Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 39

Chapter 39: Severing with the Sword of Wisdom

Shen Bingsi had gotten up early to wait in a long line to buy the capital’s famous glutinous rice cakes. He brought them back to the small courtyard along with breakfast from the Prosperous World Pavilion, thinking that Rong Xie shouldn’t go out and exert himself in the morning.

Unexpectedly, Rong Xie had still cleaned the courtyard inside and out.

Although Rong Xie would receive spiritual power from Shen Bingsi after successful dual cultivation and could use it to repair physical damage, seeing Rong Xie sprawling on the ground working early in the morning left a bad taste in Shen Bingsi’s mouth.

He thought that someone as wonderful as Rong Xie should be lying among spiritual herbs and immortal grass, nurtured in a blessed paradise, soaking in spiritual springs and immortal elixirs.

“Stop working. Come eat breakfast.” Shen Bingsi grabbed Rong Xie’s hand and tossed the rag far away.

Shen Bingsi placed the food box on the table in the courtyard, pulled out a chair, settled Rong Xie into it, placed the exquisite bowl and chopsticks stamped with the character “Prosperity” in front of him, and then opened the box.

Steaming hot aroma wafted out.

A bowl of crucian carp soup, two nourishing side dishes, and a plate of red bean glutinous rice cakes.

They were all light and nourishing dishes, easy to digest. Only the glutinous rice cakes were a bit filling, but they were delicious and the portion was small, serving mainly to lift one’s mood.

Rong Xie cleaned his hands with a water spirit spell, picked up his spoon, ate two mouthfuls, and frowned.

“What is it?” Shen Bingsi had been staring at him. Seeing the slight change in his expression, he asked immediately.

“It smells good, but did they forget to put salt in this crucian carp soup?” Rong Xie asked.

“That can’t be. I specifically asked the head chef to make it. Would the head chef of the Prosperous World Pavilion make such a mistake?” Shen Bingsi said, tasting a mouthful. “It’s true!”

Looking at the milky-white crucian carp soup, Rong Xie had a theory. Shen Bingsi was someone who never cooked; could there have been a misunderstanding when he communicated with the chef?

“What exactly did you say to the chef?” Rong Xie asked.

“I said…” Shen Bingsi hesitated rarely. “I said there was someone in the courtyard exhausted from the journey who needed to nourish their body.”

“Mn…” Rong Xie’s cheeks warmed slightly. He knew what Shen Bingsi meant, and saying it that way didn’t seem to be a problem.

Shen Bingsi couldn’t wait. He threw down his spoon and walked out. A moment later, he returned with two attendants.

The two attendants had been scolded all the way there. When they reached the table, they shrank their necks, afraid to speak.

“To think he’s a retired palace chef. What is this garbage? You two taste it!” Shen Bingsi pointed at the soup and side dishes on the table.

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Rong Xie grabbed the fabric of Shen Bingsi’s sleeve at the elbow and asked the two attendants, “Did you pass the message to the chef? Did the chef say anything when making this soup?”

“Yes, he did.” Seeing such a polite and handsome young nobleman as Rong Xie, the two felt a sense of closeness and spoke a bit more. “Master Sun said that crucian carp soup is best for stimulating milk flow. However, during the ‘sitting the month’ confinement period, one shouldn’t eat much salt, so he used a special herb to replace the seasoning. It’s his exclusive secret recipe.”

A dead silence followed.

“Who told him someone was in postpartum confinement? What kind of nonsense is this?” Shen Bingsi exploded on the spot.

Although Rong Xie was also very embarrassed, he had actually guessed this outcome from the moment he tasted the flavorless soup.

After some explanation and apologies, the matter was finally cleared up.

Shen Bingsi had gone out and told them he wanted a breakfast specifically for “nourishing the body.” The chef somehow misheard it as “nourishing the body during confinement.” It just so happened that his signature dish from the palace, the “Noble Consort’s Health Soup” (crucian carp soup), rarely got a chance to shine. He had carefully prepared it in the kitchen for quite a while, serving it up proudly, only for it to result in such a farce.

Although he misheard, the responsibility still lay with the kitchen. The kitchen manager and the chef came to apologize personally, stating they would cover all meals for this period to make amends.

Rong Xie didn’t want to see the diligent chef bowing and scraping in apology over a misunderstood phrase, likely facing punishment later. He whispered to Shen Bingsi that they should just let it go; there was no need to comp all the meals since he wanted to eat out anyway. They should just proceed as normal.

