Chapter 30 Clearing Up Rumors:
Cui Xingmiao eventually left on her own.
Her distraught figure remained etched in Rong Xie's memory; even after some time had passed, he could still see it when he closed his eyes.
A large pit was left in front of Huanxue Manor, with a long sword mark stretching from the bottom of the steps to the edge of the pit. The fence of the pasture near this side was crooked and twisted, while frightened little black sheep and spirit deer crowded at the other end.
When Shen Yan and the other two returned, they thought Huanxue Manor had been attacked, and they all took out their newly bought magical artifacts to prepare for battle, until Shen Bingsi's voice came from the manor and pierced their ears:
"Don't be alarmed. Repair the ground in front of the door before you come in."
The three looked at each other in bewilderment. The head of the manor had returned, and the good days were over.
As expected of the head of the manor, he immediately assigned them tasks upon their return, and on such a large scale... Wait, could this neatly cut mark be the legendary sword energy?
Inside the study.
Shen Bingsi and Rong Xie sat at the desk, on which sat a black image stone.
"...So, you not only recorded the doctor's orders, but also recorded Cui Xingmiao's private conversations?" Rong Xie asked.
"I didn't mean to record her private conversations, but I injected too much spiritual energy and forgot to take it away, so I kept recording until she left," Shen Bingsi explained.
"Your habit is quite alarming," Rong Xie commented.
After Shen Bingsi's explanation, Rong Xie finally understood how this matter, which was clearly known only to two people, had reached the ears of a third person—it was passed on directly.
If we had to pinpoint a culprit, it would be Shen Bingsi's excessive spiritual power and her bad habit of carelessly leaving things lying around.
"From now on, the image stone cannot be brought into the bedroom," Rong Xie decided.
Shen Bingsi was in the wrong in this matter, and he accepted the punishment. The rules of the manor have always been decided by Rong Xie, and he will abide by them.
However, he did not regret watching the records in the image stone at all.
"Are you really not going to have anything to do with Cui Xingmiao anymore?" Rong Xie asked.
Today, Shen Bingsi and Cui Xingmiao have completely broken off relations. Although Cui Xingmiao didn't say anything when he left, he must hate Shen Bingsi to death in his heart, and who knows how he will retaliate against him in the future.
Cui Xingmiao is the kind of girl who appears lively and clever on the surface, but her true personality is quite fierce. She will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and her obsession with Shen Bingsi runs deep. This time, Shen Bingsi has completely angered her. Will she keep the harsh words she once uttered? Rong Xie was a little worried.
"What do you think I drew on the ground?" Shen Bingsi said irritably when she mentioned Cui Xingmiao. "That sword energy is an invisible sword energy. As long as Cui Xingmiao appears within a zhang of me, it will slash down, just like today."
"..." Rong Xie recalled the corresponding passage from his distant "Sword Techniques" textbook. He hadn't reached the Foundation Establishment stage and didn't have a deep understanding of sword techniques. He hadn't expected that the "Invisible Sword Qi," which appeared as an extension topic, would actually be used by Shen Bing Si. "Ah, that's the one... In class, we even said it was very suitable for use on enemies..."
The invisible sword energy can identify the opponent's spirit. No matter how the opponent disguises themselves, as long as they get close, the sword will strike without mercy.
Therefore, when the inner disciples were discussing it, they said it was very suitable for use on persistent enemies.
Now, Shen Bingsi used her invisible sword energy on Cui Xingmiao.
His determination to sever ties with Cui Xingmiao is evident.
"Does it really have to come to this? Didn't you say you've known each other for many years, and that she did you a great favor in the past?" Rong Xie asked, having just heard this...
“Yes, but she crossed my line.” Shen Bingsi’s face darkened.
Rong Xie's heart sank as well.
He forced a smile and said, "It's not that serious. Her liking you isn't some heinous crime. Besides, when she told me, she never intended for you to know. You only found out by accident. And the image stone... it wasn't something she invited you to see."
"No, it's not just that..." Shen Bingsi frowned, as if just thinking about it made her feel disgusted. "What did she say? She said she wanted to ruin my Dao Heart, just because she likes me. She said she wanted to ruin my Dao Heart, even if my Dao Heart was shattered and my realm fell, it didn't matter. As long as it satisfied her liking, I didn't care what happened to me. Such a wicked intention, she's no better than an irreconcilable enemy. How could I continue to let her roam around me?"
"Hmm...that seems to make sense," Rong Xie muttered to himself, but something still felt off.
