I Can Replicate Martial Arts-Chapter 100 - 63: Has the Water Sunk?

"I hear Taishan is gorgeous after it snows! You can watch the sunrise over falling snow, the morning glow on the white Snow Mountain..."

"Stop. You can go, but I’m not going."

Lively chatter filled the car.

Everyone was clearly very excited.

After another ten minutes or so, the car finally arrived at a hotel at the foot of Taishan.

Everyone piled out of the car, each grabbing their suitcase and following the lead teacher to check in.

Everyone got their own room, since many team members needed to meditate and practice their techniques at night.

Rest assured, the school was footing the bill.

That’s just how extravagant the Martial Arts Academy was. They were loaded.

After checking in, the group headed to the hotel buffet for a hearty meal, followed by free time.

However, Wang Zhanshan had given an order: no one was to go too far, they had to go out in groups of at least two, and they had to report any issues to him.

Zhao Rui obediently stayed cooped up in his room, meditating and cultivating.

Over the past half-month or so, he had earned another 7 Advancement Points from the third-year upperclassmen.

He used four to enhance his Inner Power Cultivation and three to open new Acupoints. Just as before, he kept the single point left over from the last time as a spare.

As a result, his Inner Strength had reached a "terrifying" level, equivalent to twenty-two years of cultivation.

More years than his own age.

At this point, even without a test, his Inner Strength alone had already surpassed the standard for Level 7.

Of course, Level 7 wasn’t his actual combat strength. As a Martial Artist who had opened seven acupoints, even he wasn’t sure what level his combat prowess could truly reach.

At the very least, he was confident he could hold his own against anyone below Level 9.

This was also the reason he hadn’t outright rejected Li Xinran’s proposal.

After performing a few Circulations on the bed and practicing the Mental Tranquility Technique for a while, a knock came from the door.

Zhao Rui stopped his cultivation, got off the bed, walked to the door, and opened it. Standing outside were Li Xinran and two others.

"You guys..." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Zhao Rui couldn’t help but sigh. He turned and went back into the room.

"Old Wang went out drinking. I saw him get picked up by a car."

Once inside, Li Xinran pulled the door to and whispered.

"Got it!"

Seeing that the three of them were already prepared, Zhao Rui didn’t say any more.

’To be honest, in both his past life and this one, he was just an ordinary person who hadn’t weathered many storms. Deep down, Zhang Kui’s sudden disappearance had been a real shock. If I had gone with him back then, would any of this have happened? Or if I had tried my hardest to stop him, would he have changed his mind?’

Zhao Rui changed his clothes, then pulled the Fine Steel Dagger he’d gotten from Brother Hu out of his backpack and tucked it into the back of his waistband.

Then, under the cover of night, the group of four leaped over the courtyard wall and used their Lightweight Skill to rush toward Sunset Peak on Taishan.

This was the name Zhang Kui had mentioned before. Zhao Rui didn’t know if it was the last place he’d been before disappearing, but it was their only lead.

This was exactly where Li Xinran wanted to go.

She just had to try. She wouldn’t be able to rest until she had searched the area herself.

The four of them were all Seventh Level Martial Artists. Their Inner Strength was incredibly formidable. While they might not be much on the Martial Arts Team, in a small town, they would all be considered absolute big shots.

After all, Zhao Rui’s third uncle was only at a Level 7 standard, and he was a member of the Martial Arts Association back in the county.

The night wind was biting, the clouds hung low, and the wind was fierce. Dark clouds churned at the horizon as if a giant beast was striding through the sky, threatening to swallow the heavens.

"I’ve already researched this mountain. There are two paths: one is the official trail, and the other is a small path the local villagers often use."

Zhao Rui spoke into the gale, his voice losing none of its Force as it carried clearly to the others’ ears.

With red-rimmed eyes, Li Xinran said, her voice thick, "I knew it. You’re not so heartless."

’Her words made Zhao Rui feel a little ashamed. If it had been one of his own relatives, he would have dropped everything to go search for them long ago. But this whole thing... how to put it? In the end, either reason or emotion was bound to win out.’

"So, which path do we take?"

"Let’s take the small path."

In the past ten-odd days, Zhao Rui had not only done a lot of research online but had also contacted a local villager who frequently went up the mountain.

The price was two thousand for one trip up the mountain; he wasn’t responsible for anything else.

"We’ll follow your lead!"

The three agreed. In the six months they had been together, Zhao Rui was almost always the one to make the final decision.

Zhao Rui nodded, took out his phone, and made a call. Then, following the address sent via WeChat, they headed over directly.

They were now near the foot of the mountain range. The view before them was nothing but dense forest and jagged rocks.

The group leaped directly into the treetops, stepping on branches and leaves as they weaved through the forest, startling birds into song and beasts into howls.

After running for about half an hour, the group finally arrived near a village house at the foot of the mountain.

An old man in his fifties sat on a beat-up van, smoking a cigarette. He leaned out, admiring the view.

"Are you Uncle Hu?"

Zhao Rui walked up to him and asked.

"You Boss Zhao?"

Old Hu sized up Zhao Rui, a little surprised. He said, "So young. Get in! Once we’re on the road, you listen to me. No running off."

Zhao Rui smiled, agreeing. He then motioned for Li Xinran and the others, and they all quickly piled into the van.

"Uncle, we’re driving up?"

Li Xinran watched as Old Hu sped along the road without any sign of stopping, and couldn’t help but ask curiously.

"The Court has been building a lot of roads. This one goes straight to mid-mountain. Driving will save us a third of our time."

Old Hu explained.

"Oh."

Only then did it dawn on everyone. So basically, in the Taishan area, roads now connected every village below the mid-mountain point.