After quite some time, Zhuo Feiyang decided to challenge Chu Li again, but was once again held at knifepoint before he had a chance to make a move. His face frozen with apprehension.

　　The sword had pierced him in the shoulder almost serenely, rendering him immobile.

　　He grit his teeth and braced himself for what would come next. Remaining silent, he simply ignored everyone including Su Ru and Zhao Ying on his way out as he turned around while holding onto his injured shoulder. Zhuo Feiyang had walked away with shame.

　　Just as Zhao Ying was about to board the boat, she stared daggers at Chu Li. She did not know that this senior of hers would be so cunning to the extent that even she was fooled. All her prior worries for him were for nothing.

　　Chu Li smiled back with a hint of apology embedded on his face.

　　As he watched the boat disappear from his sight, he turned around and met Su Ru’s beautiful eyes.

　　Su Ru smiled cheekily. “Chu Li, you have a thing for Zhao Ying, don’t you?”

　　Chu Li responded with a faint smile.

　　Su Ru giggled. “I can see that Zhuo Feiyang likes her too. If I compared the both of you now, he looks to have the upper hand here.”

　　Chu Li fell silent.

　　Su Ru smiled and looked at him. “Zhao Ying seems to be very popular.”

　　“She’s pretty, courteous, and kind-hearted. Who wouldn’t fancy her?” Chu Li sighed. He was just a touch apprehensive, as he realized that Zhao Ying had, indeed, not fallen for him.

　　“You think you have a chance?”

　　“Of course!”

　　“I say forget it!” Su Ru couldn’t contain her giggles and responded. “You think you can beat Zhuo Feiyang?”

　　“…” Chu Li furrowed his eyebrows.

　　Zhuo Feiyang was not only extremely talented, but very handsome as well. The ladies were always very fond of him. Chu Li wasn’t one to lie to himself; he knew that he could not beat Zhuo Feiyang at this game. Plus, the ladies prefer types like Zhuo Feiyang; masculine and charming. When compared to him, he was nothing but average.

　　Fortunately, Zhao Ying wasn’t an average girl either. She was kind-hearted and sympathized with the weak.

　　Since Zhuo Feiyang was now the weak one, would she turn her sympathy towards him? That was the real the question.

　　“Feeling hopeless?” Su Ru smiled as she asked, her bright eyes watching him intently.

　　Chu Li shook his head. “Not on my watch!”

　　“Now that’s the spirit!” Su Ru smiled. “Giving up doesn’t sound like you at all! Do you need my help then?”

　　Chu Li raised an eyebrow.

　　Su Ru laughed. “You don’t believe I’ll do much?”

　　“No, it’s much appreciated, Chief!” Chu Li gave his respects and bowed. “Please, do help!”

　　The key to winning a woman’s heart was the willingness to let go of one’s ego and unhesitatingly ask for help!

　　Su Ru giggled and then laughed. She gently shook her head and said, “You boys are so typical…”

　　Chu Li was embarrassed and laughed too. He then replied, “I can’t stand by losing the girl that I like to someone! Besides that, Zhuo Feiyang is not a good person. I can’t watch Zhao Ying to descend into that hellhole!”

　　“Did you actually think that I wouldn’t know what’s on your mind?” Su Ru gave a look and added, “You men always think that you’re the only one in this world who deserve that one pretty girl, and that any other guy doesn’t deserve to be with her!”

　　Chu Li’s lips felt dry.

　　Su Ru then continued, “Alright, I’m not going to joke around with you anymore. I stopped by to discuss a serious matter.”

　　“Right!” Chu Li facial expressions instantly became serious.

　　Su Ru looked around to make sure Li Yue wasn’t there. Nothing was with them beside the gentle breeze of the night and the calm waters. The atmosphere was peaceful.

　　“Can you culture the God’s Mane en masse?”

　　“If the destruction of the land in question isn’t in question, then it won’t be a problem.”

　　“Then good, this time we need a great supply of God’s Mane, and you have to hurry up and produce them!”

