Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Hmph...”
Panting, Fang Ping finally caught up to the handsome white-haired old man. His walking speed was unusual—even a Rank-3 martial artist like him could barely keep up.
The man naturally sensed Fang Ping chasing after him very early on. When he felt Fang Ping sticking to him, the man turned his head and said playfully, “Do you want another experience of flying?”
Fang Ping grinned and said, “I’ll wait till I become a Grandmaster myself to experience it. Teacher, where are you headed now? I’ll send you off.”
“You?”
The man smiled and said wryly, “Say it. What are you planning?”
“What can I possibly do? Take a look at what you’re saying, Teacher.”
Fang Ping denied it immediately before adding tentatively, “Teacher, you and my instructor...”
“Lu Fengrou hasn’t mentioned me?” The man smiled lightly as he walked. “That’s normal though.
“You, on the other hand. From what I’ve heard, you’re probably looking to dig up some goodies from me, hm?”
With a mischievous smile, the man shook his head and said, “Don’t think it’s that easy. Pies don’t just drop from the sky.”
As he walked on, Fang Ping said stubbornly, “Teacher, you’ve misunderstood me. It’s just that when my instructor took out this letter earlier, she stopped talking and looked upset—which was very different from when I usually see her.
“My instructor treats me like a son. As her student, I should also repay her and help her eliminate her worries and troubles...”
“Ha ha ha, this is interesting.”
The white-haired man laughed, turning around to look at Fang Ping. “You’ve got guts, kid. Focusing on cultivation is the right way to go. Don’t ponder these things all day. They’re just cheap tricks leftover from when I played around back in my day.”
When he finished speaking, the man’s body suddenly moved in a flash, and he vanished before Fang Ping’s eyes.
Fang Ping sighed. He did not manage to gain anything. What a shame!
...
Regarding the man’s identity, Fang Ping was a little curious and had a few guesses.
However, Fang Ping did not dare to ask Lu Fengrou, nor did he meet the man again.
It was only after two days when Fu Changding mysteriously came with some news.
Dormitory building.
Fu Changding knocked and opened Fang Ping’s door, slipping in as if he was a thief. The moment he entered the room, he whispered, “There’s been a big discovery!”
“Don’t purposely make it sound mysterious. If you have anything to say, say it.”
In these two days, Fang Ping continued maintaining self-Vitality honing. When he had time, he practiced Combat Techniques. He was preparing to improve by leaps and bounds next month. He did not have any time to waste listening to Fu Changding blather on.
“Weren’t you pummeled by someone last time?”
“What do you mean by pummeled? Why don’t I remember it?”
“Tch!”
A scornful expression appeared on Fu Changding’s face, then he smiled broadly and said, “It’s really a big discovery. There are too many secrets in the martial arts circle. We newbies are paying more attention so that we don’t die without knowing anything.
“Do you know who that white-haired teacher you met that night was?”
“Who?”
“Snake King!”
“Who?”
Fang Ping was bemused, Fu Changding was speechless. He exclaimed, “Haven’t you seen the Grandmaster ranking? Number 47—Grandmaster ‘Snake King’ Wu Kuishan, Upper-stage Rank-8!”
“Deputy Vice-chancellor?”
Fang Ping was momentarily stunned. He opened his mouth and asked, “You’re talking about MCMAU’s Deputy Vice-chancellor Wu Kuishan?”
As for “Snake King”, it was just a nickname and did not sound too impressive, but the word “King” was a symbol of his strength.
If a day came when Big Lion became “Lion King”, Fang Ping would not dare to provoke him anymore as long as he valued his life.
“Uh-huh, that’s the one.”
Fu Changding smiled wide. “Vice-chancellor Wu actually plays a big part so that MCMAU is comparable to CCMAU.
“CCMAU’s vice-chancellor is 36th on the Grandmaster ranking. Our vice-chancellor is 41st, but our Deputy Vice-chancellor Wu is also within the top 50—the 47th. This is the basis of MCMAU’s confidence. Of the top 50 Grandmasters, our school has two!”
