Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 161

Chapter 161: Unwilling

Things had ultimately progressed to this point.

“Since Elder Bai has put it that way, we naturally have no objections.”

“If Lu Yingqi can truly sever his ties of affection with his sword, we will believe that his Dao Heart is resolute.”

“And all his punishments will be completely revoked.”

“Just like… how Elder Bai and the rest of you managed to stay back in the day.”

The judgment upon Lu Yingqi was temporarily halted. The Sect Master and the Elders retreated from the cliff edge and returned to the halls of Tianji Tan.

Lu Yingqi and Xiao Zhi, however, were not permitted to leave. Until the “proof” was produced, neither of them could step off the stone platform at the bottom of Wenxin Xia.

Elder Bai, the guide, and Rong Xie descended via a small path down to the rock platform.

Elder Bai strode towards Lu Yingqi, and the two conversed on one side of the platform.

Rong Xie watched them from a distance. He didn’t know what Elder Bai was saying to Lu Yingqi, but Lu Yingqi’s face remained largely devoid of expression. After a while, Elder Bai finished his instructions, turned around with a satisfied look on his face, while behind him, Lu Yingqi’s gaze settled on Xiao Zhi.

Xiao Zhi had been standing far away the entire time, his back turned to everyone.

Xiao Zhi’s frail, thin silhouette evoked pity. Yet, from start to finish, Elder Bai had not given him a single word of instruction. It was as if the person making the ultimate sacrifice in this Dao-proving ritual was expected to simply accept his fate without the right to voice an opinion.

Elder Bai hurried back to where Rong Xie and the guide stood. “Yingqi indeed did not disappoint my expectations. He has agreed to act according to my plan. Rong Xie, it is time for you to contribute.”

“What about Xiao Zhi?” Rong Xie asked. “What did he say?”

“Xiao Zhi?” Elder Bai was confused. “What does he need to say?”

“For Lu Yingqi to prove his Dao, he’s not sacrificing a tree or a blade of grass; he’s sacrificing a person. Shouldn’t we at least find out what that person thinks first?” Rong Xie said.

Elder Bai was about to retort when he abruptly stopped, waving a hand at the guide. The guide understood the cue and quickly walked away.

Only Elder Bai and Rong Xie were left in the corner beneath the sheer cliff. Even so, Elder Bai still wasn’t at ease, casting a soundproof barrier around the two of them.

“What are you thinking? If we hadn’t given him a way out, he’d be dead by now! Do you think the attack formation in Wenxin Xia is made of paper? If those stone spikes can cripple a Nascent Soul cultivator, they can definitely shatter the soul of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!” Elder Bai said impatiently. “If he doesn’t cooperate with Yingqi, he dies anyway. By cooperating, he can at least save Yingqi’s life! Given that, why wouldn’t he cooperate?”

“But he doesn’t know that. He doesn’t know that the Dao-proving formation can spare his life. Isn’t this the closely guarded secret of the Wuqing Dao Gong? You know it, Elder Bai, and I know it, but Xiao Zhi doesn’t.”

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Elder Bai paused. He had actually forgotten about that detail, but it didn’t sway his judgment. “So what! If it weren’t for his furnace physique, Yingqi wouldn’t have been dragged into this mess today—not only having his reputation ruined but also facing expulsion from the Sect! All the cultivation he worked so hard to build was about to be destroyed! If he has any conscience at all, he’ll know what to do.”

“…” Rong Xie was speechless. “He didn’t choose to have a furnace physique. If Madam Mei hadn’t committed such heinous acts, Xiao Zhi could have grown up like a normal child. Ultimately, Madam Mei was a byproduct of the factional strife within your Wuqing Dao Gong. I’m afraid you can’t absolve yourself of blame either, Elder Bai.”

“You—” Elder Bai pointed a trembling finger at Rong Xie in sheer anger.

“What I mean is, we should still communicate with Xiao Zhi. It would be best to reveal a little bit of the truth to give him some peace of mind.”

