Chapter 142: Chapter 81: A Healthy Beating

“How can you be this strong?!”

Zhao Xin slapped the ground with his right hand, his body instantly launching into the air. He then kicked off the ground with both feet, abruptly charging toward Zhao Rui.

’Replicable Martial Art: Great Nine Heavens Palm. Replicate?’

’Replicate!’

’I’ve copied so many people’s techniques, but I completely forgot to copy my own cousin’s. I think Third Uncle spent over two hundred thousand to buy these Martial Arts for him.’

’For only one person to learn it… what a total waste.’

“Good!”

Zhao Rui strode forward, channeling his Prajna Palm Force and meeting Zhao Xin’s palms with a deceptively light touch.

Seeing Zhao Rui’s seeming disdain, Zhao Xin was overjoyed. ’This time,’ he thought, ’I’ll definitely show him the power of my Great Nine Heavens Palm Force.’

BANG!

Their four palms met. Zhao Xin felt his opponent’s Palm Force flicker in and out of existence, ethereal and elusive. Although it lacked any surging Force, it made his own profound Palm Force feel as if it had sunk into a quagmire, sticky and difficult to press forward.

His Palm Force neutralized, his advance halted. He was forced to change his technique mid-move, executing a spinning kick in an attempt to withdraw his palms and defend himself.

Zhao Rui wasn’t about to let him withdraw. With a subtle push and pull, he kept a firm grip on both of Zhao Xin’s palms.

Simultaneously, he unleashed his Great Strength Vajra Leg, shattering Zhao Xin’s incoming mid-air kick.

He followed up with a rapid series of kicks, each one landing squarely on Zhao Xin’s shins.

The pain instantly made his knees buckle, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

’Making my little cousin kneel before me? How could I allow that?’

’Better if he just lies down!’

Zhao Rui unleashed his Palm Force. In an instant, another surge of powerful Inner Strength struck out.

Zhao Xin was instantly sent flying, a repeat of the earlier scene.

Zhao Ke, who was watching from the sidelines, didn’t know anything about Martial Arts, but he could certainly tell who was taking a beating.

Seeing his cousin getting “thrashed” by his own brother, the corner of Zhao Ke’s eye twitched. He couldn’t bear to look.

He thought to himself, ’Did my brother eat an Immortal Pill or something in the last six months? He’s completely manhandling our cousin.’

He wasn’t the only one thinking this; Zhao Xin, lying on the ground, felt the same way.

He had calmed down by this point.

’Getting sent flying once might have been carelessness, but twice? That’s a matter of skill.’

’But I’m already a Level 6!’

’Is going to college the same as taking an Immortal Pill?!’

“You hit me!”

Looking aggrieved, Zhao Xin lay on the ground, not caring about the cold of the frozen earth in the dead of winter.

“You got off light.”

After speaking coldly, Zhao Rui took an envelope from his pocket. With a flick of his wrist, it spun like a saw blade and landed in Zhao Xin’s hand.

“In this day and age, who writes letters?”

Confused, Zhao Xin sat up. He opened the envelope and pulled out a letter written in black ink.

With just one look, his pupils dilated.

“My parents said they have to go into hiding to avoid some trouble, and they won’t be back for a while!”

Zhao Xin looked up and asked in disbelief.

“The person you provoked is the county’s biggest crime boss. He has several Eighth-level Martial Artists working for him. If your dad doesn’t go into hiding, should he just wait for them to show up at his door?!”

“This… How could this happen?”

Zhao Xin shot to his feet, a lost look on his face. His parents’ sudden departure left him at a complete loss.

“If they dare lay a hand on my parents, I’ll never forgive them,”

Zhao Xin said through gritted teeth.

“’Never forgive them’? Weren’t you the one who struck so ruthlessly in the first place?”

“The way I see it, they’re the ones who won’t be forgiving you!”

“I…”

“’I’ what? After being so reckless and causing all this trouble, you still expect your parents to step in for you? Some tough guy you are!”

“What right do you have to say that to me? I’m going to find them right now.”

“Go? Go my ass!”

Zhao Rui kicked him in the butt.

“What could you possibly do? Get yourself killed? Do you think you’re the best in the world? You can’t even beat me,”

Zhao Rui looked at Zhao Xin and said coldly.

