Chapter 181: Undercurrent III

verything looked normal from the outside, as if nothing had happened the night before, even though the men of the Shang family appeared to be vigorously engaged as they went in and out of the house. That was because of Mr. Robert’s fresh arrival with his crew the day before. Considering how tiresome the travel Mr. Robert had, these men at home had their tasks reallocated, rescheduled to accommodate Mr. Robert’s visit. No other task was arranged on the list for the day.

Early in the morning, Bai Linan was summoned by his boss, Mr. Robert.

Ye Chong on the other hand, as informed by Ah Duan that he was free to go anywhere, he alone left the hectic house. What he needed to do was to collect his identity card. Although Mu hacked into the system and had fabricated an entry of Wang Xing in the resident list, he did not have a physical card to prove and reassure his identity. So he left, hurriedly, and certainly he was followed. Luckily it was nothing new to our sky-walking Ye Chong, he was well-aware of the routes, the turnings to take to get rid of the followers. There were few tiny flocks of them but all of them were magically slung away.

There was not much of a hassle when Ye Chong got his card and got back to the Shang family. He hid himself in his room right after that, which left the watchdogs of the Shang family in blank dismay, looking at each other as they lost Ye Chong in the dark.

Ye Chong logged into the virtual world after getting into his room. Certainly he was not caught red-handed. The mavericks employed by the Shang family to watch the action of this man were utterly cloaked by Mu’s hacking to the gate. They were completely unaware of Ye Chong’s activity online.

Logging in…

Success.

Ye Chong came straight to the NR training center. The sight before him was bewildering.

The lobby was full of people, where every pillar was surrounded by them.

“Mu, do you know what had happened?” inquired Ye Chong.

“I need 20 seconds.” He seriously had no idea what in the virtual world Mu had been busy with these days, obviously his attention was never on Ye Chong.

It was not hard to tell from the crowd that their behavior consisted of a strong objectivity, as Ye Chong observed curiously. Their expression explained it all, even though Ye Chong could not pinpoint what their objective was.

20 seconds lapsed quickly. “Ye.” Mu’s emergence equals to an answer, “They are waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?” Ye Chong went speechless, as he simply did not expect the crowd having anything to do with he himself, especially when he recognized none of them…

“Yes. Precisely… they are waiting for YC,” stated Mu.

“YC? Isn’t YC me?” Ye Chong sounded confused, showing difficulty in comprehending Mu’s words.

“Thus, they are looking for you,” explained Mu.

Mu’s explanation did not seem helpful to Ye Chong in any way. The mechanical partner eventually had to explain everything from the very beginning. He got it. But then again, he did not. He got the working behind this but he did not get what the people were thinking. To him, these behaviors looked inconceivable. The more unexplainable thing was, never once he imagined that people, of such amount, would succumb to such method of zero efficiency and measly probability.

Leaving this training center immediately became the wisest choice to Ye Chong at that mpment.

He moved onto the other training bases after that but… there were all as crowded… which made him wondered if there was actually anybody still doing their training there.

Thanks to Mu’s hacking, Ye Chong was led to the training center with the least amount of people.

As guaranteed by Mu, the place was absolutely deserted. The lobby was empty. It was the first time Ye Chong saw such isolated training center online.

“Eh, Mu, what’s with this place? It’s all empty and such?” asked Ye Chong. He had been through training bases of a variety of places, but he had never come across one that was so empty.

“This place was formerly known as planet Haberda. As the environment of the planet worsened over the years, a massive evacuation of residents was performed 15 years ago. This should be one transmitting station that got abandoned abruptly, as the processor was still running and the local NR training center has yet to be demolished. The actual reason behind this : unknown,” stated Mu. This place happened to be the NR training center for pilots with the least amount of population.

“Oh I see.” Ye Chong did not inquire further. Regarding why the residents were evacuated and where the heck they had migrated to, Ye Chong’s curiosity was not that great to ask those yet.

Ye Chong first walked to one of the pillars and tapped gently with his finger. A partially transparent interface emerged before him. Ye Chong took a brief browse on the population. There was no one else but him at the center.

Mu went silent after the last explanation he made. Ye Chong could tell Mu was no longer right by his side. Whenever Mu laid his hands on the virtual world, somehow he just vanished, vaporized into the thin air. No one knew what he was doing the whole time. Ye Chong even inquired Shang regarding this, though Shang could not give him a satisfying response.

Ye Chong randomly entered one of the photosphere avoidability training room. The training before was pretty entertaining to him, although he only lasted for 5 minutes at most.

The room was completely dark, the photospheres utterly innumerable, they danced in an increasing speed, like a moth towards the flame, heading towards Ye Chong rapidly.

…

Dammit! Dammit!!!

Wei Yuan cursed numerous times at his instructor in his mind. That old crap! That old tard from nowhere! That erotic eyes of his should have rotten in hell! I could see his pig eyes glowing in dark the moment a female trainee passed by. What a shame among the instructors! A total rubbish of humanity!

Wei Yuan’s instructor was an odd-tempered elderly with a lonesome personality… only to the male trainees of course. Towards the female trainees, he would regain his function in society, he would suddenly become the best teacher in the entire galaxy, which turned every other male trainees into a green-eyed monster, wondering why they were not an XY species when they were born. The pilot profession had a trend of growing population of females, even though males stood an absolute advantage in population. Sadly, the class where Wei Yuan was in had literally a majority of female pilots-to-be. Sim that old bum was well-accorded by the ladies, like every single batch of female seniors would compliment his passion and kindness, which eventually caused this class conducted by the old man himself to be overpopulated by the females from pilot profession.

Wei Yuan was agonized the moment he stepped into the class. He had always been remorseful over his silly choice of registering this class. Wei Yuan’s uncle was also a teacher in this academy, he was from the same profession too. But he insisted recommending Sim that old bum to Wei Yuan’s parents, claiming that Mr. Sim was the expert of the experts in the academy, an experienced teacher.

Expert of the experts? Puh-lease! Wei Yuan had criticized that blurb of that old bum for countless times. I could only see inexpert of the inexperts, someone just missed out the “in-” prefixes when they spoke! He had spent quite some time attending his classes, yet never once he saw his instructor actually in action. Most of his classes were on theory; when it came to practical there had to be one pilot he got from nowhere to do the demonstration for him. The only satisfaction was, these pilots he got turned out to be some real deals, where quite a few of them were actually an ace pilot.

Wait! Stop! I’m not going to think about that old bum anymore! What for I’m thinking those nonsense? Only to spoil my mood! And Wei Yuan tossed Sim old crap directly out of his brain.

Coming home, I’m coming home~ His home was rather distant from the academy, yet he was able to make it home within a very short amount of time, all thanks to his exceptional piloting skills. He might be a mere trainee studying the pilot profession but he was still superior in his piloting. Piloting was generally about the flight ability of one pilot on a mech, which was vital to every pilot out there.

Wei Yuan was somehow born with a unique understanding towards piloting. Whenever he saw the objects flying by hurriedly on the screen as he travelled in an overwhelming speed, he felt an unexplainable excitement growing in him, that it bit onto his nerves! Those namely No.1 speed-pilots in his academy were a total joke in his eyes.

Unfortunately, his talent was limited to solely piloting. None of the other aspects was an eye-opener, with shooting being chiefly a major headache to him. He somehow was cursed into a slowpoke in this. No matter how hard he worked, he only could pass at most. He never aced the subject, which was depressing!

Not to mention how that old bum never gave him meaningful instructions, he would, at most, say things like “Take it slow. Take it easy.” Not helpful at all! Wei Yuan even felt like giving that old bum a punch right on his donkey face!

…

“I’m home,” Wei Yuan greeted at the doorstep slothfully.

“Oh,” a man’s voice rang from the house. Wei Yuan had been living with his father since his mother passed away not too long after his birth. He had been relying on his father deeply. His father was an engineer, also a work maniac. Once he turned on his engine, one did not expect him turning it off so soon. He would ignore the time, the days and nights, the rise of the sun, the fall of the moon. So there were times where Wei Yuan felt miraculous of himself, for he was never starved to death.

He got back to his room, collapsed on his fluffy bed. He looked at the ceiling, reflecting that face of his advanced in years ahead of his age.

His mind wandered off…

If mommy was still alive… Only if she was still alive, it would be good… isn’t it? He had viewed the visuals of his mother many times. And he got to admit that no one else was as beautiful as his mother. The fair white ceiling somehow formulated the visual of his mother again… Zzz… His sight grew blurry, sleepy he had gotten.

Sighhh… Right before he fell asleep, he gave off a long sigh. He then lost consciousness as fallen to slumber.

When Wei Yuan woke up, it was already midnight. He scurried to the kitchen and grabbed a quick bite. He peeked at his father’s room. The light was still on. Wei Yuan with a slice of vanilla cake in his mouth, dragging his steps in slippers, headed back to his room.

He prompted the program and logged into the virtual world after that.

What he intended to go was a long-abandoned training center for pilots. It was an accident when he discovered such a place. He found it peculiar as there was nobody back then. Skeptically he tested out the facilities inside and to his surprise, they all worked! The place had become his private training ground ever since. He spent his days doing tough trainings there. None of his mates would know the fact that bottomline shooting grade of his was a result of his tremendous handwork at this private training ground.

To his mates, he was just another lazy, laid-back person in the class, especially with his extreme low-profiled behavior in the academy. Nobody seemed to know his skillfulness of piloting. His appearance was average. An ordinary head, an ordinary shape of face, an ordinary physique, you wanted to know his charm? Hah! What a joke, his charm was ordinary too. No matter what angle you took to see him, he was easily overlooked as he truly was. Never once he had gotten a proposal or love letter from the girls, despite his age.

Living in his own world, he pursued his own dream.

And that isolated training center, was his very own world, his own kingdom!

He got to the lobby. It was empty as usual. Well, my own kingdom is claimed as my own for a reason. Forever alone, sigh! He shook his head, wondering what had gotten to his sentiments. Chuckled, he settled his thoughts and was going to start his training course.

He remembered that he saw some amazing visuals by YC lately. It was yesterday when he watched YC’s spectacular performance at the photosphere room. He never imagined one to be this potent.

Wei Yuan recognized his own strength in mech-combats that he barely practiced before. He never had the idea of trying it once. Being a trainee to the pilot academy, he was well aware the difference between reality and virtual world. Yes, close-ranged attackers were mushrooming on the virtual world, they were expanding their forces. Still, in reality, ranged attackers were at an absolute upper hand in a fight, since you only have one life there… No one would really gamble that one life using those suicidal techniques in the virtual world. You guard your own life, if you don’t, you die! Moreover, ranged attacking had undergone years of development and had matured during the process; unlike close-combats, the efficiency, the outcome of it still remained questionable to the public.

Nonetheless, Wei Yuan wanted to try the photosphere room once. Yes, those glowing spheres some people called it, would be something great to try out. Of course, he would not be doing the stance training like YC, he was going to train his avoidability.

The glowing sphere room was never a thing to him before. At the training center, he frequented the basic training room the most. The piloting of his was the outcome of the training. He believed, as long as he redid his basics again and again, they would never fail him in the future.

It was his first time using the glowing sphere room… Wei Yuan actually had no idea of its location. In the end he returned to the lobby and picked one of the interfaces at the pillars. Launching the terminal, activating the self-inquiry system to resolve his issues.

He booted the guide program, as names of several training rooms were listed. W-wait, what? Wei Yuan went astounded.

Occupied? There’s someone here? How?

He could not believe his eyes. Did I see it right? He rubbed his eyes and went to check it out again. Yes, there was someone! And that someone was occupying the glowing sphere room!

What’s the ID? How comes, I don’t even-

YC?

YC? … YC? Where have I heard this before? Wei Yuan had a gut feeling that he must have heard of this name before but he could not recall… wait… glowing sphere room? YC?

Ah! YC? Isn’t that YC the YC I saw?

He remembered!

Didn’t I just watch his visual last night? What a pig I am! He scolded for his silliness.

For one who logged on to the virtual world daily like him, no way he could not recognize YC. He might not be a mech combating maniac, he had at least witnessed some of the well-known battles YC did online.

The training center here, despite being completely abandoned, remained connected to the MPA. So if one would like to use the facilities inside, one got to perform registration. So Wei Yuan was not skeptical over the validity of this “YC” popped on the screen.

He was only intrigued that… how YC found this place? Was it also a coincidence like how I did?

More likely excitement brewed inside him though. It’s YC! YC you know! He’s the big shot of the virtual world! And is an assured ace of the mech combats! While the outside went bananas in search of YC the mystery, he was just right here, right in front of me!

Hahahaha! Today is my lucky day!

Without further ado, without hesitating, he clicked ENTER and prompted himself access to the glowing sphere room.

Chapter 182: Undercurrent IV

ven though he had seen the holographic recording last night, Wei Yuan was still deeply moved when he saw it in person!

He stood dumbstruck, without moving a muscle!

Marvel! An absolute marvel! He watched in enchantment, his mind empty except for the bright glowing circle, the glowing spheres and its vanishing fragments, and the barely visible shadows of the mech.

Training rooms could be secured with a password to avoid disturbing the user. Ye Chong had never made it a habit to do so, and that was why Wei Yuan could enter easily! Ye Chong did not notice him, since his training required intense concentration, and he could not afford distractions.

While he still could not break through the five minute mark, Ye Chong could feel that he was gradually improving. People had tried to incorporate normal combat skills into mech battles, and he was but only one of them. Besides, now that he thought about it, when he got into a fight with Instructor Hak, the instructor had used similar moves, which he did not notice then. Ye Chong was almost certain that Black Cove was miles beyond everyone else in this field.

Ye Chong knew his own strength. With his level, he was nothing compared to Black Cove, and that was why he was very vigilant against them. Nonetheless, he did not give up because of this. Even if he was meager in skills compared to Black Cove’s mech pilots, he could still feel himself improving bit by bit.

Mu’s suggestion to train this way, for example, had helped him tremendously.

Ye Chong no longer fought mechanically. The recording of the two combat experts on the Nast had helped him greatly. The moves demonstrated and the strategizing involved had deeply influenced Ye Chong.

Tissot’s battle moves were based on from the recording of the two combat experts. They were basic moves that those two experts used most frequently in their battle, and suitable for easy learning.

However, Ye Chong was not entirely unadaptable. Normal battles and mech battles were different, so he did not imitate the moves exactly, but modify them incrementally to make them suitable for mechs. As for whether these modifications could work, he would only know in actual combat!

Ye Chong could not control his body very well, and imitating the moves was not too difficult. However, maneuvering the mech to reproduce those moves was a different story. A slight change in movement could lead to a disproportionate increase in difficulty in maneuvering. Ye Chong finally understood why the basic moves for mech battles that he learned earlier were all so simple.

Fortunately, Ye Chong could move his hands very fast, allowing him to make Tissot execute the moves!

Ye Chong trained diligently. As he grew used to the maneuverings, his quick hand speed could finally be put to good use. The more he practiced on each move, the faster he could execute them. This was reflected by the longer and longer time Ye Chong spent for each training round in the room.

“I’m new to this, so plenty of training is necessary! Sigh, if only I can cure this strange illness in me, then I can find a planet to stay where no one knew me. As long as I’m careful, the chances of Black Cove, the Sanctuary or the MPA finding me will be very small!

“Then I’ll be able to do all the things I’m interested in, researching in mechs, practicing mech combat, normal combat, alchemy, make some skeleton mechs, I can even practice meditation …”

Lost in his thoughts, Ye Chong suddenly found that he had plenty of things of he wanted to do, though he did not have the time, and found himself travelling often. Life was a mystery, it was like an invisible hand was controlling him, ushering him from one place to another. In truth, after the initial excitement, Ye Chong was getting tired of this kind of irregular lifestyle, and even grew to detest it a little. However, he must always stay alert, since any misstep could lead to disaster! Compared to this exciting life, he preferred and even yearned the simple and innocent life on the trash planet!

Ye Chong got distracted and was immediately hit by countless glowing spheres. The round was over!

“How could I be distracted during practice?” Ye Chong mocked himself, but quickly gathered his thoughts to resume his training.

Wei Yuan was shocked!

Heavens! Was this guy human? All those so-called elites at school were trash compared to this guy! This YC’s mech piloting skills had reached the level of a professional.

