Chapter 70: Turning the Page

Ever since Du Huaishan experienced Luo Zongwen’s massage, he had gradually grown fond of that “painful yet pleasurable” sensation.

Tan Hai’s foundation was too weak; he couldn’t perform spinal corrections. Chang Sui’an could, but as the training soldiers’ instructor, he had to look after everyone and was always busy. It was impossible for him to focus solely on Du Huaishan.

After much deliberation, Du Huaishan suddenly remembered Xu Yuan, who had used revitalizing oil for massages on the training field when he first enlisted. She was a legitimate practitioner of Eight Trigrams boxing, surely knowledgeable in these methods of massage and bone-setting.

But how should he ask her? Should he just say it outright? You help me massage, I help you massage? He wondered if she’d think he was being improper. Even though the customs in Chiyu Empire were open, men and women weren’t yet at the point where they could casually touch each other’s skin.

“Du Huaishan, I want to learn how to generate force from you.”

Just as he was struggling with his dilemma, Xu Yuan returned and called out from the side.

Perfect timing. Like a pillow delivered to a sleepy man—he’d been fretting about what excuse to use.

Seeing Xu Yuan’s palm, pierced and bleeding from her fingernail, Du Huaishan realized she’d been shaken by tonight’s combat alert and Yang Fatty’s words.

Xu Yuan’s footwork was strong, especially her agility with the grappling line, but her attacks were always just a touch weaker than Du Huaishan’s. That was understandable. Eight Trigrams Palm had sixty-four variations, its footwork nimble and ever-changing, prioritizing agility rather than the explosive power of free-fighting, wrestling, or Xingyi boxing.

Besides, Du Huaishan had been consciously strengthening his core power and physical form, making him stronger than most male practitioners—let alone accounting for the natural strength gap between the sexes.

“Of course. And coincidentally, Instructor Luo will be heading to the Shanlong Pass battlefield soon, so the training room will be free. We can practice together!”

After the elite soldiers went out for combat drills, their curriculum changed again. Besides basic stamina, grappling line combat, theoretical knowledge, and training in the powers of demon spirits, all remaining training time was left to personal arrangement.

At this point, Du Huaishan gave a tactical cough. “Ahem, besides, with Instructor Luo gone, I’m in need of someone to help me correct my spine and relax my muscles.”

“No problem.”

Unexpectedly, Xu Yuan agreed immediately.

“Then it’s settled. After tomorrow’s demon spirit training, come find me at Luo’s Mansion in the Commanders’ Academy!”

…

Zzzzt!

Luo Zongwen’s villa, third-floor training room.

Du Huaishan, in a state of demon transformation, held a long spear in both hands, repeatedly swinging it at the metal target before him. His figure darted back and forth—clang, clang, clang—the tip of the spear became a blur, punching three holes in the target in an instant.

Luo Zongwen’s renowned technique:
Three-Step Collapsing Spear!

“Hoo… I’ve broken through again!”

Du Huaishan sensed the change in the guardian spirit attached to his heart—its strength had grown once more.

Demon transformation fusion rate: eleven percent!

It seemed that bottle of red marrow elixir hadn’t been wasted! With the bottle he’d won in the assessment and the five awarded by Zhang Yiming, Du Huaishan now considered himself a “minor tycoon.”

After demon transformation, his height was now over one meter eighty-five, his arms and thighs robust and long, his physique perfect—like a fitness athlete. On his dusky skin, blue veins intertwined, faintly showing tiger stripes, a change he’d never had before. The pair of devil horns on his forehead were shrouded in black mist, glowing red.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone knocked at the door.

“Come in,” said Du Huaishan.

The door creaked open. A lean, agile woman soldier in armor stepped inside—it was Xu Yuan!

“Your training ended so quickly.”

Du Huaishan exhaled, switched off the power, and exited his demon transformation state. After Luo Zongwen left, he’d told him to keep using the third-floor lounge and training room; the sentries at the door were already very familiar with him.

Xu Yuan nodded, glancing at Du Huaishan, who was wrapped in chains and holding a spear. She was curious—no wonder he improved so rapidly; he was raising his fusion rate through actual combat.

“Let’s go!”

Du Huaishan led her to the lounge.

Once he removed his armor, Xu Yuan’s gaze sharpened as she saw the sandbags strapped to him. “You always train with extra weight?”

“Yes, it pushes my muscles to their limits. When I recover, I grow faster.”

With armor and sandbags stripped away, only his underclothes remained. Du Huaishan felt awkward—alone with a woman in a private space, he could hardly relax.

But Xu Yuan’s expression was as cool and indifferent as ever.

Since she didn’t mind, he, a grown man, had nothing to fear.

With swift, practiced motions, Du Huaishan stripped down to just his underwear and obediently lay on the bed.

Xu Yuan took the medicinal oil, uncapped it, and inhaled its pungent scent, surprised: “This oil is precious—it actually contains tiger bone and leopard bone.”

“If you want to try it, I can give you a massage later… mmph!”

Before he could finish, Xu Yuan’s hand struck down, precisely gripping his spine; a crack sounded as the joint snapped into place. “No need.”

This woman had a heavy hand!

He’d wanted Xu Yuan to ease up a little, but her grip was every bit as strong as Instructor Luo’s.

She corrected his spinal joints.

Xu Yuan’s hands began kneading Du Huaishan’s other muscles. The sensation was different from Luo Zongwen’s. After all, she was a woman—her slender, smooth fingers were far more comfortable than the coarse, rough hands of the instructor.

“Turn over.”

Xu Yuan gently patted Du Huaishan’s shoulder.

Hmm, why did that feel so familiar…?

Du Huaishan was immersed in the alternation of muscle soreness and relief. Xu Yuan’s pat made him feel as if he were getting scrubbed at a bathhouse.

He rolled over.

Xu Yuan continued pressing his joints. Because stretching was involved, she often had to enlarge her movements, even leaning close.

Her breath blew across his freshly oiled skin, cool and ticklish.

Unnoticed, a rosy flush crept up Xu Yuan’s neck.

Du Huaishan could swear that from start to finish, he hadn’t harbored a single wicked thought—yet as the atmosphere changed, his mouth grew dry.

After all, he was a man, and a vigorous young one at that.

Helplessly, he closed his eyes.

But the more he closed them, the more his imagination wandered.

If someone who didn’t know saw them now, they would think it was a wife massaging her husband after a long day.

“All done.”

Hearing Xu Yuan’s voice, Du Huaishan finally relaxed, a faint sweat beading on his forehead. “Light some incense for me.”

Xu Yuan did as he asked.

“Wake me in fifteen minutes.”

At these words, she turned and saw Du Huaishan had closed his eyes again—and, surprisingly, had fallen fast asleep.