Chương 137: Get Up and Get to Work

Chapter 137 Time to Get Up and Work (5k) Just as Zhao Rui was regretting not having copied the Thirteen Martial Arts School Master's advancement points in time, two young men rushed over in a panic.

Upon seeing Zhao Rui, he hurriedly asked, "Is your master here?"

"That's me!"

Zhao Rui glanced at them and replied casually.

"So you are?"

The two men exchanged a glance, then quickly took out a brocade box and handed it to Zhao Rui, saying, "My master, Nie Sheng, said that the contents of this box are very important. If it can protect him, he is willing to give it to the master of the museum."

"What is it?"

Zhao Rui asked curiously.

"We don't know either. My master told me to tell you that the same person came again."

A young man looked around and quickly said.

Zhao Rui was slightly taken aback.

The young man continued, "This item is extremely beneficial to martial artists and is enough to compensate the master for his efforts."

"We can't stay any longer. Master said there are thirteen portions of this stuff, and that person came for it."

After saying this, the two young men bowed and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment!"

Zhao Rui weighed the box in his hand, but without even opening it, he called the two of them to a halt and shoved the box back into the box.

What treasure?

What do you love, baby?

Even the most precious treasure could not compare to the system treasure in his mind?

That old man, Bi Deng, is trying to trick me.

I saved them twice, and now they want to shift the blame elsewhere.

Zhao Rui coldly said, "Please tell your esteemed master that this gift is far too valuable for me to accept. I regret that I cannot comply. Please take it back!"

"Master..."

The two wanted to continue.

Zhao Rui then raised his right hand from below, unleashing a surge of force that sent the two flying several meters away before landing steadily on the ground.

The two were both surprised and frightened, realizing that the other person was even more powerful than their master.

He dared not say another word and hurriedly turned and left.

Zhao Rui shook his head as he watched them leave.

He was willing to take action twice not only because it was a coincidence, but also because he didn't want someone to impersonate him and kill him.

Afterwards, these people didn't reveal the truth to him, and of course, he wasn't interested.

But saying it and not saying it are two different things; at the very least, I don't want him to get involved.

Now they want to use a small portion of this so-called treasure to drag themselves down with them.

Why do they always get to think about all the good things?

Zhao Rui sneered, casually picked up the teapot on the table, poured himself a cup of water, and slowly drank it.

The winter cold is like ice, penetrating to the bone.

Zhao Rui, dressed in a single layer of clothing, leisurely watched the afterglow of the setting sun slowly disappear into the horizon, and a new moon gently hung on the corner of the building.

Under the dim light of the martial arts school's signboard, Miao Miaomiao was ladling a bowl of chicken soup from a thermos and putting a large amount of chicken meat into another thermos.

"Put less salt in, my mom said she added a lot in beforehand."

"Anything is fine. Auntie's soup is delicious even without salt."

"My mom isn't here, so I don't need to be so fake."

"Of course I'm telling the truth."

Zhao Rui sat up slightly, casually took the chicken soup, scooped up a spoonful, slurped it down, and drank it.

"Delicious!"

Hearing Zhao Rui's praise, Miao Miaomiao couldn't help but smile happily.

"Someone's coming! Get out of the way!"

Zhao Rui suddenly raised an eyebrow and shouted at Miao Miaomiao.

Miao Miaomiao understood immediately and slipped into the martial arts hall.

Miao Miaomiao possesses exceptional martial arts talent, already at the level of a prodigy. Now, having mastered the complete version of the Six-Character Enchanting Immortal Technique, her strength has advanced by leaps and bounds.

At this moment, she was only one step away from the tenth level of the True Transformation Realm.

Even so, she knew that the people and things that Zhao Rui would take seriously and remind her of were definitely not things she could interfere with.

The standard for being a good woman is not to cause trouble for men.

Outside, a disheveled figure rushed over in a short while.

"Brother Zhao, help!"

Upon seeing Zhao Rui from afar, the person's face lit up with joy, and he stumbled and ran to him.

He immediately knelt down on both knees, intending to kowtow.

Zhao Rui raised both hands to stop him, simultaneously dodging the attack, and said, "Director Nie, you're too kind. I can't save you. Please find someone more capable!"

"No, no, you can save me! I'll give you everything, everything!"

Nie Sheng frantically rummaged through his pockets and pulled out twelve small brocade boxes, each about the size of a ring box.

"I'm not interested in this."

