productive forces.

It's simply because at this opportune time, the right miracle drug appeared. It was simple to make, inexpensive, and highly effective, enhancing the labor force—one of the three factors of productivity. It's that simple.

But even if Wang Qiushui does nothing, with the development of the times, the improvement of alchemical technology, the continuous reduction of production line costs, the increase in popularity, and the improvement of overall education levels... one day, the harm brought by the "Immortal Powder" will outweigh its benefits. That day will be the day when it truly and completely withdraws from the stage of history.

This is the trend of the times. Go with the flow, and the torrent will sweep away all who dare to resist. Even if a god came, he wouldn't be able to stop the gods from leaving.

Men understand this principle, and Wang Qiushui should understand it too.

But she did it anyway.

Her methods have endless consequences; she wants to force something that shouldn't have left this era to leave.

Wang Qiushui is always like this. She has a forward-looking vision and can see a lot, but she can never understand it. She wants to promote the eight-hour workday, end the slave trade, and preserve the survival rights of some other races. These actions go against the times and will eventually end in a miserable way.

Throughout history, if there has ever been anyone who successfully defied the times, it would only be the God of War.

The great figures who sparked the alchemical revolution were not necessarily going against the tide of their time. Alchemy was a trend, a prevailing trend of the era; they were simply following the tide. Only the God of War... stood up when humanity was reduced to a tool for the reproduction of other races and was on the verge of annihilation. He swept across the eight wastelands and six directions. Only he truly overcame the tide of the times and defied fate. Therefore, the God of War is a saint, a perfect man for all time.

The man looked at Wang Qiushui with a smile, waiting for her answer.

Wang Qiushui calmly said, "I know everything you're saying, but how many years will that be?"

"The 'Immortal Powder' has existed for over four hundred years, robbing four billion people of a combined lifespan of over two hundred billion years. And it remains fashionable, even with wider applications. In the next four hundred years, it may rob several times more lifespan than in the previous four hundred. I know that as times change, these things will eventually become obsolete..."

Wang Qiushui fell silent, looking to the other side as if recalling the past.

"But... just because the time isn't right and the trend hasn't arrived yet, should we just accept it?"

"Because the time hasn't come yet, the workers have to stay in the factory and work non-stop, twelve hours a day, or even more. Their eyes are numb, they have no soul, they are like walking corpses."

"Because the time had not yet come, the slave trade at sea could not be stopped. Those people were imprisoned at the bottom of the ship, where it was damp, dirty, dark, and cramped. If they got sick, they would be thrown overboard to feed the sharks. And after they were put on the ship, what awaited them was not a new life, but a lifetime of slavery."

"Just because these things exist, does that mean we shouldn't take action against them simply because the time hasn't come yet?"

Wang Qiushui looked at the man and said, "Tell me, just because the time hasn't come yet, does that mean we have to tolerate them?"

“You’ve evaded the crux of the problem,” the man said leisurely. “The fact that the times aren’t right is one thing, but your methods are flawed and your abilities are lacking. The Divine Elixir is a social problem, and I’m too lazy to waste my breath on the details. To put it simply… that’s not bad.”

He smiled and said, "If the time is not right, then we should wait and see, follow the times, and respond to the trend. This is the way for mankind to survive."

"Then what exactly is an era?!"

"The era?" The man smiled leisurely. "What is the era... The era is education, technology, social justice, and medicine. You may be tired of hearing that... So let me put it another way."

He paused, then smiled casually:

"I am the era."

Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Truth About Fear!

At dusk.

Shen Xin looked solemn as he walked back to the Yorozuya with Yu Xietian.

After obtaining the document, she discussed it with Nocturne for a long time. Some definite information in the boss's document gave both of them some clues, and they achieved great results.

But... this is something that the boss was able to find out more than 20 years ago, yet it hadn't been leaked before. Was it really because the government couldn't find it, or...?

Perhaps the answers are already in the hearts of God and the Nocturne.

"I never expected this..." Yu Xietian, who had listened to Shenxin and Yequ's entire analysis, was also amazed. "The truth of the matter is actually like this..."

"...That's not the truth."

Shenxin raised the small blackboard.

"We can no longer know the truth of the matter; what we've arrived at now is merely a more plausible conclusion... No, if we're talking about plausibility, the clown-theoretic theory and the fear-theoretic theory are equally plausible, but..."

Those two guesses were essentially 'unreasonable,' but they were made 'reasonable' on the surface by relying on the mysterious and unpredictable abilities of the Primordial Alien Race to complete the mechanical deity.

However, the conclusion that Nocturne and Shenxin reached...while it certainly involved some deus ex machina and even a huge element of luck...but this huge element of luck was precisely the core of their conjecture. It explained most of the illogical aspects of the matter, rather than simply being dismissed with a phrase like "the ancestral alien race made its move."

"But..." Yu Xietian sighed softly, "If your guesses are true, then for Mu Nandong and Mu Huai Ren, it's truly..."

Shenxin did not respond.

-

Board game arcade.

Nocturne pushed open the door. Before that, Ying Qin Guan was bragging to Jiu Yi, while the boss listened on the side.

"That old lady, Wang Qiushui, has no sportsmanship. She ambushed me, a 23-year-old young man. She just came at me like that, so fast! Her shoulder was quite slippery, and I almost missed her. But what good did that do? I grabbed her with my other hand. Let me tell you, if it weren't for the fact that she's a woman, I would have given her a five-hit lightning whip combo!"

Regarding whether or not this matter could be discussed, Ying Qin Guan had already asked Shi Jiu Xiu beforehand. The other party indicated that the two people at the board game hall could definitely tell him, but it was best not to tell anyone else. If he had to tell someone, he should not mention the matter of Shenxian San No. 3.

Nocturne pushed open the door.

The boss's soundproofing was excellent; theoretically, she shouldn't have heard anything.

But Ying Qin Guan, judging others by his own standards, thought that since he could hear roughly what was happening at that distance, could Ye Qu have heard it too? He immediately asked nervously, "Ye Qu, you...didn't hear anything just now?"

Nocturne wore a white robe today, looking absolutely ethereal.

Upon hearing this, she smiled slightly and said, "The woman didn't hear... Don't worry."

Ying Qin Guan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He still had a sense of shame; he couldn't go back on his word after making a promise.