Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Absolutely Impossible

That night, Liushu walked through the campus.

"Mr. Liushu, tonight isn't your scheduled patrol, is it?"

He ran into the teacher on night patrol.

"Yeah, I just have something to take care of."

Liushu lit a cigarette and offered one to the teacher in front of him.

"I don't smoke," the teacher declined.

Liushu started smoking himself.

"Mr. Liushu, have you considered switching to e-cigarettes? Cigarettes are already pretty rare these days," the night patrol teacher remarked.

"Oh? I've tried e-cigarettes; the experience is a bit too refined for me. I much prefer cheap, low-quality cigarettes. Personal preference, I suppose."

"Bad cigarettes are really terrible for your health."

The night patrol teacher forced a smile, said no more, and continued his rounds.

Liushu headed toward the gym, cigarette in mouth. The lights in the gym were still on, which meant there were still students training inside.

He used his faculty card to open the gym doors and walked up to the highest vantage point, watching Shuang Yun, who was training diligently on the field below.

Shuang Yun was in a combat session against a humanoid training mech. She had selected the highest difficulty, and after hours of high-intensity training, it was clear she was worn out.

After a few more rounds, Shuang Yun was finally defeated.

Liushu entered the elevator down to the training grounds.

"Just give me a sword," he said to the AI in the elevator.

"One moment, please," the AI responded.

A standard long blade appeared on the left side of the elevator. Liushu picked it up.

Liushu stepped onto the arena, standing across from Shuang Yun.

Shuang Yun seemed surprised to see him there.

"Mm. Are you feeling pressured by how outstanding Mo Ying and Xiya are?"

Liushu asked, smoking as he faced her.

Shuang Yun replied softly.

"At Dreamscape Academy, students are either from prestigious families or exceptionally talented. Mo Ying and Xiya are from other worlds—they have no noble background in Yggdonia, but their talent is terrifying. Even at Dreamscape Academy, the two of them are top-tier. You don't need to compete with them."

"I know you're frustrated. Everyone gets hot-blooded when they're young."

Liushu drew the long blade from his hand.

"I've said what needs to be said. The choice is yours, really—I can't decide your life for you."

"But, I can at least give your life a nudge of help."

"Come on, raise your blade against me. I'll make you realize your own powerlessness."

"Huh? But, Mr. Liushu... you don't have a Prism..."

Shuang Yun said hesitantly.

Without Prism protection, any hit would inflict real injuries.

"I have my reasons for not using that thing, but no worries—I'm a teacher. No way I'll lose to you."

Shuang Yun still hesitated, and Liushu saw a trace of fear in her eyes.

"Here, use my sword."

Liushu tossed her the blade he'd just received.

"Just strike with the scabbard. I'll use yours. You're wearing a Prism, so it doesn't matter if you get hit,"

Shuang Yun finally agreed, handing her own sword to Liushu and picking up his, still in its scabbard.

"All right then, draw!"

Liushu leveled his sword at Shuang Yun.

In less than a second, Liushu's sword struck Shuang Yun's Prism full-force, sending her flying across the arena, nearly slamming into the far wall.

Shuang Yun stared in shock, seeing her Prism shield gauge almost depleted.

It was practically decided—her Prism wouldn't withstand another blow.

"This isn't working. You attack,"

Liushu set down his weapon.

This time, Shuang Yun said nothing. She understood—Liushu was, after all, a teacher.

She gritted her teeth and rushed forward, blade in hand.

"Hmm. Speed is mediocre,"

Liushu dodged the first blow with ease.

"Not enough strength."

He blocked her second swing.

The rest of Shuang Yun's attacks couldn't even touch Liushu. She was utterly outclassed.

"You're holding back, aren't you?"

Liushu noticed that Shuang Yun wasn't using her full strength.

She always withdrew her strength at the last moment before her blade fell.

Shuang Yun insisted, pressing her attack.

She probably hadn't even noticed herself holding back.

"All right, now I see your problem."

Liushu deflected Shuang Yun's attack and stowed his weapon.

