Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 65

Chapter 65: Memory

A flash of annoyance passed through Lu Yinglin’s eyes, disappearing quickly.

He chuckled twice. “Junior Brother Rong, can you ensure your feelings are real?”

“What?”

“Sometimes people are deceived by feelings. For example, those maidens waiting in their boudoirs are always attracted by prodigal sons riding past. They think it’s admiration and love, but actually, it’s just a longing for freedom.”

Rong Xie didn’t know why Lu Yinglin suddenly said this, but his words seemed to make some sense.

“Or for example, those women married into families, suffering all kinds of torment from their husband’s family. Any discerning person can see the husband’s family is no good, yet she still defends them, saying they love and protect her. Actually, she’s just afraid that after leaving her husband’s family, she won’t have a roof over her head and won’t know what to do, so she finds an excuse to comfort herself.”

“Master Lu seems to know a lot about women’s affairs.”

“Women are people too. Moreover, they are simpler and kinder, easily opening their hearts to others.” Lu Yinglin looked at Rong Xie and smiled. “I say this only to tell Junior Brother Rong that feelings can lie. You think your bond is unbreakable, so why are you leaving him? You have your own reasons, but you just dare not face your true feelings.”

“Oh?” Rong Xie disagreed. “Since feelings can lie, how do we know what is real and what is false? Does it mean what Master Lu says is real, and what I feel is false?”

Lu Yinglin was waiting for him to ask this.

“If you truly care for someone, you can’t bear for them to be sad or heartbroken, can’t bear for them to suffer hardship outside. you’d wish to pile all the good things in the world in front of them just to win a moment of their joy.” Lu Yinglin’s eyes darkened as he stared tightly at Rong Xie. “So, if you feel pain, frustration, embarrassment, and worry, those are the real feelings. The ‘unique in the world’ you fantasized about is just an excuse you found for yourself.”

Rong Xie frowned. He had to admit, the seductive power in Lu Yinglin’s words was truly strong. If Rong Xie were a maiden in a boudoir, he might have believed it.

“I’m not blaming you. I just want to tell you, from now on, you don’t need to make excuses anymore. You have already left him. You don’t need to rely on him for shelter anymore. Face your true feelings, open your heart, and accept people who can truly make you happy.” Lu Yinglin’s voice became increasingly low and gentle as he began to describe the feasting and revelry, the delicious food and fun, and the colorful city life of the mortal world to Rong Xie.

Listening to Lu Yinglin recount those luxurious enjoyments, Rong Xie couldn’t help but be fascinated. The mortal world was so good; no wonder most cultivators were on mountains. If born in a prosperous city, in a wealthy family, facing so many temptations, one simply couldn’t calm down to cultivate.

Lu Yinglin described vividly while observing Rong Xie’s reaction. As expected, he saw Rong Xie looking moved. This cold beauty hidden deep in Huanxue Villa by the Sword Saint had a heart as hard to shake as his appearance. But once approached and shaken, the scene of frost melting and ice rivers cracking was extremely beautiful—under the sunlight, his increasingly white and translucent face, seemingly glowing, flushed with a rouge-like thin red. His hazy gaze slightly lost focus, drifting lightly onto the river surface as if seeing the luxurious picture Lu Yinglin described in the void.

Thinking that his voice was affecting Rong Xie’s mood and stirring his imagination, a numbing sense of accomplishment filled his chest, more stimulating than any previous visit to the flower districts. Clearly, there was no physical contact, yet just verbal penetration could bring such great pleasure. Lu Yinglin was secretly surprised.

Rong Xie had always had no resistance to exquisite and interesting things, especially beautiful architecture and decorations. The extravagant life in the capital described by Lu Yinglin hit right at his heart. He thought, listening didn’t cost money anyway. In the future, when he had money, he would visit all these places. Unknowingly, he became somewhat entranced.

It wasn’t until Lu Yinglin stopped speaking and just stared at him tightly that he snapped back, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

“Master Lu, it’s getting late. Let’s go back.” Rong Xie bowed slightly. “This meal must be expensive. I’ll pay half later.”

“How can I let that happen? I invited you to keep me company while I handled business.” Lu Yinglin laughed. “That Junior Brother Rong could accompany me is the greatest gift. Thanks to Junior Brother Rong today, I could pour out the old grudges pressing on my heart for years. I feel much more relaxed now.”

