Chapter 21 Choosing a pageboy, in the dark room, he lost his temper.
Chapter 21 Choosing a Page
The reason given by Rong Xie was irrefutable to Steward Shen, so he had no choice but to take out an extra test paper and awkwardly hand one to Granny Wang.
Although Granny Wang really wanted to ridicule Steward Shen, the family of five would still have to rely on him for a living once they got back, so she didn't dare to offend him too much. She just rolled her eyes, took the test paper, handed it to Wang Mu, and told him to hurry up and finish writing it.
Steward Shen was seething with anger, but had nowhere to vent it. With a dark face, he walked among the candidates for servants and peeked at their answers. This made the candidates tremble with fear, and they all shrank their heads and lay on the ground, pretending to be deep in thought.
Half an hour later, it was time to hand in the papers.
Rong Xie collected the papers, looked them over one by one, graded them into three levels (A, B, and C), and showed them to Shen Bingsi.
Shen Bingsi sat in the armchair in the study, with the scrolls spread out on the large desk. Rong Xie stood beside him, and the head steward, Shen, stood at the corner of the desk. A group of candidate servants lay on the ground, waiting for the final result. The grand master of the manor was certainly putting on a show.
He never liked wasting time on useless things, so he directly picked up the papers of the top three students and started looking at them.
"Hmm..." Shen Bingsi narrowed her eyes.
Steward Shen leaned forward a little more, and Granny Wang's ears perked up. The prospective servants also quietly raised their heads, trying to peek at how the legendary Grand Master and Great Sword Saint would judge their papers.
Shen Bingsi glanced at them twice, then turned to Rong Xie and asked, "Are there only these three people in the Class A category?"
"yes."
"Do you think their answers were good?"
"It's quite good," Rong Xie replied.
“Okay, then let’s keep the three of them, and the rest of you go home.” Shen Bingsi nodded.
Unexpectedly, Shen Bingsi made the decision so decisively. Butler Shen wanted to say something, but held back.
The prospective pageboys grew increasingly nervous, their mouths agape as they swallowed. Before coming here, they hadn't truly experienced it, but after seeing the exquisite Huanxue Manor with their own eyes, none of them wanted to leave. How wonderful it would be to live in such a place!
Moreover, that young steward Rong seemed gentle and magnanimous, not the type to be harsh on servants. Following him should be much more comfortable than following Steward Shen.
Once a person becomes preoccupied with gains and losses, time seems to drag on endlessly.
Rong Xie bent down and whispered a few words to Shen Bingsi.
"Now I announce the three in the first tier," Rong Xie said, "Shen Yan is first, Long Shaoye is second, and Fang Renji is third."
Upon hearing the results, the candidates could no longer suppress their childlike nature and began to make a ruckus. Some covered their faces and sobbed in disappointment, some kicked their feet in frustration, and some looked at the three chosen ones with envy.
The three chosen men stood up from the pool of candidates, all with their heads held high and chests puffed out, each one more spirited than the last. How could they not be excited at the thought that their lives were about to undergo a dramatic change!
"Everyone, please be quiet. The Master has something to ask you. Please come up first, the three of you," Rong Xie said.
"Shut your mouths, all of you!" Butler Shen snapped.
The candidates for pageboys quickly quieted down, and the three of them nervously walked toward the table.
Only Wang the wet nurse was still cursing, clearly indicating that Wang Mu had not passed.
Luck did not smile upon Wang Mu a second time. Rong Xie looked at his exam paper and found that he indeed couldn't write. He barely managed to answer two questions with scribbles that looked like a dog's crawl, and then gave up completely. Rong Xie didn't even give him a grade of C.
"Shen Yan, Long Shaoye, Fang Renji." Rong Xie called out their names, and the three responded in turn.
Rong Xie looked them over one by one. All three were boys, around twelve to fifteen years old, with a basic understanding of reading and writing, good health, and clever appearances. They were more than qualified to be servants.
Of the three, Fang Renji was the youngest, only twelve years old, while Shen Yan and Long Shaoye were about the same age, fourteen and fifteen respectively.
