Busy Making Money

With a shared little goal, the two communicated much more smoothly.

Zhao Rui wasn't the rigid sort, either. Naturally, he focused on keeping the tutoring relaxed and effective.

They studied like this all morning, and it actually proved quite effective. Never mind how much they learned; at least Yaru thought so.

As long as the employer was satisfied, that was all that mattered!

A little after eleven, the man of the house, Tian Muhao, returned home with his driver.

When he heard that his daughter had found a tutor, Tian Muhao went straight to the study to meet Zhao Rui.

They exchanged a few words and got to know each other a little. Tian Muhao didn't say much, but seemed to accept Zhao Rui as his daughter's tutor.

After all, whether it was his looks, academic record, or background, Zhao Rui had no obvious flaws. He was the quintessential "good student."

The tutoring session lasted until noon. In all, he earned six hundred yuan: one hour tutoring, one hour gaming, and one hour chatting.

It was an extremely reasonable and relaxed schedule.

At noon, Ms. Song's family warmly invited Zhao Rui to stay for lunch, but he politely declined.

He'd only earned six hundred yuan, so it didn't seem right to eat two hairy crabs at their expense.

Maybe once they knew each other better.

Remembering the taste of hairy crab, Zhao Rui swallowed as he rode away from Yaru's home.

The last time he'd eaten hairy crab had been in his previous life.

As for this life, well, he hadn't had any yet.

Make money, make money!

Zhao Rui was a very ordinary guy. He didn't have the stubborn fixation of those martial arts fanatics who devoted themselves heart and soul to the martial way.

No, he was just a worldly man. He wanted to eat, drink, have fun, and enjoy life.

Doing as he pleased—that was the true meaning of his martial way!

It was past noon, and he couldn't be bothered to go home, so he rolled up a jianbing at a roadside stall, stuffed it with two strips of pork tenderloin and an egg, and happily filled his stomach.

He still had to go to the martial arts hall that afternoon. As usual, he had several students to spar with today.

Wende Martial Arts Hall was pretty good at recruiting, and the quality of its students was solid, too. According to the coaches, Wende had produced a fourth-place finisher and a tenth-place finisher in last year's citywide youth martial arts tournament.

Those were excellent results.

The fifth-place finisher had been the genius boy Zhao Rui met on his first day there.

According to the grapevine, to keep the talented boy, Wende Martial Arts Hall not only waived his fees but also gave him ten thousand yuan a month in living expenses and covered all his martial arts training costs.

Things like medicinal herbs to aid cultivation and nutrient solutions to strengthen the body.

Most importantly, they also hired renowned masters for him, opening up new possibilities for his future in martial arts.

The hall could be said to have given this student everything he wanted, sparing no expense.

It was a small investment compared with the publicity a fourth-place finish brought.

Honestly, Zhao Rui was pretty envious of these martial arts prodigies. In just one short month, that student's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.

He was already on the verge of becoming a Level Four Martial Artist. All he lacked was an opportunity to shed his scales and become a dragon, reaching a level beyond what ordinary high school graduates could attain.

And he was only thirteen!

But Zhao Rui wasn't jealous. His strength had already surpassed Level Five, even if he hadn't been tested. He was pretty sure of it.

Besides, he'd already learned that kid's Taiyi Light Splitting Sword. It was a treasure the martial arts hall had carefully selected, spending a fortune and calling in favors to obtain.

Thinking of that, Zhao Rui felt his old face flush with shame, his heart full of "guilt."

To make up for it, all he could do was work harder, spar with more students, and, uh, steal more techniques...

Never mind. How could anything in martial arts be called stealing? This was called embracing all rivers; the martial way had no limits!

When he arrived at the hall, Zhao Rui set down his backpack, changed into a Martial Arts Uniform, and leisurely sat in the rest area beside the training floor, drinking the "free" beverages.

"Zhao Rui, Shao Jie's coming in a bit. He's got a youth martial arts invitational between three cities and five districts in a couple of days. Spar with him for a few more rounds!"

"No problem, Coach!"

Speak of the devil, and he appears. Shao Jie was the genius boy Zhao Rui had sparred with on his first day—the boy's full name was Xu Shaojie!

They hadn't seen each other in nearly two weeks. Zhao Rui had just been thinking about him, and now here he was.

Not long after Zhao Rui finished dealing with a little brat and "earned" two hundred yuan, Xu Shaojie arrived with his parents.

This was the first time Zhao Rui had seen Xu Shaojie's parents. Their clothes looked quite luxurious, though somehow they seemed ill-suited to them.

"Coach Zeng, your hall keeps saying you'll buy my son more essence supplements. Why is it all thunder and no rain? If this keeps up, we'll switch to another hall!"

As soon as they entered, Xu's mother furrowed her brows and angrily questioned the coach who had come to greet them.

"We'll buy them, we'll buy them! Please calm down. It's just that the hall's been a little short on funds lately..."

Coach Zeng said with an ingratiating smile.

"I don't care. Other halls are offering us four bottles of nutrient solution a month..."

