Chapter 51 My Heart's Desire:

It turns out that the flying sword made by the optoelectronic company Bailan was originally designed for him.

It turns out that Shen Bingsi was willing to go bankrupt to bid for this flying sword not because he liked it himself, but for him.

It turns out that the auction was all orchestrated by Shen Bingsi. He found the materials and the swordsmith, and spent a fortune just to make Guangdian Bailan famous, so that it would become a renowned sword passed down through generations of masters before being given to him.

Unfortunately, he only realized Shen Bingsi's painstaking efforts now...

Rong Xie could no longer hold onto the light-emitting white orchid in his hand. It was known for being light and agile, but in Rong Xie's hands, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

The silver dagger plunged into the sand with a "plop," its sharp edge unhindered by the sand, continuing to sink until the hilt was completely submerged.

"Rong'er, what's wrong?" Shen Bingsi finally realized something was wrong, stopped talking, and carefully examined Rong Xie's face.

His best friend's face was filled with deep sorrow, and his amber eyes looked at him with grief. For some reason, Shen Bingsi saw sympathy in those eyes.

Sympathy? Why sympathy? Is there anything about him that deserves sympathy?

"Why..." Rong Xie's voice trembled, "why didn't you give it to me back then?"

"Back then?" Shen Bingsi paused for a moment. "You mean ten years ago? I originally wanted to give it to you, but..."

"I failed to establish my foundation." Rong Xie continued the words he hadn't said aloud. The overwhelming pain made it hard for him to breathe. He closed his eyes and suppressed the surging emotions.

"Mmm," Shen Bingsi replied with a low, brief nasal sound.

The failure to establish one's foundation and leaving the inner sect were memories that neither of them wanted to recall, nor did they need to. Yet, at this moment, they were vividly present in their minds as if they had just experienced it yesterday.

Twelve years of effort were wasted because he failed to climb one step. Rong Xie returned to a state of nothingness, with no origin, no destination, no belonging, and no direction. On the surface, he seemed relaxed during that period, but in reality, it was the most difficult time for him. He did nothing every day and would wake up inexplicably at night, lying awake and thinking about all the bad things. He finally made it to dawn and Shen Bingsi went to the inner sect square to report. Then he faced another day of doing nothing alone in Shen Bingsi's high-level disciple room.

Fortunately, time heals all wounds, and he got through that period of depression. Once he moved into Huanxue Manor, his mind was completely focused on the manor.

Looking back now, he was able to get through that difficult time partly because Shen Bingsi kept quiet. Shen Bingsi always advocated for being proactive, but during that period, she chose to remain silent and rarely told Rong Xie about the inner sect's movements or her own cultivation progress.

Naturally, Shen Bingsi would never bring up such an unlucky topic as optoelectronic white orchids.

Thus, it wasn't until today that Rong Xie realized that the Guangdian Bailan sword wasn't the one that could improve Shen Bingsi's mood, but rather a Foundation Establishment gift that was originally intended to be given to him.

If only he had known sooner...

If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have chosen this sword.

But he didn't know.

By a twist of fate, he chose the Optoelectronic White Orchid for Shen Bingsi in his precognitive dream. He dared not imagine what Shen Bingsi was thinking when she received the Optoelectronic White Orchid.

"This is... Photonic White Orchid."

"yes."

Rong Xie could still clearly recall Shen Bingsi's expression and words the moment he received the photo of Bai Lan from Optoelectronics.

He laughed twice, the laughter was bleak, and looked down at his palm with a sorrowful expression, as if he had seen his destiny.

Destiny...

How can it not be fate?

The natal flying sword that he had personally chosen for his best friend had returned to his hands after many twists and turns, but this time, it became a tool for killing his best friend to prove his path to immortality, and it was even chosen by his best friend himself.

No matter who stood in Shen Bingsi's position, they would be heartbroken. Fate is unpredictable, and destiny is cruel. The effort she put into this sword and the feelings she never had a chance to express have become tools to end everything. Cold and ruthless, it erases all the warmth that once existed, which is exactly in line with the will of the Great Dao.

Ultimately, no one can escape the arrangements of fate.

"Too late... far too late." Rong Xie covered his forehead and shook his head repeatedly. "Why did it take you so long to realize this..."

His voice trembled, and his whole being exuded an overwhelming sadness.

Shen Bingsi had already crossed the sand and arrived in front of him. Faced with this scene, he was helpless. He didn't know why his best friend had become like this, and he had no way to comfort him.

"What exactly happened? What do you know?" Shen Bingsi asked anxiously, raising her hand several times and then lowering it again. Helpless, she could only walk around Rong Xie.

"You don't like this gift? You don't like the shape? That's okay, the shape can be changed, just like the Shengxie Sword, I can make it into any shape I want..."

"Or are you upset that I didn't tell you sooner? I couldn't have told you about your condition back then! It's all my fault for not having a firm enough Dao heart back then. If my Dao heart were as firm as it is now, would I have let you fail the test?"

