Chapter 161

How could Chen Yi He not feel the external power? But he simply didn't want to ruin the rare intimate moment he shared with Dongfang Xing.

"Are they waiting?" Dongfang Xing said with a laugh to Chen Yi He, her face flushed bright.

"Let them wait." Chen Yi He's nose pressed against Dongfang Xing's, they nudged each other, their foreheads also touching, very intimate.

He finally understood what love was.

She finally understood what love was.

"Hey, I say you two, are you done being lovey‑dovey!?" The Ximo Sword Devil couldn't hold back any longer, he sent a mental transmission.

Only then did Chen Yi He feel a bit embarrassed, and he hoisted Dongfang Xing onto his back again.

Just a few steps, and he was before the crowd.

Chen Yi He hadn't expected to meet this group of "comrades-in-arms" so soon. "What's this?"

"Hahaha! Little brother, it's been a few days—don't you recognize us?" Yanshan Hai asked with a laugh, then he clasped his fists toward Chen Yi He, "Congratulations, Miss Dongfang! Oh wait, I mean congratulations to the two of you!"

"How come there are so many?" Chen Yi He's heart sank; seeing their retinue behind them, he knew they had business with him, otherwise why would they station troops outside the Five Absolutes Palace?

The crowd hadn't entered the restricted area of the Five Absolutes Palace, so there was no need to worry about the Palace Master losing his temper.

"I didn't expect a thousand‑year ginseng to really work, able to pull someone back from the brink of death… sigh, if only my mother had held on a bit longer back then, she might not have died with resentment." Gazing at Dongfang Xing, Yanshan Hai sighed.

"Sect Master Yan, that's not what you said—if your mother had survived back then, what would Miss Dongfang do today?" Hong Liang interjected.

"Speaking of Miss Dongfang, we all owe her a life‑saving debt!" Yanshan Hai turned and shouted to the crowd.

After those words, everyone faced Chen Yi He, standing straight and proper.

Yanshan Hai, Luo Qingkui, Hong Liang, and the Tiger‑Leopard quartet stood in a line.

Yanshan Hai recommended the Monk Leshi to Chen Yi He.

Monk Leshi wore a golden kasaya, looking exactly like an enlightened high monk.

"Greetings, Master." Chen Yi He knew he had to give face to the Shaolin Temple. Whether in books or in reality, the Shaolin Temple has always been someone ordinary people cannot afford to offend.

"Amitabha, good, good." Monk Leshi, while bowing, couldn't help glancing at Chen Yi He with extra attention; he actually wanted to see for himself the youthful hero everyone talked about.

Looking at this young couple, he simply couldn't believe they were the great heroes who would save everyone.

Chen Yi He wasn't fond of monks; he gave a perfunctory salute, which was polite enough.

Immediately afterward, a scene appeared that even if Chen Yi He were beaten to death, he could never have imagined.

Tens of thousands of people bowed deeply to Chen Yi He and Dongfang Xing, and they remained bowed for a long time without rising.

"What is this?" Chen Yi He exclaimed in astonishment.

All that could be heard was the crowd shouting in unison, "We pay respects to the Supreme Alliance Leader!"

"We pay respects to the Supreme Alliance Leader!"

"We pay respects to the Supreme Alliance Leader!"

"Supreme Alliance Leader?" Chen Yi He was completely bewildered.

"Yes, you will become the Supreme Alliance Leader of our martial world great alliance." Yanshan Hai lowered his head, bent his waist, and said to Chen Yi He.

"What kind of reasoning is this? How did I suddenly become some alliance leader, and even the Supreme Alliance Leader? Give me an explanation." Chen Yi He was a bit panicked.

Chen Yi He quickly made up his mind: he would absolutely not take the position of Supreme Alliance Leader of the martial world.

If he hadn't promised to marry Dongfang Xing beforehand, he might have been tempted.

But now that he has agreed to marry Dongfang Xing as his wife, he must assume the responsibilities of a husband.

What they likely need is a stable life, rather than a wandering existence of constant fighting.

Thus Yanshan Hai explained to Chen Yi He the full background of what they had discussed.

Yanshan Hai also laid out the conspiracy of Eunuch Zhang, letting Chen Yi He judge the pros and cons himself.

Now Chen Yi He finally understood—he was riding a tiger and couldn't get off. "This…"

Still, Chen Yi He felt tempted, because Eunuch Zhang was his enemy; even if he didn't provoke him, Eunuch Zhang would not let him go. As Yanshan Hai said, it's better to take the initiative than to wait for death. He's no fool—he knows Eunuch Zhang won't spare him. Even if he hides, he can't spend a lifetime hiding with Dongfang Xing.

He didn't doubt that Yanshan Hai and the others were using him to gather martial‑world power, since he himself had not a single soldier or follower, and the starving don't fear the well‑fed.

Yet he felt he was unworthy of such an exalted position! The lives of all the martial world's youths couldn't possibly be entrusted to a greenhorn like him, could they?

"We pay respects to the Supreme Alliance Leader!"

"Enough, enough, enough… don't embarrass me like that!" Even Chen Yi He, who considered himself thick‑skinned, couldn't accept it.

"If you agree, we won't rise." Hong Liang said.

"We willingly submit to you, both because you saved our lives and because you share a common enemy with us; we each dislike the other, and only you can unite us." Yanshan Hai said to Chen Yi He.

"I'm powerless—I can't be the Supreme Alliance Leader!" Chen Yi He was on the verge of tears from anxiety.

Dongfang Xing, on Chen Yi He's back, nearly laughed out loud; it was the first time she had seen him so embarrassed.

"We pay respects to the Supreme Alliance Leader!" the crowd began shouting again.

Chen Yi He, anxious, dropped to his knees before the crowd, "Sirs, please don't do this to me!"

Who would have thought the crowd would also all kneel down and bow to Chen Yi He, "We pay respects to the Supreme Alliance Leader."

They gave Chen Yi He not the slightest chance.

"Can you stand up straight and speak?" Chen Yi He still clung to hope, "No matter what, I will not be the Supreme Alliance Leader: first, my strength is insufficient; second, my seniority is lacking. You are all venerable figures with reputation in the martial world, while I am merely an obscure junior—truly unable to bear such a great responsibility!"

Yanshan Hai rose to his feet, seeing Chen Yi He evade again, he asked sternly, "Do you still remember what you promised us by the Dong Hai shore?"

"I remember—I owe each of you a favor." Chen Yi He nodded in confirmation.

Had it not been for everyone joining forces to block Nan Zhongyi for him, Dongfang Xing would surely have died.

"Although it's a bit embarrassing to say, for the greater good I have no choice but to call in this favor…" Yanshan Hai recalled that his life had been saved by Chen Yi He, yet now he had to make a request of him, which made him blush, "All of our favors, exchanged for your becoming the Supreme Alliance Leader—can you do it?"

This time, even if it were a dead end, Chen Yi He had no choice but to go through with it.

Chen Yi He turned his head to look at Dongfang Xing behind him; the bashful Dongfang Xing nodded at him, "I'll follow whatever you say."