Chapter 27: I Would Prefer You Find Me a Junior Sister

It was not that Zhao Rui feared these thugs, but rather that he wished to avoid unnecessary trouble. After all, that most infamous line from his previous life—"What are you looking at!"—was precisely the best excuse for thugs to pick a fight and show off.

Following Brother Hong through the crowd, they gradually entered a series of corridors until they reached an antique-style old residence. Two burly men in tight-fitting martial arts attire stood before the house, their faces full of ferocity. Seeing the two arrive, they immediately blocked the path, scanning them with vigilant gazes.

"People from Hongtai!"

Brother Hong took out a mobile phone, opened an app, and displayed a special QR code.

"Go on in."

Brother Hong responded with a stern, expressionless face, then led Zhao Rui inside. Although the residence appeared antique, it was not made of wood, but cast from modern materials like cement. There were still guards at the entrance; after verifying their information, one of the guards led them into the inner residence.

The inner residence was completely different from the antique exterior; it was a massive arena. A large ring stood in the center, surrounded by tiered seating of varying heights, where a few people were sparsely scattered. Brother Hong scanned the surroundings, his gaze lingering for a moment on the southwest corner before he led Zhao Rui over.

"Master Kui!"

Upon reaching the man, Brother Hong bowed his head slightly before a stout, rugged-looking man.

"Hmm, are you confident about the match?"

"Don't worry, Master Kui!" A respectful smile appeared on Hong Fei’s scarred, ugly face.

"That's good. You're still young, and there are many matches ahead of you; don't be impatient! I’m counting on you lot to make money!"

After saying this, Master Kui laughed and turned to look at the others beside him. These men were just like Master Kui, sitting upright on sofas, puffing on cigars, and crossing their legs; they were clearly bosses in the underworld.

"It’s all thanks to Master Kui’s generosity!" Hong Fei offered a compliment, then added, "This is my cousin; he’s here to see the world."

Master Kui looked Zhao Rui up and down and said expressionlessly, "A student, huh? What’s the use of school? It doesn't earn you a dime! Go ahead!"

With that, Master Kui ignored them and turned to chat with the other bigwigs.

"Damn it, if I had listened to my old man back then and hadn't wasted my time on that useless schooling, I wouldn't be where I am today, scrounging for scraps!"

"In this world, money is king."

As their unbridled voices reached his ears, Zhao Rui followed the scarred Hong Fei to an empty seat by the ring.

"Sit here. I'm going to the back to prepare. The fights start at nine; I'm in the first match, and I can leave once it's done!"

After giving his instructions, Hong Fei walked toward the back with two men who had come to meet him. Zhao Rui looked around, feeling the oppressive, dark tone of the arena and watching the "hoodlums"—a rare sight in his daily life—moving about. The sense of displacement between times made Zhao Rui feel as though he were in a dream.

He had requested to come and watch Hong Fei fight. They had gotten to know each other through a series of scraps, and after half a month of acting as a sparring partner, they had become quite familiar. When Zhao Rui expressed interest in seeing the scene, Hong Fei did not refuse.

Zhao Rui sat in his seat for about twenty minutes as people began to arrive. There were refined urban white-collar workers, rude street thugs, and big bosses surrounded by henchmen. The venue was a mix of all sorts of people, with every kind of monster and demon present. After all, this was an arena, and the customer was god; the more people who came, the more who would participate in the betting.

After a while, the lights in the arena began to rotate, neon signs sparkled, and booming, high-energy music erupted. Then, several young women in bikinis and high heels walked onto the floor, swaying their slender waists and posing around the elastic guardrails of the ring. Zhao Rui couldn't help but scan the women; they were indeed attractive with graceful figures. A roar of cheers erupted from the crowd below.

Now that was the spirit! How could such an occasion be complete without women?

A few moments later, a bald man jumped into the ring to announce the rules of the competition and shouted to stir up the atmosphere. Zhao Rui was sitting in the area reserved for fighters, and before long, Brother Hong arrived, accompanied by members of his gang. The two exchanged a look without speaking; Hong Fei sat directly on his chair, rubbing his body with both hands, his gaze deep, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.

"First match: Hongtai's Hong Fei versus Ninghai's Yu Hongle!"

As the host finished the announcement, Hong Fei twisted his neck, stood up, and with a single leap, vaulted a meter high, flipping gracefully into the ring. On the other side, a lean man also climbed into the ring with measured steps.

