Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 157

Chapter 157: Worried About You

Rong Xie didn’t know what to say. Heaven be his witness, he absolutely wasn’t the one who leaked the closely guarded secret of the Wuqing Dao Gong.

“Is it really?” Shen Bingsi crossed his arms. “And here I was expecting the Wuqing Dao Gong to have some brilliant method. Turns out it’s just another waste of time.”

“Well… that’s not necessarily true.”

“I should have guessed it. When I first entered the sect, my master told me that the Wuqing Dao Gong had a method to break through emotional barriers called ‘killing one’s wife to prove the Dao’.”

“Cough, cough, cough…” Rong Xie thought to himself, So the Grand Elder knew about it all along. What kind of closely guarded secret is that?!

Shen Bingsi suddenly realized something and looked at Rong Xie. “What do you mean ‘not necessarily’?”

“I mean,” Rong Xie paused, “it might not be useless.”

“What do you mean it might not be useless?” Shen Bingsi pressed, his gaze locked tightly onto Rong Xie’s face.

“It’s just that…” Rong Xie was still trying to figure out how to explain when Shen Bingsi interrupted him:

“You don’t actually think I would be like the me in your dream, doing something to harm you just to save myself, do you?”

Shen Bingsi’s tone had turned incredibly serious, and his gaze was solemn as he stared at Rong Xie.

Rong Xie’s lips moved slightly. “Of course not…”

Shen Bingsi narrowed his eyes.

Rong Xie avoided his scrutinizing gaze. “Now is not the time to talk about this. In short, Elder Bai’s method is definitely different from what you imagine. If there really is no other way, I might give it a try.”

“No,” Shen Bingsi rejected the idea swiftly and decisively. “I won’t try it.”

Rong Xie hadn’t expected him to refuse so quickly. For a moment, he forgot what he was going to say and stared at him in astonishment.

“Even though I’m surprised you would have a dream like that, sometimes people can’t control themselves from thinking about terrible things,” Shen Bingsi slowly raised his eyes to look at Rong Xie. “You just need to know that in reality, I would absolutely never do such a thing. Even if there were ten thousand reasons, I still wouldn’t do it.”

“…”

Shen Bingsi’s words were incredibly earnest, his gaze piercing as if trying to look straight into Rong Xie’s soul. This was the first time since experiencing that prophetic dream that Shen Bingsi had so solemnly brought up its details—brought up that fateful sword strike—with Rong Xie.

Perhaps because so much time had passed, Rong Xie could barely recall the shock and sorrow he felt back then. Even the phantom pain of the Lightning White Orchid piercing his body had faded.

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And he completely believed Shen Bingsi’s words right now. Words represented one’s current resolve. However, the world was ever-changing, and a cultivator’s life was long. Would the Shen Bingsi who encountered the world-destroying Heavenly Demon a hundred years from now still feel the same way? How many things could happen in a century? Everything was in constant flux. Rong Xie didn’t want to distinguish what was true and what was false; he only wanted this state of change to continue, rather than coming to a premature end at a specific moment.

“I believe you, but you have to believe me too.” Rong Xie took Shen Bingsi’s hand, gently swung it for a moment, and then squeezed it. “I know this is hard, but if there’s truly no other way, you must follow Elder Bai’s method.”

Shen Bingsi’s expression had softened slightly at the first half of the sentence, but upon hearing the end, his face darkened, and he pulled his hand out of Rong Xie’s grasp.

But soon enough, it was enveloped again by a pair of cool, gentle hands.

“I can’t reveal Elder Bai’s method, but it is absolutely not what you think it is,” Rong Xie said, looking deeply into Shen Bingsi’s eyes.

“…” Shen Bingsi looked back at him. After staring at each other for who knew how long, Shen Bingsi finally spoke. “I can’t imagine what Elder Bai’s method could be, and I don’t trust him either.”

“What about me, then?” Rong Xie asked. “Do you not trust me either?”

Shen Bingsi’s pupils trembled slightly. He averted his gaze, remaining silent.

Rong Xie sighed.

“If there really weren’t any other options, I wouldn’t have chosen Elder Bai’s method either,” Rong Xie said. “Aside from his, there’s also Elder Hong’s method. According to Elder Bai, that way of resisting a shattered Dao Heart is extremely wicked, practically no different from falling into the demonic path.”

“It’s impossible for it to be the demonic path,” Shen Bingsi countered immediately. “If he had fallen to the demonic path, the Tianjing would have detected it instantly! Before me, Big Brother Jiang served as the Demon Eradicator for a very long time, and he never made a move against Elder Hong.”

