Gao Wu: Ten years of sparring experience, one move and the world knows him.

Chapter 68 Staying up late at night

Inside the teaching building, Zhao Rui led Le Bin and the other person back to the classroom. As soon as they entered, they saw dozens of pairs of eyes staring at them.

The synchronized movements startled the three of them.

"Zhao, Rui-ge, is everything settled?"

The eldest in the dormitory, Jian Congsheng, quickly came over and asked curiously.

"Okay. It's alright. Everyone should go back to what they're doing!"

Zhao Rui smiled and said.

His words were more effective than the counselor's at that moment, and everyone immediately got to work.

Some students continued reading, while others left, and the classroom quickly returned to calm.

"It's alright, focus on your studies."

Zhao Rui patted Chu Yunlei on the shoulder, smiled and finished speaking, then ignored them and went straight back to his seat to continue discussing the review materials with He Wanqing.

The lesson lasted for most of the day. It wasn't until the Li trigram was in the sky and the weather was slightly warm that Zhao Rui and He Wanqing left the classroom together and headed to the cafeteria.

It was a rare treat to have a meal and study together with Zhao Rui, so He Wanqing even skipped around playfully while walking.

He showed no other emotion whatsoever because Zhao Rui hadn't contacted him for a long time.

This is understandable. When a man is so outstanding that everyone around you is eager to steal him away, that's when things get really tough.

You won't care how often he contacts you.

The two were not a couple after all, and He Wanqing handled this matter with great tact.

After a quick lunch, the two returned to the study room to continue their final exam review for accounting.

The following afternoon, Zhao Rui, who had been studying all day, took He Wanqing to the Hualian Supermarket near the school gate and bought a bunch of all sorts of snacks.

This is a reward for He's hard work in tutoring him.

Of course, there was another purpose: to get He Wanqing's advice on what gifts to buy at her uncle's house.

The two spent a long time browsing in the supermarket before finally buying two bottles of reasonably priced, low-end foreign wines.

This stuff is different from liquor. Liquor prices are basically transparent, so if you bring it, the other person can immediately tell its value.

My complexion changes quickly.

It's not as good as wines with purely foreign language labels, since nobody recognizes them anyway.

Besides wine, he also bought some seasonal fruits and packed them into an elegant gift box.

With all preparations complete, he parted ways with He Wanqing and took a taxi alone to his uncle Zhao Jin's house.

My uncle has been doing business in Jeju for many years and has accumulated some wealth. Except for holidays, he rarely returns to Lincheng.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the residential compound, Zhao Rui got out of the taxi, picked up the fruit, and walked into the compound.

At first glance, the entire structure of the residential area where Zhao Jinguo lives is truly stunning, with its neoclassical roofs arranged in a staggered pattern, resembling the black and white keys of a piano.

The roof ridgelines, with their delicate colors, were melted into beautiful strands of gold by the setting sun in the twilight, making them extremely dazzling.

The glass curtain wall at the entrance and the limestone base create a legendary scene of ice and fire, reflecting the exquisite screen that resembles flowing ink clouds.

Even before entering, you can tell it's a high-end residential area.

Rich people really know how to enjoy life.

Zhao Rui couldn't help but think that when he had money in the future, he would also build such a high-end residence for his family.

Enjoy the life of the rich.

Lost in thought, he was stopped by security guards as soon as he reached the entrance.

"Who are you looking for? This is a private community; outsiders are not allowed to enter."

Zhao Rui was surprised by the good security in the community, so he quickly told his uncle's address and dialed Zhao Jinguo's number.

After the call was connected, Zhao Jinguo spoke to the security guard and registered his personal information, which allowed Zhao Rui to enter the community with his belongings.

After wandering around, when he finally found his uncle's villa, his cousin Zhao Junzhe was already waiting at the door.

Upon seeing Zhao Rui approach, Zhao Junzhe greeted him somewhat awkwardly, "Brother!"

"Jun Zhe, you've grown taller in the past six months."

"It's alright, some of my classmates have grown ten centimeters."

"Really? That's impressive."

Zhao Rui chatted with Zhao Junzhe for a few minutes with a smile, and then they walked together into his uncle's high-end residential villa, which cost nearly ten million yuan to buy.

The villa features carved railings and painted beams, exuding a classical charm. Its tall buildings and surrounding corridors are quite different from Western-style villas.

Following the archway into the main hall, Zhao Rui carried his belongings inside.

At a glance, I spotted my uncle Zhao Jinguo sitting on the huge sofa, legs crossed, looking relaxed.

"Uncle!"

Zhao Rui greeted him.

Zhao Jinguo tilted his head slightly, revealing a faint smile, and said, "You're here. Sit down. Don't worry about buying anything; your uncle's family has everything we need. Take it with you when you leave."

"A little thought."

Zhao Rui smiled, placed the things on one side of the door, then found an empty sofa and sat down next to his uncle.

"How's your studying? You must be under a lot of pressure."

"It's alright, I can keep up."

