Peerless Bodyguard of a Stunning Beauty-Chapter 51 - 45: Would Rather Be a Gatekeeper than the Sect Leader

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Rong said, "The competition has been moved up. We have to get down the mountain immediately."

"I know a shortcut that leads directly to the competition grounds," Tao Hua said, leading everyone toward a small path. As they headed down the trail, the assistant—the one who’d been bitten on the backside by a venomous snake—jogged along behind them.

The shortcut was much faster than the main road. In no time, the group of six arrived near the competition grounds.

Zhao Rong spotted Mage Yizhen waiting in the distance. He turned to Lili, Xuelian, Yu Lan, and the assistant. "I’m about to introduce you to the Sect Leader of the True Martial Sect, Mage Yizhen. Be polite."

Hearing this, Lili grew excited. Since this is the True Martial Sect, the leader of such an impressive sect must be majestic, tall, and incredibly strong!

Xuelian, however, was nervous. Every sect leader I’ve ever seen on TV was so stern and imposing...

Meanwhile, Yu Lan made a mental note. When I meet him, I have to be the first to greet him properly.

Just as the three women were envisioning a tall, handsome, and stern sect leader, a small, thin old man with a beaming smile walked over to them.

"This is the renowned Mage Yizhen," Zhao Rong hurriedly introduced.

Lili’s eyes widened in surprise. "Zhao Rong," she exclaimed, "isn’t that the old man who was the gatekeeper at our manager training center?"

Yu Lan’s eyes went wide as well. "Sir, you were doing a perfectly fine job as a gatekeeper. Why the sudden career change to Sect Leader of the True Martial Sect?"

Xuelian was even more incredulous. "Sir, are you really the Sect Leader of the True Martial Sect?"

Mage Yizhen just smiled. "To be honest," he said, "I prefer guarding the gate to being a Sect Leader." He had met the three women before during his time as a gatekeeper at the training center, so they all quickly grew familiar with one another again.

Seeing the three beauties had joined his side, Mage Yizhen said happily to Zhao Rong, "This is great. Our team has grown by three more members."

Hearing that the three women had joined Mage Yizhen’s team, the assistant decided he couldn’t be left behind. He hurried forward and pleaded, "Mage Yizhen, please accept me, too! Let me join your team!"

Seeing the assistant, Mage Yizhen paused for a moment, a memory from his gatekeeping days surfacing. "Young man," he said, "aren’t you the student who used to loiter by the school gate, peeking at the girls’ thighs? The one who would sneak glances down their shirts from the stairwell? What are you doing here at the True Martial Sect?"

Hearing about the assistant’s sordid past, Lili looked at him with contempt. "Wow. You look so honest, but you’re a total creep."

"If we’d known you were such a pervert, we never would have brought you here," Yu Lan added with disdain.

Hearing this, Xuelian made a firm mental note to be careful around the assistant from now on. Faced with their accusations, the assistant blushed and was too ashamed to even lift his head.

Just then, Mage Yizhen noticed a group of people approaching from the opposite direction. "Zhao Rong, Tao Hua, Lili, Yu Lan, Xuelian," he said, "we are a team now. We must stand united against Mage Erzhen’s team."

Hearing this, Zhao Rong felt a surge of confidence. When brothers and sisters are of one heart, their strength can sever metal. As long as they were united, they could surely defeat Mage Erzhen’s group.

But his confidence wavered when he saw their opponents. Compared to Mage Yizhen’s group of six, Mage Erzhen was approaching with over sixty people. Seeing such a vast disparity, Zhao Rong couldn’t help but gasp.

Mage Erzhen strode over and looked down on Mage Yizhen with scorn. "So, I heard you were forming a team within the True Martial Sect to oppose me? I thought you might have pulled together someone impressive, but I never expected it to be just a little dwarf and three women."

At his words, the crowd behind Mage Erzhen erupted in laughter.

"Mage Erzhen, don’t be so quick to celebrate," Mage Yizhen retorted. "My people may be few, but they are an elite force. Each one is worth three of yours."

Mage Erzhen threw his head back and laughed. "One is worth three? You’re basing that on the little dwarf in the middle?" His disdainful gaze landed squarely on Zhao Rong. In Mage Erzhen’s eyes, this short, skinny kid with an extremely low cultivation level was completely unworthy of challenging his disciples.

Hearing Mage Erzhen belittle the person she considered the strongest, Lili immediately stepped forward. "Mage Erzhen, don’t you underestimate people! In the competition later, your precious student, Wang Jingang, is in for a rude awakening."

Clearly, Lili was full of confidence in Zhao Rong. She believed that since he had beaten Wang Jingang once on the training center’s playground, he could certainly do it again in the competition arena.

Mage Erzhen just laughed. "What a joke. Someone who’s only a level-ten cultivator wants to defeat someone at level fifteen? You’re dreaming."

"I just reached level twelve yesterday," Zhao Rong immediately retorted. "Stop lowering my level whenever you feel like it, okay?"

At that moment, Tao Hua, standing beside him, suddenly remembered something. For six hours after a person emerges from the Cultivation Cave, outsiders are unable to perceive any advancements they’ve made to their cultivation level. This secret was known only to her.

Just as Tao Hua was about to tell Zhao Rong that he appeared to be level ten despite actually being level twelve, Huang Mao, a blond-haired young man from the opposing side, suddenly stepped forward to issue a challenge.

"Zhao Rong," Huang Mao declared, "someone at your level isn’t even qualified to fight my big brother, Wang Jingang. It’s like using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken. He doesn’t need to lift a finger; I, Huang Mao, will beat you until you’re crying for your mommy."

After speaking, Huang Mao thought to himself, I thought you really reached level twelve, Zhao Rong. Turns out you didn’t level up at all! Since you’re only level ten, this is my chance to shine!

When he had heard Mage Erzhen say Zhao Rong was only level ten, he had been overjoyed. If I cripple Zhao Rong, won’t I make a name for myself in the True Martial Sect?

And so, Huang Mao decisively jumped out to take Wang Jingang’s place.

When Zhao Rong saw that this level-eleven cultivator was challenging him, a level-twelve cultivator, he replied, "Kid, my cultivation level really is twelve. I don’t want to thrash you. You’d better go back to being a spectator."

Hearing this, Huang Mao just laughed. "Zhao Rong, stop deceiving yourself. Mage Erzhen just said you’re only level ten. Now, let me, a level-eleven cultivator, give you, a level-ten cultivator, a proper beating!"

With that, Huang Mao pounced toward Zhao Rong. As he leaped, he thought, I’ve been in the True Martial Sect for so long, and I’ve finally found someone with a lower cultivation level than me... I have to seize this chance and utterly crush him today!

Seeing a level-eleven cultivator challenging him, Zhao Rong sighed. "I’ve always fought people who were stronger than me. Now you want me to fight someone weaker? I really can’t bring myself to do it."

"Zhao Rong, didn’t you say you’re a higher level than me?" Huang Mao taunted. "Then come on, thrash me! Hit me!"

He sneered inwardly, I’m level eleven, you’re level ten... The second you come over here, I’ll beat you to a pulp.