Xiao Lan's head buzzed, and her mind went utterly blank.
What... did I just hear?
She jerked her head up and met Veylin's emotionless eyes, but to her, they looked like the prelude to some perverse desire no matter how she looked at them.
Xiao Lan involuntarily recalled the "orientation training" she had received while working at the club-even though she had only been a server, training had been mandatory for everyone, male or female.
During that training, she had received the Ruby Service Guidebook, which had changed her entire worldview. There had been hardly any words in it, only some... vividly rendered "illustrations."
For the past two months, she had desperately wanted to forget the images in that guidebook, but her usually slow-witted brain had proved uncharacteristically sharp in this one respect-like white socks stained with sweat, which retained a faint yellow mark no matter how often they were washed.
"My lord... I..." Xiao Lan's voice trembled uncontrollably.
Veylin frowned slightly, puzzled by her hesitation.
"What are you doing? Stop dawdling." He repeated his instructions. "Brace your palms against the edge of the table, kneel on the tabletop, and keep your back parallel to the floor."
Xiao Lan's cheeks flushed crimson, the color spreading all the way to her ears. Veylin was her master, and she was his servant. Deep down, she had vaguely anticipated that this day would come... She dared not resist, nor could she.
Overwhelmed by shame and fear, she closed her eyes in resignation and shakily did as instructed.
The hard wooden table dug painfully into her knees, but the position itself was far more mortifying.
Her blue-and-white maid's dress had already been closely fitted. Now, on all fours, its skirt was too short to cover her thighs completely. She could feel the breeze passing through the room brushing her lower body, from her thighs all the way to her lower belly.
Xiao Lan dared not open her eyes, her thoughts running wild. Lord Veylin seems to be right behind me. Where is he looking? What does he want to do?
A moment later, a hand lifted her chin. She opened her eyes to find that Veylin had somehow already moved in front of her.
"How are you supposed to learn the movements with your eyes closed? Lift your head and watch properly... Straighten your arms, don't let your lower back sag, and tighten your abdomen."
Veylin's voice remained even as he periodically adjusted Xiao Lan's slipping posture with his hands.
Xiao Lan felt dizzy. His gaze seemed like a dragon's breath, making her skin burn wherever it passed.
Veylin, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in his own world. He picked up his quill and periodically scribbled rapid notes on the paper.
[Initial posture test: The subject lacks upper-body strength, and her core muscles require development. This posture effectively stretches the erector spinae and gluteus maximus, but requires relatively high shoulder-joint stability.]
"Good. Hold that." Veylin put down his quill. "Now inhale and arch your back upward... No, like a startled cat. Let your head hang naturally and look toward your navel."
Xiao Lan stiffly followed his instructions.
As she arched her back, her skirt was pulled higher, leaving every contour of her body exposed to the air.
"Exhale. Slowly lower and flatten your back, lift your head, and look forward."
Excitement crept into Veylin's voice. He had seen the data!
At the precise instant she transitioned between those movements, the supplementary ingredient parameters had shifted!
"Repeat that movement. Yes, slow your breathing and feel each vertebra moving."
His tone grew increasingly eager, sending Xiao Lan's imagination into ever more outrageous territory.
He... he really does enjoy watching this!
Tears of shame and anger welled in her eyes. She bit her lip hard, refusing to make a sound.
"Next movement." Veylin remained completely oblivious to her distress. "Keep your palms where they are and lift your hips backward and upward, forming an inverted V with your body."
This was a difficult movement for Xiao Lan. She tried several times, but her body kept wobbling.
"Shift your weight back and engage the backs of your thighs." Veylin stepped forward and lightly tapped the back of her thigh with his index finger. "Here. Can you feel it?"
The touch of his fingertip sent a jolt through Xiao Lan. Her body shuddered, and she could no longer support herself, collapsing onto the table.
"N-no... don't touch me!"
Xiao Lan finally broke down, blurting out the words through sobs.
Veylin's finger froze in midair. He emerged from his feverish experimental focus and looked at the girl sprawled on the table, her shoulders heaving violently.
"Too... tired? Muscle fatigue triggered an emotional breakdown?"
He quickly wrote down a new observation in his notebook.
[The subject's psychological threshold is lower than expected... Physical stamina requires improvement. Consider shorter, more frequent training sessions in the future.]
"All right." Veylin put away his notebook. "That's all for today's training. Remember the postures we practiced today. Once you're back, write down everything you felt in your body, including soreness in every muscle, and report to me tomorrow morning."
He paused.
"You may go."
As though granted a pardon, Xiao Lan scrambled off the table on her hands and feet. Without even stopping to bow, she covered her face and stumbled out of the office.
As she cried, she wondered whether a lord so adept at bullying girls could really be considered a hero.
Veylin watched her fleeing figure, then lowered his gaze to his notes.
He was thoroughly satisfied.
He could hardly wait to see what kind of strength activating the mithril bloodline would bring.
But then Veylin began to worry again.
Xiao Lan's case was out of the question. Over a hundred grams of primordial blood crystal was simply not an option at present. She could only train little by little to reduce the ingredients required for the Stripping Potion.
He recalled Barrett's information.
[Name: Barrett] [Level: Level-three warrior] [Bloodline: Rockwall Brute (Black Iron rank) 18%, mixed bloodlines 82%] [Abilities: None] [Overall assessment: An experienced warrior, but with limited bloodline potential. Years of combat have caused bloodline stagnation within his body. Hidden injuries in his left arm and left leg restrict further improvement in strength. Possesses only preliminary modification value.] [Purification potion: Primary ingredient: 35 grams of standard primal blood crystal. Supplementary ingredients: 100 milliliters of Underground Worm mucus extract, 50 milliliters of Troll regenerative blood, 1 adult Petrifying Lizard magic core.] [Preparation method: ...]
He dipped his quill in ink and recorded the ingredient list in his notebook, noting the market price of each item.
Veylin wrote swiftly. The total ingredient cost for Barrett's potion would be no less than three hundred Gold Suns.
He rubbed his brow. That was only for one person. His Garrison included nine other equally capable former Grey Wolves mercenaries, and they, too, were cornerstones of his territory's future.
If he devised a personalized bloodline enhancement plan for every one of them... Veylin did not even dare imagine the total.
He had to find a steady, efficient way to make money.
Veylin picked up his quill and wrote a new line in his notebook.
[Immediate priority: Establish a biological laboratory and launch phase one of the "high-yield, saline-alkali-tolerant crop" breeding program.] [Objective: Develop high-yield seeds within half a month and build up a sizable stock before autumn.]
He put down his quill and let out a long breath.
The sunlight outside was lovely. Through the wooden lattice window, he could see everyone taking part in the bustling construction of the town.
Veylin stared at the notebook on his desk.
On one side was a potion formula costing three hundred gold; on the other, a development plan for his territory.
They seemed entirely unrelated, yet both pointed to the same simple truth.
-How the hell was he supposed to do research without money?