Chapter 92: Shattered
“Qu Huaiyan” froze.
In the past, whenever he said he felt bad, or showed even a slight sign of discomfort, Rong Xie would become anxious and ask him what was wrong.
Of course, such opportunities were rare. Only when Shen Bingsi had suffered at the hands of his master would he reveal his vulnerable side.
Only incompetent weaklings begged others for help; the strong always endured alone—Shen Bingsi had always firmly believed this.
But now, Shen Bingsi couldn’t endure it anymore.
The days at Huanxue Villa were unbearable.
Without Rong Xie, Huanxue Villa was like an empty, giant tomb.
With Rong Xie gone, everything became meaningless.
Shen Bingsi didn’t need to eat, so the kitchen and dining table were meaningless. He didn’t need to sleep, so the bedroom and bed were meaningless. He didn’t need to drink tea, admire flowers, sit specifically at the desk to read, or display books in the cabinet—all these were meaningless.
Even bathing was unnecessary, and eating while bathing was certainly unnecessary. As long as Rong Xie wasn’t there, doing these things was utterly pointless.
Except for the quiet room for seclusion, everything else was useless, like burial objects in a tomb—possessing no practical value, existing only to recall the tomb owner’s past glory.
Yes, Huanxue Villa without Rong Xie was dead.
After Rong Xie left, the backyard became exceptionally quiet and empty. When Shen Bingsi lay still, he felt as if time itself had solidified; even if he lay there until he died, no one would come to check on him.
Among the Ruthless Path trials given by his master, none were like this. At the beginning, he didn’t feel much. But as time passed, the air filled with emptiness, and a loneliness that penetrated the bone marrow crept up on him. By the time he realized it, it was too late. It was as if his whole being had sunk into a mire; without external help, he could only sink slowly.
Fortunately, at this moment, he saw that painting.
The hidden painting, the one depicting him.
Every line, every strand of hair was meticulously drawn; one could feel the gentle affection poured into it.
It was the first time Shen Bingsi looked at his own portrait so seriously. He seemed to recognize himself for the first time, carefully observing every detail. So this was what he looked like when expressionless; so these small features he hadn’t even noticed himself, Rong Xie had noticed them all and kept them in his heart.
And the text beside the portrait noted his various flaws, quirks, and catchphrases. He hadn’t noticed them himself, but the moment he saw them, he realized—it was indeed so.
To pay attention to a person’s details to this extent—is this “liking”? If so, “liking” wasn’t so terrible; it had its good side.
That day, Shen Bingsi stood in the study with the portrait of “Qu Huaiyan” for a long time. For the first time since Rong Xie left, he felt life fill with hope again, his body brimming with strength. This light yet surging power effortlessly pulled him out of the mire; now, he could walk briskly atop it.
Shen Bingsi decided to become “Qu Huaiyan.”
If becoming “Qu Huaiyan” could make Rong Xie return, he didn’t mind appearing in this form indefinitely. In fact, the effect was excellent at first. He “accidentally” appeared on the bluestone street Rong Xie had to pass when going out, and sure enough, Rong Xie stopped to look at him, staring until he disappeared into the crowd.
When he infiltrated the residence in Bamboo Lane and appeared before Rong Xie, Rong Xie’s gaze clearly lingered on him for a long time, following his movements.
That feeling was just like when they were still together. Every time Shen Bingsi rushed out to do something and inadvertently looked back, he would find Rong Xie watching him.
Since he knew what worked, Shen Bingsi would see it through to the end.
Not only would he wear “Qu Huaiyan’s” body, but he would also be the perfect little lover. Whatever those little couples in Red Fragrance Tower could do, he could do too. Whatever other couples had, he and Rong Xie must have as well. As long as it could make everything go back to the way it was, he would do anything.
But strangely, when he did so, Rong Xie turned hostile.
When he leaned in for a kiss, Rong Xie slapped him.
The tiny bit of goodwill Shen Bingsi had just developed for “liking” shattered with that slap.
“Liking” was indeed a terrifying thing. He had clearly followed the procedure, yet the result was completely different. Other couples could go home happily, but for him, it was a slap in the face.
Even before he tried to imitate them, Rong Xie wouldn’t hit him. But once he imitated them, Rong Xie started hitting him.
“…”
That damn “liking” was so unpredictable, harder to fathom than the Heavenly Dao. If anyone else had been snatched away by “liking,” Shen Bingsi would have abandoned them without hesitation. But the person snatched by “liking” happened to be Rong Xie.
What could he do? He could only put on a disguise, infiltrate the enemy camp, and trick Rong Xie into coming out—but he was discovered the moment he infiltrated the enemy camp. He didn’t even understand where he had given himself away.
Having served as an Adjudicator for years, Shen Bingsi’s experience in subjugating demons and eliminating devils was undeniably rich. All sorts of cunning monsters couldn’t escape his dharma eye; those tricks that fooled mortals looked as full of holes as child’s play to him.
But now, the situation was completely reversed. He encountered an unprecedentedly powerful enemy. His every move was calculated by the enemy; with just a flick of a finger, the enemy could hit his weak spot and knock him down.