“No! Absolutely not!” Elder Bai flicked his sleeve forcefully. “We who assist from the outside can know the details, but the two inside the core of the formation absolutely cannot know. Otherwise, the formation will lose its efficacy, and what Dao-proving would there be to speak of?”

Rong Xie had actually guessed this possibility.

Then… didn’t that mean Xiao Zhi had to harbor a genuine resolve to die in order for this to work?

That was simply too cruel to him.

“Even so, I believe we should talk to him beforehand. At the very least, pacify Xiao Zhi’s emotions,” Rong Xie stated. “If Xiao Zhi harbors resentment and shows it, it will surely affect Lu Yingqi to some degree.”

This struck directly at Elder Bai’s sore spot.

“What?!” he hollered. “Our Wuqing Dao Gong gave him food, gave him shelter, and nurtured him to where he is today. He’s only making a small sacrifice for Yingqi. What right does he have to be resentful or dissatisfied?!”

Rong Xie looked at Elder Bai without saying a word.

Elder Bai’s posture slumped on its own. After a moment of silence, he said, “You have a point.”

People of the Wuqing Dao Gong never considered others’ feelings. To them, killing a person was much simpler than comforting one.

Elder Bai adopted this suggestion. He waved a hand to dispel the soundproof barrier and led Rong Xie toward Lu Yingqi and Xiao Zhi.

“Do you… have anything you want to say?”

Elder Bai stood between Lu Yingqi and Xiao Zhi. For the first time, he turned his gaze to Xiao Zhi, staring him down as he asked the question, as if merely fulfilling an obligation.

Xiao Zhi looked up in surprise. His face was deathly pale, and his lips were so devoid of color they seemed transparent. “I…”

Elder Bai summoned his utmost patience, waiting for the mosquito-like reply.

“I…”

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Lu Yingqi had been staring at Xiao Zhi the entire time. At this moment, his gaze deepened profoundly.

“I… I am unwilling…”

Xiao Zhi took a deep breath, finished his sentence, and lowered his eyes.

“What?!” Elder Bai thought he had misheard. “What did you say? Unwilling?”

“…” Xiao Zhi’s silence was his confirmation.

The patience Elder Bai had painstakingly mustered under Rong Xie’s persuasion shattered instantly in the face of Xiao Zhi’s incredibly insolent refusal.

“What do you have to be unwilling about? Did anyone ask for your willingness?!” Elder Bai flew into a thundering rage. “If you refuse, you die anyway! If you agree, you can at least save Yingqi’s life! Are you just going to watch as Yingqi’s bright future is ruined because of you?! He has what it takes to ascend to immortality, and now he is going to be reduced to an ordinary mortal—”

Plop, plop. Xiao Zhi kept his head bowed, his tears falling directly onto the ground, leaving shallow, rain-like marks on the stone.

“Master.” Lu Yingqi finally spoke.

Rong Xie looked at Lu Yingqi with a complex expression.

In truth, he had been wondering why Lu Yingqi waited until now to speak. Logically, since neither Lu Yingqi nor Xiao Zhi knew the secret of the Dao-proving formation, Lu Yingqi must have genuinely believed he was going to kill Xiao Zhi.

Yet, despite this, he had agreed to his master’s request.

Was this out of trust in his master, or… was he truly heartless and emotionless?

Once Lu Yingqi spoke, Elder Bai’s imposing fury diminished significantly. He even showed a look of relief, though it lasted only for a fleeting second.

Elder Bai patted Lu Yingqi on the arm and turned away.

Lu Yingqi looked at Xiao Zhi. Xiao Zhi’s tears had already formed a small puddle at his feet.

Rong Xie knew this was their time to speak privately, and he should take his leave. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he cared intensely about this. Even as he walked a few paces away, he secretly brought out his clairaudience ear, hiding it under his sleeve to eavesdrop on their conversation. It felt akin to a prisoner about to head to the execution grounds, desperate to know what the guy ahead of him in line was feeling.

“Are you unwilling?” Lu Yingqi asked softly. Uncharacteristically, his voice seemed to carry a trace of emotion.

