Not This Counts Tackle

The Ice Block's boudoir seemed less austere than before, especially on the vanity table, where numerous trinkets were displayed—birthday gifts Li Mo had given her over the years.

Li Mo sat on the Cold Marrow Jade bed, breathing in the faint, chilly fragrance before exhaling deeply.

What material was the Ice Block's bed made of? So cool and comfortable...

Ying Bing sat beside him, removing her shoes and socks. Just as her snow-white feet were about to rest on the bed, she noticed a certain rebellious hand already hovering eagerly nearby.

"You promised not to misbehave."

"I know, I’ve been gripping the hammer too much lately—just feel the urge to grab something..."

Noticing the slight narrowing of Ying Bing’s eyes, Li Mo put on a solemn expression and used his left hand to forcibly drag his right hand back into submission.

Then, Ying Bing picked up a booklet from the bedside and handed it to him. On the cover was written The Harmony of Yin and Yang, the former sect leader’s "carefully selected" manual given by the Qin Sect Leader.

"I’ve already studied it."

"Read it again. I’ve made revisions and annotations."

Li Mo immediately straightened with respect.

This martial art must indeed have considerable merit if it warranted annotations from the Ice Block herself.

It also proved that the Joyful Ancestor truly had some authority in the Dao of Yin and Yang.

If it were the scribbles of a mediocre student, a teacher wouldn’t even bother correcting them...

Flipping through the booklet again, Li Mo found that while the core principles remained unchanged, the methodology had been refined according to The Phoenix Cries in Heavenly Marsh.

In fact, one could even call it The Phoenix Cries in Heavenly Marsh: Yin-Yang Edition.

On the last page, a line was circled in vermilion:

"During dual cultivation, one must maintain clarity of mind and purity of heart. Otherwise, the imbalance of Yin and Yang may grow fervent..."

In simpler terms—

No impure thoughts allowed.

"Mm, otherwise, one risks straying onto the crooked path of the Joyful Sect."

Ying Bing pressed a slender, jade-like finger against Li Mo’s forehead and said with utmost seriousness:

"So, you must be especially focused."

"My greatest strength is my concentration!"

Li Mo declared with unyielding resolve, his expression as firm as steel.

Ying Bing leaned closer, her autumn-water eyes narrowing slightly as they fixed on him. "No mischief, and no thoughts of mischief either."

"I..."

Her rosy lips parted, her voice carrying a faint, sweet fragrance.

Suddenly, Li Mo remembered the soy milk he’d drunk a few days ago—no wonder it had an unusual, non-soybean sweetness...

So that was why the Ice Block was deliberately keeping things serious—to keep him in check.

If impure thoughts arose and led them astray, who knew what consequences might follow...

"I... um, I probably, maybe, won’t." Even Li Mo’s famously stubborn mouth had softened.

"......"

Ying Bing pressed her lips together, watching as Li Mo—already brimming with yang energy—showed signs of overheating. Eventually, she sighed faintly.

She couldn’t let him stay like this forever.

Today, he was pretending to be ill, but prolonged imbalance would make it real...

"Take off your clothes... the upper garment."

"Alright."

Li Mo removed his Pure Yang robe, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it onto the bed with a plop.

His physique had reached new heights—chiseled like an axe-carved sculpture, with a faint metallic sheen, as if freshly forged.

When Ying Bing’s pale, delicate fingers touched his chest, they trembled slightly, just like her cool, composed gaze.

"Turn around."

"Mm..."

The Frost Fairy had devised a solution.

She had Li Mo sit at the head of the bed, facing away from her, while she worked from behind, starting with the acupoints on his back.

This way, Li Mo’s gaze would be fixed on the window, unable to see her—preventing his eyes from developing their own ideas and corrupting his mind...

The abundant yang energy flowed, strand by strand, into her cool fingertips, guided by the method from The Phoenix Cries in Heavenly Marsh.

The divine intent of the Supreme Yin coursed through him, and Li Mo felt like a traveler who had wandered the desert for too long, finally stumbling upon an oasis after a long drought.

Too bad this oasis was only the size of Ying Bing’s palm.

Gradually, his acupoints filled with pure spiritual energy. Without even needing to focus, he could sense himself rapidly approaching the seventh aperture of Insight, even faintly brushing against the bottleneck.

Fortunately, he didn’t need to dwell on it—which was why it remained just a vague sensation.

Li Mo sat stiffly upright, his expression solemn, savoring the cool, jade-like touch against his back. He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

The Ice Block’s hands were so refreshingly cold—so pleasant to the touch...

The only downside was that only that one spot was cool.

Come to think of it, her hands and feet seemed to be the same temperature. So, was it possible that...

Whoosh—

The moment the thought surfaced, the previously calm yang energy in his body suddenly surged like a spark landing on dry tinder.

"!"

Seriously? Even this counted? The Harmony of Yin and Yang was way too strict!

Li Mo felt a dull ache spread through his meridians.

As everyone knew, heat expanded while cold contracted, and warmth naturally transferred from hotter objects to cooler ones...

His yang energy raged, surging toward the icy chill on his back!

"Li Mo, you..."

Ying Bing pressed her lips tightly together, her palm tingling with numbness—a sensation that seemed to creep up her fingers...

She tried to restore the balance of yin and yang, but it wasn’t something she could control alone.

Once the path deviated, the destination grew further and further away...

Tap—

To make matters worse, a figure appeared outside the door. Shang Wu stood curiously at the entrance to Li Mo’s room.

"Hm? Where’s my precious disciple? He was here just now... unless..."

Shang Wu tilted her head.

Then, glancing back, she paused.

"Wasn’t Little Bing’s door slightly open earlier? Why is it closed now?"

Muttering to herself, she headed downstairs.

Behind the now-shut door, Ying Bing’s delicate earlobes burned crimson. She shot a reproachful glare at the instigator of this mess.

Now...

The raging imbalance of yin and yang was beyond salvaging. The only way out was to reduce their intensity—either by releasing the excess or letting them cancel each other out.

"I..."

"Don’t move."

With a light grit of her teeth, Ying Bing swiftly returned. She had intended to grab Li Mo’s hands, but she misjudged his weight—instead, she lost her balance and tumbled forward.

Her stumble sent her crashing into Li Mo.

Pressed against his chest through the fabric of his clothes, her icy cheek could feel the scorching heat of his skin and the powerful rhythm of his heartbeat.

Ying Bing froze.

For some reason, she recalled the days when she had suffered from extreme cold. If only she had had such a warm embrace back then—perhaps the pain wouldn’t have been so unbearable? After all, this embrace was so cozy and comforting, melting her like snow...

What a coincidence.

Li Mo, holding the trembling, fragrant jade in his arms, realized how limited his experience had been in certain aspects.

A cold body pressed against his was indeed incredibly pleasant.

Far more so than he’d imagined.