Hearing this, the indignation on Zhao Xin’s face gave way to a look of dejection.

’He’s right. I can’t even beat the cousin I’ve always looked down on.’

’What could I possibly do?’

SMACK!

While he was still stunned, he got two more smacks on the butt.

“What are you doing?!”

Zhao Xin glared angrily.

“I don’t like the look on your face!”

SMACK! SMACK! Zhao Rui landed two more kicks.

“Kick me again and I’ll fight back!”

SMACK! SMACK!

“Zhao Rui, I’ll fight you to the end!”

SMACK! SMACK!

…

Around noon, their grandfather and grandmother returned from the market and were stunned to find their three grandsons in the yard, shoveling manure by the pigsty.

The third grandson, Zhao Xin, was fuming but didn’t dare to lash out.

He was channeling all his energy into shoveling manure.

The enormous manure pit was already nearly empty.

“Grandpa, Grandma, my brother is bullying me!”

When Zhao Xin saw his grandparents return, his eyes lit up, and he immediately dashed toward the old couple.

Zhao Rui flicked a finger through the air, striking him squarely on his Huantiao Acupoint.

He immediately fell to the ground, almost face-planting in the dirt.

Zhao Xin sat on the ground, growing more and more upset the more he thought about it. Tears streamed down his face as if they were free.

The old couple’s hearts ached for him, but their third son had already called and explained the situation.

Once they understood the gravity of the situation, they had no choice but to let it be, no matter how much it pained them.

“Crying? What’s the use in crying? If you can’t even handle a little work like this, what good are you?”

Zhao Rui paid him no mind, preparing to flick a finger and strike him again.

Zhao Xin scrambled to his feet and ran for the house, but he hadn’t taken two steps before Zhao Rui caught him and gave him another thrashing.

Defeated, he could only trudge back to the pigsty with a long, tear-streaked face.

In the afternoon, after lunch, Zhao Xin had just taken out his laptop when Zhao Rui walked over.

He dragged him outside.

Under the pleasant-sounding excuse of “practicing Martial Arts.”

This torment went on for two days.

Zhao Xin was completely numb to it all. He knew that as long as his parents were gone, he would never escape his cousin’s clutches.

’So what if it’s training? So what if I get beaten up?’

’I’ll just pretend my vacation hasn’t started yet.’

Zhao Xin had to adapt, whether he liked it or not.

As his attitude changed, he suddenly realized something.

He realized that his cousin’s pointers on his Martial Arts were always spot-on. Every time they sparred, Zhao Rui was able to point out the exact flaws in his Techniques.

This caused his Great Nine Heavens Palm, which had been stuck at a bottleneck, to show faint signs of a breakthrough.

“Bro, any news about my parents?”

As time went on, Zhao Xin became more and more remorseful of his past recklessness. If not for his momentary flash of arrogance, his parents wouldn’t have been forced to leave home.

With the New Year fast approaching, Zhao Xin grew increasingly anxious.

“I don’t know either. Let’s go. We’ll check your house.”

Without another word, Zhao Rui led the way out the door.

Zhao Xin hadn’t expected him to be so decisive and quickly followed.

The two of them hailed a ride at the village entrance and went straight to the county seat.

It’s often said the closer you get to home, the more timid you become.

When their ride stopped at the entrance to Zhao Xin’s apartment complex, he found he couldn’t bring himself to get out of the car.

“What are you dawdling for? Let’s go check on your home. You haven’t been back in days,”

Zhao Rui said casually.

“Yeah.”

Zhao Xin took a deep breath and walked into the complex.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at Zhao Xin’s front door.

Staring at the familiar security door, Zhao Xin hesitated for a long moment before nervously taking out his key and opening it.

“Dad? Mom?”

As the door swung halfway open, Zhao Xin was stunned to find his parents, who were supposed to be far away, standing in the living room and looking right at him.

At that, Zhao Xin could no longer hold back. He rushed forward like a little kid and threw his arms around them in a tight hug.

’I hate all this sentimental stuff. I’ll wait till the hugging’s over, then I’ll beat him up one more time. Otherwise, I won’t have such a good excuse to thrash him again in the future.’

Zhao Rui shrugged. ’Finally, I’m free!’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep