Chapter 143 Empty Promises:
“You…” Rong Xie hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.
No, it must be my imagination. Shen Bingsi's heart is as hard as iron. How could he be swayed by love and affection like an ordinary person? If he asked, he would surely be met with a lot of disdain and fuss.
Shen Bingsi noticed that Rong Xie was staring at him, so he turned his head slightly and glanced at Rong Xie with his eyes not falling on him: "What? Why are you looking at me? Or do you want me to hug you?"
"Is everything alright..." Rong Xie was still worried.
“Of course it’s alright,” Shen Bingsi stepped forward, rolling up her sleeves. “You’re not worried that I can’t carry you, are you? You’re only at the Foundation Establishment stage, not at the Integration or Dao Proving stage. How could I not be able to carry you?”
Seeing Shen Bingsi's composed demeanor, Rong Xie breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to the side, holding onto the edge of the wooden tub to shield himself, his cheeks slightly flushed: "No need, I can go over by myself. You can go out now."
"Really not going to use it?" Shen Bingsi seemed somewhat disappointed.
“Well, just like you said, I’ve reached the Foundation Establishment stage, not that my leg is broken,” Rong Xie said with a smile. “If you have nothing to do, go to the front yard and tell Shen Yan and the others the good news.”
"Who said I have nothing to do? What does this have to do with Shen Yan and the others?" Shen Bingsi stood in front of the wooden tub like a wall, showing no intention of moving. "No, let me carry you over, that way you won't keep wondering."
"Really, you don't need to..." Rong Xie felt very embarrassed, but Shen Bingsi had already bent down and stretched out his arms to meet him, so Rong Xie had no choice but to obediently hug his neck.
Shen Bingsi wrapped her arms around Rong Xie's back, easily lifting him up and pulling him close as if she were holding a cloud.
"Splash—" Water slid down Rong Xie's body with a loud sound. Rong Xie's face burned. He rolled over and lay in Shen Bing Si's arms, hugging him tightly with both hands and tucking his knees into the warm arms. This way, they were pressed together so tightly that at least he didn't have to face Shen Bing Si's gaze.
"See? I told you there was no problem, right?" Shen Bingsi smiled and hugged Rong Xie tightly. His hands, which hadn't been deliberately calloused from sword wounds, felt as if they were holding a smooth, soft piece of silk. He didn't dare to use too much force, afraid of damaging it even a little bit. Shen Bingsi's heart pounded heavily. He couldn't smile for a moment. His gaze fell downwards and saw wet black hair sticking to his fair, slender shoulders and back, covering his fair upper body.
The air suddenly fell silent, and Shen Bingsi remained silent. Their heartbeats, close together, rose and fell, thump-thump, thump-thump, gradually becoming subtly synchronized.
"Clatter".
A drop of bright red liquid fell into clear water and slowly spread out.
Shen Bingsi held Rong Xie tightly, her gaze falling on a small wisp of red smoke in the clear water.
His expression changed.
The next moment, the red smoke vanished, and the clear water returned to its pristine state, as if it had never been polluted at all.
Shen Bingsi silently carried Rong Xie towards the hot bath tub.
"Is it hot?" Shen Bingsi lowered Rong Xie down a little and asked him to try the hot water in the bathtub.
Rong Xie still clung to his neck, refusing to let go. Only after hearing this did he press his toes down a little.
"It's not hot," Rong Xie said, pressing her face against his neck.
Shen Bingsi carefully lowered her shoulders and placed Rong Xie into the hot water.
Rong Xie sighed comfortably, released his neck, and curled up in the bathtub like a snow-white fish.
Shen Bingsi's vision blurred slightly. He straightened up, his body already soaked through. He glanced at his wet front and sleeves, but remained standing in the same spot, waiting for something.
"What are you still standing here for? Go change your clothes." Rong Xie leaned against the edge of the bathtub and said with a smile, "What do you want to eat? It's late today, I'll take Shen Yan and the others to the outer market to buy some things tomorrow morning, and I'll cook you something delicious for lunch."
Shen Bingsi considered it seriously for a while: "I want to eat Heyang fish, roast duck, roast lamb leg, lamb soup, and crispy ice cream..."
"Okay, I'll make it for you." Rong Xie agreed to everything.
Shen Bingsi raised an eyebrow: "So easy to talk to?"