“That was my exact reaction at the time too,” Rong Xie chuckled. “However, the ‘demonic path’ Elder Bai mentioned might not mean what we think it means. Rather, it’s… cough, you know about those cultivation methods used by the Hehuan Jiao. Or perhaps you would prefer this kind of low-risk method, even if it doesn’t sound very reputable if word gets out?”

“What?” Shen Bingsi was about to say he didn’t care about his reputation at all, but seeing Rong Xie’s meaningful smile, his eyelids suddenly twitched, and he forcefully swallowed his words.

“If you’re leaning towards this method, I can go ask around to see if the Hehuan Jiao is still accepting disciples who join halfway, or if Elder Hong is still taking on apprentices. Hmm?” Rong Xie’s smile gradually became dangerous.

“…” Shen Bingsi suddenly realized he had stepped into an extremely perilous situation. Right now, whatever he said would be wrong. He could only ask tentatively, “You don’t want to find Elder Hong? Then I won’t look for him either.”

Rong Xie gritted his teeth. “Find him. Of course, we still need to find him. If we don’t ask clearly, how will we know whether his or Elder Bai’s method is more suitable for you?”

“…I’ll listen to you!” Shen Bingsi replied with absolute obedience.

Rong Xie cast a sidelong glance at Shen Bingsi.

Say what you will, although Shen Bingsi was a late bloomer when it came to romance, his brain still spun pretty fast. Perhaps sword cultivators were simply more sensitive when it came to their instinctual perception of danger.

“How should we proceed next?” Shen Bingsi asked. As he spoke, he peered outside, not forgetting to secretly pull Rong Xie’s hand back into his own.

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Rong Xie had grabbed Shen Bingsi’s hand earlier in a moment of urgency. Only now did he realize the impropriety. Just as he was about to ask Shen Bingsi if he was feeling alright, he saw Shen Bingsi’s expression change.

“Cough, cough, cough…” Shen Bingsi turned away, covering his mouth as a fit of coughing overtook him. When he turned back, his face was noticeably paler.

Rong Xie retreated to the corner of the room, his hands clasped behind his back. “How are you feeling? Should I get Senior Brother Lu to take a look at you?”

Shen Bingsi waved his hand, his face pale, unable to speak for a long moment.

“We… we better keep our distance. Before we find a way to deal with your shattered Dao Heart, let’s not let our thoughts wander.” Rong Xie was slightly frightened by Shen Bingsi’s pallor. “I’ll go find Elder Hong. You stay here for now. Once I find him, I’ll come back to get you.”

Shen Bingsi shook his head. After a long while, he said in a hoarse voice, “…I’m going with you.”

“No, we shouldn’t move together anymore.”

However, things did not develop as simply as Rong Xie had hoped.

After Xiao Zhi was taken away, Lu Yingqi’s condition was very unstable. Elder Bai had to go to the Council of Elders to mediate, but he couldn’t leave Lu Yingqi alone here with peace of mind. Thus, he ordered Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi to stay put and keep an eye on Lu Yingqi.

Rong Xie showed a look of difficulty, which Elder Bai noticed. Elder Bai’s face darkened. “What, are you going to refuse to help with such a small favor?”

“No, of course keeping an eye on Senior Brother Lu is fine. It’s just that Shen Bingsi’s situation is also urgent right now, and I want to go to the Hehuan Jiao again to gather some intelligence,” Rong Xie spoke frankly. “Elder Bai, how about this? Shen Bingsi can stay behind to watch over Senior Brother Lu. They are both Wuqing Dao cultivators and can share their insights. If I stay here, firstly, my cultivation is too low, and secondly, I won’t be able to contribute to the conversation. I’d truly be superfluous.”

Elder Bai immediately glared. “What? You still want to go to the Hehuan Jiao and find that traitor?”

Rong Xie put on a troubled expression. “I don’t want to either, but Shen Bingsi… he heard that Elder Hong has another method, and it seems he leans more towards the Hehuan Jiao’s approach.”

“Heh,” Elder Bai showed a mix of understanding and disdain. “No wonder his Dao Heart shattered. You indulge him too much as well. Why does he even need to be consulted on what method to use?”

“Indeed. After all, he’s the one who will personally execute it; I can’t do it for him.” Rong Xie sighed, thinking to himself, Shen Bingsi, you’re just going to have to take the blame for this one.

