Chapter 94 Meeting Xiaozhi:
Under Zhao Dajiang's arrangement, Rong Xie and Xiao Zhi's meeting was set at Chongyue Terrace at the foot of Nanshan Mountain.
Chongyuetai is a place similar to Yingbin Town. Outsiders who want to enter Xuantian Sect must go through a strict reporting and review process. While waiting for the review results, they stay at Chongyuetai or one of the other six similar rest stops.
That's right, the Spirit Mirror Sect only has one Welcoming Town, while the Profound Heaven Sect has seven Moon-Piercing Platforms. In terms of scale, the Profound Heaven Sect is much larger than the Spirit Mirror Sect.
Zhao Dajiang arranged for Rong Xie to go to Chongyuetai, which is the closest to Lanyuan. There are carriages that can take you directly from Lanyuan. In order not to delay the meeting time, Rong Xie took a carriage to Chongyuetai a day earlier than the agreed date, stayed at an inn there for a night, and rested up for the meeting the next day.
While waiting for the meeting, Rong Xie organized his thoughts.
The "well in Qinghe" was just a gimmick he used to lure Lu Yingqi out. In fact, he didn't know much about the well. Xiaozhi, whom he was about to meet, was the direct beneficiary of the well. If he used this as a starting point for the interview, the risk of backfiring would be too great.
Ultimately, Rong Xie's purpose was to warn Lu Yingqi to be careful, as Lu Yingqi might encounter fatal danger in the near future... However, Rong Xie couldn't say for sure how long the near future was, or what the fatal danger Lu Yingqi would face.
This is a bit troublesome.
After much thought, Rong Xie decided that since this was their first meeting, the priority should be to build rapport and leave a good impression.
The restaurant where they were to meet was called Zhaixinglou. Rong Xie arrived at the reserved private room early and ordered the dishes with the waiter.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a noise came from the door of the private room. Zhao Dajiang led in a young man with delicate features and simple attire. This man had a very faint presence. When he came in with Zhao Dajiang, Rong Xie thought he was a waiter from Zhaixinglou.
“Fellow Daoist Rong,” Zhao Dajiang stepped aside to introduce Rong Xie, “this is Xiao Zhi, an inner disciple of the Xuantian Sect.”
"Seeing is believing, Fellow Daoist Xiaozhi is so young." Rong Xie said with a smile, bowing slightly to Xiaozhi.
Xiao Zhi returned the greeting, quickly glanced at Rong Xie, then lowered her eyes again and whispered, "What brings you to see me? I'm afraid I can't stay for long, please tell me."
Rong Xie was slightly surprised. He had imagined Xiao Zhi to be a very capable person who could handle the Lu family, gain Lu Yingqi's complete trust, and even have the strength to enter the inner sect and achieve Foundation Establishment. Such a person, if not arrogant, should at least be confident.
But Xiao Zhi didn't even dare to look Rong Xie in the eye, as if a mouse had seen a cat. Could it be... related to "the well in Qinghe"?
Yes, Rong Xie used this to request an audience with Lu Yingqi just to pique the other party's interest, but for Xiao Zhi, it was like having a handle on him, so it's normal for him to feel uneasy.
I feel like I've unintentionally started a bad trend...
Rong Xie's mind raced, and he quickly came up with an idea: the best way to bring the two of them closer was to find common ground.
Rong Xie and Xiao Zhi actually have quite a lot in common.
"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Rong Xie. Rong is the Rong of Rongliang River, and Xie is the Xie of gratitude," Rong Xie said with a smile.
"Rongliang River...?" Xiaozhi was taken aback. "Could it be that river...?"
“It is that Rongliang River that runs through Qinghe and Heyang.” Rong Xie said with a smile, “I have a deep connection with the Rongliang River. The wet nurse of the Shen family found me by the Rongliang River. I didn’t have any identification on me and didn’t know whose child I was, so she let me take the surname Rong from the Rongliang River.”
Xiaozhi raised her head and looked at Rong Xie in surprise.
Zhao Dajiang sighed, "So Fellow Daoist Rong had such a past. I thought Fellow Daoist Rong was like Sword Saint Shen, a young master from a wealthy family."
Xiao Zhi looked at Rong Xie with bright eyes, as if she wanted to say something, but she pursed her lips and didn't say anything.
