Chapter 95: A hug is possible.

"You... how did you get here?" Rong Xie asked in surprise.

Shen Bingsi disappeared that day and didn't show up for several days. Rong Xie thought that Shen Bingsi had figured things out.

Unexpectedly, he reappeared!

“I asked the waiter.” Shen Bingsi turned around.

Beside him, the innkeeper stood with a forced smile, saying, "Since Sword Saint Chen has found a friend, then I shall take my leave." With that, he dashed away.

Rong Xie sighed inwardly. No wonder Shen Bingsi carried the Shengxie Sword so ostentatiously outside. It turned out that he was using it to intimidate the waiter from looking for him. He really went to great lengths.

"I've figured it out." Shen Bingsi spread her arms, put the Shengxie Sword back into the sword sheath on her back, and walked towards Rong Xie.

Rong Xie looked away: "What have you figured out?"

“Last time, didn’t you say you didn’t want me to force myself to pretend to be your Daoist partner?” Shen Bingsi said.

That's great, he listened to what she said. Rong Xie breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"I've figured it out. I didn't force myself; I did it voluntarily." Shen Bingsi pressed closer to Rong Xie, trapping him in the gap between a vase and the wall in the inn's corridor.

Rong Xie felt a chill run down his spine.

“Rather than being your ordinary friend, having you draw a line between us, being thrown aside by you, and still having to smile and wish you well,” Shen Bingsi paused, “I would rather be your Daoist partner. I do it willingly.”

Hearing Shen Bingsi's repeated use of "voluntary," Rong Xie could only laugh.

"I see you still don't understand." Rong Xie pushed Shen Bingsi aside, opened the door, and went inside.

Shen Bingsi followed Rong Xie inside, looking around as she muttered to herself, "Did you use a new perfume? It smells different, like rose?"

“…No.” Rong Xie said. The inn room was small, and as he turned to get his things, he was blocked by Shen Bingsi, who was swaying back and forth. Rong Xie couldn’t help but push him again, “Move aside, what are you doing following me? Aren’t you cultivating? Don’t you have anything to do?”

Previously, Shen Bingsi's daily routine consisted of cultivation. He was more diligent in cultivation than anyone else, and he would even drag Rong Xie into cultivation to check on his progress.

Now, however, he seems quite idle, always wandering around.

“Of course,” Shen Bingsi straightened up. “I came here this time to find Lu Yingqi.”

"Oh, then go find her." Rong Xie tried to squeeze past Shen Bingsi, but suddenly he realized what he was doing, looked up, and stared intently at Shen Bingsi. "Who? Who are you looking for?"

"Lu Yingqi, the Sword Master of the Mysterious Heaven." Shen Bingsi's feelings were somewhat complicated. Rong Xie was finally interested in what he was saying, but it was because of another ruthless sword cultivator, his new mortal enemy, Lu Yingqi.

"What do you want with him?" Rong Xie frowned.

Shen Bingsi sought out Lu Yingqi, supposedly to learn about the cultivation methods of the Ruthless Path—but that's a lie.

Ever since that day when he heard Elder Yunfeng's ridiculous idea, Shen Bingsi had been disgusted for several days. What did he mean by saying that since his own path was blocked, he should go and ask Lu Yingqi for advice? He was already furious just hearing the name Lu Yingqi, and now he had to ask him how to cultivate? He might as well just let Lu Yingqi's Dao heart shatter and his body explode and die a quick death.

Moreover, when his master said, "I have not yet figured it out, so I will leave it to future generations," that "future generations" didn't necessarily mean Elder Bai and Lu Yingqi, right? That "future generation" could also be Shen Bingsi, no, it should be said that it is Shen Bingsi. Who else could be the master's "future generation" if not his disciple? This sentence clearly means that the future of the Path of Ruthlessness depends on Shen Bingsi.