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“Since Master Lu says so, I’ll treat Master Lu to a meal when I move to Lanyuan.” Rong Xie thought, since he had to contact Lu Yinglin anyway when he went to Lanyuan, he wouldn’t stand on ceremony. He would treat Lu Yinglin to a meal and send wine as a gift then to settle the account.

Lu Yinglin was delighted. “That would be best.”

The boat ride lasted quite a long time. By the time they docked again, the afternoon was almost gone.

Lu Yinglin wanted to take a shortcut out of the county town, but Rong Xie said he had to pick someone up.

Lu Yinglin felt strange. Did Rong Xie know people in Qinghe?

When they arrived at the Yamen gate, a dark, thin boy ran up quickly and called out, “Brother Rong!”

After calling, he looked at Lu Yinglin and grinned, “Young Master Lu.”

“This is my servant boy at the Shen family,” Rong Xie introduced simply.

Although Lu Yinglin found it strange that a Shen family servant boy ran to Qinghe County, he didn’t think much of it. When boarding the carriage, Rong Xie got in first. Lu Yinglin followed, thinking he could strike while the iron was hot and bond further during the shared ride.

Unexpectedly, the curtain lifted, and Wang Mu climbed in too, grinning as he sat beside Rong Xie, facing Lu Yinglin.

“This…” Lu Yinglin looked at Rong Xie.

“The road is bumpy, and he is still young. It would be bad if he fell off the carriage,” Rong Xie explained for Wang Mu.

Lu Yinglin felt slightly uncomfortable. He had never seen a servant boy sitting with the master, not to mention there were two masters sitting in this carriage, making it crowded enough already.

But since Rong Xie said so, he couldn’t chase the boy away. He could only smile and temporarily extinguish his thoughts of bonding.

The journey was silent.

When the carriage arrived at the Shen family, it was already dark. The two returned to their respective guest rooms.

Rong Xie called Wang Mu into his room, cast a Soundproofing Talisman, and asked how the intelligence gathering went.

Wang Mu was very clever; he didn’t mention intelligence gathering along the way. Only now did he restrain his smile, his big eyes rolling around. “Brother Rong, with this talisman, can next door absolutely not hear us?”

“Yes, you can speak freely,” Rong Xie said.

“That’s good, that’s good…” Wang Mu, who usually feared nothing in heaven or earth, showed some fear now. “Brother Rong, I think we’d better not meddle in the Lu family’s business. That Lu family is terrifying!”

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“Terrifying how?” Rong Xie sat up straight.

Wang Mu followed Rong Xie’s instructions and only investigated from the periphery without getting close to the Lu Manor. Even so, he dug up some startling news.

The most sensational was that the Lu Manor had a Spirit Spring Well. As long as one drank the spirit spring water from the well, even an ordinary person with no special qualities could grow spirit roots and begin cultivation.

“What? Such a thing exists?” Rong Xie was startled. His instinctive reaction was disbelief. If such a spring truly existed, wouldn’t the world be in chaos? The distinction between mortals and immortals would be broken. Wouldn’t the Lu Manor become an object of contention for everyone? How could it stand peacefully in Qinghe County as a local tyrant like now?

“I don’t know if it’s true or false, but those villagers swore that the Lu Manor has such a well. Those in the village who can’t afford to raise children send them to the Lu Manor, so the children can cultivate immortality in the future!” Wang Mu said.

“Hiss… did those children really grow spirit roots?”

“They don’t know either, but everyone says so. The Lu Manor has a condition for accepting children: no contact is allowed in the future. The child’s name will be changed, and memories wiped… Right, they only accept children under three years old. That way, memories aren’t deep, and there won’t be mistakes,” Wang Mu explained.

“Then how do they know the children can cultivate?”

“Whether they know or not… sending the child to the Lu Manor gives them a hope. If kept at home, they might starve to death. That’s what they said. They also said someone really saw their child later, not walking on feet but flying in mid-air, and able to conjure gold out of thin air!”

“It sounds plausible…” Rong Xie pondered.

“Yeah. The Lu family is so powerful; people in the surrounding villages and towns treat them like gods! Even the government Yamen is the same!”

Rong Xie had seen with his own eyes how the Qinghe Yamen welcomed Lu Yinglin. Indeed, as Wang Mu said, the Lu Manor was the biggest in Qinghe County. Could it be… the Lu family really had such a spirit spring capable of making people grow spirit roots out of nothing?

