Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 82

Chapter 82: Child Bride

The stewards were extremely efficient.

After the morning report ended, Steward Wang kept everyone for a gathering in the West Garden. The dishes on the table were all specialties of the master chefs, with a standard no lower than what Grand Secretary Wang would use to entertain friends.

During the feast, stewards took the opportunity of toasting to approach Rong Xie, introducing the “resources” in their hands. It seemed as if each of them moonlighted as a matchmaker, knowing good families all over Lanyuan and even the Capital. They knew clearly who had a daughter or son of marriageable age. They called this information “resources” because facilitating a match not only formed a good karmic bond but could also earn generous rewards. For the stewards, it was equivalent to a good “resource” for earning extra income.

Undoubtedly, Rong Xie had now become a prime resource in their eyes, one they were determined to market.

Throughout the meal, Rong Xie barely ate two mouthfuls of food; he was full just from listening to news about those young ladies. His head buzzed, and he regretted revealing his family background so early. If he had known, he would have said he had a child bride back home, and since he came out alone to develop his career this time, he didn’t bring her along. This wife was very jealous and wouldn’t allow him to glance at other girls once she arrived.

Yes, he could have said that. Why didn’t he think of it earlier?

The meal ended. Rong Xie stood up from the table, but barely took two steps before being stopped by a beaming steward.

“Steward Rong, isn’t this a coincidence? I just went home for a bit, and a distant niece happens to be visiting. Hearing Steward Rong’s conditions, she insisted on meeting. What’s that saying—fate brings people together from a thousand miles away!”

Rong Xie’s scalp tingled instantly. His information had only been out for a morning, and already a girl wanted to meet him? This efficiency was too high.

No, he couldn’t let this absurd matchmaking activity proceed any further.

“Actually, I have a…” Rong Xie was only halfway through his sentence when the enthusiastic steward eagerly grabbed his arm, pulling him outside while saying the girl was already waiting and that they should meet first to see if they got along.

“What? So fast?” Rong Xie was astonished.

While speaking, the two had already walked out of the reception hall and into the West Garden.

On the path by the lake stood a girl wearing a goose-yellow jacket. Seeing the two approach, she flashed a bright smile and waved her hand at them.

Rong Xie felt guilty. This girl seemed to have such good conditions and behaved so openly; why waste her time? Thus, he stopped, forcing the enthusiastic steward to stop as well.

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“Actually, I have a wife at home. We grew up together, she just didn’t come with me,” Rong Xie said.

The enthusiastic steward froze, his expression turning somewhat displeased as expected. “You have a wife? Then what are you looking for… Linglong is a girl from a good family; she won’t be a concubine.”

“Apologies, I didn’t explain clearly. In that case, I won’t go over. Please explain to the young lady, Steward.” Rong Xie bowed slightly.

Seeing Rong Xie’s attitude, the girl in the goose-yellow jacket lowered her hand in confusion. When the steward relative approached and said something to her, she shook her head, turned back, and waved at Rong Xie again.

Rong Xie was surprised. The matter had been explained clearly; why was the girl still waving at him?

The steward walked back with a helpless look and said to Rong Xie, “She says she doesn’t mind. She just wants to meet you and make a friend.”

Rong Xie was astonished. He knew female cultivators in the cultivation world didn’t mind gender or age when making friends, but he didn’t expect a daughter from a wealthy family to be so straightforward.

Since she actively proposed making friends, declining would seem petty. Rong Xie walked forward and exchanged greetings with the girl.

“This is Linglong from the Ling family of Zhuxi. The Ling family has quite some prestige in the Southern Province, known as a family of divine doctors,” the steward introduced. “This is the Steward Rong you wanted to see, Rong Xie.”

Linglong looked Rong Xie up and down with excitement, then stared intently at his face, making Rong Xie feel embarrassed instead.

“Linglong, don’t go too far. I just introduced you as a daughter from a good family,” the steward felt he was losing face.

“I know, Uncle. You go ahead; I’ll talk to Brother Rong,” Linglong gently pushed the steward.

Helpless, the steward bid farewell to Rong Xie and withdrew from between them.

“Brother Rong, I really didn’t expect you to look like this in person…” Linglong couldn’t help staring at Rong Xie’s face again and again. “Exactly the same as in the fragrant mist!”

“What fragrant mist?” Rong Xie was confused. “Do you know me, miss?”

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“Of course! You are the best friend of the Demon-Slaying Sword Saint Shen Bingsi, right?” Linglong laughed.

Rong Xie hadn’t expected that in Lanyuan, a girl from a steward’s distant relative’s family would know Shen Bingsi. Had Shen Bingsi’s fame reached such a household-name level?

“I-I’m a cultivator too,” Linglong patted her chest. “But I’m just a lowly rogue cultivator. The three major sects look down on me, and I don’t like being controlled. I’m currently moving with Big Brother Zhao’s Dragon-Seeking Treasure Hunting Team. If Brother Rong has time, you can come along too.”

“Dragon-Seeking Treasure Hunting Team?” Rong Xie felt he had heard this name somewhere. Soon, he realized and looked at Linglong in surprise. “Miss, could you be from that time… the Underground Dragon Cave, the Tura Paradox Script secret door?”

“That’s right, Brother Rong has a good memory!” Linglong beamed with joy. “I’m a member of that Dragon-Seeking Treasure Hunting Team.”