“According to this form, you all possess spiritual roots. To work in the manor, you also need to know certain spells. We just tested you on this, and you all answered well. However, knowing the theory and being able to do it in practice are two different things,” Rong Xie paused, turning slightly towards Shen Bing Si. “Next, you need to demonstrate the corresponding attribute spells to the manor lord. Anything will do. Let him see your abilities.”
The three became increasingly nervous, with the youngest, Fang Renji, even developing a slight cross-eyed look.
As everyone knows, the person sitting at the desk right now is Shen Bingsi, one of the three great adjudicators of the cultivation world, the master of Huanxue Mountain Villa, and the pride of the Shen family. To perform magic in front of him would be like showing off one's skills in front of an expert, with no possibility of any embellishment.
Shen Yan took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, stepped forward, raised her hands above her head, and bowed to Shen Bing Si: "Great Master, I am Shen Yan, I have dual spiritual roots of thunder and fire, let me demonstrate first."
The other two pageboys and several unsuccessful pageboys behind him looked at Shen Yan with admiration. In such a tense situation, he was still able to present himself so generously and clearly. He truly deserved to be the first-place winner.
To everyone's surprise, the powerful manor lord behind the desk was unimpressed and said nonchalantly, "All three of you come at me together."
The three of them were taken aback. Should they all demonstrate together?
Shen Yan was the first to react and announced the name of the spell she was about to demonstrate.
Long Shaoye and Fang Renji were about to sign up when the same manor lord waved his hand and interrupted them, saying, "No need to announce the dishes, just serve."
This immediately disrupted the three's composure. By not allowing them to register, they lost any chance to bluff. They could then directly demonstrate their abilities, and the pressure from Shandong University immediately subsided.
After Shen Bingsi finished speaking, Rong Xie glanced at him. Butler Shen also glanced at Rong Xie.
Rong Xie was thinking, "Why is Shen Bing Si so addicted to putting on this dignified air? I'm afraid she'll scare the child so much that he won't be able to use his magic."
Butler Shen wondered if Rong Xie had taught the Second Young Master these tricks of interrupting people and psychologically crushing them.
Shen Bingsi, the person at the center of the vortex, was completely unaware, relaxing back in her chair and waiting to watch the show.
A surge of water essence overflowed from Long Shaoye's palm, condensing into a water column that rose upwards. Suddenly, a strong wind blew the water column, causing it to fly forward like a water dragon.
Long Shaoye was the oldest of the three. He was quiet and composed, but his first move was such a skillful water-based spell, which drew gasps of surprise from the children below.
Shen Yan fell slightly behind, but his attack was a powerful fire spirit. He raised his hand and pushed the water column released by Long Shaoye with a palm. The water column hissed and gradually turned into white smoke and then into white mist. The mist enveloped the table, and the area around the desk was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see the situation below.
Within the clouds and mist, tiny currents of electricity darted about like snakes, quickly disappearing from sight.
The two worked together so well that Rong Xie couldn't help but applaud them. Long Shaoye made the first move to set the stage for Shen Yan, since Shen Yan possessed both thunder and fire spiritual roots. Either one could easily cause harm if used alone. With Long Shaoye's water spiritual root as a prelude, he not only demonstrated his own technique but also set a good example for Shen Yan.
Kids these days are really something else...
Shen Bingsi placed her hand on the table and tapped her fingers twice. The mist instantly disappeared, and the figures of the three children became clear again.
Shen Yan and Long Shaoye were both stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting their spells to be cleared out so quickly. They wondered if the Grand Master had seen it clearly.
Fang Renji stared blankly, his mouth half-open, holding a lump of mud that he had somehow managed to pull out.
When the tide goes out, it becomes clear who's been swimming naked.
Fang Renji's actions caused a burst of laughter. The children pointed at him and laughed so hard they almost fell over. Fang Renji wanted to explain, but then he remembered that the head of the manor didn't allow people to recite the names of the dishes. He moved his mouth, but still didn't say anything.
Amidst the laughter of the crowd, he stared at the clod of earth in his hand. Suddenly, a tiny green sprout broke through the clod and emerged.
No spell can conjure life out of thin air. The little sprout in the clod of earth was Fang Renji's wood spirit, and the clod of earth itself was his earth spirit. Although the spell was simple, he used it to demonstrate his two spiritual roots, and thus completed his mission.
