Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 49

Chapter 49: Not Connected

But Rong Xie didn’t take the hint. He simply walked to his side and gazed out at the dark blue sea surface.

“You say there’s a village down there? That’s too terrifying,” Rong Xie murmured. “How helpless the people must have been back then. Tiny mortals, how can they contend with the forces of nature? It’s pitiful.”

Shen Bingsi hadn’t expected Rong Xie’s focus to drift to the village submerged by the earthquake. he paused for a moment.

“Yes, mortals are too fragile. Faced with natural disasters, they are completely helpless,” Shen Bingsi said, following Rong Xie’s lead.

“Not just mortals, cultivators are the same. We just look a bit stronger than mortals, but in reality, we cannot escape the manipulation of fate.”

Shen Bingsi couldn’t help but turn to look at Rong Xie. He found his friend looking worried, no longer full of hope like he was during the sword flight that morning. Was it just because of a great earthquake from hundreds of years ago? His friend was still too kind-hearted.

“Because nature is powerful and fate is cruel, we must cultivate,” Shen Bingsi turned his gaze back to the distance. “We continuously improve our own strength until one day, when calamity arrives, we can trample it underfoot. To transcend everything—that is the meaning of cultivation.”

Shen Bingsi’s words were always inspiring and full of hope, as if with the determination to win, one could sweep away all suffering, transcend limits, and reach the shore of perfection.

But this time, Rong Xie wasn’t so sure.

“Is that so…”

“Of course.” Shen Bingsi pulled Rong Xie’s hand with full confidence. “Come, I’ll take you to see the Sea-Suppressing Stone.”

“Sea-Suppressing Stone?” Rong Xie was puzzled. Was there another unplanned scenic spot?

“You’ll know when we get there!”

Shen Bingsi dragged Rong Xie out of the bamboo house. He ran very fast, with no intention of using talismans, so Rong Xie had to run with him.

They passed through the paths between the bamboo houses, went down to the beach, and ran along the shore. The islanders stopped to watch them; some patted their bellies, others chattered something and then laughed loudly.

Sponsored

Rong Xie was a bit embarrassed at first. Later, as Shen Bingsi ran endlessly, his attention shifted to the act of running itself. Adjusting his breathing, keeping pace… gradually, the islanders and distracting thoughts were thrown to the back of his mind…

However, he still couldn’t manage to enjoy running.

After running for who knows how long, Rong Xie felt dizzy and his chest felt like it was going to split open. The legendary feeling of floating like an immortal after running for a while never appeared; instead, the feeling of dying arrived first.

“Hah… stop for a moment…” Rong Xie pushed at Shen Bingsi’s hand gripping his wrist. “I… I can’t do it…”

“We’re here.” Shen Bingsi’s voice came like celestial music. His pace slowed, turning from a run to a walk.

Rong Xie felt a massive burden lift. He followed for a while longer, his heartbeat calming down and his breathing becoming much smoother.

“Look, that’s the Sea-Suppressing Stone.” Shen Bingsi pointed ahead.

Rong Xie looked in the direction of his finger and saw a black reef rock about the size of a fake garden mountain standing on the beach. Its shape also resembled a fake mountain, and there was a hole on the side.

“Phew…” Rong Xie touched his chest. “This stone… is pretty big.”

He didn’t know how to describe it. This rock was a bit ordinary. It wasn’t even as good as the fake mountains in Huanxue Villa, let alone the strange rocks in Grand Secretary Wang’s Lanyuan Estate.

Shen Bingsi ran for nearly half an hour just to show him this? Rong Xie found it hard to offer praise.

“Don’t look at it as just an ordinary reef rock. It actually represents the southernmost tip of the South Island. If we flew past here on swords, we’d see this part of the coast jutting out,” Shen Bingsi explained, seeing Rong Xie’s confusion. “Didn’t I tell you? Dao companions who have been to the southernmost tip of the South Island can last forever. That ‘southernmost tip’ refers to this Sea-Suppressing Stone.”

Rong Xie realized. So it’s a spot with special meaning. Then it is indeed worth visiting.

“How do we get the blessing? Do we have to go up and touch it?” Rong Xie asked.

“This… actually, I’m not too sure either.” Shen Bingsi had only heard the general idea. “Since we’re here, let’s touch it.”

Sponsored

Rong Xie was very glad Shen Bingsi didn’t try to distinguish between Dao companions and close friends at this moment.

Rong Xie stepped forward first, walking across the fine white sand. Despite being very careful, some still got into his shoes.

He approached the Sea-Suppressing Stone inch by inch and reached out to touch it.

Just then, a burst of laughter came from the Sea-Suppressing Stone.

Rong Xie’s hand froze in mid-air.

A moment later, a young pair of Dao companions crawled out from the hole on the side of the reef. Seeing two people standing outside, they froze too.

“Uh… you guys are here to pray for blessings too?” the male cultivator asked.

“We aren’t Dao companions,” Rong Xie quickly clarified, to save the male cultivator from unknowingly triggering Shen Bingsi’s bad temper. “We are just… friends traveling together, passing by chance.”

“Oh, like that.” The male cultivator nodded. He didn’t say anything, but his expression clearly said he didn’t believe it.

Rong Xie knew his statement sounded ridiculous, but he couldn’t be bothered to justify it.

“We were praying inside just now,” the female cultivator pointed to the hole in the reef. “They say the Sea Goddess can only hear you if you pray in there.”

“They aren’t Dao companions,” the male cultivator reminded her. “They don’t need to know.”

The female cultivator rolled her eyes at him. “Who hasn’t dated around? Last year at this time, you were still calling me ‘Fellow Daoist’ with every breath.”

