"I am..."
Ugh, awkward.
Ye Chen honestly had no idea what his status was in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
He'd been brought in by Chen Xin, and he had just turned down the offer to become his disciple. Technically, he had no official relationship with the sect at all.
"You're a thief!"
Before Ye Chen could figure out how to explain himself, a cute little girl suddenly screamed at him, and then—bam!—everything went dark.
She tackled him to the ground like a miniature storm.
Climbing onto his back, she pinned his hands behind him, mimicking the moves of a well-trained officer catching a fugitive.
"Whoa, wait! I'm not a thief—at least hear me out!"
Ye Chen was speechless. How could such a tiny girl be so fierce? Had no one told her that a little grace could go a long way? That being ladylike might help people like her more?
"Hmph! If you're not a thief, then what are you? I've never seen you around here before!" she huffed. "Don't even try to lie—I'm not that easy to fool!"
Realizing her current hold might not be effective enough, she wrapped her legs around Ye Chen's waist with surprising strength, locking him in place like a tiny python.
"I was brought in by your Sword Grandpa himself! You better let me go before I get serious."
"You liar! Grandpa Sword always comes back alone—why would he bring you?"
Her round cheeks puffed up in anger as she tightened her grip.
Ye Chen sighed. Technically, she wasn't wrong. But he wasn't lying either.
"You're really not going to let go?"
"Nope!"
"Fine, you asked for it."
With a deep breath, Ye Chen activated his soul power. Strength surged through his limbs, and with a bit of effort, he broke free of her grip.
He pushed himself up—only for the girl to yelp in surprise as she was flung upward, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist again.
"Oof—what the hell?!"
Her grip was surprisingly strong, and her body weight pressed down hard on his chest. Ye Chen struggled to breathe, let alone pry her hands off his neck. He couldn't use full force either—she was still a child, after all.
To make matters worse, the girl suddenly released a burst of soul power—at least level 7 or 8!—making it even harder for Ye Chen to escape.
In no time, both of them tumbled to the ground again.
One trying to flee, the other determined to capture—the result: a full-on wrestling match in the dirt.
Despite her young age, the girl showed zero ladylike restraint. She clung to him like a burr, hopping on his back, grabbing his leg, locking his arms—every strange pose you could think of, she nailed it. And Ye Chen, bound by morality and caution, couldn't go full force on her.
"Let go already! I'm suffocating here!"
"No! You thief—you dared fight back! Just wait till Grandpa Sword comes back and breaks your legs!"
"I swear to god—!"
Ye Chen was fuming. He hadn't done anything wrong! How did he end up in this ridiculous mess?
Just then, a teasing voice came from the doorway.
"Well well, what are you two little ones doing rolling around like that? Save the honeymoon suite for when you're older."
The girl froze.
Immediately, she let go and scrambled to her feet, cheeks flushed red.
"Cough, thank you, senior," Ye Chen gasped. "If you hadn't stepped in, I might've died right here."
He glanced at the girl, still pouting and clearly embarrassed. This girl… fierce like a tiger cub. Who's the poor soul who'll marry her in the future?
"Haha! No need to thank me. That's my little disciple. She's got spirit, I'll give her that," the elder said with a chuckle.
He was tall but scrawny, eyes deep-set like dried-out wells, and had only a few strands of hair left. A truly unique look. Ye Chen immediately recognized him—this must be Bone Douluo, the other Title Douluo of the sect!
Wait… disciple? Rongrong?
Ye Chen's face fell.
At that moment, the system's voice chimed in:
> [Congratulations! You have successfully taken Bone Douluo as your master. Goddess Sign-In Task completed. Soul cultivation speed increased by 100%!]
"No, wait! System—can I cancel this task?!"
Ye Chen panicked. If he remembered correctly, completing a "Goddess Sign-In Task" meant the target—Rongrong—would develop an overwhelming affection toward him. Like, head-over-heels in love, to an extreme degree.
> [Completed Sign-In tasks cannot be cancelled.]
"Damn it…"
He gulped and slowly turned toward Ning Rongrong.
Just as he feared, her anger had completely vanished. Her eyes were now filled with an innocent, pure love—staring right at him.
Ye Chen's cheeks turned red. As a lifelong single guy, he was completely unprepared for this level of attention—even if she was a mini wildcat.
"What are you spacing out for, dummy?" Rongrong nudged him. "Grandpa Bone just accepted you—aren't you going to pay your respects?"
Though she still sounded a bit annoyed, her tone had softened noticeably. She even looked… shy?
"What's gotten into this girl?" Bone Douluo muttered. "She's never acted this sweet before…"
He and Chen Xin had always treated Rongrong like their own granddaughter. But now, seeing her look at Ye Chen like that… he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Ye Chen quickly knelt.
"Master, please accept my bow!"
"Haha! Good! Very good!" Bone Douluo grinned as he patted Ye Chen's shoulder. "You turned down that old fossil Chen Xin and picked me instead—you've got sharp eyes! Here, this is your welcome gift."
He flicked his hand, and a sleek black soul pendant appeared in Ye Chen's palm.
"Work hard on your meditation and training. Once your foundation's stable, I'll take you to hunt your first soul ring." With that, he flew off into the sky.
Back in the bamboo hut, silence settled again. The two stood awkwardly, neither knowing what to say.
Until Ye Chen's stomach growled loudly.
"…It's lunchtime," Rongrong said softly. "Come on, I'll take you to the dining hall. Our sect's food is really good."
She took his hand and led him out.
As they walked past the sect's training grounds, Ye Chen noticed how many people were watching him—some with curiosity, others with clear hostility.
Soon, a group of boys, about eleven or twelve years old, blocked their path.
"Let go of her hand, peasant," one of them barked. "You're not fit to touch our young miss!"
"Yeah! Who do you think you are? You think the lady's hand is for you to grab?!"
Ye Chen raised their joined hands with a smile. "I think it's the other way around. She's the one holding my hand."
"You—!"
"Also, we're hungry. Step aside, little puppies."
"You calling us dogs now?!"
"Well, you're barking and blocking the road. If the collar fits…"
The boys flushed red in embarrassment. There was no good comeback.
To them, Ning Rongrong was a divine figure. Just catching a glimpse of her on a normal day was enough to lift their spirits.
But now—this guy, this outsider, was casually holding her hand?
Suddenly, a taller boy stepped forward. Around thirteen or fourteen, dressed in fine robes, good-looking but with a sinister edge.
"My name is Yao Hai. I challenge you. Three days from now—same spot."
Ning Rongrong scowled. "Seriously? You're 26th-level and already have a soul ring! Ye Chen just awakened—he's barely at level 10!"
"'Our' Ye Chen?"
That word echoed in their minds.
The boys looked at each other in disbelief. Our Ye Chen?
What was their relationship…?
Ye Chen smiled and stepped forward. "Sure. I accept. Three days from now—see you then."
Without waiting for more, he continued toward the dining hall with Rongrong, hand-in-hand, under the searing gazes of half the sect.