The Grandmasters in the Grandmaster ranking were all big names in the Sino Nation.
The ones who were ranked in the top 50 were giants among giants.
MCMAU was actually only one of the martial arts universities under the Education Ministry. Even if it was an elite school, logically speaking, it was not easy for its vice-chancellor to be one of the Sino Nation’s top 50 giants. Moreover, in MCMAU, another powerhouse was among that list.
The central government, the Military Department, the House of Guardians, Department of Investigation Services, Education Ministry, the business world, sects, martial arts universities...
There were so many powerful forces. Which one of them did not have giants?
The fact that two top-ranked giants appeared at MCMAU allowed the university to hold their heads up high.
“It’s actually him...”
Toward this deputy vice-chancellor, everybody had only heard of his name and had never met him.
It was said that he seldom appeared at school and was almost always away running around.
If not at the Catacombs, then at Capital City or overseas. Anyway, he was rarely at school.
It had been nearly a year since Fang Ping and the others entered the school, yet they had never met this person. The vice-chancellor was the same. They saw him extremely rarely. The only Grandmaster they really met frequently was the School of Weaponry’s dean, Huang Jing.
There were 4 publicly-known Grandmasters up till then in MCMAU, which were the old vice-chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Wu Kuishan, the School of Weaponry’s Dean Huang Jing. Another one was an old Grandmaster who resided in MCMAU’s southern area and had yet to take up any leadership positions.
The latter two were Rank-7 Grandmasters.
Wu Kuishan had previously let it be known that his strength was at Peak Rank-7.
However, not long after Fang Ping and the others enrolled, this deputy vice-chancellor had suddenly become Upper-stage Rank-8. Nobody knew if it was because he hid his true strength previously or if he had suddenly had an outburst and broken through.
Fang Ping really did not understand this person.
“You never thought about it, did you!”
Fu Changding smiled widely and said, “There’s something more surprising. Damn your ancestors, you lied to me and said he was Instructor Lu’s father. Believe me when I say that I’ll tell Instructor Lu that and let her slice you alive!
“Last time, I was lucky that Vice-chancellor Wu didn’t take it too seriously. Otherwise, he really could’ve split me in two!”
He had not completely conveyed Fang Ping’s words and said his daughter missed him. At the time, he was under the impression that Lu Fengrou was Wu Kuishan’s daughter, so he gave Instructor Lu’s name directly.
This was the reason he was safe and sound. Otherwise, he would have been killed worse than Fang Ping.
Wu Kuishan had not considered it at the time. Fu Changding felt a belated fear when he thought about it.
“Father my foot—Vice-chancellor Wu is Instructor Lu’s husband.”
“What?”
Fang Ping’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Was it so?
Previously, he did guess something like this too, but he never dared to confirm it. He did not think it was actually true.
“Uh-huh. It’s absolutely true.” Fu Changding spoke in a hushed voice. “My dad told me. This matter is actually common knowledge among martial artists a generation older.
“It’s just that there aren’t many who talk about these things now.
“Instructor Lu and Vice-chancellor Wu are like enemies when they see each other now.
“Of course, don’t take these words to heart. If you try to bully Instructor Lu, Vice-chancellor Wu will immediately appear. I heard he went on a thousand-mile night raid and beat that Donghu Grandmaster till he spouted three liters of blood... Tsk tsk, overkill, much.”
“Fang Wenxiang’s grandfather?”
“It seems so.”
Fang Ping listened eagerly. There was so much gossip.
“Then what’s with my instructor and Vice-chancellor Wu now?”
“Speaking of this would take a while...”
“Then just keep it short.”
Fu Changding rolled his eyes and only spoke after some thought. “Actually, it’s also a matter of the past. Almost 10 years, I think.
“At the time, Instructor Lu and Vice-chancellor Wu had a daughter, an only child whom they loved to bits.
“Instructor Lu was Rank-5 at the time whereas Vice-chancellor Wu had already stepped into the Grandmaster realm!