Slowly, Wei Yuan began to notice something.

The almost solid looking glowing circle around the mech was gradually expanding outwards!

Yes, it was really expanding! Wei Yuan was afraid he saw wrong, and quickly called out his personal aide system and took a photo. About 10 seconds later, he took another shot. He used his personal aide system to calculate, and found that the glowing circle was indeed expanding outwards! Personal aide systems were automatically provided for each citizen in the virtual world, used mainly to assist in solving common problems in the place. It could also perform simple photon processor operations.

Wei Yuan could not help but grew excited!

For the whole duration he was watching YC, the glowing circle formed by the glowing spheres was limited to a very small perimeter.

Now, however, this perimeter was gradually increasing. This also meant that YC’s attack range was increasing! Wei Yuan was not YC’s fan; he was not excited because YC managed to achieve this! Wei Yuan was excited because he knew that, with the increasing range of attack, YC would have to cover a larger area with his movements. This was what he was most interested in!

Since Wei Yuan was most confident with his mech piloting skills, he also wished to see what YC could do with his mech! Perhaps he can even learn a few tricks from him!

Wei Yuan watched with his eyes wide, unwilling to miss a single detail.

The glowing circle was slowly but surely expanding outwards!

The glowing circle expanded, as it also grew dimmer and more transparent. Wei Yuan could now see Tissot’s figure more clearly beyond the glow.

As Wei Yuan suspected, when Tissot’s attack range grew larger, Ye Chong had to make larger movements to cover the perimeter!

Wei Yuan stared at Tissot, noting every detail he could find!

As Wei Yuan watched on, his face turned a few shades paler! If anyone were in the room with Wei Yuan, they would clearly see his clothes turning moist; after a few minutes, it was thoroughly drenched, as though he was scooped out of the water. Large pearls of sweat rolled down from his face along the neck, now gathering together and forming rivulets!

In the virtual world, Wei Yuan did not exactly feel hopeless, but he was definitely very much affected!

Now, he had only one question on his mind – who was this YC, a monster like this?

Wei Yuan did not miss any of Tissot’s movements, and that was why he was utterly shocked! With YC under the hood, Tissot moved like a spirit, like a machine come to life!

That was Wei Yuan’s first impression!

As someone skilled in mech piloting, he was of course aware of the illusion!

The longer he watched, however, the more he sweated, and soon he could feel the damp chill on his spine!

The mech moved so quickly, as if impact mitigation was not a problem! Wei Yuan had seen Tissot stepped back quickly a few times, like breaking the laws of physics. The effect was almost supernatural!

Impossible! He almost jumped at the shock of realization!

Backward movements were a taboo for mech pilots! The movement was damaging to the mech, and a great burden for the pilot! Mech pilots could die from the maneuver!

What exasperated Wei Yuan the most was that YC had not only done it, but had did it repeatedly!

Was this guy really human? Wei Yuan groaned inside him! While no person could actually die in the virtual world, the environment was still modeled based on reality. Any moves that could be achieved here was very likely achievable in the real world!

With that, another thought came to him. No mech pilot would execute this move that could damage his mech, unless the situation demanded it. YC, however, had made this move during training. Strange indeed!

Wei Yuan believed that YC was not a mech pilot that did not take care of his mechs – there must be some reason for his actions! Since Wei Yuan could not understand this, he filed it away for the moment.

Fortunately, he had already activated his holographic recorder, else he would not be able to study it later!

Wei Yuan continued observing!

He was more and more horrified. That guy had maintained his speed even as the glowing circle expanded! The faster a mech moved, the harder it is to control it. Wei Yuan would not have believed it was possible to move a mech at such a high speed in a restricted area if he had not seen it first hand!

Wei Yuan made a back of the envelope calculation of YC’s turning frequency, and the result was enough to make him even paler!

It was terrifying!

So this was the meaning of true strength! Wei Yuan’s attitude gradually changed throughout his observation. He now understood that, compared to YC, he still had a long way to go!

This change in attitude made him more humble, and now he was eager to learn!

With this change in attitude, Wei Yuan noticed more problems. Logically speaking, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. However, YC had moved mainly with curved steps, and rarely did he take straight line steps. If he had not seen YC made a straight step backwards, Wei Yuan might have guessed that it was because YC could not handle the force that came with this change in momentum, and chose to take curved steps instead. However, since YC had taken straight steps backwards before, this was obviously not the reason, since that kind of motion produced that largest burden on the pilot.

Another problem to solve then. Wei Yuan reluctantly filed away this question as well for another time.

As he watched on, Wei Yuan began to move out of his dispirited state, and slowly felt encouraged again.

This was because he saw that there was still hope left for him through YC. Throughout his training, YC had only used basic mech footwork, simple but executed quickly. The mech’s footwork was also comprised of only common techniques, only executed faster and more abruptly! There were no so called advanced level techniques!

Was this not the same for him? Wei Yuan found that he was actually very similar to YC in this respect! He felt like he could see himself in YC. He was not exactly interested in mech combat skills, but if he could learn to pilot his mech like that, that would be awesome!

While Wei Yuan grew absorbed in himself, Ye Chong had left the virtual world!

He was significantly less fatigued than last time. It seemed that Ye Chong was now stronger mentally! Due to his relationship with Robert, Ye Chong was treated as an honoured guest. Hence, Ye Chong did not hesitate to ask for servants of the Shang family to send him lunch.

“Ye, someone was watching when you were training!” Mu would only ever use neutral terms. If it was Shang, he would probably describe the act as peeping!

“Oh, who was it?” Ye Chong asked.

“Wei Yuan, male, 17 years old, current student of planet Richie’s Wei Lan Academy in Year One, Class 107 …” Mu had discreetly looked up Wei Yuan.

“Richie?” Ye Chong was a little sensitive to the place. Was that not his destination? What troubled him was that Wang Weixing would only return to the planet after about two months. As for the observer of his training, Ye Chong did not mind him so much.

“Hmm, the Shang family is a little weird. I must not stay for too long, best to leave soon!”

Ye Chong did not know that the Shang family’s weirdness was related to him! Of course, he was also not aware that the girl he licked that day was the daughter of the head of the Shang family. While Shang Lan was also there during that banquet, Ye Chong was busy keeping his head down and eating.

“You’re back!” Looking at the thin figure of his second daughter and her tired eyes, Shang Zhangming felt agony in the heart. Of all his children, his second daughter was the most reliable. Demure but intelligent, and a keen sense of people, she was the most authoritative figure in the Shang family, second only to her parents.

Combing her fringe to the side, Shang Yue smiled and said, “Yes, I’m back. The negotiations were successful! Nothing uneventful happened!” Shang Yue and Shang Lan looked very much like each other, but Shang Yue’s face was more balanced, with a tiny mole above an eyebrow, adding a charming touch that differentiated the two sisters. Shang Lan was like a fairytale princess, adorable and fragile looking. Shang Yue, however, was like an attentive elder sister, a mature lady that could read one’s heart.

“I see, go see your mother now!” Shang Yue was the most diligent in managing their family’s affairs, and that was why Shang Zhangming felt most regretful for her.

However, the thought of the incident with Feng’er made his brows knit tightly together.

Shang Zhangming’s expression did not escape Shang Yue’s notice, but she did not ask about it, merely dutifully acknowledging her father’s suggestion and headed towards her mother’s room.

“What?” Calm as Shang Ye usually was, she still gasped in shock when her mother told her about that incident with her younger sister, Lan!

Mrs Shang also wore a troubled expression. She had worried over this for the past two days. The rest of the Shang family were also tormented by the incident. Lan’er was everyone’s beloved little princess, so her uncles were all up in arms about Ye Chong’s behaviour, and would have gone to confront him directly if not for Shang Zhangming and his wife restraining them.

Shang Yue pondered over the issue before asking carefully, “What does Lan Lan think?”

Mrs Shang’s expression soured even further. “Sigh, it’s because we don’t know what Lan’re is thinking that we’re all troubled! We asked, but she never answered!” This was the root of the problem. No one knew what Lan’er thought of the matter, so none of them dared to make any moves against the cursed Wang Xing! What if, even in the slightest chance, that their princess took a liking towards this Wang Xing?

Mrs Shang’s troubled expression was mostly an act. She knew that her youngest daughter was always solitary and disliked socializing. As she aged day by day, this nature of hers did not change. Under the doting love of her elder relatives and her elder cousins’ care, she maintained an innocent heart. However, that was what worried Mrs Shang. Lan knew nothing of how the real world worked, and her solitary behavior had always made Mrs Shang worried for her future!

Mrs Shang had secretly arranged for many young and handsome men to introduce themselves to her youngest daughter, but every time without fail, her daughter would be scared as a rabbit, her fearful eyes a soft spot for all the older members of the family. This made Mrs Shang fret even more. All her attempts had met with failure, and Shang Lan expressed no interest in getting to know any of them. This was a constant worry for Mrs Shang!

However, that odd Wang Xing was now a sign of hope for Mrs Shang!

To think that Lan’er would invite him to dance by her own initiative! When Mrs Shang first heard of it, she thought she heard wrong! However, when she found out that Wang Xing had kissed Lan’er, she almost fainted. She rushed to her daughter’s room, for fear of Lan’er doing anything unexpected! However, when she arrived, Lan’er was pressing her face into her blanket, unwilling to talk, only moaning through the blanket. She had no idea whether Lan’er was really crying!

However, seeing that Lan’er was not doing anything dangerous, Mrs Shang relaxed, and could finally dedicate her mind to thinking about the incident. Her youngest daughter’s future worried her most. If Lan’er can find a man of her choosing, Mrs Shang would accept him as he was. For a wealthy family like hers, political marriages were almost obligatory! Mrs Shang knew this, and so had asked for Shang Zhangming to swear before their wedding that their children would have the right to decide their own marriage partners, free of interference from anyone in the Shang family!

For Lan’er to react so violently against this man, how could Mrs Shang not detect the cracks in her emotions?

This desire was also noticed by Shang Yue.

Shang Yue and Shang Lan were very close to each other, and Shang Lan would ever share her thoughts with her second elder sister.

After absorbing the news, Shang Yue’s heart finally calmed down. She swept her fringe and spoke steadily, “Alright, it looks like what’s most important now is Lan Lan’s thoughts on the matter. If we know that, the next step will be obvious!” Shang Yue had never felt so curious about a man like this. It was interesting that he could make Sister Lan react like that. If she was not about to visit Sister Lan now, Shang Yue would have headed straight to Wang Xing and see if he was actually born with three heads and six limbs!

Shang Yue came to Shang Lan’s room and knocked twice lightly as she spoke softly, “Lan Lan, it’s me!”

“Ah!” A tender voice came from within, and then some clunking sounds. Shang Yue could not help but smiled. The door opened into a tiny slit, revealing a pair of bashful eyes, looking carefully outside.

As expected, it was Shang Yue, alone. The door opened wide. “Second elder sis!” She exclaimed with a pleasant surprise, and leapt forward to embrace Shang Yue. Shang Yue held the little princess lightly in her arms, patting Shang Lan’s back softly.

After the initial surprise, Shang Lan’s glowing eyes began to mist.

“Second elder sis!” Her voice this time was closer to a sob, filled with unspoken grievance.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry, my good Lan’er!” Shang Yue’s motions became even gentler as she consoled Shang Lan. “Let us go inside and talk!”

…

“You don’t know how silly he looked like when he’s eating! Like he’s been starving for ages! I’ve never seen anyone eat like that in front of Daddy, not even Brother Ling!”

…

“It’s even funnier at the ball! When Third Elder Sis and Brother Ling, and Third Elder Sis greeted him, do you know what he said? Heehee, he said, what do you want from me! Heehee, I’ve never seen anyone so dumb!”

…

“He stood alone in the corner, bored, like everyone around him was from a different world than him, what a lonely person! For some reason he reminded me of myself, and I almost cried! Second elder sis, don’t you dare laugh at me! I was really sad back then, I don’t know, and I thought of asking him for a dance! I said don’t laugh!”

…

“His dancing is quite peculiar, looking so serious all the time, heehee, but he’s no good at it, he’s so rigid, like a rock! But his steps were all so precise!”

…

“At the end he threw me high up, and it felt wonderful, it’s like I was flying! His eyes were still so serious!”

…

“But in the end, he … He …”

…

After a long session with her sister, Shang Yue finally understood the entire incident!

Right now, all she wanted was to know more about Wang Xing. She believed she knew what Younger Sister Lan was thinking now; after meeting Wang Xing, she and her mother can then discuss on how to proceed.

Ye Chong was practicing meditation in his room. Mu had ascertained that the room had no surveillance in place – the Shang family probably would not dare to offend their honored guests!

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Mu warned, “It’s a woman!”

Ye Chong opened the door and saw a woman he had never met before! Ye Chong suddenly felt a wave of gratitude – luckily it was Mu right now and not Shang!

The woman spoke first, “Hi there, you must be Mr Wang Xing!”

“I am!” Ye Chong studied the woman casually. He quickly decided that the other party could not harm him physically.

The woman smiled and spoke warmly, “I’m Shang Yue, hmm, the elder sister of that girl you danced with that day, may I come in?”

“The girl I danced with?” Ye Chong thought in surprise. This woman had a completely different aura than that princess! The woman before him now had a calm steadiness, a quality Ye Chong had never seen before in a member of the opposite sex. While Ye Chong knew he was not good at faces, he was still quite confident with his intuition.

Ye Chong did not know why she was here, but he still stepped to the side and replied plainly, “Please!”

They stood face to face, close to each other. This suited Ye Chong – at this distance, if the other party did any sudden movements, she would not be able to avoid his attack.

Ye Chong looked straight into her eyes, and Shang Yue also did not avert her gaze. They looked at each other calmly. Shang Yue’s mouth slowly arched into a smile, and her tiny lips looked incredibly sensuous. However, Ye Chong was obviously unaffected, his expression unchanged since he first set eyes on Shang Yue.

Ye Chong felt that the staring was getting pointless, and looking at the other party’s expression, she did not seem likely to back down first. He decided to initiate the conversation. “Why are you here?”

Shang Yue swept her fringe lightly to the side. She knew that it was better to be straightforward with a person like him. “I’d like to know what you feel about my younger sister!”

“Your younger sister?” Ye Chong looked at the woman before him in bafflement.

“Yes! The one you danced with last night!” Shang Yue’s eyes shone with determination.

“What I feel?” Ye Chong confusion did not subside.

“Yes! What you feel!” Shang Yue repeated.

“Why should I answer that?” Ye Chong looked coldly at the woman. The unexpected question made him wary.

Shang Yue found herself speechless. While her expression was still calm, Ye Chong could still see from the way she swept her fringe that she was a little startled. This further convinced him that the other party was up to no good. However, he could not understand how it was related to his dancing with the girl last night.

Could it be because he danced with her? It could not be, she had initiated the dance.

Or could it be because he licked her? That was not very plausible either. Ye Chong remembered that the girl’s neck was completely undamaged! This was too strange!

Ye Chong was not aware of the severity of things.

Ye Chong’s rudeness offended Shang Yue, but her smile only grew sweeter. The mole above her brow looked enticing, and her exquisite profile was suddenly looking very attractive! Her eyes sparkled alluringly like stars through a mist.

Shang Yue stepped closer.

Ye Chong looked coldly at Shang Yue, waiting for her next move.

Shang Yue closed in on Ye Chong, looking up at him with bewitching eyes and spoke demurely, “Mr Wang, why don’t you tell me! I really want to know!” Her voice was soft and husky.

Shang Yue had never failed with this method. With her usual decorous demeanor, her transformation in character always managed to bewitch her targets. Shang Yue was intelligent, and rarely encountered situations that she could not overcome; she had only used this method twice so far.

When she saw Wang Xing at the door, she knew instantly that he would not be easy to handle. She opted for a straightforward approach, since she believed that she would quickly be ushered out otherwise. The other party was obviously not a patient man!

She did not expect him to face ignorance! That was what infuriated her.

With this method, she could still continue pursuing the question while checking if the man was susceptible to such approaches.

She was not without preparation. On her left wrist was an emergency beeper. Once she pressed on its button, the guards outside would come to her. After all, she was not inclined to be taken advantage of!

