Chapter 36 I'll Catch You:
“You are mistaken, Benefactor Shen. As far as I know, the Hermit of Baishui Mountain has no interest in an official career. He even participated in the imperial examinations when he was young, but failed repeatedly. Later, he devoted himself to studying ancient books and scriptures.”
The senior monk clasped his hands in greeting.
It is not appropriate for monks to gossip behind people's backs, but I made the necessary clarification on behalf of Bai Shuishanren to prevent Shen Bingsi from misunderstanding.
With the senior monk as a witness, Shen Bingsi didn't say much. However, he clearly didn't believe it. Who said that failing the imperial examinations repeatedly meant one wouldn't want to enter officialdom? It's those who have failed for a long time who have the strongest desire for it.
After leaving Xiangji Temple, Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi took a carriage to their next destination—Lanyuan.
We were delayed at the temple for a while, and by the time we arrived at Lanyuan, dusk had fallen.
However, Lanyuan is truly beautiful. In the foreground are flat-topped plateaus, and in the distance are the majestic Zhongnan Mountains. The two complement each other, making the Zhongnan Mountains appear even more enormous in the twilight. The mulberry trees on the plateau and the fields look like grains of millet, dotting the misty mountains.
When the carriage reached a high point, Shen Bingsi thought the scenery was nice, so she asked the driver to stop the carriage and get off with Rong Xie to walk.
The two walked along a meadow full of small purple-red wildflowers until they reached the end of the highlands, where a vast blue plain unfolded before them, with fields, villages, roads, and oxcarts on the roads all immersed in the boundless twilight.
“That’s Chief Minister Wang’s Lanyuan Villa,” Shen Bingsi said, pointing to a cluster of buildings in a prime location.
Lanyuan Villa is also a grand mansion in the style of the Shengjing Palace, even more magnificent than Huanxue Villa, with more ingenious courtyards and pavilions.
Rong Xie gazed at the Blue Plain Villa, deeply impressed by the vision and ambition of the architect.
"It is said that Chief Minister Wang was also involved in the design. He is a knowledgeable and highly accomplished person. If he also cultivates, he may have already passed the Nascent Soul Realm," Shen Bingsi introduced.
It was rare to hear Shen Bingsi praise anyone, especially with such high praise. Rong Xie couldn't help but turn his head and take another look at Shen Bingsi.
Although it was a bit of a mood killer, Rong Xie said it anyway:
"Haven't you always looked down on people who pursued official careers?"
“What I despise are people who treat their career advancement as their ultimate goal,” Shen Bingsi said. “As soon as you get close to those people, you are hit with an aura of eagerness for quick success and instant benefits, which is very irritating.”
Rong Xie pondered for a moment and said gently, "Everyone has their own difficulties. Not everyone is like Chief Minister Wang, who was born into a noble family, is exceptionally talented, and topped the list on his first attempt at the imperial examination."
"I can better understand those who come from ordinary families, have mediocre talents, and fail the imperial examinations repeatedly. There are not many paths to advancement in this world, except for the imperial examinations. When they participated in the imperial examinations in their youth, they were just following the crowd and did not know what they were truly interested in. They failed the examinations or were lucky enough to become minor officials. After hitting walls for half their lives, they finally realized that they were not cut out for this and turned to their interests. This may not be a bad thing."
Shen Bingsi fell silent.
They both seemed to be talking about others, but they were actually talking about themselves.
“Actually… the kind of person you’re talking about is also very admirable, but most people are just pretending to be like that,” Shen Bingsi said.
"Um……"
"Walk a little further?" Shen Bingsi asked. "It's already late, let's stay here tonight."
"Okay." Rong Xie had guessed that this would be the case.
Shen Bingsi walked forward, and Rong Xie followed. Suddenly, he felt his hand being pulled.
Shen Bingsi gripped him tightly, so tightly at first that Rong Xie even felt a slight pain in his cartilage.
Rong Xie couldn't help but look up at him, seeing his tense profile and wind-blown hair. He was looking at the scenery, but Rong Xie could sense the restlessness in his heart.
Was it because they didn't get along well in their previous conversation? It's rare that the two of them had a disagreement, and they still held their own opinions even after the conversation ended.
In fact, Rong Xie sometimes disagreed with Shen Bing Si on other topics, but he felt that arguing was pointless and that Shen Bing Si could just talk about those trivial things and be happy with it.
I don't know what's wrong with me today, maybe I'm too free, I just want to compete with Shen Bingsi, and it's made me anxious.
Rong Xie quietly followed Shen Bingsi, placing his free hand on the back of Shen Bingsi's hand.
Shen Bingsi's steps faltered, and she turned around, raising her eyebrows slightly as she looked at Rong Xie.
Rong Xie smiled at him and asked, "Where are you staying tonight?"
