Chapter Thirty: Busy Making Money

With a shared small goal in mind, communication between the two became much smoother. Zhao Rui was not a rigid person, so he focused on making the tutoring sessions relaxed and effective. They studied for the entire morning, and to Yaru’s surprise, the results were quite impressive; regardless of how much was actually learned, at least that was her impression.

As long as the employer is satisfied, that’s all that matters!

Around eleven o’clock, the master of the house, Tian Muhao, returned home under the escort of his driver. Hearing that his daughter had hired a tutor, Tian Muhao headed straight to the study to meet Zhao Rui. After a brief conversation, he didn’t say much, effectively giving his approval of Zhao Rui’s status as a tutor. After all, whether it was his appearance, his academic standing, or his background, Zhao Rui had no flaws—he was the quintessential "good student."

The tutoring session lasted until noon, totaling three hours and earning Zhao Rui six hundred yuan. It had been a well-balanced mix of one hour of study, one hour of gaming, and one hour of casual chatting. The schedule was exceptionally reasonable and relaxed.

At noon, Mrs. Song and her family strongly urged Zhao Rui to stay for lunch, but he politely declined. He had only earned six hundred yuan; it wouldn't be appropriate to eat two large hairy crabs on their dime. He would wait until they were more familiar with one another.

Recalling the taste of the hairy crabs, Zhao Rui swallowed hard as he rode his bike away from Yaru’s home. The last time he had eaten such crabs was in his previous life. In this life, he hadn't tasted one yet.

Make money, make money!

Zhao Rui was a very worldly person. He lacked the stubbornness of those obsessive martial arts fanatics who dedicated their entire lives to the path of martial arts without any distractions. He wasn't like that; he was a common man who wanted to enjoy food, drink, and play. Living as he pleased—that was the true essence of his martial path!

It was past noon, and being too lazy to go home, he stopped at a roadside stall and grabbed a pancake wrapped with two pork tenderloins and an egg, filling his stomach with satisfaction.

He still had to go to the martial arts gym in the afternoon; there were several students waiting for him to act as their sparring partner as usual. Wende Martial Arts Gym had a strong reputation for recruitment, and the quality of their students was quite good. According to the coach, Wende had produced a fourth-place and a tenth-place finisher in the youth division of last year’s citywide martial arts tournament. The results were quite impressive.

The fourth-place finisher was that same genius youth Zhao Rui had encountered on his first day. Rumor had it that to keep this genius, Wende Martial Arts Gym not only waived his fees but also provided him with a monthly living stipend of ten thousand yuan, while covering all his martial arts expenses—things like medicinal herbs to support his cultivation and nutritional supplements to strengthen his foundation. Of course, beyond these, the most important part was hiring famous masters to expand his future prospects in martial arts. The gym had poured everything into this student, granting his every request. However, such expenditures were negligible compared to the promotional value of a fourth-place win.

To be honest, Zhao Rui envied these martial arts geniuses. In just a short month, that student’s strength had improved by leaps and bounds. He was on the verge of becoming a Level 4 martial artist; it would only take one breakthrough for him to transform from a carp into a dragon, achieving a level that most high school graduates couldn't even reach. And he was only thirteen!

Zhao Rui wasn't jealous, though. His own strength had already surpassed Level 5; although he hadn't tested it, he was fairly certain. Moreover, he had already learned the boy’s Taiyi Light-Splitting Sword Technique—a technique the gym had spent a fortune and vast connections to acquire. At the thought of this, Zhao Rui felt his face flush with "guilt." To make up for it, he could only work harder, act as a sparring partner more often, and, well, steal more techniques...

Forget it, how could one call it stealing in the world of martial arts? This was called "gathering all rivers to form a sea"—the martial path knows no bounds!

Upon reaching the gym, Zhao Rui dropped off his bag, changed into his martial arts uniform, and sat leisurely in the rest area by the training floor, sipping a "free" drink.

"Zhao Rui, Shaojie is coming in a while. He has a Three-City, Five-Region Youth Martial Arts Invitational coming up in a couple of days. I need you to spar with him for a few rounds to help him get into the groove!"

"No problem, coach!"

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Shaojie was the genius youth Zhao Rui had met on his first day—Xu Shaojie, to be exact. It had been nearly two weeks since they last met, and just as he was thinking about him, he arrived.

Not long after Zhao Rui finished dealing with a brat and "profited" two hundred yuan, Xu Shaojie arrived, accompanied by his parents. This was the first time Zhao Rui had seen Xu Shaojie’s parents. Their attire looked quite flashy, yet there was something incongruous about how they wore it.

"Coach Zeng, your gym always talks about buying more essence agents for my son, but all I hear is thunder and no rain. If this continues, we’re switching to another gym!" As soon as they entered, Mrs. Xu frowned, questioning the coach who had come to greet them with a look of displeasure.

