245 Chapter 244: Hot Spring (2/2)

My face turned red.

”You…you…!” I spluttered. I couldn't help it. Even my thirty-over self was a virgin. This was the first time I had seen a naked woman in my whole life. Turning my head away to avoid ogling at her, I managed to muster a coherent inquiry. ”What do you intend to do?”

”I told you, didn't I?” stepping out of her dress, Song Ting Yu walked into the hot spring, immersing most of her body inside the warm water. ”I intend to change my negotiation methods. Like I said, we might open up more to each other if we share some skinship.”

”No way!” I shouted, backing away. Except there was nowhere to retreat to because I literally had my back against a moist rock wall. ”Hurry up and get dressed!”

Song Ting Yu giggled at my reaction as she slowly approached.

”What are you afraid of?”

”It's not that I'm afraid of anything,” I snapped as I raised both hands to keep her at bay. ”But this sort of conduct is improper. You should only do this with a guy close to you.”

And suddenly Song Ting Yu was right in front of me, grabbing my hand and curling her delicate fingers around my knuckles.

”The man I want to get close to is you, Mister Fei.”

Her voice was now a throaty whisper. I suddenly understood. Now that Song Ting Yu realized that her charm techniques and spiritual methods weren't working, she had resorted to using a more physical, baser manner. Even if she couldn't charm or hypnotize me, she was confident in her absolute beauty to seduce me.

She leaned closer, our naked bodies almost coming in physical contact, but I managed to pull away.

”If I negotiate with you like this, would you be a lot more acceding to my request?” she asked almost innocently.

I closed my eyes briefly and sighed.

”If you're trying to seduce me, it's not going to work.” Then I frowned when I realized something. Song Ting Yu seemed a bit unsure. She had closed the gap somewhat and was in close proximity, but she seemed like she didn't know how to proceed. She looked as if she wanted to press closer, but her cheeks were flushed and shy, and she instinctively pulled away. Then I guffawed, causing her to frown angrily.

”This is your first time trying this sort of trick, isn't it?” I grinned. That made sense. Song Ting Yu's charm techniques had never failed before, so she never had to really engage in actual physical intimacy. So now that she was trying it out for the first time in reality, she was at a complete loss at what to do. ”You're a virgin like me.”

”Heh.” To her credit, Song Ting Yu wasn't offended. She slightly pulled away and shrugged, her ample chest almost visible through the surface of the hot spring. ”Are you disappointed?”

”No. I'm relieved, actually.” It was a good thing Song Ting Yu was a complete amateur at physical seduction, or I might really have fallen into her trap. Now that I had retained a modicum of my rationality, I was able to mount an effective response. ”If you aren't sure of how to do it, don't even try it. Now get out and get dressed.”

I added a chilly note to my warning, my icy qi snaking across the hot spring and freezing the water into ice. Song Ting Yu backed away instinctively.

”Hey, Fei Wu!”

Before Song Ting Yu could get out of the hot spring, a familiar voice rang through the area. Craning my neck, I spotted Tong Xue trotting in with a set of new clothing.

”I got you a fresh set of uniform. Your previous one was pretty bloodied up, so we sent it to the laundry…”

Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click visiting.

He trailed away when he saw Song Ting Yu in the hot spring, and his jaw dropped so wide I swear it actually hit the ground.

”This isn't what it looks like,” I said, even though I knew how cheesy and clichéd that sounded. Unfortunately, there was nothing much I could say in this situation.

”You the man!” Tong Xue exclaimed, seemingly delighted that I had recovered from the loss of Tang Qi Hong and moved on. He placed my uniform nearby and flash me a thumb's up. ”Sorry for intruding. I won't disturb you further.”

”No, I mean…”

But Tong Xue was paying no attention to my explanations. He was grinning as he ran out of the hot spring.

”…”

Feeling a headache coming, I buried my face in my palm and sighed. Song Ting Yu, who had witnessed everything, chuckled.

”Now that we've been seen, should we do it for real?”

”If you don't get out of the hot spring, I'll freeze you to death.” Then an idea struck me, and I shook my head. ”Never mind, you can stay here for as long as you want.”

”Really?” Song Ting Yu widened her eyes, completely taken aback by my sudden change in heart. ”So you…”

”…are getting out of here.”

Making use of the fog to hide myself, I climbed out of the hot spring, dried myself and wore my fresh uniform in a matter of seconds before Song Ting Yu or anyone beyond the fourth wall could see anything.

Song Ting Yu stared at me in disappointment. ”Are you even a man?”

”Oh, I most definitely am. But that doesn't mean I'll sleep with any girl just because she's beautiful.”

Throwing a callous retort at her, I began striding out of the hot spring.