Xu's mother gave a cold snort and strode straight into the coaches' office.

Xu's father gave everyone an awkward smile and led his son inside after her.

This little episode had nothing to do with Zhao Rui. It was all business; no one was right or wrong.

After sitting cross-legged and regulating his breathing for a while, Xu Shaojie changed into a Martial Arts Uniform and came out of the office with the others.

Then, without a word, he walked to the ring, planted one hand on the edge, and vaulted onto it in a nimble flip.

Coach Zeng hurriedly called out to Zhao Rui. "Zhao Rui, Zhao Rui, get over there! Hurry up, don't waste time!"

Zhao Rui answered, grabbed a folding fan beside him, rose in a single stride, and jumped onto the ring.

When Xu Shaojie saw him approach, a cool, arrogant look crossed the boy's young face.

"I've already reached Level Four. Don't hold back!"

"That fast?"

Zhao Rui was a little surprised. Xu Shaojie had advanced even faster than he'd expected.

"Fine!"

Zhao Rui agreed readily. He had to give the boy what he wanted!

Xu Shaojie drew his long sword and formed a sword seal. In an instant, he surged forward, the sword's gleam splitting into three streaks aimed at Zhao Rui's head, throat, and heart.

The swordlight shone like stars at dawn, its feints and strikes impossible to tell apart!

"Light Splitting Shadow Stealing?"

Zhao Rui knew it all too well. You know what I know, and I'm going to use it against you!

He calmly angled his folding fan toward the Waiguan acupoint on Xu Shaojie's wrist.

He paid no attention at all to the swordlight, real or illusory.

Seeing this, Xu Shaojie hurriedly withdrew his elbow and sword. In an instant, the swordlight filling the sky vanished into nothing.

"You..."

Xu Shaojie stood with his sword raised, his swordlike brows furrowed. He couldn't help blurting out in astonishment.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Again!"

Xu Shaojie attacked again, stepping through the Heavenly Dipper Steps as his sword stirred the surrounding currents of air. They gradually closed around the vital points on Zhao Rui's body.

Zhao Rui still didn't panic. Instead of retreating, he pressed forward, turning his folding fan into a blade and striking straight at the heart of the enemy's position.

Xu Shaojie almost choked on his breath and had no choice but to pull back his sword to defend. The currents of air filling the sky vanished all the same, leaving him unable to build up the slightest offensive momentum.

"You..."

This was the second time he'd said that. But the words reached his lips and stopped there again.

Down below, Xu's mother watched in confusion. "Son, what's going on? Why do you keep starting and stopping? Are you feeling unwell?"

Xu Shaojie was already irritated. At her words, he snapped, "Mom, I'm sparring. Why do you keep distracting me?"

"Mom won't say anything. I'll stop! Train hard, okay!"

Xu's mother immediately backed down and obediently shut her mouth.

"Again!"

Unconvinced, Xu Shaojie attacked once more, wielding his long sword through a series of techniques, including Mysterious Light Overlapping Waves and Setting Sun Scattering Radiance.

But without exception, Zhao Rui blocked each one in a way that stopped the follow-up move before it could come.

Xu Shaojie narrowed his eyes and changed his sword techniques again. In an instant, he stopped sticking to fixed forms or becoming trapped by specific moves. Though his movements were slightly sluggish, his variations and adaptability already hinted at the idea that formlessness could overcome technique.

"Damn, is this what a genius is?"

Zhao Rui wanted to curse out loud.

Fortunately, he had already opened the acupoints in his arms, and Cloud Hand Plucks Stars had become far more formidable than before. On top of that, he knew the Taiyi Light Splitting Sword inside and out.

It took him only a moment to regain control and press Xu Shaojie so hard that he couldn't land a single move!

"I'm done!"

Xu Shaojie spotted an opening, swept his sword sideways, then leaped out of range. He looked at Zhao Rui and spoke between gasps.

"Your time's not up yet!"

"I'll pay you!"

Annoyed, Xu Shaojie said this, then jumped off the ring. He ignored the coaches and his parents as they gathered around and went straight into the changing room.

Xu's mother hurried after him, but Xu Shaojie told her not to bother him and sent her back out.

"Zhao Rui, what happened?"

Coach Zeng had seen what was going on, but he hadn't been the one sparring Xu Shaojie. He didn't know how stifling it felt to have his sword techniques shut down.

He thought Zhao Rui might have done something to upset the boy.

"I don't know, either. Maybe he's tired!"

Zhao Rui answered casually. Geniuses needed to be tempered; otherwise, how could they stand out from the crowd?

"Who are you? If there's anything wrong with my son, I'll take it up with your boss!"

Xu's mother might not understand martial arts, but when she saw her son's unhappy expression and watched him hide in the changing room without coming out, she knew he must have been wronged somehow.

She immediately shouted at Zhao Rui in discontent.

Zhao Rui shrugged, couldn't be bothered to respond, and went back to his seat to drink his beverage.

"Son!"