Zhao Rui turned his head away immediately. If you're planning to scheme against me, and my martial arts skills are weak, wouldn't I be killed by you?

"It was my fault, it was my fault. I shouldn't have been so suspicious. But Brother Zhao, no, Brother Zhao, the things here..."

Just as Nie Sheng was about to speak, a black light shot towards his throat.

Nie Sheng hurriedly rolled over to dodge, and then frantically gathered the box on the ground into his arms.

At the same time, a person dressed in black with their face covered appeared like a ghost around the corner of the stairwell.

"Hand over the goods, and I'll spare your lives!"

The newcomer had a hoarse voice and spoke in a sinister tone, unlike his usual voice.

"Don't you guys get beaten up often? You always talk so domineeringly."

Zhao Rui frowned and said.

"You're asking for it!"

The newcomer looked coldly at Zhao Rui, with faint black true energy swirling around his hand.

"I don't have the stuff here, and I don't want to get involved. Go fight somewhere else, don't dirty my martial arts gym."

Zhao Rui glanced coldly at the two of them, his eyes as icy as frost in the dead of winter.

Upon hearing his words, Nie Sheng trembled and said in a shaking voice, "You can't just stand by and watch someone die. Only I know the secret of this thing; your copy alone won't be of any use."

"I've already had your apprentice take it back to you. I don't want your stuff!"

Zhao Rui said in a cold voice.

"Sent back? Sent back! How is that possible? Haha, haha!"

Nie Sheng laughed so wildly that he spurred on the motion-sensor lights on the nearby apartment buildings.

"Are you crazy! Shouting like that!"

Some hot-tempered residents had already opened their windows and started cursing.

"I want them all! I want them all! You can have them all!"

Suddenly, Nie Sheng went berserk, reaching into his robes and pulling out all twelve brocade boxes. He then used a move called "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers" to throw the boxes in all directions.

"You're asking for it!"

The man in black was taken aback by his actions and immediately rose into the air, chasing after the brocade box like a phantom.

"what!"

The man who had been yelling and cursing at the window suddenly let out a wail and fell to the ground, blood streaming down his head.

Clearly, Nie Sheng was furious and didn't tolerate him at all!

"I've given it all to you."

Nie Sheng swayed and ran outside under the moonlight.

"Damn it, I'm going to kill you!"

Seeing this, the man in black stuffed the two brocade boxes he had caught into his pocket and then chased after Nie Sheng.

In a short while, the sound of their footsteps disappeared into the distance.

After watching the spectacle, Zhao Rui couldn't help but feel a little curious about what was inside the box.

What kind of treasure could make martial artists risk their lives to kill and rob, even at the risk of being hunted down by the authorities?

"What happened?"

Seeing that there was no movement outside, Miao Miaomiao pushed open the door of the martial arts school, walked out, and asked with curiosity.

Zhao Rui didn't hide anything and told him everything.

Upon hearing this, Miao Miaomiao couldn't help but ask, "Is this man in black no match for you?"

"Um?"

"Why didn't you intercept him when he collected them all and came to you?"

"Ahem!"

Zhao Rui coughed lightly and said, "Miaomiao, you're still a student. Don't meddle in adult matters."

"You didn't expect that, did you!"

Miao Miaomiao rolled her eyes at him and chuckled softly, covering her mouth.

"I've got an idea. It's better to avoid trouble. I'm not invincible."

Zhao Rui shook his head and smiled.

"In my heart, you are invincible, except for Master!"

Miao Miaomiao didn't say this aloud, but instead smiled and said, "I know! By the way, the things have all flown away, should we go pick them up?"

"What are you picking up? You wouldn't even take what's handed to you, why are you picking it up now? Do as you said, let them look for it."

"Um!"

Miao Miaomiao smiled gently, said nothing more, and casually tidied up the chicken soup on the table.

It was already getting late.

After closing the martial arts gym, the two drove home.

Silent all night.

The following afternoon, Zhao Rui received a call from Zheng Huaifeng, who said that three Grandmasters from the Thirteen Martial Alliance had died.

One of them, Nie Sheng, is missing.

Zhao Rui was secretly shocked. This person was truly ruthless. Including Qiao Siniang who died earlier, he had killed four people, seriously injured one, and gone missing for a treasure.

They're all grandmasters!

If this happened in a neighboring city, it would cause an uproar.

"The higher-ups are furious and have ordered a thorough investigation throughout the province, demanding the case be solved within a week..."

