Chapter 270

Chapter 270: Chapter 269: "Qingcheng Yue?"

Ye Tianchen furrowed his brow. From the name alone, one could guess that this woman was exceptionally beautiful; otherwise, she wouldn’t dare to use such a name. And when Hei Mian spoke of her, he was quite serious, which indicated that according to the information they had, this woman named Qingcheng Yue was likely the most formidable among the four great beauties of the Ancient Martial Sects.

By now, Ye Tianchen had come to understand why Elder Yang had him watch over that woman named Dongfang Meng at Longteng University. It was because Dongfang Meng was not only the three-time reigning campus beauty of Longteng University but also one of the four great beauties of the Ancient Martial Sects. This time, a competition would be held among the four great beauties of the Ancient Martial Sects, and among them, Qingcheng Yue was undoubtedly the strongest. Such contests between Ancient Martial Sects were matters of life and death, left to fate, beyond anyone else’s control. The national leadership likely didn’t want any harm to come to Dongfang Meng, which was why he was tasked with covertly protecting her.

Unfortunately, Ye Tianchen had been living a carefree life, dealing with many matters, so he hadn’t yet even laid eyes on Dongfang Meng. However, within the Archaeology Department, he had come across a very extraordinary woman, Qin Yaoyue. Undoubtedly strong, especially with her Mind Control Skill, she had nearly caused Ye Tianchen to lose himself, indicating the woman was no simple character.

Ye Tianchen was quite interested in Qin Yaoyue. Why would a woman so young, with an unrivaled Mind Control Skill, come to an urban environment and become an instructor in the Archaeology Department of Longteng University? Ye Tianchen wouldn’t believe it if she claimed to enjoy city life or wanted to be a feisty teacher, so he was eager to figure out her true purpose.

"Indeed, this woman is very strong. The competition between the four beauties of the Ancient Martial Sects was initiated by the sect Qingcheng Yue belongs to. Perhaps it’s all arranged by Qingcheng Yue’s master to boost her reputation and ensure the sect leadership passes on to her!" Hei Mian paused for a moment before saying.

Hearing Hei Mian’s words, Ye Tianchen was somewhat surprised. Even though he was a Superpower User and not very familiar with the affairs of the Ancient Martial Sects, he knew three key points: First, the Ancient Martial Sects that had been passed down for thousands of years were certainly no weaklings; each of their disciples was an exceptional master not to be underestimated. Second, within the Ancient Martial Sects, there were many secrets unknown to the public, possibly even related to the Longevity Skill, and even Zhang Yide had said that the Transmission Array legend claimed to reach the Emperor Star might still be recorded in the secret books of the Ancient Martial Sects. Third, the succession of leadership in the Ancient Martial Sects almost always awaited the imminent death of the current Sect Leader before a new leader emerged. This tradition, thousands of years old, was to prevent internal bloodshed over succession; thus, typically, the new Sect Leader’s identity was not revealed until the current leader was nearing their end. However, there were exceptions, such as when a disciple was outstanding enough that their master might retire early. Qingcheng Yue was such a woman, evidently very powerful.

"When and where will these four women have their competition? I’m very busy; I can’t possibly be watching over these four women all the time, can I?" Ye Tianchen asked.

"Don’t forget, kid, you made a promise to the highest leader and Elder Yang. If anything happens to Dongfang Meng, you’re not off the hook!" Hei Mian said irritably.

"I know, but I really have urgent matters to attend. How about this, you watch over them for a few days? If the competition hasn’t happened before I return to the Capital City, I’ll continue the watch. If they’ve already fought by then, you can step in to protect Dongfang Meng. I think with your skills, all this should be a piece of cake," Ye Tianchen grinned at Hei Mian as he spoke.

"Are you trying to shirk your duties, boy? You’re making it out to be too simple. If we could step in ourselves, why would we need you? Anyway, I’ve delivered Elder Yang’s message. What you do is up to you!" Hei Mian glanced at Ye Tianchen before settling into the SUV.

The very reason Elder Yang and the highest leader had chosen Ye Tianchen for this mission was clear: he wasn’t a regular member of the national forces, and his actions didn’t represent the intentions of the upper levels of government. Indeed, the highest leadership wanted to cultivate Ye Tianchen, a man with formidable combat prowess, into a valuable asset for the nation, one who would serve the country loyally. Otherwise, after all the trouble Ye Tianchen had caused, the national leadership wouldn’t have stepped in to suppress the fallout and help resolve the issues.

"Hey, Hei Mian, Brother Hei, Hei Wa... let’s negotiate. You keep an eye on them for two days, just two days. I’m off to Sichuan Province and will be back soon, okay?" Ye Tianchen hurriedly grabbed Hei Mian’s arm, grinning as he spoke.

Hei Mian was at a loss for words, giving Ye Tianchen a stern glare. In the blink of an eye, he had acquired two new nicknames: ’Brother Hei’ and ’Hei Wa’—one might mistake him for someone from Africa upon first hearing them. It was somewhat frustrating and amusing for Hei Mian to deal with Ye Tianchen’s unpredictable nature.