Xiao Zhi shook his head, pinching his nose to force the emotions down.

Choking on his tears, he said, “I… I don’t know… I don’t want to be separated from you.”

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“We won’t be separated,” Lu Yingqi said. “Do you trust me?”

“What?” Xiao Zhi was stunned. He looked up at Lu Yingqi.

Hearing this, Rong Xie was also shocked and confused. What did Lu Yingqi mean? Did Lu Yingqi actually know the secret of the Dao-proving formation?

“We were all born of Heaven and Earth, inherently one entity. As long as you remain within this Heaven and Earth, we will never be apart,” Lu Yingqi stated calmly.

Xiao Zhi stared at him blankly.

Forget Xiao Zhi; even Rong Xie went blank upon hearing this grand philosophical principle.

So this was what Lu Yingqi was thinking! What could one even say to him? Were the mental cultivation methods permanently etched into his brain, or was his enlightenment truly that profound, fitting for a titan about to break through to the Soul Split stage?

“When I prove my Dao and assimilate with Heaven and Earth, no matter where you are, I will find you and be with you,” Lu Yingqi said. “Once I pass this trial, nothing will ever be able to stop me again.”

“…” Xiao Zhi gazed at him, rendered completely speechless.

“Will you lend me a hand?” Lu Yingqi asked candidly.

Though it was only a few brief sentences, it was a dialogue Rong Xie had completely failed to anticipate.

It felt as though towering waves were crashing in his heart. Rong Xie felt he had rediscovered Lu Yingqi—or rather, come to know him much more profoundly.

Shen Bingsi definitely couldn’t utter such words. So matter-of-factly persuading someone to sacrifice themselves for his Dao-proving, all while laying out some grand ideology about becoming one with Heaven and Earth.

What could Xiao Zhi possibly say?

“But I…” Xiao Zhi gritted his teeth, as if enduring excruciating pain. He spoke slowly, each word seemingly branded out from his boiling lungs. “Then I… will know nothing anymore… I will never… feel anything again…”

“Why?” Lu Yingqi didn’t understand.

“Because… I’ll be dead…” Xiao Zhi smiled bitterly.

“You won’t die,” Lu Yingqi said evenly. “No one truly dies.”

“Yes, they all turn into… Heaven and Earth, the grass and trees, the floor tiles beneath our feet.” Xiao Zhi laughed, a sound akin to gasping for air. “But I can’t even compare to them.”

Lu Yingqi looked at him in confusion.

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“I…” Xiao Zhi took a deep breath. “I am so insignificant. Naturally, I don’t deserve to turn into those things. When I was alive, no one noticed me. After I die, even fewer will. I’ll become dust, a drop of water. When that time comes, you won’t be able to find me.”

Lu Yingqi stared at him steadfastly. “I will find you.”

“…”

Rong Xie put away the clairaudience ear. He simply couldn’t bear to listen to whatever it was they were saying anymore.

If Shen Bingsi ever dared to con him like this, he would slap him across the face right then and there.

It would be less painful to just be stabbed to death by a sword.

In the ensuing time, Xiao Zhi seemed to have tacitly accepted Lu Yingqi’s reasoning. He simply cried silently and voiced no further objections.

Elder Bai was overjoyed. He patted Rong Xie on the shoulder and praised, “Little disciple of Lingjing Zong, you truly are resourceful.”

“Well, have you finished discussing?” Shang Qian’s voice floated down from the top of the cliff, still dripping with that same schadenfreude. “The Sect Master and the Elders are waiting. It’s time to make a decision, isn’t it?”

Elder Bai flicked his sleeve, sending a streak of white light up the cliff. “Shang Qian, shut your mouth!”

With a loud boom, the iron-hard cliff face stood entirely unyielding, but showered down plenty of loose pebbles and dirt. Were it not for the barrier holding firm at the bottom of Wenxin Xia, they would have been pelted right in the face.

“Elder Bai,” the Sect Master’s voice rang out from afar, carrying endless coercive pressure. “Stop throwing a tantrum like a child. Let’s hurry up and begin!”