Lu Chengfeng gazed at the beauty under the dim yellow light, unconsciously swallowing as his throat turned slightly dry, his eyes flickering.
Luo Suyi was not the kind of dignified beauty, no matter how virtuous and gentle she seemed to be, her figure and enchanting face were enough to leave any man mesmerized.
"No... there's no need... How could I let you do such a thing?"
Luo Suyi lowered her head slightly, a blush on her pretty face, softly speaking, "Serving my own man is only right and proper."
Without waiting for Lu Chengfeng to say anything more, she started to busy herself, having already taken off her outer robe, now only wearing a close-fitting white silk embroidered lotus gown.
This garment was woven from silk, softly clinging to her body, perfectly highlighting her curves. As she bent over, the astonishing arc of her waist and hips nearly drove Lu Chengfeng to lose his mind and pounce on her.
By the time Luo Suyi brought over the wooden basin for washing feet, Lu Chengfeng found himself unintentionally sweating, feeling more exhausted than when he practiced martial arts.
Luo Suyi was unaware of how much the man before her was enduring, nor did she realize how her close-fitting silk robe and alluring body curves were so captivating.
She set down the basin, squatted, and without a hint of disdain, picked up Lu Chengfeng's foot, removing the dust-covered boot, then the sock.
Each movement was gentle and attentive, with no trace of impatience, although somewhat inexperienced, she was extremely earnest.
Yet Lu Chengfeng's gaze was fixed on her chest, the open neckline of her white silk dress allowing him a clear view of the creamy expanse.
When Luo Suyi cradled his foot, using her delicate fingers to carefully wash it, the soft touch and the beautiful scene before his eyes made him feel as if he were in the clouds.
This scene stirred emotions in his heart; no wonder the ancients spoke of envying mandarin ducks rather than immortals, their words were truly not deceiving.
Lu Chengfeng took a deep breath, an involuntary reaction occurring below, causing him to close his eyes in embarrassment, pretending as if nothing happened, quietly enjoying the beauty's service.
Time slowly passed, her gentle fingers massaging, applying pressure to his foot's acupoints, gradually dissipating Lu Chengfeng's day's fatigue.
Before he knew it, a bit of sleepiness crept in.
After Luo Suyi finished washing his feet and tidied up, Lu Chengfeng nearly drifted off.
When Luo Suyi returned, Lu Chengfeng awoke with a start, glanced at the bed, suppressed his fanciful thoughts, and said, "I'll sleep in the room next door, it's late, you should rest well."
Yet the next moment, there was a sudden sound, and the room's candle was blown out. Faintly, he could hear Luo Suyi's tentative movements as her shadow blurred.
"You're my husband, how could I send you to sleep in another room? You've had a tiring day, rest quickly!"
Luo Suyi carefully slipped into the blanket behind Lu Chengfeng. In the darkness, her expression was unclear, but Lu Chengfeng sensed a tremor in her voice, evidently not as calm as she appeared.
They lay side by side, though separated by two blankets, they were close enough to hear each other's breathing and sense each other's presence.
The night was quiet; even their heartbeats seemed pronounced.
Feeling Luo Suyi's increasingly tense breathing, Lu Chengfeng exhaled lightly and said, "I successfully passed today's assessment."
"Mm, I knew you could do it." The man's words broke the silence, calming Luo Suyi somewhat.
"I mean, I passed the Sect Elder's assessment," Lu Chengfeng reiterated.
"Mm, mm?" Luo Suyi was visibly stunned, taking a moment to incredulously gasp, "What did you just say?"
Lu Chengfeng wore a faint smile, "I didn't attend the True Inheritance assessment this time, but rather an Outer Peak Elder's assessment, and it went very smoothly, gaining the sect's acknowledgment."
Luo Suyi was dumbfounded, speaking incoherently, "This... how is this possible? You're not joking with me, right?"
Lu Chengfeng couldn't help but laugh, "Why would I joke about something like this?"
"Then how... how did you suddenly become so powerful?" Luo Suyi was both shocked and puzzled.
"Let's just say I've been hiding my strength all this time," Lu Chengfeng said after a slight pause.
At this, Luo Suyi couldn't contain her surprise, instinctively inching closer, staring at the man's blurred outline by her side in the darkness.
"A twenty-year-old with Seventh Layer Swordsmanship is already a swordsmanship prodigy, qualified to become an Inner Peak True Inheritance. A twenty-year-old at the Tenth Layer Realm is rare in the entire Yuncang Sword Sect, isn't it?"
"It's beyond the term prodigy; it's truly demonic, a heaven's favored talent!"
"Once the news spreads, it'll surely shock the sect, making you a prominent figure within."
Lu Chengfeng merely smiled, "How others view me isn't important, what's truly important is my own strength. Now that my swordsmanship is accomplished, once the sect verifies my background and past, if all's clear, I will be conferred as an Elder."
"At that time, I'll have the qualification to establish a peak; I'll choose to stay at Bixiao Peak, to guard our home."
Upon hearing this, Luo Suyi felt all her fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and hesitation from this period gradually disappear. Though only able to see the man's blurred outline, she felt an extraordinary sense of peace.
"Mm, I trust you!"
They spoke no more, but the initial tension and unfamiliarity between them evaporated.
Lu Chengfeng inhaled the maidenly scent on Luo Suyi; after a while, he realized she'd fallen asleep at some point, even turning towards him, a hand holding onto his blanket.
He suddenly smiled, a sense of tranquility and contentment washing over him.
Martial arts skills are meant to protect the people and things one cares about, giving them true meaning.
At this moment, sleep eluded him, so he meticulously examined the fragments of memory bestowed by Zhao Changzhen. These fragments contained not just martial arts techniques, but also a jumble of various experiences.
Lu Chengfeng had never had the time to examine them thoroughly before, now diving into them, searching for any clues that might benefit him.
Especially considering Zhao Changzhen had been killed unexpectedly on the wedding night at Bixiao Peak, this could be a hidden threat. If clues could be gleaned from his memory, it would be for the best.
Lu Chengfeng sorted through those memories, finding most of them fragmented and insignificant.
Until Lu Chengfeng discovered some memories related to the "Soul-Destroying Claw" martial art, his expression changed dramatically.
"This is actually a Twenty-Seventh Layer Secret Skill, and among them, the most profound and complete Refining Divine Martial Arts."
If it were just this, Lu Chengfeng would be delighted, but what shocked him was that Zhao Changzhen had another identity, as a spy for another sect, and alongside him were several other Outer Peak Elders as spies.
More importantly, they truly found the Black Shark Loose Man's hidden treasury, even acquiring several Unparalleled Martial Arts of Great Perfection from within.
"Soul-Destroying Claw" was one of them!
The scenes within the memory fragments sent chills through Lu Chengfeng, unable to imagine the chaos should these things be exposed.
More troubling was knowing his master was an inner sect spy; if this truth came to light, the Yuncang Sword Sect might never accommodate him again.
As of now, there were over four others in the Yuncang Sword Sect aware of Zhao Changzhen's identity.
Lu Chengfeng closed his eyes slightly, but his chest burned with increasing murderous intent.
"You all have chosen the path of death!"