　　“How much?”

　　“At least twenty acres!”

　　“Twenty acres!?” Chu Li frowned and looked back at her. “These twenty acres of land will be rendered useless. It will be at least fifty years before they can be recovered!”

　　“Yeah.”

　　“It’s best we cultivate them outside the federal Public House. The richer the soil, the better.”

　　“Just as I thought!” Su Ru nodded and said in a low voice, “You must keep this a secret!”

　　Chu Li slowly nodded in agreement.

　　By the look on her face, he could already tell that this was indeed a secret that must not be revealed.

　　“Near the Millennial Mountains, there is a valley. It’s extremely secluded and you may head over to start cultivation of the plant. The soil there is rich as well.”

　　“Yes.” Su Ru nodded without hesitation.

　　“It must be kept a secret, don’t draw any unnecessary attention.” Su Ru shook her head. “There’s no room for any mistake, so I’ve decided to grant you the company of a Protector.”

　　“Another person involved would mean additional risks.” Chu Li exclaimed, “So it might be best to have me go at it alone”

　　“What if a problem surfaces during progress?” Su Ru gave him look and said, “Do you really think you can handle it?”

　　Chu Li raised an eyebrow, smiled. His gaze turned toward the direction where the boat had just disappeared into the distance.

　　Su Ru grumbled, “Alright, you can have Zhao Ying!”

　　“Thank you, Chief!” Chu Li was on cloud nine. He held his fists together and paid her a grateful sign of respect.

　　“Humph, you got what you wanted. But if this business goes awry, I’ll demote you by two ranks and Zhao Ying will be kicked to the bottom!”

　　“Yes!”

　　“When you encounter any trouble, you would know what to do. Correct?”

　　“Don’t worry, Chief, I’ll never expose our identities!”

　　“Good!” Su Ru nodded in satisfaction. For Su Ru, giving this task to Chu Li could be considered as a test for him, to see if he was as useful as he seemed to be.

　　…

　　Dawn approached the south gate of the Federal Public House.

　　Beneath the warm sunlight, the two brass lions in green almost seem alive under the golden glow. It was almost as if the giant statues would rise and pounce on the prey passing by at any moment.

　　Zhao Ying was donned in an azure green dress, while her crimson red horse stayed alongside her. She stood quietly beside one of the giant lions, her bright eyes transfixed on the gates.

　　The day had barely begun as no one was passing through the gates just yet. Zhao Ying’s thin, elegant eyebrows furrowed from time to time. She seemed curious about her upcoming mission.

　　The moment she received her mission, the only detail disclosed to her was that she would be escorting a person. She would go undercover, and the nature of the mission could not be told to anyone else. Not even the person she was escorting was revealed to her. She was only instructed to wait for their arrival at the south gate of the Public House during the break of dawn.

　　She was curious, but at the same time excited. It had been such long time since she was sent out on a mission.

　　Questions kept flooding her mind. She did not know how many people would be involved in this mission, and neither did she know who she would be protecting. Maybe it was someone from the higher ranks. Only a big shot would need someone like her to cover their tracks. It’s always the same story, they’re either afraid of people snooping about their business or the fear of intervention. This was where Zhao Ying came in.

　　The Federal Government House was a giant figure in the eyes of the world; their fame and honor had spread far and wide, even into many faraway provinces. The mountain they stood on, however, was built on skulls and corpses. The government had a mass of enemies, and were well-known to swiftly eliminate them. They had a thirst for blood, and would risk losing their lives just for the sake of vengeance. This was why those in the higher ranks need protection or cover for their tracks. Once their motives were revealed, it would attract the savages that would stop them at all cost.

　　Zhao Ying herself was merely a rank nine Protector. This was her first experience on a secret mission such as this. She felt thrilled and her eyes beamed with joy. She had waited for quite a long time for their arrival, but that did not diminish her patience.

　　Suddenly, she saw Chu Li from afar. She nervously waved her petite hands at him, signaling him to not come over. She thought to herself, ‘Go away, there is no need to come over to say hi.’

