Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King

Qiuyue imitated Madam's demeanor, moving gracefully with lotus-like steps, walking ahead. Passing through corridors and alleys, she turned a corner and entered the inner courtyard through a side door.

It was like Dongshi imitating Xishi. Qiuyue wasn't unattractive, and if not for the vulgarity between her brows and eyes and the harshness around her nose and mouth, she would indeed be a delicate beauty. But compared to Madam, the difference was vast.

"Keep your eyes to yourself, if you look around carelessly, Madam might gouge your eyes out!"

As they reached a room, Qiuyue stopped and issued a threat. Seeing Li Xian pay no heed, she felt unappreciated and silently fumed, pushing the door open.

White smoke drifted out, mixed with heat and fragrance, making one feel intoxicated. Li Xian was momentarily stunned, realizing the interior was clearly a bathhouse. Madam's shed clothing was hanging on a wooden rack.

Li Xian said, "This is..."

"Can't you see? How foolish, I really don't know why Madam summoned you here," Qiuyue mocked. "This is Madam's bathing place. You, someone like you, don't know how many lifetimes' worth of blessings you needed to step foot here in this life."

Her words were harsh.

"Did Madam really summon me here?" From the bottom of his heart, Li Xian looked down on Qiuyue, treating her insults and slanders as nothing more than passing wind.

"Nonsense," Qiuyue scolded. "Stupid pig-headed! If not for Madam's permission, would I dare bring you here?" She hated Li Xian deeply, feeling her status threatened, naturally seizing any opportunity to scold him.

Using this to assert status, warning Li Xian, yet unaware it was merely self-amusement.

Li Xian ignored Qiuyue, hesitating at the door. He thought bathing was a most private affair for a woman. Why would Madam summon him at such a time? From the look of things, there seemed to be nothing urgent in the manor.

A moment later, he stepped into the bathhouse. Surrounded by water vapor, strands of medicinal power penetrated his body. Li Xian was surprised: "This mist is mixed with medicinal power, strengthening my body, soothing my mind?"

Li Xian looked around. Madam's changed clothes, boots, socks, underwear, hairpins, were neatly placed on a jade table.

Qiuyue hurried a few steps, bypassed a screen, and saw a hanging curtain. The sheer curtain was soft as a waterfall cascading down.

After lifting the curtain and walking a few more steps, there was a spacious room with a jade stone-constructed spring pool inside.

Madam practiced "strange skills," and after every retreat, she would take a medicinal bath. The herbs were expensive, each bath costing several hundred taels of silver.

The medicinal power could sometimes corrode floor tiles. The jade stones paving this place were extraordinary, capable of retaining medicinal power and preventing corrosion and seepage.

Qiuyue exchanged a few words with Madam Wen. Qiuyue nodded, quickly exiting with a strip of gold-threaded black satin in her hand, saying, "Madam orders you to blindfold yourself with this black cloth, then enter to meet her."

Li Xian nodded. With his eyes covered by the black cloth, enveloped in complete darkness, he lifted the curtain to enter deeper, feeling the steam even more intense, bringing great benefits.

Madam Wen reclined on the edge of the spring pool. Nearby were plates of fruits, pastries, candied fruits, wine jugs, and goblets. Her long hair flowed, floating on the water, with pale blue bathwater sprinkled with petals.

Her body was both covered and uncovered by the petals. A few petals clung to her jade shoulders.

Seeing Li Xian arrive, she told him there was a mat on the eastern side and instructed him to sit on it. She appeared relaxed, poured herself a glass of wine, and picked up a fruit to eat.

Her gaze assessed Li Xian.

She thought to herself, "Calling him here like this will surely frighten him. Well, let him be scared."

She drank leisurely, enjoying the medicinal bath. Her whole body was flawless, and she especially loved to care for her skin, adding fragrance and brightening ingredients to the bath.

The vapor was hazy, like a celestial being in the fog.

Li Xian heard the sound of water trickling, feeling as if sitting on pins and needles. Though a beautiful scene lay before him, he only wished to escape. He couldn't help but curse the Black Tai Sui; the creature reeked of foulness, noisy and disgusting.

Truly a crow's mouth!

Good omens fail, bad omens hit home.

Madam Wen was enveloped in mist, her cheeks slightly dewy. She picked up a black jade grape. This was a product of the Western Regions, extremely expensive. She peeled the fruit, flicked it, saying, "Open your mouth."

Li Xian complied. Once the peeled grape was flicked into his mouth, the fragrance burst forth. The quality of the fruit was supreme, with emphasis on 'fragrance' over 'sweetness.' If too sweet, the fragrance would be overshadowed.

"You're quite lucky, boy." Madam Wen gently stirred the water with her hand, saying, "Last time it was the water lychee, this time the Dragon Grape, both were tribute items."

"Yes," Li Xian replied, "all thanks to Madam's blessing."

Madam Wen said, "Do you know why I called you here?" Li Xian stood up, saying, "I really don't know. Madam, please enlighten me, so I can serve you well."

"Sit down," Madam Wen instructed.

"Are you eager to leave? Are you afraid of me?" Madam Wen swam over to Li Xian, touching his chin with her fingertips.

Li Xian remained silent. Madam Wen said, "If I were to give you a chance to bathe with me, what would you do?"

Li Xian felt a jolt in his heart. Young blood just hot, hearing this, he couldn't help but feel a momentary entanglement of desires but quickly felt something was off.

Before today, he still had a slim chance to detach himself from Madam. If they truly bathed together, Madam would undoubtedly keep a tighter watch on him.

In his heart, he thought, "Although Madam might nurture me, she would also control me. Following by Madam's side, I can never overpower her. But as things stand now, I am getting closer and closer, beyond my control. At this point, I have no choice but to take it one step at a time."

Li Xian said, "Madam, you're joking."

Madam Wen replied, "I am not joking. Remove your clothes immediately, but the cloth on your eyes must not be removed at all."

"Then descend into this pool."

Her voice was indifferent, commanding in tone. She offered no explanation for her actions, leaving Li Xian puzzled and uncertain.

As it turns out...

She saw Li Xian's mastery of the "Setting Sun Bloodsword" was quite advanced. She gradually intended to teach the second level, but as the Setting Sun Bloodsword was a "Yang Sword," the Yin Yang Immortal Companions Sword becomes increasingly intertwined and emotionally intense in the advanced levels, requiring mutual affection and entanglement for continued practice.

Inevitable deeper contact followed.

Co-cultivation Swordsmanship was beyond her initial expectations. Her initial intent was merely to manipulate Li Xian.

However, multiple encounters revealed this young man had acceptable talent in Sword Dao. His progress was slow but steady.

Madam Wen thought, "This child is utterly loyal to me and features such a visage. Why not use him to aid in my practice? He is my possession, so I will exploit him accordingly."

The second layer of the Yin Yang Immortal Companions Sword, named "Sharing the Rain," also known as "Yin and Yang Union," requires joint Medicated Baths to lay the foundation of sword techniques. Today's bath was merely an initial trial.

Li Xian, with a generous nature, finds reluctance impairs dignity. He thus disrobes and enters the pool.

"Well, I'm getting a free medicated bath, after all. The lady is dangerous and vicious, but there is no denying her beauty. Perhaps one day, if my strength surpasses hers, I can truly restrain her and experience the real pleasure. Now... I appear to enjoy blessings, but in fact, I am like a snake winding around my neck, breathing cautiously." Li Xian thought.

Madam Wen mused, "Such a young age, yet his physique is well built." She scrutinized him, satisfied, and instructed, "Raise your hands."

Madam Wen gripped his palms. Feeling the heat in Li Xian's hands, her heart was slightly disturbed, an itch in her heart. Despite her cold nature, the scene evoked a hint of abnormality.

She murmured, "Stay focused, banish thoughts, suppress desires."

Since the Yin Yang Immortal Companions Sword is a Combined Sword Technique, practiced between both genders, it should inevitably lead to indulgence, liberation, and desire to achieve mastery and aggressive progress in Sword Dao.

Madam Wen, exceptional in talent, naturally understood. Her current contrary instruction was thus intentionally against human instincts.

She treated Li Xian as a personal possession, seeing him thoroughly controlled. Desires must not arise, feelings cannot be expressed, nor thoughts dared move. Restraint and endurance assured ongoing practice.

Yet the matter of Yin Yang is deeply intertwined, mutually reflective. Li Xian as a mirror indeed reflected her own self.

If she were bold and fearless, casually enjoying pleasures, habitually, she could truly achieve desires devoid of emotions. Watching Li Xian's restraint, she felt an inexplicable emotion.

A mixture of joy and accomplishment. One person endures, the other indulges. She treated Li Xian as a possession. Regardless of love or hate, at this moment, it gave her an elusive sense of having found a treasure.

"Good, very good, approach slowly," Madam Wen's voice now carried a slight fluctuation.

Li Xian said, "Madam, this..." As soon as he spoke, a shallow sword mark appeared on his chest. Madam Wen's Qi condensed like a sword, injuring invisibly with formidable strength. She warned, "Speak another word, and I'll cut your heart."

Li Xian, helpless, entertained himself: "If I become stronger one day, I'll make you taste the essence of a man." Yet now, he had to comply obediently.

Today was merely a shared bath, nothing more. After half an hour, Li Xian was still bemused when he was asked to leave.

[You shared a bath, Setting Sun Bloodsword skill level +398]

[Your Martial Arts advanced significantly, processing Food Essence Realm, skill level +1]

...

...

The medicated bath ended. Qiuyue immediately entered the bathing room to assist Madam Wen in dressing.

Qiuyue said, "Madam, your noble body, precious and delicate, what urgent matter couldn't be delivered by me? Why must he come in? He mingles all day with those servants, dirty and foul-smelling; if he's sullied the bathing room, that's surely unpleasant."

Madam Wen sneered. If filthy, Li Xian's embryonic body was pure, while Qiuyue's clay embryo found it hard even to circulate Qi. The truth of who was filthy was apparent to everyone.

Only Qiuyue couldn't see this layer.

Once dressed, Qiuyue helped Madam Wen comb her long hair cautiously, securing a silver hairpin. Qiuyue continued, "Madam, I saw Li Xian looking around just now. I wonder if he saw your intimate apparel."

"Should we interrogate him? He's schemed since his arrival in the manor to earn your favor. Perhaps he harbors malicious intent from the start."

At this point, Madam Wen uttered a faint hum. Qiuyue's actions halted, displayed pain, and blood flowed from her mouth as her brain buzzed.

Madam Wen's hum directed Internal Qi through the ears, shaking her internal organs, damaging her body.

Qiuyue's breath weakened instantly, her pride and arrogance vanished, transformed into endless anxiety, and she knelt and pleaded: "Servant... Servant knows wrong, unsure what angered Madam."

Madam Wen picked up the silver hairpin, arranging her elegant makeup in front of the mirror, and said indifferently, "Servants too noisy are the fault; matters here, mention less in the future."

"Yes, yes," Qiuyue hastily kowtowed, awakening from a dream. She despised Pang Long everywhere, yet in Madam's eyes, she was merely "Pang Long."

Suddenly, great sorrow flooded her heart. Desire to compete with Li Xian for favor, she now noticed Madam exclusively treated Li Xian as human.

"Take the Green Silkworm Rope; today I want to practice the Silkworm Feather Mismatched Jade Technique."

Madam Wen spoke casually.