Zhao Rui mostly ignored the coach's words. This Martial Arts Hall was primarily profit-driven, unlike Li Da Nao's Jimin Medicine Hall.
After all, no matter how shabby Jimin Medicine Hall was, it was still passed down from master to apprentice within a family. The financial entanglements weren't so mercenary.
Around eight in the evening, the scar-faced young man, Hong Fei, finished his sparring session with Zhao Rui and left the Martial Arts Hall.
Zhao Rui waited a little longer, but seeing no more clients, he got up and left.
His wages as a part-time sparring partner were paid daily. Today, he'd pocketed a few hundred yuan and absorbed two rather excellent Cultivation Techniques. It was quite a fruitful day.
The Taiyi Splitting Light Sword was a high-Level technique, clearly superior to the Taihang Thirteen Palms he had learned. It was even on par with the Yong Chun Inquiry from the Emei Sect.
The other Martial Arts technique was the Fury Demon Skill he'd gotten from the scar-faced Hong Fei. It was a skill purely focused on deadly combat.
His progress on both was still low. It would likely take at least four or five days to master them completely.
It was summer vacation, so he had plenty of time. Zhao Rui was in no rush.
While being a sparring partner at the Martial Arts Hall was productive, the progress was slow. An alternative method of 'training' was already forming in Zhao Rui's mind.
'Since the quality of the Cultivation Technique doesn't seem to matter for absorption, why not just absorb some simple, common ones?'
'I can also test whether I can increase my progress in a skill by absorbing it from a different person.'
'For instance, if I absorb a Martial Arts technique from Zhang San and get ten percent progress, can I continue absorbing that same technique if I meet his senior brother the next day?'
That was a theory he had yet to test.
The vacation was long. There was no need to rush.
After leaving the Martial Arts Hall, Zhao Rui first went home to change into a stylish outfit, then rode his bicycle over to Yang Fan's house.
Yang Fan lived in a high-end gated community where apartments sold for twenty to thirty thousand yuan per square meter.
Moreover, he lived in a three-story villa. His family was clearly quite wealthy.
Once outside the community's gate, Zhao Rui gave Yang Fan a call. A moment later, a black BMW motorcycle emerged, its headlight cutting through the dark.
Zhao Rui locked his bicycle to a post near the security booth and hopped on the back of the motorcycle.
"With that slicked-back hair, you're actually looking pretty sharp!"
Zhao Rui couldn't help but laugh when he saw Yang Fan's hair, slicked back with so much gel it gleamed.
"Of course! You've gotta show the ladies a baseline of respect!"
Yang Fan chuckled, twisted the throttle, and the bike shot off into the night.
Half an hour later, the two of them dismounted the motorcycle in front of a massive, twenty-story building.
They both looked up at the enormous sign on the building: Carefree Pavilion!
The sign shimmered with golden light, surrounded by dazzling neon. Rotating spotlights cast a disorienting, dreamlike haze. Nearby, 3D displays refracted a kaleidoscope of colors, scrolling through highlight videos of the entertainment within.
Pai Gow, foot massages and spas, beautiful women, handsome men competing, brilliant lights, thumping music, and restless hearts—in that moment, it all became vividly real.
"Impressive!"
"Let's go!"
"Let's go!"
The two exchanged a glance and strode inside.
As soon as they stepped onto the stairs, they were met with the sight of two massive, golden-yellow bronze doors. Each door was carved with an enormous lion's head holding a gleaming golden ring in its mouth.
Flanking the entrance, two tall men in suits stood respectfully at attention.
When guests approached, the men would push with both hands, slowly swinging open the massive doors that must have weighed a ton.
The ability to move such weight with ease was something beyond an ordinary Martial Artist.
Yang Fan's face twitched at the sight, his legs trembling slightly.
Fortunately, they weren't the only ones on the steps. Yang Fan deliberately fell back a couple of paces, covertly watching how others behaved and mimicking their movements as he followed.
Zhao Rui's gaze was incredibly sharp; he spotted Yang Fan's nervousness in an instant. He jabbed him with his elbow and hissed, "I thought you said you'd been here before!"
"So I was bluffing! Is that a crime?"
Yang Fan, completely shameless, didn't think it was a big deal at all.
Zhao Rui was suddenly speechless. He'd been counting on Yang Fan's supposed experience to guide them around and show him the ropes.