“Qingqing, Qingqing, I was wrong.” The male cultivator hurriedly embraced the female cultivator’s waist, and the two began to act intimately, ignoring everyone else.

Rong Xie felt his scalp tingle.

Sponsored

He didn’t even want to look at Shen Bingsi’s face; he could imagine how dark it must be right now.

However, until the lovebirds finished being intimate, Shen Bingsi didn’t make a sound. He just stood there. Rong Xie looked back in surprise and found Shen Bingsi staring unblinkingly at them—specifically, at their waists.

“We should get going. See you, friends~” the male cultivator said cheekily.

The female cultivator tugged at him, and the two walked toward the grassy slope.

“Wait.” Shen Bingsi finally spoke. “Are those Concentric Transmission Jades hanging on your belts?”

The two stopped and looked back. “Yes. Why? You friends want to get a pair? This is something only Dao companions with connected hearts can—”

“Name a price,” Shen Bingsi interrupted. “I’ll buy them.”

“Eh?”

Although Concentric Transmission Jades were rare magical artifacts, they weren’t priceless treasures. Shen Bingsi paid three times the price, plus a pair of ordinary Transmission Jades, and successfully bought the Concentric Transmission Jades off the couple.

Having received money and retained a means of communication, the couple naturally had no complaints and left happily.

Only Rong Xie looked as if he had seen a ghost the entire time, watching Shen Bingsi buy things used by another couple. This was unimaginable in the past; Shen Bingsi would usually think such things were dirty just looking at them, let alone buying them.

Shen Bingsi did indeed think they were dirty.

But there was one thing he wanted to confirm too badly. If he didn’t confirm it for a day, he would be uncomfortable for a day.

Using an invisible wall of Qi formed by spiritual power to pad his hand, he pinched one piece of the Concentric Transmission Jade with disdain and signaled Rong Xie to take the other.

Rong Xie understood what he wanted to do.

Sponsored

Ever since the Concentric Transmission Jade failed, Shen Bingsi had acted nonchalant on the surface, always saying he’d just buy another one. In reality, he still minded it privately. Now that there was a chance to test whether the jade was at fault or the people were… naturally, he wouldn’t let it slip.

Rong Xie didn’t care either way; using a Concentric Transmission Jade or an ordinary one was the same to him. He took out a handkerchief, placed it on his hand, and picked up the other piece.

He didn’t care if the jade had been used by Dao companions; as long as someone had used it, he treated it with equal disdain.

Separated by their respective padding, they held the jades in their hands.

Shen Bingsi channeled his spiritual power. Golden light instantly infused the jade. The jade rose slowly, emitting a long humming sound.

Rong Xie held the jade, standing opposite Shen Bingsi, barely ten feet away.

The golden light illuminated his face. The light was too dazzling, forcing him to squint.

However, from beginning to end, the piece in his hand remained quiet, with no reaction.

Shen Bingsi’s expression changed several times, his cheeks taut from clenching his teeth. Unwilling to accept this result, he injected spiritual power into the jade stronger and stronger each time. The golden light illuminated every fiber of the jade’s internal texture, yet there was still no reaction on Rong Xie’s side.

“How… is this possible?”

Shen Bingsi gritted his teeth and thrust spiritual power violently into the jade again.

Rong Xie frowned. He was about to advise him to stop when he heard a bang. The jade exploded into fragments, flying outward.

Rong Xie hurriedly used spiritual power to block them.

The golden light dissipated. Shen Bingsi stood frozen in place, his palm still maintaining the upward lifting motion.

Rong Xie lowered his arm and immediately checked Shen Bingsi’s condition.

Sponsored

Fortunately, the jade fragments hadn’t hurt him. His face and neck were clean, without scratches.

Rong Xie breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Why…” Shen Bingsi muttered to himself. “Why are we not connected?”

Rong Xie looked up at him and found that his expression seemed to have shattered. Those eyes, usually burning with spirit, were now covered in a layer of shadow, looking at Rong Xie with blank helplessness.

Rong Xie couldn’t answer either. He didn’t know why.

“Maybe… because it was used by others,” Rong Xie said, avoiding Shen Bingsi’s gaze.

“Impossible! The Concentric Transmission Jade isn’t an artifact that claims a master. Impossible!” Shen Bingsi said agitatedly. He couldn’t bear Rong Xie avoiding his gaze at this moment. In his desperation, he grabbed Rong Xie’s arm and pulled him in front of himself. “Why, Rong-er? What exactly are you thinking? Why can’t I see it anymore? What are you thinking?”

Under Shen Bingsi’s coercion, their eyes met again. But the thoughts that used to be clear at a glance had now turned into obscure, unintelligible emotions.

Their gazes touched and separated instantly. Rong Xie turned his face away, his brows knitting slightly.

His chest felt tight.

Actually, the failure of the Transmission Jade was strange to Rong Xie too.

He had accepted Shen Bingsi’s explanation that the jade was broken.

But the result of the test now proved the opposite: the jade wasn’t broken. It was the people… who had a problem.

What problem could people have?

My heart is full of Shen Bingsi, and Shen Bingsi doesn’t seem to be thinking of anyone else either. If there has to be an obstacle, it’s that Shen Bingsi cultivates the Ruthless Path. But the Ruthless Path existed long ago—why didn’t it hinder our spiritual connection back then?

Sponsored

“I think… the problem might still be with the jade,” Rong Xie said, frowning. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. When we get back… Hiss, why does it hurt so much?”

Shen Bingsi had been staring intently at Rong Xie’s face, desperate for an answer. Suddenly hearing him say it hurt, he immediately asked, “Hurt? Where does it hurt?”

He noticed Rong Xie looking at his own hand. He immediately let go. A smear of bright red pierced his eyes; a thin line of blood had been cut across the outside of the fair white arm.