Now that they had a common goal, their communication became much smoother.
Zhao Rui wasn't the rigid type, so his tutoring naturally focused on being relaxed and effective.
They spent the morning studying this way, and it proved surprisingly effective. Or at least, that's what Yaru thought, regardless of how much she had actually learned.
'As long as the employer is satisfied!'
A little after eleven in the morning, the man of the house, Tian Muhao, was brought home by his driver.
Upon hearing that his daughter had found a tutor, Tian Muhao immediately went into the study to meet Zhao Rui.
After a brief conversation to get acquainted, he didn't say much else, which was taken as an approval of Zhao Rui's status as the tutor.
After all, there was nothing to find fault with in Zhao Rui's appearance, academic record, or background. He was the classic "good student" type.
The tutoring session continued until noon, lasting a total of three hours and earning him six hundred. One hour was spent on schoolwork, one hour playing games, and one hour just chatting.
'A perfectly reasonable and relaxed schedule.'
At noon, Ms. Song and her family insisted that Zhao Rui stay for lunch, but he politely declined.
'I only earned six hundred. It would be so inappropriate to eat two of their hairy crabs for lunch.'
'I'll think about it again once we're more familiar with each other.'
As he rode his bike away from Yaru's home, the memory of how hairy crabs tasted made Zhao Rui swallow hard.
The last time he had eaten hairy crabs was in his previous life.
He hadn't eaten them at all in this life, at any rate.
'Gotta make money, gotta make money!'
Zhao Rui was quite the materialist. He didn't have the stubborn obsession of those freakish Martial Dao fanatics, the kind who were single-mindedly devoted to the Martial Dao with no other distractions.
Not him. He was just an ordinary guy who wanted all the pleasures life had to offer: good food, good drink, and good fun.
To do as he pleased—that was the True Intent of his Martial Dao!
It was past noon and he was too lazy to go home, so he grabbed a savory crepe from a roadside stall, getting it with two strips of tenderloin and an egg. He ate it with satisfaction, filling his belly.
He still had to go to the Martial Arts Hall in the afternoon; as usual, a few students needed a sparring partner.
The Wende Martial Arts Hall was quite good at recruiting, and the quality of its students wasn't bad either. He'd heard a coach say that in last year's city-wide youth Martial Dao tournament, Wende had produced the fourth and tenth-place winners.
Those were very impressive results.
The fifth-place winner was that young prodigy Zhao Rui had encountered on his first visit.
According to the grapevine, in order to keep this young prodigy, the Wende Martial Arts Hall not only waived his tuition but also gave him a ten-thousand a month stipend for living expenses and covered all his other martial arts-related costs.
This included things like medicinal herbs to support his training and Nutrient Liquids to strengthen his foundation.
Of course, beyond all that, the most important thing was hiring renowned masters on his behalf to broaden his future Martial Dao path.
You could say the Martial Arts Hall was pouring all its resources into this student, granting his every request.
But such a small expense was nothing compared to the publicity they had gotten from their fourth-place winner.
To be honest, Zhao Rui was quite envious of these Martial Dao prodigies. In just one short month, the kid's strength had improved by leaps and bounds.
He was already on the verge of becoming a Fourth-level Martial Artist. All he needed was a single catalyst, and he would undergo a complete transformation, reaching a level unattainable for the average high school graduate.
And he was only thirteen years old!
But Zhao Rui wasn't jealous. His own strength had already surpassed Level 5. He hadn't tested it, but he was more or less certain.
Besides, he'd already learned the kid's Taiyi Splitting Light Sword Technique. That was a treasure the Martial Arts Hall had spent a fortune and pulled countless strings to acquire.
The thought made Zhao Rui blush, his heart filled with "guilt."
To make up for this guilt, he could only work harder, take on more sparring sessions, and, uh... secretly learn more techniques.
'Ah, forget it. How can it be called stealing when it's a matter of the Martial Dao? This is called being open to all rivers! The path of martial arts is endless!'
After arriving at the Martial Arts Hall, Zhao Rui put down his backpack, changed into a Martial Arts Uniform, and sat leisurely in the rest area by the training floor, sipping a "free" drink.
"Zhao Rui! Shao Jie is coming over. In two days, he's got the Tri-City Youth Martial Arts Invitational. I need you to spar with him for a couple of rounds to help him get sharp!"
"No problem, Coach!"
Speak of the devil. Shao Jie was that same young prodigy Zhao Rui had sparred with on his first day. His full name was Xu Shaojie.
'Haven't seen him in almost two weeks. I was just thinking about him, and here he is.'
Not long after he finished dealing with one little brat and "handsomely earning" two hundred, Xu Shaojie arrived, accompanied by his parents.
This was the first time Zhao Rui had ever seen Xu Shaojie's parents. Their clothes looked quite luxurious, but the way they wore them gave off a tacky, mismatched vibe.
The moment she stepped into the Martial Arts Hall, Mrs. Xu's brow furrowed. She immediately began to question the coach who came to greet them, her face a mask of displeasure.
"Coach Zeng, your Martial Arts Hall is always saying you'll buy more Essence Potions for my son. How come it's all talk and no action? If this keeps up, we're finding another hall!"
"We're buying them, we're buying them! Please, calm down. It's just that our Martial Arts Hall has been a bit tight on funds lately..." Coach Zeng said with a placating smile.
"I don't care! Other martial arts halls are offering us four vials of Nutrient Liquid a month..."
Mrs. Xu let out a cold huff and walked straight into the coaches' office.
Trailing behind her, Father Xu gave everyone an awkward smile before pulling his son inside as well.
This little episode had nothing to do with Zhao Rui. 'It's all just business,' he thought. 'No one's right or wrong here.'
Having sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing for a while, Xu Shaojie, now in a fresh Martial Arts Uniform, walked out of the office with the others.
Without a word, he walked up to the ring, placed one hand on the edge, and performed an acrobatic flip, landing squarely on the platform.
Coach Zeng hurriedly shouted to Zhao Rui, "Zhao Rui! Zhao Rui! Get up there, quick! Don't waste time!"
Zhao Rui grunted in acknowledgment, snatched up a folded fan that was lying nearby, then rose and leaped onto the ring in a single bound.