As night fell, the private room glowed with twinkling lights, and candlelight flickered within the glass lantern, casting a dreamy aura that made the room feel like moonlight could never seep in.
“Shoe’s off.”
Ke Mo was perched on a little stool, intently watching Ying Bing on the massage chair, hoping to repay her for the effort she put into running around with the ice chunk earlier and maybe… score a little investment in the process.
And why was he sitting on a little stool, you ask?
“Taking off your shoes… for what?”
Don’t let Ying Bing’s serene beauty fool you.
That delicate, fair-skinned hand was gripping the fabric of the massage chair like it was a lifeline.
“Have you seen a dragon?”
Ke Mo asked seriously.
“I have.”
Ying Bing nodded.
Ke Mo: “…….”
Hold up! Did you see it in your last life or just in a dream?
He was starting to feel lost.
Ying Bing noticed his moment of silence and tucked a stray hair behind her ear:
“Oh, I haven’t actually seen one.”
“Mm, you’ll see one soon.”
Ke Mo wore a mysterious grin.
Ying Bing’s brows furrowed slightly, a few question marks popping up over her head.
Ke Mo: “Because you’re about to enjoy a dragon service.”
Ying Bing was baffled by the term “dragon service,” which sounded as peculiar as it was intriguing. But Ke Mo assured her this was a service that the tavern would soon roll out for guests.
Speaking of services, it should be… somewhat normal.
And it had to do with dragons.
These days, there weren’t even any dragons in the South Border, making it a term both serious and grandiose, frequently spouted by the royal family.
Ke Mo continued, “If you feel uncomfortable or it doesn’t fit, just let me know anytime.”
A spark of excitement lit up the young man.
Even he didn’t know why he felt so hyped about this.
“Want me to add something?”
“Add?”
“Forget it, I’ll just add you some lotus seed wine, it’ll work better.”
He poured into the basin wine worth more than a thousand silvers, though it would just be tossed out; he didn’t think it was a waste at the moment.
But that thought was about to change.
Ying Bing dipped her long, slender legs—snow-white against frost—into the warm water after testing the temperature, her dainty fingers curling slightly.
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong?”
Ying Bing noticed Ke Mo was deep in thought.
As Ke Mo contemplated the wine that would soon be wasted, he felt a twinge of sadness. What was that about?
Oh, it must’ve been because he’d added some special wine that helps to relieve muscles…
“Alright… I’m starting, so relax.”
“Mm.”
Ying Bing turned her face away, silent.
Ke Mo observed that although her expression remained serene, whenever she tensed up, her fingers and toes tended to curl without her realizing.
This was a truth he discovered after starting his work.
Before, he had only guessed, but practice truly was the only standard to test his hypothesis!
Moments later.
“Is it over?”
“Not even close.”
“But you have already… been rubbing for quite a while.”
“No way, it’s just that you’re feeling like seconds last forever.”
“…..”
Ke Mo employed the “Pinch Technique,” but he felt rather clumsy…
Maybe this was just the game between a technician and a customer.
The more serene Ying Bing appeared, the more curious Ke Mo became about her sensitive spots.
So, he chose a particularly sensitive acupoint and pressed down with a “pop!”
Hmm…
Good thing he was quick on his feet.
Otherwise, he could’ve ended up with a splash of water all over his mouth after almost getting his lips locked in with her lily-white foot.
Then he looked up to find her eyes filled with a serene yet unamused glint:
Don’t even think about joking.
So, Ke Mo behaved himself.
Seriously, the creator of the “Pinch Technique” was quite a talent; even without its incredible effects, it still shone.
And you’d think Ke Mo took it seriously?
Well, the customer, the ice chunk herself, felt that he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
In the end, Ying Bing’s rigid body started to relax.
But that annoying system that never missed a beat was still there, always on time.
【Ding dong——】
【Countdown to the next ranking comparison: One minute remaining.】
The system’s holographic letters aligned perfectly with Ke Mo’s figure.
Ying Bing glanced down at him, her lashes shimmering like a heartbeat out of rhythm.