“…”
But would Shen Bingsi admit defeat just like that?
No, he wouldn’t.
The words “admit defeat” were not in his dictionary.
For the next three days, he tried continuously, using various methods to make his presence known to Rong Xie without getting close enough to annoy him. Thus, he waited for an opportunity like he was dealing with a difficult monster.
Finally, he found an opportunity.
Rong Xie made contact with a team of rogue cultivator treasure hunters, who asked him to help appraise ancient scrolls and search for clues to treasures—adventure, this was what Shen Bingsi was best at. Shen Bingsi suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He could pull Rong Xie into what he was best at, letting Rong Xie see his superior side. This way, perhaps he could attract Rong Xie back.
On his home turf, his chances of winning should be higher—probably better than going up for a kiss directly.
“…”
He failed again. This time because of the unambitious treasure hunting team. There were too many variables in the plan… and the biggest variable was Rong Xie.
Rong Xie began to feel unfamiliar to Shen Bingsi.
He started frequently mentioning someone who surprised Shen Bingsi—Xuantian’s One Sword, Lu Yingqi. Shen Bingsi didn’t know where he heard of this person or why he was so interested in meeting him.
To meet Lu Yingqi, Rong Xie even started doing bad things, secretly memorizing his treasure map to exchange with that rogue treasure hunting team… Although Rong Xie secretly doing bad things had a unique kind of cuteness, the thought that it was all to meet his nemesis made Shen Bingsi furious.
Yes, Shen Bingsi wasn’t familiar with Lu Yingqi, but from this moment on, he regarded this person as a nemesis.
When the next Three Sect Alliance convened, Shen Bingsi would re-register for the Sword Competition and beat this Xuantian’s One Sword all the way back to his hometown so he wouldn’t dare use such an arrogant name again. As for Shen Bingsi, he had long felt the title “Demon-Slaying Sword Saint” was too conventional; he planned to change it to something like “First Sword of the Ruthless Path.”
Thinking this way, as Shen Bingsi’s best friend, wasn’t it normal not to privately seek out Shen Bingsi’s nemesis? Both were Ruthless Path sword cultivators and naturally had many similarities. When Rong Xie went to find Lu Yingqi, didn’t he consider what Shen Bingsi would think?
“In short, you cannot go find him.” Based on this, Shen Bingsi reasonably put forward his opinion.
However, his opinion was not only rejected but ruthlessly thrown back at him.
Watching Rong Xie, who casually rejected him while organizing his coat to go out, Shen Bingsi felt a heartache. When did Rong Xie become so heartless? Did he really not like him anymore? Didn’t they say the first time you like someone, it lasts a long time? Some even say it affects a lifetime? Why did Rong Xie get tired of it in just three days?
“I will feel bad.” Shen Bingsi risked losing all dignity to struggle one last time. He never expected what awaited him was a critical hit.
“As a friend, aren’t you overstepping a bit too much?”
As a friend.
Aren’t you overstepping a bit too much?
With a crack, Shen Bingsi felt himself split down the middle.
He didn’t even know when Rong Xie left the room.
By the time he came back to his senses, the flower hall was empty.
When leaving, Rong Xie even thoughtfully closed the window.
But he didn’t notice that Shen Bingsi, standing in the middle of the flower hall, had shattered.
Monstrous waves surged in his sea of consciousness again. The damage from the Ruthless Path backlash ground against Shen Bingsi’s five senses, yet it was far less than the pain in his heart. It turned out heartache wasn’t a metaphor; it really hurt.
Rong Xie didn’t want him anymore.
Rong Xie completely didn’t want him anymore.
Rong Xie threw him out of his social circle like clearing garbage and warned him not to walk back in on his own initiative.
The power of the backlash surged up again. The Bone Shrinking Technique and Transformation Art became unsustainable. “Qu Huaiyan’s” body expanded abnormally, the upper garment shattering into pieces, hanging from the belt like ragged sacks—the third transformation operation had also failed.
Shen Bingsi collapsed on the spot, lying on the floor of the flower hall, staring at the roof beam with despair. Rong Xie had even hung a flower basket on the beam; he always made every corner of his dwelling look nice. Shen Bingsi stared at that flower basket, imagining Rong Xie’s reaction when he returned from the Blue Plateau Manor and saw his corpse lying on the floor. Right, he would probably clear him out like garbage; it wouldn’t be the first time Rong Xie did something like that anyway.
The scent of flowers and soap locust in the air was like a gauze curtain, gently covering Shen Bingsi’s body and face. His grief and indignation gradually calmed down, replaced by emptiness and despair.
He didn’t know how long he lay there. The sky outside darkened. Several times, Shen Bingsi thought he heard movement at the door, but upon listening closely, there was nothing. For the rest of the time, he lay in a daze, seeming to sleep a few times, yet also seemingly awake. Just like that, he woke up to a vibration reaching straight to his sea of consciousness.
The Mirror Palace had sent a summons. There was work again.
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