"We’re buying them, we’re buying them! Please calm down; it’s just that the gym’s funds have been a bit..." Coach Zeng replied with a forced smile.

"I don't care! Other gyms have offered us four nutritional agents a month..." Mrs. Xu snorted coldly and walked straight into the coaching office. Mr. Xu followed behind, smiling sheepishly at everyone as he pulled his son inside.

This little episode had nothing to do with Zhao Rui; it was all just a matter of interests, with no clear right or wrong.

After sitting cross-legged for a while to regulate his breathing, Xu Shaojie, now in his martial arts gear, walked out of the office accompanied by his parents. He walked to the edge of the ring without a word, placed a hand on the edge, vaulted onto the platform with a nimble flip.

Coach Zeng hurriedly shouted to Zhao Rui: "Zhao Rui, Zhao Rui, go quickly, don't waste time!"

Zhao Rui grunted, grabbed a folding fan from the side, took a long step, and leaped onto the ring.

Seeing Zhao Rui approach, Xu Shaojie’s youthful face displayed an indifferent yet arrogant expression. "I’ve reached Level 4. You don't need to hold back!"

"So fast?" Zhao Rui was slightly surprised; the progress was even quicker than he had anticipated.

"Alright!" Zhao Rui readily agreed. He had to fulfill that request!

Xu Shaojie drew his long sword and struck a sword pose. In an instant, he lunged forward, the light from his blade splitting into three trajectories, striking directly at Zhao Rui’s head, throat, and heart. The sword light was like the morning star at dawn, impossible to distinguish between reality and illusion!

"Splitting Light and Fleeting Shadows, is it!" Zhao Rui was far too familiar with this. Whatever you know, I know too, and I’m here to beat you at your own game!

He calmly used his folding fan to tap the Waiguan acupoint on Xu Shaojie’s wrist, completely ignoring the deceptive sword light. Seeing this, Xu Shaojie frantically withdrew his elbow and retracted his sword, and in an instant, the sky full of sword light vanished into nothingness.

"You..." Xu Shaojie stood with his sword, his brow furrowing in astonishment.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. Again!"

Xu Shaojie raised his sword and attacked again, his feet tracing the Big Dipper pattern, his blade stirring up air currents that gradually enveloped Zhao Rui’s vital points. Zhao Rui remained unhurried, his figure advancing instead of retreating, his folding fan transforming into a sharp blade to strike at the heart of the attack. Xu Shaojie nearly choked on his own breath, forced to withdraw his sword to defend. The swirling air currents once again vanished into thin air, and he could no longer muster a shred of offense.

"You..." This was the second time he had said that, but the words died on his lips.

Watching from below, Mrs. Xu asked in confusion: "Son, what’s going on? You’re starting and stopping—is something wrong?"

Shaojie was already irritable, and hearing this, he snapped: "Mom, I’m in a fight! Why do you keep distracting me?"

"Mom won't say anything, I won't! Keep training!" Mrs. Xu immediately fell silent.

"Again!" Xu Shaojie refused to believe it. He attacked once more, wielding his long sword with a flurry of techniques like "Overlapping Waves of Mysterious Light" and "Divided Reflections." But without exception, Zhao Rui countered every follow-up strike with precision.

Xu Shaojie’s eyes narrowed. His sword moves changed rapidly, abandoning set forms and rigid patterns. Though slightly sluggish, the spontaneity and randomness of his movements were beginning to show hints of "winning without moves."

"Damn, is this what a genius is?" Zhao Rui wanted to curse out loud. Fortunately, he had already opened the vital acupoints in his arms; his "Cloud Hand Plucking Stars" technique was far beyond what it used to be. Combined with his deep understanding of the Taiyi Light-Splitting Sword Technique, he regained the initiative within moments, pinning Xu Shaojie down so that he couldn't land a single strike.

"I’m done!" Xu Shaojie spotted an opening, swept his sword across, leaped out of the ring, and looked at Zhao Rui, panting heavily.

"It’s not time yet!"

"I’ll pay you!" Xu Shaojie said in annoyance, leaping off the ring. Ignoring the coach and his parents who were crowding around, he headed straight for the changing room.

Mrs. Xu hurried over, but was chased away by Xu Shaojie with a sharp "Don't bother me."

"Zhao Rui, what’s going on?" Coach Zeng had seen it clearly, but he wasn't the one involved and couldn't understand the stifling frustration of having one's sword techniques constantly countered. He assumed Zhao Rui had offended him.

"I don't know, maybe he’s just tired!" Zhao Rui said casually. Geniuses needed to be tempered; otherwise, how would they stand out?

"Who are you? If my son is feeling unwell, I’m going to find your boss!" Although she didn't know martial arts, seeing her son’s grim expression as he hid in the changing room, she knew he must have suffered some grievance. She shouted at Zhao Rui with dissatisfaction.

