He lowered his head respectfully, seemingly ashamed. "I see... This disciple was too dull to meet Master's expectations, so you had to use your heart method. Thank you for your careful instruction, Master. I'll work twice as hard and won't let you down."
He played the part to perfection: a humble, eager-to-learn, even somewhat clumsy youth, nothing like the passionate, domineering boy who had kissed her moments ago. Under the impact of Lin Xuan's innocent gaze and sincere words, the strange flutter in Huang Rong's heart gradually subsided, and her reason slowly returned.
Huang Rong gave a slight nod, keeping a stiff smile on her face. She waved feebly, indicating that he needn't stand on ceremony.
"Enough. That's all for today's instruction. Go back on your own and carefully reflect on what you've learned today. Consolidate your foundations. I... I'm a little tired today as well and need to rest for a while."
She came up with a clumsy excuse, wanting only to escape this suffocating atmosphere as quickly as possible. She couldn't stay another second. She didn't even dare look at Lin Xuan again, afraid that one glance might bring back more absurd memories and sensations. It felt as though if she stayed any longer, the shame buried deep within her would swallow her whole.
Huang Rong practically fled, forcing her weary body onward as she stumbled out of the verdant bamboo grove. Every step carried an invisible panic and helplessness, as if a raging beast were chasing her. All she could hear was the bamboo rustling in the breeze. To her, the sound seemed to turn into endless mockery, ridiculing her disheveled and flustered state.
Lin Xuan watched Huang Rong's panicked retreat. The moon-white robe vanished into the depths of the bamboo grove, and the corner of his mouth curled upward. He raised a hand and gently brushed his lips. They still seemed to bear the softness and sweetness of Huang Rong's lips and tongue.
"Master..." he murmured, his voice filled with ambition and an indescribable desire to conquer.
She thought it was Soul Shifting Great Law, that he hadn't been in control of himself. Little did she know he had done it all deliberately. He had even secretly activated the unique sucking force of the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique on the tip of his tongue, devouring even more Primal Yin Energy from her body.
Every second of that kiss, which had lasted several minutes, had been calculated and planned. From the carefully measured fervor in his eyes to the brazen way his hands roamed, every detail had served a single purpose: to completely break down Huang Rong's psychological defenses and plunge her into an uncontrollable confusion.
This was only the beginning. What he wanted wasn't merely her martial arts and status, nor the secret treasures of Xiangyang, and certainly not some illusory reputation.
He wanted the woman herself, body and soul, to become his possession.
Lin Xuan let out a soft breath. Feeling the unprecedented abundance of Internal Energy within him, he smiled more deeply. He gazed in the direction Huang Rong had gone, his deep eyes glittering with certainty.
He knew that today's "accident" had planted a seed in the depths of Huang Rong's heart. One day, that seed would take root and sprout, its vines winding around her until it consumed her completely and made her Lin Xuan's captive.
He didn't hurry away. Instead, he sat back down on the stone stool, closed his eyes, and focused on savoring the vigorous, powerful energy within him. Huang Rong had practiced the Nine Yin Manual for many years, and her Primal Yin Energy was exceptionally pure. Combined with his Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique, it was a perfect match.
In just a few minutes, his Internal Energy had greatly increased, and the minor bottlenecks he'd encountered in his previous training had vanished. His understanding of the general principles of the Nine Yin Manual had deepened several times over, too. Many obscure verses that had once been difficult to grasp now made complete sense.
Lin Xuan silently considered his next move. He had breached one corner of Huang Rong's defenses. Now, the most important thing was not to rush. He had to let her gradually grow accustomed to his presence amid her shame and confusion, and to this forbidden intimacy.
He wanted her to relive the shivers and thrill of their kiss whenever they interacted in the future. In public, she would see him as her disciple, but deep down, she would be unable to resist his allure.
He opened his eyes and glanced at the verdant bamboo grove around him. The breeze still whispered, and the bamboo shadows still dappled the ground, but in Lin Xuan's eyes, everything had taken on a seductive hue. From now on, he knew, this grove would be more than a place where he received instruction. It would bear witness to the forbidden feelings between him and Huang Rong beginning to take root.
Lin Xuan stood and ambled out of the bamboo grove. He walked at an easy pace, even seeming somewhat relaxed, as if everything that had just happened really had been an unconscious dream. As he left the grove, he even scratched his head on purpose, affecting the dazed look of someone who had just woken up, so that even if he happened to meet someone, they wouldn't suspect a thing.
