An Family's Family Banquet

Song Chengan remembered a Mid-Autumn Festival from the past.

Song Cui, worried that Song Chengan would be lonely, invited him to the An Family's home to celebrate.

A long time had passed, but Song Chengan still remembered that Mid-Autumn Festival. Steward An and the others didn't seem very happy.

It was normal for a family to be unhappy when an outsider visited during a festival like Mid-Autumn.

But what Song Chengan didn't understand was why he had been invited this time.

After all, the An Family never invited Song Chengan to any of their affairs afterward.

Perhaps they felt that associating with Song Chengan would lower their status.

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

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed strange and illogical.

When did An Ruifeng become so fond of An Mingxin, his foolish son?

Song Chengan was puzzled.

However, even thinking that way, An Ruifeng was still his brother-in-law.

For his sister's sake, he had to visit the An Family.

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

"Yes, Young Master Song. I'll report back to the master right away."

"Song Chengan!"

"Song Chengan!"

"Have you become an immortal?"

As Song Chengan opened the door, Brother Dan rushed over.

He had seen Song Chengan a long time ago, but because Song Chengan was talking to Steward Wu, he hadn't approached.

"What immortal?"

Song Chengan said as he opened the door.

"They say you caught a monster on the street and that you're a big shot in the yamen now."

Brother Dan said.

"Is it true?"

"You guess."

"I think it's fake."

"My mother said you're very stupid. How could you become an immortal in the heavens?"

Song Chengan rolled his eyes.

This little brat really had no manners.

"Song Chengan, my sister is getting married."

"Oh."

"Someone came to our house today and wants my sister to marry him."

"Oh."

"Is your sister back?"

Song Chengan asked.

Brother Dan's sister was named Zhou Xiu.

He hadn't seen her in a while. He had only recently learned that she had gone to work as a maid in a family in the city.

He heard it was a wealthy family.

When Brother Dan's mother mentioned it, she had a happy expression.

After all, in this era when most people couldn't get enough to eat, being a maid meant being able to eat your fill every day.

"She's back."

"Song Chengan, do you like my sister?"

"Go away, go away. Little brat, stop asking."

Song Chengan waved his hand, telling the little brat to scram.

"An Family."

"Ah, Chengan is here. Your brother-in-law is in the living room."

"You guys chat for a while."

Madam Liu, the First Madam, saw Song Chengan and her face immediately broke into a warm smile. She had a maid lead Song Chengan to the living room.

"Here, have some tea."

When Song Chengan came in.

An Ruifeng was practicing calligraphy.

This was one of An Ruifeng's few hobbies.

Beside him, An Mingxin sat upright.

"At first, I thought you were just a clerk at the academy. You didn't tell me you became a Demon Suppression Envoy."

"I heard that those who became Demon Suppression Envoys all became high officials later on."

"Although you and Mingxin are not related by blood, you are closer than family. You two should interact more in the future."

"Brother-in-law is right."

Song Chengan replied.

He naturally knew why An Ruifeng had changed, and he knew he had become a Demon Suppression Envoy.

Song Chengan disliked these social niceties and didn't think he needed to maintain them.

However, the other party was technically his brother-in-law. Whether for his sister or his nephew An Mingxu, he couldn't completely disregard the man.

"It's boring to stay here with this old man. You should go play with them."

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

After a brief chat, An Ruifeng said.

Song Chengan and An Mingxin left the living room.

"I didn't expect you to become a Qi Refiner too..."

An Mingxin wanted to say a few words to get closer to Song Chengan.

Before, the other party was just a good-for-nothing gambler, so he naturally didn't care.

Even after becoming a clerk in the Demon Suppression Division, An Mingxin still didn't pay him any mind.

After all, he was just a clerk.

Perhaps he had some status in the eyes of ordinary people, but in An Mingxin's eyes, it amounted to nothing.

Having embarked on the path of cultivation and become a Demon Suppression Envoy, his status was no longer ordinary.

It was almost foreseeable that as long as he didn't encounter any accidents and grew, the An family would surely reach new heights.

If he could achieve something in the Demon Suppression Division, the An family could even become the sixth great family by riding this wave.

Therefore, it was only natural that as a fellow Demon Suppression Envoy, and someone valued by Wu Cong, An Mingxin felt Song Chengan was qualified to be courted by him.

But what made An Mingxin's nose almost twist with anger was.

After he finished speaking and turned around.

This guy had disappeared at some point.

When he arrived at the back garden.

This guy was chatting animatedly with his sister.

There was also his idiot brother and the First Madam.

"Mingxin is here."

"Come here quickly."

"Aren't you young people having that poetry gathering soon?"

"Bring Chengan with you then."

A poetry gathering?

Song Chengan.

Those at the poetry gathering were either the young people from the city's five great families.

Or they were the scholars with considerable talent in this county.

Song Chengan was already thirty years old.

