Chapter 4: Something happened.
"No...no." Rong Xie felt a chill run down his spine as he felt Shen Bingsi's burning gaze fixed on his face. "I...I'm tired. I want to rest."
What a terrible reason! He lies at home all day and he's already tired.
However, the grip on her wrist loosened, and Shen Bingsi said, "Oh, then let's talk about it tomorrow morning."
Rong Xie breathed a slight sigh of relief and quickly slipped into his room. As for what to do tomorrow morning, he was sure he could think of a solution tonight... right?
With a heavy heart, Rong Xie came to the bedside, lowered the curtain, and sat down on the bed.
Suddenly, a figure rolled onto the opposite side of the bed, shook out the spare blankets at the foot of the bed, and covered himself with them.
Shen Bingsi leaned against the bed railing at the foot of the bed and lay down calmly under Rong Xie's astonished gaze, her two long legs instantly taking up half of the bed.
"I'll sleep here tonight," Shen Bingsi announced.
Rong Xie had no choice but to walk around him, move inside, and lie down properly.
Soon after, Shen Bingsi's even and clear breathing could be heard from the foot of the bed.
Rong Xie shifted his body slightly, turned himself over so that he was facing the ceiling, and began to think about how to escape tomorrow morning.
By the way, Shen Bingsi has to go to the Mirror Palace to report tomorrow morning. He just needs to pretend to be asleep until then.
And then... what happens next?
What should we do next?
What will happen when he can no longer use his spiritual power to control the talismans, and a new person comes to replace him, forcing him to leave and find another way to make a living at an advanced age?
In Rong Xie's mind, an image appeared of an old Rong Xie with white hair, trembling as he swept the street with a broom. Behind him hung the plaque of the Shen Family Manor, and in front of the gate, his foster mother and a group of children were eating melon seeds and pointing at him.
"Ugh, I'm doomed..."
Rong Xie turned over again, facing the inside of the bed.
Or how about... accepting dual cultivation? Dual cultivation can yield a lot of spiritual power, enough to lie down and rest for several years. It can also restore energy and physical strength to their peak state. Studying the incomplete Tu Luo Bei from morning to night will not be tiring. Managing the manor will be more convenient. And those rare and precious materials should also take some time to write descriptions and catalogs for them.
It's just dual cultivation, one of many cultivation methods. Besides, Shen Bingsi isn't bad-looking, no, she's quite good-looking. Her face and body are... quite in line with Rong Xie's aesthetic. Moreover, she's very young. After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, her apparent age is slower than her actual age. After reaching the Golden Core stage, time no longer leaves its mark. She's only about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old now, while Rong Xie is already thirty-five.
In that case, it should be Rong Xie who benefits.
But... I always feel that if we accept dual cultivation, things will become very strange, their relationship will become very strange, and Rong Xie's mood will become a mess.
If only he had a trustworthy elder or friend to consult, but he didn't. He was over thirty years old, and his only close friend was Shen Bingsi.
"It's over..."
Rong Xie tossed and turned like a pancake, his eyes twitching under his eyelids; he was having insomnia.
Rong Xie rarely suffers from insomnia. He is not the kind of person who overthinks. He doesn't usually think, but when something happens, he thinks frantically, making himself exhausted and preventing any progress.
Just as he was hesitating whether to sneak out of bed and go to the study to read the newly acquired fragments of ancient texts a little longer, he fell asleep.
It was bright everywhere.
Rong Xie was walking in a place close to the sky, surrounded by many mirrors. With each step he took, he saw himself from different angles and moved in the mirrors.
Although he had never been here before, Rong Xie knew that this was the Mirror Palace.
The Mirror Palace is an existence in the cultivation world that transcends the three major sects and large and small families. Three cultivators chosen by the Heavenly Dao reside within it, presiding over justice and balance in the entire cultivation world.
They have a unified title: Adjudicators.
Because these positions are mostly held by cultivators of the Ruthless Path, they are also known as Ruthless Path Admonitors.
The three are in charge of different functional areas. One is in charge of admonition, rewarding good and punishing evil, and handling extremely serious or unknown major events in sects and aristocratic families; another is in charge of exorcising demons, slaying demons and eliminating all signs of becoming demons in the bud; and the third is in charge of record keeping, managing the Heavenly Mirror, issuing Heavenly Dao missions, and checking the execution of missions.
Shen Bingsi is the demon-slaying officer among the three adjudicators. After each mission, she would return here to report the mission's progress to the recorder.
The Mirror Palace has always been mysterious and aloof, not allowing outsiders to set foot inside. Only the leaders of the three major sects are allowed to enter on certain specific days. This supreme honor makes the scenery inside the Mirror Palace a topic that teahouse storytellers always talk about.
Now, Rong Xie was walking in this supreme palace.
...
Rong Xie felt somewhat uneasy, wondering if he had been promoted to the new Adjudicator? That would be too presumptuous, even in his dreams... Of course, he wouldn't even dare to dream of the Three Great Sect Masters.