“That was amazing back then. Vice-chancellor Wu had not yet reached 50 years old, yet he was a steady and serious person qualified to be a Grandmaster, and Instructor Lu also had hope of becoming a Grandmaster.
“Think about it. With this kind of strength in a father and mother, how much they’d fawn over their daughter.
“I’ll say something impolite. Chen Yunxi can’t compare. Far from it.
“Chen Yunxi’s grandfather is a Grandmaster, but her parents aren’t. Moreover, there are others in the Chen family. She was not the sole recipient.
“Vice-chancellor Wu’s daughter was truly the sole recipient.
“As a result, they somewhat spoiled her too much. Vice-chancellor Wu was also overconfident. When he went on a mission to the Catacombs, he brought his daughter with him.
“Consequently, they encountered trouble in the Catacombs. Vice-chancellor Wu had his hands full with a strong enemy. Rumor has it that Vice-chancellor Wu watched with wide eyes as his daughter was beaten to death by the Catacombs’ powerhouses at the time...
“Anyway, that’s the gist of it. My dad didn’t spell it out clearly either.
“After that battle, Instructor Lu and Vice-chancellor Wu completely changed. My dad said they’re a lot better now. Back then, they made a huge fuss.
“At the time, there were quite a few powerhouses who went with Vice-chancellor Wu to the Catacombs. Instructor Lu went to each of their houses personally to fight them. It was as if she had gone crazy, demanding of those people why they didn’t save her daughter.
“In reality, it’s hard to say who’s in the wrong or right when somebody loses their life in the Catacombs...
“But Instructor Lu was fresh in mourning for her daughter. The others did not oppose it either. If she wanted to fight, then so be it.
“In the end, it seems Vice-chancellor Wu came out to stop her... Then Instructor Lu announced she was divorcing him. Apparently, Vice-chancellor Wu didn’t want the divorce but eventually could no longer avoid it. Instructor Lu had attempted to kill him many times in the middle of the night...”
Fang Ping swallowed a mouthful of saliva and asked carefully, “Really?”
“Really.” Fu Changding also said softly, “You have to be more careful. Back then, your instructor had been, how do I say it... Triggered, and nearly killed Vice-chancellor Wu. She’s better now, only becoming a little crazy on her daughter’s memorial day.
“It’s almost that time now. Vice-chancellor Wu coming back this time is probably also due to this.
“Anyway, you better not cause trouble for your instructor for now. It’s really... too dangerous.”
Fang Ping shivered, very much afraid.
This was the first time he heard of this matter and only just found out his own instructor had a daughter, but she had already died in the Catacombs.
‘Could it be that... The strong enemy that time was Sky Gate City’s city lord?’
Fang Ping made this deduction in his mind. Through connecting the dots, he somewhat understood some things.
As for her treatment of Chen Yunxi... Could she have been thinking of her daughter?
Fu Changding’s mini-reporting of news evidently had not finished, and he spoke again. “That’s right, I forgot to say that your instructor’s background is truly shocking. You better go about sincerely.
“She still has a blood-related father... Not Vice-chancellor Wu like a son of a b*tch like you said!
“Her father is also a Grandmaster!
“He’s an old Peak Rank-7 Grandmaster. He’s never appeared in these few years, but his name is still on the ranking, which means he’s still alive.
“My dad said he’s probably in the inner area of Magic City’s Catacombs and hasn’t come out for years, but he should still be alive.
“Two Grandmasters at one door... No. If and when Instructor Lu herself breaks through to Grandmaster, that’d be three Grandmasters.
“With this background, who would dare to get on her bad side?
“Still, my dad said...”
Fu Changding’s voice lowered even further, becoming almost inaudible. “Actually, Vice-chancellor Wu and other people are quelling it, not letting Instructor Lu break through. If she breaks through to Grandmaster, there’d be a huge calamity.”
“Calamity?”
“I don’t know. Anyway, that’s how my dad put it. When I asked further, he stopped telling me.”
Fang Ping sank into his thoughts for a while. Could he be talking about Sky Gate City’s city lord?
Sky Gate City’s city lord had just entered Rank-9. It was not like nobody in the Sino Nation could kill him.
