Chapter 490 - 482: What About Sleeping, Then?

Chapter 490: Chapter 482: What About Sleeping, Then?

"If it were me, and I heard someone weaker than me—but with infinite potential—swear a Blood Oath to one day make me pay a hundredfold for what I’ve done, the first thing I’d do is ensure he could never rise. The most effective way to do that is to target his Cultivation. As long as his Martial Artist Realm stagnates, he’ll forever be a dragon stranded in the shallows, unable to stir up any waves."

"This is the Inner Mountain. No one here truly underestimates those weaker than themselves. They... are anything but fools. So, are you sure you want me to turn down this mission? It makes no difference to me. The decision is yours."

"Do you want to risk it? Can you be sure you’ll be safe? If it were me, I wouldn’t be."

Her three statements utterly shattered what little confidence Mu Chen had left. ’That’s right, this is the Inner Mountain, not the Outer Realm. And I’m at the very bottom here. To Brom, or even Broo, every corner of this first level is as familiar as their own home. If they wanted to sabotage me, it’d be child’s play. Today was a perfect example!’

’And then there’s the Five Elements Sacred Domain. I had no idea it was a public area. If those people came to harass me at a critical moment in my Cultivation, the consequences would be devastating. Forget reaching the Emperor Realm within a year! It would be incredibly difficult to even reach the Fifth-Ring Martial Sect. The slightest misstep, with my Cultivation constantly interrupted, could throw my meridians into chaos and damage my very foundation!’

With a bitter laugh, Mu Chen said apologetically, "My apologies, you’re absolutely right. As I am now, I need a bodyguard. But what kind of mission reward could possibly convince the strongest expert in the Inner Mountain to willingly become my bodyguard?"

"The strongest expert?" Chu Aoqing smiled, a hint of loneliness in her eyes. She ignored the title and said, "The mission’s reward is... nothing at all."

"Nothing at all?!"

"The mission has only one objective: to witness the birth of a miracle. And that miracle... is you."

...

Walking toward the dining hall, Mu Chen kept glancing over his shoulder at the listless Chu Aoqing behind him. He sighed. The situation was truly awkward.

’After all, the person following me isn’t just anyone. She’s the strongest expert in the Inner Mountain, and its greatest beauty—the Flower of the Inner Mountain, you could say. And I’m just a weak, ordinary person.’

"Do you always like to wear combat attire?" To break the awkward silence, Mu Chen grasped for a topic—the most obvious one he could think of. In his memory, aside from Lingyun of the Xuanling Imperial Academy, he couldn’t recall ever seeing another woman in combat attire. Even Lingyun wore dresses from time to time.

"Girls look better in long dresses, though," Mu Chen added, almost to himself.

"Is that so?" Chu Aoqing replied distractedly, her gaze drifting to the flowers along the path.

It was then that Mu Chen took a moment to properly size up Chu Aoqing’s figure. And in doing so, he immediately noticed what set her apart. She had a pair of incredibly long, shapely legs, nearly perfect proportions, and a rather... generous level of development.

"Like what you see?"

Without even needing to look, Chu Aoqing turned her gorgeous face toward him and asked with a smile.

"Er..." Mu Chen awkwardly turned his head away, his face flushing red. It wasn’t because of her gaze, and certainly not because of any romantic feelings. It was purely the embarrassment of being caught staring.

But after a moment, he recovered, brazenly nodding. "Very."

"Heh..." Chu Aoqing chuckled softly and said nonchalantly, "Such a direct compliment. I don’t wear long dresses because it’s not the right time for them yet."

As she said this, Chu Aoqing seemed to recall something she had once told herself. ’The words seemed so simple and naive back then, but for some reason, I’ve stuck to them to this day.’

That promise was: ’Until I find the man I love... I have to save my most beautiful self for him...’

"Besides..." Chu Aoqing stretched her flawless physique and threw a sudden punch into the air. "Don’t you think it’s easier to move and fight in combat attire?"

"Mm, that’s true."

’Looks like Chu Aoqing is a battle enthusiast,’ Mu Chen thought. However, as the dining hall grew closer, a knot of dread formed in his stomach. During lunch, he had been subjected to murderous glares from all corners, and the memory still made him shudder. Now that he knew who she was, he finally understood the source of the problem.

It was mealtime again, and he really didn’t want to become the target of even more animosity. He turned to Chu Aoqing, "Hey... can I ask you for a favor?"

"Go on," she said, her reply concise.

Mu Chen was already used to her terse manner of speaking. She was the type of person who spoke at length when necessary but remained silent otherwise.

"When we eat, could you maybe... let me eat alone?" Mu Chen ventured.

"What part of ’full-time personal bodyguard’ did you not understand?"

Negotiation failed. Mu Chen hung his head, completely defeated. It looked like he’d have to just brace himself and eat under the pressure. ’But wait,’ he thought, ’am I being a bit spineless, giving in so easily?’

"What about when I’m sleeping?" he asked, a wicked glint in his eye as he looked at Chu Aoqing, a triumphant smirk forming on his face.

"Am I to understand that you’re flirting with me?" The corner of Chu Aoqing’s mouth curled into a smirk. She gazed at Mu Chen with an incredibly seductive look, and combined with her naturally alluring voice, it was enough to make a man tremble.

