National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: If You Fall at My Hands Today, You Will Have No Future to Look Forward To

Sunlight poured down, illuminating that delicate, fair face and revealing a startling secret.

This was not the face of a man, but a young girl of only eighteen or nineteen.

She wore no makeup, yet her face radiated a natural, dewy tenderness.

Her pert nose was like a meticulously sculpted work of art,

and her thin red lips, slightly pursed, betrayed a complex mix of anger, panic, and shame.

”No wonder it felt so soft when I touched you earlier. So you’re a woman. That explains everything.”

Chu He’s voice held a note of surprise and strange amusement.

”You... you...” Ye Gucheng’s eyes widened in fury.

Those already round, doe-like eyes now looked even more lovely and pitiable. The outer corners drooped slightly, lending an air of innocence to her large, dark pupils.

Her eyes always held a sort of unfocused haze, which gave her innocent expression a somewhat vacant look.

It was a stark contrast to her earlier arrogance and aggression.

Chu He looked at the girl before him and couldn’t help but marvel. ’This face and the image of Ye Gucheng I saw just moments ago belong to two completely different people.’

’I can’t even connect that arrogant, aggressive Ye Gucheng with the beautiful girl in front of me.’

”Me what?”

Chu He chuckled, reaching out to pinch Ye Gucheng’s cheek. It felt as smooth and soft as a peeled egg.

”Let me go if you dare! We’ll have a proper battle! I still have plenty of secret techniques I haven’t even used!”

Ye Gucheng struggled, trying to turn her head to bite Chu He, but he held her fast.

She herself was baffled. Fighting Chu He, she had felt a sense of powerlessness, as if she were trapped in a swamp, which left her utterly frustrated.

Even though she was brimming with power, some quality within Chu He suppressed her to the point where she couldn’t move a muscle.

The feeling left her both furious and helpless.

Chu He looked at Ye Gucheng and said calmly, ”If I had sensed any killing intent from you, you’d already be dead.

You ruined my appointment ceremony today. I can’t just let you walk away without any consequences, can I?

Otherwise, won’t every Tom, Dick, and Harry think they can come and stir up trouble in front of me?”

With that, Chu He gave Ye Gucheng’s back a light pat, sending an invisible stream of Primordial Spirit Power into her body in an instant.

Ye Gucheng felt a foreign power invade her body, only for it to vanish without a trace, like a stone dropped into the ocean.

She hurriedly circulated her Spiritual Power to scan her body but couldn’t find the slightest trace of it.

”What’s your real name?” Chu He slowly let go.

”I am she who accomplishes all good deeds in this world. I am she who embodies the culmination of all its evils. I am the seven heavens entwined with the three great spirits of...”

At his words, a cunning glint flashed in Ye Gucheng’s eyes. She quickly retreated several steps, putting a safe distance between herself and Chu He.

Her other hand was fumbling inside its sleeve.

A moment later, another short sword appeared silently in her hand, its tip aimed at Chu He as a warning not to make any sudden moves.

”Speak plainly,” Chu He said.

”You are not worthy of knowing my name.”

Ye Gucheng said coldly, her voice filled with arrogance and disdain. ”I will only bestow it upon you as a gift once you have truly defeated me.”

Chu He ignored her provocation. ”Perfect. I’ve just become the new dean of the National Road Academy, and what the academy needs most are good teachers like you.

Though you seem a bit crazy, your strength is actually enough to qualify you for the dean’s post.

So, I’ve decided to hire you as a teacher at the National Road Academy. Room and board are included.”

Ye Gucheng’s expression flickered for a moment, but she quickly composed herself. ”You are but a pitiful mortal. How could you possibly comprehend my realm?

You may have temporarily defeated me today with some method I don’t understand, but give me one month. I will return with a vengeance and challenge you again.”

After speaking, Ye Gucheng gave a light wave of her hand, and the thin skin mask she had taken off used Magic to cover her face once more.

In a moment, the skin writhed, reforming into the face of the young man from before.

As if that wasn’t enough, Ye Gucheng stroked her face again. The skin mask shifted once more, finally settling into the features of a completely unfamiliar young man.

Picking up the sword from the ground, Ye Gucheng turned to leave.

But after only two or three steps, her body suddenly went rigid.

She whipped her head around to look at Chu He, her eyes filled with disbelief.

She discovered that her body had lost its connection to her Primordial Spirit, as if the two were completely separate entities.

But what terrified her even more was that her Primordial Spirit was now imprisoned within her own body.

The sensation was agonizing, and she felt as if she could lose her sense of self at any moment.

”This... How is this possible?”

Ye Gucheng’s voice trembled. She couldn’t comprehend how Chu He had done this.

”Nothing is impossible.”

Chu He slowly approached, each step carrying an irresistible power.

He stopped in front of Ye Gucheng and reached out, gently peeling off the skin mask, thin as a cicada’s wing, once more.

Though Ye Gucheng struggled with all her might to move, her body felt bound by invisible Chains, and she could only watch helplessly as her disguise was stripped away.

Chu He held the thin skin mask up to his eyes, examining it carefully against the sunlight.

The layer of skin seemed to tremble in the light, as if it were alive.

”So it’s an uncanny artifact. It can change appearance based on the user’s thoughts.”

Chu He murmured, ”Your identity and origins... I’m getting more and more curious.”

Seeing her identity exposed, Ye Gucheng dropped her pretense and reverted to her natural voice.

Her voice was clear and sweet, like the gentle babbling of a brook in early spring.

Chu He couldn’t help but sigh to himself. ’It’s a shame. If this girl were just a bit more mentally sound, she’d be perfect.’

”I am simply a heaven-sent prodigy.”

Ye Gucheng said it matter-of-factly, her tone revealing a lonely pride and an untamable spirit.

Chu He shook his head slightly and sighed. ”Ten years of youth pass in a flash. A maiden may one day become a queen, but to do so, you must first survive. If you fall by my hand today, you’ll have no future to look forward to.”

He paused, then continued, ”A true master always maintains the heart of a student.”

This sentence seemed to strike a chord with Ye Gucheng. She nodded in agreement. ”You’re right. You are indeed worthy of the title of Blue Star’s number one powerhouse.”

”So, can you tell me how you’re controlling my body?

If you do, I’ll tell you my real name.”

Chu He smiled faintly, as if he had expected her to say this all along.

He explained, ”My Primordial Spirit is what’s controlling your body.”

”My Primordial Spirit is far stronger than yours, so I can forcibly suppress yours and take control of your body.”

After listening, Ye Gucheng crossed her arms, a look of admiration on her face. ”I see. Your strength truly lives up to your reputation. My name is Xia Chengli.”

[Thank you to Boss Natural Disaster Lin Moyu for the 500 Book Coin donation,