Their faces nearly touched, and Shang Yue’s breath kissed on Ye Chong’s face.

Her snow white skin and red lips were accentuated by a faint fragrant scent and that enticing little mole!

Ye Chong suddenly felt his chest burn inside, like something was stoked to life within.

Shang Yue’s vaguely parting lips were beckoning to him!

Without realizing it, Ye Chong moved forward and kissed!

Shang Yue was shocked! She did not expect him to really make a move! She suddenly felt a strong sense of abhorrence for him. To think that he was actually such a lewd person!

While she was shocked, she still maintained some composure. Her right hand reached towards her left wrist. Once she activated her beeper, she would be safe!

However, even in a daze, Ye Chong’s body still reacted quickly. He grabbed onto Shang Yue’s hands, his right hand quickly searching and obtaining the beeper. Ye Chong threw the item without looking towards the bed! The bedding was soft as feathers, and the emergency beeper sank into it!

He was still kissing her!

Wang Xing’s hands grabbed hold of her like steel roots, and Shang Yue could not escape!

With the tightly closed door and excellent soundproofing, she could not be heard even if she screamed with all she had!

“I’m done for!” That was Shang Yue’s last thoughts!

Chapter 183: Undercurrent V

his was Ye Chong’s second time in two days experiencing this chaotic sense of losing control! Last night he had licked the girl, and he could not understand why he had done that! It was like his body was moving on its own!

Ye Chong was heavily influenced by Mu, preferring to have everything under his control, especially himself!

Shang may have said that this was a natural response, but Ye Chong still could not let it go. Even if it was a natural response, he should still be able to overcome it, much like he did with negative emotions such as fear.

Last night’s state of mind made him feel like he lost control of himself, and that was unacceptable! Besides, he did not feel that that state would be beneficial to him, since it was obvious that his senses and response time were significantly impeded in that state! That was dangerous!

He stared at the moist, red lips before him, fatally alluring! Shang Yue’s face was as flawless as a jade sculpture, blushing lightly in a blossom pink. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with her breathing. Their faces were only centimeters apart, and Ye Chong could even feel the heat emanating from her face, and that mysterious fragrant scent!

A voice in his head urged him, “Kiss her! Kiss her!”

Ye Chong suddenly felt his mouth dried up. The moist red lips looked like an irrefutable invitation!

“No! I cannot give in like that!” The thought flashed past Ye Chong’s mind!

“Humph!” Ye Chong humphed coldly, his hands moved quicker than he could think, releasing the woman’s hands and pushed her at the waist!

“Ah!” Shang Yue gasped in fright as she was thrown precisely on the bed like a sandbag!

Ye Chong’s eyes were now crystal clear, but cold as ice!

Ye Chong was dejected inside, knowing that if he did not push the other party away, he would not be able to escape that state of mind! Ye Chong wished that he could suppress this natural response, like he did with fear. If anything frightening happened before him, he could still brave the fear and deal with the situation. This encounter, however, made him felt like he was avoiding the situation! Nonetheless, he still lacked the knowledge about this natural response!

Ye Chong was not inflexible though, and he did what he could to handle the current situation!

Noticing Ye Chong’s emotional imbalance, Mu console, “Ye, looks like you need to pick up some physiology!”

“Looks like it!” Ye Chong spoke with a wry smile. Ye Chong found that he was too susceptible to this form of seduction. If the enemy used this weapon against him, he would probably fall for it!

“That’s right, it’s only a weapon!” Ye Chong brightened up, and began to calm down!

While the down bedding was soft, Shang Yue still fell without anticipation into a confused heap. However, she immediately realized that it was a bed, and her expression twisted as her pulse raced. “Could he be thinking of …” Shang Yue’s expression became unreadable!

She began to feel regret. To think that she fell prey to her own devices! All her past successes had made her too arrogant! She was the real fool!

Shang Yue mourned inside, but recovered her usual easy composure after the initial fright!

Suddenly, Shang Yue noticed her emergency beeper just a small distance away from her on the bed!

Abruptly, Shang Yue felt her heart race again. Shang Yue repeatedly warned herself to stay calm! She must wait for the right time! This was her only chance of escape!

Shang Yue did not move, for fear of attracting unwanted attention from the other party. Wang Xing was now not only a lecherous person to her, but also a daring man! Did he not think of the consequences of his actions? Shang Yue had decided that if Wang Xing did anything improper to her, she would make him suffer!

She peeked at Wang Xing, but the diabolic guy was bowing his head as if in deep thought.

Shang Yue was overjoyed, but she still acted carefully, only barely moving herself towards the beeper. Wang Xing was still in thinking posture, and that made Shang Yue curious. From their earlier struggle, Wang Xing seemed to be a hasty person, why would he act so restrained now?

Was he finally beginning to feel afraid?

Shang Yue grew even more disdainful of Wang Xing. She had thought that he was a calm and talented person, but found him to be a terribly impulsive man! This was his true face!

However, Shang Yue also believed that as long as she could reach for the emergency beeper, she would be safe! “Hmph, I’ll show him then!” she thought.

Seeing Wang Xing ignoring her, Shang Yue was secretly pleased, and reached slowly for the emergency beeper close by! She dared not move too abruptly, for fear of inviting Wang Xing’s attention.

It’s close! Getting closer!

Shang Yue exhaled in relief as her fingers touched the emergency beeper’s wristlet, her fingertips feeling the soft quality of the wristlet!

Just when she thought the situation was finally under her control, her fingers suddenly spasmed! This was immediately followed by a thumping sound from her right.

Feathers flew up in an instant, falling back down like snow. Amongst the feathers, Shang Yue’s confused expression showed that she did not realize what had happened!

Her first reaction was to look towards Wang Xing, but there she found Wang Xing staring coldly at her with clear and chilling eyes. Shang Yue could not help but shudder!

When she finally came to her senses, she immediately reached out with fingers to search, but could find nothing but feathers from the bedding, her emergency beeper gone without a trace! A crimson droplet gathered into shape on her thin finger and dyed the white feathers red.

Shang Yue panicked, her face no longer composed, and quickly looked to her right.

A dagger went through the wristlet of her emergency beeper and held it firmly on the wall! The beeper dangled mid-air, but Shang Yue’s heart had reached the depths of despair!

Shang Yue felt an extreme sense of dread, and her face paled!

“I think, it’s better to speak like this!” Shang Yue lifted her head to his plain voice. Wang Xing was still standing where he was without moving, but his stare had turned colder!

Shang Yue could feel Wang Xing’s stare piercing through her like the edge of a blade!

However, cunning as she was, she sensed hope in the situation! She waited. Now that all her cards were on the table, it was the other party’s turn to make his move!

As expected, Wang Xing did not disappoint as he spoke plainly, “Let’s talk about why you’re here!” His tone allowed no disobedience. Shang Yue had also used that same tone before when she ordered her servants around!

She understood her situation, however, and replied crisply, “I’m here to find out what you feel about my younger sister!”

“Your younger sister?”

“Yes, my younger sister!” Shang Yue did not back down from her intention.

“Why?” Ye Chong’s voice was as plain as water.

Shang Yue briefly described Shang Lan’s situation.

Ye Chong may not be worldly, but he was sharp enough to understand the other party’s intentions!

“Are you all trying to keep me here?” Ye Chong asked calmly.

While she did not feel comfortable about it, Shang Yue braced herself and said, “Mr Wang, why don’t you stay with the Shang family for a while? We’ll do anything we can for you! I’ve heard that you have business at planet Windstar. The Shang family has some influence in that planet. If Mr Wang would allow, the Shang family would do our best to assist you in your business!” Shang Yue tried her best to make herself sound tactful.

“Oh, is that right?” Ye Chong swept an indifferent glance at Shang Yue.

Shang Yue braced herself. She sensed arrogance and a certain chilling effect from Wang Xing’s tone!

She understood now that this Wang Xing before her was no aristocrat, but more likely, an assassin! His strong murderous aura made Shang Yue shudder inside! Besides, she could sense that the other party was not intimidated by her or the Shang family. Could he have someone else backing him?

However, was he really more powerful than the Shang family? Of course, the thought only barely registered. She knew more than anyone of the Shang family’s true power! It was much more than what could be seen from the surface!

She thought that Wang Xing would be infuriated, but instead, Wang Xing merely humped coldly and spoke casually, “Whatever!” With that, he opened the door and left the room!

Shang Yue was left alone on the bed in a daze! What did Wang Xing mean by “whatever”? It was all too confusing!

Ye Chong wanted to leave the Shang family there and then. With the exception of Robert’s four bodyguards, he believed that no one could stop him! However, once Mu informed him of the sheer number of spies the Shang family had in the area, Ye Chong immediately dismissed his plan.

While it was not a certainty yet that the other party could keep him here, his abrupt leaving would definitely lead to an intense battle! Ye Chong had no intentions of attracting attention, but the only mech he dared to use now was Han Jia. If he used Guardian or Overwing, it would probably alert the Sanctuary and the MPA! These two forces were not what Ye Chong could deal with as he was now! Besides, Han Jie had never been tested in actual combat. Ye Chong had no idea how it would perform!

Hence, Mu’s suggestion to make his move at night was better! Ye Chong agreed. Han Jia was a full-skeleton mech; with its excellent anti-detection properties and the cover of darkness, leaving the Shang family secretly would not be a difficult task!

Once Ye Chong made up his mind as he wandered around aimlessly in the Shang family’s house. When he went back to his room, Shang Yue was already gone!

Wei Yuan sat before his desk with bloodshot eyes. He stared unblinkingly at the holographic recording on the photon processor, the recording of YC that he captured himself! He had not slept for an entire day, but he was feeling unusually excited!

Abruptly, he stood up excitedly, nearly slipping due to exhaustion! However, that did not dampen his mood!

He finally had a breakthrough studying his recording of YC!

Chapter 184: Shock

ei Yuan sat before his desk, staring unblinkingly at the holographic recording on the photon processor with bloodshot eyes. This was the recording he made of YC! He had not slept an entire day, but he was still feeling very excited!

He stood up abruptly, and nearly fell from exhaustion! However, that did not dim his enthusiasm!

Just now, he finally had a breakthrough studying his recording of YC!

Wei Yuan had natural talent in this field, often gaining unique insights from the mech trajectories he had seen. This helped him immensely with his understanding of piloting techniques. Even so, his innate talent did not seem to help much this time. This made him feel very impatient and exasperated!

Fortunately, he realized that those emotions did not help. Soon, he vanquished those emotions and went to work!

YC’s holographic recording was like an epic teaching material for mech piloting!

That inhumanly difficult straight line step backwards, for example, was executed expertly. Whenever the mech stepped backwards, Tissot would bend its upper body forward at a large angle like a bent spring, greatly reducing the burden due to the abrupt change in direction to be manageable for the mech pilot. However, Wei Yuan’s calculations revealed that the resultant momentum still placed a heavy burden on the pilot. Without a strong body, one cannot use this technique!

This was not difficult to realize for Wei Yuan. What bothered him the most was why YC did not preferentially use straight line steps, but opted for curved steps instead! Over the past 24 hours, he pondered on the question. Finally, his efforts were rewarded, and he finally understood!

From the beginning, Wei Yuan had made a mistake. He had chosen only YC’s footwork for analysis, and did not realize that YC’s steps were all made to coordinate his combat moves.

When Wei Yuan saw YC using curved steps to match his striking attack from a difficult angle, Wei Yuan finally understood! YC had sacrificed the distance in his steps for the movements of his upper body arms!

He grew more and more obsessed with the recording!

Soon, he began to develop a strong interest in this peculiar way of combat. With his solid mech piloting background, the battle moves he was learning now could not compare with YC’s way of fighting in terms of unleashing his full potential.

With his full attention on the holographic recording, Wei Yuan did not realize the extent in which the recording had changed him!

Night came, but Ye Chong received bad news. Mu had discreetly hacked in the Shang family’s systems, and was aware of their every movement. From Mu’s analysis, it seemed that the Shang family was about to do something with Ye Chong! For some reason, the Shang family did not send out their orders through the usual communication systems, and so Mu did not know the details. However, Ye Chong believed that the Shang family was definitely up to no good!

Ye Chong was not afraid of the Shang family; he was more vigilant against the four Black Coe bodyguards around Robert. As long as they did not interfere, he should have no problems. This was his initial thought, but what happened later proved just how wrong he was!

Ye Chong quickly deployed Han Jia. It was the only mech he could use for now. He did not let Mu out just yet. In truth, Mu would only make his move if Ye Chong was in a desperate situation.

Fortunately, Mu was not against helping in other matters. Ye Chong received the scanning results from Mu through Han Jia’s photon processor!

A dense network of red dots appeared around him, and Ye Chong took a deep breath! Really now, he was just one person! Besides, Ye Chong noticed that no one else was around, and even Robert and his group were all gone. He was the only person around in a 100-meter radius!

The mechs laying in ambush around almost made Ye Chong thought that someone else was coming! The squads of mechs patrolling above in the air drew intertwining lines of trajectories! The entire area was lit up bright as day with high intensity plasma lights that not even a mosquito could escape attention!

The Shang family was fast! Ye Chong realized that he had underestimated the Shang family! It was shocking to find that they could arrange something like this without any warning!

It seemed that a battle was inevitable! Ye Chong’s eyes grew colder as he gave a soft pat on the arm rest inside Han Jia’s pilot cabin!

Shang Yue watched the white-lit area with a complicated expression. This was the best vantage point, allowing her to see everything clearly. She was thinking about what Wang Xing meant by “whatever”, when she suddenly had a hunch that Wang Xing was leaving. His last word was spoken with great confidence, showing his lack of fear towards the Shang family.

She reported her suspicions to her father, but kept what happened to her in Wang Xing’s room a secret! All of the Shang family were infuriated. To think that the guy wanted to leave, just when Lan’er seemed to be harbouring feelings for him. For the Shang family, as long as there was a nonzero possibility of Lan’er liking him, they would not let Wang Xing leave! Wang Xing’s feelings were not an issue for them. “He must stay, even if only as a plaything for Lan’er,” Shang Zhangming had said. The head of the family even discussed the issue at length with Robert.

The entire setup was planned by Shang Yue alone! The Shang family was surprised at her large scale preparation. After all, he was only one person, how strong could he be? Fortunately, the Shang family had always trusted Shang Yue, and agreed to her plan!

As for Shang Yue, she still acted very carefully even though she did not know who had Wang Xing’s back. Her eyebrows knitted lightly, her expression unreadable in the darkness. Only her mutterings could be heard, “You can’t win, just back down!”

Robert was also looking towards that area with a quiet sigh, his four bodyguards standing like statues behind him! Beside Robert, Bai Linan’s expression twisted horribly. He bit down on his lower lip until it bled! He was forced by Robert to come here. Even as he wanted to warn Ye Chong, Robert’s presence did not allow it!

“Sigh, he’s a real talent, it’s just too bad …” Robert sighed again.

Ye Chong closed his eyes and placed his hands gently on the controls. His chest rose and fell quickly like a wind box as he breathed deeply. After a while, his chest’s movements began to steady, and Ye Chong’s eyes opened abruptly! His eyes scanned calmly around him!

It was as though Ye Chong was back on the trash planet, fighting for his life. The hunting game was a familiar one to him, only this time, he was the hunted!

He had entered into battle mode, feeling calm but a little excited! This was the perfect state of mind to be for battle!

The enemy may look like an insurmountable force, but that did not mean it was hopeless for him. Ye Chong realized that the other party was only trying to intimidate. They did not know of Mu, and would not know that Han Jia was a full-skeleton mech. Besides, this small battle range was the best kind for Ye Chong, and most suitable for a close range mech like Han Jia! How could Ye Chong not stand a chance?

Ye Chong did not like the Shang family. With the exception of the girl he danced with, he detested the others! That girl’s elder sister in particular made him wary. Ye Chong suspected that this plan by the Shang family was most likely due to her!

He will not make it easy for them!

Han Jia stood valiantly like a giant clad in silver armor! Ye Chong regretted painting Han Jia with this shiny silver coating, as it was simply to glaring under the illumination!

Ye Chong exhaled softly and made his move! Han Jia burst forward like a cannonball!

The Shang family did not expect Ye Chong to actually try to escape. To them, only someone crazy would do this! If he was planning to attack them as he escaped, that would be even crazier!

