Chapter 29 Severing Ties:
"Miss Cui?" Rong Xie turned around in surprise and saw Cui Xingmiao wearing a narrow-sleeved, waist-cinching green dress, which was convenient for traveling around the world while also being elegant and graceful, making her stand out.
However, at this moment, Cui Xingmiao seemed to have lost her energy and spirit, and was not as lively and agile as usual.
“Brother Rong, I… I really had no other choice but to come to you,” Cui Xingmiao said in a hoarse voice.
"Come in and let's talk. Have a cup of hot tea and we can talk slowly." Rong Xie opened the door completely.
Cui Xingmiao shook her head: "I probably can't get in there."
Rong Xie was stunned for a moment. Where could he not enter? Huanxue Manor?
“I can break this barrier too, but you can go in without worry,” Rong Xie said.
A glimmer of hope ignited in Cui Xingmiao's eyes as she tentatively walked towards the manor gate. However, before she even reached the steps, she was blasted away by a golden light.
Cui Xingmiao screamed and fell backward onto the grass.
Rong Xie was also startled and quickly went to help her.
Cui Xingmiao covered her face and began to sob.
Rong Xie stood to the side, at a loss for what to do, and apologized to her repeatedly.
"Miss Cui, I'm so sorry, I really didn't know..."
The restriction had clearly been lifted, but the barrier of Huanxue Manor still repelled Cui Xingmiao. This could only mean one thing: Shen Bingsi had already listed Cui Xingmiao as a person to be refused entry.
Shen Bingsi's list of people he refuses to associate with must be quite long. Rong Xie doesn't even know who's on it. Shen Bingsi has too many taboos. Sometimes, people on his list are blocked by him even though they've never spoken to him.
Those whom he refused to associate with could not even think about getting close to Huanxue Manor; the outermost golden light barrier was for this very purpose...
Now, it's Cui Xingmiao who's been rejected.
Rong Xie felt his mind was in complete turmoil, and he couldn't make sense of it at all.
He previously thought that Shen Bingsi had offended someone by saying the wrong thing and that the other party had unilaterally severed ties with her. Shen Bingsi was still relentless and insisted on chasing after him to make things worse, which led to the spread of many outrageous rumors.
Rong Xie had already thought it through. The first step to clarifying the rumors was to apologize to Cui Xingmiao and explain the misunderstanding. Cui Xingmiao wasn't an unreasonable person. Once she calmed down, those rumors wouldn't spread.
If things don't work out with Cui Xingmiao, then they can seek help from an authority figure, such as Xue Baoshan, the former sect leader of the Lingjing Sect, a man whose every move shakes the cultivation world. They can ask him to vouch for Shen Bingsi's unwavering Dao heart, implying that she would never be involved in such a scandal, and the rumors will be dispelled on their own.
To his surprise, things turned out to be completely different from what he had imagined. Shen Bingsi rejected Cui Xingmiao and unilaterally broke off their friendship. This caused Cui Xingmiao, a very strong-willed girl, to chase after Rong Xie to the gate of the manor and beg for help. She was even knocked to the ground by the barrier due to Rong Xie's negligence. Could there be anything more embarrassing than this?
“Miss Cui, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know it would turn out like this…” Rong Xie had never had any experience in comforting a crying girl and really didn’t know what to do. He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to Cui Xingmiao, “This is new and hasn’t been used yet.”
Cui Xingmiao took the cloth and wiped her eyes, and Rong Xie breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, Cui Xingmiao's emotions stabilized.
Rong Xie asked her if she was hurt, and she shook her head.
Rong Xie asked her if she wanted some tea made with jasmine and spirit cage grass, but she still shook her head.
She didn't even want to get up, so she sat on the ground, tightly clutching Rong Xie's handkerchief.
Rong Xie knew he had something to say to her, so she waited quietly by his side.
Cui Xingmiao raised her tear-reddened eyes and looked at Rong Xie: "You really don't know anything at all?"
"What?"
"About Bing Si," Cui Xingmiao lowered her eyes again, "we...fought, and it was because of you."
Rong Xie's heart skipped a beat. So it was because of him. Could the disagreement over the treatment plan really lead to this?
“I just heard about it too,” Rong Xie said. “If it’s because of me, then there’s no need for that. When Shen Bing Si comes back, I’ll stay with you, and we’ll talk things out and clear up the misunderstanding.”
“No…it’s not that easy,” Cui Xingmiao shook her head. “If it were clear, it would have been clear already…but do you really know nothing at all?”
Rong Xie was completely bewildered.
