The Jade Pavilion Pool Courtyard shimmered under the rising sun. Mist curled along the water's surface, and the quiet ripple of the spiritual stream gave the scene a serene, meditative calm.
That calm, however, did not extend to the tension forming in the air.
Joseph stood with his back straight, towel over one shoulder, hands respectfully clasped in front of him. He wore a modest expression, but inside, his heart shivered.
The five inner disciples accompanying Yan Su weren't just unconvinced—they looked offended.
The one leading the charge was tall, sharp-eyed, and dressed in robes embroidered with red silk stitching—clearly customized and clearly expensive. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, her face twisted into a polite but unmistakably judgmental frown.
Zhang Mei.
Joseph knew the type. He'd read about her—briefly—in the novel. She was known for her piercing critiques during sparring evaluations, her sharp tongue, and her utter refusal to tolerate "sect-climbers."
"This is what you dragged us out for, Yan Su?" Zhang Mei said, voice sharp. "A spa service from a complete stranger?"
Yan Su didn't flinch. "He's not a stranger to me."
Zhang Mei rolled her eyes. "That's you. But we're not you. You seriously expect us to let a Stage One outer disciple lay hands on our qi paths?"
"Qi massage isn't about cultivation stage," Yan Su said calmly. "It's about hand technique, pulse timing, and body rhythm. And Wei Shen happens to be exceptionally good at all three."
Another girl whispered to her friend, "This still feels... intimate. Is this really allowed?"
Joseph opened his mouth—then closed it. He wasn't sure he could say anything that wouldn't make it worse.
Another of the group nodded toward Zhang Mei. "Mei's right. Even if it is legal, we don't know him. He could easily shift our qi flow wrong. I'm not risking my meridians because Yan Su's curious."
Zhang Mei smirked. "Exactly. I'm not here to be the test dummy for a boy with good posture."
Yan Su stepped forward. "Fine. Then I'll show you."
Joseph blinked. "You will?"
Yan Su turned to him, expression suddenly all business. "If you're still offering free sessions, I'd like mine now. Right here. In front of them."
Joseph's breath caught. This wasn't the controlled setting he'd imagined. But… it was a chance.
"I'll prepare the mat," he said quickly.
****
He knelt and unfurled a smooth fabric mat across the jade-tiled floor near the water's edge, just as Wei Shen had done in Chapter 44 of the novel.
The girls gathered nearby, some crossing their arms, others whispering behind fans. Zhang Mei stood slightly apart, still unimpressed.
Yan Su, calm as ever, removed her outer robe to reveal a tightly wrapped undersash. She lay down on her stomach, resting her chin on folded arms.
"Just like last time?" she asked.
Joseph nodded. "Exactly like last time."
Step One: Shoulder glides. Circular palm movements along the upper traps and clavicle tension points.
His fingers moved gently but precisely, each press synced with her breath. The motion looked subtle to outsiders—but Yan Su's quiet sighs told another story.
Step Two: Lumbar thumb pressure, upward pulse tracing. Controlled breath cycles.
Yan Su's back arched slightly under his touch, and then came a soft moan—"ahhh", low, drawn-out, unmistakably real.
Joseph flushed. He kept his hands moving, adjusting the pressure just as he remembered from the book. Yan Su's breath hitched again. Then came another sound—more intense.
One of the inner disciples gasped quietly.
Zhang Mei frowned. "Seriously? You're—moaning?"
Yan Su didn't even lift her head. "You'd moan too if your spine just stopped feeling like cold iron."
The third and fourth girls exchanged glances.
Joseph continued.
Step Three: Deep elbow tracing along the midline of the back. Qi pressure circulation at pulse points.
Yan Su's legs twitched involuntarily as he worked a spot just below her shoulder blades. "Oh—right there," she murmured. "Stars above."
Joseph's hands trembled slightly. He was focused, calm, but aware now that every single disciple was watching—and they were watching closely.
When he finally lifted his hands and gently placed a warm cloth over her back to signal the end, Yan Su stayed still for a moment longer.
Then she sat up, rolling her shoulders. Her eyes were half-lidded with the dazed calm of someone who had just escaped their own tension.
"I feel amazing," she said simply. "Like I just slept on clouds for a week."
The girls were silent.
Until Zhang Mei stepped forward.
"I'll try it."
Joseph blinked. "You will?"
"Don't look so surprised," she said. "I don't trust you. But I do trust my own tolerance for pain. If you mess up, I'll just walk away and tell every girl in the sect to blacklist your little… operation."
Joseph bowed. "Understood."
Zhang Mei lay on the mat. Her movements were stiff and guarded.
"You get one chance," she said. "Touch anything off-path and I'll shatter your kneecaps."
Noted.
He began carefully, following the same rhythm.
At first, Zhang Mei didn't react. She lay still, silent, unreadable.
Then he reached her scapula—pressing into a knot of tightness right where her shoulder connected to her neck.
She made a sound halfway between a grunt and a gasp.
Another press—deeper this time, a qi-guided push just as the book described.
Zhang Mei's hand twitched. She bit her lip.
By the fifth pressure cycle, her breath was uneven.
"I—ugh. Dammit," she hissed. "Why does it feel good?"
Joseph didn't respond. He let the technique do the talking.
Then came the moan. A sharp, frustrated groan that sounded more like surrender than pain. "Ahh! O.. Oh!... Aghh! AAAH!".
The other girls stared in stunned silence.
Joseph ended the session with a clean hand sweep and bowed slightly.
Zhang Mei stayed down for a moment, face buried in the towel.
Then she sat up, cheeks slightly pink, but posture perfect.
"That was… disgusting," she said.
Joseph blinked.
"In the best possible way," she added. Then, calmly, she reached into her sleeve pouch, pulled out a paper note, and placed it on the edge of the mat.
"That's worth 90 sect credits," she said. "Book me again for tomorrow morning."
Joseph blinked. "You want two sessions?"
"I'll pay double if you don't talk during them."
He nodded quickly. "Deal."
Zhang Mei stood, smoothed her robes, and walked away—less stiff now, her shoulders relaxed and her step smooth.
Yan Su smirked as she leaned against a pillar nearby. "Well... congratulations."
Joseph exhaled. "Thanks. That could've gone a lot worse."
"You made a moaner out of Zhang Mei," she said. "That might be the greatest sect achievement in a decade."
Joseph gave a modest shrug.
One girl stepped forward, shyly. "Do you take group appointments?"
Joseph smiled.
"Yes. Welcome to Jade Pavilion Spar."