So much for that. Now they were two newbies, and the whole experience suddenly felt completely different.
This was a place where both legitimate society and the underworld converged. The level of danger was in a completely different league from the clubs of his past life.
Brawls were commonplace, and deadly grudges were settled here all the time. The in-house security was undoubtedly strong, but they were simply outnumbered by the sheer number of patrons who knew Martial Arts.
When one's Combat Power rises, so does one's temper.
With great power comes great "responsibility," right?
Without a regular to guide them, they were bound to feel on edge.
"Keep a low profile, low profile!"
Zhao Rui shushed him, putting on an air of familiarity. He pulled Yang Fan along, and they walked side-by-side toward the entrance.
The two suit-clad doormen gave them a single, expressionless glance before casually pushing the doors open.
Zhao Rui and Yang Fan raised their eyebrows. 'So they don't even bother giving small fries like us a second look,' Zhao Rui thought.
The pair quickly hurried inside.
They passed through a long, gilded corridor filled with dazzling light effects. Ahead of them stood another, smaller set of doors.
These doors were open, and standing at the entrance were four young women in tight, sheer qipaos. The slits in their dresses ran all the way up to their waists, offering tantalizing glimpses of their smooth, pale legs.
At this blatant display of temptation, Yang Fan's eyes instantly went wide.
He gently nudged Zhao Rui with his elbow and whispered, "Holy crap, even the greeters are this gorgeous!"
"Get a grip!"
Unlike Yang Fan, who was a true greenhorn, Zhao Rui was a seasoned 'old soul.' He'd seen his share of women, and this level of temptation was nothing to him.
"Welcome to Carefree Pavilion. We hope you enjoy your visit, honored guests!"
As the two approached, the four women bowed in unison. The moment they bent over, the snowy-white skin visible at their collars seemed ready to spill out, leaving much to the imagination.
Yang Fan felt a tickle in his nose and quickly rubbed it, afraid he was about to get a nosebleed.
It wasn't that he'd never seen *those kinds* of movies, but watching a video was completely different from the real thing.
Once they stepped through the inner doors, they found themselves looking upon a golden hall that resembled a Western palace, easily the size of two football fields.
The hall was not on the same level as the entrance. It was sunken, connected to the entryway by a flight of stairs, dropping a good five or six meters.
This design made the entire hall feel even more vast and lofty.
Standing on the stairs at the entrance and looking out, they could see the hall was divided into numerous sections, each with a different activity. With just a glance, they could spot areas for gambling, erotic dance performances, and a bar, among other forms of entertainment.
"Gentlemen, how may I help you?"
Just as the two were gaping at the luxury and grandeur of the main hall, a clear, lovely female voice spoke up beside them.
Zhao Rui turned his head and saw a young woman, at least 170 centimeters tall, dressed in the style of an ancient Female Knight. She was looking at them with a lively expression.
What...?
The young woman's pale cyan outfit seemed exceptionally pure and elegant amidst the gilded splendor of the entertainment venue.
Over a cyan, empire-waist dress, she wore a light, wide-sleeved gauze robe. The gauze was intricately woven with a subtle pattern of emerald-green peacock tail feathers.
The fabric shimmered with a verdant luster under the brilliant lights. Her hair was swept up high, adorned with twelve silver hairpins decorated with a kingfisher feather and curling vine motif. A teardrop-shaped crystal dangled from the end of each pin, swaying gracefully with her every move.
Zhao Rui felt a momentary daze. The whole wuxia aesthetic was so strong that if he weren't in an entertainment club, he would have thought he'd traveled back to ancient times.
Yang Fan was completely dumbstruck, staring at her delicate features in a stunned daze.
It wasn't that he'd never seen a beautiful woman before. Rather, the stark contrast was simply too much, and it only served to accentuate the beauty of the Female Knight before them.
"We're here to relax. Could you show us around?" Zhao Rui said, collecting himself and giving her a slight nod.
"Of course! Please, follow me."
With that, the Female Knight turned slightly to the side and gestured for them to follow with a slender, jade-like hand.
Zhao Rui gave Yang Fan a tug and started walking.
"This is our gambling floor. Here, our honored guests can experience all the games of chance currently on the market..."
"Our hostesses are all carefully selected and meticulously trained. You can rest assured the service is second to none."