Without a single academic achievement, what business did he have there?

An Mingxin was extremely annoyed.

If his parents hadn't spent half the day yesterday telling him that Song Chengan's status was different now.

He wouldn't even bother with these matters.

Xuanqing Temple.

"Little monk, please inform him that I'm looking for Master Ciren."

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

"You're the one who came looking for Grandmaster Ciren a few days ago."

"That's right, please help me inform him!"

Song Chengan said with his hands clasped together.

The young monk said, "Grand-master Ciren likes to cultivate in solitude. You can go find him directly."

"I see. Thank you, young monk, for the guidance."

Song Chengan bowed and bid farewell to the young monk, heading towards the back of Xuanqing Temple.

He naturally remembered the way.

But this was the back courtyard of Xuanqing Temple, and he couldn't just show up unannounced.

However, it seemed that Monk Ciren was quite special at Xuanqing Temple.

When Song Chengan arrived, Monk Ciren was in the courtyard, sun-drying scriptures.

He was still wearing the same old monk's robe.

"Sponsor Song has arrived!"

Monk Ciren said happily upon seeing Song Chengan.

Song Chengan clasped his hands together. "Master Ciren."

"Come help me sun-dry some scriptures!"

Monk Ciren beckoned.

Song Chengan quickly stepped forward to help.

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

"I heard that you used to be the abbot of Xuanqing Temple."

Monk Ciren chuckled at this.

"That was a long time ago,"

Monk Ciren said.

"I just made a mistake, developed a heart demon, and stopped chanting scriptures in the front temple. I came to the back of the temple to find peace of mind."

Song Chengan wisely did not ask what mistake it was.

"By the way, Sponsor Song, is there something you need from me today?"

Song Chengan said, "There is something I need to ask Master Ciren about."

"I have a nephew who was foolish since he was young."

"I was helpless before, but now that I have entered the path of cultivation, I want to ask the master if there is a way to cure him completely."

"Foolish since he was young?"

"Was it congenital?"

Song Chengan asked.

"It's congenital. He still couldn't speak at four or five years old."

"He can speak occasionally now, but most of the time he is still taciturn."

"Is that so?" Monk Ciren fell into thought. "Has he ever encountered any great trauma that damaged his heart meridian in his life?"

"If a person experiences extreme sorrow and damages their heart meridian, they will also become foolish."

"That's not the case," Song Chengan shook his head. "He's a child in his teens, what extreme sorrow could he have encountered?"

"Since it's congenital, perhaps his mother's womb was invaded by evil spirits, or his soul was damaged from birth."

"If it's the former, it's fine."

"The latter is troublesome."

"I wonder where Sponsor Song's nephew is. May this old monk take a look."

"In that case, I will bring him tomorrow."

Monk Ciren smiled.

"There's nothing else today, I'll go with you to take a look."

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

"It's fine," Monk Ciren said, looking at the sky. "The weather is perfect today, they can stay here."

An Family.

"Young Master Song, you're here."

As Song Chengan and Monk Ciren reached the entrance, a servant rushed up with a fawning smile.

Song Chengan glanced at him.

"Aren't you that guy?"

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

"Young Master Song, I am Yan Feng." The family servant's smile remained unchanged. "Didn't the master order it last time?"

"Besides, I was just putting on a show. Please don't hold a grudge against this humble servant."

Song Chengan smiled faintly.

"Is Third Madam here?"

"Yes! Yes!"

"She's in the courtyard with the second young master, studying!"

"I'll go announce your arrival!"

"No need, I'll go straight in!"

"This is Master Ciren from Xuanqing Temple. Please inform my brother-in-law that Master Ciren is here to see the second young master."

Song Chengan said.

"Alright, you go ahead. I'll go report to the master!"

"Mingxin…"

A table and stools were placed in the courtyard.

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

Song Chengan was about to say something.

But Monk Ciren raised his hand to stop him.

Monk Ciren walked over and squatted on the ground with An Mingxin.

"What are you doing?"

Monk Ciren asked curiously.

"It's dead."

An Mingxin said sadly.

In front of him lay a dead bird.

"Chengan!"

Song Cui rushed over at this moment.

"This is Master Ciren from Xuanqing Temple."

Upon hearing this, Song Cui immediately understood.

"My husband and I took Mingxin to Xuanqing Temple before, but the abbot said Mingxin was born this way and there was nothing that could be done."

"Chengan."

At this moment, An Ruifeng, Madam Liu, and the Second Madam also arrived.

However, they did not enter the courtyard, merely watching Song Chengan and An Mingxin from the entrance.

"Master Ciren!"

"Master!"

"Benefactor Song, Steward An."

"This young master is not naturally foolish, but had a soul fragment bound when he was young."

"Bound soul?"

Monk Ciren nodded. "That's right."

"This young master's Earth Soul was bound when he was about one year old."

"Did Steward An offend anyone back then?"