Chapter 41: Chapter 41
Chapter 41 — Ning Chen and Xue Beng.
It has been several days since Ning Chen became part of the Emperor Team.
Many rumors regarding him began to quickly spread like a plague and it was mostly about him being hailed as the mysterious young master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Ning Chen was called as a mysterious person because of the fact that few things were known about him and that he was also a heavenly genius and the strongest student inside the academy.
There were also rumors about him being extremely attractive, having a kind charismatic personality and being casual.
Ning Chen attended several academy classes, but mostly found them boring since he had already learned everything they taught.
And since attending classes was just an optional thing for the Emperor Level, Ning Chen decided to stop attending and instead preferred to travel around the academy.
There was nothing for Ning Chen to worry about his grades since being part of the Emperor Team meant that he should just focus on cultivating to grow stronger.
Ning Chen had also encountered with the students who messed with him at his very first day. They quickly begged for his forgiveness and stated that they have learned from their mistake.
This also included their leader, Xue Beng who only apologized for some reason. Despite that, he was looking at Ning Chen with awe.
Ning Chen decided to forgive them and was inwardly satisfied hearing them learning from their mistakes.
He wasn't petty enough to keep hating them forever based on the sole fact of them acting immature in the past.
He felt it was kinda mature to forgive them, however, for those who truly crossed the line, what awaits them was only sufferings.
Ning Chen only hoped they keep their words true and were not lying.
The next few days, they didn't dared to meet with Ning Chen again, but it was different for a certain someone.
It was Xue Beng.
Xue Beng was constantly stalking Ning Chen sneakily from the dark. Although, he tried to perfectly hide his presence, Ning Chen's sharp senses were able to detect him lurking around.
Ning Chen didn't paid attention toward him at first and silently thought that Xue Beng was eventually gonna stop stalking him, but contrary to his expectation, Xue Beng didn't stop at all.
He finally got enough and became annoyed after several days passed. Ning Chen decided to confront Xue Beng.
His amethyst eyes suddenly glowed eerily with green colour and he quickly appeared before the sneaky Xue Beng.
Slam!
"What do you want from me?" Ning Chen interrogated and slammed his hand at the wall behind Xue Beng.
It was to not let him escape, but it somehow made the situation kinda romantic and suspicious....
Xue Beng's heart skipped a beat in surprised after Ning Chen abruptly appeared in front of him.
He started to sweat after getting caught and even thought of running away, but Ning Chen was close and his hand over Xue Beng's shoulder closed all escape path.
Xue Beng became extremely nervous and as a result wasn't able to utter any words, falling into deep silent.
"Did a cat got your tongue?" Ning Chen asked, but Xue Beng was still silent.
He noticed him slightly trembling in nervousness and then sighed while lowering his hand down.
"Hey, talk to me. It's not like I'm gonna bite you once you open your mouth," Ning Chen said and then gestured Xue Beng to follow him.
Xue Beng could only nod his head and started to follow Ning Chen. He thought they were gonna head toward a dark alley where Ning Chen was gonna beat him up.
However, he was stunned after they entered a fancy and cute-looking cafe.
Ning Chen ordered two chocolate coffee jelly to a beautiful maid who was wearing a cat ears and cat tail.
He then looked toward Xue Beng and reluctantly gave him the other coffee jelly with an aching heart.
"My treat," Ning Chen said cooly and handed the coffee jelly toward Xue Beng with his eyes not leaving it.
"Th-Thanks," Xue Beng bowed his head and gratefully took the coffee jelly.
"I suppose I can now ask why you were stalking me for the past few days?" Ning Chen asked while taking a bite of the coffee jelly.
A smile formed on his face and thought It was delicious — especially, when he like chocolate.
Xue Beng was stunned to learn he got spotted a long time ago. He soon sighed and started to talk.
"Although, it's quite shameful to talk about, I was in truth hoping to learn things by watching you."
"Did you learned anything in the end and why would you want to learn from me?" Ning Chen stopped eating and asked rather curiously.
Xue Beng shook his head and then lowered his head depressingly.
"I've heard you were very talented and the strongest student - something I can't even hope of reaching. I wanted to learn your ways to get stronger, but it's all nothing in the end," Xue Beng said with a dejected expression.
Ning Chen wasn't angry hearing that and instead just raised his brows. He felt there were something more deep to Xue Beng's word.
