Chapter 158 Yang Sword Second Floor, Sharing the Sweet Rain
Qiuyue imitated the lady's demeanor, moving with light, graceful steps, and walked ahead. They passed through corridors and alleys, turned a corner, and entered the inner courtyard through a side gate.
But it was a poor imitation. Qiu Yue was not bad-looking; if one removed the vulgarity in her eyes and the meanness in her nose and mouth, she would truly be a beautiful woman. However, compared to the lady, she was far inferior.
"Keep your eyes to yourself, or I'll gouge them out!"
When they reached a room, Qiuyue stopped and made a threatening remark. Seeing that Li Xian ignored her, Qiuyue felt she had made a fool of herself and, feeling annoyed, pushed the door open.
White smoke drifted out, mingling with heat and fragrance, intoxicating the senses. Li Xian was taken aback, realizing the interior was clearly a bathhouse. The lady's clothes, which she had removed, were hanging on a wooden rack.
Li Xiandao: "This is..."
"You can't even see that? You're so stupid. I really don't know why Madam summoned you here." Qiuyue mocked, "This is Madam's bathing place. You must have accumulated a lot of good fortune in your past lives to be able to set foot here in this life."
Harsh and sarcastic remarks.
"Did Madam really summon me here?" Li Xian despised Qiu Yue from the bottom of his heart, and ignored her insults and slander.
"Nonsense!" Qiu Yue cursed. "You stupid pig-headed idiot, how could I dare bring you here without Madam's permission?" She hated Li Xian to the extreme and felt that her position was insecure, so she naturally seized every opportunity to scold him.
He used this to demonstrate his status and warn Li Xian, unaware that he was merely amusing himself.
Ignoring Qiu Yue, Li Xian hesitated at the door. He thought to himself that a woman's bath was a very private matter. Why was the lady calling him now? Judging from the situation, there seemed to be nothing urgent in the manor.
A moment later, he stepped into the bathing room. He was enveloped in steam, and the medicinal properties seeped into his body. Li Xian was surprised: "This steam actually contains medicinal power, strengthening my body and nourishing my mind?"
Li Xian looked around. The lady's changed clothes, boots, socks, inner garments, and hairpins were all neatly folded on a jade table.
Qiu Yue hurried a few steps, rounded a screen, and saw a curtain hanging down. The curtain was soft and flowing, like a waterfall.
Lift the curtain and walk a few steps to a spacious room with a jade-built spring pool inside.
The lady practiced "miraculous skills," and after each time she emerged from seclusion, she would take a medicinal bath. The medicinal herbs were expensive, and a single bath cost several hundred taels of silver.
The medicinal properties can penetrate and sometimes corrode the floor tiles. The jade used for paving here is no ordinary material; it retains the medicinal properties and prevents corrosion.
Qiuyue exchanged a few words with Madam Wen. Qiuyue nodded, then quickly stepped out, holding a piece of black satin embroidered with gold thread in her hand, and said, "Madam orders you to use this black cloth to cover your eyes before going in to see her."
Li Xian nodded. His eyes were covered by a black cloth, plunging him into complete darkness. He lifted the curtain and went deeper inside. He felt the humidity was even higher here, and the steam was quite beneficial.
Lady Wen lay on her side at the edge of the spring pool. Beside her were fruit platters, pastries, candied fruits, wine jugs, and cups. Her long hair was loose and floated on the water, with flower petals floating on the pale blue bathwater.
It seemed to cover her body, yet not quite. A few petals clung to her jade-like shoulders.
When she saw Li Xian arrive, she told him there was a futon on the east side and invited him to sit on it. She looked relaxed, poured herself a cup of wine, and picked up a piece of fruit to eat.
His gaze swept over Li Xian.
He thought to himself, "If I summon him here, I'll surely frighten him. Oh well, let him be frightened."
She poured herself a drink and enjoyed the medicinal bath. Her body was flawless, but she was particularly fond of skincare, adding herbs to the bath to enhance the fragrance and brighten her complexion.
The air was misty, like a fairy in the fog.
