Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 8

Chapter 8: Avoidance Symptom

Rong Xie’s scalp prickled with numbness. This time, he didn’t even dare to look at Shen Bingsi, doing his best to shrink his existence in the narrow space between Shen Bingsi and the cutting board.

“I… I didn’t.”

Shen Bingsi, however, leaned in closer and closer until he was practically superimposed over Rong Xie. His physique wasn’t overly burly; rather, he possessed the upright, vigorous stature of a youth. Fluid muscle lines covered his long limbs, and his entire being radiated a sense of light, agile power. Even so, standing next to the tall and slender Rong Xie, he could easily shadow him.

“Really?” Shen Bingsi observed Rong Xie closely. “You’re dodging right now.”

“Really…” Rong Xie whispered. “The soup is going to overflow.”

Shen Bingsi let out a low chuckle.

His best friend’s little diversionary tactics didn’t work on him at all. He only needed to spare a sliver of spiritual consciousness to watch the fire, ensuring the fish soup remained in its optimal state.

“Alright, I get it.” Although seeing his best friend curled up into a small ball was quite cute, if he continued to bully him like this, his friend might actually tear up from the pressure.

Shen Bingsi straightened up slightly. “You’re worried about that test, aren’t you?”

Feeling the pressure recede, Rong Xie breathed a small sigh of relief. But wait—test? What test?

“Don’t think you can muddle your way through this. We agreed you’d show me that ‘fast and effective’ cultivation method, remember?” Shen Bingsi felt smug, thinking he had correctly guessed Rong Xie’s little anxieties. He smiled triumphantly. “I was originally going to test you this morning… Why are you so scared? It’s not like I’m going to eat you.”

Rong Xie: “…”

Scanning his distant memories, Rong Xie finally recalled that there indeed was such a thing.

As he spoke, Shen Bingsi grabbed Rong Xie’s hand, his fingers naturally resting on the pulse point on the inner side of his wrist.

Rong Xie felt as if he had been electrocuted. The spot Shen Bingsi touched sent a numbing jolt instantly up half his arm. He hurriedly yanked his wrist back, squeezed out from beside Shen Bingsi, and flew back to the stove.

That slippery, fleeing movement was so fast even Shen Bingsi was surprised.

“No, it’s just… I had a nightmare last night.” Rong Xie racked his brain frantically, trying to find a suitable topic to stall with, but in a moment of carelessness, the truth slipped out. His face went pale, and suddenly, a lightbulb went off. “I dreamed I went to a place with many mirrors. In the mirrors, I could see all sorts of places… I saw our Villa’s armory…”

“Oh?” Shen Bingsi put away his playful attitude. He stood up straighter, his expression turning serious. “What else?”

Rong Xie’s heart sank. He had only intended to test how much the dream connected to reality by mentioning a place he had seen in the dream but could never have seen in reality—the Mirror Palace. He hadn’t expected Shen Bingsi’s reaction to be so solemn. It was clear that the Mirror Palace in the dream was likely the real deal.

Then… this dream… was very likely… not just a simple dream.

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“And… after passing through a long, enclosed corridor, I came to an open-air courtyard.”

With every detail Rong Xie added, Shen Bingsi’s expression grew heavier.

“At the end of the courtyard, there was a door hidden beneath flowering vines.”

Before he could finish, Shen Bingsi covered Rong Xie’s mouth with his hand.

It’s over. Everything matches. Rong Xie’s heart trembled. Then the result from the Sky Mirror is also… He looked at his best friend over the top of Shen Bingsi’s hand, feeling a despair he had never known before. He had to leave Shen Bingsi. He had to leave Huanxue Villa. That was not a simple dream…

“It’s good that you know, but don’t tell anyone else.” Shen Bingsi moved his hand away from Rong Xie’s face, looking somewhat uncomfortable as he averted his gaze to the ground nearby. “They say cultivators don’t dream easily, and that every dream has meaning. I didn’t believe it before.”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted back to Rong Xie’s face, his tone heavy. “What you dreamed of was the interior of the Mirror Palace. Behind that door lies the place where the Sky Mirror is kept.”

Although he already knew what those places were, hearing it confirmed from Shen Bingsi’s own mouth destroyed the last shred of suspense. The sword hanging over his head had finally fallen; there was no chance of a lucky escape.

A sensation of being tightly bound by fate wrapped around Rong Xie, making it hard to breathe…

“It’s the Sky Mirror rushing me.” Shen Bingsi sighed. “I knew it. That thing is such a drama queen. If I go back even a moment late, it just nags, and nags, and nags.”