Rong Xie leaned over the edge of the bathtub, her cheeks flushed as she looked at him, her eyes bright, and a joyful smile on her lips.
Just like countless times before, when he returned from completing the Mirror Palace mission or emerged from seclusion, Rong Xie would greet him so gently, gazing at him with bright eyes.
"I thought you were leaving as soon as you finished your Foundation Establishment?" Shen Bingsi said half-jokingly.
“How could that be?” Rong Xie exclaimed in surprise. “Am I such a heartless person?”
"You are!" Shen Bingsi nodded, then turned around and waved her hand with her back to Rong Xie. "There are other things to do tomorrow, we'll talk about them then."
Watching Shen Bingsi go out to change her clothes, Rong Xie sat back in the bathtub, relaxing in the hot water and closing his eyes contentedly.
Once the water had cooled down, Rong Xie got out of the bathtub, dried himself off, changed into loose and comfortable casual clothes, and walked outside while tying his hair up.
Before we knew it, the sky had darkened, and a faint fragrance wafted in the wind. Winter had passed, and after a few days of warm weather, the plants in the yard were growing vigorously.
Only now, with his feet firmly planted on solid ground, feeling the lightness of his body and the clarity of his five senses and six perceptions, did the joy of successfully establishing his foundation spread. Rong Xie felt a surge in his chest, as if he could float away after taking just a few steps.
Yes, he could indeed float. As a Foundation Establishment expert, he could fly at low altitudes without needing a flying talisman, skimming over grasslands and crossing streams, reaching his destination without getting his shoes dirty. More importantly, this feeling of soaring through the air was just like that of an immortal.
Rong Xie immediately tried it out and felt the sensation of having the wind beneath his feet—his joy reached its peak when he leaped over a small shrub, and he repeatedly grabbed the shrub and jumped back and forth several times.
"This is... amazing!" Rong Xie exclaimed.
Moonlight streamed down from above him. In the quiet courtyard, Rong Xie jumped and hopped around the open space, sometimes flying out smoothly and sometimes landing slowly, even waving his sleeves like a deity from a traditional opera.
"I am Rong Xie, a Foundation Establishment cultivator." Rong Xie fanned his sleeves, bowed to the empty space, took a step back with his right foot, and leaned forward. "Greetings, Sect Master Xue. What? You insist I return to the inner sect? This... I'm used to being a free spirit outside, and I'm afraid I'll find it difficult to be bound by such constraints..."
"Hmph." A suppressed laugh suddenly came from the shadows of the trees not far away. Rong Xie was startled and looked back. He saw Shen Bingsi standing in the darkness, dressed in an official's uniform, smiling at him, with one hand curled up to her mouth.
Rong Xie's face flushed: "It was pitch black, you scared me. What were you doing hiding there?"
“To deliver a message for Elder Xue,” Shen Bingsi emerged from the shadows of the trees, moonlight falling on his head and shoulders. He smiled at Rong Xie, “and invites you to become an elder.”
"Pah, pah, pah!" Rong Xie slapped his face with the back of his hand. "I didn't have such a rebellious dream. Don't try to frame me."
“You’re the kind of elder who’s in charge of food. It just so happens that the Ruthless Path has a course on abstaining from appetite, so it would be perfect for you to test those disciples,” Shen Bingsi said with a smile.
As they spoke, the two had already arrived at a certain place.
Rong Xie noticed that Shen Bingsi was wearing the uniform of a judge: "Are you going out? Could it be... that Judge Jiang has already gotten the results of his investigation?"
Rong Xie felt a surge of excitement, but Shen Bingsi shook her head: "No, it's just that the Mirror Palace has summoned me temporarily. I'm going there, and I don't know when I'll be back."
"Ah..." Rong Xie's heart sank. "Will you come back for dinner tomorrow?"
The moonlight illuminated everything clearly, but Shen Bingsi's expression remained obscure.
"I'm not coming back," Shen Bingsi said.
"Heyang fish, and roast duck?"
"Next time."
"..."
"So, you're hiding here to say goodbye to me?" Rong Xie asked. "Didn't you say you were going to take me to the Golden Core stage?"