Hearing the gurgling water, Li Xian felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. Although he knew the beautiful scenery was before him, he only wanted to escape. He couldn't help but curse the Black Tai Sui, a creature that reeked of stench and was utterly disgusting.
What a jinx!
Good things don't work, but bad things do.
Madam Wen, enveloped in a misty haze, had a slightly moist complexion. She picked up a black jade grape. This was a product of the Western Regions, extremely expensive. She peeled off the skin, flicked it with her finger, and said, "Open your mouth."
Li Xian did as instructed. The peeled grapes popped into his mouth, releasing a burst of fruity aroma. The best quality fruit is prized for its fragrance, not its sweetness. Too much sweetness would mask the aroma.
“You little rascal, you’re quite lucky.” Madam Wen lightly brushed the water with her hand and said, “The water lychees last time and the dragon grapes this time were both tribute items.”
"Yes," Li Xian said, "It's all thanks to Madam."
Madam Wen said, "Do you know why I summoned you here?" Li Xian stood up and said, "I really don't know. Please enlighten me, Madam, so that I can do what you need to do."
“Sit down,” Madam Wen said.
"You're in such a hurry to leave, are you afraid of me?" Madam Wen swam up to Li Xian and touched his chin with her finger.
Li Xian remained silent. Madam Wen said, "If I were to give you a chance to bathe with me, what would you say?"
Li Xian's heart skipped a beat. Being young and impetuous, he couldn't help but feel a momentary surge of lust upon hearing these words, but it quickly subsided, replaced by a sense of foreboding.
Before today, he still had a slim chance to escape from his wife's side. If they were to actually bathe together, his wife would undoubtedly keep a closer eye on him.
He thought to himself, "Although Madam will cultivate me, she will also control me. I will never be stronger than her if I stay by her side. But now that we are getting closer and closer, I can no longer control her. At this point, I can only take it one step at a time."
Li Xian said, "Madam is joking." Madam Wen said, "I am not joking. You shall immediately remove your clothes, but the cloth wrapped around your eyes shall not be removed even a little bit."
"Then go down into this pool."
Her voice was cold, and she spoke entirely in a commanding tone. She offered no explanation for this, leaving Li Xian guessing and puzzled.
turn out to be…
Seeing that Li Xian's mastery of the "Sunset and Decaying Blood Sword" was already quite good, she gradually began to intend to teach him the second level. However, the Sunset and Decaying Blood Sword was a "Yang Sword," and the Yin-Yang Immortal Couple Sword required a perfect fusion of emotions, genuine feelings, and a deep, lingering bond to continue cultivation as one progressed further.
Further contact is inevitable.
The joint cultivation of sword techniques was something she hadn't anticipated. Her initial intention was merely to control Li Xian.
Despite several joint attempts, this young man's swordsmanship talent is quite decent. Although his progress is slow, he has not stopped improving.
Lady Wen thought to herself, "This boy is not only loyal to me, but also has such a handsome appearance. What harm is there in using him to help me with my cultivation? Since he is my personal possession, I should make the best use of him."
The second level of the Yin-Yang Immortal Couple Sword Technique is called "Sharing Sweet Rain," also known as "Yin Merging with Yang." It requires bathing together in a medicinal bath to lay the foundation for the sword technique. Today's medicinal bath is merely a preliminary test.
Li Xian was an open-minded person. He felt he had nothing to lose either way, and being hesitant and fussy would be undignified. So he took off his clothes and entered the bath.
"I guess I got a free medicinal bath. The lady is dangerous and ruthless, but her beauty is undeniable. Perhaps one day, when I am stronger than her, I can suppress her and truly experience the pleasure. Right now... I seem to be enjoying a lot of good fortune, but in reality, I am being strangled by a venomous snake, and I have to be careful even when I breathe," Li Xian thought to himself.
Madam Wen thought to herself, "At such a young age, his physique is quite impressive." She looked him up and down, quite satisfied, and said, "Raise your hand."
Madam Wen placed her palm on the ground. She felt a burning heat from Li Xian's palm, and her mind was stirred, as if a cat was scratching at her heart. Even though she was naturally cold-hearted, she couldn't help but show a different expression in this situation.