"You can't just expect to keep up. Your parents worked hard to send you to school, so you have to achieve something. It's a pity that they've trained you in martial arts for so many years."

Zhao Jinguo said with a hint of disappointment.

Zhao Rui scratched his head, smiled, and didn't respond to the question.

My uncle was telling the truth. If he hadn't known for himself, a diploma from Dongqi University alone wouldn't have been enough to justify all the years of hard work he had put into martial arts.

He could have chosen a less prestigious school to study martial arts and pursue a career in martial arts.

But Zhao Rui knows his own family affairs best, and it's not something he can tell outsiders.

"What does my brother-in-law do for a living? My sister is so outstanding, she has very high standards."

Zhao Rui casually changed the subject, talking about today's "pig's feet"!
My future cousin's husband.

His presence today is merely a matter of benefiting from someone else's generosity; as a relative, he's here to freeload a meal.

"Working in the provincial police station, what's with the talk of having high standards? That just means you haven't found the right person..."

Zhao Jinguo speaks highly of his future son-in-law.

He was a formally employed member of the imperial court, a professional martial artist, and a staff member in an important provincial department. If he became more successful, he would be transferred to a local position, such as the head of a police station.

Definitely a stock with great potential.

Moreover, they come from a good family; both their parents hold important positions.

After listening to his uncle's brief introduction, Zhao Rui felt it was quite good.

One family runs a business, and the other family holds official positions in the imperial court—a very typical combination!

After chatting for a few minutes, Auntie came out of the kitchen and, upon seeing Zhao Rui, exchanged pleasantries once more.

As the sun dipped below the horizon and the sun set, and countless stars filled the night sky, my beautiful cousin finally arrived late, accompanied by her future brother-in-law.

"Uncle, Auntie, I'm sorry, something came up at work, I'm late."

My new brother-in-law is handsome and has a straight back; he looks like a trained special agent.

"It's nothing, just a family dinner. Come, come, have a cup of tea to warm up first..."

"This is Zhao Rui, the younger brother of Wenwen's (my cousin's name) second uncle."

After everyone was seated, Zhao Jinguo introduced Zhao Rui, whom he had never met before.

"Hello, Brother Zheng!"

"Hello, Xiao Rui."

The two greeted each other, thus becoming acquainted.

After chatting for a while, the family went to the huge restaurant next door for a sumptuous family feast. This feast was far superior to the meal Zhao Rui had hosted at the five-star hotel.

It could be said that this was the first time in this life that Zhao Rui had eaten such high-class food, with large seafood and imported beef all on the table.

Even many fruits and vegetables are imported by air.

The price is extremely high.

However, this kind of food held no appeal for his cousin Zhao Junzhe.

He ate only a few bites before feeling full, then ran to the side and started playing games on his phone.

On the contrary, Zhao Rui, the cousin, fulfilled his duties as the "brother-in-law" by accompanying his new brother-in-law throughout the entire process, patiently chatting with him to ease the awkwardness.

Upon hearing that Zhao Rui had "once" been a martial arts student, his brother-in-law Zheng Huaifeng immediately became interested and started chatting with him about martial arts.

With common ground to discuss, the two naturally hit it off, making the atmosphere at the banquet even more harmonious.

Seeing this, Zhao Jinguo felt gratified; his nephew had become much more sensible.

We can invite them over more often in the future.

"It's a bit of a pity. Why didn't you pursue further studies?"

During the conversation, Zheng Huaifeng, like Zhao Jinguo, also felt somewhat sorry that Zhao Rui was unable to continue on the path of martial arts.

"Actually, I haven't given up on martial arts yet. I've joined the Dongqi University martial arts team and I'm still working hard."

Zhao Rui smiled and offered an explanation.

"Dongqi University Martial Arts Team?"

Zheng Huaifeng was taken aback, then said with delight, "This is great news! I didn't expect you to be so strong. Anyone who can join the martial arts team must be at least at level six."

Upon hearing Zheng Huaifeng's words, Zhao Jinguo's eyes lit up, and he looked at Zhao Rui with a hint of surprise.

“Rui Rui, come visit your uncle’s house more often when you have time. Teach your younger brother. He’s been stuck at level three for too long and hasn’t improved at all.”

Zhao Jinguo glanced at his son, who was engrossed in playing on his phone, and couldn't help but sigh.

“Jun Zhe is only in the third year of junior high school and he is already at level three. That’s really impressive. He’s much better than me. He doesn’t have the pressure of taking exams now, so he can relax a little. Don’t worry, sir.”

Zhao Rui smiled and comforted him.

"That's right, my brother is right, I'm already guaranteed to pass the high school entrance exam, okay?"

Zhao Junzhe, who was playing on his phone nearby, kept his ears open and immediately agreed when he heard his cousin's words.

"I'm telling you, you're actually listening! Come over here and toast your two older brothers."

Zhao Jinguo spat.

"understood!"

