Chapter 55: No More Waiting.
As soon as Elder Yunfeng entered the gate of Huanxue Manor, he went straight to Rong Xie, grabbed his arm, and muttered, "Young friend Rong, you've finally found me."
Rong Xie was taken aback and looked at him in confusion.
Elder Yunfeng explained that a large group of old men had come to Huanxue Manor to eat fish, which angered Shen Bingsi. Shen Bingsi made a three-point agreement with them: if the manor did not invite them, they could not come to the manor on their own initiative, and even if they wanted to come, they had to notify Shen Bingsi three days in advance.
As a result, Elder Yunfeng had long wanted to visit Rong Xie, but the manor did not invite him, and he could not contact Shen Bingsi, so he could only worry anxiously on his own mountain.
"You can't get in touch with Shen Bingsi either?" Rong Xie caught the key point.
"Hey, isn't that right? He's in seclusion with Xue Baoshan, who would dare disturb him?" Elder Yunfeng clapped his hands and spread them out to the sides.
"..." Rong Xie suddenly realized that Shen Bing Si had gone to the main peak to go into seclusion.
"Did he say when he would leave the pass?" Rong Xie asked.
"Who can say for sure? I think he's preparing to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. It could take him three to five years, or even ten to eight years..."
Rong Xie didn't hear Elder Yunfeng's subsequent complaints; he only heard the phrase "at least three to five years," and his mind went blank.
If Shen Bingsi doesn't come out for three to five years, wouldn't he be unable to obtain his identity documents for three to five years?
"However, speaking of which, young friend Rong, do you know that there is a medical cultivator in the Yunshan Sect named Cui Xingmiao?" Elder Yunfeng asked.
Rong Xie came to his senses: "Miss Cui? I know her, she treated me."
"Then do you know... about her and Shen Bingsi?" Elder Yunfeng asked Rong Xie in a mysterious tone, lowering his voice.
"What do they want?" Rong Xie asked, looking bewildered.
"That shouldn't be the case. How could you not even know this? It caused quite a stir a while ago..."
Elder Yunfeng narrowed his eyes, about to gossip about it, when he heard Rong Xie say, "You mean that matter? Hasn't that matter already been clarified?"
"Oh...it's been clarified."
Elder Yunfeng's gossipy spirit was extinguished by a bucket of cold water. After a moment's hesitation, he began to defend himself:
"Clarification is one thing, but we weren't involved, so we don't know the facts."
Rong Xie is not one to gossip about others, and he is even more wary of gossip about people close to him. Now, Elder Yunfeng has actually started gossiping about Shen Bingsi.
Rong Xie looked at Elder Yunfeng with surprise, wondering if he was someone else in disguise.
"Besides, a month or so has passed since this incident, who knows what changes might have occurred in between... Young friend Rong, please don't look at this old Daoist like that. This old Daoist doesn't want to speculate about Shen Bingsi like that either, but it's his Daoist heart that has wavered!"
Elder Yunfeng's words were like a bombshell, leaving Rong Xie stunned.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Didn't you notice anything at all?" Elder Yunfeng looked at Rong Xie with some disappointment. "I thought you knew something. Aren't you two together every day?"
Rong Xie was in shock and didn't bother to reply to Elder Yunfeng. Elder Yunfeng could tell from his expression that he knew nothing about it.
Elder Yunfeng sighed: "Young friend Rong, you are even more obtuse than I imagined. There are no fixed rules about love and affection between young men and women. That's why the most difficult thing to cultivate in the Path of Ruthlessness is the one that severs feelings and love... Shen Bingsi should have listened to me and chosen the one that severs her appetite."
Rong Xie was in a state of utter confusion and didn't listen to Elder Yunfeng's long discussion at all. All he could think about was how Shen Bingsi could possibly have wavering Dao heart.
In that three-thousand-chapter book of destiny, Shen Bingsi adventured, searched for treasures, and slew demons with a backyard full of beautiful women. His life was full of exciting possibilities. Even so, his Dao heart did not waver. He firmly held on until the very last moment. It was only when the Heavenly Mirror forcibly assigned him a Dao-proving object that he wavered for a moment...
However, it only lasted a moment. A moment later, he still proved himself without hesitation, breaking through the realm at a speed comparable to lightning.