"Tangquan Mountain Villa is a place to soak in hot springs. The hot springs in Lanyuan are very famous. Would you like to try it?"
“Great! We’ve been traveling by carriage all day. Let’s go to the hot springs later and rest,” Rong Xie said.
“That’s what I was planning to do too.” Shen Bingsi’s agitation disappeared, and she loosened her grip on Rong Xie’s hand, holding him only loosely. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll go to Lanyuan Villa again.”
"Can you go in?" Rong Xie asked curiously.
“Sure, otherwise what would we be here for? Didn’t you want to visit Lanyuan Villa?” Shen Bingsi said matter-of-factly.
"Is it... to go in openly and honestly?" Rong Xie thought of Shen Bing Si's previous talk about climbing over the palace wall in the middle of the night.
“We’ll go in openly and honestly,” Shen Bingsi smiled.
Rong Xie felt relieved. It seemed that Shen Bingsi's statement about the high level of Wang's understanding was not unfounded. He really did know Wang, and their relationship might even be quite special.
“Okay, I’d also like to take a look at the surrounding courtyards,” Rong Xie said.
“That’s easy.” Shen Bingsi planned tomorrow’s itinerary. “Let’s have breakfast first, wander around the area, and then go to visit at the end of Chenshi (9:00 AM). We have plenty of time; we can wander around until the afternoon. If you like the hot spring, you can stay another day.”
"What about Fanshige?" Rong Xie asked, and as soon as he asked, he knew it was a pointless question.
Shen Bingsi told him not to worry about it.
The two walked hand in hand on the high ground until it was almost dark before descending to where the carriage was parked.
That night, the two stayed at Tangquan Villa. The villa's facilities were not as good as those at Fanshige, but it had many different kinds of hot spring pools. Everyone could wear a bathrobe or a towel when soaking in the hot springs, so Rong Xie had no more reservations and found a hot spring pool with Shen Bingsi to soak in.
Clusters of candles were placed around the hot spring pool at night, covered with red gauze windproof covers embroidered with flowers and birds, creating a lazy and leisurely atmosphere.
I slept peacefully through the night without saying a word.
The next morning, after breakfast, the two of them took a walk around the neighborhood.
There are indeed many villas of all sizes on Lanyuan, which are places for nobles from the capital to relax and escape the summer heat. The high walls and courtyards are connected, and the streets between the courtyards are paved with fine bluestone slabs. It is midsummer, and there are some people coming and going on the streets.
Shen Bingsi originally thought that Rong Xie was just wandering around and had simply found a nice location in "The Splendor of Shengjing" and was just scouting it out.
I didn't expect my dear friend to be so thorough in his shopping, as if he were planning to buy property here. He thoroughly investigated the surrounding area, figuring out where to buy groceries, where to buy daily necessities, where the nearest market was, and where to hire a carriage to go to the capital...
"Do you want to live here permanently?" Shen Bingsi couldn't help but ask.
“I think the environment here is quite nice. If… I don’t live in Huanxue Manor anymore in the future, it would be quite comfortable to live here,” Rong Xie said with a smile.
Shen Bingsi's anger flared up again. He grabbed Rong Xie's hand, forcefully squeezing his fingers between Rong Xie's, and held them tightly: "What does it mean that you're no longer staying at Huanxue Manor?"
"It doesn't mean anything, it's just... who can say what the future holds?" Rong Xie's thoughts drifted for a moment, and his eyes became blank.
Shen Bingsi clenched his fingers tightly, causing the bones in the back of his hand to ache. He snapped out of his daze and met a pair of dark, unwavering eyes staring straight at him in surprise.
"What's there to be unclear about? In the past, present, and future, you'll always be at Huanxue Manor, not going anywhere else."
Shen Bingsi's tone was domineering and authoritarian, leaving no room for negotiation.
"If you dare to run, I will chase you to the ends of the earth and catch you."
Seeing Shen Bingsi's angry expression, Rong Xie chuckled. He didn't want to run away either. He was afraid that when the truth came out, Shen Bingsi would want to sever all ties with him and never see him again.
"It's not that serious. It's just that Shengjing is such a nice place. Maybe you'll want to live nearby for a long time in the future. After all, Fanshige is an inn with a lot of people coming and going. It's more comfortable to live in your own house." Rong Xie changed the subject lightly.
Shen Bingsi, who was still stubbornly angry, calmed down after hearing this. It turned out that Rong Xie didn't want to leave him and run away, but wanted to establish another base with him.
"I thought you didn't like Shengjing." After all, Rong Xie had made excuses when he came out.
"I just... don't like going out." Rong Xie felt a headache coming on at the thought of having to fly back on a sword or take a carriage.
Shen Bingsi was amused by Rong Xie. This Rong Xie, who didn't like going out, actually wanted to acquire property outside? She didn't know what he was thinking. Maybe this trip was planned too perfectly, making his best friend so reluctant to leave that he would forget about it once they got back.
