Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 129

Chapter 129: Double Standard

In the courtyard of Lu Yingqi’s main house at the Lu Estate.

Dark clouds obscured the moon.

The light spilling from the main house illuminated the steps, but the courtyard itself was pitch black, relying solely on that faint light for visibility.

Zhao Dajiang paced back and forth in the gloom, sighing repeatedly. He wondered if he should contact the team’s medical cultivator. If only Healer Miao were still here—but there had been no news of him since the underground Dragon Cave mission ended.

Suddenly, the doors to the main house flew open. Shen Bingsi strode out, holding a bundle in his arms.

At first glance, Zhao Dajiang thought Shen Bingsi was carrying a quilt. As Shen Bingsi drew closer, he realized there was a person wrapped inside.

“Sword… Sword Saint Shen, what is this—” Zhao Dajiang asked hurriedly.

“I know who did it. I need to return to the Mirror Palace. Now,” Shen Bingsi paused, looking at Zhao Dajiang. “I’m leaving this place to you.”

“Eh? What?” Zhao Dajiang was stunned.

“The Golden Bell Cover is watching outside. The Lu family is just a bunch of useless trash. If you want to send the children away, send them. If you want to audit the accounts, go audit them. By the way, there’s another team of yours staying in the village outside. You can find them to act as your external support.” Shen Bingsi rapidly relayed all the leads he knew to Zhao Dajiang. Then he pushed the quilt roll upward, turned his head, and started to leave.

“Wait, wait, Sword Saint Shen! But I don’t know how to audit accounts! And I don’t know how to arrange for the children—” Zhao Dajiang chased a couple of steps.

A glittering golden flying sword hovered in mid-air. Shen Bingsi had already leaped onto it. The golden light illuminated Zhao Dajiang’s panicked face. Shen Bingsi glanced back at him and said, “You’re asking me?”

Zhao Dajiang looked dejected. “Sorry, I’m just flustered.”

“…”

Shen Bingsi could have flown away immediately. But for some reason, seeing Zhao Dajiang so lost, a subtle sense of sympathy rose in his heart.

When Rong Xie was around, everything ran normally. The gardens of Huanxue Villa were always neat and beautiful, the indoor furnishings orderly. If Shen Bingsi couldn’t find something, he just had to find Rong Xie. When the two were together, Shen Bingsi didn’t have to worry about anything. Over time, he began to think it was all naturally so.

Until Rong Xie suddenly left. Nothing could proceed. Errors popped up everywhere. New holes appeared every day. Just maintaining daily life consumed massive amounts of energy. Seemingly simple tasks had countless stumbles and blind spots waiting ahead.

Shen Bingsi back then was just like Zhao Dajiang abandoned in the Lu estate now.

“Then wait,” Shen Bingsi lowered his eyes. “I will bring him back.”

“…!” Zhao Dajiang’s brow relaxed, his face lighting up. “Okay! Sword Saint Shen, go without worry. I, Zhao Dajiang, will hold the fort here!”

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Shen Bingsi still wasn’t quite used to such passionate farewells. He nodded once and took off on his sword.

A biting cold wind blew past his hair tips. The person inside the quilt seemed frozen, moving uncomfortably and shrinking deeper into Shen Bingsi’s embrace.

Shen Bingsi tightened his arms. The next moment, the flying sword grew larger, and the sword clasp transformed into a small, windproof cabin. The space wasn’t large, but it was enough to accommodate two people.

Shen Bingsi casually conjured a couch and sat down with Rong Xie in his arms. It was like a carriage cabin—small, but cozy for two people huddled together.

The thousand-foot drop and the biting winter wind outside had nothing to do with this small, warm cabin.

Having just broken through provided Shen Bingsi with ample spiritual power. He used this power for warmth. The bound life sword continuously radiated heat; the cabin and couch transformed from the sword were heat sources. Entering this hot little space, the person in the quilt relaxed.

