Monarch Night
Chapter 57 - 22 Five Spirits Gu

Chapter 57: Chapter 22 Five Spirits Gu

Gao Yunqi and Zhou Yi sat opposite each other, drinking liberally, tacitly avoiding further discussion of the incident.

As for the accident, they didn’t blame anyone.

The only person at fault was Ximen Xuri, but Ximen Xuri was already dead.

Fang Che was ambushed and, in a rush, killed in self-defense. Could Fang Che be blamed?

Was Fang Che expected to just stand still and allow himself to be killed to be considered blameless?

In that situation, even if the Mountain Master himself were officiating, he might not have been able to stop it!

Naturally, Gao Yunqi and Zhou Yi couldn’t be blamed either.

Who could have expected Ximen Xuri to hide a hidden weapon in his sleeve, and a living demon beast at that!

But someone had to take responsibility for the death. And what mattered most to a Martial Arts Academy was reputation.

One way or another, a stance had to be taken.

So the two of them chose to take all the responsibility themselves. There was no need for the academy to handle it; they would deal with themselves.

To preserve the dignity of the Martial Arts Academy.

Just when the two had made up their minds, they heard a clear voice saying, "The two instructors certainly have good taste."

They looked up.

At the door stood a young man in black with a large cloak adorned with dark gold patterns, casually holding two jars of wine, smiling at the entrance.

"May I come in, teachers?"

"Fang Che?"

Both were startled for a moment, "How did you get here?"

"I just happened to have two jars of good wine, so I thought I’d find a place to enjoy them."

Fang Che smiled, placing the wine on the table.

"Tiexue Platform? Fifty-year Tiexue Platform?"

Their eyes gleamed.

Tiexue Platform was ranked number one amongst fine wines in this world, and a fifty-year Tiexue Platform was even rarer.

Then, both of them sobered and said, "Righteous Young Master Fang indeed has good wine at his fingertips."

Fang Che just smiled faintly.

His actions were never meant to be hidden from the world.

But these things were not important.

In life, what is the true value of reputation?

Perhaps others care, but the path Fang Che chose from the beginning was different from the rest. To him, worldly praise or criticism was nothing more than a fart!

"Because of a student’s affair, the two instructors have been implicated. Of course, these words have little meaning at the moment."

Fang Che continued calmly, "As for the student’s own character, I am aware, and let the world judge as they see fit."

He slowly sat down, across from the two instructors, and said, "I came here today because I have some heartfelt words I wish to share with the two instructors before I leave. Please grant me the favor of listening."

"Go ahead."

The two exchanged glances, feeling a bit strange.

And somewhat warmed by the gesture.

Because of the student’s affair, the two instructors have been implicated—this sentence provided some comfort.

Although the incident started because of you, you cannot be blamed.

Your willingness to come here and speak your mind shows an attitude.

"The Martial Arts Academy is not a battlefield. Deaths on the battlefield or in Jianghu are very common, but the academy recruits students from all over the world, so the death of a student is naturally a serious matter. No matter who was right or wrong, a death is a death, an accident! That much is certain."

"Since it’s an accident, someone must be held accountable."

"And the two instructors are the obvious choices."

"The instructors must have plans in mind already, which I shouldn’t comment on, but I have a few words to say."

"On the battlefield, we can spare two warriors who have not yet reached their peak, but what we truly lack are experienced and honest instructors with a sense of integrity!"

"Two warriors on the frontlines might at best kill a few foot soldiers or slay enemies of equal or lower rank, eventually dying gloriously in battle, leaving behind a revered name."

"But two dedicated instructors in the Martial Arts Academy could continue to nurture the next generation of talent. Year after year, generation after generation, turning even mediocre martial arts students into those with a fiery passion, and guiding talented students to become pillars that can support the skies!"

"Ten years to grow a tree, a hundred years to cultivate people!"

"The fight against the Wei Wo Zheng Sect isn’t something that can be finished in one generation."

"Only with a continuous emergence of talents, and everyone’s mindset on the right path, is there a shred of hope for the future."

"The Martial Arts Academy has stood for a thousand years; a little pressure is but a moment in a millennium of storms; but the Academy’s reputation shines across the world due to the talents it has cultivated over thousands of years, brilliant wherever they go. Such a tower is built from grains of sand, a coat woven from tufts of fur, a river formed from many streams—only this can achieve it."

"Perhaps the two instructors will say, with so many talented people in the academy, it can do without you two. If you leave, there will be other more powerful instructors to replace you."

"But I also want to ask, among so many staff in the academy, are they all truly from the Guardian Alliance?"

"Are there really no spies from the Wei Wo Zheng Sect?"

"Is it truly all united?"

"If you leave, can we be sure that your successors will be our people?"

"Is there a chance that someone will take this opportunity to plant their own agents?"

"For a mistake that isn’t a mistake, are you willing to give up on your current students and countless future generations waiting to be taught? Can you really reconcile that with your conscience?"

"To carry the blame and be exiled to battlefields, to spill blood on foreign land, is indeed heroic!"