It's a shame he took it so seriously; he was really overthinking it. A close friend is like a precious, pampered orchid; to survive, it must be nurtured in a carefully protected environment. Leaving him, leaving Huanxue Manor, where else could Rong Xie find such an environment?
Moreover, Shen Bingsi has an irreplaceable advantage: he has enough ability, willpower, and energy to help Rong Xie reach the Foundation Establishment stage.
"As for acquiring property, let's talk about that after you successfully establish your foundation," Shen Bingsi said. "Until then, we'll stay at Huanxue Manor. Once you've established your foundation and started learning sword control, we'll look at all the houses around Shengjing and make a decision."
After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, the problem of spiritual energy depletion can be solved, at which point Rong Xie will be able to learn sword flight. After reaching the Golden Core stage, sword flight will become their regular mode of transportation.
"Hmm." Rong Xie hadn't intended to make any decisions immediately; he was just being prepared.
In the following days, Shen Bingsi's attitude relaxed considerably. She even took Rong Xie to inquire about the buying and selling prices of several houses and went together to the most famous brokerage firm in Lanyuan to learn about the market prices.
Rong Xie hadn't expected that all the useful information he got from buying books, asking around in Yingbin Town and the outer market, and contacting Wang Mu was less than what he got from this trip with Shen Bingsi. It was clear that on-site investigation was the most effective method.
The market price offered by the brokerage firm was a bit higher than Rong Xie had expected, but he should be able to negotiate the price down further, depending on how eager the other party was to sell.
As for the place to exchange spirit stones for silver notes, the brokerage firm also has dedicated people to handle such trivial matters. As long as the transaction is completed, they can contact the largest money exchange in the capital to exchange Rong Xie for silver notes at the market price.
Moreover, upon hearing that Rong Xie had spent spirit stones, the brokerage firm became much more welcoming towards him, addressing him as "Immortal Master" repeatedly, which made Rong Xie feel rather embarrassed.
"Rest assured, Immortal Master, we will handle these matters for you. We heard that you are interested in buying his house, and the owner must be very happy to oblige." The broker who was in charge of receiving Rong Xie smiled broadly. "If it is convenient for you, Immortal Master, could you please tell us where your residence is? If a suitable house becomes available, our Da Sheng Brokerage will send a message to you immediately."
Rong Xie turned to look at Shen Bingsi. Shen Bingsi pondered for a moment and said, "Leave it at the Lingjing Sect's guard post and give it to Rong Er."
Rong Xie looked at him with suspicion. Could this pseudonym also receive letters?
Shen Bingsi seemed very confident, probably because this wasn't the first time she had done this.
"So you are Immortal Master Rong of the Spirit Mirror Sect, the head of the three great immortal sects. My apologies." The broker immediately bowed to the two of them.
An invisible spiritual force lifted him up, and Shen Bingsi said, "No need to make such a fuss, just do your thing."
Having obtained the information he wanted, Rong Xie felt much better and was in a better mood. He came out with Shen Bingsi and teased, "Were you so eager to stop him just now because you were afraid that he would elevate our sect to the top of the three great immortal sects and displease the other immortals?"
Shen Bingsi snorted: "That's right. You can't just say things like that. Shengjing is the territory of the Xuantian Sect. They have many eyes and ears. Do you think Elder Bai will gossip about this when the three sects meet?"
Rong Xie was amused by his serious yet nonsensical manner. Elder Bai and the Three Sects Alliance were such important figures and occasions, yet he had somehow associated them with gossip. This created a vivid image in Rong Xie's mind, and he couldn't stop laughing.
"You're having so much fun." Shen Bingsi couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth. Who knew he had such a talent for telling jokes? He was practically an all-rounder.
With noon fast approaching, going to Lanyuan Villa would seem like freeloading—so I was even more determined to go.
Shen Bingsi led Rong Xie to the side gate of Lanyuan Villa, took out the Lingjing Sect disciple token, and asked the gatekeeper to announce their arrival. The gatekeeper, being well-versed in such matters, recognized it as a token from a celestial sect and hurriedly took it. A moment later, he returned with a steward dressed as a scholar and told Shen Bingsi that it was not yet the day of rest, and that Chief Minister Wang was still at his residence in the capital. If Shen Bingsi was in a hurry to see him, the villa could send a carriage to take them there. If Shen Bingsi was not in a hurry, they could stay overnight at Lanyuan Villa until Chief Minister Wang arrived on the day of rest.
Shen Bingsi glanced at Rong Xie, as if to say, "See, I told you he was a good person."
Rong Xie smiled, but what he was thinking was, "That was for you."
"No need, it's just that my friend wants to come in and have a look around. If it's convenient, could you show us around a bit?" Shen Bingsi looked inside.
“Of course, of course it’s convenient,” the manager replied, gesturing for him to proceed.
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