Although Zhao Rui had never seen underground boxing, he had participated in martial arts competitions. While the atmosphere was different, the process was roughly the same, so he didn't pay much extra attention. It wasn't until the match started and the two sides began to trade blows that Zhao Rui realized what black-market boxing was.

The rules of the ring were that there were no rules; life and death were irrelevant, and the match continued until one side surrendered or lost the ability to fight. As the two clashed, power erupted, and punches and kicks infused with inner energy were unleashed on each other without restraint. Both practiced hard, solid martial arts; before long, they were both covered in blood and looking wretched.

Zhao Rui’s previously calm face turned solemn. The opponent was no worse than Hong Fei; the two were evenly matched. He feared there were too many variables in determining the winner.

Just then, the tide of the battle suddenly turned. Hong Fei, who had been trading blow for blow, suddenly performed a swallow-style flip, grabbed and pushed the opponent’s wrist, and then dropped into a low stance to deliver a shoulder strike. The opponent was sent flying backward instantly. Before the man could land, Hong Fei had already closed the distance and landed a heavy blow to the opponent's temple!

Still in the air, the opponent took the heavy blow; by the time he hit the ground, he was already on the verge of death, with no power left to resist.

"Hongtai wins!"

After the referee counted to ten, he raised Hong Fei’s hand and announced the victory. The entire venue erupted in a cacophony of noise—cheers, curses, and everything in between. Not far from Zhao Rui, a voice he had heard earlier spoke with a hint of a smile: "This kid Hong Fei has a ruthless streak and a bit of instinct. I like him. Go tell him later that his appearance fee will be increased by twenty thousand."

"It's his good fortune to be appreciated by Master Kui. The kid fights hard and dares to take risks; he's truly quite good."

As the voices of the men faded into the distance, Zhao Rui looked up at the unrecognizable, barely-breathing lean man in the ring, feeling a sense of sorrow.

"Congratulations, Brother Hong!" Seeing Hong Fei walking over surrounded by others, Zhao Rui stood up to offer his congratulations.

"Mm." Hong Fei showed a faint smile on his swollen face, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said, "Let me rest for a moment, and I'll see you later."

Having said that, he staggered toward the backstage lounge. Zhao Rui watched his condition; although he had won the fight, he didn't look much better off. Seeing Hong Fei leave, Zhao Rui dared not move and remained in his seat, waiting quietly.

Nearly an hour later, Hong Fei, having dealt with his wounds, walked over with a frown.

"Are you okay?" Zhao Rui stood up to meet him and asked.

"I'm fine. Two broken ribs and some internal injuries; I'll recover after a few days of care." Hong Fei spoke very casually. "Let's go! I'll take you out of here!"

After saying this, Hong Fei took the lead and guided Zhao Rui out of the residence. Stepping out of the main gate, Zhao Rui felt his vision widen, and even the pitch-black night seemed brighter. The two did not speak much; once they were out of the market area where the street vendors gathered, Hong Fei said, "You should go back now. Don't come here again. This place isn't for you."

Zhao Rui smiled faintly and said, "I know. Thank you for bringing me here today."

"You're welcome. If one day... never mind. Once the summer vacation ends, you should go to school. Good luck, kid!"

After saying this, Hong Fei turned around, waved his hand, and walked toward another intersection without looking back. Zhao Rui watched his slightly staggering back; although his posture was straight, it always carried a hint of desolation.

Watching him leave, Zhao Rui turned into a small alley, weaving through the dark area until he reached the bustling, brightly lit urban district. Things aren't learned without experience. In the dark corners, human life was as cheap as dust, and under the weight of money and power, ordinary people were mere ants.

In this life, having already lived once before and possessing a heaven-defying cheat, why not live freely and enjoy this wonderful world of martial arts? Whether in darkness or light, wherever I am, I shall enjoy the prosperity of life! Zhao Rui paused for a second, then quickly left the area.

...

Time flows like water, never stopping for anyone. In a flash, another half-month passed. Zhao Rui continued to work as a sparring partner at the martial arts school. With the arrival of the school holidays, many students joined, which made Zhao Rui's "business" much better. Naturally, the money he earned increased. In just over a month, he had earned more than five thousand yuan—about the same as what his father earned in a month. This was proper pocket money!

