Chapter 38: Orchid Bath
“Rong’er, don’t worry. No matter the situation, I will never abandon you,” Shen Bingsi said.
As he spoke, he looked up at Rong Xie, his eyes seemingly filled with nothing but him.
Rong Xie’s heart trembled. Shen Bingsi’s gaze was so direct and fervent that it created an illusion—as if Shen Bingsi was also in love with him.
Rong Xie averted his gaze slightly to avoid Shen Bingsi’s direct stare. Only then could he alleviate the dizziness in his head and stop himself from immediately confessing his own adoration.
“Let’s do it again,” Shen Bingsi invited.
There was no need to ask what “it” was; Rong Xie already knew.
Sometimes, he wanted to ask Shen Bingsi if he truly had a clear conscience every time he invited him to dual cultivate. Was he truly… unmoved?
But there was no need to ask such questions. During their last visit to the main peak of the Lingjing Sect, old Sect Master Xue had personally tested his cultivation and noted that not only was his Dao Heart unwavering, but his cultivation had also improved significantly.
Rong Xie closed his eyes, recalling his original intention for staying: simply to reach Foundation Establishment.
“Let’s,” he said.
This time, things went exceptionally smoothly.
Perhaps the two months of familiarity were taking effect, or perhaps Rong Xie had begun to cooperate actively. Or maybe it was because the water in the Orchid Bath was deep and dark. Whatever the reason, even when their clothes were shed and skin touched skin, no mistakes occurred.
Shen Bingsi’s voice was low and slow, as if coaxing a delicate lover. His warm breath brushed past Rong Xie’s ear, making his heart waver.
However, this time, Rong Xie heard him clearly. He was reciting the essentials of the dual cultivation method, instructing him on what to do at every step.
“…The key lies in circulating the spirit through the cycle and ensuring the Yang Spirit does not leak. Do you remember?” Shen Bingsi emphasized.
Rong Xie nodded.
Shen Bingsi’s palm caressed his body once more, but Rong Xie pressed down on his hand. “Wait a moment.”
“Mn?”
“I need to get something.”
Under Shen Bingsi’s puzzled gaze, Rong Xie stood up from the water and turned to fumble through the pile of clothes on the bank.
His snow-white body emitted a faint glow under the moonlight, resembling flowing mutton-fat jade. With a splash of water, Rong Xie returned to the pool, holding a thin ribbon in his hand.
It was the ribbon used to bind the cuffs of his innerwear.
Rong Xie handed the ribbon to Shen Bingsi. “Use this.”
Shen Bingsi looked at his best friend with a mix of confusion and fascination, not understanding what he was doing.
“Use this… to tie it,” Rong Xie looked away, heat burning from the roots of his ears down to his neck.
“Tie what?”
Shen Bingsi, usually quick-witted regarding cultivation matters, suddenly became dense.
His deep, dark pupils remained fixed on Rong Xie’s face, never shifting for a moment.
Rong Xie’s lips moved slightly, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice the shameful description. Since Shen Bingsi wasn’t helping, he had to rely on himself.
Rong Xie lowered his head, his hand twisting the ribbon as he reached down. The water rippled slightly. He frowned, anxious and embarrassed, failing several times.
Shen Bingsi’s eyes widened slightly. He seemed to realize what Rong Xie meant.
A sensation of dry mouth and parched tongue rose up. Shen Bingsi found this strange feeling puzzling, but he stopped Rong Xie.
“I’ll do it.”
Rong Xie handed the ribbon over.
The next moment, he was pulled back into Shen Bingsi’s arms, held from the side.
The dark pool water couldn’t hinder Shen Bingsi’s vision. Even on the water’s surface at night, he could see everything clearly underwater if he wished.
But he didn’t act immediately.
“…What’s wrong?” Rong Xie couldn’t help asking.
“Do we really need to do this?” Shen Bingsi hesitated.
Rong Xie closed his eyes. “I want to succeed just once. Failing all the time is too unbearable.”
To succeed once—even if he didn’t achieve Foundation Establishment on the spot, it would at least count as progress.
