Zhao Rui was filled with apprehension.
The computer booted up and recognized the USB drive. A mont later, a glaring warning flashed on the screen: "Virus detected. 1, 2..."
Damn it!
Zhao Rui’s face darkened. ’Delete it!’
’It’s just a virus, after all.’
"Yin-Yang Great Sorrow Poem—This film is proudly presented by Universal Pictures..."
The story begins in the Tianqi Period. Corrupt eunuchs held power, and the people suffered greatly. A Female Knight, having mastered unparalleled Martial Arts, vowed to eliminate this scourge and destroy the eunuch cabal for the good of the people...
Zhao Rui took a deep breath, fighting the urge to smash his computer. He forced himself to be "patient" and watch the entire "masterpiece" of a porn flick, complete with its rollercoaster plot and a heroine who made many... sacrifices.
"Thanks for watching!"
As the movie ended, the screen went black. The dia player automatically returned to its ho screen.
’That’s it?’
That was it! A tightness constricted Zhao Rui’s chest.
It was the kind of feeling you get... Imagine telling your wife to buy a lottery ticket with specific numbers. Then, you see on TV that those exact numbers just won five million. You wait, bursting with joy and excitent, for your wife to get ho. But when she finally walks through the door, she tells you she forgot to buy the ticket.
Amitabha Buddha!
Zhao Rui silently recited the ntal Tranquility Technique to calm his restless and anxious heart.
’My training is still lacking. A calm mind keeps one cool.’
Zhao Rui couldn’t help but let out a self-deprecating laugh. That guy had really put him on an emotional rollercoaster tonight: from surprise to joy, and from joy to anger.
After such an ordeal that lasted half the night, it was already past two in the morning by the ti Zhao Rui finally fell asleep.
「The night passed without incident.」
The next morning, as soon as they entered Mingcan Courtyard, He Zhiyan gathered all the mbers of the sparring team.
"You don’t need to report back to your main units for the next few days. Everyone will gather here with . Let’s focus on getting this task done first. Now, report on your progress. How’s the training going?"
Everyone reported their progress one by one. Aside from Zhao Rui and Zhang Kui, the others were all university juniors. They’d done this kind of sparring work many tis before and were quite experienced.
Most of them could already replicate the technique to about seventy or eighty percent completion. With another day or two of refinent, they’d be able to execute it with perfect control and ease.
After the others had finished, He Zhiyan turned to Zhao Rui and Zhang Kui. He said nothing, but his gaze was a clear question.
"I’ve already learned how to execute the Spell. I’m still a little rusty, but another morning of practice should be enough. I’ll try to start learning the New Martial Arts this afternoon."
Seeing this, Zhang Kui spoke up first.
"And you, Zhao Rui?"
"I’m still working on it."
Zhao Rui scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish.
"Pick up the pace!"
He Zhiyan’s brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t press the matter. He let out a heavy sigh and waved his hand, dismissing them to go practice on their own.
"How did you learn so fast?"
On the way to the training hall, Zhao Rui asked Zhang Kui curiously.
"What’s so hard about it? You just gather and disperse it a few tis, and your Inner Strength will naturally scatter throughout your internal organs."
"Then, following the Qi Circulation thod of Mimicry Fist, you can call upon that scattered Inner Strength in your muscles to perform the Techniques of the Simulation Boxing Technique!"
"It works like that?"
Zhao Rui realized he’d been thinking about it all wrong. It was like using a sponge to soak up water. Everyone else was absorbing the water from the sponge itself, but he was trying to draw water from a pipe inside the sponge.
Worse yet, he was using so complex logic about harmonic resonance to draw the water out.
’No wonder it was so difficult for .’
"You didn’t find any Hidden ridian?"
Zhao Rui asked, testing the waters.
"Hidden ridian? What are you talking about? The Hidden ridian Senior Brother He ntioned is just the Inner Strength scattered in the muscles, isn’t it?!"
"Ah! So that’s how it is!"
Zhao Rui said sheepishly. ’Well then,’ he thought, ’I guess I was overthinking things.’
"Let’s go. Another busy day ahead."
Zhao Rui smiled. He and Zhang Kui each chose a Quiet Chamber and went inside.
’This business with the Hidden ridian is definitely not as simple as Zhang Kui makes it sound. What I experienced must be the truth of it.’
’Still, everything needs further verification and exploration.’
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