Zhao Rui shrugged, couldn't be bothered to respond, and sat back in his seat, sipping his drink.

"Son!" After shouting at Zhao Rui, Mrs. Xu turned her frustration toward the coach, ready to head to the changing room to check on her son again. But the coach grabbed her, saying: "He doesn't want to come out right now. Don't force it—that’s the biggest taboo for a martial artist!"

Hearing the coach’s words, Mrs. Xu stopped, but she still muttered stubbornly: "If anything happens to my son, I won't let this go!" Coach Zeng could only offer forced smiles and words of comfort, gesturing for her to calm down. Many of the young students nearby watched the scene with curiosity.

Zhao Rui kept his eyes on his nose and his heart on his center, sitting cross-legged in meditation. He could likely guess the reason for Xu Shaojie’s anger. The boy probably thought that since he had reached Level 4, he was on the same level as Zhao Rui and should be able to have a "proper" fight. Instead, not only did he perform poorly, but he was even worse off than before. This sense of disparity was something he, having always considered himself a genius, couldn't accept for the moment.

Sigh, he’s been pampered too much! Zhao Rui sighed inwardly.

Five or six minutes passed, and the door to the changing room suddenly opened. Xu Shaojie, who had been huddled inside, scanned the room with piercing eyes, fixed his gaze on Zhao Rui, and walked over.

"Son, are you feeling unwell?" Mrs. Xu asked with concern, checking him over. "Tell me, Mom will go find their boss!"

"Mom, I’m fine!" Xu Shaojie replied coolly before walking up to Zhao Rui. Zhao Rui stood up, looking at the boy who was a head shorter than him.

"Brother Zhao, thank you!" The boy actually bowed to Zhao Rui.

"..." The surrounding crowd was stunned. Zhao Rui felt his face grow hot.

"Brother Zhao, if not for your wake-up call, I might still be immersed in the illusion of my own progress. Thank you!" The boy’s eyes were as clear as water, but the fighting spirit in them had not dissipated; instead, it burned even brighter.

Zhao Rui was speechless. Is this what a genius is? Turning failure into the fuel for progress—whether it was talent or temperament, it was far beyond ordinary people.

"You're welcome. Since I’ve taken the job, I’ll naturally fulfill my duties. Sparring isn't just about honing your martial skills; temperament is an equally important part of the process!" Zhao Rui shamelessly claimed the credit.

"Yes! I’ll go back and digest this. I’ll come back tomorrow to ask you for guidance on the weaknesses in my techniques!" After saying this, Xu Shaojie bowed to Coach Zeng and said, "Coach, sorry for the trouble."

"It’s fine, it’s fine! It’s great that you have this awareness." Coach Zeng was gratified, wishing he could call the boss immediately to say their money wasn't wasted.

The boy’s actions left Mrs. Xu, who had been so aggressive just moments ago, standing there awkwardly, her face burning. Fortunately, no one held it against her; when her son left, she followed him out of the gym without another word.

Once they left, the young students gathered around instantly.

"Brother Zhao, can I book a sparring session for this evening?"

"Brother Zhao, me too!"

"..."

What could Zhao Rui say? Just take the jobs—this cursed charisma! He understood these students' thoughts; if even the best genius in the gym recognized Zhao Rui, there was nothing left to consider. If you want to improve, go find Brother Zhao!

However, these kids' actions also made him realize a new application of the system's ability: combining sparring with tutoring. As long as the student hadn't reached the "mastery" level, he could steal their martial arts through the system panel and then offer insightful guidance from a higher vantage point. This was far more profound than pure sparring!

And as for the price... *Ahem*, one shouldn't be too greedy. The path of martial arts is vast and boundless; how could he always be thinking about money? Zhao Rui decisively buried the thought, planning to calculate it properly when he got home that night.

...

Time flew by, and more than a week passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Zhao Rui was incredibly busy, tutoring in the morning and acting as a sparring partner for a group of young students in the afternoon and evening. He could only find time for his own martial arts practice after returning home.

He was busy, but he was making real money.

As for Xu Shaojie, after the unintentional setback from Zhao Rui, he had developed a more composed and introspective mindset. He not only curbed his impatience but could also settle down to analyze the weaknesses in his martial arts with Zhao Rui and improve upon them.

A few days later, at the Three-City, Five-Region Youth Invitational, Xu Shaojie lived up to expectations, breaking into the top ten and finishing in eighth place. He returned with a bit of regret, but this result far exceeded the expectations of everyone at the gym, leaving everyone from the top down pleasantly surprised. The boss personally issued a bonus of two thousand yuan for Zhao Rui’s "tutoring" fee!

It was a small amount, but even a mosquito's leg is meat! Zhao Rui was very satisfied.