Rong Xie knew cultivation couldn’t be rushed. But in his current state, who knew when he would get used to Shen Bingsi? When would he be able to remain indifferent to Shen Bingsi’s touch?
Perhaps that day would never come. Perhaps the more intimate contact they had, the deeper he would fall, until one day he couldn’t bear it and accidentally let something slip. It wasn’t impossible.
Rather than waiting for an uncertain future, it was better to seize the present, seize every opportunity for dual cultivation, succeed as soon as possible, and reach Foundation Establishment quickly.
As long as the Yang Spirit did not leak, the cultivation was half successful. Since that was the case, he would use external force.
That was Rong Xie’s thought process.
Shen Bingsi seemed to want to say something else. His brows furrowed, his eyes filled with disapproval.
He could disregard everything when cultivating himself, even risking physical injury, but for his best friend, he didn’t want him to use any cultivation method that came at the cost of hurting his body.
But…
The expression on Rong Xie’s face when he said those words stung his heart.
Shen Bingsi didn’t understand that feeling; he just instinctively knew he didn’t want to see his best friend look like that again.
“Alright.”
Shen Bingsi said no more and did as Rong Xie wished.
His fingers manipulated the thin ribbon, triggering waves of trembling sensations.
Rong Xie hissed softly, his body instinctively shrinking back. Eventually, he had to bite his own knuckle, waiting for the wave of intense stimulation to pass.
Finally, the ribbon was tied where it needed to be.
Rong Xie let out a breath, though the distended feeling in his lower abdomen didn’t improve much. He released his hand and inhaled gently. The discomfort of being bound was particularly obvious when he shifted his sitting position, leaning into Shen Bingsi’s embrace.
“What… do we do next?”
He looked up and asked.
Shen Bingsi lowered his eyes. The person in his arms had flushed eyes and brows, looking at him hazily, as if handing over all rights of disposal to him.
A strange and unfamiliar excitement surged up. Shen Bingsi felt his heart beating heavily and fast. The indescribable curtain that had always separated him from his best friend was finally torn down. The doubt that he was losing control vanished in this moment.
No one could be closer to Rong Xie than him. In this world, no person or thing could ever insert themselves between the two of them again.
It should have been this way long ago.
Shen Bingsi thought.
That night, the water in the Orchid Bath crashed against the warm shore, wave after wave.
The deep blue Water Spirit slammed through the meridians, filling the Qi Sea until the spiritual platform swelled, on the verge of rupturing.
Rong Xie thought he was going to die.
Yet when he woke up, the sky hadn’t even brightened.
The clothes on his body had been changed. They were loose and ill-fitting; Rong Xie knew this was Shen Bingsi’s innerwear. As for his own, both sets were soiled and unwearable.
He lay amidst dry, refreshing bedding, smelling the clean scent of honey locust. Aside from his lower limbs being sore and weak, there was no discomfort.
In fact, his spirit was much better than before.
Could it be… it worked?
A wave of secret excitement rose from his stomach.
But he quickly suppressed it.
He couldn’t celebrate too early. If Foundation Establishment were truly that easy, everyone would be dual cultivating.
He suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his head and turned his consciousness inward, mobilizing the spiritual power in his Qi Sea to circulate around his Dantian.
He hadn’t reached Foundation Establishment, but…
He had never seen such vast spiritual power. It was like a boundless ocean, stretching endlessly, and this ocean of spiritual power was right inside his own body.
How long would it take to use all this up?!
Rong Xie was deeply shaken.
The ecstasy of a poor man suddenly becoming rich filled Rong Xie’s heart, so much so that he had no mind for anything else. He turned his head to find Shen Bingsi, wanting to share this joy immediately.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned his head, he met a pair of dark, deep eyes.
Shen Bingsi was shirtless, lying on his stomach next to his pillow. His elbows were splayed out, propping up his body. His face was turned, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on Rong Xie.
Rong Xie was startled by him.
Shen Bingsi smiled absentmindedly.
