In the end, by reminding herself several times that Professor Wei's health was the most important thing at that moment, Liu Fengying managed to dampen her excitement.
Well, perhaps the fact that she used the mind-calming method typically employed by novice cultivators before their cultivation sessions helped at least a little. Still, it was a much more elegant solution than, for instance, reciting math formulas in her head.
An additional boost to her focus on the treatment came from the fact that, after examining the injured ankle, she found no serious issues. More precisely, the diagnosis she established was quite similar to the one Professor Wei had given herself, so she was confident she would be able to heal her.
"I think I can start now. The only thing you should be careful about is not to suddenly tense your leg…," Liu Fengying said, addressing Professor Wei.
However, before putting her hands back on Professor Wei's leg, Liu Fengying thought that despite her knowledge, because she was not used to the movements involved in the treatment in her current life, she might not correctly estimate how much force to apply. So, to ensure there would be no issues, she added:
"Ah, one more thing. Although it shouldn't be the case, if any of my movements make you feel uncomfortable, please let me know…"
"All right…," Professor Wei nodded. Influenced by the professionalism Liu Fengying had begun to display, she also brought herself back down to earth.
Did Professor Wei have high expectations for the massage Liu Fengying was about to give her? Honestly, not really. Although she was familiar with the expression "to take the pain away as if by magic," she had never heard of anyone truly capable of such a miracle.
She estimated that probably not even the best physiotherapist could have helped her more than just making her able to walk again, and even then, with a lingering discomfort in her leg. Therefore, she didn't expect Liu Fengying—who not only wasn't a professional in the field, but was just a girl who hadn't even graduated from high school—to perform any better; if she could achieve even a similar result, Professor Wei would already have been extremely impressed.
However, it didn't take long for Professor Wei to become convinced that Liu Fengying was truly skilled. More precisely, within just half a minute of the massage starting, not only did her injured leg relax completely, but a high-frequency vibration coursed through her entire body—similar to the one generated by hearing a melody that resonated perfectly with her being, making her feel so light it was as if she were just a moment away from floating.
Not even the heat generated by the fire of passion that Liu Fengying had managed to ignite inside her could resist it; although it did not disappear completely, it no longer threatened to consume her, but instead transformed into a source of vitality, filling every affected cell with energy. It was a process so efficient that it made Professor Wei, with her analytical mind, wonder if it respected the laws of physics involved in converting heat into electricity, and if so, whether it would ever be possible to achieve such efficiency in a power plant.
The more time passed, the better the experience became for Professor Wei. Although she had never been to a spa because she wasn't the type of person who could relax in an unfamiliar place, she thought that such an experience would be the best choice to describe the pampering she was enjoying right then, which did not feel like a medical procedure at all.
Caught in the web of that blissful state, Professor Wei's mental barriers grew weaker and weaker. Thus, it was not at all unusual that the moment Liu Fengying increased the pressure she exerted with her fingers on the acupressure points on her leg, she let out a deep, involuntary moan as a direct response to the acceleration of the vital energy flow. It was as if a powerful current had surged through her body from the base of her spine all the way past her cranium, like a sort of reverse lightning bolt that started from her consciousness and overflowed into the outside world.
"!!!!!!!", Professor Wei panicked when she regained her focus a bit and realized what kind of reaction she had just given. More precisely, she was worried about the possibility that her reaction might be perceived by Liu Fengying as lewd.
However, before she could decide whether to apologize or try to explain to Liu Fengying that her moan was not rooted in any erotic thought, she felt a pinch on her calf.
"I believe I told you that you need to stay relaxed…," Liu Fengying said the moment they made eye contact, trying to maintain a scolding expression while Professor Wei just looked utterly confused.
Only now, after hearing Liu Fengying's words, did Professor Wei realize she was as stiff as a board.
"Oh, yes. Sorry, I didn't realize… ," Professor Wei apologized, trying to calm her mind and let her body relax once more. She was as obedient as if she were standing before a real doctor.