"You, kid... I really want to give you a thrashing!" Hei Mian clenched his fists tightly as he spoke.

"Is that so? I actually wouldn’t mind giving you a thrashing myself. How about a bet?" Ye Tianchen suddenly looked at Hei Mian very seriously.

"A bet? I’m busy, kid; I don’t have time to fool around with you..." Hei Mian held back his frustration; as a warrior of the Heavenly Gang level, he was one of the strongest in the Chinese national forces, and he didn’t have time to play games with Ye Tianchen.

"You’re a warrior at the Heavenly Gang level, and you’re too chicken to take on my challenge? That would be disappointing. Unless that’s all the strength a Heavenly Gang level warrior has, too scared even to accept a small challenge?" Ye Tianchen shook his head as he spoke.

"Don’t you use reverse psychology on me, kid; I’m not falling for it..." Hei Mian said in a cold voice.

"I am indeed using reverse psychology on you, but I also want to gauge the strength of a Heavenly Gang level warrior like yourself. They say even the special forces of ’M’ country are somewhat fearful of China’s Heavenly Gang level warriors. But looking at you, your strength seems average at best!" Ye Tianchen looked at Hei Mian seriously and said.

"Fine, let’s see just how tough you are, kid. Name your bet," Hei Mian got out of the off-road vehicle, clenched his fists tightly, and asked.

The truth was, Hei Mian had always been irritated by Ye Tianchen, displeased with his careless and flippant attitude, especially when they met Elder Yang and the highest-ranking officials. Ye Tianchen was so casual, completely lacking in discipline. In the face of orders from Elder Yang and the others, Ye Tianchen hardly showed any sign of compliance, behaving as he pleased and haggling over terms, making Hei Mian want to put him in his place for a long time.

However, Hei Mian, as a Heavenly Gang level warrior, had strict organizational and disciplinary principles. Other than during missions, he was not allowed to act on impulse, or else he would have disciplined Ye Tianchen a long time ago. Now that Ye Tianchen was challenging him, even though Hei Mian knew it was a provocation, he was ready to accept the challenge because he was very confident in his own abilities.

Ye Tianchen was strong, that was undeniable, and Hei Mian could see it, but after sizing him up and doing some calculations, Hei Mian believed he should be able to defeat Ye Tianchen as long as he exerted his full strength.

When Ye Tianchen saw that Hei Mian took the bait, he couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Still, he maintained a serious expression on his face as he said, "I’ve been wanting to see who is better between us for a long time!"

"Cut the crap, how will we compete? Just say it!" Hei Mian was a man of action. Since he had decided to teach Ye Tianchen a lesson, he was aiming for a quick and decisive victory.

"Alright, if you lose, you’ll keep an eye on Dongfang Meng for a few days until I return; if I win, you’ll also keep an eye on Dongfang Meng for a few days until I return," Ye Tianchen said with a smile.

"Huh, huh? Are you playing me... If you lose, no matter what you have going on, you have to deal with the matter of the Ancient Martial Sect’s four beauties’ duel first before you can attend to your own matters!" Hei Mian initially nodded in agreement, but then he caught on to something amiss. Ye Tianchen had almost tricked him into a corner.

"Fine, I reluctantly agree," Ye Tianchen said with an overly aggrieved expression.

"You... I’m going to flatten you today!"

With that, Hei Mian clenched his fists tightly, ready to launch an attack at Ye Tianchen, only for the latter to make a stop gesture with his hand. Then, shaking his finger at Hei Mian, Ye Tianchen said in a disdainful tone, "Look at you, all grown up and still obsessed with fighting. Aren’t you ashamed? We live in a civilized society that values harmony. You’re willing to fight in public and lose face like that? Do you think you’re three or four years old? Even if I were that age, I’ve long stopped fighting. Fighting is wrong; it’s not conducive to world peace!"

As Hei Mian listened to Ye Tianchen speaking earnestly with an expression that screamed disappointment, as if he were schooling his own son, his eyes turned red with anger, the veins on his fists bulging, itching to flatten Ye Tianchen with a single punch.

"Damn it, how do you want to compete?" Hei Mian couldn’t help but curse.

Ye Tianchen tried not to chuckle, then he looked around and suddenly spotted a pavilion nearby with stone benches and a stone table. He pointed there and said, "How about an arm-wrestling contest?"

"Hmph, sure, just don’t cry when you ruin your hand!" Hei Mian responded with a confident laugh upon hearing Ye Tianchen’s suggestion.

"Why not try and see?" Ye Tianchen asked, still smiling.

Sitting in Hei Mian’s off-road vehicle, Ye Tianchen and Hei Mian made their way to the small pavilion not far away. Although both appeared to be smiling, they were extremely serious, secretly stirring the energy within their bodies, neither wanting to lose. What seemed like a simple arm-wrestling match was an outright collision of strength, more intense than fierce combat. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)