Chapter 029: Lickspittle x Scum Lead x Saintly Complex (11)

Chapter 029: Lickspittle x Scum Lead x Saintly Complex (11)

Rong Zijin no longer intended to take anything that belonged to him from Luoyuyuan.

He glanced indifferently around the room, as if dispersing all the past warmth and affection, and picked up the food box, saying, "Farewell, I won't be coming back."

Si Jinghua stood rooted to the spot, clenching his fists tightly, almost digging his nails into his palms.

How dare you? How dare you hide this gift and then casually destroy it?!

It should have been mine! Mine!!

Not long after, Sheng Jun rushed into the ash-filled Luoyuyuan, his face full of panic.

"Master, what's burning? Are you alright?"

"Rong Zijin wants to cut ties with me," Si Jinghua said coldly.

"Why? Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, what is he up to?!"

Si Jinghua let out a light laugh.

"Because his precious disciples prepared gifts for him, and I didn't."

Sheng Jun took a deep breath, incredulous. "He has those good disciples, even other palaces' disciples fawning over him, and it's still not enough?!"

"Probably not," Si Jinghua said, suppressing his anger, raising an eyebrow. "It's better to cut ties, so he doesn't disturb my cultivation."

Meanwhile, Rong Zijin walked alone along a desolate path, carrying the food box. He found a place to sit on a green stone, shedding tears while eating mooncakes.

The mooncakes made by his disciples, which he himself had been reluctant to eat, were treated by Si Jinghua like dirty mud balls.

They were so sweet, each one so delicious...

The night was cold and dark, and suddenly a bright lamp hung nearby, its light warm and radiant.

Rong Zijin was still stuffing mooncakes into his mouth when he looked up and saw Xiao Baiqiong.

"You..." Rong Zijin hastily wiped his face, his speech slightly muffled, pouting. "I don't want you to see Master in such a sorry state."

Even though he knew deep down that his disciples had already seen him in many sorry states.

"Eating like this will make you sick," Xiao Baiqiong said, taking out a bamboo tube and pouring him some hot tea. "Eat slowly; if you can't finish them, we'll take them back."

Rong Zijin gulped down the tea, nearly choking.

"I know you've advised me many times before," Rong Zijin said, feeling embarrassed and closing his eyes in frustration. "Si Jinghua is fickle and inattentive, but I always felt sorry for him because he was often ill since childhood and had few friends. I thought, if even I left, what would he do?"

"He'd go crazy sooner or later," Xiao Baiqiong said sincerely. "After all, his meals, bedding changes, laundry, medicine preparation, scripture copying, daily lessons, and evening prayers... all of these were done by you, Master."

Master, you're the real superhero!

"I won't be foolish again," Rong Zijin took a deep breath. "I need to support three young disciples in their cultivation and grow with them. I can't waste my life on someone like him!"

"What if you feel foolish again?"

Rong Zijin instinctively wanted to deny it but paused, then said with a bitter face, "If I ever have such thoughts, I'll punish myself by eating ten mooncakes until I vomit!"

Before Xiao Baiqiong could speak, a little junior sister popped her head out from behind him, her voice filled with amusement.

"Master! You made that promise yourself!"

"With your word, I could build you a house out of mooncakes!"

Seeing the three of them laughing and chatting as they returned to Suyuzhai, the system commented, "This method might really work, similar to snapping a rubber band on your wrist in psychology to break an addiction."

"It's much harsher than snapping your wrist," Keding said. "Mooncakes, my record is only two at once, and they had to be egg yolk lotus seed paste!"

The news of Rong Zijin's complete break with Si Jinghua spread quickly throughout Mount Emei's gossip circles. Some people even secretly placed bets on how long it would take for them to reconcile again.

"Ten days, at most ten days."

"I bet five days; Si Jinghua is already breaking things every day at home."

"Sigh, Master Yiyue is such a good person, he should open his eyes soon!"

Indeed, Rong Zijin changed his ways, giving lectures for several weeks, sharing his cultivation insights with disciples from various palaces.

The little ones from Suyuzhai could sit in the front row, where there were five fixed seats reserved for them.

As for the seats in the back... they had to get there early to claim them.

Keding watched with great satisfaction.

You ancient people should also experience the pain of fighting for lecture seats!

Competing for library spots and elective courses are the two major challenges of modern youth! Without going through this, it's not a true youth!

Suyuzhai was almost overrun, and even some masters who couldn't ascend came to listen in secret. Among them was Feng Qinqin pushing a small cart, selling snacks.

"Salted peanuts! Soy sauce duck necks! Master, would you like a cup of pine needle tea for just fifteen coins?"

Xiao Baiqiong was munching on sunflower seeds, with a little monkey in his arms, petting its head. "Master is lecturing on the dais, and you're making extra money here. Isn't that bad?"

Feng Qinqin remained unperturbed. "Master is kind-hearted; he might be worried about everyone getting thirsty!"

Xiao Baiqiong laughed and gave her twenty coins.

"Hurry and brew a good pot of tea for Master, but don't say it's from me."

