Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 121

Chapter 121: Originally One Family

Madam Mei’s thick black eyebrows furrowed, and the corner of his mouth twitched unnaturally.

A dead silence surrounded them.

Upon closer inspection, the stern faces and tight lips of the Lu family members seemed to be forcibly suppressing some emotion, an emotion that couldn’t be shown.

A burst of laughter that inadvertently breached the defense suddenly rang out.

“Who, who is laughing!” Madam Mei turned back furiously.

For so many years, Madam Mei had occupied the position of the actual controller of the Lu family. Although his appearance was strange—calling himself Madam Mei despite being a man—no one dared to comment on him.

Now, an outsider, right in front of Madam Mei, directly shouted out what everyone had thought a thousand times in their hearts but dared not say. This impact was simply greater than cursing Madam Mei directly.

However, the impact was fleeting. When Madam Mei turned his head, those secret laughs disappeared again, as if they had never existed.

“Shen, I know you are formidable. This old body alone is not your opponent.” Madam Mei turned back, staring at Shen Bingsi with gloomy eyes. “But, as far as this old body knows, your motive for investigating our Lu family’s case isn’t that pure either, is it? You are from the Shen family and a disciple of the Lingjing Sect. Both your origin and your sect place you in competition with our Young Master Qi. If you can use such dirty means to bring our Young Master Qi down, wouldn’t you secure the position of the number one person in the Ruthless Dao? Don’t think we are all deaf and blind old things who don’t know what you younger generation are plotting…”

Shen Bingsi chuckled low. “Thinking about it carefully, it really seems to be the case.”

Everyone’s gaze focused on Shen Bingsi again. The Lu family members looked a bit more united in hostility. The uninformed members of the Treasure Hunting Team showed suspicion, while Captain Zhao, who knew how coincidental the actual situation was, shook his head slightly.

Rong Xie kept staring at Madam Mei, watching his every move. As for the bullshit he said, it couldn’t make Rong Xie move an eyebrow.

“Unfortunately, I am different from you,” Shen Bingsi smiled. “I don’t like competing with the weak. So, if your Young Master Qi is unfortunately dragged down, has no resources to cultivate, and becomes a mediocre person like Elder Bai, he will be of no value to me.”

“…” Lu Yingqi remained silent, but his gaze became sharp, staring closely at Shen Bingsi.

“So, my suggestion is, I send you to the Mirror Palace first, hand in the task, and then have a fair and square contest with your Young Master Qi. That saves him from being dragged down by you, lacking in power, and unable to reach his peak state.”

Shen Bingsi had always spoken arrogantly. Rong Xie had witnessed it on many occasions, so it wasn’t surprising he would say such things.

But the Lu family had never seen Shen Bingsi’s arrogant way of speaking. They were shaken by his momentum. The Lu family also began to doubt. Wasn’t it said that Lu Yingqi had just come out of seclusion, his cultivation improved significantly, much higher than his peers, seemingly the top among the younger generation of the Ruthless Dao? Why did this Shen Bingsi dare to challenge him? Could this Shen Bingsi be hiding his strength and actually be not inferior to Lu Yingqi?

Madam Mei’s heart also drummed a bit. He had intended to provoke a fight between Shen Bingsi and Lu Yingqi. Unexpectedly, that little scheme had no effect under Shen Bingsi’s direct challenge. He was also uncertain. Did Shen Bingsi really have the means to suppress Lu Yingqi? That would be bad.

After dropping the harsh words, Shen Bingsi unclasping his arms and walked toward Madam Mei in a seemingly relaxed posture. The Shengye Sword glittered with golden light in his hand, abundant spiritual energy drawing streaks of gold with the swing of his steps.

Rong Xie watched him from behind. Seeing another self earlier felt a bit awkward, but now that Shen Bingsi was moving, looking from the back, he was completely Shen Bingsi himself, without a shred of resemblance to Rong Xie.

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In the tense atmosphere, Shen Bingsi walked up to Madam Mei like he was strolling in a vegetable market. He took off the Mirror Palace token, spun it skillfully between his fingers, and silver light bloomed, turning into a rope-like light band that wound toward Madam Mei.

This was the chain the Mirror Palace used to catch suspects. Generally speaking, Shen Bingsi didn’t need this. The targets he dealt with were demons, who were killed on the spot under his sword. There was nothing to take back for investigation. When he threw the chain, he was a bit unaccustomed.

The silver chain flew to Madam Mei like a spirit snake. Madam Mei’s eyes bulged, staring at the chain, his heart seeming to undergo an anxious battle.

Suddenly, a silver longsword extended from the side, deflecting the chain.

Clatter.

The chain fell to the ground, then whooshed back to Shen Bingsi’s waist, turning into the token shape.

In the time it took for it to fall and rise.

Shen Bingsi suddenly looked up at the end of the longsword, at Lu Yingqi who held the sword steadily.

Lu Yingqi maintained that expressionless look, his gaze unfathomable. Facing Shen Bingsi’s sharp eyes, he offered no explanation.

Madam Mei, who had been fighting an internal battle, now looked as if he had won a victory, revealing a satisfied smile. He looked at the sword Lu Yingqi used to shield him, exhaled as if relieved of a heavy burden, and praised, “Young Master Qi, well done.”

“Lu Yingqi, what is the meaning of this?”

From a distance, Rong Xie clearly saw Lu Yingqi draw his sword. His heart sank, feeling something was wrong, and asked aloud, “You don’t really intend to shield Madam Mei, do you?”

“…”

Lu Yingqi’s sword still didn’t move away. Madam Mei’s smile became more exaggerated. Rong Xie felt his scalp tingle.

