Chapter 52: Homecoming
Rong Xie stood in the darkness for a while, then slowly squatted down.
His legs could no longer support his body weight.
Enduring the pain seemed to drain all his strength, forcing Rong Xie to kneel on the ground, one hand supporting himself on the ground, the other clutching the fabric at his chest, waiting for the churning sensation to subside.
Tears streamed down my face without me even realizing it, falling to the ground in a soft, steady thud.
For a long time, Rong Xie couldn't think of what to do next. The painful emotions pressed heavily on his chest, making it difficult to even breathe. He kept crying and crying, and a small patch of sand next to his palm was wet.
He raised his hand to wipe his face, and as he put his hand back down, he suddenly felt something poking his palm. He moved his hand away and looked closely. A silver object, about the size of a copper coin, was buried under the gravel, with wisps of silver light shining through the gaps in the gravel.
This is……
Shen Bingsi walked very fast.
He looked up and found himself standing on the only main road in the fishing village.
Lights were lit up on the stilted bamboo houses on the hillside, and fishing lanterns were hung in the fishermen's huts by the dock.
Shen Bingsi felt a moment of confusion. What was he going back to the fishing village alone for?
Just now, he unleashed three Heaven-Severing Blades in his sea of consciousness, almost forgetting who he was and what he was there to do.
"No, that's not right." Shen Bingsi slapped her forehead. "I came with Rong'er."
Shen Bingsi turned around and looked around, but didn't see Rong Xie anywhere.
"Where is he?" Shen Bingsi suddenly became anxious, muttering to herself, "What's wrong with you? Why did you leave him behind again!"
When the islanders passing by saw Shen Bingsi, they wanted to greet him, but when they got closer, they saw that he was talking incoherently and had a very scary expression, so they swallowed their greetings.
Shen Bingsi suddenly stomped her foot, and her figure transformed into a golden light that shot out rapidly. The middle of the road became empty again, leaving only the islanders looking at each other in bewilderment. A deity is indeed a deity.
In the blink of an eye, Shen Bingsi landed on the beach next to the Zhenhai Stone.
The moon had risen by then; it was a full moon, illuminating the sea with shimmering light, as if a moonlit avenue stretched from the horizon all the way to the near-shore coast.
Shen Bingsi glanced around and immediately spotted a familiar figure.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, they returned in time this time, and Rong Xie was still in the same place.
However, the next moment, the figure quickly walked into the sea and stepped directly into the dark water without any hesitation.
Shen Bingsi's heart leaped into his throat. He shouted Rong Xie's name and ran towards him.
Rong Xie seemed to pause for a moment, then turned around in a panic. The moonlight shone on him, making his pale face stand out clearly. He stood there defenselessly when a wave crashed over him, carrying him toward the dark sea.
Shen Bingsi suddenly leaped forward, her figure disappearing with a "bang," and the next moment she appeared in the middle of the waves, grabbed Rong Xie around the waist, dragged him out of the seawater, and threw him onto the mat where they had sat during the day.
"What are you doing?!" Shen Bingsi's voice had never sounded so terrifying, her anger masking a trembling tone of fear. "Have you lost your mind?"
Rong Xie stared blankly at Shen Bingsi, seemingly unable to believe that he would appear here.
"I didn't...I...I'm not..."
Rong Xie didn't know how to explain this situation.
"The sword..." He pointed to the sea, "...fell into the water, and I want to retrieve it..."
Shen Bingsi was taken aback: "What sword?"
He quickly realized what was happening, reached out, and a silver light shot out from the seawater and into his hand.
Shen Bingsi grabbed the photoelectric white orchid and handed it to Rong Xie.
Rong Xie did not answer.
Shen Bingsi looked at Rong Xie with a puzzled expression.
Rong Xie's clothes were soaked, his hair was disheveled and stuck to his forehead and cheeks, and his exposed skin was pale and bloodless, but his eyes and the tip of his nose were bright red.
If Shen Bingsi's earlier misjudgment of Rong Xie's motives for walking into the sea was due to her being too arbitrary, Rong Xie's current state undoubtedly provided evidence for Shen Bingsi's judgment—he looked as if he had lost his backbone, not even caring about the neatness of his clothes that he always valued, and sat slumped on the ground.
This did not evoke any pity in Shen Bingsi, but only anger, just as it did when he mistakenly thought Rong Xie was going to drown himself.
"Didn't you want this sword? You were willing to risk your life to retrieve it? What, you don't want it anymore now?" Shen Bingsi waved the sword in her hand sarcastically and threw it on the ground in front of Rong Xie.
Rong Xie shrank back and moved aside, unwilling to touch the sword.
Shen Bingsi frowned secretly. Why did he always have a feeling that Rong Xie seemed to be afraid of Guangdian Bailan?
However, this feeling was illogical, and he didn't think too much about it. He bent down to pick up the sword, and turned his head to Rong Xie, saying, "You really don't want it? Then I'll take it back."
Rong Xie lowered his eyes, and Shen Bingsi clearly saw the tear stains on his face. His heart ached, and his consciousness trembled slightly. He quickly looked away and straightened up.
But her sleeve was pulled.
Shen Bingsi paused slightly, standing sideways to Rong Xie, her back unnaturally straight, her gaze fixed straight ahead, refusing to look back.
"……I want."
A cold, icy hand squeezed into Shen Bingsi's palm and took out the photoelectric white orchid from between his loosely clenched fingers.
The cold fingers quickly withdrew, along with the flying sword. Shen Bingsi's hand was empty. He subconsciously clenched his fist, but grasped nothing.
