Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 94

Chapter 94: Meeting Xiao Zhi

Under Zhao Dajiang’s arrangement, the meeting between Rong Xie and Xiao Zhi was set at Chongyue Terrace at the foot of Nanshan Mountain.

Chongyue Terrace was a place similar to Welcome Town. Outsiders who wanted to enter the Xuantian Sect had to go through a strict reporting and review process. While waiting for the review results, they stayed at Chongyue Terrace or one of the other six stopping points similar to it.

Indeed, the Lingjing Sect only had one Welcome Town, but the Xuantian Sect had seven Chongyue Terraces. In terms of scale, the Xuantian Sect was much larger than the Lingjing Sect.

Zhao Dajiang arranged for Rong Xie to meet at the Chongyue Terrace closest to the Blue Plateau. There were carriages from the Blue Plateau that went directly there. To ensure he wouldn’t be late, Rong Xie took a carriage to Chongyue Terrace a day ahead of the appointed date, stayed overnight at an inn there, and rested well to wait for the meeting the next day.

While waiting for the meeting, Rong Xie organized his thoughts.

“The well in Qinghe” was just a gimmick he used to lure Lu Yingqi out. In fact, he knew little about that well. Xiao Zhi, whom he was about to meet, was a direct beneficiary of that well. If he used this as an entry point for the discussion, the risk of failure was too high.

Ultimately, Rong Xie’s goal was to warn Lu Yingqi to be careful, as Lu Yingqi might encounter fatal danger in the near future… But how long “the near future” was, and what exactly the fatal danger facing Lu Yingqi was, Rong Xie couldn’t say clearly.

This was a bit troublesome.

Rong Xie thought it over. Since this was their first meeting, the main priority should be building rapport and leaving a good impression.

The restaurant for the meeting was called Picking Stars Tower. Rong Xie arrived early at the reserved private room and ordered the dishes with the waiter first.

After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, noise came from outside the private room door. Zhao Dajiang entered with a young man of delicate features and plain dress. This person had a very weak presence; when he came in with Zhao Dajiang, Rong Xie thought he was a waiter of Picking Stars Tower.

“Fellow Daoist Rong,” only when Zhao Dajiang stepped aside and introduced him to Rong Xie did he realize, “this is the Inner Sect disciple of Xuantian Sect, Xiao Zhi.”

“Hearing the name is not as good as seeing the person. Fellow Daoist Xiao is so young,” Rong Xie smiled and bowed slightly to Xiao Zhi.

Xiao Zhi returned the bow, glanced at Rong Xie quickly, then lowered his eyes and whispered, “What is the matter regarding meeting me? I’m afraid I cannot stay for long, so please speak clearly.”

Rong Xie was slightly surprised. He imagined Xiao Zhi would be a formidable person—someone who could handle the Lu family while gaining Lu Yingqi’s full trust, and even have the spare energy to enter the Inner Sect and achieve Foundation Establishment. Such a person, if not conceited, should at least be confident.

But the Xiao Zhi before him didn’t even dare to look Rong Xie in the eye, like a mouse meeting a cat. Could it be… related to “the well in Qinghe”?

Right, Rong Xie used that to request a meeting with Lu Yingqi just to pique the other party’s interest. But for Xiao Zhi, it was like his weakness was being held. It was normal for him to be uneasy.

It felt like he had inadvertently started off on the wrong foot…

Rong Xie’s brain worked fast and soon came up with an idea. To bring them closer, the best way was to find common ground between the two.

Actually, there were quite a few similarities between Rong Xie and Xiao Zhi.

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“I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Rong Xie. Rong as in the Rongliang River, Xie as in thanks.” Rong Xie smiled.

“Rongliang River…?” Xiao Zhi was stunned. “Could it be that river…”

“Exactly that river, the Rongliang River that runs through Qinghe and Heyang.” Rong Xie smiled. “My connection with the Rongliang River is quite deep. The Shen family’s wet nurse found me by the Rongliang River. I had no tokens on me, and no one knew whose child I was, so they let me take the surname Rong after the Rongliang River.”