Seeing this, Rong Xie gave Fang Renji an encouraging look.
After the three finished their performance, they waited for Shen Bingsi's judgment.
Butler Shen stood to the side, beaming with pride. The talents he had selected were indeed excellent. Shen Yan and Long Shaoye were the most outstanding among this group of children. Although Fang Renji was a bit slow, he had a strong memory and could handle clerical work without any problem.
Shen Bingsi looked at the three of them, but did not express her opinion for a moment.
The study quieted down, and the children craned their necks to look at the desk. Even Wang's nanny stopped patting Wang Mu's hand.
Perhaps it was because Shen Bingsi had been silent for too long that everyone sensed something was wrong.
Rong Xie lowered his head and looked at Shen Bingsi's profile with a strange expression. In the past, from this angle, Rong Xie could tell what Shen Bingsi was going to say just by moving his eyebrows.
But this time, he couldn't guess what else Shen Bingsi was dissatisfied with about these three children.
That's right, Shen Bingsi was not satisfied.
Rong Xie could sense a growing sense of resistance emanating from his close friend.
To prevent Shen Bingsi from blurting out harsh words and making the child cry, Rong Xie first smoothed things over: "The Master of the Manor will consider things more carefully when it comes to magic. Asking him for criticism and guidance will also help improve one's own skills."
Upon hearing this, Steward Shen gave Rong Xie another disapproving look.
“Fang Renji, your spiritual roots are clearly earth, wood, and metal. Where is your metal?” Shen Bingsi finally spoke up. “And Long Shaoye, you have dual spiritual roots of water and wind. Water is one thing, but is the wind something you can just blow out with your mouth? It has no power at all.”
"..."
As expected, Shen Bingsi's words, which she had been preparing for a while, were definitely not kind. Her sharp comments went straight to the weaknesses of the two. Fang Renji was alright, still looking dazed, but Long Shaoye's face turned red.
The last one, Shen Yan, hadn't been commented on yet. He was probably confident enough that when he heard Shen Bingsi criticize the other two, he not only wasn't afraid, but straightened his back, as if Shen Bingsi would praise him as the third one.
“And this one…” Shen Bingsi glanced down at the name on the exam paper, “Shen Yan.”
Shen Yan's shoulders slumped a little. Didn't she remember his name?
"Your spiritual root seems to be useless."
"..."
A deathly silence.
Chapter 22 In the Darkroom
The Thunderfire Spiritual Root—that's the most domineering of all, the most powerful of all, yet Shen Bingsi said it's useless…
Rong Xie couldn't help but cough lightly.
Shen Bingsi, you yourself have both water and fire spiritual roots, okay?
Before Shen Yan could speak, Long Shaoye protested, his face flushed red.
"Master Shen, the most domineering spiritual roots in the world are the lightning spiritual root and the fire spiritual root. Any major sect would fight over a prospective disciple with such spiritual roots!"
"Young Master Long!" Butler Shen shouted, "Is this the place for you to spout such nonsense?"
Shen Bingsi waved her hand: "It's alright, let him speak. Long Shaoye, right? That's a pretty arrogant name, I like it. But since you asked, I'll be frank. We're not recruiting any promising cultivators, but rather servants to manage the manor's daily affairs—basically, menial tasks. He, with dual lightning and fire spiritual roots, is here to do menial tasks? What kind of tasks can he do? Can he conjure lightning or set fires?"
Shen Bingsi's words make sense. Lightning spiritual roots are indeed not very useful in daily life. Fire spiritual roots can be used for cooking and making hot water, but to control them to such a precise and sustained degree requires quite specialized training. With that level of skill, one would be more than qualified to join a small sect as a disciple, rather than end up as a servant in someone else's home.
However, while Shen Bingsi's words made sense, they were a bit nitpicky. He would criticize others for having weak spiritual power, and he would also criticize others for having strong spiritual power. He said everything to Shen Bingsi, and in the end, he still didn't want a servant.
Rong Xie took a deep breath, about to say something, but Shen Yan spoke first.
