Chapter -4 Your Ye Chen?

Chapter 4.

"I am..."

Ugh, this is a bit awkward. Ye Chen really wasn't sure about his position in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. He had been brought in by Chen Xin and just turned down Chen Xin's offer to take him on as a disciple. So, technically, he didn't have any ties to the sect at the moment.

"You're a thief!"

Just as Ye Chen was deep in thought about his identity, the adorable little girl in front of him suddenly shouted this, and then everything went dark as he fell to the ground.

The little girl excitedly climbed onto Ye Chen's back, her small hands clutching his arms in a way that made it seem like she was a cop apprehending a thief.

"Hey, hey! I'm not a thief! Let me explain!"

Ye Chen was dumbfounded; he never imagined a girl could be so aggressive. Didn't anyone ever teach her that women should carry themselves with a bit more grace to be appreciated?

"Hmph! If you're not a thief, then who are you? I've never seen you around here." The little girl continued angrily, "Don't try to fool me; I'm not that easy to trick."

Feeling a little strange holding onto Ye Chen like this, she tightened her legs around him, making it impossible for him to move.

"Who fooled you? I was literally brought to the sect by your Grandpa Jian! Let me go, or don't blame me for being rude."

"You big liar! Grandpa Jian has always been alone; how could he know you?"

Her tiny face puffed up with frustration as she tightened her grip even more.

Hearing this, Ye Chen felt a twinge of irritation. The little girl did have a point, but he wasn't lying either.

"Are you really not going to let go of me?"

"No way!"

"Okay then, you're leaving me no choice."

After trying and failing to reason with her, Ye Chen had to rely on his strength.

Harnessing his soul power, he suddenly felt a surge of energy. With a gentle push, he broke free from her grasp and pushed off the ground, lifting the little girl into the air.

"Ah!"

Clearly startled, the little girl clung to Ye Chen's neck in a panic, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist. Her weight was almost suffocating him!

He wanted to pry her little hands off his neck but didn't want to be too rough for fear of hurting her. Meanwhile, the little girl suddenly let loose a burst of soul power, making it difficult for Ye Chen to escape.

In the blink of an eye, they lost their balance and went tumbling down.

One wanted to break free, while the other wanted to hold on, leading to a tangled mess on the ground.

Like a determined little critter, the girl clung to Ye Chen, refusing to let go. Since he couldn't use all his power to shake her off, he found himself stuck in this situation.

She was like a little weight, and even after managing to pull away a bit, she would latch onto his leg in all sorts of silly ways, refusing to let him leave the hut.

"Please let go, young lady! I'm going to be strangled here!"

"No! You shameful thief, how dare you fight back against me? Just wait until Grandpa Jian gets back; he'll teach you a lesson!"

"What!?"

Ye Chen couldn't find the words to respond to such ridiculous claims. Clearly, he hadn't done anything wrong.

Just when Ye Chen thought he was at his limit, a playful voice called from the doorway.

"Hey, what are you two up to? You'll have to wait until you're older to do that!"

That caused the little girl on Ye Chen's back to freeze and let go of him immediately.

"Ahem, thank you, senior. Otherwise, I might have lost my life today."

Once he caught his breath, Ye Chen glanced at the little girl, who still had a defiant look on her face. He couldn't help but think about how, even at such a young age, she was quite fierce. He felt sorry for whoever ended up marrying her in the future.

"Haha, no need to thank me, my good disciple. Actually, Rong Rong is a good child; she just has a bit of a temper."

The newcomer was tall and thin, with deep-set eyes and sparse hair – he was likely another titled Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect: Bone Douluo!

Wait a second, Rong Rong? Good disciple? What on earth!

Ye Chen's thoughts suddenly shifted, and his expression changed dramatically.

At that moment, the system's voice chimed in his mind: 

[You have successfully become a disciple of Bone Douluo. Congratulations! You've completed the goddess sign-in task, which automatically boosts your cultivation speed by 100%!]

"Wait, system, can I back out of this sign-in task?"

Ye Chen said anxiously in his mind. If he recalled correctly, completing this sign-in task would mean the goddess he signed in with would have a 300% favorability towards him, almost like being in love. 

