41:Martial Cultivators

It was close to ten in the evening when he finally returned home.

Su Muqing lay sprawled on the sofa, her sleeping form utterly serene, a stark contrast to her usual frosty demeanor. Her beautiful, fair face was so captivating, it made him want to lean in and steal a kiss.

Unwilling to disturb her peace, Shen Yifei found a thin blanket from his room and gently draped it over her. Though it was early summer and the temperatures weren't low, he didn't want her to catch a chill.

After a quick shower, Shen Yifei retreated into his room, closing the door behind him.

Normally, Shen Yifei disdained engaging in physical altercations with ordinary people. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he'd felt uncharacteristically agitated today, resorting to violence on several occasions.

He subtly circulated his True Qi (a vital, spiritual energy), only to find it surging erratically within him, a tempest barely contained.

“A breakthrough… now?” Shen Yifei's brow furrowed in a deep frown.

No wonder he'd been so irritable and short-tempered all day. It was the volatile nature of his True Qi, signaling an imminent advancement.

While most would be ecstatic at the cusp of such a leap, Shen Yifei's face was etched with a grim worry.

His True Qi churned violently, causing a faint, stinging pain around his heart meridians (the energy pathways within the body). Stripping off his shirt, Shen Yifei sat upright in a meditative pose on his bed.

This world harbored a unique group of individuals known as Martial Cultivators (practitioners of ancient, mystical martial arts, far beyond common combat sports like Taekwondo).

Martial Cultivation demanded extraordinary innate talent; without it, one could never become a true Martial Cultivator. Perhaps only a handful among ten thousand possessed such a gift, often intrinsically linked to one's bloodline.

This inherent rarity was why Martial Cultivators were so scarce. Many preferred arduous training in secluded mountain retreats over mingling in societal affairs, all in pursuit of higher cultivation realms (stages of spiritual development).

Over a decade ago, Shen Yifei had been adopted by his Master (a reclusive martial arts grandmaster), who personally guided him in mastering a miraculous martial art known as the Divine Radiance Scripture (a cultivation technique, or *gongfa*).

This marked Shen Yifei's entry into the realm of Martial Cultivation, transforming his life irrevocably.

As far as Shen Yifei knew, the Martial Cultivation realms were divided into: Channel Unlocking, Ironclad Might, and Ascension Seeking.

Beyond these, higher realms were rumored, but virtually no ordinary Martial Cultivator ever reached them.

Shen Yifei was a martial arts prodigy, and he held immense confidence in his talent.

He had been stuck at the peak of the Ironclad Might realm for over a year, finally reaching a critical juncture. However, due to the peculiar nature of the Divine Radiance Scripture, each breakthrough demanded a controlled dispersion of his current cultivation, forcibly expanding his meridians (energy channels).

The risks associated with Shen Yifei's breakthrough were immense. A slight misstep could lead to the complete loss of his cultivation (the most fortunate outcome), or, more severely, shattered meridians, even instant death.

So, meticulous preparation was paramount before attempting the breakthrough.

After a moment's thought, he decided to call his Master.

Shen Yifei's Master was an old, crotchety man. In Shen Yifei's mind, the old man was invincible, incredibly stingy, and utterly shameless – he'd even once enlisted Shen Yifei to be his lookout while spying on Widow Wang bathing.

“You unfilial brat! So, you finally remembered to call your old man, eh? Out with it, what trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?” came a boisterous voice from the other end of the line.

Shen Yifei was long accustomed to the old man's antics. While his Master might be a bit lecherous, he understood him better than anyone.

“Master, I'm about to break through,” Shen Yifei stated seriously.

A sudden silence fell on the line. Then, the old man’s voice turned grave. “How long can you suppress your True Qi?”

Shen Yifei pondered for a second. “As long as I don't cultivate or heavily exert my True Qi, three months should be no problem.”

“Good. You handle it. If anything happens, call me,” the old man grumbled, about to hang up.

