Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 144

Chapter 144: Something’s Wrong

Rong Xie thought it over and over, finally taking out the transmission jade pendant carved with the character “Ice” (Bing) to send a signal to Shen Bingsi.

Shen Bingsi did not respond.

Rong Xie changed into a set of everyday robes, tied up his long hair, and walked to the outer room.

Night had deepened. The three little ones had returned to the servant boys’ room; some were reading, others meditating.

Seeing Rong Xie approach, they jumped off their respective couches one by one and rushed eagerly into the courtyard.

“Brother Rong, you’re finally out!”

“We were worried something might have happened…”

Rong Xie comforted Shen Yan and Long Shaoye, feeling it was necessary to clear things up for Shen Bingsi.

“The Villa Master was helping me cultivate and guarding me, which is why he set up the barrier,” Rong Xie paused, then said, “I have now established my foundation—”

“What?!” “Brother Rong established his foundation!”

Shen Yan and Long Shaoye looked at Rong Xie with adoration. They knew how difficult it had been for Rong Xie to establish his foundation; the reason servant boys were recruited in the first place was because Rong Xie had been delayed in his cultivation.

Now, look at this! The Grand Villa Master brought Rong Xie back, locked him in the courtyard for a few days, and he came out having established his foundation. This efficiency was too high!

“Brother Rong, could it be that the Grand Villa Master developed some new cultivation method? How was it so fast?” Long Shaoye couldn’t help but probe.

Although Shen Yan felt it wasn’t good to pry into someone else’s exclusive secrets, he was bent on improving his strength and couldn’t help pricking up his ears.

Rong Xie’s cheeks grew slightly warm. Fortunately, it was night, and the three before him were only Qi Condensation cultivators; their five senses were similar to ordinary people, so they couldn’t clearly see the change in his complexion.

“Mn, it is indeed an exclusive secret method that is inconvenient to spread to outsiders.”

Seeing that Rong Xie wouldn’t say more, the three kids didn’t ask further. They simply congratulated Rong Xie and asked if they should set up a table to celebrate tomorrow.

“We should definitely celebrate!” Shen Yan suggested. “Why don’t we go to the restaurant in Welcome Town?”

“Yes, yes, it’s been a long time since we went out for a good meal,” Long Shaoye chimed in.

Ever since Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi went to Blue Plains, although the three kids had a lot more freedom, they also had a lot more loneliness and boredom. Especially after winter set in, they had lost even the interest to go down to Welcome Town for a meal.

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Now that there was finally a joyous occasion, they naturally had to celebrate properly.

This suggestion struck a chord in Rong Xie’s heart again.

The scene of Shen Bingsi listing the dishes seemed to play out right before his eyes.

What exactly happened that made him leave so urgently in the middle of the night, not even caring about a celebration banquet?

“Wait, let me contact the Villa Master again.” Rong Xie touched the jade pendant. “Tomorrow… if he doesn’t come back, we will go to the Welcome Town restaurant. Regardless, you have all worked hard taking care of the villa; rewarding you is only right.”

“Okay!” The three kids agreed in unison.

Rong Xie turned around and activated the transmission jade pendant again. The goose-egg-shaped jade carved with the character ‘Ice’ vibrated. Suddenly, the connection opened.

The sound of whistling wind came from the jade.

Rong Xie nervously clutched the pendant and walked to a quiet corner.

“Bingsi? Where are you? Can you talk right now?”

“At… Mirror Palace.”

Shen Bingsi’s voice seemed suppressed by the wind, sounding a bit faint.

“Is there anyone at Mirror Palace?” Rong Xie felt slightly more at ease hearing Shen Bingsi’s voice. “I just contacted Captain Zhao; he said Adjudicator Jiang and the Recording Officer both went to the Lu Residence.”

“…No wonder I didn’t see anyone,” Shen Bingsi said. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m not looking for them; I came to find the Heavenly Mirror.”

“Oh… so the Heavenly Mirror was looking for you.”

“What else?” Shen Bingsi’s voice carried a smile. “Why? Are you worried I’m deceiving you? Saying I’m going to Mirror Palace but secretly going to meet an old lover?”

Rong Xie was amused by him. “Don’t incriminate yourself without being asked.”

Ending the transmission, Rong Xie put his heart back in his chest.

Mirror Palace was indeed empty, but that didn’t mean Shen Bingsi couldn’t go there to accept a mission.

He turned back around, only to find six sparkling eyes staring at him.

