Facing an Ancient God for a Year

You really dare to say that!

As soon as Fu Qian’s words left his mouth, even Lanaia was staring at him, dumbfounded.

You must have maxed out your talent points in mockery!

You beat up a mentor and then turn around to poach their star pupil?

Are you really trying to offend the Swordsmanship Department to death?

As one of the most outstanding students of this cohort, Ji Liushuang’s reputation extends beyond the Swordsmanship Department, and a considerable number of people are aware of her.

...Although she has not yet comprehended Sword Intent as of now, it’s generally considered to be just a matter of time.

And you actually went straight for such corner-cutting!

…

“We have no right to decide on a student’s personal development plan, for that you can only coordinate with the Swordsmanship Department.”

The woman presiding over the meeting was also speechless for a long time.

“Is that so?”

Fu Qian glanced at Jian Jingzheng, whose face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot, showing faint signs of going berserk.

“You just said that Ji Liushuang staying in the Swordsmanship Department is a waste of talent?”

Jian Jingzheng asked, staring intently at Fu Qian.

“I did say that.”

Fu Qian clicked his tongue nonchalantly.

“To be honest, my initial purpose for coming to the Academy was twofold: first, to aspire to this holy place of research into Transcendent powers, and second, to find a talented young person to inherit my mantle.”

“During this time, I’ve been picking and choosing, and finally discovered Ji Liushuang, this unpolished gem. It’s just a pity she’s chosen the wrong path, a bright pearl cast in shadow.”

“A… bright… pearl… cast… in… shadow.”

Jian Jingzheng repeated each word deliberately, a sneer on his face.

“It seems that to Professor Fu, our humble accomplishments in the Swordsmanship Department are completely beneath your notice!”

“How could that be.”

Fu Qian waved his hand, his face serious.

“I have always held the Swordsmanship Department in high regard, but as the saying goes, there’s only a fine line between good and excellent!”

“A fine line…”

Jian Jingzheng burst into a scornful laugh.

“How come I heard that not too long ago, Professor Fu tried to sneak into the Sword Pavilion? You were even wearing the Swordsmanship Department’s uniform.”

“It seems you have a greater interest in our modest accomplishments than I thought!”

In fact, as someone who was well-informed about the whole process, Jian Jingzheng guessed that Fu Qian was probably there to find Ji Liushuang.

But it didn’t matter; such things were indefensible.

There was no need to talk about chivalry with such an Evil Demon.

“Actually, there’s no need for all this trouble; our Swordsmanship Department has always been magnanimous.”

Jian Jingzheng looked at Fu Qian and laughed coldly.

“I’ll explain to them when I go back. During the Sword Pavilion’s open period, you’re allowed free entry. I hope Professor Fu gains something from it and doesn’t remain ignorant.”

“That’s settled then!”

Fu Qian nodded expressionlessly, his heart blooming with joy.

Jian Jingzheng was really being too cooperative!

Initially, the random talk of transferring departments was just to avoid suspicion while getting in touch with Ji Liushuang to observe the changes in her Sword Intent.

The current situation was still tricky; even if it was confirmed the problem lay with Sword Intent, it wouldn’t be right to simply kill everyone who had realized it.

For now, the strategy of careful observation and detailed analysis to identify any anomalies was the most sensible.

Ji Liushuang was clearly a special case, which was why she was targeted.

Unexpectedly, for the sake of mockery, Jian Jingzheng directly granted one free access to the Sword Pavilion.

This would multiply the material for observation many times over!

“As for the transfer issue that Professor Fu mentioned, if we can’t teach a talent, we wouldn’t purposely suppress it.

But it depends on Ji Liushuang’s own wishes. If she’s willing, we can discuss everything.”

“Sure, I’ll ask for her opinion later.”

…

“Can you be a little more peaceful? Must you stir trouble to feel comfortable?”

After the meeting ended, Lanaia intentionally stayed behind, looking at Fu Qian and sighing for a good while.

“It’s a dispute over educational philosophies, and I didn’t involve personal feelings. The Academy surely won’t punish me for this, will it?”

Fu Qian, however, was unconcerned.

“And with Teacher Jian’s personality, do you think that apologizing to him would really thaw the ice between us?”

“Jian Jingzheng does have a rather narrow mind,”

Lanaia sighed.

“You’re right, the Academy won’t punish you for this, but Jian Jingzheng has some reputation at the Swordsmanship Department, so I guess you’ll have quite a bit more trouble.”

“Forget it, looks like you don’t care anyway!”

Lanaia hadn’t been very familiar with Fu Qian before working on this case. Especially after witnessing Fu Qian’s mockery of Jia Yi, she now had a clear understanding of how recklessly he behaved.

This guy didn’t care about his own reputation at all, so how could he take Jian Jingzheng’s hostility seriously?

…

The next day, Fu Qian entered the Sword Pavilion right in front of the guards, bold as brass.

Considering his role as a mentor, Fu Qian did have a sense of public duty and restrained his presence as much as possible, so as not to disturb others.

Knowing Ji Liushuang’s nature, the chances of her not being in the Sword Pavilion were virtually zero, so there was no need to look for her elsewhere.

While casually observing his surroundings and walking upwards, it didn’t take long for Fu Qian to spot a familiar face—Yuan Xin, with whom he had sparred the day before.

Yuan Xin was standing straight up, silently contemplating, probably consolidating the gains from the previous day.

What was amazing was that, in just one night, the chill emanating from him had become a bit more condensed.

Though his emotions fluctuated slightly due to Fu Qian’s arrival, his momentum was still like a rainbow.

On the other hand, Ji Liushuang stood expressionless in front of an oddly-shaped long sword, her vacant gaze a stark contrast to Yuan Xin’s focused demeanor.

Clearly out of sorts— if she could comprehend anything in that state, it would truly be miraculous.

Yet at the same time, the hollow feeling from the previous day had become even more pronounced.

It really had gotten worse!

…

When Ji Liushuang noticed Fu Qian, her expression turned complex, and she involuntarily turned her head away.

Fu Qian didn’t mind at all and just observed on his own.

“Are you here to see me? How did they let you in?”

It wasn’t long before Ji Liushuang couldn’t resist asking in a low voice, giving up on her contemplation.

“Sort of.”

“Let’s talk outside!”

Ji Liushuang frowned slightly and turned to go downstairs.

“How are you feeling? You don’t seem to be in great shape,”

Fu Qian asked first as they stepped outside.

“I’m fine,”

Ji Liushuang sighed.

“Just can’t get into the right state of mind.”

“Your look was a bit odd when you saw me just now… Have you heard about Ruan Shuo’s incident?”

“Yes, Ruan Shuo joined the academy earlier than I did. We were fairly familiar, and I never expected him to do something like that.”

Ji Liushuang spoke softly.

“What exactly do you want with me?”

“It’s rather dangerous lately, and it’s not good for you to be so absent-minded.

As a swordsman, you need to be vigilant at all times to deal with the unknown dangers,”

Fu Qian talked about his own concerns, not answering her question.

“What danger is there? Ruan Shuo is already dead, isn’t he?”

Ji Liushuang looked puzzled.

“This danger.”

Fu Qian blinked, suddenly showing a cold smile.

The next moment, he pressed his right index finger onto Ji Liushuang’s forehead, and a chilling killing intent erupted from him.