Was he not expressing himself clearly? Why did Cui Xingmiao ask the same question twice?
“I’m sorry, I really had no other choice. I shouldn’t have doubted you,” Cui Xingmiao’s eyes flickered slightly. “But, I only told you about that matter.”
"What……?"
"That thing that only you and I know, the thing you promised you wouldn't tell anyone."
Rong Xie suddenly realized what Cui Xingmiao was referring to.
That confession that appeared as the final secret formula, the feelings that Cui Xingmiao confided to Shen Bingsi alone after sending him away—that matter was indeed known to no third person.
So, now, Shen Bingsi knows...?
How did Shen Bingsi find out?
He didn't tell Shen Bingsi!
Rong Xie felt the hairs on the back of his head stand on end. He realized that he was speechless because only Cui Xingmiao and he knew about that matter!
If a third person knew... Cui Xingmiao herself definitely wouldn't tell, so it could only be him.
“Miss Cui, I know it’s hard for you to believe, but I really didn’t say it.” Rong Xie’s heart was pounding, and she forced herself to calm down. “I don’t know how Shen Bingsi found out either. He didn’t know when he left the manor, so something must have happened in between…”
“Brother Rong, I don’t want to doubt you either, but… but I really don’t know what to do. Can you tell Shen Bingsi that I was just joking when I said those words, just to tease you, because at that time, you looked so much like you were jealous.”
Cui Xingmiao grasped Rong Xie's arms with both hands, looking at him with a pleading expression.
"Please, Brother Rong," Cui Xingmiao's fingers were icy cold, and her body temperature could be felt even through the fabric. Her voice was choked with sobs, and her eyes welled up with tears. "If it were you, Shen Bingsi would definitely not hold it against you. You are the one he loves most. No matter what you say, he will not blame you."
Rong Xie felt a chill run through his body.
He understood what Cui Xingmiao meant. Cui Xingmiao wanted him to go to Shen Bingsi and confess that he liked Shen Bingsi and was jealous of Cui Xingmiao. Cui Xingmiao's confession was just to tease him.
Should we drag him out as a scapegoat?
Does he really seem that easy to talk to?
Or was Cui Xingmiao certain that he would feel ashamed for revealing the secret and would try his best to mend her relationship with Shen Bingsi, even if it would make Shen Bingsi hate him?
That's right, Shen Bingsi will definitely hate him.
Shen Bingsi despises anyone who harbors ambiguous feelings for her.
Even Xingmiao Fairy, the most popular confidante in the novel "Offering Dragon Pride to the World," would end up like this if she confessed her feelings to Shen Bingsi.
Being thrown three feet away by the golden light—doesn't that say it all?
What is he anyway? Just a question-and-answer tool existing within the sound transmission jade pendant.
Aside from being pulled out by Tianjing to take the fall at the end, he was a negligible little figure in Shen Bingsi's vast social circle.
In terms of the depth of their connection, none can compare to Fairy Xingmiao.
Why drag him out as a scapegoat? Aren't you ashamed?
Rong Xie closed his eyes, suppressing a certain emotion. He slowly and resolutely pushed away Cui Xingmiao's hand and stood up from beside her.
“Miss Cui, did I not make myself clear?” Rong Xie lowered his eyes. “I did not leak your affairs, and I have no obligation to cover for you.”
Cui Xingmiao seemed startled by Rong Xie's sudden cold attitude and stared blankly at him.
Rong Xie thought that he must look a lot like Shen Bingsi when he was suffering from petrification.
Perhaps when two people spend a lot of time together, they become more and more alike.
When he looked at Cui Xingmiao, who was in tears, he felt not a shred of sympathy, but rather an uncontrollable disgust and anger.
This person clearly sensed that his feelings for Shen Bingsi were extraordinary.
This person clearly knows how Shen Bingsi deals with those who harbor ill intentions towards him.
This person repeatedly tried to provoke him into confessing his feelings to Shen Bingsi.
A surge of malice welled up, filling my chest and overflowing my throat:
"Even if... I was the one who leaked your information, what makes you think I would cover for you?"
Cui Xingmiao opened her eyes wide and stared intently at Rong Xie.
Rong Xie couldn't help but chuckle. Perhaps, in Cui Xingmiao's eyes, his current behavior was like a bad guy tearing off his mask and starting to lay his cards on the table.
However, he didn't care at all what she thought.
"Don't say things you don't want others to know in the first place," Rong Xie said calmly. "If there's nothing else, I'll head back now."
He nodded to Cui Xingmiao, then resolutely turned around and walked up the steps.