Zheng Huaifeng frowned and said.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Rui recounted what he knew.

"Demonic arts? Why are they always causing trouble lately? Last time, that Nie Bin caused panic throughout Jeju City..."

Zheng Huaifeng sighed and then told Zhao Rui to be careful, fearing that the other party might implicate him.

"Yes, I know."

Zhao Rui smiled, and the two hung up the phone.

As evening approached, before it was even dark, Zhao Rui had just seen off the children who had been doing extra practice and was preparing to close the door.

A barely audible footstep approached.

"If you hadn't shown up, I wouldn't know how to deal with scum like you. But now that you've appeared, I realize I understand everything."

Zhao Rui slowly closed the door and said, "Although I don't want to get involved in these grudges, if scum like you dares to mess with me, I'd be happy to send you to meet the Demon Ancestor!"

The shadowy figure paused upon hearing this, then said in a sinister tone, "Where's the thing?"

"I don't have it here. Did you not find all of them? That's a bit inefficient!"

Give me the item, and I'll spare your life!

"I told you I didn't, but you won't believe me. You believe whatever others say. Are you stupid?"

"You're asking for it!"

"Let's go somewhere else, we can't operate freely here!"

After Zhao Rui finished speaking, he didn't care about Zhao Rui's expression. He leaped up and ran away into the distance like lightning.

The newcomer frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, then leaped onto the second-floor balcony and quickly followed.

Under the cover of night, two blurry figures appeared and disappeared like ghosts.

In no time at all, they arrived at a deserted village cemetery on the outskirts of the city.

The man in black glanced around and sneered, "So, you've already found your own grave?"

Zhao Rui shook his head and said, "I know you're using demonic arts!"

"Oh, so what?"

The man in black asked, slightly puzzled.

"What a coincidence, I'm also using demonic arts!"

After Zhao Rui finished speaking, his true energy suddenly surged, and the colorless and intangible true energy in his body instantly turned into a viscous, pitch-black substance under the operation of the Heavenly Demon Illusionary Sound Technique.

"I've never used the Illusionary Sound Technique at full power before. Today's the perfect opportunity to indulge myself!"

Zhao Rui's smile remained warm and friendly.

But this expression, coupled with the dark, swirling aura and the hooting of an owl, sent a chill down one's spine.

"you……"

The man in black's pupils suddenly widened, his face filled with astonishment. But before he could finish speaking, Zhao Rui had already unleashed several streams of black true energy.

These vital energies rapidly pierced through the air, carrying a strange vibrational sound wave, rushing towards the man in black like a vengeful ghost relentlessly claiming a life.

The man in black was shocked and cried out, "Stop right now!"

He shouted as he dodged, but this sonic attack was something that ordinary people could not dodge.

Where there are sound waves, the demonic intent will naturally manifest itself!

The black aura sometimes appeared and sometimes disappeared, like a maggot clinging to one's bones, making it difficult for the man in black to escape no matter how he tried to dodge.

"We're on the same side! We're on the same side!"

The man in black quickly turned around and waved his hand, releasing several streams of black energy, which were exactly the same as Zhao Rui's.

Several loud bangs rang out as true energy collided, and the black energy turned into smoke and dissipated.

"Oh? You also know the Illusionary Sound Technique?"

Zhao Rui narrowed his eyes slightly, and with a swift movement, he was already in front of him.

The man in black bowed and said, "I am the eldest disciple of the Divine Envoy of Illusionary Sound in this realm. Divine Envoy, we are on the same side!"

"A divine messenger?"

Zhao Rui was taken aback. It turned out this guy thought he was one of the demons' gang.

Come to think of it, what else could such a powerful figure with such overwhelming demonic flames be but a demon?

Zhao Rui's eyes turned cold. He used the Phantom Technique to create six figures, each standing in one of the six locations. At the same time, he activated the Heavenly Demon Illusionary Sound Technique and said coldly, "Knowing that I am a divine messenger, how dare you disrespect me!"

"Your Excellency, please calm down. This is a complete misunderstanding. Your Excellency, I have already retrieved the shady grass for you. There are twelve pieces in total, and with your piece, it will make a total of one."

The man in black immediately and respectfully took out twelve brocade boxes from his pocket.

It's clear he returned last night and collected all the brocade boxes.

With such demonic power, ordinary people would have long been bewitched, and it would be easy for them to regain their senses.

"I told you I don't have it here! Didn't you understand?"

