Severing Ties

Next to the corpse, Song Qinglin saw a small handmade object: a roughly made wooden Peace Knot with a red cord, its edges worn smooth and shiny.

This Peace Knot was made by him when he was eight years old from a piece of scrap wood. He carved a crooked circle and even drilled the hole crookedly. This was the first thing he had ever done successfully.

He was very happy, so he found his father, handed him the Peace Knot, and said, "I made this myself!"

Song Qinglin raised his head, held the Peace Knot high in front of his father, his eyes shining as if they could reflect the sunlight of the entire courtyard. His hands were still covered with wood chips and splinters, but he didn't care, as if it was all worthwhile to hand the Peace Knot to his father.

His father knelt down, took the Peace Knot, patted his son's head, and said, "My Qing is really capable; you did a great job."

Song Qinglin remembered that his father Peace Knot around his waist that day, and kept it there for a long time, so long that he thought his father would wear it forever... He was eight years old that year, and he didn't know that some things, once worn, would never be taken off, nor did he know that some people were already waiting to receive what you handed over before you even spoke.

The dark red light in the cave had completely faded. Song Qinglin squatted beside the corpse, clutching the Peace Knot whose edges had been worn smooth for a long time, as if he could still feel the warmth of his father when he fastened it.

He didn't cry. The sharp edges of the Peace Knot pricked his palm. The tighter he gripped it, the less he could hold on. The less he could hold on, the harder he tried. Finally, he understood that there was no going back.

Song Qinglin put the Peace Knot into his pocket, stood up, and walked outside.

He didn't look at Ye An when he passed by, and he didn't say a word when he passed Lin Wanyue.

He said nothing. The wind rushed in from outside the cave, blowing past the dried corpses and the remaining dark red patterns. Song Qinglin's voice came from the front. "He's all I have left."

After finding his father, Song Qinglin left immediately.

Ye An and Lin Wanyue ignored it and instead found the "lost" batch of goods belonging to the Song Family nearby.

Several wooden crates were piled in the corner. When opened, they contained only ordinary cloth and crude porcelain, nothing of value, which was completely inconsistent with the Song Family's claim that they were worth a thousand gold pieces.

The matter is already clear; there's no need to discuss it further.

The two returned to the Lin Lineage, brought the investigation results to the council hall, explained the value of the goods, and finally said that sending the goods back to the Song Family would be enough.

After hearing this, the Lin Lineage members stopped arguing. The eldest of the Lin Song family members nodded first, and the other elders did not mention the matter of "compensation" again.

That's the end of the matter.

Ye An and his companion came out of the Lin Lineage and stood on the street.

Ye An spoke up, saying, "I've done you such a big favor, aren't you going to repay me?"

Lin Wanyue paused, her gaze lingering on Ye An's face for a moment, her voice unconsciously lowering slightly. "What do you want...? As long as it's not too outrageous..."

Ye An didn't think much of it, "Keep an eye out for treasures and medicines that can improve my Root Bone talent."

Lin Wanyue's expression changed several times in an instant, from expectation to disappointment; she had misjudged the situation.

Finally, the expression turned into "I really want to hit you, but I'm afraid I can't beat you."

She sighed and said, "Okay, I'll keep an eye out for you."

A few days later, a message spread from the Four Symbols Sect to Cangwu Prefectural City, and then throughout the inns and restaurants of Cangwu Prefecture.

The first thing that spread was simple. "Song Qinglin, the Chief Disciple the Azure Dragon Hall of the Four Symbols Sect Azure Dragon Hall, publicly announced that he is severing ties with the Song Family. From now on, their bloodlines will no longer coexist, and they will have no further connection with the Song Family."

When the news first broke, not many people believed it. But once more people started talking about it, they had no choice but to believe it.

The noise in the teahouse hadn't stopped since the afternoon. Someone slammed their chopsticks on the table. "Ungrateful wretch! The Song Family raised him and supported him to enter the Four Symbols Sect. Now that he's achieved something, he turns his back on them? Does someone like that deserve to be the Chief Disciple?"

Someone nearby chimed in, "What do you know? Don't you know how the Song Family has treated its collateral branches all these years? Song Qinglin's father just got into trouble, and Song Yuanshan hasn't even given him an explanation. Wouldn't you feel heartbroken if you were in his shoes?" The voice wasn't loud or soft, but everyone at the table heard it.

Some people were drinking with their heads down, some were putting food in their mouths, and no one spoke.

At another table, someone lowered their voice. "I heard that Song Qinglin's father didn't just disappear, he died, and it's definitely related to the Song Family."

The person speaking was speaking very softly, afraid of being overheard, but unable to resist saying it.

The person next to him didn't respond immediately and fell silent.

Someone coughed, as if they felt it was no longer safe to continue the conversation.

However, people have a strong curiosity about gossip, even when nothing happens.

Someone else mustered their courage and lowered their voice to continue, "The Song Family isn't any better. Haven't they suppressed collateral branches and seized businesses countless times over the years? Song Qinglin's father got into trouble as soon as he gained some power. Think about it carefully..."

The news spread more and more outrageously, and by the time it reached the streets, it had changed several times. Some said that Song Qinglin had been expelled from the Song Family, while others said that there had been a falling out within the Song Family. But those who actually knew the truth stopped saying anything.

At a noodle stall on the street, two porters sat on a bench eating noodles. One of them, who had been listening to the commotion for a while, put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and said, "Anyway, it has nothing to do with us. Whether a big shot in the Qi Condensation Realm breaks off a marriage or not has nothing to do with us, who work hard for two coins a day."

The other man, without looking up, slurped his noodles and mumbled a reply, "Yeah, why worry about that? Let's eat first."

A few days after Ye An returned to the Four Symbols Sect, he received a letter from Lin Wanyue.

The Song Family may have connections with the Heaven Overturning Cult, and the Demon Suppressing Guard is already secretly investigating. Furthermore, the Heaven Overturning Cult might be planning something big in Cangwu Prefecture, so we need to be careful.

Then, one last thing was mentioned: Commandant Jiang was preparing to break through to the Gathering Essence. If he succeeded, Cangwu Prefecture would have another Gathering Essence expert.

Ye An Jiang Shuying had been at the Peak Qi Condensation for a long time, and her choice to go into seclusion at this time indicated that the Heaven Overturning Cult's next move would be significant, requiring someone with the cultivation of the Gathered Origin Realm to oversee it.

After absorbing the information, Ye An continued to practice the "Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Art".

He knew these things wouldn't wait for him to be ready; he needed to prepare himself to handle them before they happened.

And who was the person who sent that letter that guided him?

Ye An felt that if he wanted to accelerate his cultivation progress, he could only wait for news from Lin Wanyue and for his Golden Finger to load...