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Chapter 227: The Mixed Bath
"Since the master says so, let's do it together!"
Mori Kogoro agreed readily. Letting his wife be alone with a man in a bath made him feel a bit uncomfortable anyway. "Since we all brought swimsuits, our family hasn't bathed together in a long time. Let's just treat it like a trip to the Hakone Hot Springs."
Kisaki Eri adjusted her glasses. Although hesitant, seeing her daughter's nervous yet expectant look, she finally nodded. "Then we'll follow Mr. Blake's arrangement."
The smile on Blake's face deepened slightly as he turned his gaze to the silent Okiya Subaru.
"Mr. Okiya, since you're here, why not experience it together? I imagine as a graduate student who often stays up late, your body has accumulated quite a few toxins as well."
Subaru's lenses flashed. He was just about to decline.
"There are brand-new swim trunks in various sizes in the guest room, so don't worry about equipment." Blake gave him no chance to refuse, turning to point at the changing room on the other side. "Besides, this kind of opportunity is rare. Only by experiencing it personally can you understand the scientific principles within, right? Mr. Engineering Graduate Student."
Blake emphasized the last few words slightly.
Subaru's squinted eyes opened a slit, scrutinizing the silver-haired man through his lenses. This was a provocation, and also an invitation. If he refused, it would appear guilty, and he wouldn't be able to observe closely what this man intended to do to Ran.
"Since you are so gracious, I would be disrespectful to refuse." Subaru adjusted his glasses, his tone steady.
Conan stood aside, his small hand clutching the hem of his shirt tightly.
Crazy.
Everyone's gone crazy.
Mr. Akai actually agreed! To strip down to swim trunks and face this unfathomable monster in a secret room completely under his control, without a bulletproof vest or weapons?
"Conan-kun, you come too."
Blake looked down, his deep eyes seeming to pierce through the elementary schooler's skin to the soul beneath. "Soaking is good for children; it promotes bone development. Maybe you'll even grow taller."
Conan froze, then laughed dryly while scratching his head. "Ah... O-Okay, Big Brother."
.....
Men's Changing Room.
The atmosphere was weirdly solidified.
Mori Kogoro hummed an off-key tune, stripping down to his boxers efficiently, completely oblivious to the undercurrents surging between the other two men.
"Whoa! Brother Blake, your physique is incredible!"
Kogoro turned around just in time to see Blake take off his shirt. In that instant, even Subaru, who was unbuttoning his shirt, paused for half a second.
Blake's upper body was fully revealed under the light. It wasn't the exaggerated muscle of a bodybuilder; every muscle line was as fluid as a classical Greek sculpture, the skin pale as jade, even emitting a faint luster.
What alarmed Subaru the most was that there wasn't a single scar on this body. No bullet holes, no knife scars, not even the calluses left by years of training.
Too perfect.
Perfect to the point that he didn't look like a martial artist, or even a human.
"I just focus on maintenance," Blake said casually, hanging up his shirt and changing into a pair of black swim trunks.
He turned, his gaze sweeping over Subaru's slightly pale chest and the tiny protrusion at his neck that blended almost perfectly with his skin tone.
Subaru subconsciously raised a hand to touch the choker-style voice changer on his neck, then lowered his hand calmly and draped a towel over his shoulder.
"Let's go. Don't keep the ladies waiting." Blake pushed the door open first.
.....
Inside the massive bathroom, steam billowed. The emerald water bubbled, and the air was filled with a refreshing herbal scent.
The door to the women's changing room opened.
Kisaki Eri walked out wrapped in a bath towel. Although she was nearing forty, time hadn't left many marks on her, instead settling into a charm unique to mature women.
Ran followed behind her, looking shy. The deep blue competitive swimsuit she chose was conservative, but the tight cut perfectly outlined the girl's vibrant curves—long legs, a slender waist, and the healthy beauty brought by years of Karate practice.
"Oh-ho!" Mori Kogoro whistled, but before he could comment, he was glared into silence by Eri's sharp eyes.
"Everyone, come on in."
Blake was already in the water, the level reaching his chest. He leaned against the pool wall, arms spread casually.
The group entered the water one after another.
"Hiss—!"
The moment he entered the water, Mori Kogoro sucked in a breath of cold air. It wasn't hot. It was a strange tingling sensation. It felt like countless tiny needles were pricking his pores, followed by a warm current drilling into his body through those pinholes and rushing wildly along his blood vessels.
"What a strange feeling..." Ran also exclaimed softly, frowning slightly.
"That is the medicinal power penetrating," Blake's voice sounded somewhat ethereal in the mist.
Of course it is. He had infused at least ten carats of Chakra into this pool.
He stood up, water droplets sliding down his chest. Within the huge bath, water mist swirled. The emerald medicinal liquid wasn't still; guided by some strange force, it rotated slowly.
Mori Kogoro leaned against the edge of the pool, a hot towel over his face, making comfortable groaning noises. "This feeling... is absolutely amazing! It's like countless little hands are massaging me."
He lifted his arm; his originally loose muscles were now slightly red and hot.
Eri sat not far from him, submerging her body until only her white shoulders showed. She adjusted her misted-over glasses, her expression grave. As a lawyer, she instinctively doubted anything that seemed too good to be true. But the effect of this medicinal bath was indeed immediate. The stiffness in her neck and shoulders from years of desk work seemed to melt away the moment she entered the water. That warmth penetrating deep into the marrow was definitely not something an ordinary hot spring could achieve.
Subaru huddled quietly in the corner. He didn't relax like the others. His eyes behind the lenses stared intently at the water surface. As the FBI's ace investigator, he had extremely high sensitivity to chemical drugs. But this pool water smelled only of pure Chinese herbs, without the pungent odor of any synthetic chemicals. Yet, the activity stimulating the skin was more intense than any stimulant he had ever seen.
What on earth did this man put in the water?
"How does everyone feel?" Blake's voice cut through the steam.
He stood in the center of the pool, the water level only reaching his waist. His lean, fluid muscles were beaded with water, glowing with a cold, jade-like luster under the lights.
"It's fantastic! Brother Blake, I want to buy a yearly membership here!" Mori Kogoro pulled the towel off his face and shouted.
"I'm glad you like it." Blake smiled faintly, his gaze shifting until it settled on the figure in deep blue.
Ran shrank somewhat reservedly in the water, hugging her knees. The deep blue competitive swimsuit wrapped her tightly, contrasting with her snow-white skin. Feeling Blake's gaze, she subconsciously straightened her back, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Miss Ran, the medicinal power has penetrated enough now." Blake took two steps toward her, the water rippling. "If you're ready, we can begin 'Regulating Qi'."
Splash.
A sound of water.
Conan, who had been lurking nearby, suddenly burst out of the water, blocking the space between them.
"Big Brother! I want to regulate Qi too! Me too!"
As he spoke, he flailed his limbs, trying to splash water at Blake to create chaos. That tender little face was written with innocence, but deep anxiety hid in his eyes.
I absolutely cannot let this guy touch Ran!
═════ To Be Continued ═════
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