Chapter 170: Chapter 91: Suspecting You’re Also an Accomplice (Part 2)

’What kind of punishment is seclusion and reflection?’

Most of the new students were completely confused.

“That concludes the punishment. Next are the coaching staff’s arrangements. In light of Zhao Rui’s advancement to Martial Arts Level 9, we are elevating his benefits to be equivalent to those of an official team member.”

“Equivalent?”

All the first-year students looked at the coaches, puzzled.

Just then, Zeng Hongyi spoke up. “Our Martial Arts Team has an explicit rule: students who are not from the Martial Arts Academy cannot join the Martial Arts Team as official members.”

Hearing this, everyone finally understood that such a rule existed.

“But Zhao Rui, don’t lose heart. If you can achieve good results in various levels of competition in the future, it’s not out of the question for us to make an exception for you.”

Hearing Zeng Hongyi’s words, Zhao Rui smiled, unconcerned. “I’ll take your teachings to heart, Coach! I will definitely redouble my efforts.”

After Wang Zhanshan finished announcing the decision, he left the Martial Arts Arena, while Zeng Hongyi called Zhao Rui to the side.

He offered him some words of encouragement.

It was nothing more than explaining that due to school regulations, he couldn’t be made an official member just yet, but the coaching staff would actively communicate with the administration about it.

Zhao Rui didn’t have any objections to this.

He accepted it calmly. After all, the school had already mentioned this when he first joined.

After a brief conversation, Zeng Hongyi took Zhao Rui to the seclusion spot on the mountain behind Mingcan Courtyard.

Here, two small thatched huts were built on the mountainside.

They were built in the most primitive fashion, looking like authentic, rustic sheds.

Fortunately, the walls were built thick enough that they didn’t leak or let in drafts.

Zeng Hongyi turned on the electric light inside and said to Zhao Rui with a smile,

“This is an old tradition passed down in our Martial Arts Institute. We call it ’remembering the bitter to appreciate the sweet.’”

“You’ve been a bit impetuous lately. Using these three days to cultivate some self-discipline won’t be a bad thing!”

“You can bring your phone, but whether you use it is a matter of self-discipline. I’ll have a team member bring you three meals a day. The bedding is vacuum-sealed, ready to use…”

Zeng Hongyi gave him a few earnest instructions, then patted Zhao Rui’s shoulder. “You can start tonight!”

Zhao Rui nodded, watching Coach Zeng leave.

The mountain was not high, nor was the wind strong. The lingering chill of spring added a sense of solitude and tranquility to the air.

Sweeping the green bricks on the ground clean with his palm, Zhao Rui sat cross-legged. He closed his eyes, his hands forming a Dharma Seal as he silently circulated his Profound Skill.

With the ground for a seat and the sky for a canopy, there was only the setting sun and the crisp wind.

It was as if endless time itself transformed into a stream of light, falling into the mountain ravine and vanishing into the river of eternity.

…

A bright moon hung high in the sky. The mountains were silent, the wind still.

Suddenly, a few figures appeared together, stopping as they saw Zhao Rui meditating in the distance.

“Let’s not go over. He’s cultivating.”

The speaker’s voice was clear and gentle, naturally charming, yet tinged with a hint of coldness.

It was Miao Miaomiao. She had received a text message and only then learned that Zhao Rui was in confinement.

She had gone to the Martial Arts Institute and happened to run into Qin Rui and the others preparing to head up the mountain, so they all came together.

“Uh, okay. I thought being in confinement meant being locked in a sealed room. Looking at it this way, it’s not much different from a vacation.”

“Let’s go!”

Just like that, the group headed back down the mountain.

The voices of the visitors naturally didn’t escape Zhao Rui’s ears. Seeing that they didn’t come up, he paid them no mind.

He had used the situation to break through to Level 9 not only to deter troublemakers and avoid unnecessary distractions, but also to prepare for his future advancement to the Grandmaster Realm.

After a winter break of consolidation and accumulating Advancement Points, he had long had more than enough reserves to reach Level 9.

He had simply been holding off on advancing.

So this time, advancing two Levels was a natural progression for him, even if it seemed unbelievable to others.

After Level 9 was the Grandmaster Realm. The breakthrough to this stage couldn’t be forced just by accumulating Inner Strength.

Even if he had a hundred years of Power in his body, if it was only Inner Strength and couldn’t be converted into Innate True Qi…

He still couldn’t become a Grandmaster.

This process was very complicated. At least, Zhao Rui had no experience with it yet.

Once he stabilized his current level, he would have to start preparing for the advancement to the Grandmaster Realm.