“Master Shen, I awakened my dual spiritual roots of thunder and fire at the age of three, and began learning magic from my master at the age of five. Although I am not as gifted as you, Master Shen, I am confident that my control over thunder and fire magic surpasses that of most of my peers. I can manage to cook and heat water in the manor. Moreover, I have heard that Master Shen prefers those who are proficient in talismans rather than those with suitable spiritual roots. I also discovered while doing the test that there are many questions about talismans. I happen to be familiar with three thousand kinds of talismans, which will surely come in handy in the daily affairs of the manor.”
Shen Yan's words were neither humble nor arrogant, but reasonable and well-founded, which earned her admiration. No wonder Long Shaoye was willing to play support for her.
"That's right, your name is Shen Yan, right?" Shen Bingsi pushed the table aside, stood up, walked around the table with her hands behind her back, and came to Shen Yan.
This was the first time Shen Yan had come into such close contact with a Nascent Soul cultivator. He felt Shen Bing Si's vast spiritual consciousness quickly engulf him, and every pore of his body felt as if it were being pricked by needles. But he felt no fear, only excitement. He gazed at Shen Bing Si with excitement. Shen Bing Si remembered him! She remembered his name: "That's right!"
"You said you started learning magic from your master when you were five years old. You must have an unusual background, right?" Shen Bingsi asked.
“Yes…” Shen Yan’s eyes darkened slightly. “My family was once a prestigious family in Dongzhou. Later, our family fell into decline and we ended up in Heyang. Fortunately, the Shen family took me in. The head of the family gave me a second chance, so I changed my surname to Shen and stayed.”
Steward Shen quickly interjected, "I've also brought his indenture. If the Master thinks highly of him, I'll present all three of their indentures together."
Shen Bingsi smiled slightly and clapped her hands: "Alright. I don't want anyone else's, I only want Shen Yan's indenture."
Shen Yan was taken aback.
"Shen Yan, it's a pity that you're not cultivating immortality properly. I think your future is limitless, and I plan to recommend you to the inner sect of the Spirit Mirror Sect. What do you think? Just say the word, and I'll send a message to Elder Yunfeng right now."
"This..." Shen Yan was bewildered. Wasn't he here to apply for the position of page? How come suddenly... he's going to become an inner disciple of the Spirit Mirror Sect?
Long Shaoye looked at him with a radiant smile and nudged his shoulder: "Yanzi, you're going to be rich! Hurry up and agree!"
Rong Xie was also bewildered by Shen Bingsi. What was the meaning of his actions during the examination for recruiting servants? Although Shen Yan's talent was good, it was not amazing. Even someone with Shen Bingsi's talent had to honestly go through three major trials before he could be accepted into the inner sect. Why could Shen Yan just put him into Yunfeng with a single sentence?
Could it be... that Shen Bingsi was actually lying?
Shen Yan's lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to agree immediately, but due to some concerns, she did not speak right away.
Urged on by Long Shaoye and under Shen Bingsi's gaze, he raised his head: "I, Shen Yan, will never forget the great kindness of Master Shen, but... could Master Shen also recommend Long Shaoye? He is very capable..."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Long Shaoye immediately pushed him. "This isn't a casual dinner party where you can invite friends and family to come along."
The atmosphere surrounding the servant exam reached an unprecedented high. No one could have imagined that by participating in the servant exam, they would witness their former slaves, who had been sold into servitude, rise to power—no, ascend to the top and become inner disciples of the three major sects. Even Steward Shen's heart raced, regretting that he hadn't brought his own direct descendants to force their way into the exam.
At this moment, Shen Bingsi has transformed from a high-ranking manor lord into a powerful deity who decides the fate of individuals. The destinies of Shen Yan, Long Shaoye, and Fang Renji are now held in his hands.
The children's ambitions and desires were laid bare at this moment.
"Well, have you made up your mind?" Shen Bingsi asked him with great interest, as if she hadn't heard Shen Yan recommending Long Shaoye. "Go to the inner sect, or stay and do odd jobs with your little friend?"