“There’s something even more powerful. The Lu Manor has contacts with the three major sects, especially close dealings with the Heavenly Mystic Sect. It’s said that immortals from the Heavenly Mystic Sect personally bring Spirit Testing Stones to the Lu Manor. Locals have seen it with their own eyes.” Wang Mu’s eyes were wide as he spoke with admiration. “There are so many cultivation children sent by the Lu family to large and small sects. As long as they have ability, even lowly Attendant Boys can be sent to major sects.”

“By the way, the Attendant Boys Brother Rong asked me to investigate are children collected by the Lu Manor from outside. Except their Attendant Boys are very impressive, much more than ours. They can enter the three major sects directly… I heard one even entered the inner sect of the Heavenly Mystic Sect along with the Lu family young master and bowed under the most powerful Great Elder there.”

“Are you talking about Xiao Ya?” Rong Xie asked.

“Who is Xiao Ya?” Wang Mu was stunned.

“The Attendant Boy who was with that Young Master Lu just now.”

“Oh… then probably not. That was Young Master Lin just now, right?” Wang Mu scratched his head. “The one I heard about is Young Master Qi, Young Master Lin’s twin brother. Known as the Great Cultivator ‘One Sword of Heavenly Mystic.’ He is now the eldest disciple under that Great Elder of the Heavenly Mystic Sect—yes, Elder Bai. They say his swordsmanship is not inferior to our Grand Villa Master.”

“What?” Rong Xie felt a momentary daze. He seemed to have heard a very familiar title. “One Sword of Heavenly Mystic, Lu Yingqi?”

“Yes, that’s the name. Does Brother Rong know him? Is he really more powerful than our Grand Villa Master?” Wang Mu looked at Rong Xie with curiosity.

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“No… I just feel like I’ve heard this title somewhere.” Rong Xie thought for a long time but couldn’t recall where exactly. Strangely, after hearing this title, his heart thumped wildly, as if he had forgotten something extremely important.

Rong Xie felt somewhat irritable. He had never been like this before, unable to remember an important matter. His always proud memory actually malfunctioned at this critical juncture.

Wang Mu waited with his mouth half-open. After waiting a long time, Rong Xie didn’t say any shocking words to satisfy his gossiping heart.

“Never mind.” Rong Xie lowered the hand pressing his temple and said to Wang Mu, “Did you find out any other news?”

“No more…”

“Alright. It’s getting late. Go back and rest.” Rong Xie counted ten spirit stones from his pouch and placed them on the table under Wang Mu’s burning gaze. “This is your payment. Thank you for finding out so much news.”

“Thank you, Brother Rong!” Wang Mu swept the spirit stones into his arms, beaming with joy. This way, when he returned to Yingbin Town, he could buy many things. Rong Xie teaching him to use spirit talismans this time had piqued his interest in this area, and he wanted to buy some to try himself.

After Wang Mu left, Rong Xie washed up and lay on the bed, his mind in chaos. one moment thinking about Xiao Ya’s tragic story, the next thinking about the Lu Manor’s Spirit Spring Well and the sensational rumors…

Thinking and thinking, he groggily fell asleep.

Half-dreaming and half-awake, he seemed to return to the spacious hall at the entrance of the Mirror Palace. The hall was crowded with people talking in low voices, the atmosphere extremely oppressive.

In front of Rong Xie, the round-faced Daoist was talking to others. They were exchanging information about Rong Xie, just like last time.

Only this time, Rong Xie didn’t care much about how they viewed him. He knew what would happen next, and he knew their discussions were irrelevant to him.

Rong Xie’s attention dispersed, incorporating discussions from a wider range into his hearing. The conversations of those standing in the background suddenly became clear.

“It seems the prophecy of the Heavenly Demons destroying the world is coming true!”

“Poor Old Sect Master Xue sacrificed himself to the Dao, desperately protecting the Lingjing Sect’s mountain-guarding formation… But how long can those incapable disciples below hold on?”

“If the ‘One Sword of Heavenly Mystic’ Lu Yingqi were still here, perhaps he could join swords with the Demon-Slaying Sword Saint to resist the Heavenly Demons together. What a pity…”

Rong Xie sat up abruptly from the bed, his fingers gripping the bedsheet tightly.

He remembered! He remembered where he had heard that name!