Mu Jin focused the small amount of Inner Qi he possessed into his eyes to enhance his vision and examine Nari's smaller muscle groups more clearly.
Something strange began to happen the moment the Inner Qi entered his eyes. His eyes began shimmering in molten gold, and his pupils transformed into vertical slits. Within the iris, intricate patterns appeared, like countless stars scattered across the night sky.
"What are these spots?" Mu Jin murmured inwardly, his gaze fixed upon the numerous multicolored spots visible on different parts of Nari's body.
Some appeared yellow, some orange, and near her upper thighs, the spots were a deep red.
Only two seconds passed before his eyes returned to normal, and the spots vanished along with them.
His breathing became heavy, his chest rising and falling in sharp gasps as he nearly lost consciousness.
"All of my Inner Qi was consumed in an instant," Mu Jin muttered inwardly, an unusual expression of shock and confusion lacing his otherwise calm face.
"Mu Jin, what happened?" Nari asked, noticing him suddenly drenched in sweat.
"N-nothing," Mu Jin replied, trying to steady his breath.
'Is he having an anxiety attack?' Nari thought inwardly, bending down to reach Mu Jin's face. She gently pulled him into her embrace and murmured softly, "It's alright. Don't be afraid. I'm here."
"What is this woman saying?" Mu Jin mumbled inwardly, caught off guard by her hug. Still, he did not clear the misunderstanding.
He wrapped his arms around her back, pressing his face into her chest, and murmured, "Thank you."
The hug definitely felt better now that her skin was bare.
After spending a few seconds in her warmth, he informed her about the remaining body parts she needed to work on and left the Martial Hall.
---
"Her personality is completely opposite to how she looks," Mu Jin chuckled, swinging a small pouch in his hand. "She even gave me such a precious gift for admiring her body."
"Oho~ I almost didn't recognize you," a male voice came from the front.
The moment Mu Jin heard the familiar voice, his heartbeat quickened and his limbs began to tremble.
In front of him stood a handsome young man, wearing a silken white robe, the same type Min Ji wore, indicating his identity as a second-generation disciple. His deep black hair was tied into a bun, secured with a silver hairpin.
At his waist rested a sword with a silver hilt. At the end of the hilt was a ring, within which was embedded the emblem of the Emei Sect, an elegant lotus with a sword piercing through its center.
Beside him, with her arms coiled around his, stood a stunning woman with long brown hair and hazel eyes, dressed in a similar robe. She had a slim and graceful figure.
They were Gu Ryeon and Eon Seol, the infamous and promised talents of the Emei Sect.
Warm in personality, always helping their juniors and peers while respecting their seniors, they were considered the perfect examples of orthodox sect disciples.
That was what everyone believed. To Mu Jin, however, they were no different from martial artists of a demonic cult.
"Why am I feeling nervous before these brats?" Mu Jin muttered inwardly, clenching his fists to stop his limbs from trembling. "I'm not afraid. It is this body's previous owner. His fear runs so deep that even in death, his body remembers the atrocities these two inflicted upon him."
After Mu Jin left the abode of the Sect Master at the age of sixteen, the first to approach him was Eon Seol. With her warm personality and enchanting smile, she supported Mu Jin when he was at his lowest.
Naturally, Mu Jin fell in love with her and slowly began recovering from the trauma he had suffered in his childhood. After gathering a great deal of courage, he eventually asked Eon Seol out.
Surprisingly to him, Eon Seol accepted his proposal.
His life had only begun to turn for the better when that fateful night arrived.
Eon Seol used a realm-suppressing pill to seal her cultivation in order to sleep with Mu Jin.
---
"S-Seol, should we really do it?" Mu Jin asked, his face flushed red as Seol untied his cloth belt.
"You are worrying for no reason, Mu Jin," Seol replied, removing his robe. "Be a man and take me already."
Her words were enough to drive Mu Jin's urges to their peak. He pushed her onto the bed and began removing her robe, his breath heavy as something stirred within him.
"Hehe! Just like this, become bolder, Mu Jin," Seol giggled, pinned beneath him.
Just as Mu Jin was about to completely undress her, the door broke open, revealing Gu Ryeon standing at the entrance.
"B-Brother Ryeon," both Mu Jin and Seol gasped at the same time.
"What do you think you are doing, bastard?" Gu Ryeon shouted, veins bulging across his forehead.
His words shook Seol to the core. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her eyes trembling, her body drenched in sweat from fear.
"Seol, don't be afraid," Mu Jin murmured in a low voice before turning to Gu Ryeon. "Brother Ryeon, we are both in a relationship, so—"
"Brother Ryeon! Thank heavens you are here," Seol cried, sprinting into his arms.
Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, "If you had arrived a moment later, that heinous man would have defiled me."
"S-Seol, what are you saying?" Mu Jin asked, his lips parted in shock and confusion.
"He tricked me into taking a realm-suppressing pill and was forcing himself on me. I was so afraid, Brother Ryeon," Seol continued, her voice breaking between heavy sobs.
"Seol, why are you doing this?" Mu Jin murmured. "Aren't we in a relationship—"
"You demonic bastard!" Gu Ryeon roared, striking Mu Jin in the abdomen before he could finish. "How dare you lay your hands on my Seol?"
He continued to punch Mu Jin, who was far too weak to defend himself against a First Rate martial artist.
After beating him to the brink of death, Gu Ryeon intended to report him to the sect, but Seol objected.
If word spread that she had nearly been defiled by someone who was not even a martial artist, she would become a laughingstock in Jianghu. This was the reason she gave Gu Ryeon, though in truth, she feared that a proper investigation would reveal everything.