Rong Xie didn’t have time to analyze Shen Bingsi’s strange behavior. He wrapped himself in the quilt and turned fully to face Shen Bingsi, eager to express that he could already feel the change in spiritual power.
“Last night, we…” Even in his excitement, Rong Xie hesitated slightly. “Did we succeed?”
“Yes.” Shen Bingsi paused, then added, “Sort of. You… passed out in the middle.”
Rong Xie felt a wave of confusion. Suddenly, the world spun, and many shameful memories he hadn’t dared to recall flooded his mind. First, he was sitting on Shen Bingsi, then he was pressed against the pool wall. Whether the ribbon was too tight or skin had been chafed, the pain made him cry out. Then suddenly, the pain vanished. He saw many blue stars rising from the water, saw limbs intertwined beneath the surface, and then he knew nothing more.
Rong Xie felt his scalp go numb. He let out a low “Ah,” wrapped himself in the quilt, and rolled back to his original position.
Thump-thump, thump-thump!
His heart beat heavily, impacting his other internal organs. Even the bed board beneath him seemed to vibrate with each beat.
Rong Xie felt like he was lying on a collapsing mineral vein. Soon, he would fall into the depths of the earth along with the rocks and sand, buried layer by layer by new debris, hidden in a dark place deep underground, never to see anyone again.
Consequently, he missed the wandering-soul-like expression on Shen Bingsi’s face.
When he poked his head out of the quilt again, the sky outside was fully bright.
Rong Xie turned his head cautiously and found the other half of the bed empty. Shen Bingsi had already gotten up.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
After getting up and washing, Rong Xie changed into a moon-white long gown—his favorite set. He tied his hair up in a Young Noble’s bun, letting the rest cascade down his back like flowing satin. On his feet, he wore Cloud-treading shoes woven with pearlescent silk, light and exquisite. From head to toe, he was the very image of a peerlessly handsome young noble.
Rong Xie looked at himself in the mirror, front and back. Seeing his radiant appearance, looking several years younger overnight, he was very satisfied. With a faint hint of spring in his eyes, he walked out to the outer courtyard.
On the long bench under the corridor, the Map of Blue Plateau he had read halfway yesterday was still scattered there. The trampled flowerbed and the extinguished lanterns on the ground all silently heralded what had happened here last night.
Rong Xie’s eyelids grew hot again. The Orchid Bath was like a thorn in his peripheral vision. He tried not to look at it, but inadvertently swept his gaze over it, causing his heart to panic.
Everything in the courtyard was complete, except for the most important person.
He didn’t know where Shen Bingsi had gone.
He clearly hadn’t wanted to see him immediately, but now that he couldn’t see him, Rong Xie felt empty inside.
He subconsciously touched the Transmission Jade at his waist, his fingers rubbing the warm surface.
Forget it, better not call him. I wouldn’t know what to say even if I did.
I’ll wait a while.
Rong Xie didn’t stay idle while waiting. He took out the green over-robe he used for work from his portable pouch and put it over his moon-white gown. He washed the dirty clothes he had changed out of and tidied up the courtyard. Only the bath… he glanced into it once; the water was still full.
Rong Xie felt a wave of dizziness, suspecting this was the water from last night. He knew very well what was in that water.
He stood in torment for a moment. Eventually, his obsession with cleanliness won over his shame. He picked up a branch, pried open the drain cover at the bottom of the pool to let the water out, then released water spirits to rinse the pool inside and out three times.
When Shen Bingsi returned, Rong Xie was kneeling by the pool, wiping the edge that was already shiny enough to reflect a person.
“Rong’er.” He strode across the courtyard, helping Rong Xie up from the ground, his tone thick with disapproval. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you resting this early in the morning? Let the attendants handle these things.”
“I’m not tired.” Rong Xie smiled gently. His eyes seemed to hold stars as they twinkled, looking at Shen Bingsi. “I feel very good now. Endless spiritual power is surging out. It seems… I won’t need to rely on talismans anymore.”
Shen Bingsi raised an eyebrow slightly.
Immediately, like usual, he revealed a bright, crisp smile. “That’s good.”
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