After the incident at the Tomb of the Evil Monk, I formed a not-so-solid alliance of interests with Song Laosan, and my relationship with Wei Shengnan was also eased.

The car arranged by the Wei family to pick me up was not a commercial vehicle, but a professional private medical vehicle, and it was equipped with a doctor.

It's clear that Wei Shengnan really cares, and perhaps she's using this method to express her apology for taking the immortal scripture from me.

Today marks the reunion of the Four Gates after sixteen years. Monkey, not being a member of the Four Gates, was not qualified to participate and was taken to the reception room of Changwei Group.

When Song Laosan pushed me into Old Master Wei's study, Qu Ruilin and Wei Shengnan had already arrived.

After I entered, Wei Shengnan nodded slightly as a greeting, while Qu Ruilin turned his face to the side.

Seeing Qu Ruilin evoked mixed feelings in me.

At the Demon Monk's Tomb, I fell into the trap because of Qu Ruilin. If I hadn't been met by Song Laosan and the Monkey, I would probably be a corpse by now.

Later, when I was attacked by a giant python, it was Qu Ruilin who saved my life, preventing me from being devoured by the snake.

I don't know if Qu Ruilin saved me out of instinct or because he didn't want to be criticized in front of everyone, but I could sense that his hostility towards me, or rather towards the Duan family, had not diminished at all.

When Grandpa Wei saw me enter in a wheelchair, he got up and walked towards me: "Young man, Shengnan told me everything that happened in the Demon Monk's Tomb. You were able to overcome the difficulties and successfully obtain the Immortal Scripture, which makes you a benefactor of the Wei family."

Now that the immortal scripture has been obtained by the Wei family, I have no bargaining power and can only go with the flow: "Grandpa Wei, you are too kind. When I agreed to go find the demon monk's tomb, I was prepared for the worst. It is Grandma Wei's good fortune that I was able to fulfill my mission! By the way, can the immortal scripture be effective for Grandma Wei's illness?"

"I have already consulted several Taoist priests, including Zhong Nanshan, as well as professors from several top Chinese medicine universities in China to jointly study the treatment plan. It will be difficult to reach a conclusion in a short period of time. But in any case, under the current circumstances, this is at least a way out."

After answering the question, Old Master Wei gently patted my shoulder: "You have done what you promised the Wei family. Now it is my turn to fulfill my promise. It is a blessing for this old man to see all four families gathered together in my lifetime."

After hearing what Grandpa Wei said, I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Grandpa Wei, do you mean to talk about my father in front of everyone?"

"This matter is not a secret, and the Song and Qu families are familiar with it. Since everyone is here, it's better to put it out in the open than to keep it a secret."

Old Master Wei's meaning was quite clear: he wanted to use this opportunity to reunite the four families that had been divided for over a decade, and at the same time, act as a peacemaker to relieve my pressure.

When Song Laosan saw that Old Master Wei had spoken, he chuckled and pushed me inside: "I think what the old man said is right. Our four sects have a friendship of over a thousand years. This time, the Demon Monk's Tomb was the first time our generation had joined forces to raid a tomb, and we won a great victory. What does this show? It shows that the tacit understanding between the four sects is innate, ingrained in our bones through generations of collaboration. There are no knots that the four sects can't untie. If there's anything, let's talk it out calmly!"

Qu Ruilin's expression changed upon hearing this, but he glanced in the direction of Old Master Wei and did not react.

"The third son of the Song family is right. The four families share the same origin. The reason why we have not been wiped out in the long river of history is precisely because of our unprecedented unity."

Old Master Wei picked up his pipe: "A tragedy sixteen years ago tore us apart. Today, I've gathered everyone here to tell you the whole story."

Qu Ruilin stood up: "Grandpa, it's a bit stuffy in this room, I'm going out for some fresh air."

Old Master Wei struck a match and brought it close to his pipe: "What, don't you want to hear?"

"Yes!" Qu Ruilin did not hide anything: "My father died in that tragedy, and I don't want to dredge up painful memories."

"sit down!"

Grandpa Wei's face was as calm as a still lake, like the wisps of smoke gathering and dispersing on his pipe: "Although the four families have different surnames, there is no distinction between you and me. We are all one family. Your father was also my junior. I was just as heartbroken as he was about to die. But you have to listen to this."

Qu Ruilin clenched his fist slightly and turned his gaze to Song Laosan: "Give me a cigarette."

Old Song took out his cigarette case and threw it far away.

"Time flies!" Grandpa Wei looked at us younger generation and said with emotion, "It seems like only yesterday that your fathers were your age. Your spirited appearance gives me the illusion that it is still them sitting here."

Grandpa Wei's words did not move me at all.

Although Wei Shengnan and I had improved our relationship somewhat in this room, her second uncle's situation remained a thorn in her side, and Qu Ruilin hated me to the core.

All of this stems from my father, Duan Jinyan.

As that man's scapegoat, I knew absolutely nothing about him.

Thinking of this, I couldn't sit still any longer: "Grandpa, can we begin?"

"Of course, but where should I begin to say that?"

Old Master Wei exhaled a puff of smoke and said softly, "The four successors are all very clear about our history, and I have told you about our origins before."

During the Japanese invasion of China, the four families were torn apart by the war. The Duan and Wei families joined the army, the Qu family went to the south, and the Song family went even further, to foreign countries.

This story should begin with the Song family. Years ago, the head of the Song family left China with his family, traveling a long and winding road before finally settling in England.

Seeing that everyone else was looking at him, Song Laosan smiled and said, "The Song family did indeed move abroad. My parents and my eldest brother are British citizens, but my second brother and I were born in China. We are proper Chinese citizens!"

Grandpa Wei continued, "After the Song family settled in England, they ran a pawnshop business to make a living. In those chaotic times, many wealthy people in China were fleeing abroad, and the Song family did business with these people, which is how they established themselves in England."

By the late 1970s, the Song family had established a considerable reputation in the British art industry, especially within the Chinese community, where they were considered a leading family. That year, Song Chengwen, the grandfather of the third son, inadvertently learned a secret: the British Museums Association planned to leverage China's reform and opening-up policy to establish the Jinbai International Art Investment Company under the guise of investment, aiming to acquire rare and valuable artifacts in China.

I was somewhat surprised: "KingPal International? That's a world-renowned auction house! Its influence is second only to Sotheby's, Christie's, and Nagel!"

Old Master Wei gave a wry smile: "Yes, but the rise of this company is also a shameful history for the Chinese antique and collectible industry."