"You pull your punches; you might not be aware, but most of your force vanishes when you strike. Also, your sword technique is a mess—piecemeal at best."

"Mo Ying once told me she learned her swordsmanship from her father, who trained her since childhood. You, on the other hand, probably never had a good teacher. You might need to start over from scratch,"

Liushu said to Shuang Yun.

"As for why you pull back—I don't know, could be psychological? If you really can't strike because of some trauma or other issue, I suggest you see a doctor."

"And... what I'm about to say might hurt your feelings."

"But, Shuang Yun, your skills are average, and so is your talent."

"I don't know why you insist on getting stronger, but let me guess."

"You probably want to defeat the Goddess of Time and walk down the Corridor of Time."

"I have just one piece of advice for you."

"Absolutely impossible."

Liushu stressed these words heavily.

"It might sound harsh, but you need to hear it."

"Your family is already destroyed. No one's left but you."

"You should not indulge in wishful thinking. You shouldn't dream of reversing tragedy by violating time."

"The dead cannot be brought back—this is absolute. Even the Goddess of Time must pay an incomparably steep price to resurrect a single life, let alone you."

"If time could be defied so easily, then no one in the world would ever die."

"Face the past and accept the present. That's what you need to do now."

With that, Liushu turned and left.

He left Shuang Yun alone on the floor, silent.

"That was a bit harsh, wasn't it?" came a voice from the old sword hanging at Liushu's waist.

This old sword's name was Qili. It was Liushu's weapon—and also his wife. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NovєlFіre.net

She was once an ancient god.

"I just want her to see the truth. There's nothing more despairing than chasing hope that doesn't exist."

Liushu exited the gym, looking up at the bright moon, and lit another cigarette.

"Is that your idea of kindness?"

"No way, I'm a certified major villain,"

Liushu replied with a laugh.

He didn't intend to crush Shuang Yun's confidence, but she needed to know this cruel reality.

Time was never meant to be desecrated, and no one should dream of twisting it.

"Trying to save her family by twisting time... That's a real insult to time itself,"

"Yeah, even Luna probably wouldn't dare dream of that,"

Liushu really did have a point.

What Shuang Yun needed was to face the past and accept the present.

Her family was completely wiped out. She shouldn't stay fixated on the tragedy or on saving them.

Trying to twist time for such a terrifying purpose would eventually destroy her.

"She already incurred time's wrath when she barged into the Corridor of Time."

"If it wasn't for me, she would have died in there."

"Next time, she might not be so lucky."

Liushu tossed the spent cigarette to the ground and stomped it out.

"Ah, after all that, I can't sleep at all. Maybe I'll get a drink."

"There's no drinking allowed on school grounds!"

"I never said I'd drink on campus—we'll just go out. Hop the wall or something,"

No one else could hear Liushu and Qili's conversation; they communicated mentally.

"If you get caught, they'll dock your pay."

"Not if I don't get caught. Reminds me of my boss's motto—'If I'm not caught, it doesn't count as me.'"

"Luna's even more shameless—she just forgets and claims she never did it."

The two laughed together, relaxed.

Liushu quietly crept to a side wall of the school, reached up, and started climbing.

He had barely gotten up when a flashlight beam swept over.

Liushu instantly felt a sense of dread.

He stiffly turned his head.

Wei was staring at Liushu above, smiling.

Liushu lit a cigarette.

Wei slammed her fist into the wall, shaking Liushu loose.

"How many times have I told you? Don't let me smell smoke on you."

Wei approached him, smiling in a way that was more frightening than friendly.

Ah, Wei was of the elf race. While not all elves hated tobacco, Wei absolutely despised smoke.

She hated the smell most, and Liushu, who loved both cigarettes and alcohol, was her perfect nemesis.

"Uh, let me explain—"

The sound of punches landing on flesh, punctuated by Liushu's screams, echoed through the school. Many students, disturbed by the racket, even turned on their dorm lights.

"That sounds like Mr. Liushu, doesn't it?"

Mo Ying, still gaming with headphones on, took them off.

The sounds stopped after a few minutes.

Ah, and so it was that Liushu nearly disappeared himself, too.