Chương 19: Cherishing Talent

Since martial arts are taboo, how can the entertainment industry be left out?

The entertainment industry in this world is quite developed. Whether it's black or white, overt or covert, as long as you have power, there's nothing you can't do.

Zhao Rui knew without guessing where Yang Fan was going to take him.

I spent half the afternoon at the martial arts gym, but no one asked him to spar with them. I waited for ages.

It wasn't until evening that a young man in his twenties "called" him.

This young man is a free fighter, also known as an underground boxer.

I often come to the martial arts school to hone my skills!

When Zhao Rui heard that he was a boxer, he felt a chill run down his spine. These people were fighting to the death in the ring.

Although the martial arts gym is for training now, if the opponent loses control and leaves an injury, it's no laughing matter.

He came without telling his family.

If anything seems amiss, it won't be able to be hidden.

I wanted to refuse, but then I thought, if there is no fighting, wouldn't the true essence of martial arts be lost?

Flowers grown in a greenhouse can never withstand the onslaught of harsh winters and scorching summers.

This is a perfect opportunity to learn and experience things up close, without having to go to the black market arena. Isn't that a great thing?

Zhao Rui steeled his resolve and decisively stepped onto the ring.

"I'm going to throw a really hard punch later, so raise your hand if you can't take it!"

The man had a light red scar on his forehead, which ran diagonally across his forehead, making him appear somewhat ferocious when he spoke.

His skinny body was muscular, as if all the fat had been drained away, and there were several slanted scars below his protruding nipples.

This image is completely different from the image of the classmates that Zhao Rui usually sees.

Even in his past life, he had never seen a man with so many scars.

"OK!"

Zhao Rui responded, crossed his palms, and assumed the starting stance of the Thirteen Palms of Taihang: "Thousand-foot Locking Clouds".

Seeing that Zhao Rui was ready, the young man stretched his body slightly, then suddenly stomped his feet on the ground and charged forward like a tiger descending a mountain.

Zhao Rui dared not confront him directly, and instead stepped back to avoid him.

Like sharks that have smelled blood, the opponent immediately followed Zhao Rui's retreat, and their attack became increasingly fierce.

Zhao Rui swung his palm to block, and immediately felt a numbness in his arm. This person looked so thin, yet he had such great strength.

His body swayed slightly, and he quickly stepped forward to regain his balance.

The scarred youth continued his offensive, clenching his left fist and striking out with a thunderous roar, creating a gust of wind that whistled through the air.

Zhao Rui transformed his palm into a claw, resembling the gnarled roots of an ancient pine tree, aiming directly at the opponent's Jianjing acupoint. Once the opponent dodged, he seized the opportunity to lock the enemy's joints.

It is the second move of the Thirteen Palms of Taihang, "Listening to the Pines in Ten Thousand Valleys".

The two clashed like thunder, with incredible speed and ferocity.

"Good timing!"

With a loud shout, the scarred youth thrust his hips and elbows forward, unleashing a set of Arhat Fist techniques that instantly broke Zhao Rui's joint lock.

The trainees who were training below the stage gathered around upon hearing the force of the punches and palm strikes, and were greatly surprised when they saw that it was the scarred young man.

They all asked the coach who the sparring partner was.

Upon hearing that the sparring partners were newcomers, they all looked on with sudden realization, and their expressions turned somewhat mocking as they looked at the scene on the field.

"Brother Hong isn't someone just anyone can handle; I bet he can last ten minutes!"

"I heard he's a high school student; I guess it'll only last five minutes!"

Zhao Rui paid no attention to the comments of the crowd below, nor did he have time to pay attention to them. At this moment, he was concentrating on dealing with every attack from the scarred youth.

"No, without the aid of internal energy, the Taihang Thirteen Palms can hardly withstand the attack for long relying solely on the Misty Divine Skill!"

After blocking for several minutes, Zhao Rui felt his arms were incredibly sore and numb, as if they didn't belong to him.

If this continues, I estimate that in another minute or two, an opening will appear, and the opponent will hit it.

The moment Zhao Rui had that thought, he immediately changed his move mid-air, his inner energy swirling in his palm like clouds rising ten thousand miles, rolling in.

Target the vital points all over the opponent's body.

The scarred man changed his move extremely quickly, neither dodging nor evading, and used his fists to directly confront Zhao Rui's palms.

Zhao Rui did not resist either. As their fists clashed, Zhao Rui leaped into the air, twisting three times with such speed that it seemed to leave behind afterimages.

Each time it appeared and paused, it was accompanied by a feint with both palms. The third palm strike turned the feint into a real strike, hitting the Tanzhong acupoint. Before the afterimage dissipated, the real body had already retreated.

The scarred youth was momentarily confused and his movements faltered as he was struck by a palm.

Unfortunately, Zhao Rui dared not attack head-on, lacking sufficient strength, and could only make his opponent sway twice.

"You've got some skills!"