"All the lovesick men and women in the world are like this. Once they get sick of liking or loving someone, they lose their rationality and become both stupid and vicious. The things they do are even more wicked than those of evil cultivators. When these things reach the ears of people who are equally stupid and vicious, they become people who dare to love and hate. How ridiculous! If I were to say, these stupid and vicious people should be driven away like demons and heretics. Without them, there would be more peaceful days in the world." Shen Bingsi said with a sarcastic expression, her words extremely harsh.
Rong Xie knew that this was what he thought; he had thought this long before he cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness.
On this matter, Rong Xie couldn't persuade him. It was precisely because of this belief that Shen Bingsi was able to go so far on the path of severing all feelings and love. This belief was already deeply rooted and had grown into a towering tree in his heart, which could not be shaken by a few words.
It seems that Cui Xingmiao really has no chance.
Some divergent points in destiny have already emerged. Will the future unfold as written in the book of fate?
At the very least, it will be difficult for Cui Xingmiao, her number one confidante, to return to her former position.
...And what about him?
Can he continue his plan of keeping to himself and serve as Shen Bingsi's housekeeper without any problems until the finale?
“However, Rong’er, I didn’t expect you to answer so clearly. You truly are my dearest friend. Even I couldn’t have answered it better.” Shen Bingsi relaxed her brows and turned to Rong Xie with nothing but praise in her eyes.
Rong Xie had forgotten what he had replied. It seemed he had just advised Cui Xingmiao to take it easy. Luckily, he hadn't said what he really meant at the time, or he would have been kicked out with Cui Xingmiao today.
A single wrong thought can lead to utter ruin.
The terrifying feeling of exhaustion, as if his bones had been removed, returned. Even sitting in an armchair, Rong Xie's body couldn't stop sliding down.
"...Rong'er, why do you look so pale?" Shen Bingsi stopped talking, looked at Rong Xie with suspicion, and reached out to take his pulse.
Rong Xie immediately pulled his arm back from the table and hid it behind his back, trying to remain calm: "N-no, you must have seen wrong."
Shen Bingsi's hand froze in mid-air.
This is the second time he has come up empty-handed today.
“I have my own way of repaying her kindness, so you don’t need to worry about that. But she has offended you time and time again, why didn’t you tell me?” Shen Bingsi asked. “That day was the same, wasn’t it? After she left, you lay in bed all afternoon. You’re really… stupid.”
As she spoke the last sentence, Shen Bingsi gritted her teeth.
“…I’m sleepy.” Rong Xie didn’t know what to say. He was still worried. What if he was exposed and Shen Bing Si told him to pack his bags and get out? Where would he go?
At least Cui Xingmiao won't die without Shen Bingsi, and she can go back to her hometown that loves and protects her, but he has nothing... Wait, he doesn't have nothing either. He still has Granny Wang and Wang Mu, who is still connected to him by blood. Heh.
Rong Xie almost laughed at himself.
Shen Bingsi didn't know what Rong Xie was thinking, but seeing his relaxed brows and even a slight smile, she knew he had calmed down on his own, so she stopped mentioning Cui Xingmiao's unpleasant matter.
Shen Bingsi didn't mention it, but Rong Xie brought it up.
"By the way... the rumors about you and Cui Xingmiao are spreading everywhere. People in Yingbin Town are even talking about it. I don't think it's a good idea to let them keep saying this. We need to ask an authoritative person to come out and clarify things," Rong Xie said seriously.
Shen Bingsi suddenly remembered that he had rushed back for this very reason, and that he had left a room full of his friends from the martial arts world who had been giving him advice at a post station a hundred miles away.
"What good idea do you have?" Shen Bingsi immediately sat up straight.
"Please ask Elder Xue to come out and clarify," Rong Xie said.
Shen Bingsi frowned and did not immediately agree.
"Isn't this making a mountain out of a molehill? The old sect master is currently in seclusion. Forcing him to come out of seclusion would have to be something truly earth-shattering," Shen Bingsi said.
"This is a matter of utter chaos, concerning the reputation of the Ruthless Path of the Spirit Mirror Sect. The sooner it is clarified, the better. Tonight, go to the main peak's worship altar and kneel to beg Elder Sect Master Xue to come out of seclusion. Release the clarification by tomorrow morning. Clarifying it is simple; just let Elder Sect Master Xue test whether your cultivation has been diminished."
After a moment's thought, Rong Xie presented a flawless plan.
Shen Bingsi pondered for a moment, then slammed her hand on the table: "Alright, we'll do it your way."
That night, Shen Bingsi went up to the main peak.