Rong Xie froze.

Shen Bingsi looked up, smiling helplessly. “See? It’s even nagging me through you now.”

Rong Xie’s stiff body seemed to come back to life. He could suddenly hear the bubbling in the pot and the birdsong outside the window again. “Is… is that so?”

“How else could it be?” Shen Bingsi leaned back against the cutting board, bracing his hands behind him, his long legs crossing casually. “The Sky Mirror knows we are the best of friends in the whole world. When it wants to rush me, naturally it goes looking for you.”

The heavy atmosphere from a moment ago was swept away. The serious attitude seemed to have never existed on Shen Bingsi’s face. He returned to his triumphant, teasing self, looking at Rong Xie with a grin. “Well? Were you scared?”

“I… I’m okay,” Rong Xie whispered. The possibility Shen Bingsi offered was like a life-saving straw; as long as he clung to it, Rong Xie could crawl out of the abyss of despair.

Was it really just the Sky Mirror rushing him? Or was it… a warning?

Sizzle—

An ominous sound rang out. Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi looked at the iron pot simultaneously.

Doomed. This time it really did overflow.

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Rong Xie rushed forward to lift the lid, and Shen Bingsi handed him the large ladle from the side. The two of them fell into a flurry of activity.

Some time later, the ill-fated Heyang Fish Soup was finally ready.

One fish, three dishes. The sashimi was fresh, sweet, and delicious, melting in the mouth; the deep-fried fish bones were golden and crispy, filling the mouth with fragrance; the fish head soup was savory and warming, soothing the entire body as it went down.

The two sat under the Dragon-Coiled Weeping Plum Tree in the courtyard, admiring the flowers while eating the fish. Unknowingly, the bowls and plates on the table were emptied.

Rong Xie had things on his mind and didn’t eat much, leaving the rest for Shen Bingsi to devour like a whirlwind, sweeping meat and bones alike into his mouth.

Once a cultivator reached the Nascent Soul stage, they didn’t actually need to eat. But these bad habits of mortals were simply too enjoyable; even the elders of the various peaks, who had attained the Dao years ago, would still drool over a plate of fish.

It’s a good thing I didn’t cultivate the Heartless Path branch that cuts off appetite, Shen Bingsi thought, feeling fortunate.

After enjoying the delicious meal, Shen Bingsi took the initiative to wash the dishes. For him, this was more troublesome than slaying a demon dragon. He had to focus all his attention on controlling the water and fire spirits to scour the twisting corners and edges of the dishes. The force couldn’t be too weak, nor too strong—it was like dancing on a layer of thin ice; a moment of carelessness would ruin everything.

After expending a great deal of effort, he finally finished washing all the pots and pans. Shen Bingsi straightened his back and let out a long exhale.

“Washed very clean,” Rong Xie praised, picking up a sparkling plate.

Shen Bingsi was very pleased with the compliment but still kept a straight face as he reminded Rong Xie not to accept any more party requests in the future. Even though the old geezers had only eaten one fish, they had dirtied a huge pile of dishes. In all his years cultivating at the Lingjing Sect, aside from his Master, Shen Bingsi had never served any old man with such courtesy.

Rong Xie responded to his irreverent description with a smile.

He knew that Shen Bingsi said this out of consideration for him. Rong Xie preferred quiet and didn’t like socialising. Over the years, Shen Bingsi had turned down countless visits and never brought outsiders into the villa, all to preserve a peaceful space for him.

If only he hadn’t had that prophetic dream. If not for that dream… Rong Xie wouldn’t know just how happy and comfortable his current days were.

At this thought, Rong Xie’s smile dimmed.

Suddenly, his arm was grabbed, held warmly in a palm.

Rong Xie looked up and crashed into Shen Bingsi’s eyes. His eyes were always spirited, as if a fire burned within the pupils. When he looked at someone steadily, one could feel that searing passion.

“Let’s do it!”

If only the line wasn’t something so terrible.

“Don’t just idle around after eating; you need to walk it off. Doesn’t your foster mother always say that?” Shen Bingsi laughed. “Since that’s the case, we might as well do it now. I’ll transfer my power to you, saving you from worrying about irrelevant things all day long.”

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Rong Xie: “…”

Rong Xie felt as if something had whooshed over him. He was like an innocent haystack by the roadside that had suddenly burst into flames—burning from head to toe, from the inside out.

