Chapter 92 is broken.
Qu Huaiyan was stunned.
In the past, whenever he said he felt unwell or showed even a slight discomfort, Rong Xie would get worried and ask him what was wrong.
Of course, such opportunities are rare. Only after suffering at the hands of his master will Shen Bingsi reveal his vulnerable side.
Only the incompetent and weak ask for help from others; the strong always get through things alone—Shen Bingsi firmly believed this.
Now, however, Shen Bingsi is not going to make it.
Life at Huanxue Mountain Villa was unbearable.
Without the permission to repent, Huanxue Manor was like an empty, desolate tomb.
With Rong Xie gone, everything has become meaningless.
Shen Bingsi doesn't need to eat, so the kitchen and dining table are meaningless. He also doesn't need to sleep, so the bedroom and bed are meaningless. He doesn't need to drink tea, admire flowers, sit at his desk to read, or have a cabinet displaying books. All of these are meaningless.
He didn't even need to take a bath, let alone eat while bathing. As long as Rong Xie wasn't around, doing these things was pointless.
Apart from that secluded meditation room, everything else is useless, like burial goods in a tomb, having no practical value, only used to look at and recall the former glory of the tomb's owner.
That's right, without Rong Xie, Huanxue Manor is like a dead man.
After Rong Xie left, the backyard became exceptionally quiet and empty. Shen Bing Si lay motionless, feeling as if time had frozen, and that no one would care for him even if he lay there until he died.
None of the trials of ruthlessness given by the master were like this. At first, you don't feel much, but as time goes on, emptiness fills the air and a deep-seated loneliness creeps up. By the time you realize it, it's too late. It's as if you're sinking into a quagmire, and without external help, you can only slowly sink.
Fortunately, at that moment, he saw the painting.
The hidden painting depicts him.
Every line and every strand of hair is meticulously drawn, and you can feel the tenderness and affection poured into it.
This was the first time Shen Bingsi had ever looked at his own portrait so carefully. It was as if he was seeing himself for the first time, observing every detail meticulously. So this is what he looks like when he has no expression. So these little features that he himself hadn't even noticed, Rong Xie had noticed them all and remembered them.
There were also inscriptions next to the portrait that recorded his various quirks and eccentricities, as well as the things he often said that he himself hadn't paid attention to. Only when he saw them did he realize that they were indeed true.
Is it true that you "like" someone if you pay attention to their details to this extent? If that's the case, "liking" isn't so bad; it has its good side too.
That day, Shen Bingsi stood in the study for a long time with the portrait of "Qu Huaiyan" in his hand. For the first time since Rong Xie left, he felt that life was full of hope again and his body was full of strength. This light and surging strength easily pulled him out of the mire, and now he could walk lightly on the mire.
Shen Bingsi decided to become "Qu Huaiyan".
If becoming "Qu Huaiyan" could bring Rong Xie back, he wouldn't mind continuing to appear in this guise. In fact, the initial effect was indeed very good. He "accidentally" appeared on the bluestone street that Rong Xie always passed by when he went out, and Rong Xie indeed stopped to look at him, staring at him as he squeezed into the crowd.
When he sneaked into the house in Zhuli Lane and appeared in front of Rong Xie, Rong Xie's gaze clearly lingered on him for a long time, following his every move.
That feeling was just like when they were still together. Every time Shen Bingsi rushed out to do something, she would unintentionally turn around and find Rong Xie watching her.
Now that she knows what works, Shen Bingsi will see it through to the end.
Not only does he possess the body of "Qu Huaiyan," but he also has to be the perfect couple. He can do everything that the other couples at Hongxianglou can do, and he and Rong Xie must have everything that other couples have. He will do anything to make everything go back to the past.
Strangely enough, when he did this, Rong Xie turned on him.
When he put his mouth out, Rong Xie slapped him across the face.
Shen Bingsi's newly formed feelings of affection for "like" were shattered by this slap.
"Liking" is indeed a terrible thing. Even though he followed the procedures, the result was completely different. Other couples could go home happily, but with him, it was just a slap in the face.
In fact, Rong Xie wouldn't hit him before he tried to imitate him, but Rong Xie started hitting him after he started imitating him.
"..."
That damned "like" is so unpredictable, even more unfathomable than the laws of heaven. If anyone were taken away by "like," Shen Bingsi would abandon that person without hesitation. However, the person taken away by "like" is Rong Xie.
What could he do? He could only disguise himself, infiltrate the enemy camp, and lure Rong Xie out—but he was discovered the moment he entered the enemy camp, and he didn't even understand where he had given himself away.
Over the years as a judge, Shen Bingsi has accumulated a wealth of experience in exorcising demons and monsters. All sorts of cunning monsters cannot escape his discerning eyes. The tricks that fool mortals are as flawed as children playing house in his eyes.
But now, the situation has completely reversed. He has encountered an unprecedentedly powerful enemy. His every move is within the enemy's calculations. The enemy can strike his weak point with just a flick of their finger, causing him to collapse.
"..."
But will Shen Bingsi admit defeat?
No, it won't.