“Fellow Daoist Xiaozhi should know that Shen Bingsi and I are friends, right?” Rong Xie felt a little more confident and continued to build rapport. “Shen Bingsi is from the Shen family of Heyang. Speaking of which, the Shen family and the Lu family had a long-standing relationship. Later, the Lu family moved to Qinghe, and the two families had less contact. You may not know that Shen Bingsi is practically a fellow townsman of yours.”
“…I know,” Xiaozhi said softly.
"That's great," Rong Xie said, for the first time at the dinner table, forcing himself to continue enthusiastically, "You know Shen Bing Si, so I can say this easily. Shen Bing Si and I have played together since we were little, and later we passed the spiritual root test together and entered the Spirit Mirror Sect, we..."
Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi's experiences were actually quite similar to those of the servant boy and young master of the Lu family. As Rong Xie's story unfolded, Xiao Zhi listened intently, quietly watching Rong Xie, and no longer mentioned the matter of limited time. When she heard that Rong Xie had failed to establish his foundation and came out of the inner sect, Xiao Zhi even let out a soft cry, seemingly very distressed.
Seeing that Xiaozhi was listening attentively, Rong Xie spoke even more enthusiastically. Finally, he talked about how he met Lu Yinglin and heard about Lu Yingqi and Xiaozhi. He felt that he had said all the words he had in the past ten days in one breath. Rong Xie picked up his teacup and moistened his throat.
When he put down his teacup, Xiaozhi was still in a daze, but Zhao Dajiang was very moved and sympathized with Rong Xie's bumpy journey: "I didn't expect that even the inner disciples of the three major sects would have such a hard time. To reach the Foundation Establishment stage in such a short time is too much to ask! Fellow Daoist Rong, don't be discouraged. The world is vast and full of wonders. There must be some treasure that can help you continue your cultivation. Our treasure hunting team will also keep an eye out. If we find any such treasures that can help with cultivation, we will keep them for you."
Rong Xie was grateful and thanked Zhao Dajiang repeatedly. He also said that if he had such a treasure, he would not let Zhao Dajiang give it to him for free, but would definitely buy it at market price.
“However,” Rong Xie changed the subject and brought it back to the topic, “I still admire you. Fellow Daoist Xiaozhi, like me, did not have the support of a powerful family. You entered the inner sect of Xuantian Sect on your own and have stayed until now. You must have put in a lot of effort.”
"Ah, I..." Xiaozhi hesitated, "I was just lucky..."
"You can't say that. Foundation Establishment requires real skill; how can you achieve it just by luck?" Rong Xie laughed. "I've cultivated before, do you think I don't know that?"
Xiaozhi sighed, as if she wanted to say something, but after glancing up at Zhao Dajiang, she remained silent.
Rong Xie noticed Xiao Zhi's subtle movements and knew that he might be hesitant to say certain things because Zhao Dajiang was present. So he said to Zhao Dajiang, "Captain Zhao, do you have other things to do?"
Unfortunately, Zhao Dajiang was a slow-witted person. Still thinking about the awkwardness of their first meeting, he wanted to stay a little longer to warm up the atmosphere: "No rush, no rush!"
Helpless, Rong Xie could only give him a meaningful look. Zhao Dajiang finally understood what he meant: "Oh, I have something to do. I'll take my leave now. You two can chat."
With that, Zhao Dajiang stood up from the table and left.
As soon as Zhao Dajiang left, Xiao Zhi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and his expression became more lively. He looked at Rong Xie with a shy expression: "Young Master Rong, are you looking for Brother Qi to ask if the well in Qinghe can help you with your cultivation?"
“Hmm…” Although Rong Xie didn’t seek out Lu Yingqi for this reason, “I am indeed curious about it.”
“Young Master Rong is probably going to be disappointed. That well can’t help you cultivate… It’s only useful for children under three years old.” Xiao Zhi sighed. “Besides, Brother Qi doesn’t know how that well works either. I know, but I can’t tell anyone. If Young Master Ying Lin has told you about Xiao Ya, you should know… We are all controlled by the master’s family and must obey their orders.”
“Yes, I know that. You don’t need to reveal any of the Lu family’s secrets to me.” Rong Xie said solemnly, his brows furrowing as he thought of Xiao Ya’s tragic death.