Zhao Rui said coldly.

"Ah? Your Excellency, please calm down. I was confused. It must have been that Nie Sheng who tricked me. That despicable old thief!"

The man in black quickly knelt down and said angrily.

"Oh, tell me, what is this? And what is your background?"

"this……"

"Um?"

"I'll tell you right away, I'll tell you right away."

The man in black immediately explained his origins and the story of the shady grass.

It turns out that this person was Nie Bin's senior brother. Back then, after the Demonic Sect leader, together with Emei and Shaolin, ambushed and killed the Illusionary Demon, he originally intended to return to the main altar and kill his two disciples.

As it turned out, the eldest disciple was extremely skilled in martial arts. He not only discovered the flaw in time, but also escaped with his junior brother.

Nie Bin's skills were relatively weak, and he was discovered in Dongqi Province.

He fled to the Northwest, joined a mysterious organization, and went into hiding to heal his wounds.

Later, by chance, the people of the Thirteen Alliance learned the secret of a treasure and traveled to the Northwest to search for it.

He happened to discover it, but unfortunately, his demonic powers had not yet recovered at that time, and the thirteen alliance warriors had a set of combined attack techniques.

Not only did they severely injure him, but they also took away the treasure.

Although his skills have recovered somewhat, he is still far from fully recovered and needs the shade grass to restore his cultivation.

Naturally, they risked coming to seize it.

As for the process, the man in black gave only a brief overview and did not elaborate.

As for this shade grass, it is a mysterious spiritual herb that grows in a secret realm in the extremely cold mountains of the Northwest.

He didn't know the specific effects or characteristics, but he heard Nie Sheng say that it could repair physical damage, enhance internal strength, and increase the probability of breaking through to a higher realm.

Anyway, it's pretty impressive.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Rui frowned.

The old demon Huanyin is really unlucky; he ran into both of his disciples.

As for the shady grass, it's nothing special.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and just as he was about to raise his hand, a burst of energy suddenly came from below.

Its speed and power were so great that even Zhao Rui was shocked.

He quickly circulated his internal energy and used the Step Fighting Step to dodge away at lightning speed.

With a loud bang, a large crater was blown open in the distance.

At the same time, the man in black had already flashed away and sped off into the distance.

Zhao Rui snorted coldly and used his lightness skill to catch up with them in an instant.

I almost got caught out just now. Sure enough, whether you're righteous or evil, you'll die from talking too much.

If it weren't for the stepping technique taught by Master Ge, that palm strike might have landed squarely on him and left him badly injured.

The man in black seemed to have used some kind of secret technique; his speed was far beyond what it had been before.

Zhao Rui's eyes were icy cold.

He instantly added the eleven advancement points he had just acquired to the acupoints.

The forty-nine acupoints frantically absorbed true energy, and a monstrous demonic flame, almost tangible, erupted from his body.

With each step he took, he covered several dozen feet, and in the blink of an eye he caught up with the man in black.

The man in black was terrified and bit his tongue, desperately trying to activate the secret technique.

Unfortunately, Zhao Rui was too fast.

In the blink of an eye, he struck him on the back with a palm strike from a distance.

The man in black hurriedly rolled forward to dodge.

The high-speed impact created a dent in the field where he fell.

"God, spare me!"

The man in black crawled backwards while begging for mercy.

How could Zhao Rui possibly listen to his nonsense?

He lunged forward and unleashed several palm strikes at his body.

Seeing this, the man in black had no choice but to fight back fiercely.

The fight between the two caused rocks to collapse and fields to sink.

It's unclear whose fields or crops were destroyed.

"Who exactly are you...?"

After several dozen moves, the black-clad man's secret technique failed, and he was struck by Zhao Rui's palm, falling to the ground with a thud.

After uttering a few words, he was already out of breath.

"Indeed, we must not underestimate anyone."

Zhao Rui was also startled and broke out in a cold sweat, which also woke him up from his recent arrogance.

They thought that with his current strength, few people could hurt him.

As a result, he was almost successfully ambushed by the man in black.

"Hey, brother-in-law, get to work! What time is it? Does the time matter? It's your turn to get credit!"

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Rui couldn't help but sigh, "The cell phones in this life are so sturdy; they're all from conscientious manufacturers."

Using the light from his phone's flashlight, Zhao Rui opened a brocade box.

Inside, a withered leaf, as if carved from jade, was revealed.

"Is this what they call shady grass?"

(End of this chapter)