145: Having more different poses is good too!

Ye Chen glanced at her, annoyed.

"Do you think martial arts training is child's play?"

"Every day, you'll be doing horse stances, punching, and meditating. It's incredibly boring... can you stick with it?"

"Yes! Why wouldn't I!" Li Qin puffed out her chest, vowing, "From childhood to adulthood, I, Li Qin, have never given up on anything I set my mind to! Isn't it just enduring hardship? I can endure it!"

Bing Lan gently shook her head.

"Practicing martial arts requires not only innate talent but also mental fortitude."

"Your personality is too restless; you can't stand loneliness. You won't even pass the basic training stage."

Upon hearing this, Li Qin immediately deflated halfway, pouting and muttering, "Sister Bing Lan, why are you also discouraging me... I can change!"

Ye Chen looked at Li Qin's stubborn yet slightly coquettish expression and suddenly felt a stir in his heart.

Although Li Qin's personality was lively and restless, she wasn't bad at heart, and she was particularly quick-witted at critical moments.

Now, he was surrounded by enemies.

The Hidden Sect, Black Prison... it was always good to have one more person capable of self-preservation.

Most importantly.

He couldn't always be by Bing Lan's side. What if something happened?

Therefore.

If Li Qin could practice martial arts, it would also be helping him share a burden.

What's more... he remembered some unconventional methods recorded in the Inheritance; perhaps he could try them.

Ye Chen pondered for a moment, then said, "It's not impossible to teach you."

Li Qin's eyes instantly lit up.

"Really?!"

"But I have a condition."

Ye Chen's expression became serious.

"What I teach you is not for you to be brave and combative, but to give you the power to protect yourself in danger and to protect Lan Lan."

"At the same time, the process might be a bit special. You must listen to me completely, not complain about hardship, and not give up halfway."

"Special? How special?" Li Qin asked curiously, "Does it require us to be honest with each other, like Yang Guo and Xiao Longnü?"

As she spoke, her eyes sparkled... Ye Chen's mouth twitched.

"What are you thinking?! Not that kind! It's another method for building a foundation. It might be faster, but the process will be more uncomfortable!"

"It's mainly about clearing meridians and stimulating the body's potential, similar to..."

"High-intensity fitness combined with acupuncture and medicinal baths. It will be very painful and very tiring."

"Pain? I'm not afraid of pain!" Li Qin patted her chest, assuring him, then cautiously asked, "Then... will I become ugly? Like growing muscle knots or something?"

Bing Lan helplessly massaged her forehead.

Ye Chen also couldn't help but laugh: "Don't worry, what I teach you focuses on flexibility, agility, and explosiveness. If you practice well, your posture will only become more agile and graceful; you won't turn into a muscle woman."

"Alright then! I'll learn!"

Li Qin readily agreed, excitedly bouncing in place, "More poses are good too."

Ye Chen: "???"

Bing Lan: "???"

Li Qin ignored their expressions and continued to ask, "When do we start? Now?"

"What's the rush?"

Ye Chen said speechlessly.

"I'll write you a medicinal bath formula first. Go get the herbs ready."

"Tonight, we'll use the medicinal bath to initially warm and nourish your meridians. Tomorrow morning at five o'clock, we'll start promptly."

"Ah? Five o'clock?" Li Qin shrieked, "Does it have to be so early...?"

"Scared?"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, "It's not too late to back out now."

"Who... who's scared?"

"Five o'clock it is!"

Li Qin stiffened her neck, looking as if she was ready to face death.

This made Ye Chen smile wryly.

This girl... why does she feel so unreliable?

...In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden hue over Xiamen City.

Ye Chen drove Bing Lan and Li Qin back to Number One Courtyard.

All the way.

Li Qin was still chattering excitedly, fantasizing about herself practicing divine martial arts and punishing evil, which occasionally made Bing Lan purse her lips and smile lightly.

After safely escorting the two women home, Ye Chen checked the time. It was almost time to pick up Bai Wanqing.

He changed into casual clothes and greeted Bing Lan: "I'm going to Tianyao Group to pick up Madam Bai."

"Mhm."

Bing Lan nodded slightly, straightening his collar, "Be careful. That Madam Bai... is very cunning; pay close attention."

She wasn't jealous; she just felt that Bai Wanqing was not simple.

After all... the people of Tianyao Group deal with government officials.

Ye Chen held her hand and smiled, "I know, I have it handled."

Li Qin poked her head out from the sofa, blinking her eyes.

"Younger Male Cousin, are you coming back for dinner?"

Ye Chen nodded: "Absolutely!"

"Wow!"

Li Qin looked at Bing Lan and said with a grin, "Sister Bing Lan, you're cooking again!"

Bing Lan was speechless.

This girl, Li Qin, is definitely number one when it comes to eating!

But isn't it annoying?

She loves to eat but doesn't get fat... Shaking her head secretly, Bing Lan then suggested to Ye Chen.

"Later, Li Qin and I will go to Uncle and Auntie's place and make hotpot."