By then, Huang Rong had already fled back to her bedroom in the rear courtyard. She locked the door behind her and leaned against it, her body still trembling slightly.
She pressed both hands to her burning cheeks. The heat was so real, so intense, it felt as if it could consume her whole.
Lin Xuan's hoarse cry kept echoing in her mind: "This disciple has improper feelings for Master!" His bold, explicit compliments and fervent words of affection circled through her thoughts like a curse.
What made her feel even more as though she were falling apart was that she clearly remembered Lin Xuan's burning, infatuated eyes, and the possessiveness in them that could scorch everything. And that long, domineering kiss, the rough entanglement of his tongue, and... and his hands, which had repeatedly caressed her jade-like back and rounded bottom without the slightest restraint.
Shame swept over her like a tidal wave. She had never felt so humiliated. She was the wife of the Beggar Sect's leader, a heroine of Xiangyang City, yet she had lost control like this in front of her own disciple and had even been... been treated so indecently by him!
And yet, behind the humiliation, a strange sensation quietly took root.
Shivers. Shivers she couldn't put into words. The kiss had struck her with an intensity she had never experienced before. Even in all her years of marriage to Guo Jing, she had never felt anything so overwhelming and thrilling. Lin Xuan's youth, his virility, his domineering nature—all of it had been like a raging fire, instantly igniting a barren place deep within her that had never been touched.
She should have been furious. She should have struck the boy away with a single palm strike and made him kneel and beg for mercy. But she hadn't. She hadn't even had the strength to push him away. That kiss, and his hands, had completely clouded her mind and thrown her into disarray.
"Bastard!"
Huang Rong cursed under her breath, her voice hoarse. She rushed to the basin and splashed cold water over her face again and again, hoping to wash away the burning heat and the shame that had sunk into her bones.
But no matter how much she washed, the sensation of that kiss, the faint scent of pine on Lin Xuan, the dominance of his tongue, and the warmth of his hands kept replaying in her mind like scenes from a film, impossible to dispel.
She stared at her reflection in the basin. Her face was wet, yet still crimson. Her beautiful eyes, usually so sharp and full of wisdom, now held a hint of haze, a trace of panic, and... a surrender she could hardly believe was her own.
After that day, Huang Rong spent far less time teaching Lin Xuan. It seemed she didn't want to be alone with him for long.
Lin Xuan saw that Huang Rong was unsettled. He devoted himself to practicing martial arts instead.
He shut himself away for several days, focusing solely on improving his Internal Energy.
The Nine Yin Manual's Internal Energy flowed like a clear stream into his already surging Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique. The two merged perfectly.
He sat cross-legged, cast aside all distracting thoughts, and entered a deep state of meditation.
As the two divine arts circulated together, the eight extraordinary meridians in his body gave off a low rumble.
The Nine Yin Manual's Internal Energy was pure and balanced, nourishing his meridians like a spring rain.
The Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique, meanwhile, was fierce and overbearing. Like a raging river, it tore through and remade his body, tempering every inch of flesh and blood.
With every breath, he could feel the invisible energy of the world pouring into his Dantian without end.
The healing and restorative power inherent in the Nine Yin Manual amplified the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique's ability to devour all things and make them its own. It also squeezed every bit of essence from the Nine Yin Manual and transformed it into even greater power.
The two arts promoted and complemented each other.
Lin Xuan's Internal Energy surged at a visible rate, his qi flooding through his entire body like a rising tide.
A faint protective aura even formed around him.
His physique also grew much stronger in the process.
His already straight, well-proportioned build now had even smoother lines and radiated explosive power.
As his Internal Energy washed over him, his skin took on a faint jade-like sheen, supple and resilient.
His handsome face, too, looked more spirited with his abundant Internal Energy. His gaze was deep as an abyss, as though it concealed limitless strength and wisdom.
Dawn's first light appeared over the training ground. Lin Xuan practiced martial arts alone in the chilly morning breeze. He had outgrown his former slenderness. Now he stood tall and strong, surrounded by a faint, distinctive presence—like an ancient pine in the depths of winter, reserved and still, yet brimming with life.
That was the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique transforming his body, remaking him from the inside out through years of nourishment. His meridians were far more open than those of an ordinary martial artist, and his Internal Energy coursed through them like a surging river, unstoppable.
The sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze swept past.
Lin Xuan's fingers and palms moved in a flurry as he practiced a set of Falling Blossoms Divine Sword Palm. His movements were relaxed yet nimble, and the wind from his palms roared, stirring ripples in the air before him. When he finished the set, he came to a steady stop, calm and collected. Even his breathing had not grown unsteady. Only a few tiny beads of sweat dotted his brow, lending his handsome face an even greater air of ease and heroism.