"I……"
"Your family could test your spiritual roots when you were three, and hire a master to teach you when you were five. They must have treated you very well, right? Leaving such a family, changing your name and identity, and going to a place where you don't know anyone to be a servant, you must have suffered a lot, right?" Shen Bingsi was like a demon who could see into people's hearts, mercilessly peeling away Shen Yan's inner thoughts. "What, now that you have the opportunity to take back your original identity and revive your family, you hesitate? Just for this cheap friend? If you get together with him and both of you become servants, your family line will be cut off. How can you face the elders in your family who placed so much hope in you?"
Dead silence.
After Shen Bingsi finished speaking, there was no sound in the study.
Everyone stared at Shen Yan, as if they could see a bloody storm raging over him.
Shen Yan's face was deathly pale, devoid of any color, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.
"Shen Bingsi!" Rong Xie finally couldn't stand it anymore. "Come here for a second."
Shen Bingsi turned around triumphantly, and only when she saw Rong Xie's expression softened slightly. She then followed Rong Xie to the secret room behind the study.
Rong Xie closed the door to the dark room with his backhand and stuck a soundproofing talisman on the door.
"What's wrong?" Shen Bingsi asked, puzzled. "Why did you suddenly call me in?"
"What did you just say? You have no right to guarantee that someone can enter the inner sect!" Rong Xie's voice was somewhat urgent.
“Yeah, I didn’t say I could guarantee it,” Shen Bingsi said dismissively. “I just said I would recommend it.”
"No matter who recommends him, he has to go through three major tests. These tests are conducted in winter, and it's only early summer now. It will take more than half a year to find out the results. During this time, where do you want him to eat and sleep? Preparing for the tests also requires financial support. Are you going to pay for his meals?"
"No," Shen Bingsi said decisively. "He's not you, why should I support him?"
"..." Rong Xie was speechless.
“Since you won’t support him, why did you say you would recommend him? You know perfectly well that he is isolated and helpless.” Rong Xie sighed.
“I didn’t recommend him. Isn’t this an exam? This is part of the exam. We need a stable, long-term servant, not a gifted young hero who is burdened with the responsibility of the family’s revival. Did you see his eyes? They clearly don’t look like someone who is meant to be subordinate to others. Only a fool like Shen Heigou would force someone to change his surname and come in.”
"Black Dog Shen" is the nickname that Shen Bingsi gave to Butler Shen.
Shen Bingsi was never a soft-hearted person, and her insight into people's hearts was terrifyingly sharp. Rong Xie had known this for a long time, after all, he was a Nascent Soul cultivator of the Ruthless Path.
"So... he didn't pass your test?" Rong Xie's tone calmed down.
“Neither he nor Long Shaoye are suitable. That potato is alright, but he's a bit slow and clumsy, so he probably won't be of much help to you.” Shen Bingsi looked down on everyone. “If we hire him, we'll have to go through the trouble of training him. It's better to…”
"Bing Si, didn't we agree that we must recruit people this time and solve the problem once and for all, without dragging it out any longer?" Rong Xie calmly explained to Shen Bing Si, "We are only recruiting pageboys, not slaves who will be sold to us for life. We are only hiring them for three to five years, and it is hard to say what the future holds."
Rong Xie did tell Shen Bingsi that he wanted a long-term, stable servant. However, that long-term stability was only for at most three to five years before he reached the Foundation Establishment stage. After he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he would have plenty of time and spiritual energy, so whether he needed a servant was another matter.
Shen Bingsi fell silent.
After a moment, he looked at the ground and asked in a deep voice, "Then can you tell me the truth?"
Rong Xie tensed up immediately, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. What was Shen Bing Si going to ask him about his true feelings? Had he realized that he liked him? How could that be? He had been hiding it very well. Before he had composed himself, he would dodge when Shen Bing Si touched him, and he would lower his eyes when his heart was racing. How could Shen Bing Si have noticed that?
Shen Bingsi is indeed very perceptive of people's hearts, but he has always been quite slow to notice other people's affections for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been a teammate of Fairy Xingmiao for more than three thousand chapters... Miss Cui liked him from the very beginning.
It doesn't make sense that I was so oblivious in that book of fate, but so perceptive in reality!
Just as Rong Xie was sweating profusely, Shen Bingsi took a step closer to him, reached out and pressed her hand against the door behind him, trapping him in the narrow space between her body and the door panel.
