Chapter 129 Double Standard Monster:
The main house of Lu Yingqi in the Lu family mansion, in the courtyard.
Dark clouds obscured the moon.
The light shining from the main house shone down the steps, illuminating the pitch-black courtyard.
Zhao Dajiang paced back and forth in the dim light, sighing deeply, wondering whether he should contact the team's healer to come and check on him. If only that Miao healer were still around, but unfortunately, he hadn't heard from him since the underground dragon cave mission ended.
Suddenly, the main door of the house opened wide, and Shen Bingsi strode out, carrying something in her arms.
At first glance, Zhao Dajiang thought Shen Bingsi had come out carrying a quilt, but when he got closer, he realized that there was a person wrapped in the quilt.
"Sword Saint Shen, what is this—" Zhao Dajiang asked hurriedly.
“I know who did it. I need to go back to the Mirror Palace. Now,” Shen Bingsi paused, looking at Zhao Dajiang, “I’m leaving this place to you.”
"Huh? What?" Zhao Dajiang was stunned.
“There are Golden Bell Shields watching outside, and the Lu family is a bunch of useless trash. You can send your child away if you want, and check the accounts if you want. Oh, and you also have a group of people living in the village outside. You can go find them and they can act as your backup.” Shen Bingsi quickly handed over all the clues he knew to Zhao Dajiang, then rolled up the blanket and turned to leave.
"Hey, Sword Saint Shen! But I don't know how to check accounts, and I don't know how to arrange things for the children—" Zhao Dajiang chased after him for two steps.
A golden flying sword hovered in mid-air, and Shen Bingsi had already leaped onto it. The golden light illuminated Zhao Dajiang's bewildered face. Shen Bingsi glanced back at him and said, "You're asking me?"
Zhao Dajiang looked dejected: "Sorry, I lost my mind."
"..."
Shen Bingsi could have drawn her sword and left, but for some reason, seeing Zhao Dajiang's distraught state, a subtle sense of sympathy suddenly arose in her heart.
When Rong Xie was around, everything functioned normally. The garden of Huanxue Manor was always neat and beautiful, and the furnishings inside the house were orderly. If Shen Bingsi couldn't find something, he could just find Rong Xie. When the two of them were together, Shen Bingsi didn't have to worry about anything. As a result, over time, he took everything for granted.
Until Rong Xie suddenly left, everything came to a standstill. There were mistakes everywhere, and new problems appeared every day. Just maintaining the daily operation of life required a lot of energy. Even seemingly simple things had countless stumbling blocks and hidden corners waiting ahead.
Shen Bingsi at that time was just like Zhao Dajiang, who was now abandoned at the Lu residence.
“Then wait,” Shen Bingsi said, lowering her eyes. “I will bring him back.”
"…!" Zhao Dajiang's brows relaxed, and his face lit up. "Good! Sword Saint Shen, go with peace of mind. I, Zhao Dajiang, will be here to protect you!"
Shen Bingsi was still not quite used to such a warm farewell occasion. He nodded and then took off on his sword.
A biting wind blew through her hair, and the person in the blanket seemed to be chilled, shifting uncomfortably and snuggling closer to Shen Bingsi.
Shen Bingsi tightened her grip, and the next moment, the flying sword grew larger, its clasp transforming into a small, windproof room. The space wasn't large, but it was enough to accommodate two people.
Shen Bingsi conjured up a couch and helped Rong Xie sit inside. It was like a carriage, not very big, but the two of them were quite comfortable squeezed together.
The vast night sky and the biting winter wind outside had nothing to do with this small room.
Having just broken through to the next realm, Shen Bingsi had plenty of spiritual energy, which he used to keep warm. His natal sword continuously emitted heat, and the rooms and couches that his natal sword transformed into served as heat sources. Upon entering this warm little space, the person under the covers stretched out comfortably.
