Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 104

Chapter 104: A Stark Contrast

Just as Rong Xie thought Lu Yingqi would ignore his provocation or offer a few perfunctory words to gloss over it, Lu Yingqi asked with great seriousness:

“Is that true?”

” But if that were the case, the wind resistance during flight would be immense, and the spiritual energy consumption would increase significantly. Why would Shen Bingsi do such a thing?”

“Even for me, enlarging the flying sword like that and piloting it like a standard flying vessel would consume a vast amount of spiritual energy. I would need to land and rest after flying continuously for three days and nights. He can actually transform the flying sword into the size of a house?”

“Is Shen Bingsi’s cultivation truly that unfathomable?”

“…”

Now it was Rong Xie’s turn to be at a loss for words.

In their previous conversations, Lu Yingqi had appeared quite rational, not easily trusting others and harboring some hostility toward Rong Xie.

Rong Xie had assumed his provocative remark wouldn’t be very effective, but to his surprise, Lu Yingqi actually believed it.

For the time that followed, Lu Yingqi muttered incantations under his breath while transforming the flying sword into houses of various shapes. There were pavilions, quiet rooms, granaries, and even some houses of his own design—like a triangular house with a pointed front, which he claimed would minimize wind resistance during flight.

Rong Xie watched from the side until Lu Yingqi conjured a triangular house erected upon the blade of the flying sword. The transformations finally ceased.

“Is this acceptable?” Lu Yingqi asked.

“Mn…” Rong Xie rubbed the tip of his nose to hide his urge to laugh. “It’ll do.”

Lu Yingqi lowered the flying sword and opened the door of the triangular house. “Fellow Daoist Rong, if you please.”

Rong Xie took a look inside and paused.

This time, he really wasn’t intentionally stalling for time.

“This… there isn’t even a place to sit, nor are there any windows for ventilation. It’s pitch black inside—what’s the difference between this and solitary confinement?” Rong Xie frowned as he peered inside.

“Are those things necessary?” Lu Yingqi was perplexed. “Once you enter a meditative trance, time passes very quickly.”

“Apologies, but I am an abandoned disciple of the Lingjing Sect; I have given up on cultivation. I just want to sit comfortably, look at the scenery when I want to, and lie down to sleep when I don’t,” Rong Xie said, conjuring bedding from his spatial pouch and holding it in his arms. “Since Senior Brother Lu has already gone to the trouble of transforming it, could you conjure a soft couch for me as well? I’ve prepared my own bedding.”

“…” The corner of Lu Yingqi’s usually indifferent face twitched slightly. With a wave of his hand, he conjured a soft couch and a window for Rong Xie, then ignored him and walked onto the flying sword with his hands clasped behind his back.

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Rong Xie entered, placed his bedding on the soft couch, and sat down comfortably. A moment later, he stood up again, pushed open the window, and called out to the figure standing with hands behind his back at the front: “Senior Brother Lu, could you make this window a bit larger? It’s too small right now; I can’t see the scenery.”

“…” Amidst a flash of white light, the window grew larger. Now, Rong Xie could see the scenery outside even while sitting on the soft couch.

“That works. Let’s go, Master… Senior Brother Lu!”

The flying sword rose steadily, flying toward the sunset. Rong Xie could barely feel any acceleration or turbulence; aside from the changing scenery outside the window confirming they were airborne, his body felt almost nothing.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, Lu Yingqi’s control over the flying sword was indeed slightly superior to Shen Bingsi’s.

As the flying sword ascended to high altitude and flew into the night, the temperature outside began to drop rapidly, and the sound of the wind grew more violent.

Rong Xie stood up, took out warming and defensive Spirit Talismans from his stash, and pasted a circle of them around the window and walls before lying back comfortably under his quilt.

The strong wind fluttered the robes of the Xuantian Sect sword cultivator standing on the blade. Lu Yingqi turned his face slightly and glanced back.

He was somewhat surprised. This Rong Xie, who had been picking faults left and right, hadn’t caused any more trouble and was resting quietly.

The Spirit Talismans on the window and walls were, after all, pasted inside the house conjured by his flying sword. He could clearly discern that those talismans were infused with Rong Xie’s spiritual energy. Each talisman was performing its function perfectly. The person who crafted them was extremely skilled in this regard, not looking at all like the work of an abandoned disciple of the Lingjing Sect.

With the aid of Spirit Talismans, even if Rong Xie’s cultivation was insufficient and his spiritual energy low, he could still accomplish many things that only Foundation Establishment cultivators could do.

This Rong Xie… one moment he acted lazy, picky, and annoying, and the next he skillfully produced Spirit Talismans to protect himself perfectly.

Lu Yingqi truly couldn’t see through what kind of person he was, or what his purpose was in coming with those absurd prophecies.

Lu Yingqi pondered for a moment but couldn’t figure it out, so he didn’t force it. He piloted the flying sword, accelerating toward Qinghe County.

Suddenly, the window behind him opened a crack, and someone knocked loudly on the lattice.

“Senior Brother Lu—” Rong Xie’s voice came from behind, muffled by the wind and not very clear. “Can you slow down? I’m going to vomit!”

“Senior Brother Lu—I’m going to vomit on your sword! You don’t want me to vomit on your sword, do you?”

“…” The corner of Lu Yingqi’s icy face twitched slightly. He reduced the flight speed he had secretly increased back to its previous level. To think he had just secretly revised his opinion of this person because of his skilled use of Spirit Talismans; now it seemed he had overthought it.

Rong Xie was clearly still that lazy, troublesome nuisance. He really lived up to being someone who came from Shen Bingsi’s side; he and Shen Bingsi were practically a match made in heaven. He couldn’t fathom why Little Zhi looked upon him with such favor.

