Chapter Forty-Eight: The Instructor

Old Sun, Sun Jiulou, six-time runner-up in martial arts competitions, lost to Lu Yanhe by the slightest margin all six times they faced each other. Later, he served as vice chief instructor of the Demon Hunting Corps, retired the same year as Lu Yanhe, and after retirement took a post at Taiding Academy, becoming a pivotal figure there.

Upon learning all this, Ye Ran nearly burst out laughing; so it turned out that Old Sun had spent his entire life overshadowed by Lu Yanhe. Yet he truly was a master of his generation, both in presence and in strength.

Ye Ran vaguely sensed some connection between them. He had created the Bird Style and compiled it into Taiding Academy's “Advanced Martial Arts” textbook, but year after year, few within the academy had mastered it, while Ye Ran himself, after buying the book for just a few copper coins, had succeeded. Surely fate had a hand in all this.

That night, when Ye Ran told Fureya about it upon returning home, the little girl was overjoyed. She drew a huge smiley face on her sketchpad, ran about the house insisting on cooking a big pot of porridge to celebrate.

There was no helping it—porridge was the only thing she could make.

Ye Ran and Fureya each held a bowl of porridge, sitting at the window and sipping quietly, gazing at the moon hanging high in the night sky.

Ye Ran said, “Fureya, it’s been ages since I’ve sat quietly and watched the moon like this.”

Fureya wrote on her sketchpad, “Fureya watches the moon every night,” then turned to him with an adorable smile.

Ye Ran couldn’t help but reach over and pat her little head. “I might be coming home even later now, Fureya. You must take care of yourself.”

Having been admitted to Taiding Academy, he would have to pay the hefty tuition fees, meaning part-time work would be inevitable, and he’d have even less time to spend with her.

Fureya nodded, writing, “Fureya won’t let A-Ran worry,” on her sketchpad.

Yet, events unfolded more subtly than they had expected.

The next morning a courier knocked at his door.

“Are you Mr. Ye Ran? Here’s your mail; please sign for it.”

He brought three certificates and a letter.

Admission notice.

Martial Arts Instructor appointment certificate.

Assistant appointment certificate.

Seeing the contents of the certificates and letter, Ye Ran’s excitement was palpable.

The letter was personally written by Sun Jiulou, detailing his discussions with the principal, the responsibilities of the two positions, and the salary.

The martial arts instructor position involved handling physical education for the advanced class students—shift work, with a monthly salary of ten silver coins, slightly lower than other teachers, but for Ye Ran, it was a generous sum.

As assistant, he would help Sun Jiulou with compiling books and similar tasks—a relaxed post, but still worth five silver coins a month.

These opportunities felt like manna from heaven, leaving Ye Ran dizzy with joy.

And not only him—the news swept through all three academies.

Ye Ran, who had defeated formidable opponents in the Red Leaf Academy martial arts exam but was inexplicably eliminated, had been noticed by Taiding Academy. Not only had he become an advanced class student, he was also made martial arts instructor and assistant to Master Sun Jiulou.

Student, instructor, and assistant—this was unprecedented at Taiding Academy, and Ye Ran himself was somewhat legendary. Many people began to paint Ye Ran as almost mythical, especially his journey from the slums to where he stood now…

“Ah, that old Sun moves fast,”

In the tea room of Red Leaf Academy, Lu Yanhe’s cup was refilled again and again; his sighs made him seem absent-minded, almost distraught.

Lin Yuan and Wang Li kept their heads down, quietly sipping tea, occasionally exchanging glances and sticking out their tongues.

Having studied under Lu Yanhe for so long, it was the first time they’d seen their master, usually so composed, in such a state.

Gao Taiqing said languidly, “Don’t be greedy. Xiao Li and Xiao Yuan are half your disciples too—their talent is no less than Ye Ran’s.”

Lin Yuan agreed wholeheartedly, nodding like a chick pecking at grain.

Lu Yanhe sighed, “When have I ever said they are lacking? But their training focuses on inner strength and spellcraft, with martial arts as a supplement—so they’re only half disciples. Ye Ran is different; you know as well as I do, his comprehension in martial arts is second to none. More importantly, he has that fierce determination…”

He remembered Ye Ran standing amid the flames during the martial arts exam, biting his wrist and wrapping cloth around his fists, the steely resolve reminding him of his own younger days.

Perhaps he saw his younger self in Ye Ran, which made him favor the young man even more.

“Alas, it seems no one will inherit my legacy,”

He sighed again.

Gao Taiqing said, “There’s nothing to be done. This expanded enrollment was for the Temple, and his fate is indeed in the southeast. After wandering so long, it’s time he found a place to rest.”

No matter how capable or high-ranking, there are always things beyond one’s control.

“Oh well, it’s a windfall for that old Sun Jiulou. Hmph, but Ye Ran learning martial arts from him is still a loss. The battle body I’ve painstakingly developed these years is much stronger than Sun Jiulou’s.”

…

Lanshe Avenue, Brann Mansion.

A lavishly decorated carriage slowly pulled away, the fat man inside scowling darkly.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped. The fat man inside spoke in a deep voice, “Why have we stopped?”

“Well, Andoru, aren’t you going to greet your uncle?” came a teasing voice from outside.

Hearing this, Andoru’s pudgy face quivered. He sneered and lifted the curtain.

A man in black leather rode a tall horse, blocking the carriage. Triangular eyes, hooked nose—his face alone looked fierce.

“Uncle, are you blocking my way for another share of the inheritance?” Andoru snorted. The man before him was closely related by blood, but there was bitter enmity between them.

The man grinned, “Little Andoru, I’m not blocking you; just happened to pass by. Suddenly thought of something, so I wanted to see your expression.”

“You’ve seen it now, dear uncle,”

Andoru sneered.

The man laughed, “Very good, very good. This is your true face—ugly outside, ugly inside. I like you best this way.”

“But…Little Andoru, do you dare show this face to your ‘dearest friend’ Ye Ran?”

Andoru snorted, “This is the face for vipers. My friends see a different one…”

“But the things you do to your friends are even worse,” the man cut him off sarcastically, “For example, the God Hunter tribe, that second-generation deity, and…”

“Silence,”

Andoru’s face changed abruptly, his whole body trembling.

“Hahaha, little Andoru is angry. Now this is your true nature—evil, jealous, base, lustful, treacherous. Alas, you’re not quite seasoned yet,”

He rode slowly to Andoru’s side, leaned down, and whispered in his ear, “Do you know how to shut a greedy mouth, little Andoru?”

“Hahahahaha…” He rode off, leaving Andoru’s face twitching uncontrollably…

Merry Christmas, brothers.