Chapter 72: The Parting
“Bingsi…”
Shen Bingsi never turned back to look at Rong Xie. He glared furiously at the kitchen door as if he had a vendetta against it.
“You’re drunk. I’m not talking to you,” Shen Bingsi said through gritted teeth.
“I’m not. You might not believe it… but I have never been as sober as I am now.”
“You still say you’re not drunk!” Shen Bingsi suddenly whipped his head around, his furious gaze shifting to Rong Xie’s face. “You reek of alcohol, you can’t even walk straight, and you call this not drunk?!”
Rong Xie sighed softly, seeming somewhat helpless. “That is… the price of courage.”
“What ghostly price?!”
“Courage… I didn’t know how to tell you. I’ve been thinking about these words for a long time. Fortunately, there was this Longan Wine. After drinking it and saying it, it feels like no big deal.” Rong Xie raised his eyes and looked straight at Shen Bingsi, speaking calmly. “Bingsi, I plan to leave. Either tomorrow or the day after. Once I find a carriage to Lanyuan, I’m leaving.”
Bang!
Shen Bingsi’s palm grazed Rong Xie’s body and slammed onto the stone table behind him. The table let out a loud boom, followed by the sound of stone cracking.
Shen Bingsi’s hand was trembling, squeezing the edge of the table—made from high-quality stone shipped from the capital—until it creaked. several cracks spread forward, and fine stone powder drifted down from between his fingers.
“Courage? You clearly don’t need courage. Your gall is huge! You say hurtful words whenever you want, and do hurtful things whenever you want!”
Rong Xie flinched slightly at Shen Bingsi’s strike but did not dodge his gaze or the angry words pouring out.
“What do you mean ‘live according to your own will’? Does that mean all this time you were with me against your will? Is being with me that unbearable for you?”
Shen Bingsi’s breathing grew heavy. A flushed tide rose from his neck to his cheeks. He stared intently at Rong Xie, his voice thick with deep pain.
“It’s not like that…” Rong Xie wanted to explain, but found it hard to clarify in a sentence or two. “I am very grateful to you… you treat me very well, but I…”
“And your way of thanking me is to leave me? Just because of that damn ‘like’! Just because I cultivate the Heartless Path, because I’ve severed love and desire and don’t know what ‘like’ is, so you have to leave me?”
“Then what about my feelings for you? Just because it isn’t ‘like,’ does it count for nothing? If I knew what ‘like’ was, of course I would take it out and give it to you! I could dig my heart out for you! Just because I can’t ‘like’ you, do my feelings for you mean nothing?!”
Bang!
Shen Bingsi slammed his palm onto the stone table again.
This time, the table couldn’t withstand the heavy blow. It cracked straight down the middle and collapsed to both sides. Dust rose up, choking Rong Xie into a coughing fit.
“Cough, cough… no, it’s not like that…” Rong Xie covered his nose and mouth, trying to prop himself up on the stone stool to stand.
Anger rushed to Shen Bingsi’s head, stripping him of the ability to think. He reached out toward Rong Xie. The power of telekinesis easily pulled Rong Xie up and threw him into Shen Bingsi’s grasp. He gripped Rong Xie’s body tightly, as if trying to crush him and knead him into his own body, until Rong Xie groaned in pain and began to struggle in his arms.
“You are not allowed to leave. You are not allowed to go anywhere except by my side,” Shen Bingsi muttered.
“Shen Bingsi… mmh… it hurts…”
“You are not allowed to leave. You don’t need family, you don’t need to know anyone else. I will be your family, your Dao companion. Whatever you want me to do, I will do, except leaving me.”
“Shen Bingsi…!”
Giant waves in his Sea of Consciousness crashed down over his head. He was swept away by the turbulence of his consciousness, unsure of where he was. The scene before him had long been distorted by waves of double vision. He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear; he only knew that what he grasped in his hand was his last treasure. If he let go, he would have nothing.
“Who are you? Who let you break into the forbidden grounds of our Cloud Mountain Sect?”
“Are you… the Shen family’s kid?”
“…”
“Kid, you’re crazy!”
“Boy, what have you done? He is your biological father!”
“Bingsi…” A gentle, cowardly voice rang in Shen Bingsi’s ear. Through his blurred vision, he saw vast swathes of bright red. A man wearing the grey-green long gown of a Cloud Mountain Sect medical cultivator lay on the ground, his gown soaked in blood. He reached out a hand toward Shen Bingsi.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
His heart beat heavily and rapidly, striking his chest until it ached.
I wasn’t wrong.
Shen Bingsi gripped the stone knife. Blood slid drop by drop down the rough blade face, dripping into the grass beneath him.