"I know everyone desires to become powerful, but what's your desire to get stronger? I feel like your desire differs from normal."
Xue Beng's complexion became ashen as he remembered something. A deep sense of fear and anxiety radiating from his eyes.
"It's to gain the power to protect myself and stop having nightmares. My guts told me that a slaughter will soon approach the imperial family — leaving no one alive..." Xue Beng voice started trembling as his face grew more paler.
"Even if I tried running away, I will still be chased and hunted down because I have the imperial bloodline! I need strength to survive and live tomorrow without any fear.."
Xue Beng didn't considered training and studying in the past at a young age because he didn't wanted to receive peoples attention.
It was just the only way for him to survive, but after thinking about it deeply, wouldn't he still face death at the end?
Xue Beng wearing a mask of a trash and arrogant prince for the others to witness would at most just extend his life for many years, but his death was still inevitable.
However, him meeting Ning Chen somehow changed his views for his current life.
Because of Ning Chen's terrifying strength, no one had dared to look down on him. He was also important to his clan and powerful enough to have the ability to protect himself.
Ning Chen could also have easily killed Xue Beng's when Xue Beng insulted him. He was powerful enough to control others life.
Xue Beng then realized that only with strength can he dictate his own fate. Thus, he decided to still not appear to train on the surface, but train seriously on the dark without anyone knowing.
However, Xue Beng indeed have talent, but be wasn't extremely talented and he knew determination alone wasn't enough to cover it.
Xue Beng then thought of Ning Chen who possessed a monster-like talent and was also knowledgeable.
He was also the only person that his guts and instincts trusted.
Xue Beng knew his guts had never failed him. It was the thing that predicted his ominous future and prevented him from dying early like the second prince and the third prince.
He decided in the end to build his strength under Ning Chen secretly while still keeping on acting as the spoiled and weak fourth prince.
It was all to make time and make sure no one can notice his strength slowly increasing.
"Imperial Family? Are your perhaps a prince of this empire?" Ning Chen was quite shocked and then thought of Xue Qinghe.
It seems like the two of them were related somehow or another.
Xue Beng nodded, but his current expression showed he wasn't particularly fond of that noble title.
"I'm the fourth imperial prince, but I don't like this title at all and instead hated it, considering it's the cause of my countless nightmares and fear."
Ning Chen nodded in understanding and felt Xue Beng's personality was kinda complicated.
In the surface, he appeared to be stupid and foolishly arrogant, but he was particularly clever on the inside.
"Who are you exactly afraid of?" Ning Chen asked the most crucial thing that puzzled him.
He didn't know who can cause a prince of a mighty empire to be scared to his core.
"I'm still not exactly sure, but merely a suspicion that was born after the mysterious death of the second and third prince. However, I'm certain that 'she' is near and amongst the imperial family — an impostor. I even have to hide my true clever self and wear a fake mask because of this fear."
Xue Beng uttered with a gloomy voice and constantly trembling eyes. It was hard for him to share this to someone.
"Hmm..." Ning Chen grew silent as he stared at Xue Beng's eyes.
He wasn't lying at all and even the fear he was showing was too real to be considered as a fake.
It was so deep and heavy, it felt like it has been in his heart for a long time now.
Ning also felt Xue Beng to be admirable now because It wasn't easy to appear as a cocky and hateful prince to all the people.
It takes a strong will and rock hard heart for that.
At this moment, Ning Chen felt a slight connection between them.
He smiled widely and decided in the end.
"Fine, I'll teach you some few things to save yourself, but in return, tell me more about your fear. Your progress will also depend on your determination to survive," Ning Chen said with a sparkling eyes.
He was excited to train someone again and was also getting more curious about the impostor of the imperial family.
Xue Beng nodded earnestly and clenched his fist tightly, "Okay, I'll do anything to overcome this nightmare!"
"Then it's a deal. However, I can't teach you today since I will have some business with my team later."
"Okay, tomorrow is it?" Xue Beng asked Ning Chen.
He wasn't in a rush since he had to also prepare a disguise to train with Ning Chen to make things more safe.
Ning Chen merely nodded his head as a response.
The two of them soon left the cafe and seperated to handle their own matters.
---
Xue Beng may or may not become the next emperor. Who knows?
Short chapters for two days since I have class ;)
Was this chapter okay since I'm not feeling confident about my explanation and decision.
Also, next chapter will be about Ning Chen Vs Emperor Team.
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