Xiao Zhi stared at Rong Xie for a moment, then lowered his eyes: "Thank you for your understanding, Young Master Rong. Actually, it would be much easier for you to establish your foundation than for me."
"!?!" Rong Xie was shocked, never expecting Xiao Zhi to say that.
"Young Master Rong also likes that young master Shen, doesn't he?" Xiaozhi's cheeks flushed slightly as she said somewhat shyly, "If that's the case, why not use the treasure trove right beside you and instead seek it from outside?"
"Hmm...?" Rong Xie seemed to have a premonition of what Xiao Zhi was going to say.
“Perhaps this is fate. When I met Young Master Rong, I felt a sense of kinship, and there was nothing I couldn’t say,” Xiaozhi paused. “If Young Master Rong really likes that young master Shen, he can ask him to cultivate together. During cultivation, he can transfer his spiritual energy and refine it into his own spiritual energy, which will improve his cultivation level and allow him to establish his foundation soon.”
Rong Xie felt embarrassed. He had already guessed that Xiao Zhi would tell him this method, but he still felt a little awkward because Xiao Zhi told him so frankly.
“To be honest, this is how I established my foundation… Young Master Rong has better talent than me, so you will definitely be able to establish your foundation faster.” As Xiao Zhi spoke these words, she kept her eyes down, spoke rapidly, and her cheeks became increasingly red. “If Young Master Rong doesn’t know how to do it, I can also teach you some methods, as long as Young Master Rong doesn’t mind that these are… lowly methods that only we servants learn.”
"This... there's no need." Rong Xie quickly waved his hand. He never expected that Xiao Zhi would say this on their first meeting.
"I'm sorry, I was presumptuous..." Xiaozhi's head drooped even lower, her face not only blushed, but her ears also turned bright red.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” Rong Xie quickly explained. “It’s just that Shen Bingsi and I have already broken up.”
"You've separated?" Xiaozhi was taken aback and looked at Rong Xie blankly.
"Hmm..." Rong Xie didn't know how to explain.
Xiaozhi didn't ask any further questions, but simply said "Oh" softly.
Over time, the distance between the two narrowed considerably. While eating, they chatted idly. Xiaozhi talked about his secluded cultivation life in the inner sect of Xuantian Sect. Because Lu Yingqi was in seclusion for many years, he could not see him. He also had no acquaintances in the inner sect, and he was very bored every day.
Rong Xie took the opportunity to invite him to come down the mountain to visit from time to time. There are many interesting places near Shengjing. For example, there is the Lan Yuan Villa of the Chief Minister Wang, where he lives. The landscape gardens there are exquisite. If Xiao Zhi is interested, Rong Xie can take him to visit.
Xiao Zhi indeed showed great interest, but he was not quite sure. After hesitating for a while, he said that he couldn't go far. If Lu Yingqi came out of seclusion at any time and he wasn't there, there would be trouble.
Rong Xie, considering the Lu family's methods of controlling people, dared not force him. In the end, the two reached an agreement: Rong Xie would visit Chongyue Terrace every now and then to tell Xiao Zhi about interesting things in the human world, and Xiao Zhi would notify Rong Xie as soon as Lu Yingqi came out of seclusion so that they could meet.
After finishing the meal, Rong Xie felt a great sense of accomplishment, as the progress on Lu Yingqi's storyline had been significantly advanced.
At the same time, Xiaozhi's image in his mind was also greatly subverted. The formidable person he originally thought of, who could navigate various people without fear, did not actually exist. Xiaozhi was actually even less sociable than he used to be. She would say anything because of a momentary liking, and afterwards she would be extremely shy and timid. It could be felt that after Lu Yingqi went into seclusion, Xiaozhi had almost no social activities. She had been isolated for too long, which was why she was like this.
Whether lucky or unlucky, all the servants of the Lu family had a bad life, Rong Xie couldn't help but think.
If given the chance, uncovering the methods the Lu family used to control the servants might save these poor people.
After leaving the Star-Picking Tower, Rong Xie helped Xiao Zhi onto the carriage, watched her leave, and then turned back to his residence.
Unexpectedly, outside the inn's door, he encountered a familiar figure, who was holding his golden Shengxie sword, leaning against the wall, waiting for him to return.
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There are red envelopes in this chapter too~ [poor face]
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