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The three kids had quieted down at some point and were following behind him. Who knew how much they had heard.

“Brother Rong, you and the Grand Villa Master really did reconcile!”

“So this is how the Grand Villa Master talks to you in private!”

Rong Xie was slightly embarrassed. He was about to change the subject when he heard Long Shaoye speak with the air of a sage. “I knew it. The Grand Villa Master is indeed smitten with Brother Rong. Even when he’s out, he reports his itinerary to Brother Rong. Hehe, you only tell jokes like that to someone you like, right?”

“What ‘someone you like’? The Villa Master cultivates the Ruthless Path.” Shen Yan elbowed Long Shaoye.

“Oh… I almost forgot.” Long Shaoye scratched his head. “Who would have thought a Ruthless Path cultivator would talk like that?”

“…”

Rong Xie thought of something, his gaze solidifying slightly.

He arranged the departure time for the next day with the three kids, then hurriedly returned to the rear courtyard.

Blown by the cold wind under the moon, Rong Xie’s mind cleared up significantly.

From the moment he returned to Huanxue Villa up until he contacted Shen Bingsi just now, Rong Xie had felt something was off.

Thinking about it now, it was exactly what Long Shaoye said—“Who would have thought a Ruthless Path cultivator would talk like that?”

Not only talking like that, but acting like that…

Regarding Shen Bingsi’s Dual Cultivation techniques, Rong Xie had assumed he had re-learned them somewhere or obtained a high-end secret manual that improved efficiency while drastically enhancing the experience.

Even more terrifying was that during this Dual Cultivation, Shen Bingsi would stop from time to time to kiss him. Clearly, such superfluous actions were of no help to cultivation, yet Shen Bingsi still did them, to the point where Rong Xie became so dizzy and disoriented he often forgot he was cultivating.

Shen Bingsi acted… completely unlike a Ruthless Path cultivator.

Even if Shen Bingsi was naturally gifted and could mimic anything he learned, he couldn’t have improved to this extent in such a short time. In the nuances of interaction, genuine emotion versus pretense is easily distinguished. Combining this with Shen Bingsi’s behavior at the Fanshi Pavilion half a year ago, Rong Xie started to panic.

Although he had never read a Dual Cultivation manual, he knew that Dao companions who were in love made the fastest progress. Mutual understanding and unity of hearts were exceptionally important in Dual Cultivation.

The reason Shen Bingsi could shorten the time and increase efficiency was likely not due to some newly found secret manual, but rather…

Rong Xie didn’t want to say the word, but it surfaced clearly in his mind—Affection.

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The thing that had felt “wrong” to Rong Xie all these days lay right here.

Shen Bingsi’s behavior… was like that of an ordinary person, an ordinary little Dao companion in love with his partner.

“No, no, no, it can’t be.” Rong Xie immediately shook his head, throwing the unclear thoughts out of his mind.

If Shen Bingsi really learned to love, what about his Dao Heart?

Shen Bingsi’s Dao Heart was like iron. Even if the sky collapsed, Shen Bingsi’s Ruthless Dao Heart would not waver. Furthermore, his sword flight to Mirror Palace had been so stable.

It must be Rong Xie overthinking things.

However, as time passed, this possibility became increasingly strong.

The second day, Rong Xie and the three kids had a delicious meal at the Welcome Town restaurant. Rong Xie wanted to contact Shen Bingsi, but Shen Bingsi did not reply.

The third day, Rong Xie contacted Shen Bingsi again. Shen Bingsi still did not reply.

By the afternoon of the third day, Rong Xie couldn’t sit still anymore.

Even if Shen Bingsi had accepted a Mirror Palace mission, surely he wasn’t so busy he couldn’t return a message?

Rong Xie contacted Captain Zhao. Captain Zhao said Mirror Palace had issued a summons, and Grand Adjudicator Jiang and the Recording Officer had both gone over, leaving the Lu Residence matter half-finished.

Rong Xie’s hope of fishing for information from them was dashed.

Thinking it over, the only person who might know the situation and had the ability to know was Shen Bingsi’s “friend despite the age gap,” Elder Yunfeng.

Rong Xie immediately sent a paper crane requesting a meeting with Elder Yunfeng. After receiving a response, he set off for Cloud Peak.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, climbing those celestial stairs was no longer such a pressure for him. The journey was unobstructed. As night fell, Rong Xie ascended Cloud Peak and met the white-bearded Elder Yunfeng.

Author’s Note: It’s late. Dropping red packets in this chapter! [Pitiful]