　　Then, a question flashed across her mind. Why had Chu Li brought a horse with him? He looked like he had planned out to go to town as well. She didn’t mind him despite all this as she was anticipating someone else to appear. She clearly didn’t want to miss her clients and leave a bad first impression.

　　Chu Li guided his crimson red horse over and slowly arrived in front of Zhao Ying.

　　Zhao Ying’s bright eyes looked around for a moment and then she lowered her voice. She hissed, “Chu Li, what are you doing!?”

　　Chu Li smiled, “Zhao Ying, who are you waiting for?”

　　“I’m not waiting!” said Zhao Ying as she tried to cover up her anxiety.

　　She reminded herself that this mission was to be done in confidence. She could not disclose the slightest piece of information to anyone.

　　Chu Li shook his head and his smile disappeared, “Aren’t I the person you’re waiting for?”

　　“Nonsense! I’m not waiting for anybody!” Zhao Ying gasped. She waved her hands again and shooed him away. “Chu Li, whatever it is that you want to talk about, let’s do it some other day, alright? Now go on, you can carry on with your business. I’m just about to leave!”

　　Chu Li licked his dry lips.

　　Zhao Ying gave him a confused, puzzled look.

　　Chu Li again smiled and replied, “Zhao Ying, the person that you have been waiting for, is me.”

　　“Chu Li!” Zhao Ying stomped lightly in embarrassment, her face blushed red.

　　Chu Li followed up, “Your mission this time, is to escort me!”

　　“What?” Zhao Ying’s eyes widened.

　　Chu Li nodded repeatedly. “Yes, that’s right. It’s me. You have to protect me on this secret mission.”

　　“Are you… serious?” Zhao Ying blinked her eyes in disbelief and stared back at him with her mouth agape.

　　Chu Li laughed. “Didn’t you notice your mission briefing? Wasn’t there a word “Li” at the end of the page?

　　Zhao Ying was startled, her eyes looked blank.

　　Chu Li said, “You have the official seal of the government with you, correct?”

　　Zhao Ying nodded.

　　“You cannot take it with you, leave it back at your place. For this mission, we’re not allowed to bring along anything that may give away our identities.”

　　“So it really is you?” Zhao Ying asked again, dejection setting in.

　　Chu Li stopped smiling, and said, “Hurry up, we should depart while it’s still early.”

　　“Will there be any other more Protectors?”

　　“No, it is just you. You hold a huge responsibility!”

　　“But, why me?”

　　“I’ll explain to you on the way, now hurry up!” Chu Li waved at her.

　　Zhao Ying gave her a look. She turned towards the gates and walked inside. In the blink of an eye, she was nowhere to be found.

　　After a while, she returned. “Alright, let’s go!”

　　They rode on their horses and started their journey, side by side.

　　The Federal House’s south gate was in fact, the north gate of Chong Li Yuning city. The two strolled along the city square surrounded by a busy crowd. The city was bustling with activity. The whole of Chong Li Yuning city resembled a day market, but today with more people than usual.

　　“So, why only me?”

　　“To avoid unnecessary attention. The two of us could easily pass off as a couple. No one would suspect us.”

　　“…No one agreed to be couples with you!”

　　‘Haha…”

　　“I’m just a rank nine Protector. My skills aren’t amazing.” Zhao Ying admitted shyly.

　　This was her first ever secret mission, and it was one requiring such secrecy. An undercover mission’s rewards were typically 3 times more than usual missions. Not just any Protector had a chance to participate in a mission such as this. She couldn’t stop thinking to herself that, logically, she shouldn’t be qualified for this kind of mission.

　　“It is best to avoid using your inner strength and skills as much as possible.” Chu Li said as he sat on his horse, steering it sluggishly.

　　“What about when we face trouble in the future?”

　　“One word — run!”

　　“Then why am I even here!”

　　“To disguise yourself as my love interest!”

　　“Chu Li!” Zhao Ying was clearly dissatisfied with his answer. She glared at him.