It's a shame he trusted Elder Yunfeng so much. Elder Yunfeng just gave nonsensical explanations, and that duck proverb was utter nonsense.

Therefore, when it comes to cultivation, you can only trust yourself and cannot rely on others.

“The title ‘Mysterious Heaven Sword’ is too high-profile. I want to discuss with him about changing it,” Shen Bingsi said. “What, you’re allowed to look for Lu Yingqi, but I’m not? Tell me, what do you want to see him for?”

"..." Rong Xie thought to himself, Shen Bingsi's attitude had changed a lot this time. She no longer got angry when Lu Yingqi was mentioned. He thought that Shen Bingsi really had something important to talk to Lu Yingqi about. He was really overthinking it.

"Alright, I won't ask you, and you shouldn't ask me either." Rong Xie squeezed past Shen Bing Si and began tidying up the bedding and other valuables on the bed.

Shen Bingsi stared at Rong Xie's busy figure for a while, then whispered, "Tell me, and I'll help you find him, okay?"

Rong Xie wouldn't be staying at the inn today; he needed to catch his carriage back to Lan Yuan. After packing his luggage, he straightened up, stood for a moment, turned around, and looked up to see Shen Bing Si standing there waiting for his reply.

If Shen Bingsi had told him earlier, he might have wavered, but now he has found a way to contact Lu Yingqi.

"No need, I'll find him myself," Rong Xie said calmly. "If you want to find him, then go find him. We'll each find our own, there's no need to get involved."

The words "no need to collude" seemed to touch a nerve with Shen Bingsi. His expression changed immediately, and his aura became agitated. He began pacing back and forth in the room, his footsteps heavy on the ground.

"Why? Why can't we be together?" Shen Bingsi roared. "We have to be together! I already said, you want a Daoist partner, I can make it happen! So what if we're Daoist partners? As long as you come back, I'll announce to the world that I, Shen Bingsi, am with you..."

"Are you crazy?" Rong Xie stepped forward and covered Shen Bingsi's mouth. "Don't you know where you are? Don't talk nonsense." Rong Xie lowered his voice. This was the Xuantian Sect's inn. Walls have ears. All sorts of people would come here. If Shen Bingsi shouted like that, who knows how the news would spread.

"Mmm." Shen Bingsi stopped talking, but her expression showed no remorse. In fact, she seemed quite pleased and deliberately pressed her face against Rong Xie's hand.

Rong Xie felt a large, hot blob brush against his palm and immediately pulled his hand back as if he had been electrocuted. He turned around and grabbed the other hand with his other hand: "I thought I made it clear last time that I don't need you to pretend to be a Daoist partner. I just want to return to a normal life. You should also step back to the position of a friend. When you can give up those absurd behaviors and come to me like a friend, I will welcome you."

Shen Bingsi stood there, glaring at Rong Xie, it was unclear whether she had heard him or not.

"I'm going back to Lanyuan. I'll check out of this room later. You can book another one in front." Rong Xie sighed and turned to leave.

Suddenly, his wrist was grabbed.

Shen Bingsi gripped his wrist tightly, her palm unconsciously rubbing the inside of Rong Xie's wrist. The heat from her palm was clearly transmitted to the skin on the back of Rong Xie's hand, the scorching heat seeming to melt his skin.

Rong Xie was caught off guard by Shen Bingsi's sudden pull. He lost his balance and fell backward. The next moment, a warm embrace enveloped him completely.

Rong Xie felt as if he had fallen into a furnace, with a thumping chest behind him. He tried to break free, but Shen Bingsi folded and pinned his hands in front of him, and his shoulders were also trapped between his hard arms.

“Shen Bingsi, you—” Rong Xie struggled to get up.

“I put on soundproofing diaphragms,” Shen Bingsi’s voice was muffled and depressed as she whispered in Rong Xie’s ear, “Let me hug you, just for a moment.”

"..."

