Chapter 137, On the Crossroads:

After Rong Xie finished speaking, everyone around him looked at him in shock.

Shen Bingsi's heart pounded as she stared intently at Rong Xie.

This is Rong Xie's dream. Rong Xie never lies in his own dreams, which means that he still likes him and likes him very much.

After he did so many things to anger him, he thought he was pushing him away every time... Rong Xie still liked him and was willing to declare in public that they were Daoist partners.

The white light caused by the wavering of her Dao heart once again obscured Shen Bingsi's eyes.

"How come there isn't even a manager..."

"There are so many people who are thinking about Brother Bing Si!"

"What a boastful tone! Even Fairy Xingmiao wouldn't dare to say that she and Brother Shen are Daoist partners!"

The discussion immediately erupted, and Shen Bingsi wished he could put a silencing spell on the mouths of all these weirdos who were spreading rumors about him.

Just then, the door burst open.

A figure dressed in golden armor appeared inside the threshold.

The crowd surged to the flower vines, completely surrounding the entrance.

"The Sword Saint has emerged!" someone shouted.

Rong Xie did not follow them, but stood still, as if he had fulfilled some long-cherished wish, and gently exhaled.

Shen Bingsi looked at him, wanting to say something.

Suddenly it occurred to me that he couldn't hear me if I spoke like that. Since "myself" had come out, I should go back into "myself" body and speak.

"Wait for me, I'm coming right away!" Shen Bingsi whispered in Rong Xie's ear, then turned and rushed toward the golden figure in the crowd.

There seemed to be some lingering sound in the wind. Rong Xie raised his head blankly and looked in the direction Shen Bing Si had left.

"Um?"

Shen Bingsi lunged several times, but each time she passed through "herself" and lunged to the other side.

The "Shen Bingsi" in this dream is beyond his control?

Left with no other choice, Shen Bingsi stopped.

Could it be that Rong Xie intends to use this body to carry out his will, and cannot leave it for Shen Bingsi to control?

"..."

What will Rong Xie intends to carry out using his body?

Shen Bingsi floated out with "herself," feeling the pressure from the strange man rushing towards her.

Half the strange people in the courtyard gathered around, crowding around "Shen Bingsi".

Who is it?

"Who will ultimately be the winner?"

"Stop arguing. Listen to Brother Shen, no matter who the outcome is, we'll accept it."

Under the watchful eyes of those people, Shen Bingsi's gaze pierced through the crowd and focused on Rong Xie behind her. Shen Bingsi parted the crowd and walked all the way to Rong Xie.

Floating behind "himself," Shen Bingsi had a very strange feeling, somewhere between the satisfaction of "doing a good job" and the dissatisfaction of "why let a fake person replace me." He watched as "himself" got closer to Rong Xie, almost pulling Rong Xie into his arms, and the feeling of dissatisfaction began to take over.

"Hey, talk to me, don't get so close," Shen Bingsi said to "himself," but no one heard his warning.

"The result of the Heavenly Mirror... is you." Shen Bingsi's voice was hoarse as she looked intently at Rong Xie.

These words immediately caused an uproar among those around them.

"What? How could the result of the Heavenly Mirror be him?"

"The Heavenly Mirror shows Brother Shen's favorite person... It seems he was telling the truth."

"Brother Bing Si actually has a cultivation partner..."

The chaotic discussions around her drifted into Shen Bingsi's ears.

He was momentarily confused. What was all this about? The Heavenly Mirror was showing his favorite person? What was the Heavenly Mirror showing that for? Wait, could it be... like that?

An idea took shape in Shen Bingsi's mind.

Who is the master of the dream?

Please forgive me.

Who controls dreams?

Please forgive me.

Who is controlling "Shen Bingsi" at this moment?

I would still like to decline.

Everything proceeded according to Rong Xie's will. No matter how absurd it seemed, a little reflection would reveal what Rong Xie's will was.

Rong Xie publicly announced that Shen Bing Si was his Daoist partner. Then, the Heavenly Mirror appeared to show who Shen Bing Si liked the most. Now, "Shen Bing Si" walked into the crowd, revealing this result to everyone and making their relationship a done deal.

This is exactly what Rong Xie wanted!

Shen Bingsi seemed to understand something, and his heart started beating faster again.

If he hadn't been so patient, he wouldn't have known Rong Xie's true thoughts until this point.

Now he knows.

There won't be any more mistakes. When he returns to reality, he will repeat the same method. Although it is difficult to borrow the Heavenly Mirror to forge an imperial decree, he can use other methods. Most importantly, it must be done in a public setting.

He will grant Rong Xie's wish and announce to the world that they will become Daoist partners.

Then he could bring Rong Xie back to Huanxue Manor, and they could live together again, their lives returning to their former bliss—no, even more blissful than before… Now he understood Rong Xie's significance to him; the preciousness of something lost and then regained lay precisely in this…

Shen Bingsi floated on the water, immersed in the joy of welcoming Rong Xie back.

The soft starlight filled the courtyard. At some point, everyone in the courtyard had left, leaving only "Shen Bingsi" and Rong Xie. They stood close together, whispering to each other, until "Shen Bingsi" drew out the light-emitting white orchid.

A bright light pierced Shen Bingsi's eyes.

Suddenly, Shen Bingsi could no longer feel her heartbeat.

A blinding white light filled his vision, and for a moment he lost his senses. He couldn't hear any sounds, smell any odors, or understand what he was seeing. Everything seemed to freeze at the moment it happened.