　　“Zhao Ying, are you saying you’ll reject the mission?” Chu Li smiled and said, “If you really want to turn it down, I can swap you for someone else.”

　　Zhao Ying gave him a look and sneered, “I didn’t say that, okay?”

　　Chu Li continued, “You won’t hate me for this, right?

　　“Hate you for what?”

　　“I defeated Zhuo Feiyang, don’t you feel sorry for him?”

　　“What nonsense, who said that!” Zhao Ying added, “It’s just a friendly battle. Senior Zhuo Feiyang is a genius at inner strength, it won’t be long before he comes and gets you. It’s not good of you to take pride in that, Chu Li!”

　　“Who said I’ll lose to Zhuo Feiyang?”

　　Zhao Ying stopped herself. She did not want to tear open Chu Li’s old scars. He was labeled a weakling due to his lack of basic training, and was unworthy of practicing inner strength arts. It was such a pity. Zhao Ying decided to keep this to herself..

　　Chu Li laughed. “Zhao Ying, could it be that you like Zhuo Feiyang?”

　　Zhao Ying shot a look at him and did not reply.

　　Chu Li shook his head and sighed, “God has blessed Zhuo Feiyang with such a lovely face. Everyone is so fond of him. Sigh… I just didn’t expect that even you would be someone that prioritizes appearance.”

　　“Chu Li, stop spouting nonsense will you?! Who told you I was like that?” Zhao Ying retorted, “And I’m not fond of senior Zhuo Feiyang!”

　　“Anyone can tell that you like him!”

　　“That’s not true!” Zhao Ying was annoyed. “I’m just learning from him for the sake of improving my inner strength skills!”

　　“Well then you might as well learn from me!” Chu Li laughed disapprovingly. “Types like him only locks himself away to train alone. If you have never read books as religiously as he did, your knowledge of the inner strength would fall short by a great margin!”

　　“Chu Li, they call it training. You need to train with your own two hands. Books alone won’t help!” Zhao Ying bombarded.

　　Chu Li again shook his head and said, “Zhao Ying, if you have this mindset then you’re wrong.”

　　The two of them kept on their bickering as they led their horses into a crowd nearby. The pair did, however, draw some attention to themselves. Chu Li obviously was not the most handsome of men in the world, but he did exhibit a commanding spiritual force. On the other hand, Zhao Ying was a fine beauty and they both did look the part for a couple.

　　Chu Li kept his cool and went to retrieve his horse. He saddled up and continued the long stroll, savoring the hustle and bustle of life around him. It had been long since he last felt this calm and relaxed. Ever since he had possessed the Ku-Rung scriptures and constructed for himself the foundation for practicing inner strength, his mind felt less muddled. His heart was less heavy, and he could finally let go of his worries.

　　Zhao Ying exclaimed, “Chu Li, how am I wrong?”

　　Chu Li explained, “You lot think that the inner strength skills that you’re practicing are one of a kind. That, in context, is just repeating the mistakes of those before us. Inside the Sacred Temple lies a lot of meditation notes which record the spiritual findings of those who have trained. All of you ignored reading those, and resorted to experimenting the inner strength by yourselves instead…”

　　He shook his head midway, and disappointingly said, “That, is just a waste of time!”

　　“Exploring the inner strength yourselves makes the experience more vivid!” Zhao Ying defended herself.

　　Chu Li denied it. “If we did things according to what you say, we won’t even need a teacher. Why don’t we just sit down at home and practice it ourselves!”

　　“Humph, I’m not playing your game!” Zhao Ying had run out of valid points to say.

　　Chu Li diverted the topic and asked, “Zhao Ying, the skill that you had been practicing …is it the “Flight of the Sparrows” swordsman technique?”

　　“Not bad.”

　　“Show it to me when you have the time.”

　　“Chu Li, you know of the technique too?”

　　“A little bit. I’ve read about it on several meditation archives.”

　　“…Great.” Zhao Ying replied, unimpressed. She wanted to see for herself. Maybe he was only pulling her leg.