Chapter 67: I Have Your Back

Chapter 67: I Have Your Back After the talk between the two men—no coercion involved—Carlos decided to stop picking on Henrietta. The details are better left unsaid—for Carlos’s pride, if nothing else. But Xu Tao made sure he wouldn’t forget the lesson—or break that promise. Verbal agreement? Contract? Does it even matter? What’s important was that he would no longer try to attack Henrietta’s side. Instead, he’d focus all his resources on keeping the Roamita Family in check. Xu Tao only had three days or so left before he would need to return to Alkryon—the world of the Lost System. As such, he’d rather not be disturbed by outsiders during that short time. When he was done "convincing" Carlos, Xu Tao returned to Henrietta’s mansion, heading for the center of the training grounds. There, he noticed a new batch of twelve standing at attention, replacing the three dozen sleepers from before. "Welcome back, Master!" And right as he appeared, none questioned how he did it—they simply bowed with respect. Xu Tao smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "No need to be so formal. It’s not like I’m taking you all as my direct disciples," he said. "Rather, you might’ve heard from the previous batch already. If you can’t master the Ten-Forms Fist King Technique in time, then you’ll also enter a free-for-all sparring with me." "...!" Everyone gulped at his words. They had all seen what happened to the previous batch, after all. Naturally, they’d rather not suffer the same fate. "WE’LL DO OUR BEST, MASTER!" They answered heartily, bowing even deeper than before. Xu Tao just grinned, before announcing— "Let’s start then." —the beginning of their hell. ???????????? Morning of the next day. Henrietta opened her eyes at last and let out a cold breath. A puff of frosty air drifted a few meters before dissipating into the warmth of the room. She hadn’t slept, but instead cultivated the entire night. She had been consolidating her Qi, following the breathing methods and internal circulation patterns taught in the first five lines of the scroll Xu Tao gave her. Slowly, she unfolded from her lotus position and stared at her palm. She could feel strength in her limbs, just like before Xu Tao fixed her Qi Deviation—but now, the pain that once accompanied her beast-like power was no longer present. "It feels like I now have complete control over my physique!" Xu Tao’s scroll didn’t simply teach her how to cultivate or which techniques to learn. It also guided her on how to take advantage of being half Blazing Wrath Fiend. The explosive strength of her Evil Spirit half had gradually been "pulled" into her, and made hers instead! In terms of physical strength alone, Henrietta should now be on par with someone at the Low Gold Rank Levels—or the Early Golden Core Stage! "As expected, I wasn’t wrong when I chose Xu Tao as my Master!" she cheered with a smile—then slowly warped into a frown. "But... Will I make it in time...? It’s now only a week away and I’m still at the Bronze Level..." Her thoughts turned muddled, worry and irritation mixing into something that made her feel like exploding. "Ugh!" But unlike before, she could now control her emotions much better. She still grumbled aloud, but at least she didn’t start punching holes in the walls. After a while of staring blankly at the room’s white ceiling, she finally scrunched up her face and frowned. "Still, I better take a bath!" During cultivation, as part of Qi Consolidation, the "impurities" within her body had been pushed out through her pores. Her entire body was now covered in a caked, black mass that reeked like septic left to brew for a month. She stood up, rang a bell, and spoke through the intercom. "Clean up my room while I take a shower. Change out the bed too—the smell seems stuck to it now." "Yes, Milady." A gentle voice of a maid echoed from the other end, not bothering to ask for details. She received orders, and she would execute them. Extra information about how or why wasn’t needed. With that out of the way, Henrietta quickly undressed as she headed for her room’s bath. She didn’t need to wait—the mansion had a 24/7 boiler, so hot water was always available. She pushed open the door, walked up to the bathtub, and slid aside the frosted glass door. "Hmm? Oh, Henrietta." "..." To her surprise, someone was already using her bathtub. "Sorry, I kind of destroyed mine. You were in the middle of cultivation, so I thought it’d be fine to use yours in turn..." he said flatly, lifting his leg out. "But well, I already washed up, so you can take your time." Xu Tao stood up from the tub, and Henrietta’s eyes automatically followed the droplets rolling down his chiseled, manly body. One droplet traced the grid of his well-toned neck muscles, slid across pectorals as wide as a plate, down to his perfectly defined ten-pack abs. Then, further down toward a dark forest with a single— "...!" Henrietta spun around in panic, crouching while placing both hands on her cheeks as she screamed internally. ’Ehhh?!! What did I just see?! Am I dreaming?’ she thought in a daze. ’Master Tao... in my bath... naked... I saw everything... he saw everything...!’ Her eyes were swimming, her mind lost in chaos, unsure how to respond. Normally, she’d bash the intruder and call the guards to finish the job, but... the other party was her Master. She knew instantly that calling anyone was pointless. Let alone trying to fight and "punish" him herself. "Hmm? Oh, are you embarrassed?" Xu Tao said, walking casually toward her. "Well, I forgot such emotions a long time ago, so sorry for that. Don’t worry, I’ll leave—" PAT! Just as he was about to exit the shower, Henrietta grabbed his hand to stop him. She pulled a towel over her chest, trying to hide herself, and whispered. "Uhm... M-Master, please let me wash your back!" An idea that came out of nowhere. But to Henrietta, it felt like the best option. "Best" for what, though? She wasn’t sure either. "Oh? You sure?" Xu Tao, unaware of the war going on inside her head, tilted his head. "It’s been thousands of years since a disciple last washed my back..." he muttered, sighing nostalgically. "I’ll take you up on your offer then." He turned back, pulled the frosted glass door shut, and sat down on the floor tiles cross-legged. Thankfully, before anyone noticed, he’d already wrapped a towel around his waist—hiding the Heavenly Dragon from view. Henrietta took a deep breath and reached for Xu Tao’s back when— ’I... stink!’ Realization hit her like a truck. "S-Sorry, Master!" she quickly apologized, flustered. "I-I’m dirty right now, so touching you would do the opposite of cleaning. I’ll wash myself first before—!" "Ah, right. The impurities..." Xu Tao nodded, glancing behind and staring at her. THUMP! Having his golden eyes scrutinize her from head to toe, her heart pounded loud in her ears as idle thoughts raced through her head. ’I... I’m not too fat, right? I haven’t eaten properly in a while, so I don’t think so...!’ "That looks like it’s stuck to your skin." Xu Tao murmured, eyeing the patches of black "mud" coating her body. "I’ve washed the back of a mountain-like Triad Dragon and a delicate Heavenly Nymph before—so it shouldn’t be a problem..." He whispered as if rationalizing something. After a few seconds, he clapped his fist to his palm, as if a great idea had dawned. His eyes were crystal clear as he asked with a hint of excitement. "Why don’t I help you wash up first?" "...Hu... uh?"