Previously, Song Laosan wanted to sell the funerary objects that Monkey and I took out of the Demon Monk's Tomb at a low price. The reason I agreed was to find an ally among the four sects.
Song Laosan was also a very smart man, and he knew when to say what.
Upon hearing Qu Ruilin ask me to leave, he was the first to object: "Ruilin... no, Patriarch Qu! I hope you can understand what the old man is saying. We are sitting here to hold a meeting of the four sects, and Duan Shenxing is the head of the Duan family. We are all equals. You have no right to ask anyone to leave."
“Master Qu, this is also my intention.”
Old Master Wei said to Qu Ruilin in a very formal tone: "I know you are young and impetuous, but I also hope you can understand one thing. My hope for the four sects to be reunited is not for my own benefit or the benefit of any one of you here, but to defend the dignity of the four sects! I know you have deep hatred in your heart, but don't forget that Duan Shenxing is also a victim of the Lingbi case, just like you. He has lived the same life as you since childhood!"
"Are they the same?! At least he had his grandfather to raise him when he was little, while my grandfather passed away when I was twelve! I lived in a boarding school and had to fend for myself since I was a teenager! On New Year's Eve, when all the lights were on in other homes, I could only hide at home alone and eat instant noodles! The suffering that Duan Shenxing endured was caused by his family! And what about me? I am the victim of this undeserved disaster! His father is a sinner, but at least he is still alive!"
Duan Shenxing hysterically shouted out all his grievances: "For the sake of my grandfather's last wishes, I can refrain from demanding that he pay for his father's debts, but I cannot stand in the same room with him and discuss matters together! Since neither of you agrees with my plan, I have nothing more to say. As for the rest of the conversation, I have no interest in it. I take my leave!"
"Brother Lin, can you calm down? We're sitting here to solve problems, not to escalate conflicts."
Wei Shengnan then chimed in, "Since you say that Duan Shenxing doesn't need to pay for his father's debts, why are you throwing such a tantrum here?"
Seeing Qu Ruilin's resolute attitude, I hesitated for a moment before speaking up: "Grandpa Wei, I am still recovering from my serious injuries and feel a little unwell. I would like to rest for a while. Is that alright with you?"
"Sigh... Oh well!"
Grandpa Wei sighed: "Shengnan, take Shenxing to the rest room next door."
Song Laosan walked towards me before Wei Shengnan could: "Let me do it."
I was pushed out of the reception room by Song Laosan. He took out a cigarette case from his pocket, bent down and lit one: "Why aren't you leaving?"
Old Song handed over the lighter: "Xiao Duan, don't blame Old Master Wei for this. Actually, he tacitly allowed you to leave because the content of the upcoming meeting is not suitable for you to listen to."
“I know what Qu Ruilin wants to talk about. He simply wants to gather the strength of the other three sects, find my father, and make him give an explanation for what happened back then.”
I took a deep drag of my cigarette: "Given Qu Ruilin's personality, his demand will definitely be for my father to pay with his life, and naturally he won't involve me in this."
"You are very smart and thoughtful. At least among your peers, I have never seen someone as mature for their age as you."
Seeing that I had guessed the content of the meeting, Song Laosan continued to ask, "Since you have already guessed Qu Ruilin's thoughts, why did you leave just now? Do you also have a different opinion on the reunion of the four sects?"
"I wouldn't call it an opinion, but I'm certainly not optimistic. After the Demon Monk's Tomb incident, the four sects were nominally reunited, and the Duan family officially returned. But I'm powerless and have no say in the four sects. I believe you can see that this isn't Qu Ruilin's first time tomb raiding, and he's even deliberately learning the methods used in tomb raiding. Isn't his goal to replace the Duan family and squeeze me out?"
When I talked to Song Laosan, I was quite frank: "Old Master Wei keeps saying that he wants to restore the four gates only for the sake of ancestral precepts, but I don't think that's entirely true. Everyone has their own interests and demands involved, which are intertwined. If I join in, is there any point?"
Song Laosan curled his lip: "You can't say that. Although the situation in the Four Gates is complicated, we can still trust each other. We live in a money-driven world, and nobody will turn down money, including you, right?"
"Leaving aside me, a member of the Duan family, the other two families have a grudge against Duan Jinyan. The fact that Old Master Wei didn't make things difficult for me doesn't mean he doesn't want revenge. I'm afraid that's his real purpose in tacitly allowing me to leave."
I leaned back in my wheelchair: "If we really want the Four Gates to be reunited, we must first resolve the matter of Duan Jinyan. To Qu Ruilin now, Duan Jinyan is his father's killer, but once he achieves his goal, he will become my father's killer. Do you think the Four Gates will ever have true peace if this cycle of revenge continues?"
"That's exactly what I've been waiting to hear." Old Song chuckled. "What are you thinking?"
"I need to find Duan Jinyan."
"Save them?"
"I don't know." I shook my head blankly. "I was raised by my grandfather, and he wronged my grandfather, but if you're talking about hatred, I don't really hate him. After all, I have no feelings for those he killed. In short, I have to find Qu Ruilin before he does, at least I have to see him while he's still alive. I have questions for him, and I also want to know who my mother is."
"Yes, you are, after all, father and son bound by blood, and who can truly understand the bond of kinship?"
Song Laosan patted my shoulder: "Wanting your father to live is not wrong in itself, but I advise you not to have any illusions, and don't think that Duan Jinyan has any difficulties. He is just a thoroughly evil person, nothing more."
"Don't worry, I'm not that dramatic."
I waved my hand to end the conversation: "Tell me your thoughts."
Song Laosan scratched his nose: "What thoughts could I possibly have? This is a feud between your three families, and I'm just an outsider. Besides, the Wei family's influence is in the north, the Qu family's background is in the south, and my Song family has long since declined, living a life of leisure."
I remained silent, simply watching Song Laosan quietly.
Song Laosan seemed a little uncomfortable under my gaze and chuckled awkwardly, "We're all old foxes, let's not play these ghost stories. I can keep an eye on the other two families for you, and what benefits can you offer me in return?"
"Qu Ruilin not only understands feng shui and geomancy, but he has also learned a lot about tomb raiding techniques. He can completely replace me. The Wei family has been developing in Shenyang for many years and naturally has its own channels for selling goods. They can also replace you. However, you and I can also cooperate and form a small alliance."
I knew that Song Laosan was waiting for me to say that, so I got straight to the point: "As long as you can help me find Duan Jinyan, we can split the profits 50/50 in the future."
Song Laosan thought for a moment: "Can you accept adding a clause that we don't follow the rule of only taking one burial item?"
I smiled and held out my palm: "Deal!"
With our hands clasped together, my cooperation with Song Laosan was officially established.
Today, under the guidance of Grandpa Wei, the four sects have officially reunited after sixteen years.
In just a short time, the group had already formed several factions.
The Wei, Qu, and Song schools.
The Duan and Song faction.
The resourceful Song Laosan formed his own faction.
Although I cooperated with Song Laosan, I didn't completely trust him.
If the Wei and Qu families also have their own ulterior motives, then with so many old foxes and young foxes gathered together, it's quite a lively scene.
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