He deserved it. He deserved it!!
“Bingsi… run.” The cowardly medical cultivator pointed a finger to the side. “Go… go that way… there is a path…”
Why? Why tell him where to escape?
Why pretend to be so fake and hypocritical, as if he wasn’t the one who abandoned mother and son all those years ago!
Why harm Mother so terribly, then turn around and get married as if nothing happened?
He deserves it. He deserves it all!
Shen Bingsi’s hand trembled constantly. The rough, hot stone blade dug into his palm. Since he had gone this far, even if it cost him his life, he would avenge his mother.
Shen Bingsi raised his hand. The medical cultivator, clearly much larger than him, flew toward him effortlessly like a weightless straw. He gripped the stone blade and slammed it violently toward the man’s chest.
As long as he dies, Mother won’t think of him anymore. She can walk out of that tragic past, like someone else, and start a new life.
Shen Bingsi, stop!
Don’t do it! You’ll regret it…
Zzzzt—Bang!
A purple-and-red mass flew in front of Shen Bingsi, emitting sizzling electrical sounds and crackling sparks.
Shen Bingsi raised his hand slightly to block it. The object drifted away weakly like willow catkins, floating a short distance before exploding in the air.
Shen Bingsi snapped back to reality. His hands were empty; Rong Xie had already broken free of his restraint and dodged to the side. Shen Yan and Dragon Shaoye stood on either side, guarding Rong Xie.
A newly formed purple-red lightning fireball hovered beside Shen Yan’s head as he stared at Shen Bingsi with hostility.
Shen Bingsi couldn’t care about that now. He immediately looked at Rong Xie.
Fortunately, he hadn’t made a grave mistake this time. There was no blood on Rong Xie, nor any scorch marks. He was still standing whole, only…
His face was pale, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. One arm hung at his side, while the other hand was raised, covering his forearm. The sleeve had slipped down, revealing half a white wrist marked with several obvious scarlet pinch marks.
Regret gnawed at his heart like ants. Several times Shen Bingsi wanted to approach Rong Xie, only to be stopped by the disappointment in Rong Xie’s eyes. He felt torn by two opposing forces, pulling and tearing at him. He could not advance an inch, nor retreat an inch. Only when he was torn completely to pieces would this torture of emotional backlash end.
His Sea of Consciousness had long turned upside down. Dark thunderclouds merged with the black ocean, forming a terrifying storm unlike anything before. If he didn’t take measures soon, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Rong’er, come here,” Shen Bingsi called out toward Rong Xie amidst the chaotic double vision and buzzing in his ears.
Rong Xie didn’t answer, but Shen Yan’s voice rang out first: “Brother Rong, don’t go!”
“Yeah, the Villa Master isn’t right in the head right now. We’d better…” Dragon Shaoye chimed in from the side.
Shen Bingsi closed his eyes. On the dark ocean of his consciousness, four giant “walls” rose from beneath the water, bringing up countless waves and whirlpools as they ascended above the surface.
He was going to use the most powerful Heaven-Severing Blade to sever all emotions and thoughts. He didn’t have much time to pour out his heart. After the four Heaven-Severing Blades enclosed his Sea of Consciousness, he would become insensible, heartless, and emotionless—like putting on a stone mask and becoming another person.
“Rong’er, don’t go,” Shen Bingsi said toward Rong Xie. “Don’t leave me alone.”
The four “walls” broke through the sea surface, rising thunderously, instantly piercing the black clouds and reaching the incredibly clear high heavens. The storm was trapped within the four walls, roaring and howling, but unable to break out. It retreated steadily until it shrank to the size of a wooden crate, falling with a plop onto the calm sea surface, bobbing up and down as it drifted away.
When Shen Bingsi opened his eyes again, his expression had turned cold. He looked at the three people opposite him. The two teenagers stood further away, staring at him in astonishment, as if he had just done something unexpected. The young man had walked to within a step of him, reaching out to touch his arm.
Shen Bingsi turned slightly sideways, dodging the young man’s hand, and spoke icy words:
“Since you want to leave so badly, then go. I won’t stop you. However, think it through clearly. Once you walk out that door, life outside may not be so good. Don’t come back begging me for shelter after you’ve suffered.”
“Those who abandon me first are my enemies, every single one of them. I won’t give them a second chance, and that includes you.”
“Choose. Leave or stay, it’s up to you.”
“Bingsi…” Rong Xie hesitated, but ultimately grabbed his hand. The warm, cool palm stroked the inner side of his feverish arm, gently soothing him. “Promise me, go up to Wushang Immortal Mountain.”
