52: competent guard

Nangong Yue was stunned for a moment but did not answer, merely offering a faint smile. The meaning contained within that smile was something Xiao Chen couldn't quite decipher.

After finishing the soles and the tops of her feet, Xiao Chen did not seek his Revered Master's permission; his large hand slid directly under her long skirt and began to massage her calves.

Nangong Yue's expression was somewhat flustered, but seeing Xiao Chen's serious face, it seemed quite ordinary, so she allowed him to continue massaging.

The skin on her calves was smooth, like that of a newborn—firm, delicate, fair, and jade-like.

Xiao Chen was tactful enough to stop there, not testing her further. He could see that Nangong Yue was a rather conservative woman, not to mention she was his Revered Master.

Too much is as bad as too little.

Step by step, a slow conquest was the way to go.

A strange emotion welled up in Nangong Yue's heart. She didn't understand why, out of all the Disciples she had taken in, she doted on Xiao Chen so much.

Seeing him with his head lowered, seriously massaging her calves, she felt deeply gratified.

"Chener, you won't be going to the Outer Sect tomorrow, will you?"

"Ah?" Xiao Chen showed a look of difficulty.

"Revered Master is doing this for your own good. You should know who wants to target you. With your current cultivation, you simply can't handle it."

"Alright then."

Xiao Chen really wanted to argue, but seeing his Revered Master's eyes, he had to set aside his own thoughts; after all, she was considering his safety.

"For these next few days, stay in the Cultivation Room and Cultivate peacefully until the Secret Realm trial opens."

"Yes, Revered Master."

Although he agreed verbally, Xiao Chen wasn't that obedient. After all, only Dual Cultivation could increase his cultivation level, and it was the fastest shortcut.

If he were forced to stare blankly in a dark Cultivation Room for several days, he would probably die of boredom.

The next day.

Nangong Yue was still Cultivating.

Xiao Chen had already used an invisibility talisman to quietly leave the Inner Sect. He found a hidden spot to deactivate the invisibility and then arrived at Su Yuqing's residence.

Just as he was about to knock, a small face with a charming smile peeked out.

"Brother, I knew it was you..."

After saying that, Su Yuqing directly grabbed Xiao Chen's hand and pulled him inside.

Xiao Chen naturally pulled her into his arms, his large hand instinctively stroking those long legs in black silk stockings, as he chuckled, "Why were you so sure it would be me?"

"Because of this."

Su Yuqing affectionately nuzzled him, her perky nose sniffing like a kitten, enjoying the feeling of being embraced by the man she loved.

"Hmm?"

"Your scent is very special."

"Is that so? Then why can't I sense it?"

"You naturally can't sense it yourself, but it's very attractive to us girls."

"So that's how it is."

Xiao Chen said proudly, hugging her from behind and feeling her charming buttocks, his cheek buried in her jet-black, shiny hair.

Every time she looked back, it made his heart flutter.

Currently, Su Yufei and Su Yuqing's affection values were at the maximum level; they obeyed his words unconditionally.

A sudden storm arrived... Inside a certain Immortal Cave on Qingmu Peak.

Li Yulin's face was grim. With a wave of his sleeve, he directly knocked over a Foundation Establishment Disciple, slamming him hard against the wall and shaking the surrounding decorations into disarray.

"Pfft!"

A mouthful of blood sprayed out. The Foundation Establishment Disciple hurriedly scrambled up and knelt on the ground again.

"Senior Brother Li, please spare me..."

"You useless trash, what's the point of keeping you?"

"Senior Brother Li, this Junior Brother is truly wronged! I have been staring at Danxia Peak the whole time, and I never saw Xiao Chen come out."

"Then is the news that just came from the Outer Sect false?"

"This..."

"You can't even do this simple thing, yet you want me to recommend you to the Monster Hunting Hall?"

"Senior Brother Li, please give me another chance." The Foundation Establishment Disciple kowtowed repeatedly in apology.

"Scram!"

"Yes, yes, yes... I'll scram right away."

Li Yulin clenched his fists in anger. He had sent people to watch Danxia Peak, yet Xiao Chen had still slipped out of the Inner Sect right under their noses.

He just hadn't expected that Xiao Chen would use an invisibility talisman to fool everyone.

However, he was ultimately one step short. When entering Su Yuqing's residence, he was spotted by an Outer Sect lookout, who reported it to Li Yulin.

"I'll go see for myself what's going on." Li Yulin's figure flashed as he flew toward the Outer Sect... On the other side, Song Shuting had calculated the date; today should be the time Xiao Chen returned to the Outer Sect. She didn't want to bother with him, yet she feared he might actually run into an accident.

Thus, she secretly checked Xiao Chen's residence and found he wasn't there; then she checked Su Yufei's residence, and he still wasn't there.

"Eh! Could it be he found his conscience and didn't come looking for other women today?"

Refusing to give up, she finally came to Su Yuqing's residence. Unsurprisingly, within ten yards, she could hear the decadent sounds coming from inside.

The soft, panting moans were enough to make even her blush.

The last shred of expectation she had for Xiao Chen vanished without a trace. Her small hands were clenched into fists, her fingertips turning white.

"Good for you, Xiao Chen, you really know how to spread the love! I'm never looking out for you again!"

Song Shuting muttered indignantly.

Despite her words, her legs seemed to have a mind of their own, as she instinctively found a hidden tree canopy and hid herself.

Her charming little mouth was pouted very high.

She didn't even understand why she was doing this. She couldn't help but give a bitter laugh in her heart; perhaps she really was as Yang Yunkang said—born cheap!

It lasted until evening, when a figure pretending to be idle and aimless quietly entered her field of vision.

Li Yulin.

Song Shuting immediately suppressed her aura, sitting cross-legged on a tree branch, quietly observing his true intentions.

From the direction he came, it was obvious Li Yulin had been to Xiao Chen's residence, found no one, and then came here to check.

Song Shuting gave him no opportunity. Her figure flashed, turning into a streak of light that intercepted him.

Li Yulin was startled at first, then put on a face full of smiles and spoke first:

"Hehe, Junior Sister Song, where are you heading?"

"Stop that smirking. Don't think I don't know your intentions!"

"Junior Sister Song, look at what you're saying! What intentions could I possibly have?"

"You're acting all sneaky. Aren't you still thinking about your sixty thousand Spirit Stones?"

Li Yulin looked bitter, then suddenly laughed loudly, "Hahaha... Junior Sister really underestimates me. A mere sixty thousand Spirit Stones—how could I possibly care about that?"

"?"

"The one I truly care about is you, Junior Sister!"

"..."

"Junior Sister, ever since twelve years ago when the eighteen of us were admitted into the Inner Sect in the same batch, I have never stopped thinking about you."

"Enough, say no more."

Song Shuting had heard such words countless times. Those dozen or so Golden Core Stage Prodigies had said them to her countless times, only to be sternly rejected.

Even now, she couldn't understand how, after her body was taken by Xiao Chen, she had become like this, with even her soul imprinted with his shadow.

"No, I must say it today! If I don't, I'll feel stifled! We really never expected it. We always thought you were dedicated to the Great Dao of Immortal Cultivation and disliked the seven emotions and six desires of the mortal world.

But you've absolutely shocked us. The peerless beauty that over a dozen Senior and Junior Brothers have loved for twelve years would actually like a piece of Qi Refining Stage trash!"

Song Shuting's fair face turned cold: "Enough! Are you quite finished!"