Rong Xie felt very hot in his sleep. He struggled to poke his head out of the quilt. The top of the quilt came loose, and his face rubbed directly against Shen Bingsi’s shoulder. The residual winter chill on Shen Bingsi felt comfortable, so he nuzzled and rubbed against it slightly until the quilt roll mostly unraveled and fell to the floor, leaving him snuggled entirely against Shen Bingsi.

Shen Bingsi’s heart stirred. He extended his arm to embrace Rong Xie, shifting all of Rong Xie’s weight onto himself. Feeling the person in his arms find a comfortable spot and settle down contentedly, the sound of long, steady breathing indicated he was sleeping soundly.

The last time they were intimate like this seemed to be over half a year ago. Back then, they would sleep in the same bed. Shen Bingsi used the excuse of dual cultivation to stick to Rong Xie every day. Nothing was happier or more blissful than that time.

Then many things happened… Unknowingly, even watching Rong Xie sleep became a luxury.

Now, Rong Xie was sleeping obediently in his arms again. He could observe his sleeping face to his heart’s content. He could hold him, press against his cool, soft body. Yet, his heart felt heavy, weighed down. He hoped desperately that those thin eyelids would lift in the next moment, revealing amber pupils that would look at him in confusion, asking what time it was and if he had overslept.

An inexplicable emotion surged in Shen Bingsi’s heart. Beneath him, the flying sword suddenly tilted to one side, vibrating uncontrollably.

Shen Bingsi was startled. he hurriedly reined in his wandering thoughts, shifting his attention to controlling the flying sword. Slowly, the sword regained its stability.

However, the sway caused Rong Xie to press entirely against his chest. Rong Xie’s elegant, straight nose nuzzled into the hollow of his neck, the cool touch pressing against his artery.

Thousands of feet below, if someone looked up, they would see a golden ribbon of light twisting left and right, shuttling up and down like a living dragon.

…

“Don’t move.” Shen Bingsi held Rong Xie’s shoulders with both hands, fixing him in a safe position. Rong Xie’s head nodded along with the sword’s movement. Watching this, Shen Bingsi pulled his head over again to rest on his shoulder.

“Okay, just like this.” Shen Bingsi exhaled, feeling he had found the balance between taking care of Rong Xie and controlling the sword.

Logically, having just broken through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, this should be when Shen Bingsi’s Dao Heart was firmest. Being able to break through also indicated his cultivation method was correct.

However… the frequency of his Dao Heart shaking hadn’t decreased with the breakthrough; if anything, it was increasing. Before, his Dao Heart only shook during moments of great joy or anger. Now, if Rong Xie just got a little closer, if the area of skin contact expanded slightly, Shen Bingsi would lose control of the flying sword.

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Shen Bingsi didn’t want to care anymore. As long as he could break through, it didn’t matter if his Dao Heart shook. Maybe he could verify his Dao by achieving the Distraction and Unity stage while his Dao Heart shook?

“Mmh…” The person in his arms let out a low hum. At some point, his brows had knitted together.

Shen Bingsi looked down immediately. Seeing Rong Xie’s furrowed brow, he realized Rong Xie was dreaming. He wondered if that accursed Nightmare Spell affected Rong Xie’s dreams. Generally, dreams were spontaneous and hard to invade. Shen Bingsi raised his hand to smooth Rong Xie’s furrowed brow.

Just then, he heard Rong Xie moan softly: “…Senior Brother Lu… Senior Brother Lu…”

Shen Bingsi’s fingers stiffened slightly. He suspected he had misheard.

“Shen Bingsi…” The next moment, Rong Xie changed the name. Shen Bingsi felt slightly better. He put his ear close to Rong Xie, making a “Hm?” sound to encourage him to continue dreaming with this address.

“Shen Bingsi… go find… go find Senior Brother Lu quick…”

“…”

This accursed Nightmare Spell could actually control people’s dreams!

No, he had to speed up. He had to get to the Mirror Palace quickly and find that hapless Madam Mei to break the spell!