Only "Shen Bingsi" had her arms around Rong Xie's neck, and the intimate embrace between the two remained in Shen Bingsi's field of vision.

Inseparable?

No, not intimately close.

Although Shen Bingsi's actions seemed very gentle, almost completely enveloping Rong Xie in his arms, only Shen Bingsi knew that he would never hug someone like that.

Her heart pounded against her eardrums like a drumbeat, and the loud sound struck her ear canals like a heavy hammer. Shen Bingsi roared and charged toward "herself," but her desperate voice could not penetrate the wind in the dream and reach the ears of anyone present.

Where is the "Photonic Magnolia"?

"Where did you put the photoelectric magnolia?"

In such an intimate embrace, there is no room for a single beam of light and white orchid.

The two-foot-long sword had just been drawn from its sheath and was now in Shen Bingsi's hand.

Shen Bingsi held the sword in one hand and embraced Rong Xie with the other. There was no room between them for the sword, so where did he put it?

A chill seeped into her bones as Shen Bingsi passed between the two, and also through the light and white orchid.

He saw where the light-emitting white orchid was.

"Little apprentice, come here."

On the steps, an old immortal with white hair and beard, exuding an ethereal aura, sat there and waved to Shen Bingsi.

Shen Bingsi ran over quickly: "Master!"

"Hmm," the old immortal gazed at Shen Bingsi, seemingly lost in thought. Shen Bingsi had always held this master in high esteem. He had heard that the old immortal was the most powerful elder in the inner sect of the Spirit Mirror Sect, cultivating the Path of Ruthlessness. Shen Bingsi had been personally chosen by the old immortal as his closed-door disciple during the inner sect assessment… Cultivating under this elder was an immense blessing, but for some reason, Shen Bingsi always felt a barrier between them. Every time he saw the old immortal, all his joy and anger would vanish, and naturally, he felt no filial piety. The old immortal looked at him and calmly asked, "The Path of Ruthlessness has two branches: one that severs the appetite, and one that severs love and affection. Which one do you choose?"

Shen Bingsi was taken aback. His instinct was to say "sever all romantic ties." To him, romantic ties were the root of all evil that he wanted to avoid at all costs, and he was happy to cut them off. However, he still considered it for a moment: "Whichever is more powerful, I will choose that!"

The Grand Elder seemed not to have heard his reply and continued, "In fact, no matter which sect you sever, it is the same sect. Different paths lead to the same destination. What you sever is not a specific object, but the stirring of the heart. When the heart stirs, the will stirs, and when the will stirs, the action is taken. As long as you sever the stirring of the heart at its root, there will be no deviation in your actions. Only such a person can grasp the rules of the Heavenly Dao and become one with Heaven and Earth."

Shen Bingsi seemed to understand, but since both methods were equally powerful, he decided to choose the one he was good at: "Then I'll choose to sever all emotional ties! I don't need such a thing anyway."

The Grand Elder scrutinized him for a moment, then stood up. His robes fluttered slightly, as if boundless spiritual energy was slowly flowing around him. His figure grew taller, and he placed one hand on Shen Bingsi's head: "Is it that you don't need it, or that you don't understand? Let your master take a look."

Driven by spiritual power, the illusion poured directly into the sea of ​​consciousness.

A moment later, Shen Bingsi woke up with her teeth clenched. Unconsciously, her face and body were covered in sweat. The extremely painful memories made her face turn pale and she almost vomited.

The Grand Elder revealed a satisfied expression: "I see. It seems... you are truly a good candidate for severing all emotions and desires. You know what sins love and lust can bring. This understanding is already close to the awareness of the Blade of Heaven. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you the first level of the Blade of Heaven: Severing Thoughts."

"Yes... Master!" Shen Bingsi endured the chill and bowed her head to the Grand Elder.

"My path is based on severing all thoughts, progressing step by step until one can finally cut off all emotions. Without emotions, there is no heartbeat, thus reaching the highest level of the Path of Ruthlessness." The Grand Elder's gaze became distant, looking at the distant, indistinct mountain peaks shrouded in mist. "However, this path is easier said than done. A person without emotions is more frightening than the wild beasts of the mountains. You will become increasingly lonely, you will not love anyone, and no one will love you."

"Love?" Shen Bingsi hadn't yet snapped out of his reverie. He said with disgust, "I don't need that kind of thing."

He paused, then asked, "What about friends? I have a very good friend, will he leave me too?"

The elder frowned slightly, his gaze falling on Shen Bingsi's face as if scrutinizing something. After a moment of silence, he said, "If you don't love him, then it doesn't matter."

“Of course I wouldn’t love him,” Shen Bingsi said firmly. “I would never taint him with such foolish feelings… We are best friends forever!”

"That's for the best, that's for the best." The elder's brows relaxed, and his expression became calm again. "As long as you don't love him, it's okay. Friends don't necessarily have to be maintained by emotions."

Shen Bingsi breathed a sigh of relief. Now that things were like this, he had no more worries.

“You must remember what I said today,” the elder said. “If one day you achieve mastery of the ruthless path, the threat will not come from the outside, but from within. Human hearts are unpredictable and fickle, and you are too lonely. You may change your feelings for him. At that time, you must remember what I said today.”

"Otherwise, it would be a disaster for both you and him."

"You only have two paths to take: either shatter your Dao heart or prove your Dao with a murderous intent!"