Yet the guy throwing the sparks around looked completely sincere. He turned back, saw the haystack standing silently in the raging fire, and asked why he was so red, why he was so hot, and if he was feeling unwell somewhere.

Rong Xie bit his lip.

Slowly but firmly, he pushed away the hand Shen Bingsi had clamped on his arm. He put his arm behind his back and took a step away.

“I… no…”

“We can’t… we can’t do this.”

Rong Xie’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was unusually clear.

Shen Bingsi looked at him in surprise, asking in confusion, “Why? Your spiritual energy is clearly almost depleted. I felt it just now—”

“I said no. We can’t. We cannot do this.” Rong Xie suddenly spoke with reckless abandon. He didn’t dare look into Shen Bingsi’s eyes, his hands clenched tightly into fists inside his sleeves due to his agitation.

“…Why?” Shen Bingsi’s tone flattened.

“Because…” Rong Xie found the reason impossible to articulate. His tongue felt like sandpaper. Did he really need a reason to refuse Dual Cultivation as a best friend? Anyone other than Shen Bingsi would think it was only natural to refuse.

“Is there anything more important than your life? Do you know what happens when your spiritual energy runs dry? Dropping in cultivation rank is a minor issue, but the Five Decays of Heaven and Man…” Shen Bingsi’s voice cut off abruptly. He clamped his mouth shut, letting the ominous term rot in his stomach.

The so-called Five Decays of Heaven and Man was the most terrifying condition in cultivation, even scarier than Qi Deviation. Qi Deviation meant, at worst, an explosive death—gone in an instant, without much pain. The Five Decays, however, meant watching oneself age and rot helplessly. Young, vibrant muscle would collapse bit by bit, smooth skin would become covered in wrinkles… Cultivation was stealing the power of the Heavenly Dao for one’s own use, but the Five Decays was the opposite: the Heavenly power a cultivator had stolen would be returned in an instant. A fresh, living body would turn into a gruesome, dried-up husk. Worst of all, there was a thread of life left—one could still breathe and remain conscious of what was happening to them.

Shen Bingsi mentioned the Five Decays because it was one of the extreme consequences of spiritual depletion. Rationality made him blurt it out, but he regretted it the moment he said it. He wouldn’t let such a terrible thing happen to his best friend. No matter the cost, he wouldn’t allow it.

“I can’t be that unlucky,” Rong Xie said with a bitter smile. Surely not all the bad luck in the world would concentrate on him? He wasn’t some Chosen One. Choosing Dual Cultivation meant bad luck; refusing Dual Cultivation also meant bad luck. He was just a plain, ordinary “Passerby A.”

“Just listen to me. Dual Cultivation is just a cultivation method, no different from alchemy or secluded meditation. I’ve already checked the ‘Secret Records of Dual Cultivation.’ There’s nothing special about it. The physical union is just to connect two people’s meridians into a great external circuit…” Shen Bingsi tried to explain the logic of Dual Cultivation to Rong Xie. Some things weren’t a big deal once you demystified them. Being unable to accept it was just due to vulgar viewpoints. Rong Xie wasn’t like those commoners, clinging to useless concepts. Rong Xie was good; as long as Shen Bingsi guided him, he would listen and follow.

Rong Xie raised his hands and placed them… over his ears.

Rong Xie covered his ears.

Shen Bingsi stopped talking. He felt as if his chest were being constricted. His jaw went stiff and numb, his mouth dry. He subconsciously swallowed, forcing the rest of his words out. “You don’t need to worry… this won’t affect… my…”

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Rong Xie kept his ears covered and shook his head.

Shen Bingsi felt the blood in his entire body go cold in an instant. He had considered many things, but the one possibility he hadn’t considered was that Rong Xie wasn’t willing.

Rong Xie wasn’t willing. Rong Xie hated this.

Rong Xie hated… him.

Shen Bingsi lowered his eyes. All his emotions shifted and retracted in a split second. He was like a human-shaped puppet after the summoning ritual ended—the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness brought by the inhabiting soul vanished into smoke, leaving only a cold, humanoid shell.

The vivid, triumphant expressions, the unbridled, arrogant smiles—all disappeared behind a flawless mask. When he looked up again to look Rong Xie in the eye, Rong Xie couldn’t help but shiver.

“As you wish.” He gave a quick nod, conjured his outer robe from his pouch, and left Huanxue Villa without looking back.

Author’s Note:

An avoidant person quietly shattered.