"By the way, do you guys know where I can learn massage?"

It was noon on December 4th. Dong Chengling didn't have morning classes and was cooking lunch. The three female university students, along with the guy who often wore slippers to mooch food, were all present. Out of the blue, the latter asked this question while eating.

Lin Xianyu, munching on a curry potato slice, blinked. "Hmm... Why do you want to learn massage, Big Brother Ren? Are you thinking of promoting it at the school infirmary?"

Gu Yueyan snorted. "Up to no good, as usual."

Ren Xingmei, however, suddenly put down her rice bowl. She rubbed her shoulders and sighed like an old granny. "Ah, I think I might have played games too much recently. My shoulders are a bit sore..."

Once Ren Xingmei said that, Lin Xianyu also chimed in, fussing, "Oh no, my chest is a bit heavy, and my shoulders are a bit sore too..."

Ren Xingmei's expression froze. She looked down at her own flat chest, not much better than Ren Suo's...

Watching their chaotic antics, Ren Suo said with a pained expression, "First of all, I haven't even learned it yet. And even if I did, I wouldn't massage you guys..."

Dong Chengling, who was quietly eating, glanced at him. "Why not?"

Ren Suo blinked and turned to Dong Chengling. "Does a Fourth Transformation Cultivator need massages? Do you get backaches and leg pains?"

"So who do you intend to serve with your massage skills?" Dong Chengling retorted.

Lin Xianyu nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yeah, exactly, Big Brother Ren! You should have a purpose for learning it, right? Are you planning to open a massage parlor for the blind or something?"

Ren Xingmei pouted, pretending to be slightly upset. "Brother, don't let good fortune flow to outsiders. Your own sister should benefit first."

Gu Yueyan said, "He must be plotting some mischief."

I want to learn it for my own benefit...

Ren Suo clicked his tongue. "Men and women shouldn't touch when giving or receiving things."

All four gave Ren Suo a strange look—so he knew that saying, huh? Usually, he pretended not to, but when they asked him to do some work, he suddenly remembered it?

Gu Yueyan asked in a low voice, "So even if you learned, you wouldn't use it on other women?"

"Forget women, I wouldn't even massage men. I'm learning it... to honor my parents," Ren Suo finally came up with a decent excuse. "After all, my parents aren't getting any younger. I'm thinking of combining Healing Magic and massage techniques to develop a life-extending massage art..."

This reason was beyond reproach. Gu Yueyan hummed for a moment and then said, "Teacher Zhao might know."

"Zhao Huo?" Ren Suo was taken aback. "He knows this too?"

The others were also curious. Lin Xianyu, while eating her curry chicken, said, "I only knew Old Zhao as some kind of Martial Arts successor who had defeated all challengers. I had no idea he knew massage... Wait a minute, does he also know medical treatments, Martial Arts, divination, astrology, and geomancy? Isn't that the perfect harem protagonist template? Hey, wait, does that mean I, a beautiful young university student, am in danger?"

Gu Yueyan glared at Lin Xianyu. "Stop reading those strange books... But you're right, Teacher Zhao does know medical treatments. He's learned Family Martial Arts. Since ancient times, medicine and Martial Arts have gone hand-in-hand; without medicinal aid, Martial Artists could develop chronic health issues from Body Refinement alone."

Lin Xianyu muttered, "Don't Martial Arts Grandmasters rely on their Inner Qi to protect themselves? What's to fear about getting hurt..."

Gu Yueyan sounded exasperated. "You read that stuff and actually believe it? There's no such thing as Inner Qi. Martial Artists, at most, have some breathing techniques that aid movement, similar to what we've learned before. And Martial Artists also need to make a living. People learned Martial Arts because law enforcement was lacking during feudal times, with widespread robberies and thievery, requiring physical strength for self-protection. Their knowledge of medicine was how they made a living. Of course, some also opened Martial Arts schools and took disciples, but that's rare now..."

Ren Xingmei looked at Gu Yueyan. "Yueyan, you know so much."