Shen Bingsi sneered. “Whether I go to Wushang Immortal Mountain is my business. Why should I promise you? However, my state has indeed been unstable recently. It is necessary to make a trip and ask Master to help regulate it.”
“Good, then I’m relieved.”
Shen Bingsi instinctively wanted to ask, Relieved about what? Relieved to leave? But the thought vanished as quickly as it appeared.
He felt a wave of disinterest. Extracting his arm from Rong Xie’s hand, he strode toward the gate.
He had used the Heaven-Severing Blade too ruthlessly this time. It took fully three days for Shen Bingsi to recover somewhat from that state of dull indifference.
He found himself lying on a snowy mountain. This was Wushang Immortal Mountain, where his Master cultivated in seclusion. He must have walked halfway up before suddenly losing the desire to solve the issue of his wavering Dao Heart—feeling it didn’t matter either way—but lacking the desire to return, he had simply lain down on the spot.
Now that he had regained a little motivation to do things, he climbed up from the snow, used his protective spiritual energy to shake off the snow on his body, and continued toward the summit.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Shen Bingsi reached the peak. There was a stone chamber here, not very large. His Master cultivated here; the old man had no worldly desires left, needing only a shelter from the fierce wind and snow.
Shen Bingsi first knelt and bowed three times before the stone chamber, then reported his situation aloud, waiting for his Master’s reply.
However, his Master did not answer for a long time. Whether he was in deep meditation or simply had no desire to communicate with Shen Bingsi was unclear. Shen Bingsi waited for an hour, but there was still no response. He could only stand up to leave, planning to try his luck another time.
Just then, a strong gust of wind blew, shaking the snow off the stone door with a rustle, revealing a crack.
Shen Bingsi looked at the crack in surprise. Unsure if it was a summons from his Master or if the door just happened to be unlatched, he hesitated for a moment before walking forward.
His hand, reaching out to close the door, stopped in mid-air. Through the crack, Shen Bingsi clearly saw that there was no one in the stone chamber.
Master… was actually not there?
Shen Bingsi released his spiritual senses and detected a wisp of familiar spiritual energy. He looked toward the source: on the empty floor, a stone emitting golden light was weighing down a piece of molted animal skin.
“This is…”
No one expected that such a major event would occur in the long-peaceful cultivation world—the Great Elder of the Spirit Mirror Sect, who resided on Wushang Immortal Mountain, had disappeared.
Saying “disappeared” wasn’t quite right, after all, he left behind a farewell letter written on animal skin. Though only a few sentences long, the content was earth-shattering enough to rewrite the grand landscape of the cultivation world.
The farewell letter circulated only among the high-level members of the Spirit Mirror Sect, strictly forbidden from being spread outward. Shen Bingsi, being the first to discover the letter, was ordered to stay in the quiet room at the Immortal Greeting Terrace to facilitate questioning by the Council of Elders regarding various details.
Every Elder who came to see Shen Bingsi would show a trace of sympathy. After all, he was the first to discover the Great Elder was gone. Although he hadn’t seen a corpse, the farewell letter written in blood was shocking enough.
Shen Bingsi himself, however, showed little reaction. The Elders then recalled: Right, both he and the Great Elder are cultivators of the Heartless Path. Being proficient in ruthlessness, having no emotions is perfectly normal.
After seven consecutive days of sleepless discussions and verification by the Council of Elders, it was finally confirmed that the farewell letter was genuine. The Great Elder had passed away (sat in meditation until death), and the contents of the letter were top secret, absolutely not to be leaked.
Everyone involved—Xue Baoshan, all the Elders, and Shen Bingsi—swore heavy oaths and formed binding contracts before being allowed to leave the main peak of the Spirit Mirror Sect and return to their respective mountains.
Shen Bingsi had spent these days in high-intensity meetings. Even he felt somewhat exhausted. Returning to Huanxue Villa, he wanted nothing more than to cover his head and sleep, then take a hot bath. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell Rong Xie anything. Otherwise, Rong Xie would surely cook him delicious food for days, keep him company, and comfort him over the pain of losing a master—pain which didn’t actually exist.
Thinking this, Shen Bingsi began to pay attention to his surroundings, wondering where Rong Xie would appear. He walked through the front courtyard, passed the middle gate, and arrived at the bedroom courtyard. Everywhere was quiet, without a soul in sight.
If not for the fact that everything was tidy—obviously managed with care—Shen Bingsi would have thought Rong Xie was no longer here.
He wouldn’t. Rong Xie definitely hasn’t left.
Shen Bingsi inexplicably had this confidence.
He pushed open the bedroom door and saw the bed table placed in the center of the bed. An oval-shaped jade pendant lay quietly on the table, the character “Rong” carved on the face pointing upward.
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