"It's almost winter, perfect for warming up."

"Okay!" Ye Chen nodded, then got into his car and left... The Tianyao Group Building stood in the most prosperous part of the city center, appearing magnificent even in the evening.

Ye Chen parked his car outside the building and entered the lobby.

The time was exactly 5:50 PM, ten minutes before the agreed-upon 6:00 PM.

He scanned the lobby and walked towards the direction of the CEO's exclusive elevator.

But the next second.

A figure blocked his path.

It was a middle-aged man, about forty years old, wearing a well-tailored gray suit, with a stern face and sharp, hawk-like eyes.

He wasn't wearing any ID badge, but just standing there, he seemed out of place among the hurried white-collar workers.

Ye Chen paused and looked at him.

The middle-aged man's gaze also fell on Ye Chen, and he spoke in a deep voice: "Sir, please stop. This elevator is not accessible without permission."

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow: "I'm looking for Madam Bai; I have an appointment."

"Madam Bai has an important internal meeting today and is not seeing outside guests for now," the middle-aged man pointed outside. "Please leave."

Ye Chen glanced at his phone, the time showing 5:55 PM.

He remembered Bai Wanqing clearly saying to pick her up promptly at 6 PM.

Given her personality, if there was a change, it was unlikely she wouldn't notify him in advance.

Ye Chen took out his phone and dialed Bai Wanqing's number.

The ringing tone came from the receiver, ringing seven or eight times until it automatically hung up, with no one answering.

Ye Chen's brows furrowed slightly.

This was not normal.

Bai Wanqing's phone was usually accessible, and even if she was in a meeting, her private number would be handled by an assistant or secretary.

Seeing this, a cold glint flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes, and his voice deepened a few shades: "You've made the call; Madam Bai is indeed unavailable. Please leave immediately and do not disrupt The Group's normal order."

Ye Chen put away his phone and looked directly at the other party.

"Madam Bai herself told me to pick her up at this time."

"And who are you? Her Bodyguard? Or... someone else's subordinate?"

The middle-aged man's expression turned cold: "Who I am isn't important. What's important is that I'm in charge here now. Without permission, no one can go up. Please cooperate, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?"

Ye Chen interrupted him, his tone also turning cold.

He smelled something unusual.

This middle-aged man's aura was restrained; he was definitely not an ordinary security guard, but rather... a Martial Artist!

And not weak in strength.

His appearance here to block him, coupled with Bai Wanqing's unanswerable phone, probably meant it wasn't as simple as an internal meeting.

"Otherwise, I'll have to ask you to leave."

Before the middle-aged man finished speaking, his right hand shot out like an iron clamp, fingers forming a claw, carrying a sharp gust of wind, directly grabbing towards Ye Chen's shoulder!

This grab was extremely fast, with a tricky angle, containing the vicious force to dislocate joints and break bones.

Clearly, it was a grappling technique from the military or a special department, and it was used with heavy intent!

If it were an ordinary person, being firmly caught by this grab would immediately result in a dislocated shoulder joint and a painful fall to the ground.

However, he was facing Ye Chen.

Just as the claw-like hand was about to touch his shoulder... Ye Chen seemed to casually shift his body, and the opponent's fingers brushed past his clothes.

Immediately after.

Ye Chen's left hand rose like a ghost, gripping the middle-aged man's wrist, which he hadn't had time to retract after his missed grab!

"Crack!"

A bone-cracking sound that made one's teeth ache echoed.

The middle-aged man's face drastically changed. Intense pain shot from his wrist; he felt as if his wrist bone had been dislocated by an iron clamp!

He grunted, subconsciously trying to pull his arm back, while his left fist gathered strength, ready to smash towards Ye Chen's face.

But Ye Chen's movements were faster.

His left hand, gripping the opponent's wrist, pressed down and pulled, a tremendous force causing the middle-aged man's body to involuntarily stumble forward, and his poised left fist also lost its stance.

Ye Chen's right hand then reached out, grabbing the middle-aged man's suit collar. Like lifting a small chicken, he swung his arm!

"Whoosh––"

The middle-aged man's body, weighing over 180 pounds, was actually swung up by Ye Chen with one hand, tracing a short arc in the air, and then... "Bang!!!"

He was slammed heavily onto the marble floor!

A dull thud echoed in the lobby, and the surrounding people stared in shock at the scene.

The middle-aged man lay sprawled on the ground, feeling as if his internal organs had shifted. Golden stars swam before his eyes, and a breath was stuck in his chest, nearly making him faint.

He struggled to get up, but his entire body was weak, and his wrist throbbed with excruciating pain, rendering him unable to exert any strength.

"You... you dare to make a move in Tianyao Group?!"

The middle-aged man was both shocked and enraged. Enduring the severe pain, he abruptly looked up and roared hoarsely towards the surroundings of the lobby.

"Someone!!!"

The instant his voice fell––

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

From seven or eight different passages around the lobby, over a dozen black figures suddenly surged out!

Each one as swift as a leopard!

Each one agile and skilled!