”Wait for me!”

Like hell I would.

”The thing is that…” I could hear and sense Song Ting Yu getting dressed behind me. Like the gentleman I was, I kept my back on her and refused to peek. I wasn't a horny adolescent, after all. I was a guy mentally over thirty. The naked bodies of teenage girls didn't really interest me that much. ”Everyone should know by now that you're my fiancé.”

”What?!” I yelled, outraged, turning on her.

”Well…it's easier that way, so Green Dragon Sect will stop targeting you. And you'll be under the protection of the Martial Arts Alliance.”

”I don't need their protection,” I replied furiously, the memories of their invasion still raw in my mind. Stomping off, I ignored her pleas to wait and left the hot spring.

”Oh, so you're finally up.” Xiao Zhang coincidentally happened to be outside when I emerged. Though I suspected he had been waiting there for quite a bit, or immediately swooped down here when Tong Xue reported my status. Or perhaps they could sense my qi and tell whether I was awake or not. In any case, I was sure it was no coincidence.

”Sorry for the trouble,” I apologized and bowed my head.

”It's no trouble at all. Actually, that was a massive achievement…to be able to defeat and slay someone of Mo Long's caliber…” Xiao Zhang grinned and stroked his beard. ”Very impressive. You have brought pride and honor to our academy.”

I only did that because the bastard was trying to kill me. And also because I was fascinated by his techniques and wanted them for my own, but admittedly, if he wasn't attempting to assassinate me, I wouldn't have slain him. I would have just politely approached him and asked him to teach me. Heaven and Earth Absorption was actually less effective when it came to stealing techniques as there were a lot of unknowns and variables, and I had no mentor to accurately guide me along the right path. I would have to improvise.

”There's also one more thing I have to inform you.”

Xiao Zhang was being as cryptic as usual, and it was annoying the hell out of me. I was already in a bad mood after Song Ting Yu's bungled attempt at seduction, and didn't have the patience to play along with his games.

”What is it?” I asked frankly.

”Well…the fiery yang qi that you absorbed from Mo Long…it's not going to fade away.”

Now that Xiao Zhang mentioned it, he was right. After leaving the hot spring, I could still feel the molten fiery yang qi ravaging through my qi channels. They had grown hotter, but at least I could suppress them with my icy yin qi, unlike before.

”To keep it under control, you'll probably have to soak regularly in the Hellfire Yang Hot Spring.” Xiao Zhang glanced at the wooden enclosure behind me. ”Until you find a way to expel the fiery yang qi, or assimilate it.”

”I'll definitely assimilate it. Eventually.” I vowed.

”I have no doubt you will, but…it seems like this time it's different.” Xiao Zhang frowned as he studied me. ”Your body has not adapted well to the presence of the fiery yang qi and is struggling to assimilate it despite your best attempts. Normally, immersing your body in the Hellfire Yang Hot Spring should have allowed you to successfully assimilate it under normal circumstances, even if you're unconscious, but it didn't seem like it worked.”

I felt a chill run down my spine. That was not good.

”Well…it'll also be troublesome if you go on missions. I recall that you were going to the Toxic Marshes to hunt down the Black Venom Cult.” Xiao Zhang scratched his head. ”Obviously you'll be there for quite some time, and you won't have any Hellfire Yang Hot Springs to help you, so you'll probably need this.”

He produced a bottle of pills. I took them hesitantly.

”These are…?”

”Nine Yin Pills. They are similar to the Nine Yang Pills that Ling Qing Zhu of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect is taking currently, to suppress the icy yin qi that is ravaging her body. I suppose you have heard of her? After all, I recall that you're the one who temporarily saved her from that.”

I did remember Ling Qing Zhu and her condition. I had never thought I would end up suffering from the same condition. Whoops. I had truly underestimated the pure yang qi produced by the cultivation of Solar Celestial Dragon Formula.

”Thank you.”

”They are only a temporary stopgap. But knowing you, you'll definitely find a way.”

Xiao Zhang placed an assuring hand on my shoulder, and then turned to leave.

”Good luck, Student Fei Wu. Work hard for the glory of both your sect, and for Wu Ling Academy!”

I watched as he disappeared, and nodded, knowing he was referring to the mission to the Toxic Marshes. I had best get prepared for that mission then.

Known to the both of us (Xiao Zhang and I could sense Song Ting Yu's badly concealed presence behind the wooden gate), Song Ting Yu had been leaning close and eavesdropping on our conversation. A smile spread over her beautiful face.

”The Toxic Marshes, huh?” she whispered as a brilliant idea (or incredibly moronic idea, depending on who you ask) flickered to life inside her crafty mind.