The orderly formation around him plunged into chaos in an instant!

Han Jia was a full-skeleton mech, with astonishing speed. If it could break through the formation, chasing after it would not be an easy task!

Looking at the scene, Shang Yue paled instantly! Even Robert and Bai Linan froze in stupefaction!

Ye Chong sneaked up on one of the mechs with its back facing him. This was a Kamenrache, an advanced level mech, one that he knew quite well. Han Jia moved like the wind. The others did not receive any warning signal, oblivious to the ambush!

What happened next was enough to chill any witnesses’ heart to the core – the mech was obliterated into pieces! Fragments and parts of the mech flew outwards in all directions, and at the center, a horrifying shriek came from a bloody mass of flesh! The black canine-tooth dagger held in Han Jia’s glimmering silver hand was like a sinister omen! The sharpness of the weapon surprised Ye Chong as well. It was truly the perfect weapon for assassination!

Chunks of flesh and blood stuck to the mech fragments flying outwards. The mech pilot stood no chance!

Ye Chong had stirred the hornet’s nest!

The communication channels were flooded with confusion. Everyone was looking on their photon processor for signs of the enemy!

How was this possible? The mech pilots of the Shang family were flabbergasted! If they could not pinpoint the enemy’s whereabouts, how could they continue fighting? Fear began to spread within their hearts!

“Do it manually!” Someone shouted in the comms, and the mech pilots gathered themselves. Yes, they were many, and the enemy but one, there was nothing to be afraid of! The thought of their overwhelming fear earlier made them feel embarrassed, but this feeling quickly turned to anger. It was all the damn mech’s fault! Everyone charged towards the mech!

Han Jia stood out like a sore thumb under the lighting, and they could find him easily!

Just when they were about to fire, however, they realized that it was easy to hit one of their own. The thought made them hesitated!

There were only three of them before him! If he finished off these three, there would be no one else to stop him! This was his and Mu’s calculation results. This direction seemed heavily defended, but was in reality the weakest part of the formation. There was a route about four meters wide for him to escape in front. Besides, the territory beyond this point was the most complicated, and most suitable for his escape!

However, he must first deal with the three mechs standing in the way. The faster he could achieve this, the better his chances were to escape!

Ye Chong could now feel the difference between Mu and Shang in their strategizing! Mu looked for weaknesses in the enemy through meticulous calculations, while Shang preferred to play with psychology. They were both effective measures!

Ye Chong ambushed the mech to create confusion, and so he chose the most terrifying method of wrecking the mech into pieces! Anyone would be severely affected by the sight of a mech being disembodied like that. If the mech pilot was a comrade, the effect would be even deeper!

Ye Chong’s strategy worked. Almost all the mechs were riled up!

Ye Chong kept his calm. He found that his meditation training had helped with his mental calmness. No wonder the Sanctuary’s mech pilots rarely made mistakes! It seemed that meditation was really useful!

Han Jia had no intention of evading the fragments from the mech. The silver glittering mech charged onwards through the fragments like a brave warrior! With its speed, battling with the mechs in front was inevitable! The enemy mechs readied themselves. They would have shot him if not for the fear of shooting one of their own!

Most of the mechs instinctively charged towards the silver mech! With the mech’s speed, it was nearly impossible to change its direction. Besides, the mech was almost surrounded in all directions!

Just when everyone thought that the mech could not escape, a most shocking turn of events occurred!

The silver mech bent forward like spring and moved backwards in a logic defying step! This surreal move was enough to make everyone freeze in shock!

If Wei Yuan were to witness this scene, he would definitely leap in excitement – it was exactly the same as YC’s straight line retreat in his recording!

Ye Chong was now moving towards the narrow area! He was delighted to find that the situation was better than he expected – of the three mechs situated at the area, two of them were heading towards him now, leaving only one behind! It seemed that he succeeded in moving those two to action too!

Han Jia’s sudden change in direction surprised the two mechs! Ye Chong’s eyes gleamed coldly, his hands now moving faster than before, looking like a shroud above the controls!

Everyone at the scene could never forget what they saw – the silver mech was charging straight ahead when it suddenly retreated backwards in a straight line, a movement that seemed to defy the laws of physics. The silver armor of the mech shone eerily – Han Jia was not quite done yet. Two mechs charged towards it at the front lines, and the silver mech swept past them like a shadow. Before anyone could understand what happened, the two mechs lost control and continued moving forward, carrying their momentum. Before they covered 10 meters, a huge explosion was heard, and two dazzling fireballs burned under the intense plasma illumination!

Ye Chong had stepped in an S shape, but the hardest part was when he attacked! The two mechs were very close to each other, and even with Ye Chong’s hand speed, maneuvering Han Jia to attack twice in a row had pushed him to his limit! Fortunately, his two daggers were sharp, or those two attacks would have injured him as well!

His extraordinary piloting skills and battle moves had shocked everyone at the scene, and even Robert’s four bodyguards had their emotions written on their faces!

Only one mech left!

Ye Chong looked coldly at the mech before him. This was a model he had never seen before, but it did not affect Ye Chong’s confidence! No matter what mech it was, he had to finish it off, or he would never be able to escape!

Han Jia moved so quickly that Ye Chong reached the last mech in the blink of an eye. His attack on the two mechs earlier had also caused this mech to freeze in shock! It was now in a exposed position!

It was as though Heavens was on Ye Chong’s side. The explosion from the two mechs he attacked had created a heat shock wave that pursued Han Jia like a fiery beast, swallowing Han Jia and the last mech both!

Everyone felt their visions blurred as the ground shook. They could see two mechs through the dust, but that shiny, silver mech was nowhere to be seen! When they looked closer, they saw that one of the mechs had bits of silver flecks on it. The sharper minds immediately realized that the silver mech was actually disguised. They could only guess which master had designed such a colorful mech that did not look quite metallic!

Beside Robert, the four bodyguards took on the entire scene, and one of them spoke up despite himself, “A full-skeleton mech!” His surprised voice made even Robert more interested in the mech!

The four bodyguards were extremely startled! However, they were Black Cove elites, and quickly recovered and exchanged glances. One of them vanished, while another two deployed their mechs and slipped into the pilot’s cabin, leaving only one of them carefully on guard beside Robert! Robert did not interfere with their actions, his eyes only on Han Jia!

Full-skeleton mechs were famed amongst the Three Forces! They did their own research into these type of mechs, but none had never successfully made one. Full-skeleton mechs were only a theoretical hypothesis, although each of the Three Forces believed that they could be built! However, it was exceedingly difficult, as shown by the thus far fruitless efforts of the Three Forces!

Full-skeleton mechs were easily recognizable due to their unique building material. This was why these four Black Cove men recognized Han Jia as one in an instant.

“I didn’t think this last mech would be so hard to deal with! If I don’t hurry up and finish it off, it’s going to be too late when other people joined in to stop me!”

Ye Chong grew nervous, and unknowingly began to use the moves that he practiced in the virtual world!

Han Jia began to move differently, the black dagger in its left hand aiming straight at the other party’s magnetic sword as its huge body twisted quickly like a spinning top, it’s right hand with the other dagger reaching for the mech’s neck like a poisonous serpent! The other mech’s pilot was apparently competent as well. Even though it was now in a passive position, the mech was determined, and shielded its neck with the shield on its left hand!

Ding! A clear ringing sound reverberated outwards!

Ye Chong rode on the momentum and spinned even faster, its left arm bent to slice the enemy with the sharp edges of its shield. It was a vicious attack – a direct hit would lead to severe consequences!

The mech pilot also moved decisively. The mech inclined its body and received the blow from Han Jia with its left shoulder!

A sharp metallic slicing sound was heard, and Han Jia’s shield, made of iron lizard scales, amputated the mech’s left arm, exposing the network of photon circuits within!

Just when the mech pilot thought that it had escaped death, he saw four tentacle-like things coming towards him fast as lightning, the sharp ends of the tentacles chilled him to the bone! The maneuver just now had pushed him to his limits, and his fingers now spasmed in protest!

Was he going to die here? He watched as the sharp tips grew larger and larger in sight, and he closed his eyes out of instinct. He held his breath, awaiting that final moment with a bleak heart!

A few seconds passed, but nothing happened. He opened his eyes in surprise, but saw that the other party was now fleeing ahead, slowly fading out of view! He did not understand this last act of mercy!

Did he not enjoy killing? The thought was preposterous – three of their own had died horribly!

He could not figure it out!

Ye Chong was about to kill the other party with his four thousand-segment-worm whips. This stubborn opponent was the enemy, so mercy was not necessary. Reducing the enemy’s forces was definitely advantageous for him – this was a principle of Ye Chong! However, it was not meant to be. Just when the sharp ends of the thousand-segment worms were about to reach the mech, Ye Chong heard Mu yelling, “Ye, run, the Black Cove people are moving!”

Robert’s four bodyguards were Ye Chong’s largest concern. Now that Mu said they were making their move, Ye Chong ran without looking back! If they caught on to him, he would definitely be delayed; once the other mech pilots recovered and joined in, even with Mu, he would be finished!

The four thousand-segment-worm whips returned to their concealed shooting chambers like four venomous snakes!

Ye Chong ran! He peeked backwards, and as expected, he saw two of Black Cove’s Cosmic Flares in pursuit. Ye Chong’s chest tightened, and ramped up Han Jia’s speed forward! If it was a usual encounter, Ye Chong would not be afraid of two Cosmic Lares. However, under the circumstances, even if there was only one of them, Ye Chong could not afford the delay in engaging it!

Han Jia and the Cosmic Flares were quick, vanishing in an instant. Just then, the Shang family’s mech pilots broke out of their trance and took to the air, following the three mechs!

As for the mech pilot who barely escaped from Ye Chong, he slipped out of his mech, revealing himself to the usually courteous and gentle Shang Ling! His face was now drained of blood!

Shang Zhangming was enraged! Even with so many of them as part of this setup, his single target had managed to escape, leaving three of his own dead. If not for Robert’s bodyguards, his son would have died! Robert and his men had seen everything, and this incident had proven to be a humiliation to the Shang family! Shang Zhangming was infuriated by the thought! Most importantly, if their deplorable performance this time made an ally like Robert lose faith in the Shang family, it would be a double tragedy!

Shang Zhangming could not help a rising sense of regret! Unfortunately, there was never a cure for regret!

In the darkness, Shang Yue’s expression was unreadable. It looked like one of joy, or anger, and but her tiny mole looked even more bewitching!

Ye Chong dared not break his concentration, focusing only on flying!

Han Jia was a lot faster than Cosmic Flare, and the complicated territory was very advantageous to Ye Chong due to his many experiences of escaping!

The two Black Cove mechs in pursuit were obviously new to task of chasing after a target. More importantly, they could not lock on Han Jia! Cosmic Flare’s holographic scanning system was useless against full-skeleton mechs!

Soon, they lost sight of Han Jia. The search around the area turned out fruitless, and they returned resentfully!

Ye Chong finally relaxed a little. While the thought of dealing with these two mechs had occurred to him repeatedly along the way, he had to quickly dispose of them for fear of the other mechs catching up to him. He would then be in a vurnerable position!

The two Black Cove mech pilots had no idea that they had narrowly escaped death!

Ye Chong could not rest now. He must quickly leave Richie. He had witnessed the Shang family’s influence on Richie when he first arrived!

The Shang family had kept Ye Chong’s connection to the virtual world in his room alive to avoid alerting him. They never imagined that this was an opportunity for Ye Chong to leave Richie.

Mu hacked the docking zone’s system through the virtual world and took over a starship with no one onboard. It was now docked behind a hill not far ahead! All Ye Chong had to do now was to reach that starship and head for planet Windstar!

With its location marked, Ye Chong quickly found the starship. This was a medium sized starship with complete facilities. It was also sufficiently fuelled to complete a few round trips to and from Windstar.

Once inside the starship, Mu took charge of the flying, and Ye Chong could finally fully relax!

Ye Chong slipped out of Han Jia, and before he could steady himself, the starship was airborne.

Less than five minutes after Ye Chong’s starship left Richie, all starships were banned from leaving the docking zone! The Shang family did not expect Ye Chong to be able to leave Richie so quickly as they organized their men for a wide scale search.

“F-58, how I’d like to meet with you!” A middle-aged man murmured behind a mask, looking at the holographic image on his desk. It was an image of Ye Chong.

Ye Chong’s holographic image and news of his full-skeleton mech had soon reached Black Cove. With Instructor Hak’s confirmation, it was determined that Wang Xing was F-58 that Black Cove was searching for. Intel also revealed that Wang Xing’s destination was Windstar, and so, a large squad of Black Cove mech pilots were ordered to head towards that planet. Their orders were to capture F-58 alive at all costs, and bring him back to Black Cove!

Of course, Ye Chong was unaware of any of this. He was now on his way to Windstar. He was the only person on the starship. They met with many starships along the way, and Mu had played the part of a trading ship from Richie to perfection. No one would have imagined that the massive starship had only one passenger onboard!

When Ye Chong saw Han Jia’s exterior, he finally understood why the Black Cove people made their move too! The heat from the explosion that came from the two mechs he attacked had melted the layer of silver paint on Han Jia. The shock wave that followed brushed off the paint from Han Jia, leaving only flecks of silver on it, the only evidence of its initial layer of paint!

Full-skeleton mechs were made of unique materials, and Ye Chong had used the best skeletons he could find to build Han Jia. It was no wonder that the four Black Cove mech pilots recognized it immediately. After all, full-skeleton mechs were what mech pilots had always dreamed for!

Chapter 185: September

here was a dojo called September on Windstar. From the outside, the buildings and walls looked aged, and its old-style architecture made it look like some tourist attraction or historical heritage. There was the occasional person entering or leaving the building, bringing life to the place. However, one could still feel the declined state of the dojo, like an aging beauty of old!

A young, thin man was standing before this dojo, looking upwards to the calligraphic dance of the words “September” on the building. This youth was Ye Chong. He understood the words, but he could not possibly gauge whether the name was a good one.

“Ye, this is the September Dojo!” Mu said.

“Hmm, it looks abandoned! Not many people go in and out of the place, must be a quiet dojo, just like what our information said.” Ye Chong said as he looked towards the main entrance of the September dojo.

“According to the virtual net, this dojo’s master refused to incorporate new elements such as the now popular mech battles. It was criticized by young people, saying it is too conservative, and could not keep up with the times. That’s probably why the number of dojo’s apprentices have decreased sharply!” Mu always did his investigations thoroughly.

“I see.” Ye Chong seemed to realize something from this.

“Hmm, this dojo does not interact with the outside world very much, and the dojo master is very close to the local governor, always under the care of the local authorities! Hence, I believe this is a good place to take cover!”

This was the result of a discussion between Ye Chong and Mu. Ever since Ye Chong realized that Black Cove had seen Han Jia, he knew that they would not let him go easily. Besides, he had told Robert that he was heading to Windstar with the four bodyguards present. If they could not find him on Richie, they would continue their search on Windstar.

The safest way forward now would be to leave Windstar for now and wait for the heat to die down before coming back. Ye Chong knew he stood no chance against Black Cove in a direct encounter. However, Ye Chong did not want to leave Windstar. The illness he had was the only thing restraining him now; only by eliminating this problem could he feel safe! Even though the episodes were getting minor, Ye Chong dared to be careless. Dying from this illness would be such a shame!

Ye Chong decided to wait for Wang Weixing to return to Windstar. Who knew when the doctor would be on the planet again? After some consideration, Ye Chong decided on the matter. As long as he hid at a suitable location and moved with care, Ye Chong was confident of evading Black Cove for at least the next two months. The next problem was finding such a place for him to lay low. The September dojo was the hiding location that Ye Chong and Mu decided on in the end.

“You want to learn combat skills from me?” Lan Yixing looked at the frail young man before him, feeling a little disappointed. From his physique, this young man did not seem suitable for combat. However, he did not want to reject him, as it had been long since anyone had asked to be admitted as an apprentice!

“Yes!” Ye Chong replied calmly.