Warm reminder: Features such as “Switch between traditional and simplified,” “Adjust font size,” and “Reading background color” are available in the top-right corner.
She didn’t possess the same confidence as before.
Having lost the previous two times, though she had the divine skills, what was Ke Mo suddenly flaunting?
“Do you often go to the top of the Sword Building?”
Ke Mo earnestly utilized the “Pinch Technique,” yet he spoke to Ying Bing without losing focus, because his hands had other ideas:
“Yeah, I thought about sketching the strange stones, but unfortunately, I have no talent! Yet, I’m making progress…”
“Sketching strange stones… for what?”
“Such enchanting things; what if they are manifestations of the Great Dao?”
Ke Mo chuckled.
Ying Bing assumed he was joking: “Where’s the art piece reflecting the Great Dao that you’ve sketched?”
She had never heard of a Great Dao manifestation that could be copied.
As far as she knew, the best she could do was to sketch extravagant forms, requiring luck and timing.
Usually, the transmission of such extravagant forms involved powerful individuals paying a hefty price to extract a piece of their consciousness and imprint their thoughts.
Ying Bing found it rather odd that Ke Mo wanted to observe two consciousness forms.
Generally, in the Observation Realm, it’s considered a significant victory just to completely observe a single consciousness; some could only observe its minimal representation.
But her own path was to observe the extravagant forms of birds and condense the Phoenix spirit.
“If you want to observe other consciousness forms, you have to find one that matches your constitution.”
“But I don’t know what my constitution is suited for.”
Ke Mo shrugged.
He figured whatever he sketched would have to do.
“Wouldn’t you turn into a rock?”
“What if a monkey hops out of the rock?”
“You…”
Ying Bing’s cold glare suddenly faltered.
She glanced down, noticing Ke Mo’s hand had wandered to her calf.
When did he get there while they were chatting?
Ke Mo, maintaining a professional demeanor, lightly coughed:
“Say something if you’re uncomfortable.”
“Now…”
Ying Bing’s lips parted slightly.
But the countdown was ticking away, second by second.
3…
2…
1…
【The results of the third Eastern Wilderness Realm’s elite ranking are now being announced.】
【Please be aware there will be an expanded ranking comparison next time.】
【Eastern Wilderness elite ranked 50th: Zheng Conglong】
…..
【Eastern Wilderness elite ranked 39th: Lin Jiang】
….
【Eastern Wilderness elite ranked 22nd: Murong Xiao】
…..
【Eastern Wilderness elite ranked 11th: Xiao Qian】
….
【Eastern Wilderness elite ranked 2nd: Ying Bing】
……
【Congratulations to the host for clinching second place in this elite ranking.】
【Rewards are being distributed…】
【Detected that the host has activated the defeat penalty; all rewards have been stored in the system space and await distribution after the punishment mechanism is completed.】
【The content of this punishment is: Request ‘Ke Mo’ to caress.】
【Requirement: Cover more than 80% of the body area.】
Ying Bing bit her lip, momentarily lost in thought.
It was unexpected yet fitting.
Or perhaps deep down, she had already prepared herself for it?
The air tensed with silence for a moment.
Ke Mo suddenly felt her smooth arch of the foot tense again, those petite legs that had just relaxed clenching back up.
Um…
Honestly, at this moment, it wasn’t about whether Ying Bing could handle it.
Little Ke felt he should take a step back, maybe even take a shower.
A tad too intense.
However, the feedback on his investment had yet to arrive. Was it due to this investment still being ongoing, or was this just not even a worthy investment?
“First time doing this, feeling awkward is normal.”
“Let’s end it here.”
He flicked the water off his hands and stood up.
Ying Bing’s voice floated from behind, she seemed to be trying hard to maintain her composure:
“Isn’t… there a sight of a dragon?”
“What dragon?”
“A dragon service’s dragon.”
“??”
Ke Mo turned back in confusion.
She was supposed to have that frosty, unyielding beauty, but now she seemed to shimmer like the reflection of the moon upon a lake, hazily shimmering.
Must be the lighting.