"Xuan'er, your Falling Blossoms Divine Sword Palm is truly remarkable."
A deep voice, full of praise, came from nearby.
Lin Xuan turned toward the voice and saw Guo Jing striding over. He was as burly as a moving hill. His square face showed the fatigue of many days of hard work, but the delight in his eyes was impossible to hide.
Huang Rong walked beside Guo Jing.
She wore a simple, pale blue dress today. Its light fabric traced her astonishingly graceful, curvaceous figure as she moved with delicate steps. Her full breasts rose and fell with each gentle breath; her slender waist seemed too delicate to encircle with one hand; and beneath the thin material, the alluring curve of her rounded bottom was just visible, silently radiating all the charm and seductiveness unique to a mature woman.
She had simply pinned up her dark hair with a wooden hairpin. A few mischievous strands fell beside her smooth, jade-like ears, lending her a languid, delicate charm. Though she wore no makeup, her face was as lovely as a painting, its clear beauty tinged with an indescribable allure. Her bright eyes, limpid as autumn water, rested softly on Lin Xuan, holding both a teacher's pride and a deep curiosity.
"Greetings, Master's Husband. Greetings, Master." Lin Xuan bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities." Guo Jing waved his hand, his eyes warm. He came closer and studied Lin Xuan for a moment before praising him. "Xuan'er, your martial arts have improved at a frightening pace. I've never seen the like in my life. You've been at Guo Mansion for over half a year, and your Internal Energy and techniques are both worlds beyond what they were. From what I saw of your palm technique today, you've already grasped its essence. Let's spar a little so I can see just how far you've come."
Lin Xuan immediately bowed, his tone sincere. "This disciple will obey. But Master's Husband is a peerless martial artist, while my cultivation is shallow. I'm afraid I'm not worthy of your attention. I only ask that you go easy on me."
"Haha, you're always so modest." Guo Jing laughed heartily, though a note of seriousness had entered his eyes. He was a straightforward man, and Lin Xuan's bearing made him feel that the youth was no ordinary person.
Huang Rong merely stood quietly to one side. Her beautiful eyes stayed fixed on Lin Xuan. There was not only delight in them, but also a hidden emotion she herself had yet to notice. She knew best how quickly Lin Xuan had progressed, and she knew she had practically taught him everything she could. Even so, his martial talent still filled her with an indescribable surprise. She wanted to see what he was capable of. It was a feeling born partly of a teacher's pride and partly of curiosity about the unknown.
Guo Jing walked to the center of the training ground and casually assumed a stance. It looked plain and unadorned, yet carried the imposing presence of a towering mountain. He wore no weapons, clearly intending to fight with his palms.
Lin Xuan drew a deep breath and steadied himself. He didn't attack first. Instead, he assumed the opening stance of the Falling Blossoms Divine Sword Palm, his energy circulating through him like an eagle poised to strike. At that moment, the Internal Energy of his Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique and the Nine Yin Manual had merged perfectly, giving off a powerful vitality. That inexhaustible strength filled him with confidence.
"Come!" Guo Jing shouted, striking first.
He thrust out one palm. It seemed simple, but in truth contained the immense force of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Guo Jing held back, using less than thirty percent of his strength, yet the force of his palm was still as heavy as a mountain, surging toward Lin Xuan's face with unstoppable momentum.
Lin Xuan's gaze sharpened. Guo Jing's palm force was indeed extraordinary. Even without using his full strength, it could shatter stone tablets. Lin Xuan didn't meet it head-on. He shifted slightly, using the "Wind Sends Blossoms Flying" footwork from the Falling Blossoms Divine Sword Palm. His body slid half a foot to the side like a feather, narrowly evading Guo Jing's palm.
As he dodged, Lin Xuan's left palm sliced lightly toward Guo Jing's arm. It seemed to carry no force, but concealed the spiraling, yielding energy of the Nine Yin Manual, meant to borrow his opponent's strength and neutralize it. Guo Jing's arm trembled, then folded inward, effortlessly dispelling Lin Xuan's deft force. At the same time, his right leg shot out like a dragon from the sea, kicking straight toward Lin Xuan's abdomen.
Lin Xuan's expression remained steady as he responded calmly. He twisted at the waist and leaned back with incredible flexibility, avoiding the gust of Guo Jing's kick. At the same time, his right hand shifted from palm to finger, flicking out a seemingly casual point—the subtle art of the Finger Flicking Divine Skill, silent as a breeze.
