Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 62

Chapter 62: Night of Fright

Standing outside the door was a hunchbacked old woman, dressed in dark clothes, wrapped tightly from head to toe, revealing only a face.

The old woman’s face was somewhat deformed, with one eye larger than the other. When looking at people, she always turned her face sideways, as if spying or assessing something. The malice in her eyes was unconcealed.

Rong Xie met her gaze and felt as if he had been stabbed by a knife.

“Old Madam, may I ask who you are…?” Rong Xie asked politely.

The old woman acted as if she didn’t hear, looked Rong Xie up and down once, turned around, and left.

Rong Xie watched the old woman’s retreating back in confusion.

What… was that about?

Actually, it wasn’t just this old woman. Since entering the Lu family, Rong Xie felt prying eyes everywhere. Along the way, the servants and guards he saw would stare at him seemingly inadvertently, turning their eyes away when he looked back.

This made Rong Xie very uncomfortable. It was different from the Shen family’s prying and gossip. Everything in the Lu family happened in the dark. In the silent, deathly manor, no one had any vitality. No wonder Lu Yinglin envied the young people of the Shen family.

Later, Lu Yinglin returned.

Lu Yinglin looked exhausted. Seeing Rong Xie, he forced a smile, returned to the main room, took off his outer robe, and sat by the tea table.

Rong Xie poured him a bowl of calming soup.

Lu Yinglin drank it and felt warmth and comfort. “Where did this come from?”

The Lu family kitchen certainly wouldn’t prepare this for him, Lu Yinglin knew.

“It’s a recipe I mixed myself. It calms the spirit and steadies the heart. Shen…” Rong Xie wanted to say that Shen Bingsi often had headaches when his breakthrough was blocked, and drinking this helped, but thinking about it, there was no need to say that. So he said, “Someone had headaches and insomnia; drinking this was very effective.”

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“Great, I need exactly this. How much for your recipe, Junior Brother Rong? I’ll buy it,” Lu Yinglin said.

“No need. If Master Lu needs it, I’ll just write it down.” Rong Xie smiled.

“That won’t do. Things have value, especially a recipe you spent effort blending. I can’t take it for free,” Lu Yinglin said seriously.

“Treat it as a return gift for letting me stay here.” Rong Xie laughed. “Doesn’t Master Lu often say that people need to owe each other to make the friendship solid? If bought out with money, what interaction is left?”

Lu Yinglin looked at Rong Xie in surprise. “Junior Brother Rong has a good memory! You even learned my secret trade trick. What should I do? I truly envy Sword Saint Shen for having a confidant like Junior Brother Rong by his side.”

Rong Xie smiled and sat on the chair beside him.

He originally just saw Lu Yinglin distressed and wanted to comfort him. Seeing him recover so quickly and even making jokes, he didn’t say more.

“How is your shoulder? Did you apply the hot compress?” Lu Yinglin asked with concern.

“I did. It’s much better.” Rong Xie suddenly thought of the old woman and told Lu Yinglin about it.

Lu Yinglin’s expression changed slightly, then he smiled bitterly. “They are still like this. So many years passed, and they haven’t changed a bit.”

“They?”

“Yes, them. The Lu family. From the Old Master and the Head of the House to the servants, guards, maids, and old women—they are all like this.” Lu Yinglin sighed. “While I was in the main hall, they investigated your appearance and background clearly. Knowing you are someone by Sword Saint Shen’s side, they won’t trouble you.”

“This…” Rong Xie originally didn’t want to ask about Lu family affairs, but hearing Lu Yinglin say this, he felt stripped naked. Those prying eyes along the way were real, not his imagination.

However, the Shen family would also gossip about these things. If Shen Bingsi brought back a strange friend he had never seen, the Shen family would also discuss this person, trying to dig out their background and eight generations of ancestors—they just didn’t have the capability.

“They might just care about you,” Rong Xie said.

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Lu Yinglin gave a bitter laugh and shook his head.

“If my surname weren’t Lu, I would want to move out of here too.” Lu Yinglin sighed.

Rong Xie looked at him in surprise.

“Never mind, let’s rest early.” Lu Yinglin said. “I have to go to the Qinghe Yamen early tomorrow morning. My business will be done then. We can look around and play. Qinghe is quite a nice place.”

Seeing he didn’t want to say more about family matters, Rong Xie didn’t ask further. He stood up to say goodbye and went back to his room to rest.

The Lu Manor at night was very quiet, without a sound.

Rong Xie sat by the bed in the guest room, taking out his Transmission Jade and rubbing it.

After Shen Bingsi left last night, Rong Xie contacted Shen Yan, telling him Shen Bingsi went back and asking them to be prepared. Shen Bingsi might be very angry, so they’d better not provoke him. Sleeping was the right thing to do at that time, or pretending to sleep.

Shen Yan agreed to everything.

Rong Xie didn’t have the energy to say much more at the time and ended the contact.

He wondered if Shen Bingsi had returned and how Shen Yan and the others were doing now.

Lost in thought, a scream suddenly pierced the quiet night, followed by a series of miserable cries.

Rong Xie jumped in fright, freezing on the spot.

Listening carefully, the crying disappeared.

Rong Xie stood up hesitantly, went to the window, and pushed it open a crack.

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Outside, he could only see Lu Yinglin’s courtyard. The autumn moonlight spilled coldly on the ground. The courtyard was empty, and the main house was dark; Lu Yinglin must have gone to sleep.

Rong Xie closed the window, checked the window and door bolts one by one, and confirmed they were fastened before returning to the bedside.

The next morning, Rong Xie got up early, packed up, and waited for Lu Yinglin to come out.

