Chapter 80

## Chapter 80. Who the Hell is the Teacher?

"Is it him? Are you talking about that old man in white martial clothes? Do you know him?"

Fortunately or unfortunately, No Gun-sang seemed unaware of the old man's identity.

"That is..."

Namgung Jexue felt a belated sense of regret.

'If he deliberately hid his identity...'

He shouldn't casually reveal it and offend the old man.

After quickly organizing his thoughts, Namgung Jexue cleared his throat and said,

"I must have been mistaken. I was just startled because he looks like my late maternal grandfather."

"Maternal grandfather?"

No Gun-sang narrowed his eyes at Namgung Jexue's vague excuse.

"I've known you for over fifty years, and this is the first time I've heard about your late maternal grandfather."

"He passed away about sixty years ago. Heh heh heh! He really doted on me..."

"Am I supposed to believe that? Tsk. I understand. It seems there's a story behind it, so I'll pretend I didn't hear anything."

"Thank you..."

Namgung Jexue felt grateful that No Gun-sang didn't press further.

However, No Gun-sang wasn't done yet.

He chuckled and patted Namgung Jexue's shoulder.

"Anyway, I won the bet. I'll book the most expensive tavern in Namchang, so you better be prepared."

"Ugh... I understand."

Namgung Jexue nodded with a grim expression.

He didn't mind the money, but losing the bet left a bad taste in his mouth.

But the events that would surprise the great Sword King of the Sky were only just beginning.

* * *

The Qinglong Academy entrance exam was divided into morning and afternoon sessions.

In the morning, candidates had to demonstrate their basic physical strength, internal energy, and external martial arts skills in front of the examiners.

In the afternoon, there would be a written test and practical sparring with senior students.

"Ha-a-a-a!"

Gongsun Shu stomped the ground and spun in the air.

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

He thrust his sword in all directions—east, west, north, and south—before landing gracefully like a crane.

"Huuu..."

Gongsun Shu slowly took a deep breath and sheathed his sword.

He had finished demonstrating the last form he had prepared.

Straightening his posture, Gongsun Shu respectfully bowed to the examiners.

"Done."

"Thank you for your effort."

The expressions of the two examiners were inscrutable.

They scribbled something on the paper in front of them and whispered to each other.

Gongsun Shu watched them with a slightly anxious look and said,

"Examiner, I accidentally skipped one form earlier. If you give me another chance, I can demonstrate it now..."

"Not possible. Next candidate, please come forward!"

"..."

Leaving the stage, Gongsun Shu wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and sighed deeply.

"Huu... This isn't easy."

He barely passed the physical strength test.

He was confident in his internal energy, having consumed medicinal herbs for years.

Mr. Bai had also said,

-Your internal energy is among the top candidates.

The internal energy test involved using one's energy to make water overflow from a full jar. Gongsun Shu made more water spill out than the average student.

However, the problem was the external martial arts test he had just completed.

'If I had a bit more time...'

It was a short month to perfectly master several forms unless one had exceptional talent.

And Gongsun Shu wasn't a genius.

'Heh. Did I get too cocky after winning that one match?'

He had defeated a young opponent using the principle of "softness overcoming hardness" not long ago, but it was more due to strategy and psychological warfare than his martial skills.

Moreover, the sword technique Bai Shulong taught him was soft and flexible, making it seem somewhat plain compared to the other students' techniques.

"Ugh. I said I would pass with dignity, but if I fail, I'll be too embarrassed... No. I shouldn't think like this."

Gongsun Shu slapped his cheeks to shake off his anxious thoughts.

The morning session was almost over.

Mr. Bai was busy, and since Wei Zitian was in a different group, Gongsun Shu was alone for a while.

He took a moment to watch other students take their exams.

"Ha-a-a-a!"

"Ta-ha!"

There was no moment when he envied the young men swinging their swords and sweating more than now.

Their elastic muscles, strong joints, and healthy bodies were a blessing from heaven.

"How I envy you. How I wish I were thirty years younger..."

Shortly after, Mai Jielian, who oversaw the entrance exam, called out with his internal energy,

"That concludes the morning session! Candidates, please gather back here after a one-hour break!"

A one-hour break was given.

The candidates who finished the morning session went outside to meet their families and friends waiting for them.

Gongsun Shu hurried out to meet his fellow students from the Bai Long Hall.

He had agreed to meet them for lunch and review the exam, as well as discuss the practical sparring in the afternoon.

[Prime Minister.]

If it weren't for the telepathic message he heard as soon as he left the Qinglong Academy, Gongsun Shu would have continued walking.

His expression hardened as he stopped in his tracks.

"Who...?"

The telepathic message itself wasn't a difficult skill for Gongsun Shu, but he couldn't even guess the direction it came from.

That meant the sender was an incredibly skilled expert who could hide their aura.

[Can we have a word? Please come to the alley on your left. I have no intention of harming you.]

After a moment's hesitation, Gongsun Shu followed the voice. He could sense the cautiousness in the voice.

"Who called me?"

As Gongsun Shu entered the alley, a young man emerged from the darkness.

It was Namgung Jexue, the Sword King of the Sky.

"Namgung Jexue here. We met once before, do you remember?"

A scene that would have shocked any martial artist.

Namgung Jexue's status, reputation, and skills.

There were no more than five people in the entire martial world who deserved such respect from the Sword King of the Sky.