Shen Bingsi had only been angry because Rong Xie hadn’t eaten well. Now that his anger had subsided, he nodded upon hearing Rong Xie’s words and relayed them to the manager and chef.

The manager smiled. “This young master truly has a kind heart. Rest assured, it is the pavilion’s rule never to leave a guest unsatisfied. This won’t be counted against Master Sun alone.”

The chef was a straightforward man. “That’s right. Young Master, just eat with peace of mind. I, Master Sun, don’t lack this bit of money. It’s just that I look down on other kitchens; only the golden signboard of the Prosperous World Pavilion is worthy of me, a former Imperial Chef.”

Rong Xie was amused by the chef.

Seeing him smile, the chef couldn’t help but speak frankly again. “The Young Master looks like an immortal and has such a kind heart. No wonder that big brother cares for you so meticulously, even going to the kitchen personally to give special instructions for a breakfast…”

The manager coughed, signaling him to stop babbling and not to stir up trouble right after calming things down.

Shen Bingsi didn’t mind. The chef was stating facts, and he never turned hostile when people spoke the truth.

With the big mix-up over, the kitchen wanted to remake breakfast. Rong Xie thought it was wasteful, so he just heated up the cold soup, added seasoning, and ate it as brunch.

As expected of highly nourishing food, both felt a bit hot after eating.

“Where are we going today?” Rong Xie asked.

“It’s too late to go far. Within the city, where do you want to play?” Shen Bingsi looked at Rong Xie.

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His best friend’s face held a faint blush, and his complexion was no longer as pale as before. Even in daylight, he looked lustrous, as if glowing.

“Then… the Hanmo Workshop? Just to wander around?” Rong Xie said, his eyes sparkling.

Hanmo Workshop was a place that sold books and stationery. Rong Xie loved browsing such places the most. Once he started, he would browse for half the day. The pile of old books and manuscripts he dug up could stack as high as a person. He stuffed them all into his portable pouch, ensuring he wouldn’t lack reading material for the rest of the year.

Shen Bingsi stood by with his arms crossed, watching. occasionally, seeing a book with pictures, he would pick it up to take a look.

“The customer has a good eye. This is The Illustrated Silver Mirror Moon by the Hermit of Southern Marsh. The original sold out long ago. This version was specifically commissioned by our workshop, copied by the former palace painter ‘One Branch Peach’. Look at this image quality, this skill—you couldn’t buy this elsewhere even with money!” The book peddler, dressed as a middle-aged scholar, laughed heh-heh.

“I think the artwork is just ordinary,” Shen Bingsi criticized to his face, as he always did. “No landscapes, flowers, or birds; no sword dancing or spear fighting. It’s just clusters of people standing in a room. What’s interesting about that?”

“Customer, you jest. Flip further back.” The book peddler revealed a mysterious smile and made a gesture to flip the pages.

Shen Bingsi was puzzled. If the first few pages were so stiff and boring, how could the back be any better? He flipped to the second half with a woosh, and was suddenly stunned by the expanse of white flesh in the images.

Rong Xie finished picking out the books he was interested in and turned back to find Shen Bingsi.

He felt slightly apologetic, not knowing how long Shen Bingsi had been bored waiting. Shen Bingsi had never been interested in these miscellaneous books; he entered Hanmo Workshop purely to accompany him.

Unexpectedly, after walking a few steps along the bookstall, a familiar figure appeared in Rong Xie’s view.

Rong Xie opened his eyes wide in surprise. He wasn’t seeing things—Shen Bingsi was actually holding a book and reading it. His eyes stared straight at the pages, and his whole body seemed frozen.

Rong Xie couldn’t help but get curious.

What kind of book would Shen Bingsi read at a mortal bookstall? Was it a lost cultivation manual? Or a forging diagram from palace artisans? Rong Xie couldn’t think of any other category that would engross Shen Bingsi so deeply.

He walked forward lightly, wanting to see what it was.

But before he could get close, he felt an invisible wall of air blocking him. Shen Bingsi tossed the book back into the basket behind the peddler as if nothing had happened, turned, and walked over.

“You finished reading?” Shen Bingsi asked casually.

The invisible wall blocking Rong Xie vanished as if it had never existed.