For some reason, the feeling of unease intensified. Rong Xie knew that asking such a question was unreasonable. He already had a foundation in Foundation Establishment, having even reached the ninth level of Qi Refining last time. He also had several failed attempts before. Even so, it had taken him several days of dual cultivation to accumulate enough spiritual energy to break through to Foundation Establishment. To reach the Golden Core stage would be like building a mountain from scratch, without any foundation. The required spiritual energy would be hundreds, even thousands of times that of Foundation Establishment. Even if Shen Bingsi guided him in dual cultivation for a year or two, they might not be able to succeed, let alone with the many things pressing down on him now.
"So eager to reach the Golden Core stage?" Shen Bingsi's lips curled up. "Alright, once I've finished what I'm doing, I'll come back and help you reach the Golden Core stage. You're not allowed to run away then."
"Actually, there's no rush." Rong Xie felt a little guilty.
“It’s a deal.” Shen Bingsi held out her hand. “Anyone who doesn’t do it is a dog.”
Rong Xie's hands, hanging by his sides, felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. He immediately regretted bringing this up... It was all because he was worried about Shen Bingsi. If Shen Bingsi hadn't been acting strangely, neither saying he remembered nor didn't remember what happened in his dream, Rong Xie wouldn't have needed to test him with the matter of the Golden Core.
Fine, since we're testing her, let's test her to the end. If Shen Bingsi can keep her promise, then Rong Xie's worries will be completely unnecessary.
"Come back first," Rong Xie said, raising his hand and clapping it in his palm.
Shen Bingsi reacted quickly, grabbing Rong Xie's hand and squeezing it in her palm, sighing, "You have no idea how much I don't want to leave."
Rong Xie raised an eyebrow, about to press for details about the Mirror Palace, but Shen Bingsi released his hand and turned around: "Wait for me... I'll be back."
With a flash of golden light, Shen Bingsi rode her sword towards the Mirror Palace. A streak of light pierced the night sky and disappeared above Huanxue Manor.
Rong Xie gazed at the clear sky, where stars dotted the heavens, each one so clear. The night sky was high, displaying a cold and desolate deep blue.
He stood quietly for a while, then suddenly wondered how Captain Zhao was doing.
Rong Xie returned to his bedroom, found the communication jade pendant, and sent a contact request to Captain Zhao.
Soon, the jade pendant vibrated, and Captain Zhao's voice came through.
"Fellow Daoist Rong!!" Captain Zhao exclaimed excitedly, "Is it Fellow Daoist Rong?! I knew you would wake up. There is no problem in this world that Sword Saint Shen cannot solve!"
"..." During a lull in Captain Zhao's excited shouts, Rong Xie finally found a chance to speak, "Captain Zhao, it's me. I'm fine now, but I might not be able to get through this for a while..."
"It's alright!" Captain Zhao said heartily. "Fellow Daoist Rong, you should rest well and don't worry. The Registrar of the Mirror Palace has already taken over, and we are now at her beck and call."
"What?" Rong Xie was taken aback. "Didn't they say... the case is still under trial?"
"The trial is over. Just yesterday, the Grand Judge and the Recorder from the Mirror Palace came together and told us that Madam Mei's crimes have been reported to the Heavenly Mirror. They've returned to retrieve the Golden Bell Shield and arrange the children's whereabouts..."
Captain Zhao rambled on for a while, mostly praising the people from Mirror Palace for their swift and efficient work. It seemed that they had almost obtained Madam Mei's confession, and all that was left was to collect on-site evidence and arrange follow-up matters.
Whether Rong Xie goes or not is not important.
“However, that Chief Judge Jiang also asked about Sword Saint Shen,” Captain Zhao suddenly remembered this, “He said that Sword Saint Shen asked him to treat you, but he was forced by palace rules to come out, and he doesn’t know if you have woken up yet.”
Rong Xie's throat tightened, and he asked, "So, now... both adjudicators are at the Lu residence?"
"Yes," Captain Zhao said. "Things here are quite complicated. I estimate they'll stay for another three to five days."
"So, the Mirror Palace is currently empty?"
“The Mirror Palace only has three adjudicators, and two of them are here. Since Sword Saint Shen is with Fellow Daoist Rong, there shouldn’t be anyone else here,” Captain Zhao pondered.
"..."
With no one in the Mirror Palace, what has Shen Bingsi been doing?
There was no wind under the moon, but Rong Xie still shivered.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com