The next day at noon, Shen Bingsi landed on the peak of Mystic Mountain.

He had rushed to the Mirror Palace at the fastest speed Rong Xie could withstand. Unexpectedly, someone beat him to it.

Before he even landed, he saw Lu Yingqi standing in the fierce wind, wearing a brand-new set of brocade robes. It was unclear how long he had been standing there; his hair and clothes were blown into disarray.

Shen Bingsi scoffed inwardly, guessing why he was here.

Wasn’t it just to question Madam Mei about his furnace cauldron?

Lu Yingqi was certainly a strange one. He didn’t care a whit about the massive calamity in his own family, yet rushed all the way here to wait for news from Madam Mei about a furnace cauldron that was perfectly fine.

If someone like him could cultivate to the late Nascent Soul stage, Shen Bingsi wasn’t worried about himself at all.

“Shen Bingsi?” Lu Yingqi called out.

Shen Bingsi ignored Lu Yingqi completely and walked straight toward the Mirror Palace gate.

Footsteps sounded behind him, but they were quickly blocked by the Mirror Palace’s barrier.

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The Mirror Palace wasn’t a vegetable market where anyone could enter. Shen Bingsi sneered inwardly again and rushed into the main hall holding Rong Xie.

The main hall was empty. Shen Bingsi rushed into the rear hall, still holding Rong Xie.

In the garden, the Recording Officer was feeding the fish.

The small door to the rear hall, hidden by wisteria vines, was right in front of him. However, symbols flashed on the door, indicating someone was inside handling official business and communicating with the Sky Mirror. In this situation, unless the Sky Mirror permitted it, even Shen Bingsi couldn’t enter.

“Little He,” Shen Bingsi called out. “Is Big Brother Jiang inside?”

Shen Bingsi had worked with the Recording Officer for several years, but for some reason, he was always a bit afraid of her, even though she was the least aggressive Adjudicator in the Mirror Palace.

The Recording Officer lived in the Mirror Palace year-round, treating it like home. She was wearing comfortable, fitted cotton casual wear. She raised her head lazily from the water’s edge, examining Shen Bingsi with a faint smile. Her gaze moved from him to the person in his arms, then back again.

“He is,” she said unhurriedly. “But the Lu family case has entered the Sky Mirror. He likely won’t come out until he finishes interrogating Madam Mei. You have business with him?”

“So fast.” Shen Bingsi’s heart sank. He knew that once a case entered the Sky Mirror’s process, the principal offender couldn’t be easily extracted. But Rong Xie was under a Nightmare Spell; he couldn’t wait. He could only tentatively ask, “Little He, you can enter anytime, right? Rong Xie is under Madam Mei’s Nightmare Spell and is unconscious. I’m afraid it will damage his Sea of Consciousness. I need to borrow Madam Mei to break the spell. Can you—”

Half an incense stick’s time later, the main gate of the Mirror Palace swung open. Shen Bingsi felt as if an invisible giant force had ejected him. He stumbled back several steps before barely finding his footing.

Bang! The main gate slammed shut, seamless and tight.

Shen Bingsi hopped with rage. If he weren’t holding someone, making violent movements inconvenient, he would have rushed up to smash the door.

“Little He! Can’t you pass a message for the sake of our colleagueship? Just one sentence: Rong Xie’s Nightmare Spell was cast by that old he-she monster Madam Mei! He’s having nightmares right now! He can’t wait a moment longer!”

However, the merciless main gate gave Shen Bingsi no response. Now, having disrupted the order of the Mirror Palace, he was temporarily listed as persona non grata.

Shen Bingsi stepped back in annoyance, intending to find a place to set Rong Xie down before smashing open the Mirror Palace gate with his Sheng Xie Sword to have a “good talk” about colleagueship with the Recording Officer.

From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Lu Yingqi standing motionless like a statue to the side. The corners of that mouth, which had been pressed into a line for ten thousand years, showed a suspicious upward curve.