Rong Xie felt hot in his sleep and struggled to stick his head out of the quilt. The quilt fell open and his face rubbed directly against Shen Bingsi's shoulder. The lingering coolness of the winter night on Shen Bingsi's body made him feel very comfortable, so he rubbed against her a little more until the quilt rolled up most of the way and fell to the ground. He then snuggled up to Shen Bingsi.
Shen Bingsi's heart stirred slightly. She reached out and embraced Rong Xie, letting him transfer all his weight onto her. Feeling that the person in her arms had found a comfortable position, he lay there steadily and stopped moving. His long, even breathing indicated that he was sleeping soundly.
It seems like it's been more than half a year since the two of them were last together so intimately. Back then, they would still sleep in the same bed. Shen Bingsi used the excuse of dual cultivation to stick close to Rong Xie every day. Nothing could be happier than that time.
Many things happened after that... Before we knew it, even watching Rong Xie sleep had become a luxury.
Now, Rong Xie was lying obediently in his arms, fast asleep. He could observe him sleeping to his heart's content, hold him close, and snuggle against his cool, soft body. However, his heart felt heavy, and he desperately hoped that those thin eyelids would lift up at any moment, revealing amber pupils looking at him with a puzzled expression, asking him what time it was and whether he had overslept.
A strange emotion welled up in Shen Bingsi's heart, and the flying sword beneath her suddenly tilted to one side and began to tremble uncontrollably.
Shen Bingsi was startled and quickly suppressed her wandering thoughts, shifting her attention to controlling the flying sword. Slowly, the flying sword regained its stability.
However, in that sudden movement, Rong Xie pressed against his chest, her delicate, straight nose brushing against his neck, the cool touch pressing against his artery.
If someone looks up from a thousand feet below, they will see a golden band of light that twists and turns, sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right, as if a living dragon is shuttling up and down.
...
"Don't move." Shen Bingsi held Rong Xie's shoulders with both hands, fixing him in a safe position. Rong Xie's head swayed with the movement of the flying sword. Shen Bingsi watched, then pulled his head back and rested it on her shoulder.
"Okay, that's settled." Shen Bingsi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that she had found the balance between taking care of Rong Xie and controlling the flying sword.
Logically speaking, the time when Shen Bingsi's Dao heart was most steadfast should have been right after breaking through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage. His ability to break through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage also indicates that his cultivation method was correct.
However... the frequency of his Dao heart wavering did not decrease after breaking through the realm; on the contrary, it tended to increase. In the past, his Dao heart would only waver when he was overjoyed or angry. Now, as long as Rong Xie got a little closer and the area of their skin in contact increased, Shen Bing Si would lose control of his flying sword.
Shen Bingsi didn't want to care anymore. As long as he could break through the realm, it didn't matter whether his Dao heart was shaken or not. Maybe he could prove the Dao by splitting his soul and merging with his body while his Dao heart was wavering?
"Mmm..." The person in his arms let out a soft moan, and at some point, his brows furrowed.
Shen Bingsi immediately looked down and saw Rong Xie's furrowed brows. He realized that Rong Xie was dreaming. He wondered if that damned nightmare technique would affect Rong Xie's dream. However, generally speaking, dreams are spontaneous and difficult to invade. Shen Bingsi raised his hand and smoothed Rong Xie's furrowed brows.
Just then, he heard Rong Xie softly murmur, "...Senior Brother Lu...Senior Brother Lu..."
Shen Bingsi's fingers stiffened slightly, wondering if she had misheard.
"Shen Bingsi..." The next moment, Rong Xie changed his address again, and Shen Bingsi felt a little better. She put her ear close to Rong Xie and said "Hmm?", indicating that he should continue to dream about her using that address.
"Shen Bingsi... hurry and go find... hurry and go find Senior Brother Lu..."
"..."
This damned nightmare magic can actually control people's dreams!
No, he had to speed up and get to the Mirror Palace quickly to find that unlucky Lady Mei and break the curse!
The following day at noon, Shen Bingsi landed on the summit of Xuanmiao Peak.