After Miao Miaomiao and the others left, an unknown amount of time passed before two uninvited guests arrived on the back mountain.

The moonlight cast flickering shadows. The two stood in a hidden spot on the mountaintop, watching Zhao Rui from afar.

“Senior Brother Gu, did we misjudge?”

“Mm, we certainly misjudged. I thought Wang Dalong would be the first to advance to Level 9.”

“I guess in a while, it’ll be the three of us going to the exchange conference. Your Three Talents Sword Array…”

“We’ll talk about it when the time comes.”

The two chatted casually under the moonlight. In the clear, gentle breeze, they had a certain transcendent and elegant air about them.

Just then, a melodious flute suddenly began to drift through the mountains.

“So he has an artistic side! Let’s go, Junior Sister Ye!”

Senior Brother Gu smiled, leaped up, and drifted far away down the mountain.

Junior Sister Ye was, of course, Ye Jingqiu.

Her gaze lingered on Zhao Rui for a moment, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. Then she sighed, pushed off from the air beneath her feet, and soared away, following Senior Brother Gu.

…

「Three days passed in a flash.」

The setting sun was like molten gold, splashing the sky with cinnabar.

Zhao Rui, who had been in quiet cultivation for three days, walked out awkwardly to a welcoming ceremony where Qin Rui and the others were holding party poppers.

POP, POP!

Confetti flew everywhere, like a flock of nimble birds reflecting the brilliant twilight glow.

“Welcome back, Captain Zhao, your sentence is served!”

“Captain Zhao, come on, step over the basin of fire!”

Li Xinran took out a plastic basin, theatrically threw it on the ground, and laughed loudly.

“Miao Miaomiao, you’re fooling around with them too.”

Zhao Rui shot an annoyed glance at Miao Miaomiao, who was doubled over with laughter, before glaring at Li Xinran. ’These terrible ideas must have come from you.’

“Ew, your clothes stink!”

Li Xinran wasn’t afraid of him at all. She leaned in close, immediately covered her nose, and said theatrically.

“That’s enough, alright? I’m a dignified Level 9 Martial Artist, show some respect!”

“We must show respect. A table at Yue Xiang Building has already been booked.”

“Who’s treating?”

“You, of course!”

“Damn!”

The group chatted and laughed as they went down the mountain together.

But before they even reached the small path outside Mingcan Courtyard, Zhao Rui’s phone rang.

He answered and saw it was his future cousin-in-law, Zheng Huai Peak.

“Hey, why the sudden call?” Zhao Rui asked with a smile.

“Where are you?”

“I’m at school!”

“I’ll be at your school gate in a moment—it should be the east gate. Come out and wait for me. The Court’s inspection team is here, and they want to talk to you.”

“Uh… Okay! I’ll head out now.”

Zhao Rui hung up the phone and said to the others, “Sorry guys, I have to go out. You all go ahead and eat.”

“Is it something important? Do you need help?” Miao Miaomiao asked with some concern.

“It’s nothing, just a small matter. Go on and eat, and don’t worry about saving me money.”

Li Xinran laughed.

“In that case, we won’t hold back! Miao Miaomiao, Qin Rui, Old Cao, let’s go! I’ll take you all out for a good meal.”

Li Xinran shamelessly took on the role of the one treating.

Zhao Rui smiled and paid them no more mind, instead walking straight towards the east school gate.

When he got to the school gate, after waiting for no more than ten minutes, a Patrol car, lights flashing, sped over.

It came to a screeching halt in front of him, the tires leaving several clear marks on the ground.

“Get in!”

The car window rolled down, revealing Zheng Huai Peak’s dark-tanned face.

Seeing this, Zhao Rui immediately pulled open the car door and got in.

“So, what does the inspection team want with me?”

“It’s still about that train hijacking. They suspect you were also a participant. In short, just answer truthfully,” Zheng Huai Peak said with a frown.

“Damn, are they nuts? And they call themselves an inspection team!”

Zhao Rui couldn’t help but roll his eyes. ’If I were an accomplice, wouldn’t the price these people paid be way too high? Not only did the plan fail, but they also lost so many people. Was it all just to let me earn this stupid credit? They have to be out of their minds to suspect me.’

“Don’t complain. My colleagues will testify for you. Just tell the truth.”

Zheng Huai Peak shook his head, looking somewhat helpless.

But he was, after all, just someone from the Provincial Patrol Bureau and really couldn’t interfere.

The car ran every light it saw, and in just over ten minutes, it arrived inside the compound of the Provincial Patrol Bureau.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep