The Heavenly Wandering Sword

Chapter 45

His night was spent in a dream state where he was back wandering through the field where he had escaped to after meeting the tengu lord for the first time. He saw himself walking through the fields as if it was his domain. He walked endlessly, finding the hut empty only to continue walking through again. He stood there and stared out around him at the endless fields of grass underneath the massive cavern. In a golden flash, the Universal Dao appeared beside him again, its arms folded behind its back and looked up at the cavern. “Am I still truly dreaming?” He thought to himself.

“This is both a dream and a message.” The Dao responded even though Li Jian had thought his question in his head. “Your appearance troubled me. I went to examine the Heavenly Gates to see just how you were able to come down the mountain and appear in the mortal realm again.” The golden figure would walk around slowly and sighed, before conjuring up a flat faced rock the size of a chair and sat on it. “The Dao of the universe, I am the creator of the universe. I created this world. Yet the laws I set does not seem to apply to you anymore. Have you transcended to beyond the universe itself?”

He shook his head and looked at the golden figure. “Master Dao, I do not know how it would be possible. I have not focused on cultivation ever since my ascension. All I have done is practice swordsmanship on top of Sword Mountain. My followers offer their prayers but the way of the sword is not one that can be developed if someone lacks the ability to move further.” The golden figure only nodded with a soft hmm. “I created the possibility of infinity, it exists as a concept. Therefore it must be a concept that exists within cultivation as well. I created the possibility of increasing cultivation so that the various races here are able to rise above their own natural state. It is a possibility to consider. That being said, this dream is a good representation of that.”

Li Jian shook his head slightly in confusion as he tried to understand what the Dao had told him. “Good representation? Being stuck in a field of grass underground is a good representation of infinite power?” The Dao laughed again and nodded its head. “Yes. Many think that standing at the peak of the mountain is infinite power. It is not, because the sky is still above you. But above you, there is no sky. There is only something which does not exist yet. Therefore there is no where else you can go. Of course, I have re-adjusted the Universal Law since discovering you once again to ensure that there can be no second one of you.”

The morning after, he sat in his bed and contemplated the dream he had. Was it truly the Dao that had spoke to him or had he simply delved too deep into his own mind? Ignoring the questions for now, he quickly got ready to go to teach. It has been quite a few long months spent at the Academy now, and his students had progressed nicely. It felt strange to think that he had students, not disciples.

It had also been that night that began his new routine. He went downstairs and made the short walk to the Academy grounds quickly, stopping outside of the elite hall to sit down at the bench. After a small while, Fu Rong walked up and sat down beside him while handing him something that was called a “breakfast bun.” Humans on this continent seemed to be very innovative especially in art of crafting various things. This was a bread bun the size of a palm that was baked with eggs, ham and tomatoes inside of it. The two of them ate quietly as they watched the various students rushing in. Rumours had began to start amongst the faculty and the staff about the two of them as they were spotted together quite often now.

“Master Li, the staff meeting is starting in a few minutes.” She said, her body leaned against his arm casually. Nothing had been said but there was quite a silent agreement between the two of them that they were more than friends. For Li Jian, this created complications but he couldn’t help enjoy the time they spent together. He yawned and wrapped an arm around her waist before getting up, pulling her with him. “Well then let us go see what the whiney professors of this Academy have to say this staff meeting.” She giggled at how he treated everything; anything that was not related to directly teaching or him wandering off to the markets to find new food was seen as whiney or annoying.

Most of the meeting itself spoke about student grades and other boring things. Li Jian didn’t pay much attention to most of it until he was put on the spot by the Principal. “Master Li, please tell everyone about how your students are doing.” He would glare at her from across the room where he sat, as far as possible in the back but she just smiled back in return. He ran his hand through his long hair and let out a slow sigh filled with annoyance.

“The elite students are doing just fine. I mean, they’re literally royalty or almost royalty so they have the resources to get results. I tell them they need to take herbal supplements as needed; their parents get them heavenly grade pills to take. I tell them they need to improve their spiritual energy flow, their parents send them to a cave where the spiritual energy is so thick you can drink it. It’s just the elite students, they’re all so very important to the Academy and what not.” He yawned again, having not bothered to stand up to speak about the students.

