Flowing along her body’s curves, the delicate lines of her feet were revealed to the fullest—full yet light, graceful without being ornate, alluring and seductive, painting a vivid portrait of a foot’s charm.

Once, in the past.

Qin Yu had always wondered why the world was so obsessed with the allure of feet, finding it deeply puzzling, to the point of doubting it himself. He believed beauty in feet was nothing but a fringe pursuit—how could it surpass the grace of a person as a whole?!

But now...

He realized he himself had gone from commonplace tastes to refined ones.

This was true sophistication!

He, too, became lost in this subtle beauty, feeling its wonders indescribable.

So it turned out, a woman’s beauty begins from her feet.

The beauty of feet not only did not diminish the charm of a person, but added its own ineffable delight—with a unique flavor all its own.

"You... what do you think you’re doing?!"

Yin Qinghe’s voice practically squeezed out from between her teeth, each word popping out one by one.

This rebellious disciple!

She’d only let her guard down for a moment, and he’d already taken off her shoes.

If she didn’t do something soon, the next thing he took off...

Wouldn’t be the shoes!

"Ahem!"

Qin Yu finally snapped out of it. After a dry cough, he put on a serious face and said, "Mistress, do you really think your disciple would deceive you?"

Yin Qinghe was actually caught off guard by his words.

Though this guy was full of mischief, up to now, he seemed never to have actually lied to her.

"What are you trying to say?" Yin Qinghe still eyed him warily.

Truly—doesn’t she trust him even a little?!

Qin Yu was not discouraged, and continued, "Previously, Mistress only allowed me to massage your shoulders. Didn’t that only relieve your soreness a little?"

Yin Qinghe nodded subconsciously.

It was because she’d gotten a taste for it...

That she allowed Qin Yu to start massaging her back.

Every time after, her body really did feel much more relaxed.

"Actually, Mistress may not know— the key to a massage lies in the feet. The feet connect closely with the organs and meridians of the whole body. If you truly want to relieve fatigue, the most important thing is to press the acupoints on the feet..."

Once Qin Yu started, he spoke with such authority, rattling off all he’d learned (and embellished) from his previous life, making Yin Qinghe dazed and speechless.

She remembered—last time, this guy said the key was the back. How did it become the feet now?

And he actually made it all sound quite reasonable.

Wait a second.

How does he know so much about this?!

As expected!

He’s clearly not a proper person. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

What kind of proper person knows this sort of thing?!

But...

Since her shoes were already off, why not let him try?

If it didn’t work like he claimed, she could just have him stop.

Seeing his beautiful mistress wasn’t resisting, Qin Yu rejoiced inwardly. He reached out and took hold of one foot.

The pair of feet before his eyes seemed to have stepped right out of a painting, his gaze drawn in, unable to tear himself away.

Those five delicate toes, dusted in a faint blush, looked like freshly bloomed petals, tender and dewy. The arch of her foot traced a perfectly smooth curve, like a crescent moon, radiating a soft, tempting glow.

Qin Yu couldn’t help himself—he reached out, fingertips gently making contact.

The sensation...

Smooth but not greasy, warm and soft with a barely perceptible elasticity underneath.

Just as he was about to continue,

Yin Qinghe’s voice rang out like a mountain spring, carrying an undercurrent of panic and flustered anger: "What exactly... are you doing?!"

Don’t think she doesn’t know anything.

This was absolutely not some massage!

This was...

This was criminal conduct!

"Aiya, disciple is at fault, it’s my fault..."

Qin Yu admitted his guilt at once, mumbling to himself, "How can you blame me for this..."

Yin Qinghe’s eyes grew wide.

How is he making this her fault now?!

However, there was a hint left unsaid that made her—deep down inside—feel secretly delighted and shy.

Hmph!

"Mistress, your disciple will begin now."

Qin Yu adjusted his position, placed her other foot on his lap as well, and then began to massage her, full of solemn decorum.

"Mmm!"

As soon as he started, a sigh slipped from beautiful Mistress’s lips—a sound like relief, mixed with reluctant enjoyment.

At the same moment—

Qin Yu could feel it clearly: Mistress’s body tensed with nervousness, her toes curled tightly.

After a long moment...

She finally relaxed.

[Romantic Point +1 from Yin Qinghe]

???

Heavens above!

He really hadn’t done anything bad!

He was just being proper, sincerely wanting to thank his Mistress for her guidance and teachings.

He never expected Mistress would react so...

Moments later—

"You... get out!"

Yin Qinghe seemed to awaken from a dream, her gaze flashing—the peach-blossom depths of her eyes now rippling with emotion, alluring but not coquettish, lending her weakness a captivating charm. Though her words were firm and left no room for argument, the glimmer in her eyes couldn’t quite conceal her lingering... ()

Before she even finished speaking, she had already pulled her feet away in one graceful movement.

Then, turning to her side, her posture shifted from lazy to dignified; no longer sprawling at ease, but erect, as if erecting an invisible wall in an instant.

Qin Yu, puzzled: "Mistress, this is just the beginning... your disciple hasn’t even—"

"Hurry up!"

Yin Qinghe’s tone grew sterner, clearly unwilling to hear any more excuses.

Damn brat!

Did he want to see his Mistress make a fool of herself?!

No way!

She even roused her spiritual power, ready to throw Qin Yu directly out of the Alchemy Room if needed.

"Your disciple listens, Mistress."

Qin Yu of course understood what was going on, so he stood up, took one last glance, and finally left.

Once the door was shut—

Yin Qinghe finally let out a sigh of relief.

Hopefully she hadn’t been found out, right?!

She hastily began to tidy up—not sure what she saw, but her expression only grew more awkward.

For a long time...

She finally managed to calm down.

Thinking back over the whole thing, in truth, she hadn’t been repulsed in the slightest.

Though she’d tried to hide it, she was obviously enjoying every moment.

[Yin Qinghe’s Romantic Point: 20 (Feelings Stirred)]

Qin Yu never returned to the Alchemy Room, but when he saw his Mistress’s Romantic Points tick upwards, the smile at his lips only deepened.

...

In the Immortal Sect—after the Cyan Mountain Sect’s Outer Elder had fled Lin Xian City badly wounded, things there began to change as well.

The weather should have been cooling, and yet the whole city felt smothering, oppressive.

The true enemy hadn’t appeared yet,

But the sense of crisis in the air was as thick as an unseen undercurrent at night, quietly smothering the city whole.

Lin Xian City—how could a piece of meat on a butcher’s block escape being devoured?!

The common cultivators were filled with fear, rarely leaving home, terrified of getting pulled into disaster.

The once-bustling streets were now deathly quiet; only, now and then, the wind blew, trailing a sense of bleakness and unease.

The City Lord’s Mansion.

The City Lord himself sat in his lofty seat, his expression dark enough to wring water out of it.

He’d already sent people to contact the city’s Foundation Establishment cultivators—but they were either in secluded training or weren’t in the city at all.

Clearly—

The loose cultivators could not be relied upon.

What must come, will come.

As the Cyan Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect Steward, he knew the enemy would never let him go.

Now, he could only hope the Immortal Sect would send reinforcements soon.