An Family Banquet

Song Chengan remembered one Mid-Autumn Festival from years ago.

Song Cui had worried that Song Chengan would be lonely by himself, so she had called him to the An Household to celebrate the holiday together.

A long time had passed, yet Song Chengan still remembered that Mid-Autumn Festival. Steward An and the others had not looked particularly pleased.

It was understandable that they would be unhappy when an outsider came to the house during a holiday like Mid-Autumn.

But what Song Chengan could not understand was why they had invited him this time.

After all, whenever the An Household had something going on after that, they had never invited Song Chengan again.

Perhaps they felt that being associated with Song Chengan had lowered the An Household's standing.

Today, An Mingxu had been praised by his teacher, and they had sent someone to invite Song Chengan.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed strange and made no sense.

Since when had An Ruifeng liked that foolish son of his so much?

Song Chengan was baffled.

Still, whatever he thought, that man was his brother-in-law after all.

For his sister's sake, he had to make a trip to the An Household no matter what.

"Then I'll trouble Steward Wu to tell my brother-in-law that I'll come tomorrow."

"Certainly, Young Master Song. I'll report to the master at once."

"Song Chengan!"

"Song Chengan!"

"Have you become an immortal?"

Song Chengan opened the door, and Brother Dan crowded up to him.

This fellow had spotted Song Chengan long ago, but since Song Chengan had been talking to Steward Wu the whole time, he had not come over.

"What immortal?"

Song Chengan said as he opened the door.

"They said you caught a Monster in the street. They said you're some big shot in the yamen now."

Brother Dan said.

"Is that true?"

"You tell me."

"I say it's fake."

"My mother said you're dumb as a brick. How could you become one of those immortals in the sky?"

Song Chengan rolled his eyes.

This little brat really had no manners.

"Song Chengan, my sister is getting married."

"Oh."

"Someone came to my house today and asked for my sister to marry him."

"Oh."

"Your sister came back?"

Song Chengan asked.

Brother Dan's sister was called Zhou Xiu.

He had not seen her for some time. Only recently had he learned that she had gone to serve as a maid in a household in the city.

He had heard it was a wealthy household, too.

In any case, Brother Dan's mother had beamed with delight whenever she mentioned it.

After all, in an age when most people could not even fill their bellies, being a maid meant getting enough to eat every day.

"She came back."

"Song Chengan, do you like my sister?"

"Go on, go on. Little brat, stop prying into grown-up affairs."

Song Chengan waved a hand, telling the little brat to get lost.

"An Household."

"Chengan is here, is he? Your brother-in-law is in the sitting room."

"You boys chat for a while."

When Madam Liu saw Song Chengan, an affectionate smile immediately appeared on her face. She had a maid take him to the sitting room.

"Come, have some tea."

When Song Chengan entered.

An Ruifeng was practicing calligraphy.

It was one of An Ruifeng's few hobbies.

Beside him, An Mingxin sat primly upright.

"At first, I thought you were merely a clerk at the academy. You never told me you had become a Demon Suppression Envoy."

"I heard that those who became Demon Suppression Envoys all went on to become high officials."

"Though you and Mingxin are not blood relatives, you are closer than family. You two should spend more time together from now on."

"My brother-in-law is right."

Song Chengan replied.

Naturally, he knew why An Ruifeng had changed his tune. It was because he knew Song Chengan had become a Demon Suppression Envoy.

Song Chengan hated all this social maneuvering, and he did not think he needed to maintain such connections.

But the other man was his brother-in-law after all. Whether for his sister's sake or for his nephew An Mingxu's, he could not embarrass him too much.

"It's no fun staying here with an old fellow like me. Go find the others and have some fun."

"Your sister and the others are admiring the fish in the rear garden."

After chatting for a while, An Ruifeng said this.

Song Chengan then left the sitting room with An Mingxin.

"I never expected you to become a Qi Refiner too..."

An Mingxin had been about to say a few words to close the distance between himself and Song Chengan.

Back then, the other man had merely been a useless gambler. Naturally, An Mingxin had paid him no mind.

Even after he became a clerk at the Demon Suppression Division, An Mingxin had not thought much of him.

After all, he was only a clerk.

To ordinary people, that might count as having some status, but in An Mingxin's eyes, it was nothing.

Having set foot upon the path of cultivation and become a Demon Suppression Envoy, his status was no longer ordinary.

It was practically foreseeable that so long as nothing happened to him, once he matured, the An Household would surely rise another level.

If he could achieve something in the Demon Suppression Division, the An Household might even ride this east wind and become the sixth of the Five Great Families.

Thus, as a matter of course, since Song Chengan was also a Demon Suppression Envoy and someone Wu Cong valued, An Mingxin felt that Song Chengan had become worthy of being drawn to his side.

But what made An Mingxin's nose nearly twist crooked with rage was this.

The moment he finished speaking and turned around.

That fellow had vanished at some unknown point.

By the time he reached the rear garden.

That fellow was chatting animatedly with his sister.

Along with his foolish younger brother and Madam Liu.

"Mingxin is here."

"Come quickly."

"Aren't you young people having some sort of poetry gathering before long?"

"When the time comes, take Chengan along to have some fun too."

A poetry gathering?

Song Chengan.

Those who attended poetry gatherings were either the young members of the Five Great Families in the city.

Or scholars from the county with considerable reputations for talent.

Song Chengan was already thirty years old.