"Rong'er, please say something to me, please don't do this..."

Night had fallen, the moon had not yet risen, the sea was dark, and the sky was a heartbreaking dark blue.

Beneath the reef, the tide surged. Perhaps because the view was blurred, the sound of the waves amplified, like a giant sea monster rampaging and crashing against the surface, unwilling to be trapped beneath the water, roaring and surging up again and again, making the ground tremble continuously.

In the darkness of the night, amidst the massive waves, Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi stood face to face, close to each other, constantly hearing each other's anxious and concerned inquiries, and feeling the warmth emanating from each other's bodies. They were so close that if Rong Xie moved forward even a little, he could throw himself into Shen Bingsi's arms, hold him tightly, and bury his face in his chest.

Then, they will reconcile as before, becoming close friends in dual cultivation as written in the Book of Fate, irreplaceable to each other, and they will follow the arrangement of destiny to reach that final ending...

For a long time, this has been what Rong Xie had hoped for. The outcome is not important; what matters is the long-term companionship and a peaceful life.

But now, Rong Xie is uncertain.

Can he truly obtain the peaceful life he desires by submitting to the book of fate that bewitches the ghost?

Knowing Shen Bingsi's fate, can he still live with a clear conscience and follow the arrangement of destiny?

Faced with feelings that grow stronger every day, can he still cooperate with Shen Bingsi to maintain the performance of a deep friendship?

"Bing Si." Rong Xie's voice was still trembling, but his tone had calmed down.

He lowered his hand from his face and looked up at Shen Bingsi.

Shen Bingsi, who had been fidgeting anxiously, suddenly calmed down when he heard Rong Xie call him and looked down to see a pair of bright, star-like eyes gazing at him.

"Rong'er." Shen Bingsi found his hand and took it in hers. "What happened? Please tell me."

Rong Xie traced his face and his features with her eyes, as if she wanted to imprint this moment deep into her heart so that she could recall it and soothe her empty heart during the long time she would not see him in the future.

"I think I know... why the jade pendant stopped working."

"Why?"

"Because I've been hiding something from you."

"What?"

A sad smile flashed across Rong Xie's face.

"I like you."

Shen Bingsi simply went along with Rong Xie's words, unaware of the deeper meaning behind them at that moment.

"What?" he asked again, "What does 'like' mean?"

"It's a disease. Once you get it, you lose your mind and become stupid and impulsive..." Rong Xie said slowly.

Shen Bingsi raised his eyebrows, his eyes widening in astonishment as he stared at Rong Xie.

Rong Xie continued to recall Shen Bingsi's judgment on this kind of relationship, "What they did was more wicked than evil cultivators. They should be driven away like demons and heretics. Without them, there would be more peaceful days in the world..."

"..."

"I just like you, and I haven't done anything bad yet, so it's probably a slightly better illness than that." Rong Xie lowered his gaze. He thought he could finish the sentence in one breath, but Shen Bing Si's increasingly distorted expression made him afraid to look at her anymore. He still avoided her gaze and gave himself plenty of room to explain.

"..."

Once his head was lowered, it was hard to muster the courage to raise it again. Rong Xie felt Shen Bing Si's gaze pressing heavily on his forehead, the warmth in her eyes gradually disappearing, becoming harsh and cold.

He just stared at him without saying a word.

“I…” Rong Xie reorganized his thoughts, wanting to continue what he had said earlier.

But Shen Bingsi ruthlessly interrupted him.

"Are you possessed?" he asked coldly.

Rong Xie's heart sank.

Although I had anticipated a bad outcome, I still clung to a sliver of hope until that moment arrived.

Just a moment ago, he was practicing swordplay for him, worried about a small scratch on his arm; just a few days ago, he was running barefoot through the wilderness from Xiangji Temple to Lotus Town, unable to find him; and before that, they were still entwined in the Prosperous Pavilion, sharing the same bed and bed at Huanxue Manor…

He thought he would be a little bit different from others, and that when rejecting him, he would hesitate a little longer, and his tone and attitude would be a little gentler.

However, reality slapped him hard in the face. His face burned, and even his eyes felt hot. Tears welled up uncontrollably, and he had to lift his head again to stop the tears from falling so quickly.

This meant they had no choice but to face Shen Bingsi's terrifying face head-on.

Shen Bingsi seemed to have become a different person.

The other person was someone Rong Xie had never met.

All his smiles, kindness, and lively little expressions vanished behind a terrifying stone mask. A person filled with hostility towards Rong Xie seized control of the stone mask, scrutinizing him with a harsh and indifferent gaze.

Are you possessed?

This is how he responded to Rong Xie's confession.

In an instant, the deafening roar of the tide disappeared, and the surroundings became completely quiet.

Rong Xie blinked, and something welled up in his eyes.

The stranger opposite him took a step back, then a second, then a third. He tugged at his sleeve, quickened his pace, and turned to leave.

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It's late again. I received a red envelope today too! [dove emoji]