After the college entrance exams, Zhao Rui had been working at the Wende Martial Arts School, usually spending his spare time honing his inner energy and techniques, rarely visiting the Jimin Medicine Hall. As time passed, Li "Big Head" grew grumpy and often grumbled to the senior disciples about it.

This morning, the senior apprentice passed a message from the master to Zhao Rui, saying that he wanted to test his progress that evening to see if he had slacked off since graduation. Hearing this, Zhao Rui felt helpless; he had two sparring sessions that evening, and now, hundreds of yuan were gone. But he dared not disobey his master's orders, so he immediately asked the coach at Wende for leave and hurried to the Jimin Medicine Hall.

Pushing open the familiar wooden gate, he was met with the sound of shouting coming from the courtyard. Under the dim night, two large floodlights illuminated the yard. More than a dozen teenagers were punching and kicking in unison, creating a rustling wind. Seeing Zhao Rui arrive, the second senior disciple, who was supervising the training from the stone steps, smiled and said, "The college student is here!"

"Second Senior, you're teasing me again!" Zhao Rui walked over.

"Senior, you're here! You did so well on the exams; Master has been praising you all this time!"

"Yeah, Master is even stricter with us now. Sigh!"

"Senior, when are you going to college? Is college good?"

The younger disciples who heard their conversation stopped what they were doing and looked at Zhao Rui, chattering with questions.

"Let me go see Master first, then I’ll talk to you all!" Zhao Rui patted the heads of the little ones, spoke to the second senior, and followed the corridor under the eaves into the inner residence.

Pushing open the antique wooden lattice door, Zhao Rui saw his master, Li Cunxin, fanning himself, sitting lazily on a recliner with his eyes closed.

"Master!" Zhao Rui walked up and called out.

Li Cunxin slowly opened a slit in his right eye, glanced at Zhao Rui, and said in a measured tone, "Whose child is this? You've come to the wrong door!"

Zhao Rui felt a headache; his master was quite old, yet still acted like a child, being grumpy all day.

"Master, your disciple hasn't been idle; I've been practicing every day!"

"Oh? Is our medicine hall not big enough for people? Is there no place for you to practice here?" Li Cunxin stopped pretending to sleep, opened his eyes, and glared at Zhao Rui.

"Look at you, Master. I was just working a job, earning money day and night! Or perhaps, Master, would you like to pay for my college tuition?" Zhao Rui’s eyebrows relaxed, and a smug smile appeared in his eyes.

"Hey, you brat, do you think it's easy for me to support a whole family? Where would I get money for you? Go make your parents earn it!" Mentioning money made Li Cunxin energetic; he stopped acting, sat upright, looked Zhao Rui over, and frowned. "I see your inner energy is restrained and your breathing is long; have you made great progress in your inner strength?"

"Master, I told you, I’ve been practicing diligently!"

"What a pity!" Li "Big Head" scratched his head, looking at Zhao Rui with a sense of "wishing iron could become steel." "If you had broken through a month earlier, you would have definitely had a chance to get into the top fifty, and I wouldn't have had to lose..."

"Lose what?" Zhao Rui was stunned, his eyes narrowing instantly.

"Nothing, nothing. Go do your work! When you hold your celebration feast, don't forget to tell me."

"Understood, Master!" Zhao Rui chuckled and hurried to the inner hall to pay his respects to the mistress.

The medicine hall was usually only occupied by Li Cunxin and his wife. During the day and evening, the disciples accompanied them, but at night, only the old couple remained in the quiet house. When Zhao Rui first started middle school, if he practiced too late, he would stay at the medicine hall. The mistress would even prepare herbal foot-soaking water for him, treating him entirely like her own grandson. Therefore, Zhao Rui came and went from the inner residence as if it were his own home.

After chatting with the mistress, Zhao Rui walked out of the inner residence.

"When you have time, tell the junior disciples how to study. If our medicine hall produces a few more top-tier university students, it will be easier for me to recruit new disciples in the future!" Li Cunxin said "earnestly."

"Understood, Master. Once I start earning money, I won't let you work so hard!"

"Listen to you, you've even got the years confused! You lot, it would be enough if you didn't give me a headache. Tomorrow, I must go find another disciple..."

"Go ahead, go ahead. It would be best if you find me a junior sister; I don't have a girlfriend yet!"

"Get out! Get out! Get out!"

Zhao Rui chuckled and ran away from the front hall of the inner residence.