The scarred youth, instead of being angry, was delighted, a cruel smile appearing on his lips, and stepped forward to fight Zhao Rui once again.

"Six minutes, seven minutes!... Oh dear, what a pity! What a pity!"

The students watching from the sidelines gasped in surprise. On the stage, Zhao Rui had already been caught off guard and struck in the back by the scarred youth.

Zhao Rui staggered, then assumed a left-handed stance, forming a "two-character clamping sheep" stance. Seeing the enemy's fist approaching, he used his upper arm to stick to the opponent's arm.

The waist and horse move like a millstone turning the world, drawing the enemy's force away from the center line, and using the momentum to press down with the plowing hand.

He neutralized all of the scarred youth's attacks, then suddenly unleashed a burst of inch-force from his elbow, like the creation of Tai Chi at the beginning of chaos, striking out with a thunderous roar.

It struck the scarred youth's left shoulder.

The two separated as soon as they touched, each swaying unsteadily.

"Great! Awesome!"

The scarred man looked intently at Zhao Rui, frowning as he said, "Your skills are too eclectic! Trying to do too much at once is not a good thing!"

"As long as it works!"

Zhao Rui smiled faintly. His skills were different from others; he was proficient in every style. As long as he honed his skills diligently or opened all his acupoints, he could use them with ease and without any hesitation.

"Ten minutes have passed. This new sparring partner is really good. He must be one of the top students in his school! I wonder which school he's from."

"I think it's necessary for me to learn a couple more martial arts skills, just in case. A surprise attack is exactly my style!"

"Come on, you haven't even mastered one skill yet. If you try to learn another, I'm afraid you'll mess it up!"

The commotion below the stage slightly displeased the scarred youth. He turned to the inexperienced students and shouted sternly, "Get out of my way!"

Upon hearing this, the students' faces twitched, but no one refuted them. Instead, they all walked away from the area around the arena with different expressions.

The coach chuckled awkwardly, leaped onto the ring, and stood between Zhao Rui and the scarred youth, saying, "Alright, let's stop here for now and take a break."

Although the fight just now only lasted ten minutes, it was definitely the most dangerous battle Zhao Rui had ever experienced.

Every move was ruthless, the offensive relentless, leaving no chance to catch one's breath.

If it weren't for the fact that I've gained three years' worth of internal energy recently, I estimate that my internal energy would be sluggish when I try to circulate it!

"Brother Hong, I need to rest for a while; my internal energy is running low."

Zhao Rui abandoned his usual cold and indifferent demeanor during matches, revealing the shyness and bashfulness that a young man should have.

This startled Hong, the scarred youth, who then realized that the man in front of him was just a high school graduate.

"You should rest!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Rui hurriedly stepped off the stage, grabbed a sports drink, and gulped it down.

In a world where science and martial arts coexist, there is no true qi, and all physical rules are the same as in the previous life.

However, once this mysterious internal energy, which is like dark matter, is added, all the attributes change.

After finishing his beverage, Zhao Rui circulated his qi to regulate his breathing and repair his depleted internal energy.

The scarred young man, Brother Hong, walked to the rest area, lit a cigarette, and took a couple of puffs.

The coach saw this but didn't stop it, and naturally no one else dared to say anything.

Five or six minutes later, Brother Hong returned to the ring, leaned against a pillar, and said slowly, "You're young, but your skills are quite good! Interested in fighting me in underground boxing?"

Upon hearing his words, Zhao Rui opened his eyes and said, "I'm still in school."

"Go to school? Bullshit, how much money can you make from that?"

Hong spat and said, "In this world, only strength and money are the most important."

"Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you!"

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Hong Ge's lips. He then waved to Zhao Rui and said, "Continue!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Rui stood up, a fighting spirit flashing in his eyes.

……

An hour later, Zhao Rui, rubbing his already swollen shoulder, followed his coach into the physiotherapy room.

"This is a famous blood-stasis-removing ointment in Shanghai; it works very quickly."

"What's there to be down about? You've already done a great job. Which martial arts school are you affiliated with? Why don't you come work at our school?"

The coach applied ointment to Zhao Rui's shoulder as he spoke.

"I've seen you use the Cloud Hand technique before. Could you be Li Da Nao's apprentice?"

Zhao Rui nodded and asked, "Do you know my master?"

"Everyone in the old town knows him! Old..."

The coach was about to speak when he quickly stopped himself. It was never good to speak ill of someone's master in front of their student.

Zhao Rui didn't bother to ask any more questions; he knew perfectly well what kind of person Li Da Nao was.

However, a teacher for a day is a father for life, so the apprentice should ask and listen to as few questions as possible.

"Hong Fei's internal strength is not much worse than mine, and he has so much experience in fighting. It's already very impressive that you can fight him for so long."

The coach was quite fond of Zhao Rui, but unfortunately Zhao Rui already had a master and was going to university, pursuing a professional martial arts career.

(End of this chapter)