Shen Bingsi observed Rong Xie's expression, her brows furrowing even more deeply: "You... do you despise me?"
"I didn't, I'm not!" Rong Xie answered in a low voice as if on cue. When he realized what Shen Bing Si was asking, he couldn't help but look up, "Huh? What did you say?"
Shen Bingsi's eyelids twitched. At a time like this, he was still not focused, and he had to repeat those hurtful words. His best friend's indifference was truly chilling.
Shen Bingsi lowered his head heavily, resting his forehead on Rong Xie's shoulder. His mood was so low that he could hardly bear it. Only the unchanging scent of books and soap on his best friend could make him feel a little better. He took a deep breath, and his breath blew on the small patch of delicate skin exposed inside his best friend's collar. When he didn't notice, that small patch of fair skin turned pink.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault. I shouldn't have forced you." Shen Bingsi leaned against Rong Xie's shoulder, her voice heavy with nasal congestion. Just moments ago, she was full of vigor and could dominate in front of others, but in the blink of an eye, she looked like a defeated rooster. Those outside the door would never have imagined that the master of the Shen family, who manipulated people's fates, would be so humble and beg for someone's forgiveness in private.
Chapter 23 He Went on a rampage
"I didn't know you would hate me so much..."
Shen Bingsi felt Rong Xie move slightly, grabbed his arms with both hands to prevent him from escaping, and finished speaking in one breath:
"I won't force you anymore. If you don't like it, we won't do it. There are all sorts of wonders in this world; there must be other ways to cure you. I'll look for them. While I'm away, you can be free to do as you please..."
Rong Xie didn't know what freedom meant. He didn't let Shen Bingsi continue his self-deprecating talk. He broke free from Shen Bingsi's hands, held his shoulders, and helped him up. He said firmly, "I don't hate you. I've never hated you. It's just... I just need time."
"Hmm?" Shen Bingsi was still dejected, seemingly not understanding what Rong Xie meant. He raised his head, looking for the answer on Rong Xie's face. Gradually, his dim eyes brightened, a new vitality was injected into them, followed by joy, and disbelief.
"You really don't hate me? It's not because you don't want to be alone with me that you're in such a hurry to recruit servants?" Shen Bingsi grasped Rong Xie's arms again, but Rong Xie had already put his arms on his shoulders, so he only held his elbows. His hands slid back, as if holding a precious treasure, and even his best friend's thin back was wrapped in his palms.
The two were acting rather intimately, but Rong Xie didn't realize it at all. He felt a throbbing force in his heart, compelling him to tell Shen Bing Si his true thoughts right now.
He would never reveal his feelings for Shen Bingsi, but he would readily share anything else that could clear up any misunderstandings or barriers between them.
"Of course not. I recruited servants to share the affairs of the manor so that I could concentrate on... concentrate on learning dual cultivation." When he said the last two words, Rong Xie still found it very difficult to say. His eyebrows and eyes were burning, his eyelids were heavy and pressed down on his eyes. He did not dare to look at Shen Bing Si. His voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz at the end.
Fortunately, Shen Bingsi had exceptional hearing. When he heard what Rong Xie wanted to hear, it was as clear as thunder in spring. Shen Bingsi shouted with joy, lifted Rong Xie's body up, spun him around half a circle, and then put him back on the ground. Rong Xie was startled and tightly gripped the piece of fabric below Shen Bingsi's shoulder line. His heart was still pounding when his feet hit the ground.
"Bing Si, can you please not do this all of a sudden..." Rong Xie patted his chest, protesting softly against Shen Bing Si's overreaction, "We're not children anymore..."
“I love children, I love children the most! Come on, let’s invite them all in now!” Shen Bingsi said with a smile, reaching out to open the door.
"Wait a minute." Rong Xie was now grateful that he had put up soundproofing talismans when he came in. Otherwise, with Shen Bingsi making such a fuss, people outside would think he had gone mad. In that case, he wouldn't be able to maintain his dignity as the head of the manor. Children trust people with authority the most. If Shen Bingsi's dignity collapsed, those clever kids would be hard to manage.