With such a heart as iron, how could Shen Bingsi's heart have wavered so early on?
"No way, Elder, are you mistaken? Shen Bingsi's Dao heart is as firm as iron, how could it be easily shaken? I haven't seen any such signs either." Rong Xie frowned.
“Didn’t you notice these signs? Could it be that you… cough cough,” Elder Yunfeng coughed suggestively, “haven’t been paying much attention to Shen Bingsi’s movements? After all, he’s always traveling, and you can’t possibly follow him all the time.”
“Shen Bingsi and I have been together for a while now; we went out for a trip,” Rong Xie said.
“Yes, I know, that’s what he reported to Xue Baoshan,” Elder Yunfeng paused, “but even if you go out together, if he wants to go out alone to meet someone, he can just fly there and back without delaying anything. You don’t know this, do you? For a while, in order to complete the Mirror Palace’s mission, he would go to the Forbidden Palace every night. None of the Celestial Masters guarding the Forbidden Palace noticed him.”
"..." Rong Xie really wanted to say that he knew, because Shen Bing Si slept with him every night.
“Young friend Rong, you still don’t understand people’s hearts. No matter how close the friendship is, it can’t compare to the feelings between a man and a woman. Shen Bingsi is getting on in years and is easily swayed. Even if you’re together every day, he might not tell you. And you’re so honest by nature that even if there are clues, you’ll just turn a blind eye.”
"..." Rong Xie didn't expect to be rated as "honest" by Elder Yunfeng. However, if Elder Yunfeng's evaluation standard was based on whether or not he knew about Shen Bingsi's intimate relationship with someone, then Rong Xie's rating should be upgraded to "dishonest" or "extremely dishonest," because he not only knew about it but also planned to keep it a secret.
“Shen Bingsi and Miss Cui really have nothing going on,” Rong Xie said. “They had a falling out some time ago and have sworn never to see each other again.”
"Huh? Is that so?" This time it was Elder Yunfeng's turn to be surprised.
"Yes, Shen Bingsi also used invisible sword energy..."
"He even used invisible sword energy?" Elder Yunfeng's eyes widened, then he shook his head. "Hey, this kid is so ruthless. It seems we underestimated him."
Rong Xie smiled and asked, "How did you learn that Shen Bingsi's Dao heart has wavered, Elder?"
"Uh, well..." Elder Yunfeng's attitude became less certain. He stroked his beard. "This old Daoist is just guessing. This kid suddenly appeared on the main peak, wanted to go into seclusion without saying a word, and even asked Xue Baoshan to protect him. If something major hadn't happened, why would he be in such a hurry? When I asked him questions, he wouldn't answer, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot. This kind of behavior is only because he's been rejected by a woman. I was young once too, so I'll put myself in his shoes..."
Rong Xie finally understood. It turned out that Elder Yunfeng had no evidence whatsoever and was just making wild guesses. Yet he came to him pretending to be well-informed. Who was the honest person here?
"Alas, if it wasn't because of Miss Cui, then who could it be? Who exactly is that little vixen who disturbed the Dao heart of our Sword Saint?" Elder Yunfeng was still muttering to himself.
Rong Xie felt that if he continued to let Shen Bingsi run wild, something bad would happen sooner or later, so he asked, "Is it also your guess that Shen Bingsi will go into seclusion for three to five years?"
"No, that's not it. It's just that the talismans and pills they brought in were prepared in quantities for long-term seclusion, and they chose a quiet room on the worship platform, clearly indicating that they didn't want to be disturbed." Elder Yunfeng was quite authoritative in this regard.
"So that's how it is..." The huge rock hanging over Rong Xie's head finally fell, and the situation that Rong Xie least wanted to happen still happened.
Shen Bingsi's petrification disorder still flared up. Although it was delayed by two days until Rong Xie was brought back, the severity of the attack was no less than any of the previous ones.
This time, he planned to lock himself in the quiet room of Baisentai for three to five years before facing the world again.
After seeing Elder Yunfeng off, Rong Xie told the three younger ones that the Master of the Manor had gone into seclusion and might not return for a long time.
