Chapter 98

## Chapter 98. Understanding and Practical Preparation for Bandit Martial Arts

“...Was I still alive?”

Gongsun Shou opened his eyes, his face pale. When he did, he saw Tianjian kneeling in front of him.

“Prime Minister, I apologize for being late.”

“It’s not your fault, so why are you apologizing? But where is Mr. Bai?”

“...He will be here soon.”

Although Tianjian’s reaction was a bit strange, Gongsun Shou didn’t pay much attention to it.

Looking around, Gongsun Shou exclaimed in surprise.

The ground was overturned, and dozens of trees had been cut down.

“What happened while I was unconscious?”

“What I saw was...”

Tianjian frankly told him what he had seen, without a single lie, because the Prime Minister was someone the Emperor regarded as a teacher.

Gongsun Shou’s expression stiffened when he heard about the sword duel with Bai Shulong.

“Was Mr. Bai badly injured?”

“As you can see, he’s fine.”

The answer came from behind Tianjian’s shoulder.

Bai Shulong and Heiying were walking together, their faces somewhat pale.

“Except for the fact that I almost lost an arm because of a suspicious person.”

“It was necessary to verify.”

“Verify my identity? Or my martial arts?”

“...”

Tianjian didn’t answer.

Seeing this, Gongsun Shou laughed in disbelief.

“Mr. Bai, you’ve really grown bold. If you knew your opponent was Tianjian, you should have prostrated yourself and begged for mercy.”

“If he were someone I could reason with, I would have. But is there such a thing in this world? A person who’s a bit stronger in martial arts oppresses their benefactor...”

“Enough.”

Bai Shulong shut his mouth at the cold aura.

Although Gongsun Shou had given him a bit of a scolding, he had no intention of turning Tianjian into an enemy.

“Haha. For my sake, both of you should stop this.”

“Yes.”

“I understand.”

The two men bowed their heads.

While Heiying was taking Gongsun Shou’s pulse, the two waited quietly for the escort troops to arrive.

“Do you think I wouldn’t notice if you just glare at each other without saying a word?”

“...”

“...”

The two men turned their heads, coughing awkwardly.

Gongsun Shou chuckled at their childishness, and Heiying shook his head.

A short while later, the troops escorting Gongsun Shou arrived.

Five carriages and a hundred elite Jin Yi Wei guards.

This was said to be the minimum number to ensure a quick arrival.

Bai Shulong was impressed by their grandeur.

“...Sir, you are truly an extraordinary person.”

“Huh. You only realize this now?”

“I knew it in theory, but seeing you roll around in the dirt every day made it hard to feel it...”

Gongsun Shou burst out laughing at his honest words.

“I am quite an extraordinary person. So if you ever need help, feel free to come see me.”

“Whenever I need to, I will not hesitate to visit you.”

The two men smiled at each other.

They had already said their goodbyes to the point of exhaustion, so there was no need to repeat them.

Instead, Gongsun Shou had prepared a parting gift.

“Tianjian, did you bring what I asked for?”

“...Yes.”

“Bring it over.”

While Tianjian fetched something from the carriage, Gongsun Shou stood with his hands behind his back and talked to Bai Shulong.

“Before I leave, I have something to give you.”

“Huh? What are you giving me...”

He had already received ten thousand taels as tutoring fees and a promise of financial support for the Qinglong Academy.

‘Moreover, I absorbed an incredible amount of essence and energy from Zhuo Qi...’

Thanks to this, his Reversing Heaven Divine Art had reached the middle stage, so in terms of good fortune, he might have received more.

“Do you not want to accept it?”

“My favorite idiom is ‘the more, the better.’”

“I expected as much.”

Gongsun Shou nodded as if it wasn’t surprising, but the Jin Yi Wei guards who had come to escort him looked at Bai Shulong’s brazen face in disbelief.

Heiying covered her face in embarrassment.

“Why is the embarrassment always mine...”