"Hmm?" Shen Bingsi looked at Rong Xie.
Rong Xie straightened Shen Bingsi's collar, stepped back to examine her, and after confirming that everything was alright, he instructed Shen Bingsi to continue putting on airs after she left, and that he would handle the rest. He also said that the selection of servants should still be based on the top three candidates from the exam.
"Okay, I understand." Shen Bingsi readily agreed.
After Rong Xie retrieved the soundproofing talisman, the two emerged from the dark room, and the noisy chatter in the study outside immediately fell silent.
"I apologize for keeping you all waiting. I've discussed it with Master Shen, and we've decided to proceed as follows..."
Before Rong Xie could finish speaking, a sharp voice interrupted; it was Steward Shen.
"Manager Xiao Rong, isn't this a bit unfair of you? We've tolerated you changing the rules time and time again. You even let your relatives who wanted to squeeze in were included, but in the end, you didn't want us at all. What was the point of bringing us all this way here? Are you playing us for a fool?"
Rong Xie was taken aback and looked at Steward Shen. Steward Shen seemed very agitated, and the expressions of the children around them had also become strange. It must have been while Rong Xie and Shen Bing Si were talking in the secret room that Steward Shen had said something to the children outside. Judging from their expressions, Rong Xie knew it must have been something unfavorable to him.
"Uncle Chen might have some misunderstanding..."
"Misunderstanding? Not at all!" Butler Shen sneered. "I've seen through your dirty tricks long ago! You just don't want the newcomers to come in, don't you? You just want to monopolize this huge Huanxue Manor, don't you? Why put on such a hypocritical act? If you hadn't invited us, we naturally wouldn't have come, and we wouldn't have had to cooperate with your performance in front of the Second Young Master, putting on this show that no one in the Shen family is here!"
"Bang!"
He slammed his hand heavily on the hard wooden table, making a loud bang.
Everyone was startled and looked towards the desk, where Shen Bingsi stood with a stern face, surrounded by a chilling aura.
"Have you said enough?" Shen Bingsi asked expressionlessly, her voice as if it contained shards of ice frozen in the extreme cold.
Butler Shen flinched, his previously aggressive demeanor deflated, and his tone lost its previous righteousness. However, he didn't give up complaining to Shen Bingsi: "Second Young Master, the family members of the Shen Manor miss you very much. You haven't been back for so many years, and they can't come to see you either. We are all Shen family members of the same bloodline, connected by blood, but over the years, we have unknowingly become estranged. Have you ever thought about who is responsible for this?"
Shen Bingsi's eyelids twitched.
"Family?" He scoffed, utterly contemptuous. "I don't remember having such a thing. Shen Heigou, as for you, don't pretend to be friendly with me. We've never been close. Ask why we've become estranged. Maybe it's because from the first day I went to the Shen family, you've never taken me seriously."
Butler Shen's lips trembled. He hadn't expected that exposing Rong Xie would backfire and anger Shen Bing Si. She was no longer going to pretend to be friendly. If this got out, it would be a huge crime for Shen Bing Si to be at odds with the Shen family, and he couldn't bear that responsibility.
“Second Young Master, so many years have passed, there must be some misunderstandings. In any case, we are all family,” Steward Shen hurriedly said. “I personally selected all the children recommended this time and watched them grow up step by step. Even if they have no merit, they have certainly worked hard.”
Shen Bingsi snorted coldly.
Seeing that playing the victim had worked, Steward Shen sighed and pressed on: "This old servant is getting old and can't bear to see young people suffer. Shen Yan is very talented, and his background has been somewhat difficult, but that shouldn't be a reason for others to make things difficult for him. He has ambition and wants to revitalize the family, what's wrong with that? That doesn't conflict with being a servant. If he does well here, the benevolent Master will naturally recommend him to the inner sect of the Spirit Mirror Sect. Even if he isn't recommended, isn't being a servant to Shen Bingsi, one of the three great adjudicators of the cultivation world, the youngest Nascent Soul cultivator of the Ruthless Path, and the Demon-Slaying Sword Saint, a glorious thing? If you ask me, this is even more glorious and more worthy of praise!"
Rong Xie: "..."