“As an apprentice, the first year will be spent on menial tasks like scrubbing the floor, it’s hard work. This is to train the apprentice’s mental fortitude! All of these tasks must be done by hand, and not with any cleaning machines! You must do this for one year!” Lan Yixing reminded him. “It’s not too late to back out now!” Many apprentice wannabes backed off after this. With their current technology, cleaning tasks were all delegated to smart cleaning machines. Who would want to do the cleaning themselves? Besides, it was a full year of performing these menial tasks. The thought was daunting enough.

“Okay!” The young man answered crisply without hesitation. Temporary apprentices need not perform these tasks, since they were only here for short term training, and mostly for fun. Apprentices were different, and were the dojo’s true students. They were the ones who would learn the most! However, it was not easy to become one. An apprentice must go through one year or more of training and be approved by their masters before receiving actual classes.

Lan Yixing looked at the few temporary apprentices in the dojo, their dwindling numbers casting a gloomy mood over him. It was an undeniable truth that combat expertise was declining! He was deeply worried about passing down his skills. If this expertise was to be lost in history in his generation, he would never forgive himself.

“Alright! Let’s have you try it out first!” Lan Yixing said. He liked the down-to-earth feeling emanating from the young man before him. The only regret was his build. It seemed to him that the young man lacked the strength and stamina to reach the peak of this field.

A thought occurred to him, and Lan Yixing asked, “What’s your name?”

“Mo Fei.” Ye Chong answered succinctly.

That was how Ye Chong landed himself a place in the September dojo. He chose to be an apprentice and not a temporary one, mostly because apprentices must stay at the dojo. For Ye Chong, a suitable place to stay was key to avoiding detection. After all, he needed to stay here until Wang Weixing returned. Fortunately, Black Cove was not aware of his goal, or Wang Weixing would probably be captured and brought to Black Cove. In that case, his situation would be hopeless.

Ye Chong obtained an identity card once he reached Windstar. Information in the card on his identity was modified by Mu. While Ye Chong looked very similar to his image on the identity card, Mu had actually did some minor modifications on 13 important but inconspicuous parts. These modifications were small, but the effect was apparent. Even if another party had Ye Chong’s holographic image and access to the local population’s information database, they would not be able to find Ye Chong through an automatic query. Besides, Wang Xing’s identity information was left untouched by Mu.

No one would have guessed that Ye Chong could change his identity whenever he wanted!

If he could survive these two months, he would be able to meet Wang Weixing. That was Ye Chong’s only objective!

Lan Yixing was extremely satisfied with his new apprentice, Mo Fei. He worked hard with a serious attitude and never lazed around, unlike his other senior brothers who would leave whenever they were free. In fact, Lan Yixing had never seen him leave the dojo. He usually spent his time in his room when unoccupied, and did not seem to be indulging in any negative activities. With the exception of his overly cold demeanor, Lan Yixing had no qualms with his new student.

Lan Yixing’s knew that his other apprentices were no longer interested in combat skills, and he was helpless against this. Everyone knew that combat experts had no bright future, and he could only be thankful that they were still here with him! There was a time when potential apprentices came in hoards, which filled him with hope, thinking that combat experts were finally gathering interest again. Later, he realized that these people were only here because of mech combat. The realization was dispiriting. Apart from that, he found that most of the apprentices had no foundation in the area, even though they all wanted to shortcut their way to success, wanting to learn some cool looking but impractical moves. He was vexed. After much thought, he decided to ignore mech battle techniques, which caused most of his temporary apprentices to leave. Fortunately, he had enough savings to avoid financial difficulty.

Mo Fei was an inconspicuous character in the September dojo. He was always quiet, his cold stare giving off an unapproachable feeling. Besides, he never took the initiative to greet anyone, so none of them really noticed him. Nonetheless, they were pleased to see the silent fellow taking care of all the menial chores, relieving their burdens.

Ye Chong did not mind it. To him, this was only a temporary accommodation. Once his business was finished here, he would be free to go wherever he wanted. Besides, these menial tasks were nothing for someone like him, who grew up on a trash planet. He enjoyed this seemingly dull lifestyle, which offered him plenty of free time every day to learn whatever he was interested in.

The only regret was that the dojo had no virtual world access.

Wei Yuan waited every day, alone, in the NR Training Center, hoping to YC gain, but to no avail. YC never visited again. He was disappointed, and regretted being too absorbed watching his recordings that he did not realize YC had left.

The holographic recording was good teaching material, especially for people who could pick up things quickly. Besides, YC’s holographic recording had given him a direction to focus on, and with that basic training!

Wei Yuan panted heavily. While panting was impossible in the virtual world, the strain from his training still made him pant instinctively. He had improved, but was still a long way behind YC! He had used his photon processor to calculate the parameters of YC’s performance, and found them to be quite shocking numbers!

Wei Yuan did not give up then. As long as he worked hard, he would surely reach these new heights one day.

“Mo Fei!” Lan Yixing called Ye Chong, who was just done with mopping the floor. It was already nighttime, and most of the temporary apprentices had gone home, leaving only Ye Chong in the massive building!

Ye Chong stopped in his tracks and turned back to face Lan Yixing, waiting for his next words.

Lan Yixing knew that Mo Fei disliked talking, and so he continued, “Hmm, I’ve been watching you all this time. Usually apprentices need to perform these menial tasks for a full year before qualifying for instructions, but since you’ve done well in this period, I’ll make an exception and teach you some basic moves!”

“Okay.” Ye Chong replied. Ye Chong had never seen Lan Yixing perform any moves himself. Usually, it was a few of his so called senior brothers who did the teaching in the dojo. These senior brothers seemed to only have the looks but not the substance. If they met with a slightly capable opponent, they would definitely be defeated.

Lan Yixing spoke lowly, “Look carefully!” Just as he finished, Lan Yixing moved into position and began to perform his moves, one by one!

Ye Chong watched with growing amazement. He had seen many combat experts, and knew some moves himself, so he could tell a person’s expertise in an instant. This Lan Yixin was at least as good as the two combat experts he saw on the Nast!

Ye Chong watched with focus and startled to the core. The moves were very similar to many that he saw in the recording of the fight between those two combat experts.

Lan Yixing repeated the moves a few times, and sighed a little inside when he saw Mo Fei’s dazed expression. However, he still explained the key points and tricks to each move patiently to Mo Fei. Now, it was up to him to absorb and digest what he was taught. Lan Yixing did not expect much from him.

Ye Chong benefited greatly from this session. All this time, he did not have anyone to teach him, and could only figure things out himself. Lan Yixing was well learned, and had a solid foundation in combat. He explained each move with simple words that managed to touch the core of the subject, allowing Ye Chong to finally make sense of much of his earlier musings. Aside from that, Ye Chong learned many new techniques that he never thought of before.

Ye Chong’s experience in the field was immense, and he had always spent time analyzing combat moves. That was why he gained much from this session.

Lan Yixing repeated his moves three times before finally stopping.

“Alright, now you try them!” Lan Yixing said to Ye Chong.

Ye Chong moved slowly, attempting to mimic what he had just witnessed. However, old habits did not change easily. Despite his newfound understanding of all his combat moves, he still performed each move like he always did, barely replicating Lan Yixing’s moves.

Lan Yixing sighed inside, finding Mo Fei to be just as he expected – innately unsuited to the art of combat. The moves he demonstrated earlier were all basic moves, and the simplest ones. Most temporary apprentices could reproduce them to a certain degree after just watching him demonstrate once. Mo Fei, however, had distorted all his moves, even when he had demonstrated three times.

However, Lan Yixing was a responsible teacher. He stopped Ye Chong and pointed out all his mistakes, explaining the details of each one of them.

After that, Lan Yixing advised Ye Chong to practice often before leaving him be. Now, Ye Chong was left all alone in the training ground.

In the training ground, Ye Chong practiced those basic moves again and again, quickly losing himself in the training.

If Lan Yixing were to see Ye Chong’s performance, he would most definitely be stupefied!

Ye Chong moved swiftly, his fists a blur of movement across the air. Ye Chong was a strong fighter, and Lan Yixing’s instructions had allowed him to significantly enhance his punching speed and energy. Ye Chong found that his punching moves had reached a new level of speed! This was the first breakthrough for Ye Chong ever since he reached a bottleneck with his hand speed!

Speed was not related only to strength, but also technique!

This set of basic combat moves had now become a seamless combination of both speed and strength in Ye Chong’s hands! He now had a better understanding of how these two qualities complemented each other!

Unlike other people, Ye Chong realized that these seemingly basic move were the most effective for killing! He must be proficient with them as soon as possible!

Ye Chong continued on with his training relentlessly. Under the artificial illumination, his shadow flickered into and out of existence due to his quick movements like a dream!

Chapter 186: Brewing Storm I

ui Bing sat in the starship, looking out from the window to the starry skies, lost in thought! Even here, she sat up with her back straight in her white training garb, her long and dark flowing hair itself a beautiful sight in the starship. With the combination of a combat expert’s typical martial bearing and Rui Bing’s heavenly beauty, the effect was stunning. She had already dismissed at least seven groups of friendly strangers. Of course, a few of them were quite insistent, and Rui Bing did not hesitate to offer them a little warning!

These men, however, reminded her of a certain someone. A man that was as cold and composed as herself! Where was he right now? As she reminisced, Rui Bing’s ice cold expression finally transformed – her lips hooked upwards at the ends and her eyes softened, delivering a heavy blow to all the people who were discreetly watching her! They never realized that this beautiful sight would forever be engraved in their hearts!

They were close to Windstar now. Rui Bing was ready to disembark. She was invited to the planet. Planet Windstar was home to a few dojos, and the master of one of them was close to her father. She would not refuse his invitation to be a referee. Besides, she was curious. She knew that such matches between schools were common, but these events were usually on a very small scale. Even on Blue Ocean, where Rui Bing’s dojo was, there were not many dojos around, and the numbers of students were pitiful. Hence, it had been long since such a friendly match event was organized. Moreover, she had never took part in this kind of event since young, and so was understandably curious about it.

On the other hand, ever since her meeting with Ye Chong two years ago, she had not met a match. During her fight with Ye Chong, she had only discovered the tricks to her family’s more advanced techniques, and so she was defeated by Ye Chong. Now, she was no longer her previous self. The fight with Ye Chong had heavily injured her, but it had also pushed her to new heights. After two years of unrelenting training, she had now reached a new level, one that perhaps surpassed even her father’s!

She looked forward to seeing the professionals on Windstar, perhaps they would turn out to be a pleasant surprise!

WIndstar was a tourist planet. Thus, she was surprised to find so many dojos on the planet! Besides, she heard that there were efforts poured into developing mech battling techniques, something she was interested in. This seemed to attract more apprentices into the local dojos. As for the dojos that did not incorporate this recent trend, they mostly fell into decline.

Most combat experts were conservative to a certain degree, and Rui Bing was no exception. However, she knew that unless the field extended its scope to new areas, the end of combat dojos would be near in sight!

She did not have any huge ambitions like promoting combat expertise to society; she only hoped that her father’s dojo would not close down by her own hands!

Perhaps, she could find a way to keep her dojo alive! She mused. However, the thought of Rui Su’s worried expressions and her mother when she was leaving brought a warm sensation to her heart.

The ship entered the docking zone shortly after. She stood up and began to gather her things.

She took her luggage to the ship’s passenger lounge, and waited for the ship to dock. Suddenly, a pair not too far away caught her attention. They were a man and a woman, both wearing cold expressions. The man had a fierce aura, his body as athletic as a leopard. The woman beside him was tall with a similar build, her muscular body apparent under her tight-fitting outfit.

They were both dressed in black, and the people around them somehow kept their distance from them. This made them both stood out even more. However, what Rui Bing noticed was not that, but the aura they were both emanating. The aura made her uncomfortable. Rui Bing was an experienced combat expert, and was now even more sensitive due to her improved skills. It was not uncommon for her to have these explainable feelings.

Those two seemed to notice Rui Bing’s attention on them. The man in black glanced briefly at Rui Bing and ignored her. The woman, however, studied Rui Bing thoroughly, her icy gaze bearing a look of contempt.

Rui Bing did not like it, but kept herself composed. For someone at a level like hers, one was judged not only by skills, but also by one’s demeanor.

The ship docked, and the passengers disembarked. However, those two in black stood where they were, right where Rui Bing must pass to leave the ship. Rui Bing lifted her luggage and advanced. When she passed by them, all of a sudden, the woman shot her right elbow outwards!

Rui Bing’s eyes chillingly gleamed. Ever since she glimpsed the profound wonders of advanced combat moves two years ago, her six senses had greatly improved to a degree that even she could not fully understand. The sudden attack was no different than a direct frontal attack to her. Rui Bing’s naturally hanging left hand responded just as quickly, coming into a bend and greeted the opponent!

Thak! A soft impact was heard. In that instant, their elbows collided. The woman in black gasped softly and stepped backwards. Rui Bing, however, held her position. The man at the side stepped minutely to the right and reached for the woman’s waist. The woman landed safely in her partner’s embrace.

The encounter was subtle, and was not noticed by anyone nearby. The woman in black looked surprised, while the man stared coldly at Rui Bing. Rui Bing was undeterred, and stared right back at him. The man suddenly humphed coldly and supported his partner as they left the starship.

Rui Bing kept her features composed, but she was just as surprised inside. Her attack may seem like a careless attack to the other party’s elbow, but she had actually aimed for a spot that would numb that other party’s hand. However, while she managed to hit the woman’s elbow, the woman managed to make her miss her targeted spot. Besides, the woman in black was strong, almost as strong as herself. If she had not used a unique technique to direct internal energy, she would have stepped backwards just like the woman.

What surprised Rui Bing the most was the woman’s pure physical strength! Women were generally physically inferior than men, but the woman in black almost made Rui Bing doubt her gender! What power!

When Rui Bing came out of the ship, the two were nowhere in sight. In the docking area, Rui Bing quickly found her welcoming party.

Rui Bing dragged her luggage along to a middle-aged man with a heavily mustached face, wearing a brown jacket. She bowed slightly and greeted,”Uncle Hua!”. Uncle Hua was her father’s best friend who frequently visited her home, and Rui Bing recognized him instantly!

Uncle Hua spoke joyfully, “Bing’er is all grown up now! Uncle Hua nearly couldn’t recognize you! How is your mother?”

“She’s doing well!” Rui Bing bowed slightly and replied in return.

Uncle Hua laughed. “Bing’er is still the same as before!” He turned back to his apprentices as said, “This is your senior sister, Rui Bing, please greet her well!”

The apprentices behind him were all surprised to find Senior Sister Rui Bing that their master always lauded to be such a beauty. Their eyes glowed as they greeted in sync, “Senior Sister!” Their loud voices drew the attention of the people nearby.

Rui Bing bowed slightly and returned the greeting. “Junior brothers!” Her voice was as clear as before.

Uncle Hua’s dojo was the largest on Windstar, called the Tian Hua dojo. It was full of apprentices due to the dojo’s incorporation of mech battle techniques. There was even a mech battleground available. However, since mech battle was not a well developed field, this area was only open to apprentices with higher attainments. The weekly mech battle performances were a popular attraction, more exciting than what one could get from the virtual world. It was well received by the younger people, and many of them had joined the dojo after watching these performances!

Tian Hua dojo had flourished under Uncle Hua’s leadership. His apprentices did not disappoint – they were all skilled in combat, most of them could also pilot mechs, becoming Uncle Hua’s trusted assistants.

Tian Hua dojo provided ample facilities, and housed many apprentices. When they saw the dojo master accompanying a most beautiful lady into the dojo, followed by some rarely seen senior brothers, they all turned to have a good look. However, with the admonishments from their senior brothers, none of them dared to stop their practice, even when their hearts were no longer in it.

News of the arrival of a beauty in the dojo spread quickly. Soon, all of the apprentices were aware of it.

As for Rui Bing, Uncle Hua treated her warmly, and his apprentices all flattered her. However, Rui Bing’s cold expression never changed, like nevermelting ice. While Rui Bing did not express herself much, she still held herself with refinement, and never did anything excessive. This won the approval of the fellow apprentices.

Ye Chong continued his simple daily routine. Lan Yixing saw him as inherently untalented, but since he was willing to work hard, the apprentice was able to perform newly taught moves well enough the day after Lan Yixing introduced them to him. Hence, Lan Yixing would teach Ye Chong a few moves and techniques every day, and leave him be.