Two days later.

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Lu Yingqi and Rong Xie arrived at the Qinghe Lu Family estate.

The timing was controlled perfectly, just as Rong Xie had predicted. If they had been any slower, Lu Yingqi might have discovered the Treasure Hunting Team trailing behind them, and all their efforts would have been wasted.

By arriving a day earlier than the Treasure Hunting Team, Lu Yingqi wouldn’t immediately get down to business with the Lu family. There would inevitably be a reception to wash away the dust of the journey and exchange pleasantries. Rong Xie could use this opportunity to wander around and gather information.

By the time the Treasure Hunting Team arrived, Lu Yingqi would be ready to discuss the matter of the well with the Lu family. Rong Xie would watch from the sidelines to see exactly how Lu Yingqi intended to “resolve” this matter. If he resolved it, fine; if he played favorites, Rong Xie would mobilize the Treasure Hunting Team to resolve it for him.

The only risk now was Lu Yingqi’s character. If he was the type of person who disregarded everything for family interests, he might turn against them upon learning of Rong Xie and the Treasure Hunting Team’s actions…

Rong Xie watched Lu Yingqi’s fluid movements as he sheathed his flying sword, falling into deep thought.

If only Shen Bingsi were here.

The thought popped into his mind.

He shook his head, casting the thought aside.

It would be useless even if Shen Bingsi were here. Shen Bingsi’s cultivation was lower than Lu Yingqi’s. Even if his swordsmanship was superior, in a situation where he was crushed by sheer power, there was little chance of victory.

In the end, he would have to play this by ear.

The high walls of the Lu estate appeared in Rong Xie’s vision once more. Looking at the top of the walls, Rong Xie recalled the feeling of walking here last time—the maze-like layout, the oppressive atmosphere… If it weren’t necessary, he truly didn’t want to walk into such a place alone.

At the corner of the courtyard wall, two Lu family servants were already waiting. Seeing Lu Yingqi and Rong Xie approaching from a distance, they bowed deeply, maintaining a folded posture until the two reached them.

“Welcome home, Eldest Young Master!”

The two shouted in unison. Only after Lu Yingqi gave a grunt of acknowledgement did they straighten up and say, “Eldest Young Master and Young Master Rong, please follow us.”

The two servants led the way. Turning the corner of the wall, Rong Xie couldn’t help but be startled.

In the open space ahead, stretching all the way to the main gate of the Lu family, stood a crowd filling the entire area. Among them were respectable elders of the Lu family, high-status stewards among the servants, the younger generation of the Lu family and their attendant boys, and finally, servants in uniform.

As soon as Lu Yingqi and Rong Xie appeared, the servants shouted in unison again, “Welcome home, Eldest Young Master!” startling the birds in the trees on both sides into flight.

This spectacle… Shen Bingsi didn’t even have this when he returned home.

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Rong Xie couldn’t help but recall the last time he came back with Lu Yinglin. They had entered through a side door and were quietly pulled into Lu Yinglin’s courtyard. They barely saw anyone during the entire process. It was truly a naked disparity in treatment.

Lu Yingqi showed no particular reaction, accepting this enthusiastic welcome with composure.

After the servants finished shouting, the Lu family elders and stewards in the front row came forward, showering Lu Yingqi with inquiries about his well-being. Their enthusiastic demeanor was no different from that of an ordinary family.

“Yingqi, it’s rare for you to come back. The Old Master has missed you terribly, chanting your name every day. Come in with us quickly!”

“I heard that after you came out of seclusion this time, you made quite a splash at the Xuantian Sect. Elder Bai even sent a letter saying he wants to recruit more of our Lu family disciples. You’ve really brought glory to our Lu family!”

“Yes, these juniors all look up to you as their role model…”

Surrounded by the crowd, Rong Xie followed Lu Yingqi into the Lu family’s main gate, walking along a neat garden avenue toward the main hall. The avenue was lined with verdant pines and cypresses, and the ground was swept clean, save for some accumulated snow under the tree roots and steps.

Rong Xie looked at the spacious courtyard with some surprise. He had thought the Lu estate was entirely made up of small, grid-like courtyards; he hadn’t expected such a beautiful garden.

Looking again at these enthusiastic Lu family relatives, their concern for Lu Yingqi didn’t seem fake, and their fervent gazes were genuine.

If Rong Xie had only come here this one time with Lu Yingqi, he would have thought the Lu family was just a very normal large clan. residing in a remote corner, finally producing an outstanding disciple who ranked well even within the Three Great Sects, they naturally placed infinite hope on him. No amount of enthusiasm would be excessive.

However, thinking of how they treated those “disappointing” disciples, and how they secretly modified so many children from other families, turning them into attendant boys and deciding their life and death at will, the harmonious scene before him became eerie.

Rong Xie followed silently behind Lu Yingqi, observing everything.

The crowd ushered Lu Yingqi and Rong Xie into the main hall.

Rong Xie felt his vision darken. The main hall was huge, with light-blocking curtains hanging over all the windows. The ceiling was high, reaching the height of three or four stories. The overall environment was dim, and many servants and maids stood waiting in the dark corners.

Rong Xie followed Lu Yingqi all the way to the innermost part. He looked up and saw an Eight Immortals table placed under a landscape painting. Two people sat in the seats of honor on either side. On the left was a senile old man who seemed mentally confused. On the right was an elderly woman, heavily made up with bright red lips, leaning close to the old man and saying something to him with a smile.

A strong scent of roses hit Rong Xie in the face, choking him into a sneeze.

The woman looked up, glanced at Rong Xie, and smiled: “Oh my, this little brother looks very familiar. Is he the one who came to the house with Yinglin?”