"Uh, no... Forget I said anything."

With that, Mu Chen turned and bolted for the dining hall. This senior from the Fourth Level wasn’t just terrifyingly strong—her words were even more frightening.

Watching Mu Chen flee, Chu Aoqing couldn’t help but cover her mouth with her hand and chuckle. Realizing that such an expression in public could easily cause a stir, she quickly composed herself and murmured in a voice only she could hear, "What an interesting guy."

The dining hall was as bustling as ever, but the moment Mu Chen walked in, the atmosphere turned strange. The usual din and clamor vanished in an instant, replaced by hushed whispers.

"See him? That’s the kid."

"What kid?"

"The kid who shared a table with our Chu Goddess at lunch."

"What? Are you pulling my leg? Him? The Chu Goddess doesn’t even give Brother Tianyu the time of day, and you think she’d go for this broke loser? Your imagination is running wild."

"What are you talking about? Shut up and eat. Don’t think you can pull one over on me just because I missed lunch. Keep spouting nonsense and I’ll beat you up!"

"But I’m telling the truth..."

"You’re still talking?!"

"..."

Unfortunately for Mu Chen, he heard every single word of their discussion. All he could do was give a bitter smile. ’What a disaster, falling right out of the sky.’ Shaking his head helplessly, he walked up to the familiar service window and saw the familiar burly, bald man.

"Master, two meals, please."

Hearing the call, Master Ling wiped the sweat from his brow, set down his ladle, and peered out the window. His face immediately broke into a suggestive grin. He strode to the window, slung a massive arm around Mu Chen’s neck, and pulled him close. With a sly chuckle, he said, "Not bad, kid! You just got here and you’ve already captured the dream goddess of all these young pups. What’s your secret?"

Mu Chen winced. "What are you talking about?"

Master Ling snorted. "Still playing dumb, you brat? I saw the whole thing at lunch, clear as day. The goddess is throwing herself at you! Tsk, tsk... And look, speak of the devil, that girl Chu Aoqing is here now."

Mu Chen looked toward the entrance. Sure enough, a beautiful figure had appeared, capturing the attention of every student in the dining hall. All of this would have been perfectly normal, but the killer was that Chu Aoqing actually nodded at Mu Chen and said casually...

"Get one for me, too."

Because of that one sentence, every eye in the room shifted to him. Even Master Ling, who still had him in a headlock, gritted his teeth and tightened his arm. He hissed, "You brat, still trying to lie to me? That girl Chu Aoqing only had eyes for you when she walked in, and she’s even having you get her food. And you’re still pretending like nothing’s going on? You’re an animal! Fine, whatever. But as an admirer, I have a piece of advice for you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

"What advice?" Mu Chen’s attention immediately shifted from Chu Aoqing to the man’s words.

"Watch out for Shan Tianyu. Everyone in the Inner Mountain knows he’s in love with Chu Aoqing, though she’s never shown any interest in him. The guy is arrogant, conceited, looks down on everyone, and is extremely vengeful over the smallest slight. On top of that, he’s incredibly strong. There are probably less than ten people in the entire Inner Mountain who can stand up to him. And with your strength... Heh heh..."

With that, Master Ling released Mu Chen and disappeared back into the kitchen, presumably to get their food. At that moment, Mu Chen’s mind was completely fixated on one name: Shan Tianyu.

’Like Chu Aoqing’s, it was a name he had heard from Dilaka on more than one occasion. The Power Master of Tianyu, the second-strongest faction in the Inner Mountain. His strength was second only to Chu Aoqing’s. He was the undisputed number-two expert of the Inner Mountain.’

’Seeing as they’re both top figures in the Inner Mountain, it’s no wonder Shan Tianyu would develop feelings for her. The problem is, there’s nothing between me and Chu Aoqing—not even friendship. Yet this random encounter has somehow dragged me into this mess.’

’For the few people who know the truth, "full-time personal bodyguard" is just a professional arrangement. But to everyone else... who would believe us if we said there was nothing more to it?’

’And what good would an explanation be? Telling them that Chu Aoqing is my bodyguard? Heh... I wouldn’t even believe it if I said it myself.’

’Forget it. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it and deal with whatever comes my way.’

Feeling slightly more at ease, Mu Chen turned his gaze back to Chu Aoqing, who was sitting at her usual table. As he looked at her, he found she was already looking back, her chin propped on her hand and her head tilted as she studied him.

Mu Chen rolled his eyes in exasperation. ’It’s all because of this damned woman that I’m in this endless trouble. Here in the Inner Holy Tomb Mountain, I’ve become public enemy number one! And not just for today—it’ll be like this from now on!’

"Kid, your food! TWO EXTRA-LARGE SERVINGS, NO EXTRA CHARGE!"

THUD! THUD! Two trays were slammed down in front of Mu Chen. Master Ling leaned in, cupping a hand to his mouth to whisper, "I added something special to the one on the left. Guaranteed good stuff. You owe me one, kid."

With that, Master Ling gave a sly grin and disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving Mu Chen utterly baffled. Shaking his head, he picked up the two trays and, with a deep frown, walked toward Chu Aoqing...