Then, a short while later, Tianjian emerged from the carriage and shouted in a loud voice.

“Bai Shulong, instructor of the Qinglong Academy, receive the Emperor’s edict!”

“!!”

An edict from the Emperor!

What kind of shocking news was this?

A cold aura like frost emanated from Tianjian’s entire body.

“Bow!”

Bai Shulong, who had regained his senses, quickly knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

“Bai Shulong receives the Emperor’s edict.”

Tianjian nodded in satisfaction and began reading the contents of the edict.

“Born in the first week of the Jiazi year in Huichang, Jiangxi Province, Bai Shulong has protected the Prime Minister Gongsun Shou from the evil rebels, thereby averting a great threat to the nation. For this, I confer the Edict of Merit...”

The Edict of Merit was a decoration given to officials who had rendered great service to the nation.

‘Can you just give this out so casually?’

Bai Shulong received the Edict of Merit with a bewildered expression.

“...And I also confer one hundred taels of gold and thirty thousand acres of land.”

After the Edict of Merit was conferred, Gongsun Shou said with a smile.

“I told His Majesty not to give you an official position. Powerful people might try to use you, so don’t be upset.”

“...I won’t be upset.”

On the contrary, he was grateful for such thoughtful consideration.

“This isn’t the end. Heiying, bring it over.”

“...Yes.”

Heiying brought a black wooden box that looked very expensive at first glance.

“Open it.”

Bai Shulong carefully opened the box to find a black rod about a foot long (30 cm) and as thick as a finger, lying on a golden silk.

“What is... this?”

“It’s a teaching rod I used in the past. Try holding it.”

When he held it, it was heavier than he expected. Upon closer inspection, a dragon was coiled around the entire rod.

“I call it the Black Dragon Rod. Perhaps because I was beaten with it in the past, the Emperor still jumps in fear when he sees it.”

“Really?”

Did he use this to hit the Emperor in the past?

The Jin Yi Wei guards, hearing this story for the first time, gaped in shock.

Gongsun Shou laughed and said,

“It’s made of steel, so it won’t break easily. Use it well in the future.”

“...Can I really accept such an item?”

“It’s no longer of use to me. It’s better for someone who needs it to use it.”

In Gongsun Shou’s mind, the person who should become the owner of the Black Dragon Rod was Bai Shulong.

“Try infusing it with your internal energy.”

When he infused it with internal energy, a metallic sound came from inside the Black Dragon Rod, and its length doubled.

“It’s usually about a foot (30 cm) long, but when infused with internal energy, it can extend to three feet (90 cm).”

“This is...”

It was a fully functional weapon.

No, it was a much more useful item than any ordinary sword.

“I hope you use it well.”

Gongsun Shou looked at the Black Dragon Rod, which had become worn from his use, and its new owner, Bai Shulong, with a warm gaze.

Bai Shulong could only give one answer.

“...I will use it well.”

“Don’t just use it to beat up kids.”

“I’m trying to be moved, so don’t ruin it.”

Gongsun Shou chuckled and turned to the Jin Yi Wei guards.

“Now that I’ve given everything, it’s time for me to go. Prepare to depart.”

“Yes!”

The departure preparations were quickly completed, and Gongsun Shou boarded the carriage.

As he was about to leave, Tianjian’s voice echoed in Bai Shulong’s ear.

[You can keep quiet about the martial arts you’ve learned. After all, I’m not a martial artist, and the Prime Minister’s regard for you is greater than I imagined.]

Bai Shulong maintained a calm expression but sighed in relief inwardly.

‘Phew.’

If Tianjian had started asking about or investigating the Reversing Heaven Divine Art, it would have been very troublesome.

[But it’s best not to show that martial art to others. Especially to high-level experts... If they see it, they won’t let it go.]

[Thank you for the advice.]

He already knew this.

That’s why he had tried to hide his martial arts as much as possible in front of Nangong Jixue.

