"Massage techniques..."
"Massage chair?"
Ying Bing's delicate brows furrowed slightly, her phoenix-like eyes narrowing. Visibly, the faint smile on her jade-like face vanished, seamlessly replaced by an icy, transcendent demeanor.
Li Mo: "!"
He sensed ripples in the ice block's usually serene heart-lake, as calm as polished jade.
What the hell happened?
He hadn't said anything wrong. It was just a massage... Speaking of which, Li Mo couldn't help but recall the Flower-Picking Finger technique.
Ahem. Some of those techniques were indeed blush-inducing.
Like Delicate Needle Threading... Orchid Brushing Jade... Twin Dragons Snatching the Pearl...
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, her faint voice drifted to his ears:
"It's not broken... yet."
She was referring to the second layer of Phoenix Cry Over Heavenly Marsh.
Mental communication couldn't reveal each other's exact thoughts—at least not at their current stage—only vague emotional fluctuations. But that vagueness was enough.
"..."
The girl's gaze seemed to say, I'm waiting for your excuse.
It gave Li Mo a sudden sense of "It's all coming back to me now."
"I mean, it's a technique... Look, even Phoenix Cry Over Heavenly Marsh is a dual cultivation method, so..."
Bang—
The wooden door slammed shut.
"I have to give a lecture at Sword City tomorrow. I need rest."
"You should sleep early too."
The ice block's voice came through the door.
"Alright."
Li Mo sighed helplessly.
He'd have to be more careful when using the second layer of Phoenix Cry Over Heavenly Marsh from now on.
Though he was a gentleman, he was still a man. Sometimes his thoughts would wander into... unseemly territory.
But that was normal. Everyone had all sorts of emotions and stray thoughts—even the ice block had moments when her heart-lake rippled.
Thinking about it costs nothing, but if others find out, the consequences are immeasurable...
Ahem! He was getting too carried away.
Li Mo returned to his room. He still had to tutor Princess Jiang Chulong, and afterward, he needed to conserve his energy.
Copying the mystical stone was an extremely taxing task.
As he pushed open his door, a thought struck him:
"Come to think of it, the ice block actually seems more normal when she's cold..."
---
The next day.
Autumn always arrived earlier in Yunzhou.
During spring and autumn, the land was often shrouded in misty rain and drifting clouds, adding an ethereal, mysterious charm to the region.
"No wonder it was once a haven for swordsmen."
As Li Mo stepped outside, he saw Senior Brother Ouyang sitting slumped, clutching his head as if questioning his existence.
The stench of alcohol clung to him.
"How much did he drink?"
"He got his heart broken," Shen Yunfei whispered.
"Huh? What happened?"
Li Mo was taken aback.
Since when was Ouyang in a relationship? Wasn't he an artist? As everyone knew, artists usually had tumultuous love lives.
Shen Yunfei explained, "Yesterday at Baohuan Tower, a beautiful woman recognized Ouyang and praised his paintings. They hit it off."
"That sounds great." Li Mo glanced at Ouyang.
Shen Yunfei continued, "Then things took a turn."
"They talked more and felt like kindred spirits. The woman admired his skill and learned he was the illustrator for The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me. She asked him to paint her portrait."
"But in the end, someone stole her away!"
"Stole her?!"
Li Mo's expression turned serious.
Sure, Ouyang was a bit greedy, had too much spicy imagination, and was weak in martial arts—but overall, he was a good guy.
Besides, whoever messed with Ouyang should know he was under Qingyuan Sect's protection!
"The problem is, the person who stole her is someone Ouyang can't do anything about."
Shen Yunfei looked conflicted.
Li Mo waved a hand firmly.
"Even if our elders aren’t here, I still have some influence in Hengyun Sword City!"
He walked over and patted Ouyang’s shoulder.
"Senior Brother, chin up. We won’t let this slide. Tell me who it is—don’t hold back."
Ouyang lifted his head.
Seeing Li Mo’s earnest face, his expression twisted further in agony.
He raised a finger...
"Huh?"
Li Mo realized Ouyang was pointing at him.
Was he still drunk?
Li Mo sidestepped left.
Ouyang’s finger followed.
Li Mo sidestepped right.
Ouyang’s finger tracked him again.
Li Mo: "?"
Why was he locked on?
"Junior Brother Li..."
Shen Yunfei sighed, hesitating before saying,
"That woman didn’t just want a portrait. She wanted Ouyang to return to his roots."
Return to his roots?
As everyone knew, Ouyang’s original profession was...
"The protagonists were 'Jiang Chen'... and herself."
Li Mo: "......."
So she wanted the artist she liked to draw fanart of her and another man? That was next-level self-cuckolding...
Just imagining it hurt. Too painful.
After a long silence, Li Mo consoled him:
"An artist’s love life is always rocky. The more it fails, the better your art becomes."
"You’ll definitely become a legendary painter—renowned across the land, immortalized in history."
If the Heavenly Destiny Eye said so, it was guaranteed.
Ouyang burst into tears.
He was genuinely heartbroken.
Everyone: "..."
Junior Brother, you really know how to comfort people.
Feeling awkward, Li Mo frowned. "Wait, Senior Brother’s reaction seems too extreme."
Shen Yunfei and Xu Zhiqing exchanged a glance. Are you sure it’s not because of you?
Just to be safe, Li Mo activated the Heavenly Destiny Eye and looked at Ouyang.
His eyebrows shot up.
[Name: Ouyang]
[Age: 27]
[Innate Talent: Masterful Brushwork]
[Cultivation: Fourth Aperture of Observation]
[Destiny: Blue-Purple]
[Evaluation: Exceptionally skilled at painting women. After earning a fortune from The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me, he no longer lacks money. Following this heartbreak, his artistry will advance greatly.]
[Recent Events: Encountered Yin Mianmian disguised as a female admirer. Fell under her bewitchment and is now weeping uncontrollably.]
Yin Mianmian is still in Yunzhou?
Not only was she here, but since Li Mo hadn’t gone to Baohuan Tower yesterday, she had targeted the next best option—Ouyang.
Is she after me?
Li Mo’s heart sank.
That Rainmist Pavilion’s Holy Maiden wasn’t known for combat...
And he didn’t know if this was her personal scheme or if Rainmist Pavilion was involved.
"By the way, Junior Brother, the sect sent word. Elder Qian, Elder Xue, and the others are already on their way."
"That’s great news."
Li Mo relaxed slightly.
The elders were as shrewd and reliable as ever. They knew fame attracted trouble, so they were coming as backup.
Qingyuan Sect had indeed made quite a splash this time.
---
Before long, Li Mo set off for Hengyun Sword City with Ying Bing and Jiang Chulong.
The mist hung thick in the air. Though it wasn’t raining, walking any distance left their clothes damp.
The streets were still crowded, but fewer martial artists lingered—most had gone to Sword City for the lecture.
Their teacher, however, was still en route.
At every Sword Hero Convention, a seven-day sermon could be held in Sword City.
Jiang Chulong carried a small basket on her back, her eyes darting around beneath the cloth wrappings as she scanned the ground. Whenever she spotted discarded bottles, broken kites, or tattered clothes, she would hurry over to collect them before catching up with the others.
Her small figure flickered in and out of view amidst the misty rain.
Meanwhile, Ying Bing moved as if gliding on clouds, her skirt fluttering with an ethereal grace.
They ascended halfway up the mountain of Sword City.
Along the way, the trio passed by a lone pavilion.
Inside stood a shadowy figure.
"Would any of you care for a divination?" came a woman's voice.