The word "admit defeat" does not exist in his dictionary.
Over the next three days, he kept trying to make his presence known to Rong Xie in various ways, without getting too close and annoying Rong Xie. In this way, he waited for the right opportunity, just like dealing with a troublesome monster.
Finally, he found an opportunity.
Rong Xie made contact with a group of rogue cultivators exploring for treasure. They asked him to help appraise ancient bamboo slips and silk scrolls and find clues to the treasure. Adventure was Shen Bing Si's forte. Suddenly, Shen Bing Si had a flash of inspiration and came up with an idea. He could bring Rong Xie into his area of expertise and let Rong Xie see his superior side. In this way, he might be able to attract Rong Xie back.
In his home turf, he's always a bit more likely to win than if he just went up and kissed her.
"..."
He failed again. This time it was because the treasure-hunting team lacked ambition, and there were too many variables in the plan... The biggest variable was Rong Xie.
Rong Xie began to feel unfamiliar to Shen Bing Si.
He began to frequently mention someone who surprised Shen Bingsi: Lu Yingqi, the Xuan Tian Sword Master. Shen Bingsi had no idea where he had heard of this person, or why he was so interested in him and insisted on meeting him.
In order to see Lu Yingqi, Rong Xie started doing bad things, secretly memorizing his treasure map and then giving it to that rogue cultivator treasure-hunting team in exchange... Although Rong Xie's secret mischief also had a unique cuteness, Shen Bingsi was furious at the thought that it was all for the sake of seeing his mortal enemy.
That's right, Shen Bingsi and Lu Yingqi weren't familiar with each other, but from this moment on, he regarded this person as his mortal enemy.
When the next Three Sects Alliance comes around, Shen Bingsi will go back and register for the Sword Competition again, and send the Xuan Tian Sword back to its hometown. He won't dare to use such an arrogant name anymore. As for Shen Bingsi, he has long felt that the title of Demon Extermination Sword Saint is too conventional. He plans to change it to something like the First Sword of the Ruthless Path.
Thinking about it this way, it's quite normal for Rong Xie, as Shen Bing Si's close friend, not to secretly seek out Shen Bing Si's mortal enemy, right? Both of them are ruthless sword cultivators, and they have many similarities. Did Rong Xie not consider what Shen Bing Si would think when he went to find Lu Ying Qi?
“In short, you can’t go to him.” Based on this, Shen Bingsi reasonably offered his opinion.
However, his opinion was not only not adopted, but was also ruthlessly rejected.
Watching Rong Xie casually reject him while adjusting his coat to leave, Shen Bingsi felt a pang of heartache. When did Rong Xie become so heartless? Did he really stop liking him? Wasn't it said that the first time you like someone, it lasts a long time? Some even affect your whole life? Why did Rong Xie get tired of him in just three days?
"I'll feel bad." Shen Bingsi, having lost all his dignity, still wanted to struggle one last time, but he never expected that what awaited him was a brutal blow.
"As a friend, aren't you being too nosy?"
As friends.
Aren't you being a bit too nosy?
With a "crack," Shen Bingsi felt herself split open from the middle.
He didn't even know when Rong Xie left the room.
When he came to his senses, the flower hall was empty.
When he left, Rong Xie even made sure to close the window.
But they didn't notice that he, standing in the middle of the flower hall, was already shattered.
A monstrous wave surged within her sea of consciousness once more. The backlash from the ruthless path tormented Shen Bingsi's five senses and six perceptions, but it paled in comparison to the feeling of heartache. It turned out that heartache was not just a description; it was a real pain.
Rong Xie doesn't want him anymore.
Rong Xie completely abandoned him.
Rong Xie threw him out of his social circle like trash, and warned him not to come in on his own.
The backlash surged up again, and the Bone Shrinking Technique and Transformation Technique could no longer be sustained. Qu Huaiyan's body swelled up abnormally, her clothes torn into pieces and hung on her belt like a tattered sack—the third transformation attempt had also failed.
Shen Bingsi collapsed to the ground, lying on the floor of the flower hall, staring blankly at the rafters with a look of utter despair. Rong Xie had even hung a flower basket on the rafters; he always made sure every corner of his residence looked beautiful. Shen Bingsi stared at the flower basket, imagining Rong Xie's reaction when he returned from Lanyuan Villa and saw his corpse lying on the ground. Right, he should just get rid of him like trash; after all, this wasn't the first time Rong Xie had done something like this.
The fragrance of flowers and soapberries in the air, like a veil, gently enveloped Shen Bingsi's body and face. His grief and indignation gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of emptiness and despair.
He didn't know how long he had been lying there. As darkness fell outside, Shen Bingsi seemed to hear some noises coming from the door several times. He listened intently, but heard nothing. The rest of the time, he lay there in a daze, as if he had taken a few naps, but also as if he hadn't slept at all. Then, he woke up with a tremor that went straight to his mind.
The Mirror Palace has summoned me; I'm back to work.
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Don't worry, Bingbing is fine (no one is worried).
I just realized I can't seem to send red envelopes to the section comments [pity].
The next chapter will be at 12 o'clock!
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