Guo Jing's eyes flashed. He knew Lin Xuan had learned the Finger Flicking Divine Skill from Huang Rong. He turned his wrist and countered with the Internal Energy in his palm, instantly neutralizing Lin Xuan's finger force.
Over the next several dozen exchanges, the two dodged and countered within a small space, switching between offense and defense.
Guo Jing gradually added more strength to his palm strikes, increasing from thirty percent to fifty percent. His attacks came like a furious downpour, one after another. Each one blocked Lin Xuan's retreat with perfect precision, testing the limits of his abilities.
Lin Xuan, meanwhile, was like a lone boat adrift at sea, battered by wild wind and waves yet never sinking or drifting off course. He brought the lightness and grace of the Falling Blossoms Divine Sword Palm, along with the Nine Yin Manual's ability to redirect force, to the utmost.
His movements were light as a swallow, his steps difficult to predict. Every dodge was precisely timed, missing Guo Jing's palm wind by a hair's breadth. He rarely met force with force, instead borrowing and redirecting his opponent's strength, using softness to overcome hardness.
Whenever Guo Jing's palm force reached him, the Nine Yin Manual's Internal Energy flowed through Lin Xuan's meridians like a living thing, instantly dispelling most of the force. Meanwhile, the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique swiftly repaired the tiny strains in his body and accelerated the circulation of his Internal Energy, instantly boosting his speed and explosive power. He seemed tireless.
"Bang!"
Guo Jing finally unleashed a powerful "Regretful Dragon." The palm strike was forceful beyond compare, and its fierce gust hit Lin Xuan in the face.
Lin Xuan crossed both palms to meet it, but didn't try to resist force with force. The moment they made contact, his palms rippled like water, and the Nine Yin Manual's utmost yielding energy instantly neutralized most of the blow. Using the force to propel himself backward, he retreated several yards and landed steadily at the edge of the training ground, his robes fluttering as he remained calm and composed.
Guo Jing lowered his hands and looked at Lin Xuan, his eyes blazing with admiration. Never before had he praised someone so highly. Though he hadn't used his full strength, he had still used a full fifty percent. Yet this youth had stood his ground through dozens of exchanges, never falling behind, and had even responded with such composure. It was almost unbelievable.
"Good! Good! Good!" Guo Jing said three times, his voice booming with delighted, heartfelt praise.
"Xuan'er, you truly are a heaven-gifted genius!" Guo Jing strode up to Lin Xuan, amazement in his eyes. "You've been at Guo Mansion for barely half a year, yet your progress is already beyond reason! Your meridians are unobstructed, and your Internal Energy circulates at an astonishing speed!"
He reached out and rested a broad hand lightly on Lin Xuan's shoulder. He could feel the youth's surging vitality and immense Internal Energy, which carried a strange trace of yielding softness. Guo Jing was astonished.
"The palm technique you used just now has already grasped the essence of the Falling Blossoms Divine Sword Palm. Your Internal Energy may not be as deep as mine, but its flexibility and speed of change are astonishing." Guo Jing showered him with praise. He was a straightforward man, and every word came from the heart.
Lin Xuan bowed respectfully, wearing an appropriately modest expression. "Master's Husband, you flatter me. I owe everything I've achieved to Master and you, and to your careful instruction and generous teaching. I've only followed what I was taught and dare not claim any credit."
His modest words only endeared him further to Guo Jing.
Huang Rong also walked over gracefully. Her steps were light, her figure swaying with the supple grace of a water snake. Beneath her moon-white skirt, her full, firm bottom outlined a heart-stirring curve as she walked. Her beautiful eyes shifted between Lin Xuan and Guo Jing. Seeing Lin Xuan's carefully measured modesty and Guo Jing's unmistakable praise, she felt a jumble of emotions.
She knew that Lin Xuan's claim that he had merely followed his lessons wasn't true. The Nine Yin Manual she had taught him was profound, but for his Internal Energy to circulate so quickly and his meridians to be so unobstructed was already beyond the bounds of talent. It was not something ordinary training could achieve.
Huang Rong understood the Nine Yin Manual better than Guo Jing did, and she understood Lin Xuan's body better, too. Many times, while teaching him martial arts, she had felt his body absorb her Internal Energy like a sponge, then transform it into energy of even greater purity. She had also felt how unusually open all his meridians were.
Huang Rong knew that Lin Xuan possessed a mystery she couldn't see through.