He could see annoyance in the eyes of a few of the various other teachers but the one who was always so annoyed was Liang Ting the combat instructor. He was quite good, having mastered various weapons as well as archery, and taught it well. He was also one of the top applicants that had been considered for the position of the elite hall professor but the principal had heard about Li Jian from her connection in the prison. “Looks like Master Li is relying on the students talents to progress then.” He said with a slight sneer on his face. The demon combat instructor was quite confident in his own abilities, having formerly served in the Yao Kingdom’s military as an officer before retiring.

There were a few other of the department heads around. Liang Ting was the department head and had various instructors under him that taught more specialised martial arts. He could see that in fact, all the department heads were there. He didn’t have a department as a professor of the elite hall. Or perhaps he did and just never bothered speaking to the person? “Master Liang, your manners need more work as always.” The human department head of the Alchemy department said. Her name was Song Fu and she had a dim view of the combat instructor. Li Jian just snorted and waved a hand at him.

“Ah Master Liang, you don’t have to be envious just because my students are more powerful than you. Do not worry, I have faith in you. I believe that you will get there one day just as a butterfly will one day sprout from the cocoon.” Li Jian made a gesture with his hands, his two hands mimicking the movements of a butterfly as it flew upwards. The gesture made the demon professor almost spit blood with rage. On the other side was head of the Philosophy department Pang Chao, a very heavily made up female witch elf who always had overexaggerated feminine mannerisms. She giggled and covered up her giggling lips with a scented bamboo fan.

“If you would like Master Liang, you can even sit in on a few of my classes. It’s important to keep learning no matter what so that we may pass on our knowledge to the students to ensure a bright future for the Kingdom.” Li Jian kept his face solemn as he said this, knowing what kind of a reaction the demon would have. This time, the music teacher Yu Yan giggled slightly as well. The demon professor turned a dark shade of black on his cheeks, his blood rising up to his head at the way that Li Jian casually spat out such venomous words.

Principal Fu Rong was enjoying herself. She quite adored the way that Li Jian always had a knack for saying insulting things that were phrased in an altruistic manner. Especially the way that he was always so casual about it. She bushed slightly, lost in her own ahead and occupied by the thoughts of how delightful the elite hall professor was before another voice interrupted her daydreaming.

“Master Li, do you believe it is possible to expand the elite hall class sizes?” The female demon sitting beside Fu Rong asked. Li Jian squinted at the demoness, not recognizing her. “You can expand the class size anytime you want. Just add more people and call them elite students.” His response was rather casual but he was curious about who she was. “Sorry, I do not think we have met. Can I ask who you are?”

Fu Rong smiled at him and answered. “This is Princess Wu Min, the Elite Hall department head, as well as the younger sister of King Wu. She is your direct supervisor.” Liang Ting grinned to himself, knowing that the reaction of the human will be delicious. “Teaches a peasant to try and pretend to be a noble.” He was however utterly both confused as well as stunned at the reaction of the human professor. “Are you sure you’re related to King Wu? You’re much better looking than him or his brats.” Wu Min was also a golden demon, and her features were indeed much more pleasant. With a lithe body that spoke of curves hidden underneath the uniform tunics of the teaching staff at Triparte, she in fact had many suitors over the years but she had rejected them all. Her nickname was the Frozen Beauty.

Hearing the words of her subordinate, she coughed and cleared her throat, shooting him a glare filled with both warning as well as a threat of violence. “Are you saying that we should keep the standard as is or lower it slightly to accommodate larger class sizes?” Wu Min asked, her posture and poise reminiscent of the way that Su Lan and Empress Suyan sits. “I’m saying that it depends on what your definition of elite is. If we want more students, fine just throw in some more powerful students. If you want to continue having a class set aside for students who’s very futures will affect the Kingdom itself, then keep the standards as is. If any student can make it to that requirement, then quite frankly they will be someone that will affect the Kingdom in the future.” He answered her in a semi-serious manner.

Wu Min looked over at Fu Rong who nodded in agreement. They had spoken yesterday, before the staff meeting had happened and they both agreed that while Li Jian can be considered a social moron, he was very intelligent and a rather excellent professor. For Wu Min however, a professor had to have more qualifications than just knowledge and understanding.