After giving the junior students of the Outer Sect a lengthy motivational speech in the Martial Arts Hall's training area, Zhao Rui got on his bike and left.
'I've earned a good bit of money lately,' he thought. 'I should definitely get myself a couple of stylish outfits.'
Zhao Rui turned his bike around and headed straight for Taisheng Square in the city center.
It was a massive commercial complex, sprawling over a large area, packed with a dazzling array of shops and merchandise.
It was also located in Lincheng City's most prosperous commercial district and saw a large number of customers every day.
Zhao Rui locked his bicycle in the electric bike parking area, then walked toward the mall.
The path was bustling with people. Graceful women in light, summery clothes were everywhere, their brightly colored outfits appearing even more striking and bold in the light reflecting off the glass curtain walls.
The storefronts on both sides of the mall were brightly lit, with vivid advertisements scrolling across LED screens on the walls.
Occasionally, one or two young, pretty sales associates in sexy miniskirts stood at the store entrances, handing out flyers to passing customers.
Zhao Rui had a clear goal: to buy a couple of summer outfits. So, he went straight to the sportswear section on the third floor.
The clothes here were all brand-name, mostly in a casual style, but the prices were a bit steep.
Normally, Zhao Rui couldn't afford to buy them.
His clothes were usually cheap items his mom bought at the market. The most expensive things he owned were low-end brands like 361 or Cuckoo from supermarket shelves.
Taking the escalator to the third floor, the first thing he saw was the high-end sportswear he often saw but had never worn himself.
Zhao Rui picked a Nike store and walked in. A pretty sales associate at the entrance showed him around.
The clothes were indeed good-looking, and the material felt very comfortable. The only problem was the price—it was truly expensive. A single T-shirt cost four or five hundred.
'What a rip-off!'
Even though this world had the Martial Dao, for historical reasons, market development was no different from his previous life. Foreign brands still had the first-mover advantage, with domestic brands playing catch-up.
"You look absolutely great in this!"
The sales associate praised him enthusiastically, holding four or five other options in her hands.
"Alright, I'll take these two, and those pants. Oh, and grab another one in a size 175…" Zhao Rui said casually.
"You got it! I'll bag them up for you right away!"
The sales associate was overjoyed and quickly gathered Zhao Rui's chosen clothes.
Just those four items of clothing cost Zhao Rui nearly a thousand yuan. It was quite a splurge.
'I need to earn more money. Have to work harder.'
Zhao Rui paid at the register and headed home, carrying his purchases.
Seeing his son walk in with shopping bags, Zhao Jincheng asked curiously, "What's that?"
"I earned a little money from my part-time job, so I went and bought some clothes."
"This one's for my brother!"
Zhao Rui said, pulling a shirt from the bag and placing it on the sofa.
"Zhao Ke, your brother bought you some clothes! Come out and try them on!"
Zhao Jincheng shouted toward Zhao Ke's room.
After a moment, there was no reply.
Zhao Jincheng frowned, stood up, and walked to the door. "What are you doing in there?" he asked, his tone slightly annoyed.
With that, he turned the handle to push the door open.
But the door was locked from the inside and wouldn't budge.
"Open the door! What's gotten into you lately?" Zhao Jincheng shouted, his voice rising noticeably.
Hearing the noise, Xue Wenhui came out of her bedroom. Seeing her husband and son gathered at their second son's door, she couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
"I'm calling him, but he's not answering. Who knows what's gotten into him!" Zhao Jincheng said impatiently.
"Dad, let's just get the door open first. Something doesn't sound right!"
Zhao Rui channeled Inner Strength to his ears and could clearly tell that the breathing inside sounded wrong.
He walked to the doorknob, grabbed it with his right hand, and with a slight exertion of force—CLICK—he broke the simple lock mechanism.
The door swung open!
Zhao Rui dashed inside and saw his brother lying askew on the bed, one leg dangling off the side, completely unconscious.
"Keke!"
Zhao Jincheng and his wife instantly panicked.
"Call my master! Quick!"
Zhao Rui checked Zhao Ke's pulse, quickly straightened his body, and then, with hands as fast as lightning, pressed several points on his torso in succession.
"My brother took a Qi-Introducing Pill!"
"What? A Qi-Introducing Pill?"
Zhao Jincheng's face instantly turned white as a sheet. He was so frightened he didn't know what to do, his hand shaking so much he could barely hold his phone.
Seeing this, Zhao Rui snatched the phone, dialed his master Li Cunxin's number, and quickly explained the situation.
"Mom, Dad, don't panic. Luckily, we found him early. It's okay, I've sealed his meridians!" Zhao Rui said reassuringly after hanging up the phone.
"That's good, that's good!"
Only then did the two of them manage to calm down a little.
About twenty minutes later, Li Cunxin rushed over with a medical kit. He didn't bother with pleasantries upon entering, immediately performing his marvelous art of acupuncture on Zhao Ke.
The art of acupuncture also existed in his previous life, but without the enhancement of Inner Strength, it could only disperse bruises, relieve pain, dispel dampness, and reduce swelling.
In this life, infusing the needles with Inner Strength revealed the true wonders of acupuncture.
From something as minor as a muscle sprain to a life hanging by a thread, a few needles would always produce immediate, miraculous results.
Zhao Rui had wanted to learn it before, but due to his limited energy and poor talent for the Martial Dao, Li Cunxin had never taught him.
As Li Cunxin applied the needles, wisps of True Qi slowly entered Zhao Ke's body through the acupoints, and dark blood began to seep from the insertion points.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Cunxin withdrew his energy and removed the needles. On the bed, Zhao Ke slowly began to stir.