By now, Ye Chong had learned much from his daily instructions. His mistakes done before Lan Yixing were only for cover. Leaving the trash planet behind, he was no longer the naive young man that he was before. He always drew attention no matter what he did, and right now, that was exactly what he was trying to avoid. He could only hope that nothing went wrong until Wang Weixing’s return.

As he gained more insights into combat day by day, his mech battle skills had also improved. This was something he did not expect.

Nonetheless, Black Cove’s men must have arrived on Windstar by now. Ye Chong looked through the window at the drizzling rain outside, lost in his thoughts!

Chapter 187: Brewing Storm II

Martial Arts Tournament”, written on the invitation Lan Yixing received, of a paper-made traditional design looking all classy and sophisticated, exuding a hint of aroma which was calming to the nerves, though Lan Yixing was not as calm in his mind. He was the first to hear about this tournament, yet he was the last to be invited by the host. One could already imagine the amount of disdain exerted on this late invitation by Hua Tiankai himself. Well, can’t help it I guess. Lan Yixing might be an expert but he had rarely demonstrated his strength fighting with others. Basically, not many of the people were aware of his skills, especially after his September Dojo went permanently closed. It would be a miracle for those in the martial arts to remember his name in their mind.

The discomfort remained in his mind, as the pathetic appearance of his September Dojo lingered in his mind along with the glorious imagery of Tian Hua Dojo. He sighed, helplessly. The so-called tournament this time likely would only have the apprentices fighting instead of those masters of the dojo to prove their values. Naturally, the masters or the heads would sit back and watch, they would not put their fists and kicks into the scene. Well, that would be another gloomy news to Lan Yixing with those impotent apprentices of his. Of course he recognized their impotency and he feared it would be a mere embarrassment to have them there. “I’m turning this down.” Thought so, Lan Yixing made up his mind that he must reject this offer.

“I’m very sorry,” said Lan Yixing as he cupped one hand in the other, that etiquette of his from the ancient fighters was still a thing. “That I have a few personal matters to settle on that day and might not be able to attend the tournament. Brother, I am truly regretful to not be able to join the festival this time around. Please inform Mr. Hua on my behalf to express the admiration towards his determination as well as my sincerest apology.”

Ye Chong was engaged in the important task of wiping the floor clean behind Lan Yixing and his companion.

The person who sent the invitation this time was known as Hua Shangmei, the third apprentice of Hua Tiankai. His feature was demure, handsomely expressive. His nature was docile as respectfully he dealt with the people. A balanced proportion of body, with flexible limbs, both could clearly tell he was a potential material for combat-training. And his fame roared throughout the Windstar in between the few dojos he attended, which was not something to be overlooked of. Lan Yixing took a look at this fine man before him and he thought of his own apprentices… It was discouraging. And when he finally got a good material whose tenacity could withstand tough training, that material turned out to be rather mediocre. Extinguished, his burning passion. So he made up his mind, he would like to decline the offer to the tournament this time.

Hua Shangmei seemed to be not expecting rejection from Lan Yixing. He might have claimed to be occupied by some personal matters, but anyone could tell the mere sense of rejection between the words, especially a talent like Hua Shangmei. Well if the matters were personal to begin with, naturally it would be better for Hua Shangmei to not further question the person.

His tone was a bit grim, “It would be such regret to not have your appearance at our tournament this time. Well, it can’t be helped, if Master Lan is preoccupied. However if there were instances where our Tianhua dojo could provide assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We shall never reject your request!” Sincerity was filled in his expression. It was pleasing to the eyes.

Although it sounded like a work of tongue, Lan Yixing still complimented the person in his mind, he must admit that Hua Tiankai had gotten a great apprentice!

Lan Yixing walked Hua Shangmei to the gate. He seemed troubled the moment he returned. He got back to his room after giving few brief instructions on Ye Chong’s training.

Under the light, Ye Chong trained hard as sweat formed like downpour on his body. Under surveillance of Mu Shang, it would be impossible for one to have a peek on his training, which was relieving to Ye Chong as he trained harder.

It was Shang’s turn to take over the reception in his head. Fortunately, Ye Chong was the kind who would be extremely focused on his training or Shang’s motivational talk could become one of the world’s worst torments to mankind ever.

Ye Chong felt inspired ever since he did his training. Everything that had hardly made sense to him before cleared up for him out of sudden. He was naturally an expert in manipulating his muscle. However, with the better understanding towards combats he got from the training daily, his skills grew stronger! Ye Chong wielded the strength of a bull and he had mastered the technique to exert it efficiently, he himself too could not imagine how massive his strength had grown.

With the development in his strength, speed and skillfulness, he felt he had been reborn.

Regarding strength, Ye Chong held his own set of beliefs. The whole point of strength was always about timing. Applying one kind of strength at one kind of time, that was his knowledge about strength. Close-combats might be great, but it was a mere force in front of a mech, a machinery. A pilot could be regarded as mighty, yet the time he took to roll into his cabin was sufficient for a fighter to slaughter him a few times! If they were armed with weaponry like the heat ray guns, that would be even more offensive to make the pilot die a hundred times, although heat ray guns were not the ideal weapon to be armed with, considering its disadvantages like the problem carrying it and the attention it attracted before one even approached the target.

Then there was this part of fighting called “shooting”, his nemesis, a headache giving aspect of training. It was not like he was unaware of the efficiency of heat ray guns among the other ranged weapons, it was just … somehow he was born defected in this. He had tried practicing, the efficiency just would not go up in the end. At least he was fast, so it would still be challenging for one to lock on him with a ray-based gun.

He had overheard the exchange between Lan Yixing and Hua Shangmei, clearly. Despite that, he did not seem to intend to grab the spotlight of the tournament. This place was merely an accommodation for him at the moment. He simply did not compute the necessity in those apparent recognition since they would bring him no good than tons of unwanted inconveniences while alarming the foes. Hiding under the skin of a lamb, becoming the lamb in spite of those fangs, that would be the efficiency in life he sought after. Surprisingly, both Mu and Shang agreed on this!

Geez, how many light years must I wait before Wang Weixing came back here? Such a hassle!

…

“Anything?” A middle-aged man asked in his deep voice. Only if Ye Chong was here, he would be raising his brows as recognizing this menacing man being… Instructor Hak. He still was the ultimate leader in the case of retrieving F-58. The new order he got from the authority was to capture F-58 and have him back to the Black Coves. The catch was, the target must be unharmed, not even a scratch, by hook or by crook, which was indeed puzzling to the instructor. Even if F-58 turned out to be a skeleton artisan, he did not see the need of preserving him to an extent where he must be unwounded. As far as he knew, that would further hinder the capturing process.

The improvement this time was the kindness of the authority, as they allocated the instructor additional members in his team. Well, obviously they really wanted this traitor of Black Coves to return in one piece.

“Nothing,” one man in black coat replied coldly. He was the man Rui Bing encountered on the ship that day, the one with a female.

The mentioned female who fought Rui Bing before added, “We had skimmed through the residence record. There was no man called ‘Wang Xing’ discovered. We had also checked out the hologramic visual search engine and the result was negative. Windstar is a planet for tourism, traffics are heavy daily, which has brought us immense difficulties in identifying F-58.”

Instructor Hak was more troubled than before. This was because it would be far-fetched for him to perform a major search all over the place since that would alert the MPA as well as the Sanctuary. And the situation would go beyond his control he feared. Nevertheless, digging out a particular man from a vast planet, that felt like finding a needle in the haystack.

The instructor could not see the progress in this search. His headache intensified!

Instructor was not the only person irritated. Rui Bing too had a headache. The apprentices of Hua Tiankai had been outrageously attentive to Rui Bing and their master seemed to be closing one eye over their misbehavior. Ugh! And Rui Bing could not get worked up, she could not toss them into fracture, since Uncle Hua was there. She treated these apprentices like flies after the flood. In the end she shut herself completely in the room as she sat quietly with hands on her lap day by day. It was relieving that those apprentices were sensible enough to not act more intrusive than they had been. They withdrew themselves and Rui Bing was more than happy to see that.

And every time in that silence she dipped herself into, she would be reminded of that man, that feeble-looking yet wielding great strength man in an unexplainable chillness… And that lick, that moment when they exchanged strange gazes. Recalling that very scene, once again her face reddened on its own. A seizing embarrassment struck upon her. Imagine any of her acquaintance seeing her expression at the moment, they would be dropping their jaws, wondering if that was the icy cold lady Rui Bing they had been dealing with.

Luckily she could still have her meals in peace. When they gathered at one table with Hua Tiankai, the apprentices would behave themselves. Like on one lunch, every boy on the table acted like a little lamb from the pen. “Oh, by the way…” Hua Shanghai remembered something to tell from the morning, as he lifted his head and looked at Hua Tiankai, “Master, I had gone to Mr. Lan Yixing’s dojo to send the invitation.”

“What took you this long?” The master held his chopstick and looked displeased.

“Haha…” Hua Shangmei gave an awkward laugh, “I forgot… the September Dojo was a little inactive these few years that I could hardly remember if it was not of your kindest reminder.”

“Right. Has Lan Yixing accepted it?” asked Hua Tiankai, without a sense of blaming his apprentice’s forgetfulness. He himself too had vaguely remembered the existence of September dojo, though he had heard of Lan Yixing frequently before.

“Nope,” he shook his head. “He said he had some personal matters that day. I would not wish to impose on him.”

“Hmph!” Deng Chong at the side forced into the conversation, “Never mind if he did not want to come! Not like he is the only dojo in the town! His dojo was almost non-existent, no point even if he was here!” Hua Tiankai had 3 apprentices, the first being Zheng Zhongxing, the calm kind; the second being Hua Shangmei, the sensible kind; the third was none other than Zheng Chong, the hot-tempered kind, although he was the greatest fighter among them all.

“September dojo?” Rui Bing in her seat joined the conversation, “Could Lan Yixing a native from the September planet?”

The beauty had spoken! She had stated her inquiry! A perfect timing to flaunt your proactiveness! Hua Shangmei snatched the red button, “As expected from my senior Bing, you are also knowledgeable! Lan Yixing was indeed from September planet!” Hua Shangmei could be young at his age but he was experienced in this that he had already performed his own research before heading to September dojo. Regrets filled mind of the other two as seeing how their mate stole the attention.

“Well…” Rui Bing did not seem impressed as she had hardly laid her eyes on Hua Shangmei, facing Hua Tiankai she spoke on, “Then he must be from the Lan family of September, Mr. Lan Yixing my senior. I had heard from my father before, the uniqueness in control of muscles among members of this family. And this very senior of mine is the expert in this.”

“Oh…” Rui Bing’s statement was not within Hua Tiankai’s expectation. He hmmed. The meal ended in silence.

Hua Shangmei was summoned to his master’s room after the meal. He was in there for quite some time.

Hua Shangmei paid his second visit to September dojo. The September Lan family huh… he recalled the compliment Senior Bing made on the family. Thrilled, he would love to see the uniqueness in their skills. Well that was not his main purpose here though. There was something else in hand.

Hua Shangmei stood courteously below the platform. He did have the eagerness to test out this frail-looking Master Lan on his capabilities, but judging from Bing’s words, he should be an adept in the dark, a senior unknown to the people. Well, if that was the case, it would not be wrong to express some courtesy.

Lan Yixing was watching the message recorded by Hua Tiankai. And there Ye Chong was behind, being dead serious wiping the floor clean again.

Hua Tiankai expressed immense persistence in having Lan Yixing on the tournament this time, his hologram had addressed his formal invitation politely with all the buttering up words and admiration, which were totally incomputable to Lan Yixing.

He would like to turn this down too but… he could not, as there was one particular reason hidden in the recording he could not say no to.

Hua Tiankai stated in his message, that the tournament was not only an opportunity for exchange between apprentices of various styles, but also a competition between the masters. Of course that was not the point. The main point was there would be a huge amount of spectators that day and a majority of them were the trainees. The winners could have the chance to choose their own apprentices from the trainees! Certainly solely if consensus was made beforehand. And it was turn-by-turn basis, meaning the following winners could hit the ground picking their future apprentices only after the winner before had done it.

How could such condition not be attractive to Lan Yixing and making his heart race? Getting the right apprentice had always been the prime issue in his mind. And he could solve it once and for all if he won this tournament and picked the best ones in his eyes before the others. He would stand a better chance in obtaining actual talents to be under his supervision. There should be a few of them among spectators that many. Thinking about his problem in finding a successor, he accepted the invitation without hesitation. He was absolutely confident of his own skills.

Hua Shangmei peeked at Ye Chong on the floor. Wow, there are humans who still wipe their floors literally on the ground? That explains a lot. No wonder September dojo had been declining. The cleaners at Tianhua dojo had been long replaced by automatic cleaning machines, although Hua Shangmei was impressed to see Ye Chong being this calm and concentrated despite how trivial and annoying the job was.

Lan Yixing requested a few minutes from Hua Shangmei. He walked into the room after, leaving Hua Shangmei having his eyes focused on this floor-wiping boy, intrigued. Ye Chong, as usual did not give his attention to this visitor, he wiped on as if it would be the last thing he would do.

Few minutes lapsed and Lan Yixing left the room, he had few words with Hua Shangmei and, “Mo Fei!” he boomed.

Ye Chong flinched, wait, isn’t Mo Fei me?

He placed down the cloth and walked to Lan Yixing.

Lan Yixing passed him a piece of microchip, “Mo Fei, follow this senior to Tianhua and pass this chip to Master Hua, understand?”

Ye Chong shuddered, the worst thing he thought he could do currently was to head out, since that would put him under the risk of being exposed. But then, that was not the timing to refuse the order. He grabbed the chip unwillingly and mumbled, “Okay.”

On the way to Tianhua dojo, Hua Shangmei seemed highly interested in Ye Chong somehow, as he tried setting off a conversation. Nonetheless, Mr. Monosyllabic was monosyllabic than ever. He was not in the mood for idle chatters, he was all heedful of the surrounding. If anyone would go wrong, he would go first.

Seeing how indifferent Ye Chong was reminded Hua Shangmei of his senior, his respected Bing. They were so similar!

Ye Chong had been cautious throughout the way to the dojo. Nothing alarming had happened however, as he made to Tianhua dojo safely.

Hua Shangmei led the way for him and patiently introduced every part in the dojo. They passed the training field and arrived at the accommodation.

Hua Shangmei brought Ye Chong to the room and a strong wind blew!

“Look out!” screamed Hua Shangmei.

Chapter 188: Brewing Storm III

piece of shield of a mech zoomed towards both of them. It was rapid, it was stunning. Although the shield piece would be considered small for a mech, it had a diameter about 2 meters and it was wholly made out of alloy, which one could imagine its weight! One could tell the forcefulness in its motion by that piercing sound it made when slicing through the air. The piece could easily harm anyone in contact, be it a cut or a touch.

Judging by its direction, obviously it was aiming directly at the two men who just entered the accommodation!

Hua Shangmei was not known as a martial art expert with nothing, he reacted in extreme speed as he subconsciously exerted force on both his waist and feet, launching himself to the other side of the room, with the shield piece sliding through! The powerful air flow scratched his face. Holding the pain, he was not able to celebrate that close shave he dodged as his heart crashed down to the ground while he was in the air. “Damn!” His face was drained!

I’m done. That was the remaining thought in his head. Although he only took a glance, he estimated the weight of the piece quickly. An object with such mass traveling at such horrifying speed, its force was not something controllable with man force. If one ever got smashed by the shield, man, that would be like a pounder on a splat of meat. Hua Shangmei’s face turned paler in a whole new degree the moment he imagined how he could possibly be smashed with limbs jumping all around.

An expert like him too suffered a close shave, that janitor new apprentice from September dojo was probably going to survive at a chance less than zero.

The sound of the piece crashing roared throughout the ground. Veil of dust cloaked the entire place.

Hua Shangmei twitched as he feared the orientation becoming a goner in his hands… Now how was he going to explain this to September dojo?

He was still able to demonstrate his dexterity under such a drastic fall. If there were commentators, they were so going to compliment out loud. Hua Shangmei did not care if he was going to be rated 10 upon 10 for his spin, he landed with tip on the ground and twisted his body, setting off a gaze at Ye Chong.

