Chapter Five: You Are All Just Fools

In an old, worn-down residential area in the city stood a quaint, antique-style old mansion. Flanking the somewhat antiquated gatehouse were two stone lions, fierce and imposing with their snarling expressions. The main gate was coated in black lacquer, exuding a solemn and dignified aura. Above the lintel hung a four-character plaque: “Jimin Pharmacy Hall,” its vermilion characters faded and mismatched against the dark door.

Zhao Rui stepped inside, greeted by the sounds of martial arts practice echoing through the air. Under the slanting rays of the setting sun, droplets of sweat glistened on the young faces, shimmering like crystals. Weaving through the group of junior disciples training, Zhao Rui entered the main hall.

At the center, by an octagonal table, an elderly man sat leisurely, twirling a teapot and casually sipping tea. “Master, did you paint the gate? There’s a strong smell! Why didn’t you paint over the plaque too?” Zhao Rui asked with a smile upon seeing the old man.

“With you poor disciples, where would I find the money to repaint? This is leftover paint someone gave me to use. No red left!” The old man, with a scruffy beard and graying hair, had eyebrows so thick and long they looked almost unnatural. His head was noticeably larger than average, giving him an exaggerated appearance. This was none other than Zhao Rui’s master, Li Big Head, Li Cunxin.

“When I get into university and make a fortune, I’ll definitely get you a brand-new plaque!” Zhao Rui promised.

“Don’t count on you making money and thinking of me. Did you pay last month’s tuition?” Li Cunxin crossed his legs and spoke bluntly.

“Heh, master, you said since Xin’er is getting tutoring, we don’t have to pay tuition!”

“Get lost, always trying to take advantage of this old man. Xin’er hasn’t finished her homework. Go check on her. She was pestering me to call you, but I ignored her!” The master said impatiently.

Zhao Rui chuckled and headed to the back quarters. Just inside the back hall, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl was bent over a wooden table, diligently working on her homework. Upon hearing footsteps, she looked up happily and called out to Zhao Rui, “Little uncle, school’s out! I don’t understand these questions—please explain!”

“Can’t you think for yourself?” Zhao Rui replied.

“No brain left long ago—it was all knocked out by you and grandpa!” The girl rolled her eyes and playfully used two fingers to block Zhao Rui’s hand as he pretended to tap her head.

Zhao Rui smiled sheepishly, recalling all the mischief he’d done to the kids before, feeling a flush of shame. But that was “him,” not me! In his previous life, he was the kindest to other people’s daughters, never bullying any girl.

“From now on, I promise I won’t knock your head anymore. Show me which question you’re stuck on.” Zhao Rui stopped joking and began tutoring his little niece.

After an hour of teaching, darkness had fallen. A chubby boy burst in, calling Zhao Rui to the front yard. After telling his niece a few words, Zhao Rui followed the boy out.

“Senior brother, the eldest brother and the others are back. The atmosphere doesn’t look good.”

The chubby boy was an apprentice—one who paid to learn martial arts.

“Got it,” Zhao Rui replied. Soon, they arrived at the front yard. At the gate, a line of middle-aged and young men stood with their heads bowed, looking dejected. Li Big Head strolled past them, smoking his pipe, exhaling clouds of smoke.

“You’re hopeless. Not a single one in the top fifty of the district. What, do you want this old bone to step in personally?” Li Cunxin was displeased, feeling his disciples were one duller than the next. He rued his own poor judgment.

Not only were his disciples slow, but his own sons had failed to inherit his martial talents. While scolding, his eyes caught sight of Zhao Rui hastily arriving at the gate, adding to his irritation.

He had hoped this young disciple could bring some pride—if not top ten or twenty, at least top fifty in the district. But Zhao Rui only ranked within the top hundred.

“You too, come stand here for punishment!” Li Cunxin snapped at Zhao Rui.

Zhao Rui quickly bowed his head and hurried over, joining his senior brothers and sisters in standing in reprimand.

“Look at you all! What are you even like? I won’t bother with extra drills—you're just plain stupid! Back in my day...” Li Cunxin grumbled for a long while before sighing, tapping his pipe, and pacing into the back yard.

Once everyone dispersed, Zhao Rui cautiously asked his senior brothers and sisters about their results. As expected, none had good grades. The best was the eldest senior brother—Li Cunxin’s eldest son—who ranked fifty-sixth. But he was already forty years old, and his talent was limited.

The group exchanged glances and sighed, their moods dampened, so they parted ways quietly.

Zhao Rui was dumbfounded. He had come intending to spar with his brothers and test his system functions. With everyone gone, who was left to spar with?

He quickly called out to the third senior brother, Luo Ran Feng. “Senior brother, practice with me!”

“Are you sure?” Luo Ran Feng’s slender eyes narrowed, a strange gleam brightening within them.

“Whoa!” Zhao Rui was startled and hurriedly waved off the offer. “Forget it, forget it, maybe another day!”

“Too late!” Before Zhao Rui could turn away, Luo Ran Feng grabbed his wrist at the Taiyuan acupoint and dragged him into the training ground.

Within a minute, Zhao Rui’s agonized cries echoed from inside.

“Damn, senior brother, you’re crazy, kicking me in the butt!”

“That’s too much! Even a clay figurine has some temper—don’t push me!”

Inside the training hall, Zhao Rui wailed for a long time. Seeing Luo Ran Feng was serious, he gathered his wits and focused on the sparring.

Luo Ran Feng was a level-five professional martial artist with over ten years of internal strength cultivation, far beyond Zhao Rui, who had only seven or eight years of training and had recently specialized in the Cloud Hand Star Grasp technique.

Moreover, sharing the same master meant they both knew the martial arts moves well, making the bout heavily one-sided against Zhao Rui.

However, as brothers sparring, Luo Ran Feng didn’t hold back fully.

After an intense exchange of punches and kicks, Zhao Rui’s martial arts panel displayed a new line of information:

Name: Zhao Rui
Age: 18
Copyable Martial Art: Cloud Hand Star Grasp (Copy? Yes/No)

Seeing his name, Zhao Rui hesitated briefly. After another kick from his senior brother, he dismissed distractions and concentrated fully.

“Copy!” Zhao Rui chose without hesitation.

Over half an hour later, Zhao Rui sat panting on a stone bench beside the training ground, gulping down a drink handed by his senior brother.

“You’re about to take the college entrance exam. Don’t get restless. Your level is already much better than ours was back then. Don’t rush,” Luo Ran Feng said calmly after sipping water.

“Yeah, senior brother, I know. The teacher said my practical combat needs improvement, so I want to spar a few more times before the exam,” Zhao Rui replied half-truthfully.

“Alright, I don’t have competitions lately. Come by anytime; I’ll spar with you.”

“Thanks, senior brother!”

“No need to be polite!”

After resting a while in the training hall, Zhao Rui got up, parted ways with his senior brother, and walked alone into the inner mansion’s main hall.