(Ye Chen POV)
I walked around enjoying the stares of envy and jealousy. Wrapped around my arm was a young girl. Without even looking at her I could feel her starry gaze tracing my face. The crowd around us shuffled away and cleared a path for me and this girl.
'Hah! This is nice, but why couldn't this happen to that other girl? I saved her twice yet I didn't get any affection from her. No! She did become a little nicer to me compared to before! It wasn't that I didn't get any affection from her, it's just that she must be hiding it deep within her! That must be it! She must be one of those types who acts cold on the outside and warm on the inside, Ha I'm a genius!
Tch, it was going so well for me then too! If that Hao Fang Bastard didn't just happen to appear everything would have gone smoothly! He came at the last second and ruined everything. But it seems luck is on my side as I might be able to use the chance the girl beside me will soon give me to get back at him.
Hmm, but maybe in the future I have to do a better job at acting like a gentleman. I remember the first time I met that Xue girl there was an extraordinary woman with her. She had her first impression of me with a cold look.
Those two beauties could simply engulf the whole world in my eyes! This Hao Lin girl was good too, but now that I have already seen Sister Xue and Big Sister she can't compare much at all.'
"Hero Chen, please let's hurry up! I'd like for you to meet my father. Although I didn't tell him that I came, I'm sure he'll reward you handsomely for saving me."
I only smiled and nodded in response.
This girl who hung off my arm was someone I just happened to save before the timer ran out. After I was separated from Sister Xue I ran into her as she was being ganged up on by a group of bandits who happened to be roaming through the forest at this hour.
They wanted to kidnap her since they happened to know her true identity and use her as ransom. Apparently, she happens to be the 10th child of the Hao family, the most prominent family of Tian Ning city. It even happened to be the city right next to the Azure Sky Sect.
There is a good chance Hao Fang, if he is still "protecting" Sister Xue from me, should return there. Even if she isn't with him I'll make sure to make him pay for what he's done to me! That was a perfect chance for me to take her and he ruined it! Who knows, he probably has some thoughts about her as well.
" Come on Hero Chen! We're almost there! Although I didn't come with them, I know where they should be around."
The girl who had fully grasped onto my arm dragged me forward, hurrying our leisurely walking speed. The crowd separated along our way until we entered a building. Within I saw numerous families which eluded a rich air to them.
When we walked a number of the gathered families looked toward us after I slammed the door shut. The loud noise attracted their attention and the girl who bound herself tightly to my arm kept it.
There was silence in the lobby for several moments as we stood in the doorway. I held my head up high and puffed my chest up before nudging the Hao Girl.
"Miss Hao, you said you were going to take me to your father, correct?"
"Y-yes, Hero Chen that's right!"
"Well, then lead the way." I gestured forward with my free hand.
"Of course! Don't worry Hero Chen I, Hao Lin, will make sure that you reach my father. Your heroic act will not go unrewarded!"
Immediately the families around started murmuring and whispers erupted into the crowd. I had made sure that the bystanders would be able to hear our conversation well.
"Is that really the 10th daughter of the Hao family?"
"Didn't Lord Hao only bring his 8th child? How can the 10th just appear?"
"Who is that man beside her?"
"Did she just call him a hero?"
"Why is she with such a man?"
"She must have snuck out of the city! How else could she appear here? What a little trouble maker!"
"Are those two lovers? Why else could she be holding onto his arm like that?"
"She looks like she might have already chosen a lover, those suitors of hers aren't going to be in a good mood. Oh, wait, isn't that young man over there one of her suitors?"
As I was basking in the surprised and shocked whispers I heard a loud set of footsteps approaching.
"Hey! Who are you? And what are you to her?" A man slowly stepped in front of our pathway and that voice belonged to him. He wore a neat gray robe as he pointed an accusatory finger at me.
I looked at the man who stood in my path in a slight gaze of contempt.
"Lei Guo! Leave him alone! He saved my life! If it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't be here right now!" Hao Lin stood in front of me almost as if to shield me from him.
The man's eyes widened a bit before returning back to what they were before.
"So you saved her? I guess I could overlook your behavior today for what you've done for me."
"What he has done for you? Tch! Lei Guo, do you believe I'm already yours? How many times must I reject you for you to understand that I'm not interested in you? Go away! I have important business to discuss with Hero Chen and my Father."
Immediately afterward Hao Lin grabbed onto my arm and began to pull me away from the crowd which was slowly forming.