“Senior Brother Lu,” Rong Xie softened his tone. “I know your Dao Heart is firm and won’t be shaken by ordinary emotions. You must have your reasons for doing this. If you are worried that Little Zhi will be affected by this, I can guarantee he won’t. Just as I said earlier, Madam Mei has no means to remotely control the attendant boys. As long as you treat Little Zhi well and don’t let him face a situation where his spiritual energy is exhausted, then a cauldron can live like an ordinary person.”

Lu Yingqi looked at Rong Xie, seeming to listen to him seriously, pondering the credibility of his words.

Rong Xie thought, Sure enough, is it because of Little Zhi? Fortunately, it’s as I guessed, otherwise, it would be troublesome.

In this investigation, the only variable Rong Xie worried about was Lu Yingqi. Although he knew Lu Yingqi’s Dao Heart was firm—until the Heavenly Demon descended, this Ruthless Dao prodigy who died prematurely was still mentioned as a savior—such a person shouldn’t shield Madam Mei in such a clear choice of right and wrong. If he did, he wouldn’t be worthy of joining forces with Shen Bingsi, and there would be no need for Rong Xie to win him over.

That said, many variables could still arise as things developed. What if Lu Yingqi was really a hypocrite with amazing acting skills, suddenly turning to side with Madam Mei and silencing them all here? The possibility was small, but not impossible. Rong Xie had to consider how they would respond if such a troublesome situation occurred.

Fortunately, it wasn’t like that. Otherwise, if Shen Bingsi really fought him to the death, Rong Xie would worry that even Shen Bingsi’s protagonist halo couldn’t save him.

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While Shen Bingsi was running around for the Mirror Palace, Lu Yingqi was solidly in seclusion. While Shen Bingsi took Rong Xie traveling everywhere, Lu Yingqi was cultivating miles a day. While Shen Bingsi practiced basics, Lu Yingqi was already “Mystic Sky First Sword”…

Rong Xie could rest assured letting Shen Bingsi engage in a battle of words and some sparring that stopped at a point with Lu Yingqi. If Lu Yingqi were truly a malicious villain intending to kill Shen Bingsi, Rong Xie would have to rethink his strategy—currently, all his strategies were based on Lu Yingqi being a “good person.”

Of course, people cultivating the Ruthless Dao couldn’t really be discussed in terms of “good” and “bad.” The higher the realm of a Ruthless Dao cultivator, the closer they were to the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao is unkind; it doesn’t side with good or bad but only acts according to the development laws of things. For Lu Yingqi to help no one and watch from the sidelines was also a form of being a “good person” to Rong Xie.

“Precisely because you treat Little Zhi well, Senior Brother Lu, Little Zhi could successfully build his foundation with a cauldron’s body. Many cultivators can’t even build a foundation. With such a good foundation, Little Zhi can accompany you for at least one or two hundred years,” Rong Xie paused. “As for the future, the world is full of wonders. Maybe there is some panacea that can prolong a cauldron’s life… But if Senior Brother Lu shields the culprit who caused Little Zhi to become a cauldron here, and Little Zhi finds out, that would be another situation.”

Lu Yingqi frowned slightly, seeming to ponder for a moment. He slowly withdrew the longsword in his hand. As his arm fell, the longsword also turned into a silver light and disappeared into his sleeve.

Shen Bingsi raised his eyebrows. Rarely did he refrain from kicking someone when they were down by mocking Lu Yingqi. He grasped the token at his waist again, turning it into a silver chain.

Just then, Madam Mei suddenly laughed shrilly. “Young Master Qi, are you really going to do this? Think carefully. What if things aren’t as that guy named Rong said? What if I really have means to control Little Zhi?”

Shen Bingsi’s silver chain hit an obstacle again. An invisible wall of air separated the chain from Madam Mei, making it impossible for him to bind his suspect no matter what.

Shen Bingsi’s eyelids jumped twice. When he looked up again, a violent storm was brewing in his eyes.

“Senior Brother Lu, don’t listen to him. He is just struggling on his deathbed.” Rong Xie said. “Let Shen Bingsi take him to the Mirror Palace. An interrogation will reveal everything. If you are still unsure, I can go back to Shengjing with you to find the Hehuan Sect’s Elder Red to examine Little Zhi. They are experienced. The methods they know will only be more than Madam Mei’s, not less.”

“Hahahaha—” Madam Mei laughed loudly, as if the solution Rong Xie proposed was something extremely absurd. “Regarding methods to train cauldrons, if this old body claims second in the world, no one dares to claim first. Even Elder Red wouldn’t know more than this old body.”

A glint flashed in Madam Mei’s eyes as he spoke shocking words: “This old body is the genuine Sect Leader of the Hehuan Sect. That Elder Red is just an abandoned disciple of the Mystic Sky Sect who occupied the magpie’s nest. How much convenience the cauldrons trained by this old body provided to the Mystic Sky Sect’s Ruthless Dao Palace was all erased by these ungrateful things, forcing this old body to hide here and there, relying on this small place in a corner. In just a few decades, the younger generation of Ruthless Dao cultivators have long forgotten what happened back then, even forgetting that the Hehuan Sect and the Ruthless Dao Palace were originally one family. This old body’s name is even more unknown…”

Madam Mei exposed his own identity. Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, he sneered and turned to Lu Yingqi. “Young Master Qi, if you don’t believe me, you can go ask your master Elder Bai what happened back then. Does he still remember Little Mei from the Hehuan Tower? In the past, when they, the Ruthless Dao disciples, broke through love tribulations, they often visited the tower. For them to have today’s achievements, the efforts of the Hehuan Sect brothers and sisters back then were indispensable. How can they wipe their mouths after eating and deny the debt?”