C3 Evil(1)

Ling Tianxie observed Qin Keqing's face, which had turned pale from pain. After a moment of contemplation, he approached her as she was half-kneeling on the ground. Learning that his sisters were unharmed, his anxiety subsided somewhat. Moreover, knowing Qin Keqing's benevolent nature, and considering the desolation of their surroundings, he resolved to spend some time looking after her.

Without a word, Ling Tianxie stepped forward and scooped Qin Keqing up in a bridal carry.

"Ah..." Qin Keqing's startled cry followed Ling Tianxie's impetuous move.

She patted her cheeks, trying to regain her composure, and asked timidly, "What... what are you doing?"

Ling Tianxie remained silent.

"What does your silence mean? Could it be that you harbor ill intentions upon seeing my beauty, plotting something untoward?" Qin Keqing gazed at Ling Tianxie, her mind racing with thoughts of a dire fate.

While she was lost in her worried thoughts, Ling Tianxie had already seated her on a smooth granite boulder. He then proceeded to remove her high heels.

Holding Qin Keqing's ankle, he lifted her foot slightly. The sight of her fair, delicate feet, with toes like glistening cardamom pods, stirred an impulse within him to cradle and admire them closely.

"This Qin Keqing is not only beautiful, but her feet are exquisite as well," he mused.

Qin Keqing was taken aback, not expecting Ling Tianxie's boldness. Her feet had never been touched by a man before, let alone toyed with in such a manner.

As she continued to imagine all sorts of scenarios, her anxiety grew, and a blush spread across her previously pale cheeks.

Ling Tianxie caught sight of Qin Keqing's lovely features and was momentarily captivated before he averted his gaze, chastising himself internally, "Why am I entertaining such improper thoughts about this woman?"

At that moment, Ling Tianxie was unaware that the Nine Nether Inheritance had softened his usual indifference, adding a touch of wickedness to his character.

He noticed the redness and swelling on Qin Keqing's ankle, which stood out against her delicate foot, and realized the contrast was quite jarring.

In that moment, he channeled the Profound Qi from his dantian, concentrating it into his right hand. With his left hand, he gently grasped her foot, and with his right, he began to massage and knead it using the technique known as Red Soft Palm.

The Red Soft Palm, a technique documented in the Nine Nether Inheritance, was known for its swelling-reducing and meridian-activating effects.

Ling Tianxie hadn't expected that the seemingly trivial knowledge from the Nine Nether Inheritance would prove to be useful at this time.

Qin Keqing watched Ling Tianxie's slender palms as they worked on her foot, feeling a wave of shyness, yet she patted her swollen chest with her right hand and breathed a sigh of relief.

"So he's doing this to reduce the swelling. And here I thought he was captivated by my beauty."

Qin Keqing took a closer look at Ling Tianxie's face and was struck by how handsome the young man in his late teens appeared to be.

His eyes, in particular, seemed to hold a vast ocean of stars, with a subtle purple light flickering within them, almost irresistibly drawing her in.

Observing his attire, Qin Keqing surmised that this young man might be an actor or a cosplay enthusiast.

"But why has he suddenly shown up in this seldom-visited place? Is he here for a photo shoot?" Qin Keqing gazed at Ling Tianxie, her mind filled with endless thoughts, momentarily lost in a daze.

"Mmm... Ah... Oh!" The soothing sensation from her foot elicited involuntary, delicate moans from Qin Keqing.

She quickly covered her mouth, mortified at the thought of making such an embarrassingly intimate noise, feeling a deep sense of shame.

Ling Tianxie, however, remained composed, merely glancing up at Qin Keqing's lovely face.

But then he was taken aback!

From his vantage point, he had inadvertently glimpsed a breathtaking view.

Qin Keqing, realizing that Ling Tianxie had caught sight of her in such a vulnerable moment, felt her cheeks burn even redder, the blush spreading to her ears.

Immediately, she pressed her legs together and shyly turned her face away, no longer daring to meet Ling Tianxie's gaze.

Five minutes later, a sheen of sweat glistened on Qin Keqing’s smooth forehead. Her face was flushed, her eyes shimmered with moisture, and she looked exquisitely radiant.

Ling Tianxie's massage skills were so masterful that Qin Keqing struggled to suppress the impulse to let out a soft moan. After finishing, he released her feet and said, "There, your feet should be all right now. Try standing up and walking a bit."

"Oh? Oh... I understand, thank you for the massage," Qin Keqing responded quietly, her senses returning at the sound of Ling Tianxie's voice. She quickly sat up, attempting to conceal her discomfort.

But as she rose, she felt an unexpected dampness and quickly sat back down.

"What's the matter? Are you still in pain?" Ling Tianxie asked, looking at her with concern. Her ankle and the top of her foot had regained their normal color; they should be fine now.

Qin Keqing's face was flushed, and Ling Tianxie, unable to resist, activated his 'Evil Nether Eye' to take a closer look. Realizing what he'd done, he quickly averted his gaze, his expression turning awkward.

He had momentarily forgotten that the Evil Nether Eye could see through things, and he had inadvertently seen Qin Keqing in her entirety.

Noticing Qin Keqing's anxious gaze, Ling Tianxie, trying to defuse the tension, offered, "Ahem... If your foot still hurts, maybe I should carry you?"

He suggested this to expedite their descent and to break the ice in the uncomfortable silence.

Qin Keqing bit her lip, nodding in agreement to mask her unease. "Thank you. I don't think I can walk on it," she said.

Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment and indignation, and she thought to herself, "He definitely knows! He saw everything!"

Ling Tianxie simply nodded and squatted in front of her.

Qin Keqing leaned forward onto Ling Tianxie's back, her hands rigidly placed on his shoulders to keep some distance between them.

Ling Tianxie then rose to his feet, supporting Qin Keqing's legs, and began their descent down the mountain.

From behind, Qin Keqing covertly examined Ling Tianxie. She noticed that his long hair, reaching down to his waist, was indeed real, and the Cloud Pattern embroidery on his clothing was exceptionally detailed and vivid.

Qin Keqing's cheeks flushed once more. It was rather indiscreet of her to steal glances at a boy. She decided to take in the surrounding scenery to ease her feelings of shyness.

Rubbing her eyes, Qin Keqing was greeted with the mountainous landscape that seemed to flicker past like images in a slideshow.

She rubbed her eyes again, and upon looking once more, the scene remained a blur. It was then that she was certain it wasn't a trick of her mind.

Qin Keqing was astonished. The issue wasn't with her vision; rather, Ling Tianxie's speed was incredibly fast!

"Such velocity! Is he even human? Could he be Superman, or perhaps an Immortal?" Qin Keqing suppressed her burgeoning questions, choosing instead to ponder the possibilities silently.