Chapter 95: The One Who Can Hug
“You… why are you here?” Rong Xie was surprised.
Since Shen Bingsi disappeared that day and hadn’t appeared for several days, Rong Xie thought Shen Bingsi had figured things out.
Unexpectedly, he appeared again!
“I asked the waiter.” Shen Bingsi turned around.
Aside, the inn waiter stood smiling apologetically. “Since Sword Saint Shen found his friend, this lowly one will take his leave.” Saying so, he scampered away.
Rong Xie sighed inwardly. No wonder Shen Bingsi ostentatiously held the Shengxie Sword out in the open; it was to intimidate the waiter into finding him. He really took great pains.
“I figured it out.” Shen Bingsi spread his arms, sheathed the Shengxie Sword into the scabbard on his back, and walked toward Rong Xie.
Rong Xie looked away. “What did you figure out?”
“Last time, didn’t you say you didn’t want me to force myself to pretend to be your Daoist companion?” Shen Bingsi said.
Great, he listened to that sentence. Rong Xie breathed a slight sigh of relief.
“I figured it out. I wasn’t forcing myself; I was voluntary.” Shen Bingsi closed in on Rong Xie, blocking him in the gap formed by a vase and the wall in the inn corridor.
Rong Xie felt his scalp tingle.
“Compared to being your ordinary friend, having you draw a clear line, being thrown aside by you, and having to smile and wish you well,” Shen Bingsi paused, “I would rather be your Daoist companion. I am voluntary.”
Hearing Shen Bingsi say “voluntary” sentence after sentence, Rong Xie just wanted to laugh.
“I think you still don’t understand.” Rong Xie pushed Shen Bingsi away, opened the door, and walked in.
Shen Bingsi followed Rong Xie inside, looking around while talking to himself. “Did you use a new fragrant dew? It smells different, seems like rose?”
“…No,” Rong Xie said. The inn room was small. He turned to get something but was blocked by Shen Bingsi swaying around. Rong Xie couldn’t help pushing him again. “Move aside. Why are you following me? Don’t you cultivate? Don’t you have your own things to do?”
In the past, Shen Bingsi’s daily routine was cultivation. He was more diligent in cultivation than anyone else and would even drag Rong Xie to cultivate together and check his progress.
Now, he seemed very idle, always wandering around.
“Of course I do.” Shen Bingsi straightened up. “I came this time to find Lu Yingqi.”
“Oh, then go find him.” Rong Xie tried to squeeze past Shen Bingsi. Suddenly, he reacted, looked up, and stared at Shen Bingsi. “Who? Who did you say you were finding?”
“Xuantian’s One Sword, Lu Yingqi.” Shen Bingsi’s feelings were somewhat complex. Rong Xie was finally interested in what he said, but it was because of another Ruthless Path sword cultivator, his new nemesis, Lu Yingqi.
“Why are you looking for him?” Rong Xie frowned.
Shen Bingsi was looking for Lu Yingqi naturally to ask about the cultivation method of the Ruthless Path—yeah right.
Ever since hearing Elder Cloud Peak’s trashy idea that day, Shen Bingsi had been disgusted for days. What did he mean by his path was a dead end so he had to ask Lu Yingqi? He got angry just hearing the name Lu Yingqi, and now he had to ask him how to cultivate? He might as well let his Dao heart shatter and explode; it would be more satisfying.
Moreover, his master said, “I have not comprehended it; I leave it to future generations.” That “future generation” didn’t necessarily mean Elder Bai and Lu Yingqi, right? That “future generation” could also be Shen Bingsi. No, it should be Shen Bingsi. Who else could his master’s “future generation” be if not his disciple? This sentence clearly meant the future of the Ruthless Path depended on Shen Bingsi.
To think he trusted Elder Cloud Peak so much, yet Elder Cloud Peak just gave blind interpretations. And that duck proverb was utter nonsense.
Therefore, regarding cultivation, one could only trust oneself, not rely on others.
“The title ‘Xuantian’s One Sword’ is too high-profile. I want to discuss changing it with him,” Shen Bingsi said. “What, only you are allowed to find Lu Yingqi, and I’m not? Why don’t you tell me what you are finding him for?”
“…” Rong Xie thought to himself, Shen Bingsi’s attitude changed a lot this time. He doesn’t jump in anger when Lu Yingqi is mentioned. He actually thought Shen Bingsi had serious business with Lu Yingqi. He was truly overthinking it.
“Fine, I won’t ask you, and don’t ask me.” Rong Xie squeezed past Shen Bingsi and started packing the bedding and soft goods on the bed.
Shen Bingsi stared at Rong Xie’s busy back for a while and whispered, “If you tell me, I’ll help you find him, okay?”
Rong Xie wasn’t staying at the inn today; he had to catch the carriage back to the Blue Plateau. After packing his luggage, he straightened up, stood for a moment, turned around, and saw Shen Bingsi standing there waiting for his answer.
If Shen Bingsi had said this earlier, he might have wavered. But now, he had already found a way to contact Lu Yingqi.
“No need, I’ll find him myself.” Rong Xie said indifferently. “If you want to find him, go find him. We each find our own; no need to link together.”
The phrase “no need to link together” seemed to touch a sensitive nerve in Shen Bingsi. His expression changed instantly, and the aura around him became irritable. He started pacing in the room, his footsteps landing heavily on the floor.
“Why? Why not link together?” Shen Bingsi raged. “I want to link together! I told you, if you want a Daoist companion, I can do it! It’s just a Daoist companion; as long as you come back, I will announce to the world that Shen Bingsi and you…”
“Are you crazy?” Rong Xie took a step forward and covered Shen Bingsi’s mouth. “Look at where we are; don’t talk nonsense.” Rong Xie lowered his voice. This was the Xuantian Sect’s inn; walls had ears, and all sorts of people frequented this place. If Shen Bingsi shouted like this, who knew what rumors would spread?
