Chapter 179: Style Isn’t Enough, Use “Bige” to Compensate

For some reason, Lian Li felt a faint, lingering killing intent emanating from Yun Huizhou. Who did he want to kill?

The East Island Lord had previously used the excuse of fearing Yun Huizhou might lose to give him some emergency training. But to be honest, Yun Huizhou knew perfectly well that if Zhang Ning wanted to defeat him, it simply wasn’t going to happen.

Many years ago, Zhang Ning had already been defeated by his hand.

He hadn’t lost to Zhang Ning back then, and he certainly wouldn’t now.

Zhang Ning raised her hand again to stop the others from speaking, then turned to look at a youth-like figure behind her.

The youth nodded, removed the bamboo hat from his head, and stepped out from behind her.

The youth had delicate features, red lips, white teeth, and bright eyes—the very picture of a budding beauty.

He was also the only one whose attire differed slightly from the rest of Maple Leaf Valley.

Although his clothes were in the same color scheme, the style was distinct.

Compared to the “school uniforms” of the others, his outfit was clearly more aesthetic, making him look even more handsome.

As soon as he appeared, the discussions and exclamations of the onlookers rippled through the crowd.

“As expected of someone capable of competing for the eleventh spot on the Beauty List. To be honest, I haven’t seen anyone this good-looking in my nearly thirty years of life. He’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”

“I wonder what the other one looks like. He hasn’t taken off his bamboo hat yet.”

“The eleventh on the Beauty List… let me flip through… Huh? Why is it a woman in my latest pamphlet?”

“You wouldn’t know this, but word is that the eleventh spot is about to change hands, specifically to that one.” A person subtly pointed toward where Lian Li was standing and continued, “Then, that fellow from Maple Leaf Valley felt he should be the eleventh, so he specifically went to the Golden Drunk Tower to propose a beauty challenge against the other party.”

When he heard the words “beauty challenge,” Lian Li felt his entire being go sour.

A martial duel is a martial duel, and a challenge is a challenge—what the hell was a “beauty challenge”? His fists were itching to hit something!

While he was standing there in a state of mental disarray, he heard Yun Huizhou chuckling softly beside him.

Knowing exactly what he was laughing at, Lian Li reached out and gave his arm a sharp, vicious pinch.

Yun Huizhou winced slightly, silently enduring the pinch.

Only after seeing him suppress his smile did Lian Li withdraw his hand to scrutinize his opponent.

Zhou Yu’s entire outfit and styling were clearly prepared specifically for this competition.

Lian Li looked down at himself. The fabric of his outer robe was excellent; the design appeared low-key and restrained at first glance, but a closer look revealed a hint of luxury.

Looking at it this way, his style didn’t seem to be at a disadvantage, but he knew that once the fight started, he planned to strip off the outer robe.

Underneath, he wore a set of dusty-gray, short-hit martial arts gear. The fabric was good, stain-resistant, and durable—it was his favorite outfit for practicing.

He looked again at the bamboo hat Zhou Yu was wearing; it was extremely extravagant. Lian Li recognized the veil on it—he had seen similar fabric in the West Island Lord’s room.

And anything the West Island Lord kept in his room was essentially a luxury item.

He glanced at the bamboo hat Yun Huizhou had hung on the tree, remembering that his own hat was the same model as Yun Huizhou’s.

Compared to Zhang Ning’s, their bamboo hats were truly shabby.

Thinking of this, Lian Li couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “Our hats and outfits look so crude. This really kills the bi—”

Before he could finish, Yun Huizhou tugged at his sleeve.

Yun Huizhou knew all too well what he was about to say—it was that “Bige” thing or whatever.

After stopping him from finishing the sentence, Yun Huizhou put a finger to his lips and whispered, “If you say that out loud, then there really won’t be any… left at all.”

He mouthed the word “Bige” to ensure Lian Li understood his meaning.

Lian Li was struck by a sudden realization.

Oh, right! They were currently fighting for a ranking on the Beauty List; he had to mind his image.

Otherwise, no matter how good-looking he was, the moment he opened his mouth, he would destroy the “beautiful atmosphere,” needlessly lowering people’s judgment of his looks.

However, seeing the scale of the opposition’s display, Lian Li also knew this was no longer just a matter of the two of them competing for a spot on the Beauty List.

It was now a matter between two sects.

They no longer represented only themselves, but the face of their respective sects.

Lian Li couldn’t help but grumble inwardly. What should have been a simple martial duel for a ranking had suddenly escalated into a complicated martial duel for a ranking.

No wonder Yun Huizhou disliked the people across from them; even someone as tough-talking but soft-hearted as the West Island Lord had friction with their elders.

This was truly unlikable.

Lian Li suddenly felt that he absolutely could not lose face in front of the Maple Leaf Valley people.

With this thought, he stood a bit straighter, and his entire aura underwent a subtle change.

Under the bamboo hat, he tucked away his usual dazed expression, replacing it with a colder, more detached look, and then took a step forward.

His sudden movement caused the people of Maple Leaf Valley to focus their gaze on him.

Recalling the “B-king” entrances and lines from the wuxia dramas and novels he had seen in the modern world, he quickly found a suitable style.

He raised his hand to grasp the bamboo hat, choosing to slowly pull it off forward rather than flipping it back as he usually did.

His movement wasn’t fast, but it wasn’t slow enough to make people want to rush him.

This speed instead gave off an air of extreme mystery.

Not everyone present had seen Lian Li before, so many were exceptionally curious about his appearance.

His actions actually drew the intense focus of everyone on the field, leaving the Maple Leaf Valley people ignored on the side.

Yun Huizhou: …Fine, although the match hasn’t officially started, stealing the spotlight from Maple Leaf Valley is a good thing regardless.

Just as he was thinking this, a bamboo hat was suddenly thrust in front of him. He instinctively took it before realizing Lian Li had handed it over.

He looked up. Lian Li stood slightly ahead of him to the side; he couldn’t see Lian Li’s expression, only his back.

He saw Lian Li standing tall and straight, yet possessing a sense of casual relaxation, one hand tucked behind his back as he looked at the people opposite them.

His hip-length black hair draped behind him like a waterfall. A slight breeze blew past, causing his hair to curl into perfect arcs.

Yun Huizhou raised a hand to lightly touch the tip of his nose; he seemed to catch a faint scent from Lian Li’s hair in the wind.

He suddenly really wanted to walk to the front to see Lian Li’s current appearance.

With that thought, he moved.

He also took a step forward to stand beside Lian Li, turning his head slightly to look.

At this moment, Lian Li’s expression was cold and indifferent, as if nothing in the world could pique his interest.

That seductive appearance paired with such a coldly detached expression on the same face should have been contradictory, yet it was exceptionally harmonious, possessing a unique and different charm.