The following day, a large number of people from all walks of life flocked to Yingbin Town, surrounding a group of young, ruthless cultivators who volunteered to climb the Heavenly Ladder and head straight for the main peak.
This volunteer team's banner was to clean up the chaos in the cultivation world, punish the scoundrels in the Heartless Path, and restore the Spirit Mirror Sect's good name.
With such a strong banner and a large following, if the Spirit Mirror Sect ignores the situation, it could very well build up even more momentum, causing those forces that have long been suppressed by the three major sects to become restless, making the situation even more difficult to resolve.
Just as things were getting anxious, Sect Master Xue, who had been in seclusion, suddenly spoke up, ordering the guards to open the mountain-protecting formation and invite the requesting team to come up to the main peak. He wanted to meet them in person.
The exchange on the main peak of the Spirit Mirror Sect that day, word by word, quickly spread throughout the cultivation world. The speed and detail of the conversation far surpassed even the rumors and gossip surrounding Shen Bingsi and Cui Xingmiao.
The petitioning group asked Elder Xue to punish the scoundrels in the Heartless Path and clear their names.
Elder Xue asked who the scoundrels were.
The requesting party hinted at a young monk who held the position of adjudicator.
Master Xue asked how he could tell.
The team volunteered to speak out about the recent rumors and gossip.
Sect Master Xue asked, "If rumors can be used to convict someone, what's the point of having the Heavenly Mirror?"
The team that volunteered hesitated and stammered.
Sect Master Xue pulled Shen Bingsi out by the hand and said that he had personally tested Shen Bingsi's cultivation. Not only had Shen Bingsi's cultivation not decreased, but it had also increased significantly compared to last time. Judging from the level of cultivation, Shen Bingsi was the model of the Ruthless Path, while everyone else was the scum of the Ruthless Path. They came to ostracize their fellow practitioners at the slightest sound, as if they could ascend to the position of adjudicator if they dragged him down.
Before ascending to the position of sect leader, Elder Xue was known for his fiery temper. This time, his seclusion was inexplicably interrupted just to listen to the slander and defamation of these nobody. He was so angry that he grabbed the group that had come to request permission and cursed them for an entire afternoon. He only let them leave when it got dark, and he forbade any inn on or off the mountain from receiving them.
I heard that several people in the volunteer team were injured while descending the Heavenly Ladder, and some others, although they returned to their sects safely, have since stayed indoors, afraid of the light and afraid of people speaking loudly. They have been in shock for more than half a month and have not yet recovered.
In the following days, each sect received the official letter from the Lingjing Sect entitled "Xue Baoshan's Reply to the Ten Questions of the Team Requesting Command." After carefully reading it as required, they wrote a reply of the appropriate length and returned it to the Lingjing Sect, thus concluding the matter.
Privately, Sect Master Xue praised Shen Bingsi for her decisive action, saying that her intervention in this matter was timely and the solution was excellent, and that other elders should learn from her. However, Shen Bingsi took the initiative to tell him that the person who made the clarification plan was not him, but Rong Xie.
"Rong Xie?" Sect Master Xue was bewildered. Only after being reminded by others did he realize that Rong Xie was Shen Bing Si's friend, a former inner disciple with limited talent, who now worked at Huanxue Manor. "He's quite talented, but unfortunately, his aptitude isn't up to par..."
After that, Rong Xie was never mentioned again.
The cultivation world is a place where the strong are respected and everything is determined by one's cultivation strength.
Shen Bingsi had long since adapted to this rule; in fact, she was the one who adapted to it the best.
However, at this celebratory occasion after such a victory, all he wanted was to break it all.
While everyone on the main peak was enjoying themselves, Rong Xie was not idle either.
He seriously considered the question of where he should go after being kicked out of the house.
Although the thought of such a situation is terrible, avoiding it will only make things worse when it actually happens.
Rong Xie thought about it for a while, but couldn't come up with any good ideas.
He called Shen Yan and the others over to ask, but they didn't know what good places were outside of Shen Family Village either.
Shen Yan had been a wanderer since childhood, and all he could offer was his experience of begging on the streets. The more Rong Xie listened, the more pitiful it became, which strengthened his resolve to prepare early.
“Shen Yan and the others have limited sources of information. They might as well go to Yingbin Town. It’s a mixed bag there, and they might be able to find out some useful information,” Rong Xie thought.
Suddenly, a name popped into my head, "That's right, Wang Mu!"
The information Wang Mu obtained played a crucial role in clarifying the rumors. Rong Xie had previously promised to treat him to a meal to thank him, and now it seemed that this meal had to be arranged.
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