A soft rustling sound came from behind, and Cui Xingmiao stood up and took two steps forward.
"Brother Rong, wait a minute! That's not what I meant..."
A golden light streaked across the sky, falling into Huanxue Valley like a shooting star.
"boom--"
The swordsman rushed towards the manor gate, but couldn't stop in time and crashed into the ground, creating a large crater.
The golden light shone brightly, illuminating the area in front of the door. Rong Xie, with his back to the point of impact, was still not spared. The reflection from the lintel made him squint, almost thinking that the effect of the communication jade pendant had doubled.
Without turning around, Rong Xie knew who had returned.
He held onto the door frame, waiting for the earthquake to pass.
The sand and dust that splashed up on the ground were blocked by the barrier and did not hit Rong Xie. Cui Xingmiao, who was outside the barrier, was not so lucky. She screamed and then coughed a series of times.
The culprit behind all this—the master of the sword, Shen Bingsi—strode across the barrier, arrived behind Rong Xie, grabbed his arm, turned him over, and carefully examined him from head to toe.
"Rong'er, are you alright?"
Rong Xie felt a little embarrassed. There was only him and a little girl present, but Shen Bing Si came over to check if he was alright first, as if he couldn't even beat a little girl.
Well... in terms of cultivation level, it seems he really can't beat them.
"I'm fine...you should go check on Miss Cui." Rong Xie pulled his hand off his arm.
Shen Bingsi had only been holding on loosely, but when she suddenly felt her grip slip, she became anxious again and kept glancing at Rong Xie's face: "Are you unhappy? Have you heard those rumors? Those are just idle people spreading nonsense! Cui Xingmiao and I are perfectly fine!"
"Really?" Rong Xie didn't even bother to expose him. "Is it the kind of person who can't get in the door and is fine?"
Shen Bingsi choked, suddenly realizing something. She turned around, her gaze fixed on one spot, and her tone turned cold: "Huh? What are you doing here?"
So Shen Bingsi didn't see Cui Xingmiao at all...
A moment of silence fell at the bottom of the steps.
Cui Xingmiao's face was ashen, her hair and clothes were covered in freshly splashed sand. The once lively and beautiful girl seemed to have lost all her strength, leaving only an empty shell.
Seeing Cui Xingmiao like this, Rong Xie couldn't stay angry anymore.
She ended up in this situation not because she had bad intentions, nor because she did anything wrong, but precisely because she liked Shen Bingsi, and Shen Bingsi found out about it.
The one standing here now, covered in dust and dirt, is Cui Xingmiao; who knows who it might be next time.
Repelled by golden light, met with cold words, and ruthlessly driven away... Even the number one confidante destined in the Book of Fate could not escape it, let alone others.
A sense of shared sorrow, like that of a rabbit mourning the death of a fox, arose calmly in Xie's heart.
“Miss Cui came to ask me for help,” Rong Xie said. “Something that only the two of us knew has been leaked. Although I don’t know how it was leaked, as someone who knew about it, I also bear some responsibility.”
Rong Xie couldn't bear to see Cui Xingmiao's fate be too tragic, perhaps to buy himself some room for maneuver in the future.
“I should immediately dissuade Miss Cui from having such thoughts.” Rong Xie looked down at Cui Xingmiao. At the same time, Cui Xingmiao also looked over unexpectedly. Their eyes met in the air, exchanging emotions that only they could understand. “Falling in love with a ruthless cultivator will not end well.”
"...What are you saying?" Shen Bingsi's voice turned cold. If he was only a little angry when he was agitated, he was truly furious when he turned cold.
Rong Xie clenched his fist inside his sleeve.
Or...did I touch a nerve?
"What do you mean by something only the two of you know? Cui Xingmiao, is that what you told him?" Shen Bingsi turned away from Rong Xie, her voice filled with barely suppressed coldness. "We've known each other for so many years, and I've always thought that you were at least a decent person."
“No…” Cui Xingmiao’s face was as pale as paper. She shook her head and stepped back. “That’s not what I meant… I just wanted Brother Rong to help me…”
"So you knew perfectly well that I saw the exact record from the image stone, and you knew I wouldn't let you spout nonsense in front of him, yet you still came," Shen Bingsi said, descending the steps one by one. With a dragon's roar, the pure gold Shengxie Sword appeared in her hand, its blade leaving a deep mark on the ground. "Cui Xingmiao, I will spare your life out of consideration for your past kindness. Do as you please. From this day forward, our ties are severed, and we shall never meet again."
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