Upon hearing this, Rong Xie finally understood why Steward Shen had suddenly turned hostile.
It turned out that Steward Shen, like him, had also discerned the probing intent in Shen Bingsi's alluring words. She didn't intend to have Shen Yan and was deliberately trying to elicit Shen Yan's ambition in order to prove that he couldn't settle down and work as a servant at the manor.
The people at the Shen family manor are all shrewd and perceptive. If Rong Xie could understand the meaning, then the head steward of the Shen family would naturally understand it as well.
However, Steward Shen attributed Shen Bingsi's words to Rong Xie, as if Rong Xie had instructed him to say such things, and that Rong Xie was preventing newcomers from passing the assessment in order to occupy the position of the only steward of Huanxue Manor.
Rong Xie was both amused and exasperated.
Butler Shen completely reversed his and Shen Bingsi's positions... But it's not surprising, since he is Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi is Shen Bingsi.
“Uncle Chen, if you really can’t stand seeing young people suffer, you shouldn’t be forcing them to sign indentures,” Rong Xie said.
A simple, unremarkable sentence, like an ordinary stone thrown into a calm, still pond, shatters the vibrant reflections on the surface, leaving only the mess after the lie has been exposed.
The strange expressions on the children's faces disappeared, and they all looked up at Steward Shen, hoping he could explain something. But Steward Shen seemed deaf and completely ignored Rong Xie's words.
"Ultimately... this isn't a long-term solution. Steward Rong will eventually grow old and frail. Even for his sake, we should..."
"Enough." Shen Bingsi raised his hand, and the butler's rambling suddenly stopped. He looked down in surprise, wondering what had happened to his mouth, why it felt like it was clamped by a large clamp. He reached out to touch it, but there was nothing there—it was Shen Bingsi's secret technique for keeping his mouth shut.
Shen Bingsi no longer wanted to hear the head butler say a single word: "After all these years, the Shen family has not made any progress."
His tone was full of disappointment, and Butler Shen became panicked, shaking his head desperately, trying to salvage the situation one last time.
Shen Bingsi didn't even glance at him, waving her hand: "I'm tired, you should leave now, don't let me see you again, and next time I send someone, I don't want you to come—no, there won't be a next time, this is the last time, get out!"
Butler Shen, along with his luggage, floated up, spun in the air, and flew outwards facing away.
The children standing on the ground stared in disbelief at this scene; clearly, Steward Shen did not have the ability to fly away on his own.
"What about you? Are you going to walk by yourselves, or should I see you off?" Shen Bingsi asked.
Knowing that there was no hope of being drafted today, the children could only run in the direction where Steward Shen had disappeared.
With a tug from Wang Mu's nanny, the old woman and the child left the study. Wang Mu was a little reluctant, turning back every few steps.
In the end, only Shen Yan, Long Shaoye, and Fang Renji remained.
These three were originally selected, but the situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and they were about to be kicked out. Their promising futures were just gone, and of course they were unwilling to accept it.
Fang Renji was the first to move, slowly taking a step forward, then turning back to look at Shen Yan and Long Shaoye.
Shen Yan's eyes reddened, his fists hung at his sides, the veins on the back of his fists bulging, and Long Shaoye also looked disappointed.
The three men walked heavily, leaving their glorious positions where they had once stood, and descended from the hall.
“Wait,” Shen Bingsi said, “Who told you to leave? Stay here and talk to your manager Rong about your monthly wages and room and board. Make sure everything is clear so you don’t run away complaining about how little you get paid when it’s time to pay.”
The three little ones suddenly turned around, bumping their shoulders and arms around each other, and barely managed to stand up. Their three little faces were bright as they looked at Shen Bingsi.
"Master, do you mean... that you're letting us stay?" Shen Yan asked tentatively.
Shen Bingsi chuckled: "Otherwise what?"
A surge of ecstasy overwhelmed the three children. They bumped arms, looked at each other with smiles, and then bowed deeply to Shen Bingsi.
"Servant Shen Yan (Long Feiye) (Fang Renji) greets Master Shen and Steward Rong!"
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Here comes the three-in-one super fat chapter!
The pageboys have been chosen; now it's Tian Tian's study time! [shy]
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