Chapter 102: The Gathering Storm

After work, Chen Erpao tried to invent another excuse to tell Wang Xuemei that things were not safe lately and that she should stay away from school. Because his grandmother had strictly warned him not to let her know about the secret, specifically to keep her from being drawn into the whirlpool of conflict, he came up with a rather flimsy pretext. However, she adamantly refused, insisting that her studies were a priority. Besides, she felt she had nothing to fear or worry about as long as Chen Erpao was by her side.

Chen Erpao could not set his mind at ease. He ultimately decided to have the Ten Iron Guards provide close protection. Their strength had grown significantly following recent, constant skirmishes with the Hengtang faction; together, the ten of them formed a formidable force. Even so, he still wasn't completely reassured, so he had the Black and White Duo shadow her from the darkness. He knew the capabilities of the Black and White Duo better than anyone. With the top-tier combat power of the twelve of them combined, only a powerful duo like the late Liehuo and Feng Gang could have dealt with them effortlessly. Furthermore, the entire region surrounding Lingnan was now the heart of the Yi Sect's power, with both the headquarters and various branch halls located there; hundreds of men could be mobilized within fifteen minutes to reach any point in the vicinity.

For anyone to pose a threat to Xuemei, they would have to take out both the Black and White Duo and the Ten Iron Guards simultaneously within those fifteen minutes. Chen Erpao judged that even he did not possess such strength.

"Look, Brother Pao," Little Li suddenly said, pointing to several figures not far away.

They saw the Four Beauties, whom they hadn't seen for a while, still as stunning as ever. Before them stood several men who appeared to be confronting them.

Chen Erpao walked straight over. The men in front of him were clearly trained in martial arts; their temples were bulging, and they seemed quite capable.

"You don't seem to be from this school. Outsiders are not permitted to enter here at will."

Chen Erpao stared at the three men and spoke bluntly, only to be met with an even more insolent response.

The middle-aged man leading them cast a dismissive glance at Chen Erpao, his eyes filled with contempt. "Here is two thousand yuan. That’s probably about a month’s salary for you. Take it and get lost."

"Oh, that's a lot of money!" Chen Erpao deliberately put on an expression of delight. The men chuckled softly, their disdain deepening. The Four Beauties, meanwhile, frowned slightly; having spent so much time at the school, they had begun to sense that there was something extraordinary about Chen Erpao—that he was certainly more than just a simple security guard.

Chen Erpao nonchalantly took out a lighter and ignited the banknotes in his hand, leaving the men both bewildered and deeply enraged.

"I don't care who you are; please leave immediately. As a security guard for this school, I bear a sacred responsibility. I may like money, but I am not so easily bought."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Four Beauties could not help but cover their mouths and giggle. Even Nangong Yu, who was usually as cold as ice, revealed a faint smile.

The leader was furious, a trace of killing intent surfacing as he glared intensely. "Kid, do you know who we are? The consequences of angering us are more than you can bear. You’d better get out of here now, or you’ll regret it."

Chen Erpao recognized his accent as being from the Mainland. He immediately thought of the several Mainland factions that might want to harm Wang Xuemei. He hadn't expected to run into them so soon, which only made him more determined to make them suffer.

"Four beauties, were these hoodlums just harassing you? As the security guard here, it is my responsibility to protect your honor."

"You..." The Four Beauties changed expressions simultaneously, with Shangguan Ying even baring her teeth in a feisty display.

Nangong Yu, ever the ice queen, glanced coldly at the men opposite and said, "That’s right, these hoodlums were harassing us. Go ahead and throw them out!"

"And you'd better let them beat you until your head looks like a pig's," added the feisty Shangguan Ying, who apparently still held a grudge against Chen Erpao.

The men were now fuming, their eyes practically breathing fire. The leader waved his hand, and one of his subordinates immediately stepped forward and launched a rapid attack.

Chen Erpao looked at Little Li, who nodded in understanding and instantly stepped up to meet the challenge. Although Chen felt he was an unqualified mentor, he had still taught the boy quite a bit, and this was the perfect time to test it.

Little Li engaged the man in a fierce battle, while a second man charged at Chen Erpao.

Chen Erpao did not dodge or weave. He stared coldly at his opponent, causing the man to tremble involuntarily. It was the kind of gaze that could only be forged after being baptized by countless instances of bloodshed.

Though fearful, the man did not stop his attack, his massive fist slamming directly into Chen Erpao’s chest. The Four Beauties gasped, their eyes wide. In their view, Chen Erpao was certainly no simple man; while the opponent's strike was fierce, it shouldn't have been hard to avoid. What happened next left them in shock.

Relying on the first level of the top-tier "Niesheng" hard-qigong technique, which he had mastered, Chen Erpao’s physical resilience had increased several times over. The man’s punch caused no damage whatsoever, not even a hint of pain.

"Hmph." Chen Erpao let out a soft grunt. A massive surge of power erupted from his chest, and the opponent suddenly felt an irresistible force repelling him, sending him reeling back several steps.

"External martial arts, and you’ve reached a decent level of proficiency. It seems I truly underestimated you," the leader said, clearly surprised, looking Chen Erpao up and down once more.

"You are no match for him. Move aside, let me handle this." After dismissing his subordinate, the leader stepped in front of Chen Erpao with a solemn expression.

Chen Erpao could clearly sense the man’s skill. While better than his underling, he was still far from enough—not even on par with either of the Black and White Duo. Chen maintained a relaxed expression, which the leader interpreted as mockery. With a roar, he charged forward, his iron fists whistling through the air like a meteor shower.

"Taste my Thirteen Iron Fist Styles!"

Chen Erpao struck suddenly. Using basic military combat techniques combined with his incredible speed—fast, ruthless, and accurate—he made the movements simple and practical. The leader’s iron fists couldn't even graze the edge of his clothes. The leader was horrified, his attacks becoming even more desperate.

"Get down!" Chen Erpao barked. Spotting an opening, his hands darted out like dragons. With a simple shoulder throw, he sent the man crashing heavily to the ground.

The leader, pained and enraged, slammed his hands against the ground to spring back up. But before he could recover, the command "Get down" hit his ears again, followed by a swift leg strike.

With a loud thud, the leader was once again sent sprawling to the ground, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.