“Wait,” Elder Bai suddenly realized something and stared at Rong Xie. “What does Shen Bingsi’s chosen method to resist his shattering Dao Heart have to do with me? I don’t care what you two plan to do; you must stay here and keep an eye on Yingqi. You have the silkiest tongue, so I only feel at ease leaving Yingqi to you. Besides, Shen Bingsi’s Dao Heart is on the verge of shattering. If I leave him alone with Yingqi, wouldn’t he just drag Yingqi down into the ditch with him?”

“You can’t say it like that.” Rong Xie desperately racked his brain, trying to find the words to persuade Elder Bai. “Both positive and negative examples have reference value. If Senior Brother Lu sees Shen Bingsi’s condition with his own eyes, he’ll be more cautious when he encounters similar situations in the future.”

Elder Bai paused, not expecting Rong Xie to argue from this angle. He tilted his head in thought for a moment before muttering, “That does make some sense…”

Rong Xie breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, but then Elder Bai suddenly stepped past him and waved his sleeve toward the door of the main house. Several streaks of white light shot toward the door, instantly forming a silver-white barrier that rippled outward in all directions like water.

“Elder Bai, what are you doing?” Rong Xie became anxious.

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“Hmph, did you think I would be bluffed by your sweet talk? You severely underestimate this old man,” Elder Bai sneered. “Right now, Shen Bingsi’s Dao Heart is unstable, so he definitely can’t break this barrier. Both of you will stay here obediently. Until Yingqi’s matter is resolved, no one is allowed to leave!”

Rong Xie wanted to plead further, but Elder Bai flicked his sleeve and transformed into a streak of white light, passing right through the barrier and disappearing beyond the gates. Soon, his voice echoed back from a distance:

“Yingqi, your master is going to the Tianji Tan. Rong Xie and that surnamed Shen will stay here to accompany you. If you feel stifled, just chat with them to relieve your boredom. Your master will be back soon! Remember, no matter what Rong Xie says, you must not let them go.”

Rong Xie returned to the study feeling suffocated. Shen Bingsi had already gone back to sitting on the couch to meditate and regulate his breathing. Seeing Rong Xie come in with his head drooping, having suffered a rare defeat and been thoroughly rebuffed, he patted the soft cushion beside him. “Come, sit.”

Rong Xie looked up at Shen Bingsi and said listlessly, “Sit? At a time like this, how could I possibly sit down? Let alone right next to you. We need to keep our distance right now—sigh, I should still go beg Senior Brother Lu for a favor.”

The corners of Shen Bingsi’s mouth, which had just curled up, immediately dropped. “Why beg him! A master’s command cannot be disobeyed. That old man sent a sound transmission before he left. Lu Yingqi won’t let you out. Don’t beg him!”

“Then what should we do?” Rong Xie was deeply worried. “That Shang Qian doesn’t look like someone easy to deal with. Who knows when the internal strife in the Wuqing Dao Gong will end. Are we just going to be delayed here indefinitely?”

“Weren’t you so concerned about that friend of yours, Xiao Zhi or Little Sprout or whatever… Let’s just wait until Old Man Bai brings him back, and my breathing is regulated, then we can leave together. Isn’t that fine?” Shen Bingsi knew Rong Xie cared about Xiao Zhi, so he used Xiao Zhi as a shield. He didn’t actually care whether Xiao Zhi came back or not; it was just that, in his current condition, he couldn’t take Rong Xie with him either, so stalling for time was necessary.

“I am worried about him, but…” Rong Xie tightly gripped his sleeve.

But I’m even more worried about you.

Of course, he couldn’t say those words aloud. Saying them would only stimulate Shen Bingsi further and worsen his backlash. In fact, Rong Xie hardly even dared to look up at him, afraid of seeing that abnormally pale complexion.

“But staying here won’t do any good… Never mind, I’ll go look for Senior Brother Lu. I won’t disturb your meditation.” Rong Xie turned around and fled as if he were flying.

Coughing sounds echoed from behind him again. Rong Xie hardened his heart and walked away step by step, stopping only when he reached Lu Yingqi’s door.

He stood before the door for a while, waiting until the coughing stopped before steadying his nerves and raising his hand to knock.

“Enter.”

The door opened without any wind. Lu Yingqi was standing by the window, holding the flying sword he usually wore, slowly wiping it down with a white cloth. His gaze rested steadily on the blade, showing neither joy nor anger. It was as if he wasn’t worried about Xiao Zhi at all.

Author’s Note: [Dove] This chapter also drops red envelopes (holding head and squatting down