Something’s fishy. Rong Xie lowered his eyelids slightly, eyeing Shen Bingsi suspiciously.

Shen Bingsi walked up, put his arm around Rong Xie’s shoulder, and turned him in another direction. “Let’s go. This place is oddly boring. Let’s come here less often in the future.”

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“Really?” Rong Xie looked at him sideways in doubt. “You seemed quite engrossed just now.”

“Just some comical books,” Shen Bingsi frowned slightly. “The people who write such books ought to be beheaded.”

“…” Rong Xie truly couldn’t imagine why writing a comical book deserved beheading. Did they use Ruthless Path cultivators to tell dirty jokes?

The two walked out of Hanmo Workshop and listened to storytelling at a teahouse at the alley entrance for a while.

After a splendid segment about a hero going alone into danger, the storyteller with the desolate voice suddenly changed his tone and began to speak of romance.

“Since ancient times, they say, heroes stumble at the hurdle of beauty…”

Shen Bingsi slammed his teacup upside down and stood up.

Rong Xie knew that was the end of the storytelling for today.

When they came out of the teahouse, it was getting late.

“Where to next?” Rong Xie asked. “Do you still want to go to the snack stalls in the south of the city?”

Rong Xie had thought about it. Shen Bingsi wasn’t an ordinary person; he was a Nascent Soul cultivator who could turn wine into water. The sketchy ingredients in the snack stalls wouldn’t harm him. If he wanted to eat so badly, it didn’t matter if they indulged him occasionally. Happiness was priceless; it wasn’t a big deal for Rong Xie to accompany him once.

Besides, Rong Xie had spiritual power now too. After eating the snacks, he could just meditate for a cycle and expel anything unclean from his body.

“No. It’s getting late, let’s go back,” Shen Bingsi said, uncharacteristically.

Rong Xie was surprised. He thought Shen Bingsi would be happy to hear this arrangement, but he seemed to have no interest.

come to think of it, Shen Bingsi had been in a strange state all day—exploding over small things, and absent-minded when calm. He didn’t know what was wrong.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Rong Xie grew worried, grasping Shen Bingsi’s sleeve and observing his face carefully. “Did you transfer too much spiritual power to me…”

“Don’t think nonsense,” Shen Bingsi denied immediately. “That tiny bit of spiritual power is nothing.”

“Then what’s wrong?” Rong Xie touched his hanging hand, feeling the palm was very hot. “Should we find a medical cultivator from the Xuantian Sect to take a look?”

“No need, I’m fine,” Shen Bingsi said.

A moment later, he muttered, “Could it be that bowl of crucian carp soup?”

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The two returned to the Prosperous World Pavilion. Shen Bingsi had no mood to eat, and since Rong Xie had spiritual power, it didn’t matter if he ate or not.

So they skipped dinner.

Shen Bingsi had been neglecting his cultivation recently. He asked Rong Xie for some time off and moved to another bed to meditate.

Shen Bingsi had been out of seclusion for almost half a year. Because official duties were scarce and he focused on accompanying Rong Xie, he hadn’t meditated properly for a long time. Sitting down now, he found himself unable to enter the state.

Images from that book—The Illustrated Something Something Moon—kept surfacing in his mind. Normally, such filthy things would be blocked from his memory, but today, he recalled them again and again.

He wasn’t naive. When breaking through stages in the Ruthless Path, facing the test of the Lust Demon, he had passed every time without even glancing sideways. Among his peers in the Ruthless Path, only he passed the test of severing love and desire with ease, because he despised such things from the bottom of his heart.

But today, he recalled it repeatedly. The image in his mind wasn’t the vulgar work of a third-rate painter, but… another body, bright as the moon, white as snow, with long hair like flowing satin, shrinking into his arms, calling his name with a sob.

Enough.

Shen Bingsi, what are you thinking?

You are actually using such filthy thoughts to defile the sacred friendship between you and your best friend.

A giant blade existing in his sea of consciousness slashed down like a wall severing the sky, cutting the seawater of his consciousness in half. The violent tremor brought pain unbearable to ordinary people, but Shen Bingsi was long accustomed to it.

When he opened his eyes again to look at the boundless giant blade, his gaze held neither joy nor sorrow. All distracting thoughts had been blocked on the other side of the blade.

The seawater on this side returned to calm. The sea and sky were one color, free of distractions.

The next morning, Shen Bingsi returned to normal.