Yet, this reaction was not hard to understand; it was now obvious to her that Liu Fengying truly knew what she was doing, so she couldn't risk getting in her way.
Seeing this, Liu Fengying was highly satisfied. If she had a tail, she would probably be wagging it so hard with pride that it would hit the office ceiling. Still, she tried to maintain her professional attitude.
"Well, I hope this is the last time…," she said, sounding as if she were making a compromise.
However, to ensure that Professor Wei would not forget her words again, she came up with a threat: "This time I'm letting you off with just a pinch. Next time…"
Then, she snapped her teeth together with a loud clank! What did Liu Fengying mean by that? Well, it was strictly Professor Wei's job to decipher the meaning behind that gesture.
"...…" , for a few moments, Professor Wei didn't know how to react after the illusion of dealing with a real doctor took a major hit. After all, what kind of doctor threatens to bite their patients? And that was the tamest meaning she could give to Liu Fengying's gesture.
"Okay. I'll be more careful…," she finally said. Even if Liu Fengying seemed to be just joking around, her request didn't make any less sense.
But how was Professor Wei so confident that she would manage to keep her composure from then on? Wasn't she afraid of the possibility of getting carried away again and moaning? Well, she told herself that since Liu Fengying was experienced with this type of massage, she had to be aware of the reactions it could provoke. In that case, if she were to bring up the moan that had escaped her, wouldn't it just make things awkward?
And even if Liu Fengying thought her moan was due to arousal, was it necessarily a problem? Professor Wei was sure that Liu Fengying wouldn't be upset. Moreover, it might even make her feel proud of herself.
Despite not knowing all the details, Professor Wei's intuition was correct: Liu Fengying had not been surprised by her reaction.
It wasn't as if Liu Fengying had done something with the purpose of inducing the state of physical and spiritual fulfillment that Professor Wei was experiencing; rather, it was a side effect of the treatment she was performing on her leg.
In addition, Professor Wei normally shouldn't have been so deeply affected; the reason lay in the fact that Professor Wei naturally possessed more spiritual energy in her body than an ordinary person who had never cultivated, so easing its circulation through her leg caused its intensity to surge throughout her whole body.
Of course, this phenomenon brought nothing but beneficial effects for Professor Wei, so Liu Fengying had no reason to stop or try to limit the effects of the spiritual energy. Instead, she let things unfold naturally; spiritual energy itself knows even better than the cultivator how and where to act inside the body.
And the beneficial effects were even stronger than she would have expected. Judging by Professor Wei's involuntary movements and the high frequency at which her body had begun to vibrate, Liu Fengying was quite sure that most of the blockages along her main meridian had vanished, and those remaining had thinned out considerably.
Even for an experienced cultivator, clearing meridians was not an exact science. From everything she had studied in the past and experienced firsthand, meridian blockages were closely linked to one's emotions and mental state, as well as one's own destiny, making the exact conditions for their elimination extremely difficult to uncover. Because of this, in her past world, there were cultivators who had managed to reach a fairly high realm whose meridians remained identical to how they were on the day they were born. Truthfully, Liu Fengying was deeply impressed; if Professor Wei also possessed a constitution favorable for cultivation, it was highly possible that her potential was even greater than her own.
Regardless, Liu Fengying had no time at that moment to sit and analyze the implications of this discovery. Furthermore, even if she wanted to take Professor Wei as her disciple, it would be impossible to do so for the time being; how could she guide someone else's path into cultivation when she hadn't even entered the Foundation Establishment Realm herself? If Professor Wei made a wrong move, she would have to watch helplessly as she suffered a backlash.
So she refocused exclusively on healing Professor Wei's leg, trying to ignore everything else. Still, truth be told, she wouldn't have minded at all hearing another moan from her; even though she knew well it wasn't due to arousal, that sound simply warmed her heart.