Down a luxurious hallway she finally stopped at the room on the very end before knocking.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Yes? Who is it?" The voice of a middle aged man was heard from behind the decorated wooden door.
"Father! It's me! Open up!"
"..."
"Father?"
"Lin.. Lin'er?"
"Yes! It's me, Father! Open up, I have something important to tell you!"
Slowly heavy steps were heard as they approached the other side of the wooden door.
*Click*
A few mechanisms could be heard from the otherside as the door finally began to be opened. Once the door was opened a crack a middle aged man's face showed through. His gaze was sharp as he swept past me and onto the girl beside me.
"Lin'er, it's really you! W-why are you here? How are you here? Did you make your way here on foot?" The previous gaze he had softened drastically.
"It's a long story, haha… can we come in?" He glanced at me for a moment before deciding.
"Of course! Of course! Come in! Come in! Your Mother and 8th Brother are here as well."
He finally swung the door open revealing the room and the other occupants within.
There on the sofa was a woman who bore some resemblance to Hao Lin and the man who ruined my opportunity earlier.
'Ha! To think we would meet again so soon!'
Their gazes varied from one to the other. The woman simply looked confused at my arrival and probably as to why I was let in as well.
The other one looked at me with his mouth agape and a look of shock adored his expression. I reveled in it for a few moments just to savor it. But this was just the beginning, in fact I hadn't even started. I wonder how he will look after what I plan to do to him.
The middle aged man went and sat on a chair nearby to the other two.
"Come on!" Hao Lin pulled me along by the sleeve and together we sat on a sofa that was arranged so that it would be facing the other seats in the room. Almost as soon as we sat down I heard the strict voice of the middle aged man.
"Lin'er, you must explain why you are here. We explicitly told you that you couldn't come to join the competition."
"F-father! About that I um…I just wanted to test out my skills!" As soon as she heard the words from her father she started to shrink and cower a bit.
"Lin'er, don't you remember that we said that you could only join if you were in the 3rd layer? Tell me, have you advanced?"
"N-no, but the minimum requirement to join was only being in the first layer!"
"That's the minimum, but have you thought about what you might encounter? Sure the first layer beast may be the most numerous, but that doesn't mean you won't encounter those of a higher tier! Fourth layer beasts and above are when they truly start to become rare. If you were in the third layer most of your encounters would end in your victory, and if not at the very least you should be able to run away."
"I just want to have a look!"
"Look? If you saw any action you would have probably been close enough to endanger yourself! If you joined the competition then how come we didn't see you in the crowd before?"
"I, um, didn't actually sign up…"
"What?! So you didn't get a tracking bracelet?! What would we have done if you happened to become lost, or even killed?!" All of a sudden the stern voice of the man roared.
"I-I was afraid that you would find out so… so I just went out to kill some beasts by… myself…" The more she spoke the quieter she became from her father's words.
"Humph! Lin'er, you're lucky nothing actually happened to you! Now, tell me why you brought this young man here?" The man's gaze changed and locked onto me. When he looked away from her she finally took a deep breath as if a large burden was taken off her chest.
All this while as the father and daughter spoke I looked at that Hao Fang from time to time with a smug expression.
"Father! This man, he-... he-he actually saved me from… a band of bandits." She realized as she spoke that those bandits were exactly part of the danger her father could have been talking about.
"Bandits?! Hmm…"
"Don't worry sir, I have already taken care of them!" I interjected as the man was thinking."
"Oh? You? Young man you took out the group of bandits who were holding Lin'er captive?"
"That's right!"
"If that's so then I owe you a great deal of gratitude!"
"Yeah! Father, Without Hero Chen I'm afraid I might have never seen you again! Who knows what could have happened without him! I think I heard them say that they wanted to sell me off!"
"Hmm… Well, young man? Do you have anything you wish for? As long as it's not too much or too outrageous I believe I should be able to grant it."
"Anything you say?"
"Within limits of course."
"Hmm… I'd have to think on it. I hadn't really had too much. Is there a time limit I have before I have to say something?"
"Time limit? No, I consider this a favor for you. I could let you stay in a courtyard nearby for a while or until you can think of something. But just because I'm letting you have a place to stay doesn't mean that you are going to be entirely taken care off. I'll pay only for your housing, your other necessities are for you yourself to acquire."
"I understand don't worry Lord Hao I won't be staying with you forever."
'After all if I did, how else am I going to find other women? Sister Xue and that Big Sister, just you wait!'