With the Blade

"No need to overthink it. The Cui Yuan you encountered is precisely the Grand Tutor Du we are searching for."

Watching the astonished Shan Bing, Jiang Wenyuan heaved a sigh.

If it were someone else’s name he had heard, perhaps he would have been fooled this time, but Cui Yuan’s name... it was all too familiar. After all, back when he was a Chief Constable in Yizhou, he had learned a bit of martial arts from this Cui Yuan, the Swordsman. It was precisely because of this master’s guidance that he could make a name for himself on the Hundred Weapons Chart.

As for using such a grandeur and still holding the name of Cui Yuan...

One needn’t think hard to know who could do such an outrageous thing.

Obviously, though so much time has passed, Grand Tutor Du’s nature hasn’t changed; he still loves to engage in activities that are completely unlike a true master, and each time he does it so subtly... poorly.

Of all people to impersonate, why impersonate Cui Yuan? Is there any difference from not impersonating at all?

Perhaps there is a difference. After all, this Grand Tutor Du doesn’t know Shan Bing intentionally chose a false name, obviously not for some eccentric act like "an elusive master preaching and solving doubts" — if there was no accident, he and this Grand Tutor Du should have met once already, just that at the time he hadn’t woken up, so there was no interaction between them.

Or maybe this Grand Tutor Du actually doesn’t want to have any dealings with him.

Looking at it this way, indeed, the state displayed by Grand Tutor Du indicates he is quite carefree, even going as far as pretending to be an otherworldly master in front of Shan Bing — of course, given his skills, he truly is an otherworldly master, yet this happy-go-lucky otherworldly master clearly doesn’t plan to leave his secluded life.

"Why doesn’t he come out of seclusion?"

After hearing Jiang Wenyuan’s sigh, Shan Bing became all the more perplexed.

"He isn’t the Grand Tutor of this dynasty..."

"Have you forgotten? I told you before he was originally a rebel."

Jiang Wenyuan shook his head and gave a bitter smile.

Coming from a rebel background means the other side won’t have much sense of belonging to the Da Chen dynasty. As for the title of Grand Tutor, it’s a name Da Chen gave him to establish a relationship — in other words, it’s Da Chen that needs that person’s power and thus conferred the title of Grand Tutor, not because the person was officially appointed as such and has to do anything for Da Chen.

Taking a step back, given his rebel origins, choosing to live in seclusion rather than stabbing this storm-tossed Da Chen in the back is already very gracious.

How could they possibly expect him to help stabilize the Da Chen situation?

"Then... what exactly is our mission considered now?"

After listening to Jiang Wenyuan’s words, Shan Bing looked at his large shield, lost in thought.

This sort of thing doesn’t need to be asked. Both of them really know the answer. The reason the two of them traveled all this way was just because of the yearning of that old eunuch; simply put, it’s like punting three times whether there’s something there or not, similar to gambling in the marketplace.

But knowing the answer doesn’t mean they can accept it. Having come all this way, they more or less want to give their mission some sort of significance.

"Maybe I should go again."

Saying this, Shan Bing was about to turn around and head out.

"I’ll go ask him again. If it comes to it, I’ll kneel for a few days, but I refuse to believe..."

Before he finished speaking, Shan Bing’s steps faltered.

And once again, Jiang Wenyuan shook his head.

"It’s useless. Though he isn’t reliable at times, when he gets serious, he leaves no stones unturned... even if you have the skills of tracking in the military, can you actually find out where he is now?"

"..."

Shan Bing was speechless.

Truly, he couldn’t find him. Not to mention that Dengzhou is a completely unfamiliar environment to him, but just with the way the other flies around, it’s impossible for him to leave any trace to be found.

Just as Jiang Wenyuan said, he simply doesn’t want to engage with them, so how could he possibly leave an opportunity for them to find?

"But... perhaps it’s a good thing too."

Jiang Wenyuan barely managed a smile.

"Looking on the bright side, we’ve at least settled the rabble in Dengzhou, and you have received his guidance. Such instruction from a top master isn’t something just anyone can get... Ultimately, there are gains, so going back now doesn’t seem like a loss. What more is there to say?"

Saying this, Jiang Wenyuan patted Shan Bing on the shoulder.

"It’s better to rely on oneself than to beg others. If you truly can’t find a master, becoming a master yourself isn’t such a bad thing either."

"Me, becoming a master..."

Shan Bing also smiled wryly.

He indeed wants to become a master, but the problem is that this so-called guidance was really nothing of the sort — just a bunch of spirit-lifting empty talk. Could such a thing really be considered guidance?

If such things could indeed turn someone into a master, then the top rankers on the Hundred Weapons Chart should be the poor scholars in Jiankang City who eke out a living by selling their calligraphy, their writings are undoubtedly far more eloquent than what that master said.

"Forget it. Enough thinking. Better start killing again."

Shaking his head, Shan Bing drew his Short Sword, ready to continue his unfinished work.

Killing, of course, means killing those rebels. Previously, in order to treat Jiang Wenyuan’s injuries, local help was needed, so he temporarily refrained from slashing Bai Wujiu and those local ruffians. Now that Jiang Wenyuan has regained his footing, these people were of no more use — wiping out these rebels would likely mean the reclamation of Dengzhou, which would be good news for the storm-battered Da Chen right now.