He rushed to the Mirror Palace at the fastest speed Rong Xie could bear, but unexpectedly, someone else arrived before him.
Before he even landed, he saw Lu Yingqi standing in the strong wind, wearing a brand-new brocade robe. He didn't know how long he had been standing there, but his hair and clothes were all very messy from the wind.
Shen Bingsi chuckled inwardly, guessing why he was here.
Isn't it all because of that furnace cauldron that he needs to find Madam Mei to get to the bottom of things?
Lu Yingqi must be quite an eccentric. He didn't care at all about the huge trouble his own family had caused, but his furnace cauldron was completely unharmed, yet he rushed over here to wait for news from Madam Mei.
Shen Bingsi wasn't worried about herself at all, since someone like him could cultivate to the late Nascent Soul stage.
"Shen Bingsi?" Lu Yingqi called out.
Shen Bingsi ignored Lu Yingqi completely and walked straight towards the gate of the Mirror Palace.
Lu Yingqi's footsteps came from behind, but were quickly blocked by the barrier of the Mirror Palace.
The Mirror Palace is not a marketplace where anyone can just walk in. Shen Bingsi sneered inwardly and rushed into the main hall with Rong Xie in her arms.
With no one in the main hall, Shen Bingsi carried Rong Xie and rushed into the back hall.
In the garden, the registrar was feeding the fish.
The small door to the back hall, hidden by vines, was now in sight. However, the talismans on the door were flashing, indicating that someone was inside handling official business and communicating with the Heavenly Mirror. Under these circumstances, even Shen Bingsi could not enter without the Heavenly Mirror's permission.
"Sister Xiaohe," Shen Bingsi called out, "Is Brother Jiang inside?"
Shen Bingsi and the recorder had worked together for several years, but for some reason, he was always a little afraid of her, even though she was the least aggressive adjudicator in the Mirror Palace.
The registrar, who lived in the Mirror Palace year-round, treated it like home. He was dressed in a comfortable and well-fitting cotton uniform. He lazily raised his head from the water's edge, looking at Shen Bingsi with a half-smile. His gaze moved from Shen Bingsi to the person he was holding in his arms, and then back again.
"Yes," she said unhurriedly, "However, the Lu family's case has entered the Tianjing Mirror Bureau. He probably won't come out until Madam Mei's trial is over. Do you need to see him?"
"So fast," Shen Bingsi's heart sank. He knew that once the case entered the Heavenly Mirror's process, it wouldn't be easy to bring out the main culprit. But Rong Xie was under a nightmare spell, and he couldn't wait. He could only tentatively ask, "Sister Xiaohe, you can go in anytime, right? Rong Xie is under Madam Mei's nightmare spell and is unconscious. I'm afraid it will damage his consciousness, so I need to borrow Madam Mei to break the spell. Could you—"
In the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the gates of the Mirror Palace swung open, and Shen Bingsi was as if she had been thrown back by an invisible force, stumbling back several steps before she could finally regain her footing.
"Bang!" The door slammed shut, completely sealed.
Shen Bingsi was so angry that he jumped up and down. If he hadn't been holding someone in his arms and it hadn't been inconvenient for him to make any violent movements, he would have rushed up and banged on the door.
"Sister Xiaohe! Couldn't you please pass on a message for me out of consideration for our colleague relationship? Just one sentence: Rong Xie's nightmare spell was cast by that androgynous old monster, Madam Mei. He's having nightmares right now! We can't wait a moment longer!"
However, the merciless gate did not respond to Shen Bingsi at all. Now, because he disrupted the order of the Mirror Palace, he has also been temporarily listed as a person who is not allowed to enter or leave.
Shen Bingsi took a step back in annoyance, intending to find a place to put Rong Xie down, then use the Shengxie Sword to smash open the Mirror Palace gate and have a good chat with the registrar about their camaraderie.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Lu Yingqi, who stood motionless to the side like a statue. The corner of his mouth, which was always taut like a line, showed a suspicious upward curve.
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