Xiao Zhi looked up, looking at Rong Xie in surprise.

Zhao Dajiang sighed beside them, “So Fellow Daoist Rong has such a past. I thought Fellow Daoist Rong was a young master from a wealthy family like Sword Saint Shen.”

Xiao Zhi looked at Rong Xie with bright eyes, seeming to want to say something. He pursed his lips but remained silent.

“Fellow Daoist Xiao should know that Shen Bingsi and I are friends,” Rong Xie felt a bit more confident and continued to build connections. “Shen Bingsi is from the Shen family of Heyang. Speaking of which, the Shen family and the Lu family had a friendship in their ancestors’ time. Later, the Lu family moved to Qinghe, and the two families interacted less. Perhaps you didn’t know that Shen Bingsi and you are half-fellow townsmen?”

“…I know,” Xiao Zhi said softly.

“That’s great.” It was the first time Rong Xie led a conversation at a dinner table, forcing himself to speak enthusiastically. “Since you know Shen Bingsi, it’s easier for me to speak. Shen Bingsi and I played together since childhood. Later, we passed the spiritual root test together and entered the Lingjing Sect. We…”

Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi’s circumstances were actually very similar to a servant boy and a young master of the Lu family. as Rong Xie unfolded his story, Xiao Zhi unconsciously got drawn in, staring quietly at Rong Xie, no longer mentioning that time was limited. When he heard Rong Xie failed his Foundation Establishment and left the Inner Sect, Xiao Zhi let out a low cry, seeming very distressed.

Seeing Xiao Zhi listening intently, Rong Xie narrated even more vigorously. Finally, he reached the point where he met Lu Yinglin and heard about Lu Yingqi and Xiao Zhi. Having said all this in one breath, he felt like he had used up his talking quota for ten days today. Rong Xie picked up his teacup and moistened his throat.

When he put down the teacup, Xiao Zhi was still dazed. Zhao Dajiang, on the other hand, was very emotional and sympathized greatly with Rong Xie’s bumpy experience. “I didn’t expect Inner Sect disciples of the three major sects to have it so hard. To achieve Foundation Establishment in such a short time is simply too demanding! Fellow Daoist Rong, don’t be discouraged. The world is vast and full of wonders; there must be some treasure that can help you continue cultivation. Our Treasure Hunting Team will also keep an eye out. If we find such cultivation-assisting treasures, we’ll keep them for you.”

Rong Xie felt grateful and thanked Zhao Dajiang repeatedly, also stating that if there were such treasures, he wouldn’t let Zhao Dajiang give them for free and would definitely buy them at market price.

“However,” Rong Xie changed the subject and brought the topic back, “I still admire Fellow Daoist Xiao very much. Like me, you didn’t have the support of a prominent family, yet you entered the Xuantian Inner Sect on your own and have stayed until now. You must have put in a lot of effort.”

“Ah, I…” Xiao Zhi hesitated. “I was just lucky…”

“You can’t say that. Foundation Establishment requires solid effort. How can one achieve Foundation Establishment just by luck?” Rong Xie smiled. “I have also cultivated; don’t I know?”

Xiao Zhi sighed, seeming to want to say something, but after glancing up at Zhao Dajiang, he stopped.

Rong Xie noticed Xiao Zhi’s small action and knew he might find it inconvenient to speak due to Zhao Dajiang’s presence. So he said to Zhao Dajiang, “Captain Zhao, you have other matters to attend to, right?”

Unfortunately, Zhao Dajiang was a dense person. Thinking the first meeting might be awkward for the two, he wanted to stay a bit longer to warm up the atmosphere. “Not busy, not busy!”