Setting down his phone, Shen Yifei felt a sense of resolve. Attempting a breakthrough now would offer no real advantage. Suppressing his True Qi for a period, allowing it to stabilize before seeking the breakthrough, would significantly increase his chances of success.

The downside was that for this period, Shen Yifei would be largely unable to utilize his True Qi, drastically reducing his combat prowess.

He pondered for a moment longer, then his heart quickly settled. In modern society, true masters were, after all, exceedingly rare. Even without his True Qi, his skills were more than sufficient to navigate the world with ease.

Protecting Su Muqing for three months would certainly be no issue.

Stepping out of the bedroom, he found Su Muqing, who had been sound asleep on the sofa, now groggily opening her eyes.

Noticing the blanket draped over her, Su Muqing paused, a hint of surprise in her gaze.

“Ms. Su, you're awake?” Shen Yifei asked with a smile, handing her a freshly prepared glass of milk.

Su Muqing hadn't expected this man to have such a thoughtful side, and a warmth stirred within her.

Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly noticed a cool, damp sensation on one side of her face… as if there was water there.

Shen Yifei, still smiling, offered her two tissues.

Su Muqing instinctively took the tissues, only then realizing she had drooled in her sleep. Oh, no! This guy had definitely seen her dreadful sleeping habits! A flush immediately spread across Su Muqing’s cheeks, and she wished she could burrow under the table.

Seeing Shen Yifei's half-smile, half-mocking gaze fixed on her, Su Muqing hurriedly wiped her mouth, then snapped, embarrassed, “Don’t… don’t you dare laugh at me!”

Shen Yifei chuckled. “Why would I laugh at you? I actually think you look quite cute when you’re asleep.”

“You’re still talking about it!” Su Muqing puffed her cheeks, thinking, *Who wants this kind of 'cute'?!*

“Alright, alright, it’s getting late. You should head to bed. You have work tomorrow,” Shen Yifei said with a smile.

Su Muqing secretly glanced at Shen Yifei, then asked curiously, “When… when did you get back?”

“Not long ago,” Shen Yifei replied.

“Oh, look at the time. I never would have guessed you could chat so long with a pretty girl,” Su Muqing sneered.

Shen Yifei scratched his head, feeling as though Su Muqing’s resentment was surprisingly potent.

Su Muqing herself realized her tone and blushed slightly. “Don’t… don’t misunderstand me. I just wanted to remind you that you’re my nominal fiancé. You have to keep up appearances. What would others think if you were openly flirting with other women?”

“If I really wanted to flirt with women, would I need to pretend to be your fiancé? Alright, I’m going to bed. You should get some rest too,” Shen Yifei retorted, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Shen Yifei’s indifferent attitude left Su Muqing feeling a strange pang. But then she thought, *Wasn’t I hoping he’d leave anyway? Why am I caring so much?* Su Muqing’s mind was in a turmoil as she hugged the blanket and headed upstairs to bed.

The next morning, bright and early.

Shen Yifei yawned groggily, then got up and headed toward the bathroom.

He had barely opened the bathroom door, one foot not even inside, when Su Muqing’s high-pitched shriek echoed from within.

“AHHH!!!”

The scream instantly jolted Shen Yifei awake. He saw Su Muqing curled up on the toilet seat, her beautiful legs drawn in, wearing a sky-blue lace nightgown. The buttons were undone, revealing glimpses of her full, pale curves.

Long, slender legs, a delicate waist, and shapely, firm buttocks.

Though it was merely a fleeting glimpse, it undeniably stirred something within Shen Yifei. He had to admit, that perfect figure was definitely his type.

“Get—get out! Get out now!” Su Muqing’s pretty face flushed crimson to her ears as she frantically covered her private areas, then furiously hurled a cosmetics magazine from her hand, aiming for Shen Yifei’s head.

“N-no, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Shen Yifei said with a cheeky grin, his eyes still wandering, stealing a few more glances at the tempting sight before he quickly stepped out of the bathroom and quietly closed the door.