Lu Yinglin came out yawning and pushing the door. Seeing Rong Xie standing neatly dressed at the bottom of the steps, he couldn’t help but be stunned.

Rong Xie indicated he wanted to go to the Qinghe Yamen with Lu Yinglin.

“You’re going too? You might have to wait there for an hour or so.”

Rong Xie nodded firmly.

“Alright.” Lu Yinglin was actually happy for Rong Xie to accompany him. “Wait a moment, let me get ready.”

An incense stick’s time later, Lu Yinglin came out of the main house dressed in new clothes, snapped open his folding fan, fanned himself, and asked Rong Xie, “How is it?”

Rong Xie nodded. “Master Lu is a handsome talent; you look spirited in anything. However, isn’t this a bit too flashy for business at the Yamen?”

“Yamen business is incidental; accompanying the big client is the main thing.” Lu Yinglin laughed.

Rong Xie knew his habit of making jokes couldn’t be changed.

The two walked out of the courtyard. The carriage was parked at the side gate, requiring a bit of a walk.

The morning Lu Manor began to have movement. Occasionally, people could be seen shuttling between the walls.

Morning light shone on the white walls and gray tiles, illuminating everything clearly. Rong Xie could finally see the original appearance of the Lu Manor, and the discomfort in his heart eased slightly.

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“How did you rest last night?” Lu Yinglin asked with concern.

“Mm, okay.” Rong Xie still didn’t mention hearing the strange noises. Since he was leaving, it was better to mind his own business regarding other people’s family affairs.

“That’s good.” Lu Yinglin smiled.

shortly, the two passed through the narrow alleys between the high walls and arrived at the carriage by the side gate.

Rong Xie got into the carriage first. Lu Yinglin gave some instructions to the servant and followed him in.

The wheels rumbled over the bluestone slabs, rolling forward.

Rong Xie lifted the small curtain at the carriage window and looked out. Although the layout of the Lu Manor was strange, having a straight path for quick passage between the outer and inner walls was common. Most large residences used this layout to facilitate servant passage and mobilize firefighting quickly in case of fire.

There were small doors leading to the courtyards at intervals along this straight path. Rong Xie looked at them one by one. Inside each small door was the same bluestone narrow alley with high walls on both sides…

Suddenly, he saw two servants carrying something out of a courtyard. Although it was just a flash, Rong Xie still saw two cyan-colored feet swaying in the air.

Rong Xie’s heart clenched violently, and he subconsciously shouted, “Stop the carriage.”

The carriage slowed down.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Yinglin asked. “Did you forget something?”

“No…” Rong Xie hesitated. “I think I just saw a dead person. Should we go ask?”

The expression on Lu Yinglin’s face froze slightly. Soon, he restored his smile. “How could there be a dead person? You must have seen wrong. Driver, don’t stop, keep going.”

Rong Xie frowned.

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Whether in the cultivation world or the mortal world, human life was a matter of utmost importance. Even in such a deep residence where servants signed death contracts, an inexplicable death required an official investigation.

Hearing about a dead person, Lu Yinglin’s first reaction wasn’t surprise or getting off to check, but pretending nothing happened and telling the driver to go faster. This reaction was abnormal no matter how one looked at it.

Perhaps Rong Xie’s gaze was too oppressive, Lu Yinglin finally sighed and said, “No need to look. They are doing it for me to see.”

“…?” Rong Xie was confused. They… referring to the Lu family? The Lu family doing it for Lu Yinglin to see? Why?

Lu Yinglin shook his head. He didn’t explain until the carriage drove out of the Lu Manor.

“You might think I’m speaking from a position of privilege without knowing the pain, but if I had a choice, I’d rather be born in the Shen family than the Lu family.” Lu Yinglin said, his gaze distant as if looking at an unknown place. “Every Lu family child is firmly controlled by them from birth. Everything goes according to their plan. Those without spiritual roots are better off, but those with spiritual roots are watched tight as property. When to take the spiritual root test, when to join the three major sects, what talents to display after entering the sect, which elder’s favor to attract—everything is planned by them in advance. To ensure you act according to their plan, they will place an attendant boy by your side.”

Rong Xie thought, this routine sounded familiar. However, the Shen family didn’t have such strong execution, and Shen Bingsi wasn’t as easily controlled as ordinary juniors. Plus, with his careful selection, the attendant boy sent by the Shen family had completely become one of their own.

“Sounds ridiculous, right? For a prodigal son like me who left the Heavenly Mystic Sect long ago to wander outside, an old uncle of my age, they still want to use such means to control me?” Lu Yinglin shook his head with a bitter smile. “But as you saw, as long as they are willing to pay the price, threaten me, scare my friends, they can always stuff an attendant boy by my side. Then I’ll have to obey their plans and have no freedom left.”

“…” Rong Xie understood why Lu Yinglin didn’t let the car stop. But those cyan feet… were they really just the Lu family pretending to scare people?

“Don’t worry. Although they are crazy, for the sake of the Lu family’s reputation, they won’t go too far,” Lu Yinglin seemed to see through Rong Xie’s thoughts. “If I waver because of this, or if you suspect me because of this, that would be falling right into their trap.”

Rong Xie looked at Lu Yinglin. Out for so long, he had never felt such creepiness as just now. Should he believe Lu Yinglin?

Liujin Sect, Heavenly Mystic Sect, Yuanbao Auction House… With these reliable backgrounds, Lu Yinglin should be trustworthy. But isn’t the Lu family behind Lu Yinglin also a big family that cultivates young talents one after another?

Never mind. They weren’t in a long-term relationship. After auctioning the assets, they might not contact each other again. Was trust that important? Better not to meddle.

Rong Xie lowered his eyes.

The carriage swayed and stopped. The Qinghe Yamen had arrived.

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