"But holding your head high through a few difficult days, enduring this hardship, and continuing to fulfill your duty, to truly maximize your potential, that is the mark of a true hero!"

"For the sake of the foundation of the ages, for the countless students of future generations, can’t you endure a bit longer, instructors?"

Having said all he needed to say, Fang Che,

with a clap of his hands, broke the seals of Tiexue Platform.

As the fragrance of wine spread, he stood up with a smile, "I have said all I wished to say, and now I take my leave."

He glanced at the two people who were still as oblivious as wooden chickens.

Fang Che bowed and took his leave, gently closing the door behind him.

The sound of his footsteps retreated and vanished in an instant.

A long while later.

Gao Yunqi let out a long sigh, "Who would have thought that the Righteous Young Master Fang would turn out to be such a person."

Zhou Yi had a bitter smile on his face and also sighed, "I’ve taught students for half my life, and today I was schooled by my own student. This feeling... tsk, it’s certainly special."

They exchanged smiles, sensing that the other’s spirit seemed to have changed since before.

"Aren’t you... leaving?"

"A little bit of notoriety... I can handle a few curses, so I’m not leaving. What about you?"

"My skin is thicker than yours!"

"Ha ha ha..."

The two shared a moment of sentiment, then looked at the two jars of wine by the table.

"This kid, really... cautious, afraid we wouldn’t drink, he actually opened them."

"So... drink?"

"Now that we’re thick-skinned, what’s downing a couple of jars of wine from a student?"

"Then we drink?"

"Drink!"

"When I get back to the Martial Arts Academy, I’ll have to hold my breath full of alcohol and blow it in Huang Shan’s face to test him, see how many years of Tiexue Platform this is."

"Right, and also casually mention to him, we’re not leaving, this matter, he has to shoulder!"

"Ha ha ha ha..."

"Ha ha ha..."

...

Fang Che deep in thought, returned to his courtyard.

It seemed that the matter with Ximen Xuri still required a follow-up. Otherwise, there was still loose ends to tie; now that it was plucked, would it be a pity?

After a moment, he made up his mind: Even if it was a pity, so be it; after all, it’s just some shrimp.

Sun Yuan, as usual, was waiting for him.

"How did it go?"

"I defeated Ding Jie Ran, but I did not kill or cripple him... After all, I just killed Ximen Xuri yesterday, if I finished off another today, I probably would have been expelled."

Fang Che said, "So, I didn’t strike to kill."

"Of course, truly, if all three were killed, how could you stay at the Martial Arts Academy? Defeating them is the greatest victory."

Sun Yuan had naturally already sided with his own disciple.

"Remember, at any time, preserving oneself is the most important thing. As for the last one, what’s your take?"

Fang Che replied with a faint smile, "He’s as good as caught, no problem at all!"

Sun Yuan’s spirits lifted, "Then that’s great, I’ll report it to the Sect Hierarch tonight. I’m sure he will be very pleased."

Fang Che asked, "Master, there’s something I don’t know if I should ask?"

Sun Yuan said, "Speak, even if it’s something a little out of place, would I sell you out for it? A scolding is nothing if I pretended not to hear it."

Fang Che smiled sheepishly, then asked, "Master, how exactly do you communicate with the Sect Hierarch? I’ve found that your communication methods seem quite convenient."

This was Fang Che’s biggest question from his previous life.

The people from the Wei Wo Zheng Sect communicated at an incredibly fast pace.

Long before the Guardian Alliance came out with the Soul Jade Pendant method of communication, the Wei Wo Zheng Sect had already mastered it for who knows how many years.

And they had never changed their method, yet it was faster and more convenient than the Soul Jade Pendant.

Because to use the Guardian’s Soul Jade Pendant, one needed to have at least Emperor Level cultivation to activate the communication jade.

But the Wei Wo Zheng Sect clearly had no such power restriction.

There had to be something fishy about it.

"It’s quite simple."

Sun Yuan said, "I thought it was something serious. It’s just the Communication Jade."

"Please enlighten me, Master."

"The Communication Jade is distributed from headquarters; we hardly need to worry about running short."

Sun Yuan said, "How it’s made, I don’t know; but using it is very easy."

"In all of our bodies, once we’ve become a member of the sect, there’s a certain thing implanted, the Five Spirits Gu."

Sun Yuan spoke with profound meaning, "You also have it in your body, it’s in the Elixir Pills that your Big Brother Su gave you."

Fang Che’s heart stirred.

The Five Spirits Gu, it was actually the Five Spirits Gu!

He had long known there were significant issues with the Five Spirits Gu, too many secrets, but he never imagined that the miraculous Gu Worm could be used for communication.

How does it work?

Yet his mouth let out an expression of joy, "Big Brother Su is truly a good person, to give me something so precious."

Sun Yuan’s eyes stiffened for a moment.

How... could it be interpreted that way?

Thinking that Su Yue was probably already dead without even a bone fragment left, he didn’t explain further.

You can think whatever you want, but your Big Brother Su is already a ghost now.

And Fang Che was thinking the same: Think whatever you want; after all, my Big Brother Su... isn’t even a ghost anymore.

...