The little girl from before was Ning Rongrong, which meant that from now on, she would be infatuated with Ye Chen, and that feeling would last a lifetime. 

[Once the sign-in task is completed, it cannot be canceled!] 

"Ugh..." 

Ye Chen gulped nervously and turned to look at Ning Rongrong. 

As expected, the anger in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a youthful and innocent admiration that made Ye Chen, who had been single for 17 years, blush slightly. 

Honestly, being liked by someone feels really nice, even if she is a bit of a fiery one. 

"What are you thinking, you little rascal? Grandpa Bone has officially accepted you as a disciple, so hurry up!" 

Ning Rongrong gently nudged Ye Chen; though her tone was a bit urgent, her actions were tender, and her voice softened. 

"What's up with this girl today? Her temper seems to have calmed down?" 

Gu Rong observed Ning Rongrong's change with mixed feelings, unsure whether to feel happy or worried. Both he and Chen Xin treated this girl like their own granddaughter, but now it seemed like Ning Rongrong's focus was only on that guy, making Gu Rong feel oddly lost. 

"Thank you!" Ye Chen nodded at Ning Rongrong and then knelt on one knee, proclaiming, "Master, please accept my bow!" 

"Haha, good, good." Gu Rong smiled, stroking his sparse hair. "Ye Chen, the fact that you turned down that old coot Chen Xin shows you have great discernment. As your master, I won't skimp; this small gift will be your apprenticeship present." 

With a wave of his thin hand, a beautifully crafted black bone pendant appeared in Ye Chen's palm. Gu Rong added, "Meditate and practice diligently. Once your foundation is solid, I'll take you to hunt for your first spirit ring." With that, he soared off in an unknown direction. 

In the little hut, the two left behind exchanged awkward glances, as the atmosphere became tense. 

Because of the earlier disagreement, Ye Chen and Ning Rongrong were at a loss for words until Ye Chen's stomach growled, prompting Ning Rongrong to break the silence. "It's meal time! I'll take you to eat. The food at our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is delicious." With that, she pulled Ye Chen towards the cafeteria. 

As they walked out from the bamboo forest behind the mountain, they soon reached the training square within the sect. 

At that moment, many people filled the training area, with disciples of the sect practicing diligently. However, as Ye Chen and Ning Rongrong approached, Ye Chen could distinctly feel countless eyes on him. 

Suddenly, a group of boys around eleven or twelve years old stepped in their way. 

One of them declared, "Hey, kid, let go of your filthy hands! How dare you tarnish the young lady?" 

Another piped in, "Where did this mutt come from? Do you really think you can hold the young lady's hand?" 

Seven or eight of them chimed in one after another, as if Ye Chen had committed a grave offense. 

"Ahem, take a good look; it's Rongrong who's holding my hand." Ye Chen raised the two tightly gripped little hands casually, then added innocently, "Good dogs don't block the way; we're just hungry and heading to eat." 

"Blocked the way? What are you going to do about it?" 

"Then you're just a bunch of bad dogs!" 

Ye Chen flashed a slight smile as his words bit back. 

Upon hearing this, the group of boys' faces turned crimson with anger at being compared to dogs. 

In their eyes, Ning Rongrong was the daughter of the sect master and a well-known little goddess at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Just seeing her was a thrill and hope for them. 

But now, their little goddess was being held by an unknown boy as if they were on a date? No one could tolerate that. 

A frail boy, about thirteen or fourteen, dashed from the crowd, wearing luxurious brocade that made him look somewhat handsome but with an expression that was filled with lethal intent, rendering him somewhat effeminate. 

"My name is Yao Hai, and I challenge you to a duel in three days." 

Ning Rongrong's face immediately soured at that: "Aren't you ashamed? You want to challenge our Ye Chen at this age? You have level 26 spirit power and a spirit ring, while Ye Chen is only at level 10!"

"Your Ye Chen?" 

Yao Hai and the others exchanged glances, secretly wondering what kind of person Ye Chen was to be so vigorously defended, and hearing her refer to him as 'our Ye Chen' was infuriating! 

"Alright, just wait for me here in three days." 

Unlike Ning Rongrong, Ye Chen accepted the challenge readily, and then, under the envious gazes of the crowd, he walked towards the cafeteria with Rong Rong.

Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful.