For a professional photographer, inviting the subjects to the studio is merely the first step in a long, arduous creative process.
The truly crucial phase—the meticulous and tedious retouching, color grading, editing, and compositing—was what genuinely transformed a pile of raw materials into something miraculous, elevating it into the realm of high art.
It was just like how Yunli, in order to repair the EX-Rank Overlord's Horizontal Bar, had to return to the Zhuming Xianzhou and lock herself in her personal workshop deep within the Flaming Wheel Forge.
For a master pursuing ultimate visual perfection like Kyuushou, processing the massive trove of photos shot today into stunning masterpieces worthy of the official Wardance homepage absolutely required her custom-built personal studio.
Thus, after bidding farewell to the members of Memory Battleship, the girl sprinted all the way back to her secret base on the Luofu, tightly clutching the encrypted USB drive containing all the raw data.
"Scientific studies show that the dead of night is the absolute golden hour for an artist's inspiration to erupt!"
Muttering to herself, she drew the thick blackout curtains, completely severing her room from the deepening twilight outside.
She then turned off every light source in the room. The only illumination left was the eerie blue glow of her massive monitors, barely tracing the outlines of the furniture.
Having artificially constructed this silent, holy sanctuary of creation, Kyuushou nodded in satisfaction. She rubbed her hands together and, with the reverence of a pilgrim, commenced tonight's journey of artistic re-creation.
Time slipped away silently amidst the rapid clacking of her mechanical keyboard and the rhythmic clicking of her mouse. After a while, however, the fingers dancing excitedly across the keys began to slow down.
Kyuushou stared intently at a photo on her screen. The lighting and composition were nothing short of absolute perfection. In the frame, the black-haired boy's gaze was tranquil and deep, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. The starlight in the background coated him in a hazy halo, making him look so impossibly handsome it bordered on the ethereal.
The problem wasn't her technique. Nor was it the model.
The problem was that the photos turned out too well.
They were so good that Kyuushou found herself entirely unwilling to submit these incredibly photogenic shots of Fuli. The thought of countless strangers casually browsing and evaluating them—or worse, certain degenerate men and women using them as spicy material for their own private, self-indulgent use—made her skin crawl.
"But... if I hide them, how am I supposed to explain it to the Wardance officials?"
Biting her fingernails, the fiercely territorial Savior fell into a deep dilemma.
The Luofu had specifically requested promotional photos representing the overall image of Team Memory Battleship. If she hoarded the best shots of the team's captain, it would be unjustifiable both professionally and personally.
But just handing them over? Her heart bled at the thought.
"Wait..."
A spark of inspiration flashed through Kyuushou's mind.
The Wardance was nearing its climax. All the top-tier teams were desperately grinding points for the final rankings.
Forcing the championship contender teams to halt their progress and waste an entire day cooperating for a photoshoot was already the absolute limit of what the Luofu officials could mandate for promotional purposes.
If the organizers demanded reshoots because they "weren't satisfied" with the photos, it would inevitably trigger massive backlash and protests from all the participants. The officials would likely be forced to drop the issue entirely.
In other words, even if she secretly embezzled a portion of these artistic masterpieces featuring Divine Departure... as long as the quantity and quality of the submitted photos generally met the requirements, it shouldn't be a big deal, right?
The only thing she had to worry about was her professional integrity and reputation as an officially invited photographer—
"Alright! It's decided!"
Faced with the monumental choice between professional ethics and personal desires, the Great Savior displayed astonishing decisiveness!
"Every single one of these amazing photos of Divine Departure goes straight into the 'Savior's Private Collection' folder!"
Without even a single second of hesitation, she followed her heart's truest desire and made the entirely "righteous" decision to embezzle state property!
Of course, she couldn't just half-ass the actual submission.
Fortunately, plenty of "bloopers" had been produced during the shoot—moments where Fuli was blinking, where his expression wasn't properly managed, or where his posture was slightly awkward.
Unleashing her skills as a top-tier photo editor, Kyuushou executed a dizzying series of manipulations. With brilliant precision, she forcefully shifted the visual focal point of the photos.
Fuli was relegated to the background—leaving only the silhouette of his back, the fluttering hem of his coat, or a slightly blurred half-profile. Meanwhile, the famous sword Evernight, originally just a prop and weapon resting at his waist, was massively highlighted and magnified, essentially granting the sword main-character status.
"Phew. That's more like it."
After finishing her magical edits on the final photo, the girl leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh of relief. A smug, deeply cunning smile spread across her face.
"Team Memory Battleship? Obviously, the true core lineup is Cyrene + Castorice + Evernight + Hyacine!"
Muttering happily to herself, she was just about to get up for a glass of water when she noticed an email pop up in the corner of her screen.
As if sensing Kyuushou's gaze, the email aggressively opened itself:
[I can overlook the matter of you hoarding those private photos. However, you are to forward a complete copy of them to the official inbox of the Luofu's Master Diviner.]
On the Luofu, the only person who referred to herself with that specific regal pronoun was their ever-majestic General Fu Xuan.
As for why the photos had to be sent to the Master Diviner's inbox? Obviously, so a certain Qingque would be the one to take the fall if anyone found out.
---||---
"See you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow."
Having securely stowed away the heavy Reverse-Time Strike bullet, Fuli bid farewell to Hyacine and Castorice. With Mimi fast asleep on top of his head, he rode the afterglow of the setting sun back to the Hyperion.
The moment he walked into the lounge, he saw Mei sitting on the sofa.
The girl was dressed in a comfortable, deep-purple homewear outfit that allowed for easy movement. Her silky long hair draped elegantly over her shoulders, and her long, pantyhose-clad legs were crossed gracefully.
She was currently reviewing optimization plans for the Chrono-Navi battlesuit.
Fuli immediately marched over, striking a thoroughly accusatory pose. "Mei! Why did you accept Kiana's team invitation?!"
This is the ultimate betrayal! Why did you play 'Haruhikage'?!
"The reason isn't hard to understand," the girl replied, closing her datapad. A faint trace of regret and frustration leaked into her tone. "The rule stating that S-Rank combatants had to withdraw from the Wardance points ladder was strictly internal information at the time. Since I wasn't participating, it's perfectly normal that I didn't know about it."
"And on top of that, you have to factor in my Ultimate Pout-and-Beg Technique!"
A wildly energetic voice echoed right next to his ear. Kiana popped her head over the back of the sofa like a nimble cat. "This is what we call 'Secretly advancing to Chencang while repairing the gallery roads'! A brilliant bait-and-switch to secure the ultimate carry!"
She placed her hands on her hips, her silver-white hair swaying with her movements. Her incredibly smug face practically screamed, 'Quick, tell me how smart I am!'
"You literally just ambushed her with shameless begging while I wasn't looking!"
Fuli shot her a sideways glare, pointing an accusing finger at her.
"Mimi! Mimi mimi!"
Perched on his head, Mimi let out a few soft squeaks. It sounded partly like she was agreeing with him, and partly like she was complaining about being woken up.
"Eh? I wanted to ask this during the photoshoot earlier, but... is this little thing actually your Great-Auntie?!"
Kiana's attention was instantly captured by the fluffy pink ball on Fuli's head. Her eyes lit up, and she lunged forward, reaching out to grab it.
"Waaah! It's so fluffy and cute! Mei! Mei! Let's get one as a pet too! We can keep it right here on Hyperion!"
"Woof?"
Lying in the corner, the dog Sauce felt utterly heartbroken. Can a master's love truly shift so easily?
"Don't be so rude!"
Fuli hastily dodged sideways to evade her demonic claws, raising a hand to protect the Mimi on his head.
But Kiana refused to give up, standing on her tiptoes to reach. "Come on, let me pet her! Just one little pet!"
"No! Great-Auntie needs to rest right now!"
"Just one! One tiny pet!"
The two instantly started bickering like little kids. One was desperately pulling on Mimi's tiny front paw, while the other was trying to securely cradle Mimi's body.
The poor little creature was yanked back and forth, letting out wronged, pitiful squeaks. A few tufts of her fluffy pink fur were nearly pulled right out.
"Both of you, knock it off. What if you actually hurt her?"
Even Bronya, who had been focused on her video game, couldn't stand watching anymore.
"Besides, Big Brother, since Cyrene's form change is the result of a magic backlash, it's fundamentally a physical anomaly. Why don't you just use the Star Saint Path on her? Doesn't that ability work miracles on things like this?"
"Mimi?! MIMIMIMI!"
The moment she heard the words Star Saint Path, the dizzy and disoriented Mimi exploded like a cat getting its tail stepped on. Every single hair on her fluffy body stood on end.
Was that ability something he could just casually use on her right now?!
Even if she successfully reverted to human form afterward... the Star Saint Path required extreme physical intimacy to transfer energy! If he used that on her right now, she'd literally become a "pink mammal" in the literal, nursing sense!
"I think it's worth a try," Bronya continued to instigate, a distinctly gleeful light flashing deep within her pale grey eyes.
Having endured the three-hour public execution of being turned into a screeching fire engine by the Jizo Mitama, the Big Duck's mind was currently entirely consumed by finding ways to drag everyone else down into the mud with her.
As long as everyone was humiliated on the exact same level, no one could look down on anyone else!
Suffer! Everyone must suffer and make completely unholy noises!
However, while Bronya could happily ignore Cyrene's personal wishes, Fuli couldn't possibly ignore his Great-Auntie's almost physical aura of utter resistance.
"Alright, alright. Let's just keep that incident between us. It's not like anyone outside knows about it anyway," Fuli said, quickly pulling the frazzled Mimi back into his arms and gently smoothing down her fur like comforting a startled cat.
"Little Brother."
Just as he placed her back on his head, a melodious, slightly teasing female voice drifted down from above.
Kallen was hanging upside down from the ceiling of the lounge, her silver hair cascading down like a waterfall. "Your beautiful Master dropped by this afternoon. She told me to inform you that you haven't visited her to practice swordplay in quite a while. And her tone... well, let's just say she didn't sound very happy."
The Holy Maiden had been incredibly busy lately.
With the Wardance nearing its end, various wrap-up tasks and subsequent cross-faction collaboration negotiations were piling up.
Since Mei had been swindled into joining Kiana's team, all the administrative work regarding the aerial dreadnought and the garrison base trades had fallen squarely onto Kallen's shoulders.
She was so busy all day that she barely even had any screen time in the story anymore.
"Huh?"
Fuli froze.
To be fair, ever since the Living Planet incident, he had been swamped—recovering from his injuries, dealing with the aftermath, managing team affairs, doing photoshoots... He really hadn't visited the Ghost Mansion to see Jingliu in several days.
But Master! Didn't you literally night-raid my room just two days ago?! Was the 'training intensity' that night not high enough for you?!
Fuli screamed internally, but he absolutely didn't dare say that out loud.
"Well... tomorrow marks the final sprint of the Wardance. Maybe I shouldn't bother her during her quiet cultivation?"
Facing the girls of Hyperion, the tiny shred of moral integrity he had left made him hesitate.
"You should go," Mei interjected, actually encouraging him. "Even setting aside your master-disciple relationship, purely from a perspective of strategic interests, maintaining good personal ties with an Sequence Breaker powerhouse has far greater long-term value than any championship prize from the Wardance."
The problem is that our 'ties' and 'relationship' are completely inappropriate!
Looking at Mei's perfect, considerate "supportive wife" demeanor, Fuli didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He almost gave himself internal bleeding from holding it in.
"F-Fine. I guess I won't be coming back tonight, then."
Accepting his fate, he nodded and turned to walk out of the bridge.
"Mi~"
Sensing Little Li's inexplicably depressed aura, the Mimi on his head reached down with a tiny paw and comfortingly patted his forehead.
As the central transportation and trade hub of the Luofu, Starskiff Haven remained brightly lit even after nightfall.
Countless pavilions and eaves hung with glazed lanterns. The warm yellow lights wove through the streets and alleys like golden veins, forming winding rivers of light across the ground.
Fuli drove his cruiser through the dazzling nightscape, heading toward the Ghost Mansion where Jingliu was temporarily residing.
The cool, misty night wind brushed against his cheeks, slightly dispelling the anxiety in his heart.
A while later, the familiar gates of the ancient mansion appeared in his vision.
He parked his custom Type-59 cruiser by the entrance and walked up to complete the fingerprint and iris scans.
The moment he stepped over the threshold, the scene before him violently blurred and was entirely replaced. In its stead was an ethereal, cloud-wreathed immortal wonderland.
Towering, majestic mountains pierced the clouds. Crystal-clear streams flowed through the ravines. The air was thick with the fresh scent of vegetation, exuding an aura of ancient, transcendent profoundness accumulated over millennia.
"Taixuan Mountain?"
Fuli paused in shock, then quickly realized what was going on.
This wasn't the real Taixuan Mountain. It was a simulated, near-perfectly realistic, vast battlefield created by a Grotto-Heaven Generator.
He knew this instantly because, high up in the sky dome, two figures were clashing and separating at blinding speeds. Every exchange of blows made the atmosphere tremble, the shockwaves violently tearing the sea of clouds apart.
One figure was as cold and clear as the moon, the Epiphyllum blade in her hand stealing a sliver of moonlight with every strike.
The other figure was as swift as lightning, her gunblade summoning howling gales and roaring thunder that shattered the long night in all directions.
Without a doubt, it was Jingliu and Feixiao.
It seems the Yaoqing General found a way—most likely by using the absurdly sensitive sense of smell unique to Foxians—to track Master's lingering scent on me from back before I learned how to permanently mask my aura. She literally followed the scent trail straight to her door.
Fuli instantly deduced the truth. Judging by the intensity of the clash, this clearly wasn't the first time the two of them had sparred.
Thinking about it carefully, it made perfect sense.
Yes, Jingliu was officially a wanted criminal on the Taixuan Front. But ultimately, she had only left because she was stricken with Mara and deeply traumatized by having to personally execute the draconic abomination her friend Baiheng had been turned into during the Imbibitor Lunae's Sedition.
Aside from that one time she broke back into the Shackling Prison to abduct Yingxing (Blade)—who was also a former member of the High Cloud Quintet—she hadn't committed any truly unforgivable, mass-casualty atrocities against the alliance.
Given Feixiao's battle-crazed personality, having such a perfect sparring partner where she didn't have to hold back out of fear of accidentally killing them... why wouldn't she come back for multiple rounds?
[Host.]
"What?"
[I'm getting a highly suspicious sense of déjà vu.]
"Shut up, Prometheus!"
Fuli absolutely refused to acknowledge that he had possessed the exact same battle-crazed mindset when he decided to keep the Fragmentum-clone Jingliu around back in the day. Admitting that would imply he and Feixiao had an incredibly high compatibility!
Coincidence! It's just a pure coincidence!
Still, he had to admit, the Grotto-Heaven Generator was an incredibly convenient device.
Not only could it simulate extreme environmental battlefields, but it also completely contained the shockwaves of combat within the pocket dimension. It allowed powerhouses to fight with everything they had without causing tragedies like: "The hero who came to save me completely destroyed my newly purchased house and the car I just financed three days ago, and now I have to force a smile and thank him for it."
Its only flaw was its astronomical cost, but for people at their level, money wasn't an issue.
Just as Fuli's thoughts drifted, the Luofu's Sword Champion and the Yaoqing General soaring through the sky seemed to notice his intrusion.
After an exceptionally fierce clash, the two used the recoil to separate. The next moment, Fuli's vision blurred. He didn't even see how they moved before both figures landed silently a short distance away.
"You did well during the Living Planet battle! The Foxians who were enslaved have been extracted in batches and properly settled across the various Xianzhou ships. I imagine it won't be long before the name 'Savior Fuli' spreads far and wide among the grassroots soldiers and civilians of the Taixuan Front."
Feixiao spoke first. She was panting slightly. Fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead and neck, trailing down the curves of her skin to cling to her flushed cheeks and smooth collarbones.
Her sweat-dampened clothes clung tightly to her back and waist, perfectly outlining her sleek, explosive musculature. Every breath she took caused her chest to heave, radiating a deeply wild, feral tension into the air.
"To think you actually needed a mid-battle epiphany to defeat someone (Hoolay) who had already lost to me in the past. It seems my previous tempering of your skills was far from sufficient."
This time, Jingliu spoke. A few drops of sweat hung delicately from her long, butterfly-wing eyelashes and pale lips.
Her usually icy, untouchable aura had been softened slightly by her rising body heat from the intense exercise, giving her a breathtaking, visceral beauty.
Fuli's gaze subconsciously swept over the two peerless powerhouses who had just finished an intense workout. They radiated astonishing heat and overpowering feminine charm. The unique scent of cold fragrance, gunpowder, and surging hormones invaded his nose.
T-This is bad!
He instinctively took a step back.
Why did the atmosphere suddenly feel so dangerous? Why did he have the terrible premonition that he was about to be forcibly dragged into an impossibly high-intensity 1-vs-2 'special training' session?!
"M-Master?"
Little Li asked timidly, trying his hardest to make his voice sound normal. "Have you and the General... made up?"
The last time they met at the Ancient Sea, the atmosphere between them had been anything but friendly.
"Didn't you save my number in your phone as 'The Great Demon King of the Yaoqing'? Why are you changing how you address me right to my face?"
Feixiao casually wiped a drop of sweat from her jawline. The battle lust in her eyes hadn't faded; instead, it rippled into an unrestrained, wild smile, looking exactly like a predator ready to start a new hunt.
"Made up?"
Jingliu's voice was still cold, but it lacked any real hostility. "Setting aside a certain rebellious disciple of mine, there was never any deep-seated grudge between the two of us to begin with."
"O-Oh... I see..."
Fuli nodded awkwardly. "Well then, since I'm clearly the source of the conflict here, and I'm sure my presence is an eyesore to you both... I won't interrupt your elegant sparring any longer! I'll just leave! Right now!"
"Leave? Sure, sounds great."
Feixiao took a step forward, her long, powerful legs closing the distance in an instant. A wave of steaming hormones crashed over him. "Let's leave together, then."
"Huh?"
Little Li's alarm bells rang violently.
"In this sparring session, your Master had the upper hand."
The Triumphant General was remarkably magnanimous, admitting her defeat without any hesitation. "Since I lost, I will naturally honor our agreement and leave."
"You are too modest, General," Jingliu replied, offering a rare polite compliment. "Observing your techniques today, you have improved significantly since our first encounter. Given time, I am certain you will break through your current limits and reach an even higher peak."
She's already at the absolute pinnacle of the S-Rank class. Breaking through her limits... does she mean reaching the Sequence Class?!
Fuli was shocked. This definitely didn't happen in the previous timeline loop!
"It's all thanks to little brother Fuli here."
Immediately, Feixiao answered his unspoken question. "As everyone knows, seven years ago, I defeated the Borisin Packleader, Hoolay, after he escaped the Shackling Prison. I devoured the Crimson Moon's Heart within him, which finally cured the hidden affliction (Moon Rage) that had plagued me for years."
And then what? Nothing. That didn't make sense. As the most sacred relic of the Borisin race, the Crimson Moon's Heart's effects shouldn't have been limited to just a minor cure.
The real reason was that Phantylia had secretly cast a Chrysalis spell, causing Hoolay to resurrect seven days later and splitting a significant portion of the Heart's power away from Feixiao.
In the previous timeline, the World Serpent had hidden itself deeply and wasn't exposed early on. Furthermore, the Wardance was far smaller in scale. Phantylia never found an opportunity to fish in troubled waters, so she naturally chose to remain completely hidden in the shadows.
Because of that, even until Feixiao eventually retired, she never obtained the complete Crimson Moon's Heart.
"I see! After I killed Hoolay [recently], the rest of the overflowing power returned to you, General, thereby driving the explosive growth of your strength!"
Figuring this out, Fuli nodded, marveling internally at the bizarre and wondrous butterfly effects altering the timeline's trajectory.
However, before he could finish his nod, his vision suddenly darkened!
It was Feixiao!
Without any warning, she leaned down. Her beautiful face, radiating wild charm and the lingering flush of intense exercise, rapidly magnified in his eyes.
"So, you see... I really need to give you a proper 'thank you'~"
The next second, a soft, warm sensation, carrying an undeniable, overpowering force, forcefully pressed against Fuli's lips.
He could clearly see his own utterly bewildered face reflected in her eyes, as well as the tiny, undried beads of sweat clinging to the General's long eyelashes.
"Mi!"
The previously drowsy Mimi was startled awake by the sudden ambush.
She instinctively covered her eyes with her two tiny paws, but she couldn't resist peeking through the gaps between her claws.
Her star-shaped pupils were filled with shock, curiosity, and a tiny bit of... inexplicable excitement?
Almost at the exact same moment, a bone-piercing, almost physical wave of killing intent slashed toward the back of Feixiao's neck.
Just as the icy sword aura was about to touch her skin, Feixiao—who had clearly anticipated it—leaned back, perfectly evading the lethal, freezing edge.
Her lips looked even more plump and alluring from the aggressive kiss, a faint, highly suggestive silver thread of saliva still lingering at the corner of her mouth.
"You sneakthief."
Jingliu's voice was so cold it could drop ice shards. Holding her sword in hand, she pointed the tip directly at Feixiao.
Freezing air poured from her body, causing fine frost to rapidly crystallize across the ground.
"Pulling a stunt like this every now and then is pretty fun, don't you think?"
The Triumphant General didn't care in the slightest. She licked the corner of her mouth, pulling the suggestive silver thread back in, and flashed a wildly arrogant, triumphant smile.
"You won this time. So, according to our bet, I'll leave little brother Fuli in the 'care' of his Master for now."
She deliberately emphasized the word care, her attitude incredibly playful. "But hey, as the destined ultimate victor, taking a tiny advance on my spoils of war is perfectly justifiable, right? Hahaha!"
With a burst of hearty, uninhibited laughter, her figure transformed into a swift streak of cyan light, vanishing into the distance. Only her laughter remained, echoing faintly through the empty valley.
"..."
Jingliu coldly withdrew her gaze. Her eyes swept like icy blades over Fuli's still-moist, slightly swollen lips, finally locking onto his crimson eyes, which were currently filled with innocence, panic... and a tiny, tiny hint of lingering aftertaste.
"Hmph."
She let out a scoff through her nose. It was impossible to tell if she was angry, but the ambient temperature definitely dropped a few more degrees. "Still savoring it, you rebellious disciple?"
"No, no! Absolutely not!"
The boy shivered violently, instantly snapping out of the numb, dizzying afterglow of the kiss.
He waved his hands frantically, his expression a mix of grievance and utter sincerity. "It was mostly because she got too close, too fast! Plus, I trusted that Master would definitely protect me, so I subconsciously lowered my guard and didn't dodge in time...!"
"Are you saying this is your Master's fault?"
"No, no, no! It's my fault! Totally my fault!"
"As long as you know."
Jingliu swung her longsword in a reverse arc. A brilliant, crescent-moon-like sword aura shot into the sky, instantly shattering the simulated Grotto-Heaven battlefield that spanned hundreds of miles.
Light and shadow shifted violently. The familiar, quiet scenery of the ancient mansion's courtyard returned to his vision.
"Since you know your mistake, you must be punished."
The swordmaster's voice rang out in the silent courtyard. It was entirely calm and devoid of emotion, but carried an absolute, undeniable authority.
Translated into normal human speak: Say goodbye to your pelvis.
"Yes, Master~"
Knowing exactly what was about to happen, Fuli dragged out his response. Then, he suddenly remembered something critical.
"Wait, Master! My Great-Auntie is still here!"
He frantically pulled the little creature—who was still covering her eyes and pretending not to exist—off his head. "It's not appropriate to do this with someone else watching, right?!"
"Mi! Mimi!"
Mimi hurriedly nodded in fierce agreement.
Translation: I'm still just a baby! Don't corrupt the youth!
"So what?"
Jingliu glanced at the fluffy pink creature desperately trying to act cute and feign ignorance. Her expression didn't change in the slightest.
She didn't even give Fuli a chance to speak again. She reached out her pale, slender fingers, pinched the scruff of Mimi's neck, lifted her out of Fuli's hands, and casually tossed her into the air.
"Mi!"
With a short, startled squeak, Mimi traced a perfect pink parabola through the air.
The little creature stabilized herself mid-air and was just about to frantically fly back when she suddenly realized her body was locked inside an invisible, transparent, spatial box.
"Mimi-mimi-mi! Cuck! It's NTR! I'm getting cucked! Let me out, mi!"
The little creature spun around frantically inside her invisible prison, desperately slamming her tiny paws against the spatial wall.
Her panicked squeaks became so highly pitched from sheer anxiety that she was on the verge of breaking past her species limitation and speaking human words.
Tragically, no matter how hard Mimi slammed the walls, screamed, or even attempted to use her highly proficient time-manipulation spells, her body remained entirely frozen in mid-air.
All she could do was watch helplessly as her beloved Little Li was pulled into the arms of his wicked, beautiful Master, preparing to be played with in all sorts of unspeakable—
Wait. Actual sword training?
Mimi's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She stared in utter disbelief as the breathtaking Epiphyllum sword slowly condensed in Jingliu's hand.
She wasn't the only one. Even Fuli, who had fully prepared himself for a different kind of "training," was so shocked he completely forgot to draw his own blade.
"What? Do I need to teach you how to hold your sword properly as well?"
Jingliu's tone was icy, yet the corners of her elegant lips curled upward ever so slightly.
The amused glint in her crimson eyes practically spelled it out: You idiot disciple. Did you really think your Master would do something so absurd right in front of your family?
"MA—STER—!"
Little Li practically tackled her, tears of profound emotion welling up in his eyes, entirely forgetting that the person who orchestrated this massive misunderstanding in the first place was the exact same woman standing right in front of him.
Perhaps... this was what they called PUA.