He had not earned even an inch of scholarly merit. What would he go there for?

An Mingxin was annoyed to death.

If his father and mother had not spent half of yesterday telling him that Song Chengan's status was different now.

He could not even be bothered to take part in these matters.

Xuanqing Temple.

"Little master, please announce me. I have come to see Master Ciren."

The young monk looked at Song Chengan in surprise. "Ah, I know you."

"You're the person who came looking for Patriarch Ciren some days ago."

"That is correct. Please help announce me, little master!"

Song Chengan said with his palms pressed together.

The young monk said, "Patriarch Ciren prefers to cultivate quietly alone. You can simply go find him yourself."

"So that's how it is. Many thanks for your guidance, little master."

Song Chengan bid the young monk farewell and headed toward the back of Xuanqing Temple.

Naturally, he still remembered the way.

But this was Xuanqing Temple's rear courtyard. He could not simply arrive without notice.

But now it seemed that Monk Ciren held a rather special position within Xuanqing Temple.

When Song Chengan arrived, Monk Ciren was airing out scriptures in the courtyard.

He still wore that same tattered old monk's robe.

"Benefactor Song has come!"

Monk Ciren said happily when he saw Song Chengan.

Song Chengan pressed his palms together. "Master Ciren."

"Come help me air out some scriptures!"

Monk Ciren called out.

Song Chengan quickly stepped forward to help.

"Speaking of which, Master Ciren seems rather different from the other masters at Xuanqing Temple."

"I heard that you were once Xuanqing Temple's abbot."

Monk Ciren laughed when he heard this.

"That was a very long time ago."

Monk Ciren said.

"Later, I made a mistake and gave rise to an Inner Demon. So I no longer chanted scriptures in the front temple, instead coming behind the temple to seek peace of mind."

Song Chengan wisely did not ask what mistake it had been.

"By the way, Benefactor Song, did you come to see me today because something is the matter?"

Song Chengan said, "There is indeed something for which I seek Master Ciren's help."

"I have a nephew who was foolish and slow-witted from childhood."

"I was powerless before, but now that I have entered the path of cultivation, I wished to ask whether Master has a way to cure him completely."

"Foolish and slow-witted from childhood?"

"Was he born that way?"

Song Chengan said.

"He was. Even at four or five, he still could not speak."

"Now he can occasionally speak, but most of the time, he remains quiet and withdrawn."

"Is that so?" Monk Ciren fell into thought. "In his life, has he ever encountered any master who damaged his heart channels?"

"If a person encounters a matter of utter grief and damages their heart channels, they can become foolish as well."

"No, nothing of the sort." Song Chengan shook his head. "He is only a child in his teens. What could he possibly have encountered that would bring such utter grief?"

"If it is congenital, perhaps he was assaulted by some evil thing while in the womb, or perhaps his soul was damaged from birth."

"If it is the former, that is still manageable."

"If it is the latter, then it will be troublesome."

"Where is Benefactor Song's nephew? Would it be possible for this old monk to take a look?"

"In that case, I'll bring him here tomorrow."

Monk Ciren smiled.

"There is nothing to do today. I will go with you to take a look."

"These scriptures..." Song Chengan said, looking at the scriptures.

"No matter." Monk Ciren looked at the sky. "The weather is fine today. Just leave them here."

An Household.

"Young Master Song, you've come."

As soon as Song Chengan and Monk Ciren reached the entrance, a servant came forward with a fawning smile.

Song Chengan glanced at him.

"Aren't you that what's-his-name?"

"The one who said he would beat me to death last time."

"Young Master Song, this humble one is Yan Feng." The servant's smile did not change at all. "Wasn't it the master's order last time?"

"Besides, I was only putting on a show. You are magnanimous, so please do not hold it against a lowly servant like me."

Song Chengan smiled faintly.

"Is Third Madam here?"

"She is! She is!"

"She is in the courtyard reading with Second Young Master!"

"I'll go announce you!"

"No need, I'll go over directly!"

"This is Master Ciren from Xuanqing Temple. Go tell my brother-in-law that Master Ciren has come to examine Second Young Master."

Song Chengan said.

"Alright! Go on ahead, I'll report to the master!"

"Mingxu..."

A table and several stools had been set out in the courtyard.

When Song Chengan arrived, An Mingxu was squatting on the ground, doing something unknown.

Song Chengan had just been about to say something.

But Monk Ciren raised a hand to stop him.

Monk Ciren walked over and squatted beside An Mingxu.

"What are you doing?"

Monk Ciren asked curiously.

"It died."

An Mingxu said sadly.

Before him lay a dead bird.

"Chengan!"

Song Cui hurried over at that moment.

"This is Master Ciren of Xuanqing Temple."

Song Cui immediately understood upon hearing this.

"My husband and I took Mingxu to Xuanqing Temple before as well, but the abbot said Mingxu was born this way and there was no cure."

"Chengan."

At that moment, An Ruifeng, the First Madam, the Second Madam, and the others also arrived.

But no one entered the courtyard. They merely stood at the entrance, watching Song Chengan and An Mingxu speak.

"Master Ciren!"

"Master!"

"Benefactor Song, Steward An."

"This young master was not born foolish. Rather, one of his souls was bound when he was little."

"A bound soul?"

Monk Ciren nodded. "That is correct."

"This young master's earth soul was bound, likely when he was a little over one year old."

"May I ask whether Steward An had offended anyone at that time?"