The apprentice of September dojo with his name Mo Fei was intact! And the piece was struck into the ground nearby!

Hua Shangmei was relieved, his face regained vitality, although it was still paler than his usual look. At least it was not dead pale like the moment the crash happened. Doubts filled his head when he saw Mo Fei being alive, he was skeptical, “No way.” He couldn’t believe his eyes. No way he would have made an inaccuracy in that quick calculation of his. That piece should have hit where Mo Fei was judging by the trail it travelled.

But, but… why did it change?

Don’t tell me… it was him? He looked at Mo Fei escaping the mortal fate. The disbelief intensified. Did he do something to the armor? No! No. Impossible! The thought was declined straight away. Even if the strongest apprentice, the 3rd member of their brotherhood, the hot-tempered man could never shift the armor piece away without getting hurt!

Well, then what happened?

He wanted to confirm his speculation but that frightened face of Mo Fei reminded him how ridiculous his speculation was.

Technically, no one saw Ye Chong moving between the frames. He tipped the ground and dodged to the side a few degrees away. That blink Ye Chong made was so fast that it was indistinguishable, literally a column of afterimages! Ye Chong shifted to the outer layer of the shield, with his arms crossed and exercised his strength which pushed the shield tilting away from its former direction. He took that split second to return to the previous position of his and acted frightened. Well, it was all thanks to the techniques of execution of strength he learned from Lan Yixing or he would not be able to do it in such leisure even if he managed to push the shield away.

The frightened act though, was an addition out of a reminder from Shang. Ye Chong was not sure if his act was convincing to the only audience in the room though… Well, no time to care, he was more worried if that the crash would attract the Black Covers.

Hua Shangmei was not able to figure things out as everyone in the accommodation came flooding the place before he realized.

“You two donkeys!” He heard the third apprentice shouting on top of his lungs, “I did forbid both of you to do mech combating here! And both of you are here, training in the dark huh! Think we wouldn’t know? Now see what both of you have done! If anything goes wrong, you are so going to get sliced and diced by master!”

Oh, so there were two kiddos having combats on mech here? Really? Hua Shangmei, despite his good-natured personality, also had that desire to smack the two kiddos in the heads since their immature act almost costed his life!

Hua Tiankai, the owner of Tianhua dojo had showed up and he was all solemn and calm as Ye Chong saw him. Despite that, he seemed to be shocked by the crash too. If people would die in his dojo, one could imagine the impact to the image of the dojo. Well the two donkeys were imaginably skewed somewhere soon.

Hua Tiankai could be mad but he did not forsake his courtesy, as he folded his hands, expressing his apology, “It was my lack of discipline in educating my men that caused you such fear.”

“It’s okay,” flatly Ye Chong replied. Mo Few seemed to have recovered quite well from the impact before, which was impressive to Hua Shangmei.

Ye Chong passed Lan Yixing the microchip. “Now if you would excuse me…” He excused himself and headed back to his room to check out the content of the chip.

“Where’s…” Hua Shangmei saw everyone at the scene, except for Rui Bing, “Where’s Sister Bing? Have anyone seen her? How could she not come out even when a crash happen?”

“Sister Bing went out. She is not here,” explained Zhen Zhongxing.

Sister Bing…

Never would Ye Chong imagine that that Sister Bing mentioned by these men was that lass in white garb.

It was not long before Hua Tiankai came out of his room. “Thank you so much.” After making sure that his mission had been accomplished, Ye Chong Kindly refused the master’s lunch offer and walked home alone.

…

“Xuelin… Xuelin…” Xiu was at the outside of the room, her usually fickle voice was ringing excitingly at that moment. Xuelin was surprised.

The sound of furnitures consecutively falling alerted Xuelin. What happened? What if Xiu hurt herself? Did she fall from her chair? Xuelin got up immediately and opened the door to check her cousin out.

Xiu was by her doorstep, breathing heavily apparently. Her fair cheek was reddened by her intense movement. It took Xuelin a while to react towards this unusual Xiu’s expression, “Xiu…? Could you tell me what…happened?”

Xiu was still catching her breath. The running before had consumed too much of her stamina.

“Did uncle come back?” Xiu’s parents were transferred to somewhere far, far away for work and she was left at Xuelin’s home al these years.

“No!” she replied. Her eyes darkened and then was flaring of some kind of peculiar excitement.

“What is it then?” Scratching her head, Xuelin was wondering if this Xiu was an alien in disguise as she could not guess what she was proposing.

“Come!” she grabbed her cousin’s hand, Xiu led Xuelin all the way to the processor in her room. Where did the Xiu I know go? What happened to her today? Where’s that lady-like, suave Xiu? Xuelin was dumbfounded as being dragged.

Xiu took out a piece of chip.

“So, what is that?” Pointed at the thing in Xiu’s hand, that was probably the reason of her excitement.

“You will know once I play it,” Xiu turned over as she smiled sweetly in mystery.

She inserted the chip and the processor was prompted to project a visual. Xuelin turned stoned upon seeing the screen.

YC…? YC! This is a visual of YC! I had never seen the recording before! This had to be something new from YC! I remembered it! Xiu and I had bookmarked every visual available! This had to be the new visual! Did YC resurface this time?

It’s been two years! Xuelin’s mind wandered off to her past while her eyes stared at the mech dancing in the visual. After that earth shattering shock she received just now, she no longer felt any stimulation from her idol’s return, which she found surprise of herself on.

Two years were a duration to be considered long of, long enough to change lots of stuffs.

Well, how about myself? Her eyes turned dazed as her mind blanked. Somehow she heard somebody letting off a sigh in her heart. Reminiscing the times when she and her cousin got all hyped up over the mysterious YC, that bitter experience emerged form the bottom of her heart.

YC… that mystifying title countless times she had thought of. Maybe it was less unreal than the mystery of the whereabout of that cousin of Grandpa Qian namely Ye.

The corner of her lips raised into a wry smile. She shook her head slightly and shifted her sight onto Xiu who was all focused on the visual. That expressive eyes of hers somehow was depicting tenacity!

Sigh, did Xiu not yet realize that it was all nothing but a dream? Xuelin who had woken up from the dream was actually troubled from that bitter sensation of her past, even though she felt much more relieved.

Xuelin who was pondering did not notice how Xiu had already laid her glance on her through the eyes’ corner. She blinked a few times, there was something forming in her pupils which grew steadier.

…

Rui Bing was on the street. That signature white garb of hers was an eye-catcher, especially with her absolute beauty and her unapproachable charm. The passersby turned their heads almost at a rate of 100% on every occurrence. Rui Bing was not disturbed by that as the sight she gathered from the passersby was no discomfort, unlike the constant attention given by those hooligans of Uncle Hua, a total headache. She utterly despised their behavior. And she could not express her disgust as she concerned the pride of Uncle Hua, so she could only keep her fists and let the hooligans act on their will.

To spend her life better, she decided to leave Tianhua dojo with an excuse for the day. She strolled on the street. Windstar planet was a planet for tourism, the scenery was gorgeous, the landscape was unique and there were a variety of tiny stores at both sides of the streets selling fancy things. Rui Bing was entertained throughout the walk.

…

“No!! No! No!” Wei Yuan piloting his mech traveling at full speed to his school. He overslept this morning! All because of the training! He did it too much that he forgot the hours. The mech flew low as the mech was not really outstanding at its capacity. It was a really normal mech, of course it would be a losing match if Wei Yuan were to set off into the sky high to squeeze into the flock of other mechs. So he succumbed to flying low since one would be affected by the difficulties of complicated landscapes and be distracted by the buildings, which justified the drastically lower amount of mechs flying nearer to the ground.

That was not an issue to Wei Yuan with his superior piloting skill so generally flying low resulted in faster travel for him. Oh and there he was, at one road with form of 6 consecutive turnings, the most thrilling path ever of his day!

He did not decelerate. The mech advanced forward in high speed.

Oh wait! He remembered how YC performed consecutive curvy turns in his visuals. Such an opportunity to use it! Wei Yuan’s heart boiled in eagerness. That was actually the Black Covers’ Double Curved Steps, inspired by the 4 bodyguards of Mr. Robert. Ye Chong put it into the movement of mechs, though it was unexpected that Wei Yuan picked it up from his visuals. Wei Yuan was certainly a genius of some sort.

Wei Yuan however was not aware what laid ahead of him for his eager attempt of performance!

Chapter 189: Brewing Storm IV

en Hai carefully observed the surrounding. He was piloting a Cosmic Flare but he remained cautious as ever. The MPA, the nemesis should have noticed their whereabouts after such major activity from the Black Coves. No way the Black Covers could remain invisible after making such a huge move. So every Black Covers flew out with vigilance as they headed for their mission, fearing to be snuck upon by the MPA.

This was exceptionally true since there had been rumors that their group stirred up members of the Sanctuary a while ago. Sadly he was not in the position to demand that bit of information, the hows and whys were nothing he could know.

The movement was so massive that both MPA and the Sanctuary would be utter fools if they never noticed it. I seriously do not get what this Instructor Hak from Group F had in his mind when he launched this. Sen Hai was from Group B, naturally he was not under Hak’s administration. He was transferred since there was an insufficiency in the work force.

Sen Hai would never know the pain Instructor Hak had to bear. It was challenging and stressful for Hak to find that needle from that haystack namely the galaxy, especially when the needle could hide and squeeze into other haystacks. If without the cooperation of local governments, finding F-58 would stay difficult as ever. Certainly Black Coves were influential enough to convince the government into assistance, the catch was however, if he were to seek assistance from them, he would have to hand them the visuals of F-58 to be publicized everywhere – that would obviously alert the MPA and the Sanctuary, which further escalated the complexity of the situation.

It would be less hassling if there was only the MPA, but there was the Sanctuary too, where their relationship started to worsen at an alarming rate. He knew the situation much better than Sen Hai, the so-called “conflict” between the Black Coves and the Sanctuary was not a mere scratch on the surface. The counterpart lost 4 of their combat squads, it had been rumored that they even lost an ace from the fight while the Black Coves suffered the first ever dead serious fatalities all these years! Such fight had never been the case when they fought the MPA. The Sanctuary would not be resting just yet obviously.

The leader is a f*cking donkey isn’t he? Did his brain shrink that day?

And now Hak is stuck in a sticky situation where he could not even reach out his limbs. Dammit, of all men, of all tasks, they picked this and they picked me! And this very task required tons of work forces, I did bring tons of work forces as mentioned but seriously they could not even get a change from the price.

The biggest bewilderment was the identity of this F-58 he used to instruct. He was actually a skeleton artisan? Well maybe he snatched a skeleton mech somewhere on the road but no matter what it was in reality, this F-58 would be the sole source of information on skeleton mechs and we got to get him.

Hak had been rather dreadful of F-58 due to his outstanding performance back in Black Coves, which made the instructor fascinated enough to presume him as the strongest pilot ever in his group, especially that extreme speed of his hands, impressive and terrifying! And that capture he attempted after that… It was a few seconds where they both exchanged moves but the fear was never-before-felt. The accurate calculation, the reasonable utilization of the situation, the potent capability in combats and the fearless decisiveness, combining these elements would make F-58 the greatest pilot ever!

Hak had been replaying the scene that night numerous times afterwards and there were quite a few parts which he could never comprehend. He tried imagining putting himself in the shoes of those men but the conclusion he obtained was depressing. If he was there, it was in fact, either captured or slaughtered. There was nothing better he could have acted.

Terrifying… Such a terrifying monster!

…

Sen Hai was still in the sky piloting Cosmic Flare. He could be pissed by Instructor Hak’s arrangement, Instructor Hak could have zero involvement to his career in the Black Coves, he still tried his very best to execute the orders. The discipline in Black Coves was something to be drilled in the heads of the men, so stern that it was unimaginable for people outside, which justified his curiosity over F-58’s sudden betrayal. How could he ever survive without the Texturizing Solution? Sen Hai’s heart felt all heated up the moment he reminisced that odd sensation where the solution covered every inch of his skin, opening up the pores . Texturizing solution, the silver liquid would strengthen his body by maintaining the balance between strength and flexibility of muscles, allowing them to have parallel growth without breaking the balance.

After he had assassinated the target of his greatest spite 3 years ago, he offered himself to Black Coves, body and soul as it was Black Coves that gave him every of these. Each day he grew stronger but also more in daze? Sigh, what am I thinking? Such boring thought, like stop it! Criticized himself, his focus went back to the surrounding.

Wait… His eyes went large as they glared at the space-warping mech on the screen.

Double Curved Steps?

Of course he recognized the step after all these years in the Black Coves! Ye Chong never expected that that application of the step in mech was not the creativity of those bodyguards under Mr. Robert, it was in fact a common technique among the Black Covers! It was merely that he stayed at the Black Coves so briefly that he never was exposed to these techniques.

Yes, that’s right! It had to be Double Curved Steps!

Sen Hai affirmed to what he saw. Double Curved Steps do not restrict on the size of the curves, but it had demands on the pace as well as the rhythmic sense of it which differ from the usual turning he saw on other mechs!

And he had pinpointed one more fact, where Double Curved Steps were the combat technique exclusive to the Black Covers. It was not really difficult but no way one could imitate the steps without proper tutorial.

F-58? Was that you?

The code sprung in his head. Uncontrollably his heart raced!

Did I hit the jackpot today? Did the lady luck smile at me?

Is that you? F-58! Is that you!? He would not want to spend more time on figuring things out. For someone who knew Double Curved Steps, other than our men, it had to be that F-58!

0.1 second lapsed and he made up his mind – to capture, alone!

Being inside the circle, he knew the rules well enough – if he were to ever inform the authority, he would not be sharing any credit of it. The inhuman competition between the groups was also something unimaginable to folks out there. The time when he and Instructor Hak headed out with other mates, all of them came back either wounded or killed and everyone from the Black Coves knew it. So, no reason he should inform the authorities! If such merit ever laid onto his hands, he would be flourished! More advanced techniques, more advanced mech, more advanced position! His eyes tightened.

The most important motivation to his one selfish attempt of taking this slice of credit was the mech. Clearly one could say that F-58 picked an extremely substandard, cheap mech to avoid the attention, namely Volt mech.

The logic behind this decisive factor was how F-58 would be a fish in the net disregarding his amazing skills, as long as he piloted that cheap mech, he would be no match to the Cosmic Flare. Sen Hai could also imagine a similar situation if Instructor Hak were to pilot this metal piece and failed to escape the grasp of his. The capabilities of a pilot in the field would be determined by the capabilities of the mech other than his own skills! Although he was aware that F-58 might possessed a skeleton mech, well, would he have the time to switch into that then?

No!

The idea flashed in his head as quickly as he flew towards the Volt mech like a shooting star, striking the name of his mech – the flare in the cosmos.

…

Ye was returning to the dojo. He was walking on the street under the invigilation of Shang who continuously provided feedbacks of the surrounding. As being well-aware of the situation, Shang who had been the talker behaved himself.

At least there was nothing strange going on. Once he stepped into September dojo, he would be alright!

“Ye!” Shang’s voice came abruptly, “There’s a Black Cover’s mech ahead, seemed to be engaged.”

Engaged? In fight?!

Ye Chong’s heart skipped a beat. He recovered fast. If it was one single mech, he would be fine. Do we fight? Do I call Han Jia? Ye Chong was stimulated. Wait, they are fighting? If the Black Covers made it here, they must be here for me. Then why are they fighting? Were they warring with the MPA? His speculation was turned down by Shang immediately. It was not a MPA mech, rather it was a Volt mech.

Volt mech? That was just some junkish mech… Ye Chong was feeling odd.

The time taken for Ye Chong to get into the cabin of his mech was magically shorter compared to the other pilots. Whether there was the rope ladder to the cabin was not his concern, he climbed all the way up like a mutated ape. He rolled into Han Jia.

…

Weeeeee…

Wei Yuan was having fun making the acrobatic performance. Boom! He lost control as he began spinning.

He was not clear about the situation but he could deduce that his mech was crashed by some nonsensical driver! Utterly angered, he cursed, who the hell forgot his eyes when he piloted the mech? How the hell he got his license? He swiftly tapped a few switches, the engines were on. Volt jerked clumsily after a few tumbling in the air. The dizziness from the intense flipping lingered in his head.