However,

"Namgung Daxia. Of course, I remember. I recognized you in the grand training hall earlier... Heh heh. I couldn't acknowledge you, but please understand."

Gongsun Shu accepted Namgung Jexue's attitude as a matter of course.

It was natural, given that the other party knew his true identity.

"Heh! So it really is you, Prime Minister."

Namgung Jexue's expression was as if he had seen a ghost.

"How did you end up here? I heard you were recuperating somewhere due to poor health..."

There was a saying, "The emperor's teacher is inviolable," but the Namgung family had connections even in the imperial palace.

They maintained close relationships with various power brokers through their formidable martial strength and financial resources.

But Gongsun Shu was an existence even the Namgung family dared not touch.

'The emperor's teacher...'

Though he had retired, Gongsun Shu had once held the position of Prime Minister, the second most powerful person in the land.

He had served the current emperor for over twenty years since his childhood, both as a mentor in academics and in spirit.

-Prime Minister is like a father to me, having raised me in place of the late emperor. Everyone should know this.

The emperor's trust in Gongsun Shu was so deep that he had said this in public.

He had also survived several assassination attempts by his rivals, earning him the title of "Iron-Blooded Chancellor."

'I heard he was recuperating somewhere due to poor health...'

Namgung Jexue looked at Gongsun Shu with a puzzled expression.

"Heh heh. Being back in my hometown has brought me peace of mind and body, so I naturally feel healthier. Heh heh heh!"

"Heh heh..."

It was an unbelievable story, but Namgung Jexue could only laugh. He knew better than to pry.

"By the way, when did you start learning martial arts? If you had told me earlier, the Namgung family could have..."

"Heh heh. I was lucky to meet an excellent teacher and have been learning from him."

At the mention of an excellent teacher, Namgung Jexue's eyebrows twitched.

"Really? Could I know the name of this teacher...?"

Just then,

"Hey, it's you! I saw that old man go into this alley!"

"Really?"

Both men turned their heads at the voices coming from a distance.

Gongsun Shu said to Namgung Jexue with a troubled look,

"Namgung Daxia, I'm sorry, but could you step aside? These kids don't know my true identity."

"Who are these kids?"

"Heh heh. They are my fellow students, who learned martial arts from the same teacher."

"Really?"

"Old man!"

The voice was getting closer. Gongsun Shu said with an urgent expression,

"See you later. Namgung Daxia, please keep our meeting a secret."

Namgung Jexue nodded at Gongsun Shu's soft but unyielding gaze.

"Of course. Don't worry about it."

"Heh heh. Then let's go."

Just as unfamiliar footsteps approached, Namgung Jexue vanished from Gongsun Shu's sight.

Swish.

Though he hadn't learned any specific hiding techniques, it was easy for an expert like Namgung Jexue to conceal his presence.

However, he didn't leave immediately.

He was curious about the fellow students Gongsun Shu had mentioned.

A moment later, a young man entered the alley.

"Old man! I knew you'd be here."

It was Xian Yuanqiang.

Gongsun Shu pretended to adjust his pants and acted nonchalant.

"Heh heh. I just came in for a moment. I was about to leave anyway."

"What? You came in to pee? I was worried when you didn't come out of the alley."

"What's there to worry about?"

"Who knows if there might be some ruffian like Xiaomoceng in there."

Gongsun Shu patted Xian Yuanqiang's back with a chuckle.

"Thanks to you, Senior Yuanqiang, I feel more confident."

"Damn it. I've told you many times. It's not Yuanqiang, it's Qiang (强)! The character for strong!"

Xian Yuanqiang growled with a fierce expression.

At his arrogant tone, Namgung Jexue, who was hiding and watching, widened his eyes.

'What a lunatic. No one would dare be so disrespectful to the Prime Minister unless they wanted their family wiped out... Hmm?'

At that moment, Namgung Jexue's eyes widened for a different reason.

He almost revealed his presence and embarrassed himself when he saw Xian Yuanqiang's solid physique.

Though not fully developed, it showed great potential.

'Heh. A talent that would be hard to find even in the Tianwu Academy.'

Namgung Jexue's surprise didn't end there.

Wei Zitian entered the alley shortly after Xian Yuanqiang.

"Grandpa, are you okay?"

The moment Namgung Jexue saw the kind-faced boy, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

'!!'

Even a bolt of lightning wouldn't have shocked the Ten Respects as much as this.

'How can this be...!'

He almost revealed himself in shock.

Seeing Wei Zitian, Namgung Jexue thought of a sword.

'He already has a sword in his heart.'

He wanted to tell the boy to wield a sword right away.

If Gongsun Shu hadn't been there, he would have done so.

"Heh heh. Zitian, you're here too. Did you come for me?"

"Senior Yuanqiang suddenly ran ahead..."

"Qiang! Qiang!"

"Heh heh. I'm sorry to have worried you. You must be hungry, let's go."

"Where's Heiying?"

"I sent her to meet someone. She'll be back before the afternoon exam. Come on, let's go."

Gongsun Shu pushed the two boys' backs and hurried out of the alley.

A moment later,

Swish.

Namgung Jexue, who had been hiding, appeared with a dazed look and muttered,

"Those three are fellow students?"

The emperor's teacher.

A rare talent.

A boy with a sword in his heart.

All three had the same teacher.

"Who the hell... is their teacher?"

Namgung Jexue was determined to find out.

At that moment, Bai Shulong was struggling with an overwhelming workload and couldn't even eat properly.