Rong Xie was helpless and could only signal with his eyes. Zhao Dajiang finally understood what he meant. “Oh, oh, there is something. Then I’ll take my leave first. You two chat slowly.”

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Saying this, Zhao Dajiang stood up from the table and withdrew.

Once Zhao Dajiang left, Xiao Zhi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and his expression became a bit livelier. He looked at Rong Xie with a shy look. “Young Master Rong is looking for Brother Qi… could it be to ask if the well in Qinghe can help you cultivate?”

“Mm…” Although Rong Xie wasn’t looking for Lu Yingqi for this, “I am indeed curious about it.”

“Young Master Rong might be disappointed. That well cannot help you cultivate… it only works on children under three years old.” Xiao Zhi sighed. “Moreover, Brother Qi isn’t clear on how that well works either. I know, but I cannot reveal it to anyone. If Young Master Yinglin told you about Xiao Ya, you should know… we are all controlled by the main family and must obey their orders.”

“Yes, I know that. You absolutely don’t need to reveal any Lu family secrets to me.” Rong Xie said seriously. Thinking of Xiao Ya’s tragic death, he couldn’t help frowning.

Xiao Zhi gazed at Rong Xie. After a moment, he lowered his eyes. “Thank you for your understanding, Young Master Rong. Actually, for Young Master Rong to build a foundation, it is much easier than for me.”

“!?” Rong Xie was startled, never expecting Xiao Zhi to say this.

“Young Master Rong also likes that Young Master Shen, right?” Xiao Zhi’s cheeks blushed slightly as he said somewhat embarrassedly. “Since that is the case, why leave the treasure house beside you unused and seek help from outside?”

“Mm…?” Rong Xie seemed to sense what Xiao Zhi was going to say.

“Maybe this is fate. Seeing Young Master Rong, I feel a sense of closeness, so there’s nothing I can’t say,” Xiao Zhi paused. “If Young Master Rong truly likes that Young Master Shen, you can ask him for dual cultivation. Transfer spiritual power during dual cultivation, then refine it into your own spiritual power. You can improve your cultivation base and achieve Foundation Establishment very quickly.”

Rong Xie sweated. He had guessed Xiao Zhi would tell him this method, but hearing Xiao Zhi tell him so openly still made him feel a bit awkward.

“To tell you the truth, that’s how I achieved Foundation Establishment… Young Master Rong’s talent is better than mine, so you can definitely achieve Foundation Establishment faster.” When Xiao Zhi said these words, he kept his eyes lowered, spoke very fast, and his cheeks turned redder and redder. “If Young Master Rong doesn’t know how to do it, I can also teach you some methods, as long as Young Master Rong doesn’t mind that these are… base methods only we servant boys learn.”

“That… won’t be necessary.” Rong Xie hurriedly waved his hand. He hadn’t expected Xiao Zhi to go this far on their first meeting.

“I’m sorry, I was presumptuous…” Xiao Zhi’s head drooped even lower. Not only his face, but even his ears were glowing red.

“No, I didn’t mean that,” Rong Xie hurriedly explained. “It’s just that Shen Bingsi and I have already separated.”

“Separated?” Xiao Zhi froze, looking at Rong Xie blankly.

“Mhm…” Rong Xie didn’t know how to explain.

Xiao Zhi didn’t press further, only letting out a soft “Oh.”

For the rest of the time, the distance between the two closed significantly. While eating and chatting, Xiao Zhi talked about his quiet cultivation life in the Xuantian Inner Sect. Because Lu Yingqi was in seclusion all year round, he couldn’t see him, and he didn’t know anyone in the Inner Sect, so his days were very boring.

Rong Xie took the opportunity to invite him to come down the mountain to play from time to time. There were many interesting places near Shengjing. For example, the Blue Plateau where he lived had Grand Secretary Wang’s Blue Plateau Manor, where the landscape and gardens were exquisite works of art. If Xiao Zhi was interested, Rong Xie could take him inside for a tour.