Just as my mind was filled with deep doubt, the front door suddenly opened, and many people walked in from the backlight. Their footsteps were disordered and empty. They talked in hushed tones, and the atmosphere was somewhat tense.
A middle-aged man with a round face, wearing a Taoist robe, beckoned to Rong Xie: "Come here for a moment."
Rong Xie walked over blankly, but the round-faced Taoist ignored him and started talking to a few people next to him.
"He's the Sword Saint's... what's his friend?"
"Oh, Guan Huanxue Mountain Villa, I think his surname is Rong."
"Why did you call him here?"
People were sharing information about Rong Xie with each other, but no one paid any attention to Rong Xie himself.
After Rong Xie waited for a while, they started talking about other things, mostly terrifying topics like "the destruction of the world by the Heavenly Demon" and "the martyrdom of a certain sect leader." However, there was no sign of panic on their faces, as if they were used to working in such a high-pressure environment.
Rong Xie felt a tightness in his stomach and couldn't help but ask, "Where is Shen Bingsi? Where is he?"
Those people glanced at him but ignored him.
Rong Xie grabbed the round-faced Taoist's sleeve and asked anxiously, "Where is Shen Bingsi?"
The round-faced Taoist looked at him in surprise: "The Sword Saint is still waiting for the result. We called you here just in case he comes out unprepared."
Rong Xie felt his stomach return to its normal position: "What do we need to prepare?"
"Come with me." The round-faced Taoist priest beckoned.
The surrounding scenery changed, and Rong Xie walked along a narrow passageway. The round-faced Taoist priest led the way, and when they passed a mirror, the round-faced Taoist priest stopped.
What weapon does the Sword Saint typically use when he's in a bad mood?
"Um?"
The round-faced Taoist looked at Rong Xie: "You should know him best. What weapon does he usually use when he's in a bad mood?"
Rong Xie was stunned: "Shengxie...sword?"
What a strange question! Whether a person is in a good mood or a bad mood, don't they always use their signature sword? Who changes their weapon based on their mood? It's not like it's clothing or accessories.
"Besides the Victorious Evil Sword, what else?" The round-faced Taoist refused to let Rong Xie off the hook.
“I have never seen him use any other weapons,” Rong Xie replied truthfully.
The round-faced Taoist seemed to be getting impatient. He waved his sleeve, and the scene in the mirror changed, revealing a dark room displaying weapons.
Rong Xie's eyes widened. This secret room was the armory of Huanxue Manor, filled with Shen Bingsi's weapons, some of which he had collected, and others that had been given to him. How could the armory appear in the mirror?
"Hurry up and pick one, the sun is about to set, we need to hurry," the round-faced Taoist urged.
Rong Xie pondered for a moment, then pointed to one of the items. It was a small silver sword, only two feet long, resembling the leaves of a gladiolus.
The round-faced Taoist priest exclaimed happily, "Excellent, excellent!" With that, he reached into the mirror and took out a small silver sword: "This sword is very handy. What is its name?"
Rong Xie stared in shock at the round-faced Taoist's hand. No, with such a meticulously constructed defense barrier at Huanxue Manor, how could he have reached in through the mirror and casually taken out weapons from the armory?
“Light…light white orchid,” Rong Xie stammered in reply.
"A good name!" said the round-faced Taoist. "Come with me."
So, Rong Xie followed the round-faced Taoist on his journey again.
The surrounding scenery changed once again.
Just when Rong Xie thought nothing could shock him any further, he walked into a beautifully furnished courtyard.
Artificial hills, octagonal pavilions, large rocks by the lake, lawns among flowers and trees... everywhere were young and beautiful men and women sitting. They wore different styles of clothing and had different appearances. They were obviously young people from different regions. The only thing they had in common was that they were all very good-looking.
These beautiful people seemed to be waiting for something, their expressions showing a hint of tension. They sat in different places, but their eyes were all looking towards the other end of the courtyard, where there was a porch with cascading vines on both sides, and the gate was tightly closed.
When the round-faced Taoist priest led Rong Xie in, all the handsome young people turned to look at him. Their eyes fell on Rong Xie, filled with doubt and scrutiny. Rong Xie felt like a decorative vase, being looked up and down by everyone.
"Immortal Master Lu, and who is this gentleman?"
"Is she also in a relationship with Brother Bing Si?"
"Don't speak so harshly. What do you mean by 'having a relationship with Brother Shen'? Brother Shen isn't some womanizer, where would he get so many lovers?"
“Sister, I speak frankly, unlike you people from Zhongzhou who always beat around the bush.”
"..."
All sorts of chirping and chattering entered Rong Xie's ears, and he felt as if a swarm of bees and butterflies were flying around his head, which confused him completely.
What kind of lover? Whose lover? What does "also" mean?
Could it be that all these beautiful people in front of us are Shen Bingsi's...?