Zhao Junzhe lazily put down his phone, then stood up, picked up his drink, and clinked glasses with Zhao Rui.

"Go play! You never eat properly."

After the two finished drinking together, Zhao Jinguo scolded his son, seemingly annoyed but actually pleased.

"You're the one who won't let me play, and you're the one who lets me play!"

Zhao Junzhe muttered a couple of dissatisfactions.

Everyone was delighted.

……

After dinner, they chatted for a while. It was getting late, so everyone dispersed. Zhao Rui originally planned to go back to school on his own, but Zheng Huaifeng stopped him and drove him to school.

Upon arriving at the school gate, Zhao Rui got out of the car, waved goodbye to Zheng Huaifeng, and walked towards his residential area.

At this moment, the cold sky was inverted, the frost-covered heavens were stained with ink, the wind howled, and the earth was a vast and desolate wasteland.

Zhao Rui walked forward slowly.

He lived near the school, right by the school's fence.

As I was walking, a series of mixed zither sounds suddenly came from the woods in the neighboring campus. The sound was soft and trembling, like Qu Yuan crossing the river, with a hidden sorrow for Ying in the plucking of the strings.

Suddenly, it seemed as if a Wu hook had been drawn from its sheath, concealing the chilling killing intent of a righteous warrior striking a zither and the clash of swords and the thunder of horses.

Zhao Rui didn't understand music, but he felt that the sound of the guzheng was extremely beautiful. Accompanied by the rustling wind, it was like a murmuring spring, sometimes visible and sometimes hidden.

Still feeling the effects of the alcohol and in high spirits, he followed the sound and gradually approached the campus wall.

In his past life, there was a classic martial arts movie called The Six-Fingered Demon, in which the sound wave attacks were absolutely spectacular, making Zhao Rui, who was still a child at the time, extremely envious.

So he was determined to learn a musical instrument.

Whether it's a flute, a zither, or a guzheng, anything that's been shown on TV and is stylish enough is fine.

But he was so focused on table tennis and didn't have any talent for it that he couldn't even play the flute by the time he reached adulthood.

Upon hearing such a wonderful sound, he was immediately filled with boundless imagination about the clash of sound waves.

In The Legend of the Condor Heroes, the Five Greats played the zither and flute on Peach Blossom Island, causing the blue sea to surge and the waves to roll.

In the game "The Immortal Crane Needle," the heroes played the zither and flute together in the wilderness, fighting against Cao Xiong's colossal bell that blotted out the sky. Their powerful energy was unrestrained, causing all the sounds to become chaotic, which made the world change color and all living beings cry out in sorrow.

These things might have been mere illusions in the past, but now, martial arts are flourishing.

Sonic energy is no joke.

As he was lost in his fantasies and gradually approaching the fence, a sudden burst of energy, carried by the sound of the zither, struck the ground in front of him.

It left a shallow mark.

Zhao Rui was stunned. Speak of the devil, and he appears. It really was sonic power.

"No offense intended, I was just captivated by the beautiful music. I apologize."

Zhao Rui quickly apologized.

"why is it you again!"

A familiar female voice drifted from the woods, alluring yet carrying a cool and aloof air.

"Miao Dashanren?"

Zhao Rui's bright eyes widened, and he exclaimed in surprise.

"What kind of virtuous person?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Miao Miaomiao appeared in his line of sight, swaying precariously as she stepped onto a tree branch.

“You misheard me. I was talking about the Great Immortal Miao, praising your graceful figure and extraordinary talent.”

Zhao Rui quickly made up a story.

"Why are you wandering around in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Miao Miaomiao had no interest in his unreasonable arguments. She frowned slightly and said impatiently.

How dare they turn the tables on me!
"You weren't asleep either, even though it's the middle of the night?"

Zhao Rui retorted dismissively.

I thought Miao Miaomiao would be angry after I said that, but instead, she sighed softly and said in a desolate tone, "I can't sleep!"

Hmm, that's a good reason!
"Do you mind if I go up too? It's tiring to talk with my head tilted back like this!"

Zhao Rui pointed to the treetops swaying and flapping at her feet and said.

Miao Miaomiao was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and said, "If you're not afraid, just come up here."

afraid?
He might have been afraid before, but now Zhao Rui isn't afraid at all. In fact, he's afraid you'll scare him.

With a single stomp, he leaped into the air, stomped twice on the courtyard wall, and stood on a tree branch not far from Miao Miaomiao.

"With so many branches, you just had to pick this one for me!"

Seeing the branches swaying more and more violently at her feet, Miao Miaomiao couldn't help but roll her eyes in annoyance, instantly displaying a charming and alluring demeanor that caught Zhao Rui's eye.

In the past, he would have had to hold his breath and gather his strength to resist, or even retreat, but now, his Six-Line Enchanting Immortal Technique is even more powerful than Miao Miaomiao's, so he is naturally fearless.

He calmly took in the other's relaxed and charming appearance, enjoying the cat's alluring demeanor.

(End of this chapter)