"...I looked into it a bit before," Gu Yueyan said. "Teacher Zhao's Family Martial Arts are quite diverse, but they should originate from Sun Wusheng's Form and Intention lineage. In the early stages of their training, they need to use medicinal liquor and their master's massage to relax muscles and invigorate channels. Teacher Zhao surely learned those techniques."

Lin Xianyu hissed, "And you're always accusing me of reading strange books. Class Rep, you're the one reading strange books! Admit it, are you into Martial Arts erotica?"

"I don't read Martial Arts... I don't read that sort of stuff!" Gu Yueyan, nearly tricked by Lin Xianyu, jabbed her flustered finger into Lin Xianyu's tender waist, then told Ren Suo, "If you want to learn massage in the academy, Teacher Zhao would probably be your most professional choice."

Ren Suo nodded thoughtfully as Ren Xingmei asked, "Brother, are you really learning it to honor our parents? But you haven't gone back for nearly a year, you know. Xiao Jiu wouldn't even recognize you anymore."

Facing his sister's skeptical gaze, Ren Suo scratched his head. "I'm planning to give them a surprise for the New Year."

"Xiao Jiu?" Lin Xianyu was puzzled. "Isn't Little Jiu studying here...?"

"I'm talking about Xiao Jiu, my family's cat. Speaking of which, Little Jiu and my cat have the same name..."

"Instead of learning massage, you should spend your time diligently practicing Cultivation..." Gu Yueyan mumbled.

As they chatted, Ren Suo suddenly looked up and said, "Congratulations on reaching the second turn."

Everyone fell silent instantly. Lin Xianyu, who was scooping food into her bowl, was stunned, and her chopsticks fell onto the table.

Gu Yueyan, the focus of Ren Suo's gaze, looked slightly surprised. "How... how do you know that?"

My headphones told me, Ren Suo thought.

"Just a hunch. My intuition has always been spot on," Ren Suo said, not bothering to find an excuse. "With this, Gu Yueyan, you must be the first student to reach the second turn. If you report it, Heavenly Lotus Academy might even reward you with something like a complete Cultivation Technique and spells..."

Ren Suo considered, then smiled. "Regardless of what the academy does, I'll send you a gift to celebrate... Is there anything you'd like?"

Gu Yueyan pursed her lips slightly, nodded, and then shook her head.

At this moment, Lin Xianyu finally snapped back to reality and asked anxiously, "Class Rep, when did you advance? How come I didn't know anything?"

"I advanced last night," Gu Yueyan said flatly, staring at Lin Xianyu.

Lin Xianyu blinked, uttered an "Oh," and asked no more.

Ren Xingmei congratulated her first, then turned to ask Ren Suo, "Bro, what about me? What about me?"

"Worry about that after you reach the second turn."

Dong Chengling was the happiest one there. Though she couldn't offer any elaborate blessings, she smiled and congratulated her. After a moment, she asked, "Yueyan, is there any gift you'd like?"

"No, no need, Sister Ling, you really don't have to," Gu Yueyan quickly replied. "I was only able to cultivate so quickly thanks to your guidance, Sister Ling. If anything, I should be the one giving you a gift..."

"How could that be? You are my sister and my student. Now that you've advanced, I must reward you properly," Dong Chengling insisted. "Just tell me whatever you like, whatever you want. Your Sister Ling will definitely grant your wish."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yueyan's gaze couldn't help but sweep across Ren Suo, who was the first to notice her second turn and had since lowered his head to eat.

Really?

「Later that afternoon, at Zhao Huo's place」

Ren Suo walked into the living room. He carefully examined the figurines in Zhao Huo's three glass cabinets. He didn't find any red-haired, busty, spear-wielding girl type. However, he did find a magical girl wearing the Red Witch's magical girl costume. She also had red hair and held a long spear, but she was just a little girl, neither busty nor curvy.

"What, found one you like?" Zhao Huo, in his pajamas, patted Ren Suo's shoulder. "Don't be shy. It's normal for a man to like figurines. Considering all the things you've given me before, you can pick one to take. I've kept all the original boxes."

Zhao Huo had no classes that morning or afternoon. He slept until the sun toasted his butt on the balcony, then got up to binge-watch anime and play games, naturally not bothering to change.

