As soon as needling was mentioned, Yan Zhen noticed two damp patches blooming on the Yu Family Head Mother-in-Law’s bellyband. They were clearly the aftermath of her channeling power repeatedly during the earlier test, stirring up the lingering effects.
The Family Head Yu Lu only just realized her predicament. She hastily lifted a powdered arm to cover herself, her face flushing crimson as she bowed her head, her posture as bashful as that of a green girl.
The atmosphere turned intimate and awkward in an instant.
Yan Zhen steadied his mind and said solemnly, “Before I apply the needles, let me check on you again, Mother-in-Law. I’m worried that breaking the vital gate might make the symptoms worse.”
The Family Head Yu Lu obediently slipped a slender wrist from her sleeve and extended it toward Yan Zhen for him to take her pulse.
Yan Zhen placed two fingers on it and sent a thread of Wind-Thunder Crystal Fire into the Yu Family Head Mother-in-Law’s meridians, probing the state of the twisted channels in her chest.
He hadn’t expected to find anything alarming, but the diagnosis left him stunned.
Seeing Yan Zhen’s face change abruptly, the Family Head Yu Lu asked in surprise, “How is it, Son-in-Law Yan Zhen?”
Yan Zhen withdrew his hand, his expression as woebegone as if attending a funeral. “It’s… knotted.”
It had only been a minor twist before, and it had even improved somewhat after his needling the night before last. But now it was coiled like a spiral.
Evidently, the moment the vital gate broke, her mystic power had surged violently, battering that section of meridian and making the distortion far worse.
He was in for some serious blame over this!
Yet the Family Head Yu Lu remained astonishingly calm. “Can it still be cured?”
Yan Zhen looked guilt-ridden. “I… I can’t do it. If my master came, she might manage it—how about I take you to see her, Mother-in-Law? For the sake of me and Yu Shizun, my master will help.”
The Family Head Yu Lu shook her head faintly. “Let’s not trouble the Technique Saint Lord.”
“I’m sorry, Mother-in-Law. It’s all my fault.”
“Don’t say that. If you hadn’t helped, Son-in-Law Yan Zhen, my sister, Xiao Qing, and I would still be suffering. You have no reason to blame yourself.”
“But—”
“Since you can’t cure it, Son-in-Law Yan Zhen, we’ll leave it be for now. As the head of the Yu Family, I rarely fight others. As long as I slow my cultivation pace, it barely affects me.”
“Mother-in-Law…”
“If you truly feel guilty, Son-in-Law Yan Zhen, then when you grow stronger later, come treat me again.” A faint smile curved the Family Head Yu Lu’s lips, serene and gentle. “I believe that day won’t be far off.”
Feeling the Yu Family Head Mother-in-Law’s expectations for him, Yan Zhen was touched deep inside. He nodded vigorously. “I’ll grow strong enough soon, and then I’ll cure you, Mother-in-Law.”
“Good child.”
As she spoke, the Family Head Yu Lu reached out with a jade-like hand to pat her son-in-law’s head. Yan Zhen felt embarrassed, wondering why all the elders liked ruffling his hair. Was he acting too childish?
With that thought, Yan Zhen straightened his expression, trying his best to look mature and steady as he asked with concern, “Does it make you uncomfortable, Mother-in-Law?”
The Family Head Yu Lu pressed one arm over her plush bosom, squishing the full, rounded softness out of shape—somehow even more alluring than if uncovered.
Her expression calm, she parted her ruby lips to answer her son-in-law’s question. “A little, but it’s nothing serious.”
“Does it hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt. It’s just… swollen, and… stuffy. Like there’s a stone jammed in my chest that won’t come out. It’ll only ease once it’s drained clean.”
“Mother-in-Law, you could try the Acupoint Pressing Method from before. It might help.”
“Mm.”
The Family Head Yu Lu turned her back to Yan Zhen and began pressing her own acupoints to stem the flow.