When Rong Xie stood up again, he had already put the orchid into his brocade pouch. He looked at Shen Bingsi's tense profile and said softly, "I'm sorry, I can't go back by myself. Could you take me back to... Huanxue Manor?"
When the topic of Huanxue Manor came up, Rong Xie hesitated. Could he still go back to Huanxue Manor? Judging from Shen Bingsi's expression, she couldn't bear to look at him even once. But all his belongings were at Huanxue Manor, so he had to go back eventually. Even if he was kicked out, his share of the property should be given to him first.
He had already made the most painful choice, and at the worst possible time. For a time, facing the vast ocean, Rong Xie really thought about ending his life. That way, he wouldn't have to think about how to return to the Five Continents from the Southern Island without having established his foundation, without speaking the language, and without knowing the place. He also wouldn't have to think about where to go after returning to the Five Continents.
Fortunately, emotions come in waves, and when the full moon rose over the sea, he knew he had made it through.
Having weathered the darkest and most painful times, and with Shen Bingsi back, Rong Xie felt that there would be no more insurmountable obstacles. He could feel that the softest part of his heart had hardened.
As his emotions gradually calmed down and he was able to think rationally, Rong Xie began to plan for his future. Getting back his share of the property was a key step in this process. Before Shen Bingsi completely severed ties with him, he should take the initiative to make some demands of her.
From this moment on, the person he must protect most in his life is himself.
Shen Bingsi still had his back to Rong Xie. Hearing that Rong Xie's tone was much calmer than he had expected, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"Going back now?" Shen Bingsi asked. "Not staying another night?"
After asking the question, Shen Bingsi realized he had spoken too quickly. How could he possibly have the willpower to spend another night with Rong Xie?
Fortunately, Rong Xie gave him the answer he wanted.
"Um."
As the moon rose high overhead, the two returned to the fishing village. The islanders, who worked from sunrise to sunset, were mostly at rest by this time. Walking along the deserted village paths, their ears filled with the ceaseless sound of the waves, Rong Xie glanced back at the sea. Whether it was because of the sea or the full moon, the moon was exceptionally bright tonight, giving one the illusion of being on a cloudy morning.
It's spectacular.
How generous, yet how cruel, is the workings of nature.
...
After flying for a day and a night, the two finally returned to Huanxue Mountain Villa at nightfall the following day.
The long, continuous flight left Rong Xie exhausted, and he collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep almost as soon as he got back to his bedroom.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking and the window paper was beginning to turn white, Rong Xie awoke from a deep sleep.
Even the most luxurious room in the Prosperous Pavilion couldn't compare to his own bedroom.
Thinking this, Rong Xie didn't rush to get up. He lay in the cozy bedding and dozed off for a while longer.
When the sunlight filled the room, Rong Xie became happy.
He quickly washed up, went out into the yard, and as usual, strolled around the courtyard, thinking about what to do that day and what to eat for his three meals.
By the time he reached the front yard, he had basically made up his mind.
The three little ones were already waiting in the front yard.
As soon as they saw Rong Xie come out, they swarmed around him like cats and dogs left alone in an empty house. Upon seeing their owner return, they immediately circled around him, almost tripping Rong Xie's feet several times.
"Brother Rong, you're finally back! Why did you take so long!"
"Didn't you say you'd be back at the end of the month? It's almost the end of July now!"
"Yes, the manor lord went out early this morning, and we didn't dare to ask. What did you guys play, Rong-ge?"
...
Rong Xie rubbed his temples.
Actually, he really wanted to forget about this trip, treating it as a nightmare he had the night before.
He did have that illusion when he woke up this morning.
He glanced at the three small, bright, expectant eyes and sighed helplessly.
In front of the stone table in the courtyard.
Rong Xie drank a little soup and then lost his appetite. He began to tell Long Shaoye and Fang Renji about the places they had visited on their trip.
Long Shaoye and Fang Renji listened with rapt attention, forgetting to chew the soup dumplings in their mouths.
Shen Yan brought up the last bowl of vegetarian soup noodles, feeling that she had missed out on a lot, and hurriedly asked:
"What? Where did Brother Rong go?"
"Hmm," Long Shaoye stretched his neck and swallowed the soup dumpling, "So many places! Shengjing, Xiangji Temple, Lanyuan, and one more you would never guess!"
"What? Tell me quickly, don't keep me in suspense!"
"Haizhou South Island!"
"Alas!"
"Brother Rong and the Manor Lord even brought us gifts!"
...
Seeing that the three of them were chatting, Rong Xie left the dining table and went to the bathroom in the backyard to take a shower.
Having abundant spiritual energy has one advantage: you no longer need to painstakingly chop wood and boil water. Just place a few more heating talismans, and the water in the bathtub will naturally heat up, with the temperature adjustable at will.
However, spiritual energy should be used sparingly, as there will be no more opportunities to obtain it in the future.
After taking a shower, Rong Xie's thoughts became clearer.
His most pressing task now is to take stock of his assets and make a list so that he can hand them over to Shen Bingsi when he leaves.
The second most important thing is to book a room at the guesthouse in Yingbin Town as a temporary place to stay, and to keep contacting real estate agents in Lanyuan to find a house with a suitable price and environment before moving there.
Thirdly, he needed to summarize the daily affairs of the manor and teach Shen Yan and the others as soon as possible so that he could hand them over completely before he left, thus ensuring a proper end and living up to Shen Bingsi's trust.
...
Rong Xie gathered up his damp hair, changed into his work robe, and went to the study in the backyard, where he kept his several large trunks. He would start from there.
He didn't have much time left, so he had to speed things up.
After all, he didn't know when Shen Bingsi would return before he was forced to leave.
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Bingbing: ? No, that's not true.
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