She said calmly, "Calm your mind, suppress your thoughts, and restrain your desires."
The Yin-Yang Immortal Couple Sword Technique is a combined sword technique, practiced by both men and women. Therefore, one should indulge in unrestrained thoughts and desires. Only in this way can one grasp its essence and achieve vigorous and refined progress in swordsmanship.
Madam Wen, being exceptionally intelligent, naturally understood this. Her deliberate demand at this moment was a violation of common sense.
She treated Li Xian as her possession, watching him come under her complete control. She could not indulge in desire, nor express her feelings, nor dare to act on her thoughts. Only through restraint and forbearance could she feel at ease to continue her cultivation.
But the relationship between Yin and Yang is deeply intertwined, reflecting each other. Li Xian, as a mirror, is also a reflection of herself.
If she were open-minded and fearless, indulging in pleasures freely, she could truly achieve the state of having desires but no emotions. But now, watching Li Xian's restraint and forbearance, a strange feeling arose within her.
A mix of joy and accomplishment. One person endured, while the other indulged. She treated Li Xian like a private possession. Regardless of love or hate, at least at this moment, she truly felt as if she had found a treasure.
"Good, very good. Come closer slowly." Madam Wen's voice was calm, but there was already a slight tremor in it.
Li Xian said, "Madam, this..." Before he could finish speaking, a shallow sword mark appeared on his chest. Madam Wen's Qi was condensed like a sword, injuring people invisibly, extremely powerful. She said, "Say another half word, and I'll tear your heart out."
Li Xian sighed helplessly, but amused himself inwardly: "If I become stronger in the future, I'll make you taste the true nature of a man." But for now, he had to obey.
Today was merely a shared bath; nothing else was involved. Half an hour later, Li Xian, still confused, was kicked out.
[After sharing a bath with you, your proficiency with the Sunset Blood Sword increases by 398.]
[Your martial arts have improved significantly, you have gained profound insights, and you have reached the Essence Consumption Realm, with proficiency increased by 1.]
...
...
The medicinal bath was over. Qiuyue immediately went into the bath room to help the lady get dressed.
Qiu Yue said, "Madam, you are of noble birth and have a precious body. If there is any urgent matter, you cannot ask me to deliver it. You must let him in. He spends all day with those servants, and he is dirty and smelly. If he makes a mess of the bathhouse, that would be very bad."
Madam Wen sneered. If they were truly filthy, Li Xiantai's body was pure, while Qiu Yue's was merely a clay figure, barely able to circulate her Qi. It was obvious which of the two was filthy and foul.
Only the autumn moon cannot see this layer.
After dressing, Qiuyue helped the lady comb her long hair and carefully put on the silver hairpin. Qiuyue then said, "Madam, I saw that Li Xian looking around just now. I wonder if he saw your undergarments."
"Why don't we arrest him and question him? This man has been scheming to please you ever since he came to the manor. Perhaps he harbors malicious intentions all along."
At this point, Madam Wen let out a soft groan. Qiu Yue paused, a look of pain on her face, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of her mouth. Her head was buzzing.
Madam Wen's soft hum caused her internal energy to enter her ears through the sound, shaking her internal organs and damaging her physical body.
Qiu Yue's aura weakened instantly, her arrogant and ruthless demeanor vanished, and she was filled with endless fear and unease. She hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy: "This servant...this servant knows her mistake. I don't know where I angered Madam."
Madam Wen took the silver hairpin, put it in front of the mirror, her makeup was exquisite, and said lightly, "You servant are too noisy, that is a mistake. Let's not mention this matter again in the future."
"Yes, yes." Qiu Yue quickly kowtowed, as if waking from a dream. She looked down on Pang Long in every way, but in the Madam's eyes, she was also just "Pang Long".
In an instant, an overwhelming sorrow welled up in her heart. She had wanted to compete with Li Xian for the emperor's favor, but now she realized that the madam only treated Li Xian as a human being.
"Bring me the Jade Silkworm Rope; today I will practice the Silkworm Feather Jade Inlay Technique."
Madam Wen said calmly.
(End of this chapter)
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