Perhaps it had something to do with his keen perception, which had let him identify the Mongol scouts outside the city gates the first time they met. Perhaps it was connected to his miraculous ancient method, "Primal Essence Return Breath," or to the strange way their "minds and spirits had connected." But this mystery had drawn her in, making her wary even as she found herself irresistibly intrigued. She longed to uncover Lin Xuan's secret, yet instinct told her it would cost her far more than she imagined.
In just over half a year, his Internal Energy had advanced so much that even Brother Jing couldn't stop praising him...
Huang Rong considered it silently. Lin Xuan's martial arts had already surpassed those of Wu Dunru, Wu Xiuwen, and Guo Fu. Guo Jing and Huang Rong had personally taught them too, but their limited talent and slow progress meant they were still stuck at the beginner stage.
That meant Lin Xuan's martial arts were now second only to the couple's in all of Guo Mansion. And he had trained for only a few months.
"Xuan'er, it's no easy feat to combine the Nine Yin Manual's Internal Energy with the martial arts of Peach Blossom Island so naturally." Huang Rong praised him gently, her gaze filled with such deep admiration that it seemed she wanted to engrave his image in her heart.
Lin Xuan's astonishing talent was entirely thanks to the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique's comprehensive transformation of his body, as well as the extraordinary insight into the mysteries of martial arts it had given him. His meridians were more open than an ordinary person's because every time the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique absorbed Primal Yin Energy, it silently widened and strengthened them. His Internal Energy circulated so quickly because the technique efficiently converted absorbed energy into his own Internal Energy and sped up its flow through his meridians.
"Master, Master's Husband, I'll keep training hard and won't let you down." Lin Xuan bowed respectfully again, his voice sincere and firm.
Guo Jing laughed heartily and clapped Lin Xuan on the shoulder, his movement brimming with genuine vigor. "Good, good, good! With you here, Xuan'er, how could Xiangyang City ever fall?"
After the unexpected intimacy in the bamboo grove, Huang Rong deliberately kept her distance from Lin Xuan.
She used the excuses of consolidating her martial arts in seclusion or being busy with military affairs to reduce the time she spent teaching Lin Xuan in person. She told him to study on his own and send for someone if he had questions.
She knew this wasn't a lasting solution. But at the time, it was the most direct and effective way she could think of to avoid Lin Xuan.
She even began avoiding his gaze. When they occasionally ran into each other, she would merely nod before finding an excuse to leave, as if there were a fire on Lin Xuan that could scorch her mind. Her exquisitely beautiful face always carried a barely perceptible weariness and evasiveness.
Lin Xuan could tell that Huang Rong was unsettled. He knew that haste made waste. Just as with the Yin Yang Deficit Supplementation Technique, only gradual progress could lead to a great accumulation of strength.
On the surface, he remained obedient and compliant, never approaching her of his own accord. Instead, he quietly adjusted his strategy and continued his slow, subtle "attack on her heart."
Every morning, Lin Xuan had someone deliver Huang Rong a bowl of soup to nourish her body and soothe her mind. He said he had discovered the recipe while reading old books late at night and had specifically instructed the cook to make it. It supposedly had the remarkable effect of "calming the mind and soothing the qi, while assisting Internal Energy cultivation."
Huang Rong had originally intended to refuse the soup.
But when she caught the faint, sweet fragrance of medicinal herbs, her body instinctively seemed to crave it. After drinking it a few times, she found that it really did help soothe her emotions and even eased the faint heat deep within her body.
Now and then, Lin Xuan would praise Huang Rong's hard work and wisdom in front of Guo Jing, as if in passing. His words were full of the sincerity and reverence unique to a young man.
He might say, "Master exhausts herself for Xiangyang, worrying day and night. Seeing it pains this disciple."
Or, "Master's words always open my eyes. Her wisdom is so profound and boundless that I could never hope to match it, even in a lifetime."
Guo Jing already doted on Huang Rong. Hearing Lin Xuan say such things made him worry for her even more, so he would return to their room and personally show her his concern.
While Huang Rong was avoiding Lin Xuan, she still felt his "thoughtfulness" and "care" everywhere. Even though it was conveyed through Guo Jing, it still made her heart, so often taut with worry for her country and people, feel a warmth she had never experienced before, as if it had been soothed by a fine rain.
Everything Lin Xuan did seeped into Huang Rong's heart in silence, like a gentle rain.
She knew she ought to stay on her guard. But Lin Xuan's flawless devotion and obedience gave her no grounds to rebuke him.
Before you continue