While Bai Shulong was having a brief conversation with Tianjian, Gongsun Shou boarded the carriage.

“Thank you. I hope we meet again.”

“Don’t forget to review what I taught you while you’re in the palace.”

Gongsun Shou laughed and said he would definitely do so.

Heiying, who had also boarded the carriage, bid him farewell.

“...I’ll go now.”

“Alright. Take care.”

“...”

There was a hint of reluctance in Heiying’s eyes, but she didn’t say anything more and bowed her head.

Bai Shulong took a few steps back, and the carriage started moving.

“Goodbye!”

“...”

Bai Shulong quietly watched the carriage, which was getting smaller.

As the sunset began to set.

The five carriages were heading towards the horizon.

A student he had been with for over a month had just left him.

“Sir, I’m the one who should be grateful.”

At first, it was just a job to earn ten thousand taels, but later, he really wanted to help Gongsun Shou pass.

He had learned about the old man’s childhood dream and watched him work hard to achieve it, even if it was late.

‘Before I knew it, I was cheering for him.’

Xian Yuan Qiang and Wei Zhi Tian, who trained with him every day, probably felt the same way.

A feeling he had never experienced during his time as a martial arts instructor for the Blood Sect.

If he had known this feeling a little earlier...

He wouldn’t have made so many mistakes.

“Sighing won’t change anything.”

Bai Shulong sighed deeply and shook his head to clear his lingering thoughts.

He wasn’t the type to hold onto regrets for long.

Instead, he thought about his current situation and future.

He thought about Qi Sha and Sal Mo, who had died without uncovering information about the Blood Sect, and about Tianjian’s warning to hide the Reversing Heaven Divine Art.

‘The Ten Respects...’

Bai Shulong recalled his duel with Tianjian.

It was a fight where the gap still felt insurmountable.

And Tianjian was considered the weakest among the Ten Respects.

This was largely due to his symbolic status as the top expert in the palace.

Of course, Tianjian was undoubtedly a supreme expert.

‘Nangong Jixue is even stronger.’

Nangong Jixue’s name is always mentioned in discussions about the top martial artists in the current martial world.

If the person who had witnessed the Reversing Heaven Divine Art had been Nangong Jixue instead of Tianjian?

A chill ran down his spine.

This time, it was just luck. There’s no guarantee such luck will come again.

‘To freely control the Red-Eyed Red-Haired state, I need to master the Reversing Heaven Divine Art at least to the 7th level.’

However, the 7th level isn’t something that can be achieved simply by having a lot of internal energy.

“Sigh. I have to teach, improve my martial arts, and keep an eye on the Blood Sect... I have a mountain of work to do.”

Bai Shulong sighed and turned to walk back towards the Qinglong Academy.

“I haven’t even started teaching yet.”

The first semester and the first class at the Qinglong Academy would begin in a few days.

He would meet many more students in the future.

“I’m already tired, so tired...”

But despite his grumbling, Bai Shulong’s face was filled with anticipation.

His steps towards the Qinglong Academy gradually quickened.

* * *

A few days later.

After the opening ceremony, not only the freshmen but also the returning students started to return to the academy.

Buzzing.

The students were busy checking the rooms posted on bulletin boards around the academy.

The list of courses available for registration this year was already posted.

The students’ preferences for courses varied widely depending on the course and the instructor.

Unpopular courses had empty lecture halls, while popular subjects saw fierce competition among students for enrollment.

And such evaluations accumulated to determine the instructors’ treatment and monthly salaries.

“By the way, who is Zhuge Xiaoying?”

“She’s a new teacher this year.”

“Who would listen to a course on ancient martial history...”

“Is she pretty? Maybe I’ll just attend the first class.”

Among the temporary instructors this year, the only one assigned a course was Zhuge Xiaoying, who had entered the academy as the top student.

Or, if you look closely, there’s one more name at the very bottom.

<Understanding and Practical Preparation for Bandit Martial Arts - Bai Shulong>