However, if he was killed, Sky Gate City would be vulnerable, and behind them, the 12 cities of Catacombs in Magic City might experience some unforeseen events.
In these few years, it had been difficult to maintain the state they had up till now with Sky Gate City. Once Sky Gate City’s main opponents changed to the city behind them...
That could indeed be a big calamity.
‘Are they afraid that when she breaks through to Grandmaster, she’ll find the other party to take revenge? A Rank-7 Grandmaster clearly won’t pull it off, but once Instructor takes action, could Vice-chancellor Wu and her father simply watch as she’s delivered to death’s door?
‘If three big Grandmasters join forces, either they’d kill the opponent, or they’d die at their opponent’s hands...
‘In conclusion, none of them are good things.’
Fang Ping muttered inwardly. If they killed the opponent, a calamity would happen, but if the three big Grandmasters died, the Sino Nation could not accept this loss either.
Therefore, the best solution was for Lu Fengrou to not breakthrough. Without her breaking through, Vice-chancellor Wu and her father were clearly a lot calmer and could consider the changes in the big picture.
Lu Fengrou... did not necessarily care about the big picture. She might have wanted to take revenge for her daughter long ago.
“I didn’t think there’d be so many inside stories.”
Fang Ping lamented before sighing. “If that female senior of mine was still alive, that’d be truly impressive. Three Grandmasters in one door, and backstage, there’d be an aspiring martial artist who could tie up and beat a bunch of middle-ranked martial artists.
“It seems I have to properly cater to this instructor of mine now, or maybe I should make her my godmother?”
Fang Ping muttered to himself. Fu Changding’s face turned green. ‘Can you have some integrity?’
Seeing Fang Ping still talking, Fu Changding warned him, “Don’t you dare bring this matter up with your teacher. It’s practically taboo by now. If you’re beaten to death, nobody would be asking for justice for you. Also, you mustn’t mention that I was the one who told you. I’m afraid of death.”
“Am I that dumb?”
Fang Ping rolled his eyes. Lu Fengrou had never mentioned any of this. Evidently, she did not want others bringing them up either.
If he talked about it in front of her and provoked Lu Fengrou into going on a rampage, a hundred Fang Pings would not be enough for her to stab.
...
Gossip would eternally come faster and in greater volume to Fu Changding than Fang Ping.
At the end of April, while Fang Ping was focusing on cultivating, he could occasionally get snippets of the circle’s news from Fu Changding.
For instance, some big client in the business world had broken through to Grandmaster this month.
Or another example, some superstar had suddenly died of illness a while ago... What a joke. That superstar had a Rank-4’s strength. What illness? They had obliged to a mission in the Catacombs and had fallen.
Middle-ranked martial artists had to enter the Catacombs every year and complete a set number of missions before they could go back to the surface of the ground.
This was a constraint and a responsibility. Every year, it was not uncommon for famous people to suddenly die from an illness.
Toward this news, Fang Ping just listened to them. They had nothing to do with him for now.
What really concerned Fang Ping was that at the start of next month, during the 1st of May, the school would be leading everybody to conduct a monthly assessment.
The content of the assessment was to be determined, but there would be plenty of rewards. The school had notified everybody to prepare themselves in advance.
This was also the first time they would be completing an assessment mission in the form of a big team.
Fang Ping, who had received the news, could not care about others anymore and prepared to see if he could complete the honing of his rib cage before the assessment came around.
Currently, after a month of cultivating, Fang Ping’s stats changed again:
Wealth: 48 million
Vitality: 650cal (659cal)
Mentality: 450Hz (469Hz)
Bone-honing: 134 bones (90%), 72 bones (30%)
“There are still 17 bones to hone before I can finish honing my rib cage...”
Fang Ping did some calculations. Until the start of the assessment, there could be a week if it was long or three to five days if it was short. He could still try to finish honing the 17 bones in his rib cage.
As for what the school was assessing this time...Fang Ping had seen a mischievous look on Tang Feng’s face when he announced it and was afraid it was not good news.