The three children's first reaction was to cheer. Without the big boss above them, the atmosphere at the resort was very relaxed, which was no different from a long holiday.
Then, they noticed Rong Xie's expression, nudged each other with their elbows, and stopped smiling.
“Brother Rong, do you… have something urgent to discuss with the Master? Why don’t we go to the Prayer Platform and plead with him outside that quiet room to say something to the Master?”
"Yes, it's just saying a few words, it should be fine, right?"
The three children's innocent words made Rong Xie laugh helplessly: "The meditation room of the Worship Platform is not so easy to approach. The Worship Platform is surrounded by the strongest barrier of the Spirit Mirror Sect. Let alone getting close to talk, you can't even get up there."
"oh……"
"Then what should we do?"
What should we do then?
In the past, Rong Xie would have chosen to wait.
Shen Bingsi was, after all, a cultivator in the prime of his life, so it was perfectly normal for him to go into seclusion for cultivation. Ever since he became a high-level disciple, he would go into seclusion every now and then, for anywhere from a year or two to two or three months. Seclusion was usually to solve some problems in cultivation or to break through to a higher realm, which was something that every cultivator would go through.
To facilitate Shen Bingsi's secluded cultivation, as soon as they obtained the layout map of Huanxue Manor, they first planned two quiet rooms for his seclusion. After that, Shen Bingsi no longer needed to go to the main peak for seclusion; minor problems could be resolved directly at Huanxue Manor. Rong Xie would also prepare a hot celebratory banquet for him when he emerged from seclusion.
...
Two months ago, Rong Xie would have waited too. After all, Shen Bingsi was busy with important matters, while he was only concerned with trivial things. As long as Shen Bingsi's cultivation went smoothly, he didn't mind waiting.
But now, Rong Xie doesn't want to wait any longer.
Knowing that they were destined to part ways, Rong Xie didn't have much time to wait or waste on others. He wanted to settle into his new house as soon as possible and start a new life.
Since Shen Bingsi couldn't come forward to get the identity documents, he would retrieve them himself. He was now full of spiritual energy and wasn't afraid to face anyone from Shen Family Village head-on. If the Shen family members caused trouble, he would confront them directly.
However, the Shen family members are very cunning and shrewd, so it is still necessary to make a thorough plan before taking action.
Thinking this, Rong Xie called the three children together and carefully inquired about their current situation in Shenjiazhuang.
The three younger ones were very open with their knowledge, but they didn't have access to much information and could only give a general overview. As for who was in charge of important documents such as genealogies and household registration certificates, they didn't know.
"It's alright, I'll ask someone else."
Rong Xie already had someone in mind.
At the Yingbin Town Inn, during the midday rush of people, Wang Mu, with his legs dangling, ordered food from the waiter in a private room on the second floor. After ordering a table full of dishes, he turned around and said with a grin, "Brother Rong, all these dishes are delicious. No one knows the chef's skills better than me. We ordered a little too much, but we can pack up the leftovers to take home and eat slowly."
Two months had passed, and Wang Mu seemed to have grown a bit more. He had gotten thinner and taller, with dark skin. When he ran over from a distance, he looked like a wild monkey that had just emerged from the woods.
“You’re still growing, so eat more. All of this is for you,” Rong Xie said with a smile.
Wang Muxin's wish was fulfilled, and he beamed with joy: "Thank you, Brother Rong!"
As the dishes were served one after another, Wang Mu was overwhelmed by the variety. Holding his chopsticks, he didn't know which dish to pick up first, so he asked the waiter for an empty bowl, mixed all the dishes together, and ate them with great relish.
Having eaten until he was completely full, Wang Mu let out a satisfied burp, took a couple more sips of soup, and looked up contentedly: "Thank you, Brother Rong! Last time, Brother Rong asked me to inquire about houses like Huanxue Manor, and I found out some things..."
"Let's not talk about that yet," Rong Xie said, stroking his teacup with his fingers. "Do you know who manages the household registration documents for those people in Shen Family Village?"
"Who doesn't know that? It's in Uncle Shen's room, in the cabinet under the east-facing window in the study!" Wang Mu said smugly, then became wary, "Why is Brother Rong asking about this? Could it be...?"
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Bingbing doesn't have much time left for seclusion. [doge emoji]
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