“Mmph mmph.” Shen Bingsi stopped talking, but his expression showed no repentance. He even looked quite pleased, deliberately nuzzling his face into Rong Xie’s hand.
Rong Xie felt a large, hot object rubbing against his palm and immediately retracted his hand as if electrocuted. He turned away, holding that hand with his other hand. “I thought I made it clear last time. I don’t need you to pretend to be some Daoist companion. I just want to return to a normal life. You should also retreat to the position of a friend. When you can give up those absurd behaviors and come to find me like a friend, I will welcome you.”
Shen Bingsi stood in place, glaring at Rong Xie, unsure if he had listened.
“I’m going back to the Blue Plateau. I’ll check out of this room soon. You go book a new one at the front.” Rong Xie sighed and turned to walk out.
Suddenly, his wrist was grabbed.
Shen Bingsi held his wrist firmly, his palm unconsciously rubbing the inside of Rong Xie’s wrist. The heat of his palm was vividly transmitted to the skin on the back of Rong Xie’s hand, the searing heat seeming to melt the skin.
Rong Xie hadn’t expected Shen Bingsi to pull him suddenly. He lost his balance and fell backward. The next moment, a hot embrace enveloped him completely.
Rong Xie felt like he had fallen into a furnace. Behind him was a thumping chest. He wanted to break free, but his hands were folded and clasped by Shen Bingsi in front of him, and his shoulders sank between Shen Bingsi’s hard arms.
“Shen Bingsi, you—” Rong Xie struggled.
“I put up a soundproof talisman,” Shen Bingsi’s voice was muffled and depressed, speaking gloomily into Rong Xie’s ear. “Let me hug you, just for a moment.”
“…”
The feeling of hugging Rong Xie was very comfortable, especially from behind. Just now, seeing Rong Xie bending over with his back to him while packing by the bed, Shen Bingsi couldn’t suppress the urge to hug him. But Rong Xie was busy then; hugging him would definitely disturb him. It would have been fine in Huanxue Villa in the past, but now was a sensitive period. Shen Bingsi didn’t want another slap, or worse, Rong Xie ignoring him completely. So, Shen Bingsi endured until Rong Xie finished packing and was about to leave before going up to hug him.
After half a year, Shen Bingsi finally hugged Rong Xie again. He felt the irritable aura in his body being smoothed out, hostility dissolving into nothingness. He didn’t want to think about friends or Daoist companions, nor did he want to think about the future of the Ruthless Path. He just wanted to immerse himself in the scent of soap locust at this moment, press his nose close to the fragrant, cool hair, take a deep breath, and rub his face against the delicate, cool skin and the ear that was starting to turn red. Was there anything happier in the world than this?
Rong Xie stood stiffly on the spot. On one hand, he couldn’t break free; on the other hand, the long-standing physical familiarity made him indulge in this embrace as well.
“Retreating to the position of a friend—can I hug like this?” Shen Bingsi’s muffled voice came again.
Rong Xie snapped out of it, secretly annoyed that he had lost his head again. “No.”
“Why was it okay before, but not now?”
“Before was before…” Rong Xie grabbed Shen Bingsi’s arm and pushed outward, while taking a talisman from his pouch and holding it in his palm. “The situation is different now.”
“Then I won’t be a friend. I want to be the one who can hug,” Shen Bingsi answered slyly.
Sometimes Rong Xie suspected who was actually cultivating the Ruthless Path. Why did he, a normal person, have to force himself to be ruthless, while Shen Bingsi, a Ruthless Path Nascent Soul cultivator, could act shamelessly and throw tantrums?
“Are you going to hit me with that?” Shen Bingsi asked gloomily again.
The talisman in Rong Xie’s hand lit up halfway. Clearly, Shen Bingsi sensed it.
“If you let go, you won’t be hit,” Rong Xie said matter-of-factly.
Just when Rong Xie thought Shen Bingsi would continue to act shamelessly, Shen Bingsi let go.
“You go. If you’re late, there won’t be any carriages to the Blue Plateau,” Shen Bingsi said sorrowfully. “You never liked sleeping away from home; it’s better to go home.”
Rong Xie raised his eyebrows slightly and couldn’t help looking back at Shen Bingsi. Shen Bingsi looked back at him with very gentle eyes. Rong Xie shuddered all over. For some reason, it felt weird. He even suspected Shen Bingsi had been possessed. Was the always rampant Shen Bingsi now adopting a soft approach?
A short while later, Rong Xie went outside to settle the bill with the shopkeeper, only to learn that his room had been extended for another night, charged to Shen Bingsi’s account, so he didn’t need to pay.
Rong Xie frowned but still paid for his one day. He wasn’t without income now; he didn’t need Shen Bingsi to pay for him.
Rong Xie turned and left the inn, boarding the carriage back to the Blue Plateau. That night, he returned home and slept soundly.
The same night, Shen Bingsi reported to the Xuantian Sect and went up to Zhilan Ridge, where Ruthless Path disciples lived, asking to see Elder Bai.
This wasn’t Shen Bingsi’s first time up Zhilan Ridge; he had come here before to deliver letters for his master.
Zhilan Ridge had a very nice name (Iris and Orchid Ridge), but the actual environment was completely different. The disciple quarters, Zhengxin Hall, and seclusion rooms were all together. The walls were high, and walking inside felt like a maze—not a maze like the Mirror Palace, but one cut into small, grid-like cells.
If he had to compare it to something, it was probably similar to the Sky Prison beneath the Forbidden City in Shengjing.
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