Rong Xie was astounded. What kind of fate was this? He actually ran into someone from the Dragon-Seeking Treasure Hunting Team at the Lanyuan Villa District.

Shen Bingsi had once used the Consentric Transmission Jade Pendant to find Rong Xie during that mission to slay the evil dragon, having him decipher the Tura Paradox Script mechanism on the secret door on the spot. That time, they used the image transmission function of the jade pendant, and the team members present saw Rong Xie.

Unexpectedly, Linglong was one of the team members present then.

“Miss has a good memory too. After so long, you still remember so clearly,” Rong Xie smiled.

“It’s not that my memory is good; it’s mainly that the scene left too deep an impression. Brother Rong was like a god descending to the world, cracking the mechanism on the door with just a casual look. Too amazing!” Linglong praised sincerely.

“Miss flatters me. I just happened to recognize it.”

The two walked along the path by the lake, chatting about many things unknowingly.

Shen Bingsi’s identity wasn’t as well-hidden as he imagined. After all, the Shengxie Sword was so famous that experienced team members quickly guessed his identity. Rumors of Sword Saint Shen slaying the dragon spread like wildfire among treasure hunting teams.

And the best friend who used the Consentric Transmission Jade Pendant with Sword Saint Shen was also quickly guessed—the friend surnamed Rong who grew up with him and lived in Huanxue Villa.

This time was a coincidence too. Linglong was visiting relatives. Her steward uncle returned midway, looking for her in a hurry, saying there was a young man from the cultivation world who just moved to Lanyuan and was looking for a compatible girl to marry. Since Linglong happened to be a cultivator, her uncle thought of her.

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Linglong wasn’t interested initially; she hadn’t played enough yet, who wanted to get married? But when her uncle described Rong Xie’s situation, Linglong immediately thought of the fleeting glimpse in the Underground Dragon Cave. After asking a few questions to confirm Rong Xie was indeed the person in the fragrant mist, she came over happily to meet him.

“Pity, Brother Rong is already married,” Linglong sighed half-jokingly. “Seems we can only be friends.”

Rong Xie laughed. This girl was clearly just here for the fun.

“Brother Rong is so knowledgeable. If you could join our Dragon-Seeking Treasure Hunting Team’s operations, you would definitely boost our chances of success greatly!” Linglong circled around for ages before finally stating her true purpose for coming.

“Me?” Rong Xie remembered Miss Cui saying similar words before. At the time, he was slightly tempted, but thinking of his limited cultivation, he figured he would only drag them down, so he let it go. “I think what you need more is a mighty figure like Sword Saint Shen. To be honest, my cultivation is very limited. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be of help, but would only add to the trouble.”

“Of course we need Brother Rong more!” Linglong shouted. “Although Sword Saint Shen is powerful, his temper is incredibly eccentric. Acting with him, everyone has to watch his mood. How uncomfortable is that! Don’t us rogue cultivators team up to hunt treasure for freedom? Besides, last time there wasn’t much treasure to begin with, and Sword Saint Shen took more than half…”

It was the first time Rong Xie heard someone say they needed him more than Shen Bingsi, describing Shen Bingsi so terribly yet so truthfully—not made up to appease him. He couldn’t help but want to laugh, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

“Brother Rong, don’t tell on me to Sword Saint Shen…” Linglong realized she had gone a bit too far and quickly tried to pull back. “Sword Saint Shen definitely put in a lot of effort; it was right for him to take those treasures…”

“Actually, those treasures weren’t much. Basically just fragments of Tura Paradox Script written on paper or shells. They might be useless to you, and selling them as antiques wouldn’t fetch the price of famous items,” Rong Xie said with a smile.

“So it was junk… then I blamed Sword Saint Shen wrongly. I thought the boxes looked so nice, they must contain gold, silver, and jewels!” Linglong stuck out her tongue. “Oh, Brother Rong, I didn’t mean those ancient texts are junk, just useless to me…”

Having been out for so long, this was the first time Rong Xie met a girl as simple and honest as Linglong, blurting out whatever came to mind, her mouth never stopping. It felt quite fresh.

Perhaps because previously he was in the Spirit Mirror Sect’s inner sect, encountering elites picked one in a thousand—everyone shrewd and reserved, constantly careful in speech and action. Before that, the people at Shen Family Village were born with hostility, making no secret of their schemes; without some defense, one couldn’t withstand them.

This was the first time Rong Xie met a jianghu rogue cultivator with no conflict of interest, free and spontaneous. It gave one a feeling of… not needing to hold back anymore.

“Although I can’t go adventuring with you, if there are any scripts or strange mechanisms you don’t understand, you can come ask me,” Rong Xie said.

“Really?” Linglong’s eyes widened instantly, looking at Rong Xie sparklingly. “That is absolutely wonderful! I’ll tell Big Brother Zhao and the others when I get back—”

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Rong Xie smiled, feeling his future days had gained a bit more interest.

“By the way, if Brother Rong doesn’t want to deal with people like my uncle who love matchmaking, you can use me as a shield. I don’t mind,” Linglong pointed at herself. “I look more real than a child bride back home, right?”

Rong Xie’s smile froze slightly. Did the child bride back home sound that fake?

Talking, the two exited the side gate and walked all the way toward Zhuli Lane.

On the other side, Shen Bingsi, disguised as the Old Servant, rushed into the Lanyuan Villa District and headed straight for the tailor’s room.