Hmph. Sen Hai sneered. F-58 was weaker than I thought. He actually kept his position instead of taking the flow to dodge the attack, aren’t you a walking bullseye or something?

At this rate, it would be only a matter of one shoot to finish the foe off. But the authority ordered to capture this F-58 alive… and I should not be wounding him, well that was not much of a problem either.

The Cosmic Flare zapped to the back of Wei Yuan like a phantom. Wei Yuan remained dizzy and his outdated detection system could not detect the existence of this Black Cove mech in the dark. Wham! One more blow! The elbows of Cosmic Flare struck upon the back of Volt, causing Volt to land onto the ground harsh like a meteorite. Boom! The ground was hollowed.

The pedestrians on the ground scurried away like animals of a forest fire, only few fearless kinds lingered at the corner, wanting to witness the very scene. Fearless they might be, they still feared to head to the frontline.

Sen Hai landed by the hollow. He snorted, with this level of crash and that cheap buffering system of Volt, the pilot would not be protected into safety. The pilot must have fainted. Out of his carefulness, Sen Hai also destroyed Volt’s engines right before it crashed to the ground.

Volt was stuck into the ground, not moving in a bit. Sen Hai snickered in his Cosmic Flare. Of course he would not just be snickering, he flipped Volt over and withdrew the dagger, a few hushes the chest of Volt was scratched a square. The tip of the dagger locked at the center, one pick and the sliced armor went tossed away like a giant coin to the side.

Han Jia hid itself in the crowd of mechs at the side. He was confident to tell that the Cosmic Flare must be from the Black Coves, which was weird… A Black Cover usually would keep his or her firepower before the target was confirmed. They should not be launching attacks randomly. So who is that person in the mech? Why would the Black Cover aim him?

Wait.

“Shang, is there any other Black Covers around here?” Ye Chong got something in his mind.

“Nope, no other Black Covers were detected in the proximity of 50 kilometers,” asserted Shang.

“Good.” His tone was cold as blizzard as his hands started shrouding into stacks of afterimages.

The recovery rate of Wei Yuan was clearly beyond Sen Hai’s expectation. Wei Yuan was proud of his piloting skills the most, which justified the endurance of his body being stronger than most men. Moreover to protect himself better, he had already requested his father to modify the buffering system inside the cabin, well since he feared some accidents like these could happen.

Wei Yuan opened his eyes to see a giant mechanical arm reaching him gradually and was making a grasp round him!

Wei Yuan’s face was paler than a paper.

He might be a mentally stable boy but a boy he was in fact, being in his early adolescencee, how in the world would he have experience with being treated like a puppet in a crane machine?

Oh no! I’m doomed! His eyes enlarged. The world suddenly became slow in his eyes, as the palm came towards him slowly like the slow motion in movies. Right at that second when the gigantic hand touched him, he could hear a profound sound of crash coming from the outside. The hand was then withdrawn in shock like a serpent being stabbed.

Ah! Wei Yuan shrieked. The mechanical hand swept his left arm when it was taken back! He could hear the cracking sound of his bones! His face went distorted as droplets of sweat gushed over his head like lava into water.

Wei Yuan’s face had lost its colors.

Enduring the pain, Wei Yuan was more than convinced that he would be real done for if he did not make his move. He was not aware of the happening outside, but he knew this would be his only opportunity to survival! That owner of the mechanical hand who nearly captured him had to be some evil-natured kind. Anyone could tell from that huge gap he cut open on the mech!

Wei Yuan struggled his way out of the gap.

And he saw a scene where he believed he would remember for the rest of his life!

A mech which both the texture and color were ominous as hell was smashing that mech whose nearly caught him. And the techniques were obviously the type visible in Virtual World. His eyes went fully focused on the fight, burning with passion as he forgot the pain on his arm.

…

Rui Bing knotted her brows as she saw the two mechs fighting in front.

Well it was nothing to see two mechs competing for their silly pride from time to time, but it would be something if they were doing it on the street, in public! She despised that since such an unprofessional fight of dead-or-alive would easily hurt any innocents nearby!

Wait a second… That movement of the mech was very orderly… Interesting…

It was the first time in her life she saw a mech fighting in such style, which intrigued her to keep watching along.

Chapter 190: Brewing Storm V

he scene was all theatrical and majestic yet the audience turned out to be not as grand in number, as hardly few of them truly stayed back and spectated the entire sequence. The pace of the daily life had always been a race of time which would only keep accelerating. This is exceptionally relatable on a working morning where workers and students would head over their respective places in a rush – the peak hour of the traffic and people would mostly zoom above the sky right past the scene. There were few pilots at the lower altitude and negligible number of pedestrians on the street. With this much of action going on their working morning, anyone would shake their head muttering how this was too much for their Mondays and walk away.

Well, it was not stone age where a mech would be a luxury. Everyone could own a mech, even those armed with regular weaponries which were actually allowed by the government, till that line was crossed, where these weaponries were not used for self-defense, but to harm people. Government would severely punish anyone who abused the weaponry yet it had been an issue for them to do so. Performing weapon control was a hassle to begin with. Nonetheless as the government enforced the control sternly over the years, a pedestrian versus pedestrian with open fires like this was already halted quite effectively, compared to those chaotic years in the 5 major galaxies. It was a relief to the older generation as they reminisced those dark ages.

No doubt, the enforcement had something to do with the surveillance cameras they set at every corner of the city. The hologramic camera could monitor and record the happenings at the corners to assist the forces.

And due to this, it had become a habit for Mu and Shang to get into the surveillance system for Ye Chong, to wipe every frame containing him off the record.

It was beyond Shang’s expectation to see Ye Chong getting into action this quickly.

The pair of daggers in dark emanated the smell of death as they swung into two images striking onto that Cosmic Flare without a sound! Klink! The fist fell, then the elbow, the knees, everything collapsed like a rain of gears, as the loud rushes of clinking roared throughout the place.

Han Jia’s anti detection system cloaked itself in Cosmic Flare’s radar, which made Cosmic Flare a blind man being quietly slaughtered by an assassin from the back. The result? It was obvious.

Klank! Within twinkling of eyes, Cosmic Flare had fully transformed into a pile of junk with countless cuts on it. The fleshes oozed out of the wounds were a disgusting sight. Ye Chong never intended to spare anyone in battle, especially when the one was from Black Coves!

“Ye, why did you move? Don’t you think this is a bad idea? Don’t you?” Shang’s tone was inflated with disbelief when he thought Ye Chong would be the last person in the galaxy to commit such a novice mistake. All this while, Ye Chong’s behavior had been greatly influenced by Mu, being totally logical and analytical in the situation and that did not translate into such a reckless act from him today. This was never-before-seen.

“Oh? So my modification on you had started to work finally?” Shang’s pride in the words was awkward to Ye Chong.

“Mhm, maybe I was a bit reckless today.” Ye Chong regretted slightly himself the moment he withdrew that pair of daggers, since likely he was going to be revealed after the move. Could it be the spite accumulated over the endless time he was hunted by the Black Covers? However, this was a single player fight so Ye Chong was confident to finish him before the Black Covers could even notice. Then, that was not a painful mistake after all.

“So Shang…” As he thought of his unusual recklessness today, puzzled he asked, “What happened to me?”

“To be or not to be, that’s the question. But to finish the problem before you, that’s a better question!” Shang’s words were more puzzling to Ye Chong, it felt as if they had both switched places.

Well if he had done it, he should not be wasting time resenting it. The best solution would always be figuring on how to get to the optimal path of the situation. Shang was right, finish the problem before me, that’d be first. Hmph, seems like we could not spare the remnants either! He took a glance at the cluster of spectators far away, who were dumbfounded or even stoned. Ye Chong calculated his next move, he got to finish whatever he had to before they realized the situation.

If it was the Ye Chong years back, he probably would have annihilated the audience as well. But that was in the past, the present him would never do that.

At that moment of repentance where he could not believe how Shang could be more logical than himself, “Ye! Look at the back of your mech!” Shang shrieked.

Ye Chong was struck by his shriek. Am I getting snuck upon? Did the Black Cover call for backups?

He changed the camera to his back hurriedly. He took a glance. He took the second glance. He took the- “I saw nobody?” In the midst of confusion, Shang made a literal earth-obliterating statement in the history of Ye Chong, he howled, “Ye, look over there! It’s your Bing Bing!” The tone was dramatically excited and intensified!

Judging by the tone, Shang probably had detected some proclaimed “beauty” again, I guess? Sighed Ye Chong, though he had never seen Shang being so intense before. Then it should not be a beauty which he would be complimented on every female he came across in focus… Well, he only got this intense when he saw a Do-Kun stone?

Wait.

Bing Bing? And my Bing Bing?

“What Bing Bing?” asked Ye Chong, bewildered. Could it be also the name of ultra rare ore like Do-Kun stone? No, judging by his tone, it could be rarer! That has to be it, or why was Shang jumping up and down in the screen claiming that Bing Bing was there and Bing Bing was mine? Such weird wording…

The artificial indulgence shut himself up. A moment of silence and then he somehow rebooted himself to respond with an increase pitch, “Ye! Don’t tell me!” He could not be convinced, “Don’t tell me you even forgot who Bing Bing was!” Ye Chong could hear the clogging tears in the tone.

“Bing… as in… the outdated search engine? I think I had seen them on Trash Planet before. Or you meant ‘Bing, bing, bong, bong, bing, bing, bing’? You know I really hated politician speech, especially that one you forced me to watch right?” Ye Chong was figuring out as his mind launched a dedicated search program to find out the items related to ‘Bing Bing’, his eyes rolled over the scanning zone behind him. There was nothing interesting in particular other than those few spectators…

“Holy! Matrimony! My Fal! Galaxy!” Shang sounded like he was crying now… “Ye, how can you be reckless on things like this? You are missing out the best part of your life! And, man, I never knew you could be this heartless, Ye, that you could not remember the very first vict- I mean partner you licked, that girl in the white garb, remember? Did you forget it? Tsk, tsk, tsk, you are indeed a potential candidate to be the bad boy who played dope on girls. I could still recall the time when she asked for your eternal loyalty in marriage…”

Garb? The girl in her fair white garb flashed in his head. Her face was fuzzy but her garbs remained clear as yesterday, with that formal posture of her, sitting down. It was permanent in his head, a sealed memory in the drive!

White garb… white garb… The search program rebooted as Ye Chong mumbled the new keyword, his eyes wondered upon the crowd.

!

His pupils enlarged. I saw it! White garb!

Out of the blue, a strong sense of familiarity rose in his heart. It really was her! The fuzzy imagery of her regained its clarity in his head, with the charm, the sense. Ye Chong’s finger gave a tap on the control panel, the visual of Rui Bing was quickly enlarged before him.

She was still the same demure and nonchalant self. Her dark hair was long and smooth, her white garb was untainted as her personality. Her knotted brows… they seemed to be displeased.

Ye Chong carefully looked at this girl who remained in his thoughts for so long. It felt like time had turned back to two years ago where she asked him for marriage and he was innocent or more like… lack of awareness. His heart felt warm for some reason…

A while back Ye Chong took up an emergency Biology course conducted by Shang. After consecutive bombardment of information, at last, he came into senses of the workaround of this feeling and relationship. “Shall we move onto the other chapters?” It was fun while it was lasted, Ye Chong declared to shift his attention onto the more interesting aspects of biology such as the anatomy of human body as well as myology to study the dynamic of how his muscles could work better. And certainly it was silencing to Shang.

And it was this tuition class which allowed Ye Chong to understand how that lick he made was nothing but an act upon instinct of humanity, well, although he strongly believed that it would be essential to control and inhibit such intuitive act in his career.

Subconsciously, that peculiar aroma came into his nose again as the sight of her fairness reflected in his eyes. The tingling feeling of his tongue… Ye Chong’s heart raced, an urge to jump to her rose!

…

Ugh… Ugh…

Wei Yuan who was biting his teeth climbed out of the cabin. For a 14-year-old boy like him, it was quite rare to see such tenacity.

Mech combats? The intensive battle caught his eyes immediately. No, that felt more like a mismatch… One mech bashing up the other… That evil mech was now thrashed like a sandbag.

Ah! Screamed Wei Yuan.

Those steps! The steps he had learned through these days… That unique offenses… They were before him. Really? His eyes grew in size, fearing he was at illusion.

No! It is him! Muttered Wei Yuan, Oh my gosh! I finally met this guy!

YC! That strange-looking mech must be YC!

“YC!” Boomed Wei Yuan, worked up, “I knew it’s you! YC!” He waved his hands excitingly, Owwwwww… He somehow had forgotten the wound on his left hand.

Ah! I could not voice it… Ow ow ow ow! The piercing pain came form his arm. A slide on his feet and he rolled off the mech.

!

Ye Chong snapped out of his confusion as he regained control of the mech, even though he was finding the experience to be truly eerie. Such a potent instinct… that I lost control of myself so easily.

Ye Chong shrouded to Wei Yuan upon seeing him falling. He reached out his hands and grabbed Wei Yuan.

The boy had already fainted by then. The excitement triggered the pain in his fractured arm which sent his mind away as being torturing it was.

“Oh? Isn’t this the fella who peeked at you?” Mu and Shang shared the same databank, it would be natural for Shang to be aware of Mu’s investigation over Wei Yuan back then.

“Peek”, of all verbs, Shang chose “peek”, as expected from the artificial indulgence. So Shang-ish.

“Why did the Black Cover attack him? The member seemed to be striving to capture him alive,” asked Ye Chong.

“How the heck would I know?” Shang’s tone was carefree as usual.

Ye Chong took a look at Wei Yuan in his embrace but the observation could not give him a proper explanation.

“Ye, are we moving? Or are you planning to have a nice reunion with your Bing Bing?” teased Shang.

“Not mine,” rebutted Ye Chong. He glanced at Wei Yuan and almost dropped him to the ground. He got an idea. He tossed the boy to the back.

Wow. The pilot of this mech is crude… Frowned Rui Bing. He literally murdered the opponent in seconds. When did the security of Windstar turn this bad? People actually fight and commit murder on the street whenever they like now?

And she saw that boy from the rescued mech flying towards her.

What does he want? Rui Bing went alert. She saw the tumbling boy being unconscious. He would be the mud on the ground if she did nothing.

Coincidence? Or was it on purpose?

The boy inched towards in the air. Curses! Rui Bing scolded at the pilot in her mind as she positioned herself. If that jerk got out of the cabin, I am so going to toast him! The boy came quickly and she got to make her move. She spread her legs slightly and lifted both her hands at the height of her chests back and front. Till the moment her hands touched the body of the boy, she muttered and exhaled slowly as she exerted slight forces on her palms. Her top body remained still, her legs were backing off rapidly.

7 to 8 steps back, she awaited that timing where the inertia vanished, Rui Bing slammed the ground with her heels and ceased moving.

Boom!

Rui Bing was shocked by the explosion. She caught the boy yet her hands were shaking for once. That horrible mech had disappeared and the remnants of the black mech… all turned into flares…

What a plan. He actually remembered to destroy the evidence. Thought Rui Bing as she dodged the pieces with agility.

Han Jia performed the sequence in a whirlwind that it came so suddenly everyone was still in shock. Right when they got the situation, this happened. Those in the mechs were fine at least, but the pedestrians? They could not find any shelter technically. Most of them were wounded by the specks of the mech as well as the explosion.

“The hell is going on!”

“How could he do that!”

“This is satanic!”

Curses echoed within the street.

Rui Bing on the other hand, was holding the fainted boy, wondering what she was supposed to do next.

Ye Chong sneaked to the the far corner. Only after Shang confirmed the course being clear, he kept Han Jia away at a deserted place. With a thumping heart, he returned to September dojo.

What a relief. At least he would be safe for now.

“Ahem, Ye, you should learn from your mistakes as this is utterly irresponsible,” Shang sounded serious.

“But kekekekekekekeke… I thought of forgiving you since the fact that we saw your lovely Bing Bing today.” Laughed Shang naughtily, “A more important issue! Come, shall we gents talk about our Bing Bing? Hmm, tell me, Ye, what was your feelings back there? Were you excited? Or…”

Wow, Shang, could you leave me to “learn from my mistakes” now? I could be repenting wholeheartedly… like really…

Whimpered Ye Chong.