Even from behind, with her clothes half-undone, her figure was mesmerizing.
Yan Zhen kept his eyes down, wondering if he should make a special tool for matrons like her. It would make things easier for Mother-in-Law—and his wives could use it too, later on.
Suddenly, the Family Head Yu Lu arched her back, lifted her chin, and let out a short, muffled grunt, as if struck by an assassin’s sneak attack. Her voluptuous form toppled backward.
Yan Zhen jumped in alarm and spread his arms to catch the Family Head Yu Lu, pulling her into his embrace.
“What happened, Mother-in-Law?”
Her face flushed deep red, her lips pressed tight, she hummed and hawed for a moment before managing, “I… I think I pressed the wrong acupoint.”
What?
Yan Zhen looked closely and saw the Water Cloud Bellyband was nearly soaked through, turned entirely white, with no sign of stopping. He glanced at his hand and found it covered in the same creamy fluid, carrying a sweet, fragrant aroma.
Which acupoint did she hit wrong to cause such a dramatic gush?
“Mother-in-Law, did you forget the sequence?”
“Y-Yes… um… I was a bit unsure about a few of them.”
A few? That meant she’d basically forgotten the whole thing! It wasn’t like practicing Tai Chi—the Acupoint Pressing Method demanded precision!
Yan Zhen hadn’t expected such a meticulous woman as the Yu Family Head Mother-in-Law to be so careless here. He chided her gently. “Why didn’t you ask me if you forgot?”
“S-Sorry… ah!”
The Family Head Yu Lu shuddered again, a needy moan escaping her lips. It sounded pained, but not entirely.
Now wasn’t the time to scold her carelessness.
The Yu Family Head Mother-in-Law had clearly pressed the Inducement Technique instead of the Stop Flow Technique, unleashing this torrent. The pain came with it, and her mystic power was leaking out nonstop. If it continued, she might lose a great deal of her vital energy and remain weak for days.
Yan Zhen frowned tightly. Seeing the Family Head Yu Lu’s pitiable state stirred his resolve.
“Forgive my offense, Mother-in-Law. Let me help you.”
Without waiting for a reply, he yanked hard. The superior-grade Water Cloud Silk wrapping those bouncy, sacred treasures flew away.
Yan Zhen’s breath caught. He steadied himself, formed his fingers into a sword, and swiftly pressed the acupoints in the proper sequence—first severing the Inducement Technique, then applying the Stop Flow Technique.
The flood halted abruptly, as if a boulder had plugged the spring.
The Family Head Yu Lu grew even more distressed, her chest swelling to the bursting point. Her jade hand instinctively seized Yan Zhen’s wrist, her beautiful eyes pleading.
Yan Zhen sighed softly and reassured her. “Don’t be afraid, Mother-in-Law. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Forcing the flow to stop wouldn’t work. Better to unblock than dam it up— he had to guide it out gradually.
Yan Zhen lacked specific knowledge, but he’d practiced plenty on his beautiful master. He knew the basics.
It all boiled down to eight words: Climb Mountain Grasp Snow, Pick Stone Contain Pearl.
Different methods, same destination.
Splash, splash.
Rain suddenly poured outside, fierce and swift, pattering on the pond and drenching the flowers and grass in the courtyard.
The downpour was heavy but stopped after the time it took to drink a cup of tea, vanishing as abruptly as it had come.
Yan Zhen gently laid the fainted Family Head Yu Lu down, propping her head on a cushion. Only then did he withdraw his hands, wipe them on his pants, and turn to gaze out the window.
The sky was a clear blue expanse, lazy white clouds drifting by.
The pink blossoms in the courtyard, heavy with water droplets, opened and closed in the breeze. Beside them, the grass set off their beauty, painting a vivid picture of spring after the rain.
“Burp.”
Yan Zhen let out a belch and licked his lips, his heart utterly at peace.
—It was going to end anyway. What was the rush?