Rong Xie seemed to have been struck by lightning, standing there dumbfounded, unable to move, with one sentence echoing in his mind: Finally, something bad has happened!
Shen Bingsi's bizarre dual cultivation theory has finally backfired!
"What nonsense are you spouting? This is Steward Rong," a slightly hoarse female voice rang out. Someone stepped out from the crowd. She was a beautiful woman with striking bone structure and an ethereal aura. Even among the beauties, she stood out. Her gaze swept over Rong Xie's face, and she smiled and said, "You haven't even met Rong Xie, the head steward of Huanxue Manor and the second young master's close friend, have you?"
"Thank you for your introduction, Fairy Xingmiao. He is indeed Manager Rong of Huanxue Manor," the round-faced Taoist said with a smile.
"Oh, so he's a manager." "Is this the person Brother Bingsi always contacts?" "I thought it was another competitor..."
Upon learning Rong Xie's identity, the beauties immediately lost interest in him and dispersed, leaving only Fairy Xingmiao and the round-faced Taoist.
Fairy Xingmiao lowered her eyelids slightly, her gaze falling on the small silver sword in the round-faced Taoist's hand, and asked softly, "Is this the sword?"
"..." The round-faced Taoist hesitated for a moment, then said, "That's right."
"It's beautiful."
The round-faced Taoist priest looked reluctant and sighed.
"Uh... excuse me for interrupting," Rong Xie, who had been completely bewildered, finally found a chance to interject, "Where is Shen Bing Si right now?"
The round-faced Taoist looked at him strangely and pointed to the tightly closed door under the flower vines: "It's inside."
"I see," Rong Xie said, a weight lifted from his heart. "Everyone's been waiting for him to come out..."
The round-faced Taoist looked up at the sky. He noticed that the sky had turned half orange-red and half purple-blue. He frowned. "Damn it," he said, "it's getting dark. If the Heavenly Mirror doesn't produce a result soon, that demon will come again. Overnight, countless lives will be lost...sigh..."
Rong Xie's heart jumped again: "Is the result of the Heavenly Mirror related to the Heavenly Demon?"
"Of course you don't know?" The round-faced Taoist looked him up and down suspiciously. "You wouldn't happen to be..."
With a "bang," the tightly closed door opened.
The crowd surged forward and surrounded the flower-vine-covered porch.
"He's out!" The round-faced Taoist's attention immediately shifted, and he strode towards the porch. "Make way, make way! I'm here to deliver a weapon to the Sword Saint!"
Rong Xie hurriedly followed, eager to see Shen Bingsi. With the round-faced Taoist clearing the way, Rong Xie easily squeezed to the door.
A familiar figure stood inside the threshold.
Shen Bingsi wore a golden battle armor that Rong Xie had never seen before, and held the pure gold demon-slaying holy sword, the Victorious Evil Sword, looking majestic and invincible.
However, his eyes were vacant and his face was pale.
Rong Xie's heart suddenly clenched.
Who is it?
"Who will ultimately be the winner?"
Is it me?
"You little hussy, what are you dreaming of? I'd never be you!"
"Stop arguing. Listen to Brother Shen, no matter who the outcome is, we'll accept it."
The beauties crowded behind Rong Xie, each one quite strong, their sweet voices constantly piercing his ears, the mixed fragrance making him dizzy.
Rong Xie was suspicious. Wasn't the result of the Heavenly Mirror related to the Heavenly Demon? Why were Shen Bing Si's lovers so eager to choose a harem leader?
Although everyone was very enthusiastic, the person who received the most attention was still very obvious: the ethereal Star Seed Fairy.
The beauties all glanced at her subtly, and there was no one pushing past her. Amidst the low murmurs, her name appeared most often, as if everyone had tacitly agreed that the mistress of the harem was none other than Fairy Xingmiao.
She is indeed beautiful. Stunningly beautiful.
Rong Xie couldn't help but gaze at her.
Her temperament was very calm and unique. Even though she was implicitly considered superior to all the beauties, she did not show any happy or proud expression. Her brows were filled with a faint sorrow as she looked at Shen Bingsi with pity.
Compassion. That's right. Rong Xie could sense that among so many people, only Fairy Xingmiao truly cared about Shen Bingsi, and not about the outcome of the Heavenly Mirror.
That's wonderful! Although I was reckless and my thinking was strange and eccentric, I finally met the love of my life...
Rong Xie sighed softly, his eyes slightly moist.
When he came to his senses, the surroundings suddenly became very quiet.
Everyone was watching him.
A shadow loomed over me, and a familiar presence was right there.
Rong Xie looked up in surprise. Shen Bingsi was looking at him with an unfamiliar expression. He still looked about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, but the passion behind his eyes seemed to have been extinguished overnight.
"The result of the Heavenly Mirror... is you," he said.
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I changed the book title, and now I get so many cute readers! [Starry-eyed]
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