On one side, the atmosphere was filled with lively chatter and laughter. On the other, it was deathly silent, with not a soul in sight.

Si Jinghua was accustomed to being meticulously cared for, and after suddenly losing Rong Zijin, he couldn't even find a few sets of clean clothes to change into.

He had no idea how things were organized inside and outside the house, and he found the meals from the kitchen's large pots to be crude and poorly made, leaving him frustrated every day.

The seven or eight disciples he had taken in previously all had mischievous personalities, none of them as meticulous as Rong Zijin.

In the past ten days, emotional support could barely find a substitute, and every aspect of his daily life was far worse than before.

Late at night, Si Jinghua couldn't sleep no matter what, lying next to his beautiful disciple.

The bedding wasn’t washed properly, always causing an itch on his skin. The medicinal soups he drank these days were either too hot or too bitter, and none of them tasted right.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, hating that Rong Zijin hadn't come to apologize yet.

It was clearly his unreasonable demand, clearly his excessive harshness!

Their love was so deep, how could it just end like this? He refused to believe it!

Another day, Chuncao was sweeping outside when she saw Sheng Jun heading towards Suyuzhai. She turned around and ran, holding her broom.

"Senior Brother! Senior Brother! That jerk is coming!"

"Keep your voice down; Master is meditating," Feng Qinqin picked up her junior sister. "We'll keep our doors tightly shut, no visitors allowed!"

Before they could disturb Rong Zijin, the disciples had already sealed off Suyuzhai, making it impenetrable even to flies.

Sheng Jun looked around outside the hall, but no one answered his knocks, knowing he had been given the cold shoulder.

He decided to act like a ruffian, raising his voice in panic.

"It’s terrible! Immortal Venerable Yiyue!"

"My Master is coughing blood—he might not survive these few days!"

"Master! Please save my Master; he was calling your name until his last breath—"

Feng Qinqin was about to set up a barrier to block out the noise, but Xiao Baiqiong shook his head, signaling her not to move.

Sheng Jun shouted again and again, quickly drawing Rong Zijin, who appeared flustered, pacing in the central hall.

"Baiqiong, what they’re saying outside..."

Feng Qinqin remembered something and rushed to the small kitchen, bringing out ten rock-hard mooncakes.

"Master, you have a golden mouth; if you want to go out and check, eat these first."

Upon hearing that Si Jinghua was near death, Rong Zijin felt a pang of sympathy and said gloomily,

"If he really dies alone, who will bury him?"

"No worries," Xiao Baiqiong said, "Master, I have a great character. If Si Jinghua dies, I’ll cry at his grave for three days and burn plenty of paper money for him."

"If you must go, eat the mooncake first."

Seeing the children in front of him, Rong Zijin couldn't break his word in front of them and silently took a mooncake and put it in his mouth.

Hard and sweet, it was nowhere near as good as it had been a few days ago.

As he chewed, he recalled the Mid-Autumn night when he cried alone on the stone bench.

Had Si Jinghua ever cared about his feelings? Had he ever cared about his life?

After struggling to swallow one mooncake, Rong Zijin was already too full to eat dinner.

Feng Qinqin held the tray, "Master, there are still nine left. You need to eat them quickly, or else that person in Luoyuyuan might kick the bucket."

Rong Zijin raised his head to drink water.

"I won’t eat anymore! If he’s dying, he should see a doctor! Why come to me?"

These words were immediately relayed to Sheng Jun, who then passed them to the feigning Si Jinghua.

"Ding! Defense broken by twenty points!"

"Ding! Defense broken by twenty points!"

The system listed, "Jinghua darling! The previous scoundrel’s record was 1,600 points! You need to work harder!!"

Keding asked, "How many does he have now?"

"Over 800." The system shook its head. "Still too delicate, not enough pressure."

Keding laughed, "You're colluding with me."

"Not at all," the system said seriously. "We are blending in with the world."

Sure enough, after another ten days, they still hadn't received news of any death from Luoyuyuan.

The person involved was living well, eating heartily, and the coughing blood was obviously fake.

Rong Zijin, who had initially refused to believe Si Jinghua was deceiving him, now placed all the rock-hard mooncakes on his bedside table.

No more foolish thoughts!! No more believing that man’s lies!!

The Immortal Venerable finally rid himself of the evil influence and returned to the righteous path, focusing on teaching and nurturing.

Xiao Baiqiong observed for a while and decided to visit Si Jinghua with a basket of fruits.

Feng Qinqin, upon hearing that he was going there, spread her arms to stop him.

"You must be crazy! Our lives have just started to improve, and you want to provoke that madman again!"

Xiao Baiqiong shook his head and said seriously, "There is a hint of demonic energy in Luoyuyuan; I cannot turn a blind eye."

Feng Qinqin was startled and a bit frightened. "Is he going to succumb to the demonic path?"

Xiao Baiqiong lifted a carefully prepared large fruit basket.

"Junior Sister, listen to your Senior Brother's words."

"Whether it's towards enemies or friends, we should be as warm as the spring breeze, as nurturing as a spring, and as illuminating as the sun!"