After shouting at Zhao Rui, Xu's mother turned on the coach and berated him from head to toe. She was just about to go into the changing room and ask her son what had happened when the coach grabbed her.

"He doesn't want to come out right now. Don't force him. That's one of the worst things you can do to someone who practices martial arts!"

Hearing the coach, Xu's mother stopped in her tracks, but she continued to grumble. "If anything happens to my son, I won't let you get away with it!"

Coach Zeng could only keep smiling and offer words of reassurance, trying to get her to calm down.

Quite a few young students who had come to train watched from nearby with all sorts of expressions, fascinated by what was happening.

Zhao Rui sat cross-legged, eyes lowered, minding his own business.

He could more or less guess why Xu Shaojie was angry. The boy had thought that after reaching Level Four, he'd be on the same level as before and could finally have a proper match with Zhao Rui.

Instead, not only had he performed poorly, he'd done far worse than before.

That gap between expectation and reality was hard for a boy who had always prided himself on being a genius to accept.

Sigh, people had praised him too much!

Zhao Rui sighed to himself.

Five or six minutes later, the changing-room door suddenly opened. Xu Shaojie, who had been holed up inside, swept his bright eyes across the room, fixed his gaze on Zhao Rui, and walked over.

"Son, are you feeling unwell?"

"Tell me what happened. I'll go talk to their boss!"

Xu's mother followed beside him, her face full of concern as she looked him up and down, afraid something was wrong.

"Mom, I'm fine!"

Xu Shaojie replied coolly, then walked up to Zhao Rui.

Seeing him approach, Zhao Rui stood up and looked at the boy, who was a head shorter than him.

"Brother Zhao, thank you!"

The boy bowed to Zhao Rui.

"..."

Everyone around them was stunned by the gesture.

Zhao Rui's old face flushed, too.

"Brother Zhao, if you hadn't given me that wake-up call, I might still be lost in the illusion of my improved strength. Thank you!"

The boy's gaze had cleared like still water, but the fighting spirit in his eyes hadn't faded. If anything, it burned even brighter.

Zhao Rui was speechless. Was this what a genius was like?

Turning failure into the strength to strive harder—both his talent and his character were far beyond ordinary people.

"You're welcome. Since I took your job, I'll do it properly. Sparring doesn't just temper your techniques; your character is an important part of it, too!"

Zhao Rui shamelessly took credit for the whole thing.

"Mm! I'll go home and think it over. Tomorrow, I'll come ask you about the weaknesses in my techniques!"

After saying this, Xu Shaojie bowed to Coach Zeng as well. "Coach, sorry for the trouble!"

"It's fine, it's fine! It's great that you've come to understand that."

Coach Zeng was deeply gratified. He wanted to call the boss right away and tell him their money hadn't gone to waste.

Xu Shaojie's actions left his mother, who had been so aggressive a moment earlier, rooted to the spot, her face burning.

Fortunately, no one held it against her. When her son left, she quietly followed behind him and left the martial arts hall.

The moment they were gone, the young students who had been watching surged toward Zhao Rui.

"Brother Zhao, can I book a sparring session with you tonight?"

"Brother Zhao, me too!"

"..."

What could Zhao Rui say? He took the jobs. Damn, what a charmer he was!

He understood what the young students were thinking. If even the most talented kid in the group respected Zhao Rui so much, what was there to think about?

If they wanted to improve, they should go to Brother Zhao!

But their reaction also made him realize there was another way to use his system's abilities.

That meant combining sparring with coaching. Any student whose martial arts hadn't reached the proficient level could sneak a look at an opponent's techniques on the system panel, and Zhao Rui could then offer them guidance and help from a position of superior understanding.

This was far more mysterious and profound than plain old sparring!

And the price...

Ahem. A person shouldn't be too greedy. The way of martial arts was broad and profound, with no end in sight.

How could he keep thinking about money?

Zhao Rui promptly tucked the idea away, planning to go home that night and mull it over properly.

The sun rose and the moon set. Before anyone knew it, more than a week had flown by.

Zhao Rui had been terribly busy lately. He tutored in the mornings, then spent the afternoons and evenings sparring with a whole bunch of young students.

He could only squeeze in his own martial arts training after he got home.

Still, though he was busy, he was making quite a bit of money.

As for Xu Shaojie, after Zhao Rui had unintentionally dealt him a blow, it had actually brought out a steadier, more reserved side of him.

He not only overcame his impatience, but also learned to calmly analyze the weaknesses in his martial arts with Zhao Rui and work on improving them.

At the youth tournament for the three cities and five districts a few days later, Xu Shaojie lived up to everyone's expectations and made it into the top ten, finishing in eighth place.

He returned with a bitter defeat.

But that result had already far surpassed everyone at the martial arts school's expectations, leaving them all delighted from top to bottom.

The owner personally announced an extra two thousand yuan for Zhao Rui as a "coaching" fee!

It wasn't much, but even a mosquito's leg was meat!

Zhao Rui was perfectly satisfied.

(The End)