"Aren't these your 'wives'?" Ren Suo retorted. "Besides, it's not normal for men to like figurines."

"Some of them aren't my wives. The male ones... those that look more like males, they aren't," Zhao Huo scratched his head. "Well, I was just saying. Anyway, if you pick a 'wife' I like, I definitely wouldn't unlock the cabinet."

"And Ren Suo, lay your hand on your heart and ask yourself, do you really think these figurines aren't good-looking or cute?"

Ren Suo stared at a bunny girl figurine inside the cabinet. He felt like he'd be lying if he said otherwise, so he changed the subject. "I feel that once I fall asleep, these figurines will come to life and walk around the house."

"If that were really the case, I'd be willing to sleep for a lifetime," Zhao Huo said seriously.

The two chatted about this silly topic for a while until Zhao Huo suddenly said, "By the way, I actually have something I want to discuss with you..."

"What's the matter?"

Zhao Huo seemed to find it hard to start. He hesitated for a good while, then Ren Suo blinked and said, "Just so you know, I refuse to treat ailments like hemorrhoids, smelly feet, or anything related to 'down there.' If we're friends, let's not discuss such awkward topics that could strain our friendship."

"I could take down ten of you; there's absolutely nothing wrong with my body," Zhao Huo said irritably. He paused for a moment, then said, "Ren Suo, actually... my fiancée might be coming to live with me."

Ren Suo instantly sat bolt upright, his eyes shining. He leaned forward slightly, fully attentive, and asked in a warm, gentle tone, "Isn't that a good thing?"

"But..." Zhao Huo sighed. "But... you may not know, actually..."

"Actually, I'm an otaku."

Ren Suo glanced at the three cabinets of figurines beside them, his eyes catching the anime girl body pillow in Zhao Huo's bedroom and the loli pattern on Zhao Huo's pajamas. He had to cover his mouth and take a deep breath, digging his fingers into his thigh. He used sheer willpower and the physical pain to suppress even the slightest chuckle.

Stay calm, stay cool, don't laugh. Zhao Huo will lose face.

He quickly composed himself and said warmly, "I never would have guessed."

Worriedly, Zhao Huo said, "Although we were already engaged, we haven't lived together before. What if she moves in and doesn't like me watching anime or keeping Gundam and other figurines at home? What if it causes conflict? I'm wondering if I should tell her not to come..."

"That won't happen, that won't happen," Ren Suo quickly reassured. "I'm sure your fiancée is mentally prepared. She might even become an otaku because of you! Then you two can happily snuggle under the covers, watching anime, playing games, and chatting together..."

With Ren Suo's repeated, warm persuasion, Zhao Huo finally set aside the idea of refusal and began to fantasize about a blissful cohabiting life.

What Zhao Huo didn't know was that Ren Suo was already planning to visit more often. He didn't want to miss the drama—Ren Suo was sure Zhao Huo wouldn't keep this news secret. He'd definitely spill the beans, leading to a showdown worthy of the Three Kingdoms, perhaps even a Battle of Red Cliff...

Then Ren Suo finally brought up the purpose of his visit, and Zhao Huo agreed instantly. "Massage techniques? No problem. Actually, the art of massage is largely the same across the board. After all, there are only so many places on the body you can massage. The main thing is to apply different amounts of pressure depending on the condition of the bones and muscles, but the hand movements themselves are easy to learn..."

After spending the whole afternoon, Ren Suo finally got the hang of the basic massage techniques. Eager to enjoy the benefits as soon as possible, he even used "The Demon King Returns" and "A Thousand Miles in a Day" to enhance his Comprehension, hoping to master the skill quickly.

Next, I need my clone to practice more... I wonder if the body memory will accumulate.

When he got home and saw that it was still early, Ren Suo continued to play "Night of the Hunt."

Loading save: "Luna, Third Round - Third Quarter Moon."

The screen faded in from black, revealing a bedroom illuminated by the moonlit night. Silvery moonlight cascaded over Luna's snow-white skin, a dazzling sight.

However, Luna wasn't alone on the bed.

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