It felt incredibly comfortable to hold Rong Xie, especially from behind. Earlier, when Shen Bing Si saw Rong Xie bent over, his back to him, tidying up by the bed, he couldn't resist the urge to hug him. However, Rong Xie was busy then, and Shen Bing Si's attempt to hug him would definitely disturb him. It was one thing to do this back at Huanxue Manor, but now, during this sensitive time, Shen Bing Si didn't want to risk another slap, or worse, Rong Xie simply ignoring him. Therefore, Shen Bing Si waited until Rong Xie finished tidying up and was about to leave before going up to hug him.

Half a year later, Shen Bingsi finally embraced Rong Xie again. He felt the restlessness in his body subside and his resentment vanish. He didn't want to think about friends or Dao partners, nor did he want to think about what would happen to the ruthless Dao in the future. He just wanted to immerse himself in the fragrance of soapberry, bring his nose close to the cool and fragrant hair, take a deep breath, and rub his face against the smooth and cool skin and the earlobes that were beginning to turn red. Was there anything happier in the world than this?

Rong Xie stood frozen in place. On one hand, he couldn't break free; on the other hand, the tacit understanding between their bodies, built up over time, made him indulge in the embrace.

"Can we hug like this, back to the friends' position?" Shen Bingsi's muffled voice came again.

Rong Xie suddenly snapped back to reality, inwardly regretting that he had lost his mind again: "No."

"Why was it possible before, but not now?"

“The past is the past…” Rong Xie grabbed Shen Bingsi’s arm and pushed her away, while taking out a talisman from his pouch and holding it in his palm. “The situation is different now.”

"Then I won't be friends, I want someone I can hug," Shen Bingsi replied slyly.

Sometimes Rong Xie would wonder who was cultivating the Path of Ruthlessness. Why was he, a normal person, forcing himself to be ruthless, while Shen Bingsi, a Nascent Soul cultivator of the Path of Ruthlessness, could act recklessly and shamelessly?

"Are you going to hit me with that?" Shen Bingsi asked, feeling frustrated.

The talisman in Rong Xie's hand lit up halfway, clearly indicating that Shen Bing Si had noticed it.

“If you let go, you won’t get hit,” Rong Xie said bluntly.

Just when Rong Xie thought Shen Bingsi would continue to act spoiled and unreasonable, Shen Bingsi let go of his hand.

"You should go now, or the carriages to Lanyuan will be gone," Shen Bingsi said sadly. "You've never liked staying out overnight, so it's better to go home."

Rong Xie raised his eyebrows slightly and couldn't help but look back at Shen Bingsi. Shen Bingsi returned his gaze with a very gentle look. Rong Xie felt a shiver run down his spine. He didn't know why, but he felt something was off. He even suspected that Shen Bingsi had been possessed. Was he, who was always headstrong, now starting to use the gentle approach?

A short while later, Rong Xie came outside to settle the bill with the innkeeper. He learned that his room had been extended for another night, and the bill was charged to Shen Bingsi, so he didn't have to pay.

Rong Xie frowned, but still paid for his own day's expenses. He wasn't without income, so he didn't need Shen Bingsi to pay for him.

Rong Xie turned and left the inn, boarded the carriage back to Lanyuan, and returned home that night, where he slept soundly.

That same night, Shen Bingsi reported to the Xuantian Sect and went to Zhilan Ridge, where the disciples of the Wuqing Dao resided, to request an audience with Elder Bai.

This was not Shen Bingsi's first time visiting Zhilan Ridge. He had come here before when delivering letters to his master.

Zhilanling has a beautiful name, but the actual environment is completely different. The disciples' quarters, Zhengxin Hall, and meditation rooms are all in one place. The courtyard walls are very high, and walking inside is like walking through a maze, but it is not a maze like the Mirror Palace. Instead, it is divided into small rooms.

If I had to describe what it resembles, it would probably be similar to the imperial prison beneath the Forbidden City of Shengjing.