Chapter 322
Chapter 322
When I woke that morning, my ears were buzzing, filled with passages from the Yi Jing.
Only then did I remember having two dreams the night before. In one, I dreamed of Xiuzhu; in the other, the Ancestral Master.
I had assumed that after passing his test, the Ancestral Master would teach me some unrivaled secret art. Instead, he had spent the whole night lecturing me on the Yi Jing.
I could have just read that myself, though admittedly, his explanations were far more thorough.
We were visiting Song Xiaotian’s grandfather today, so we set out early and drove over to pick up Seventh Master first.
Once Seventh Master was in the car, we headed for Song Xiaotian’s home.
Song Xiaotian drove, since none of us knew which direction his family lived in.
The drive took a surprisingly long time. More than an hour passed, and we were nearly out of the city proper. We did not quite reach the surrounding county, but we did end up in the suburbs.
“Brother Tian, your family lives pretty far out,” I said.
For some reason, he suddenly grew nervous. “It is… It is a little far. My grandfather likes peace and quiet. Old people all like peace and quiet…”
Seeing him act this way, the three of us wondered whether he was embarrassed because his family lived in an old residential complex with poor surroundings.
His father owned a teahouse, but it was not a large one. Running a small business these days did not exactly make a person rich.
But he was overthinking things. The four of us had been through life-and-death situations together, and none of us looked down on the poor or fawned over the rich. How could we possibly think less of him?
After another ten minutes or so, the car finally stopped.
But the moment we got out, Meng Yifan, Seventh Master, and I were dumbfounded.
The car had stopped in front of a traditional courtyard residence.
“Brother Tian, you… You stopped here… Is your grandfather visiting someone?” I suddenly began to stammer.
He looked at us. “This is my home…”
The three of us stood there in a daze, wondering if we were dreaming.
A courtyard residence!
Song Xiaotian’s family lived in a courtyard residence!
I had not even known Lanjiang City had one! This was probably the only residence of its kind in the entire city!
“Oh, so you… You’re some rich young master!”
“This whole place belongs to your family?”
Song Xiaotian stood ramrod straight, his expression perfectly modest. “What courtyard residence? What kind of family could afford a real one? It’s just an imitation of an old-fashioned building. My grandfather likes traditional culture, so he had it built this way.”
Even Seventh Master was astonished now. Looking over the enormous property, he could not help saying, “A detached residence on a lot this large? Used as a private home? There is no way the authorities would normally approve this land.”
Song Xiaotian said, “That’s where my grandfather’s capabilities come in. I know very little about what he did when he was young, but I’ve heard a few things from my grandmother. He must have lived quite a legendary life back then.”
“The other reason he wanted such a large property was to reserve a place for an old brother of his who went missing. He hopes that if the man ever returns, he’ll have somewhere to live.”
Our curiosity was immediately piqued.
“He went missing?”
“Your grandfather’s old brother must be quite elderly too. If he disappeared at that age, can he really come back…?”
Song Xiaotian shook his head. “I don’t know. My grandfather faced a deadly tribulation when he was sixty-eight and almost didn’t survive. That old brother came back and saved his life, then disappeared again. I’ve never met him, and Grandfather has never told us anything about him.”
Seventh Master nodded. “It seems your grandfather really is an extraordinary man.”
Since we had already reached the entrance, we naturally had to go inside.
Song Xiaotian rang the bell, and someone soon came out to open the door.
But it was not a housekeeper who opened the door. It was Song Xiaotian’s parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Song welcomed us with tremendous warmth. Despite living in a courtyard residence like this, their manner toward others was as comforting as a spring breeze.
Once we entered, we were even more stunned.
The decor and design inside Song Xiaotian’s home must have cost at least ten million in total.
The architecture did indeed imitate a traditional courtyard residence, but it was clearly a blend of classical and modern styles. Even so, it retained the distinctive beauty of Eastern aesthetics.
There was only one word for it: breathtaking!
I had always assumed Song Xiaotian’s family was merely a little better off than ours and that he was an ordinary person just like us.
As it turned out, he was a bona fide rich young master!
No wonder even a wealthy woman like Pan Xiaorou could not tempt him.
His family might still not be as rich as Pan Xiaorou, but their wealth and holdings were substantial!
After walking for what felt like ages, we finally reached the sitting room and met Song Xiaotian’s grandfather in person.
We had already seen the old man on a video call, but in person, he was even more imposing.
I had never seen anyone with such an intimidating presence. Even his face looked capable of warding off evil, more so than the Thunder Ancestor himself.
I felt that if this old man went outside on the night of the Ghost Festival, none of the hundred Ghosts would dare roam the streets.
Yet despite his imposing appearance, he was extremely amiable and showed no airs at all. In fact, no one in Song Xiaotian’s family did.
The atmosphere was pleasant, and we exchanged pleasantries for quite some time.
Afterward, Elder Song led Seventh Master and me into the courtyard for tea.
Song Xiaotian took Meng Yifan on a tour of the enormous residence.
Once we sat down in the courtyard, Seventh Master hurriedly offered a cupped-fist salute. “Old brother, many thanks for your help this time.”
Elder Song smiled as he brewed the tea. “No need to be so polite. I hardly helped at all. I merely said a few words.”
“Actually, when you first walked in and I caught sight of you, the scene felt familiar for a moment.”
Elder Song looked at Seventh Master and me, overcome with emotion. “It was as if I saw the people we used to be. As if I saw my father.”
By “we,” he probably meant his younger self and his old brothers.
Seventh Master nodded. “I can tell that you must have been an extraordinary man in your youth and lived through many legendary experiences.”
Elder Song waved a hand and smiled bitterly. “A true hero does not boast of past glories. Now I am merely an old man nearing the end of his days. But everyone has a road of their own to walk. Life is simply a succession of experiences, until at last you stop and spend time with your family.”
Those words alone made it clear that Elder Song must have experienced a great deal in his youth.
After we chatted for a while longer, Elder Song suddenly said, “Xiaotian is my grandson, so I know him very well. He must cause you quite a lot of trouble. I hope you won’t hold it against him.”
Seventh Master hurriedly replied, “No one is perfect. But when it comes to character and ability, Xiaotian is already among the very best. That also reflects the guidance he received from his elders.”
I quickly added, “Actually, Meng Yifan and I cause Brother Tian far more trouble. He has saved us many times since we met. He’s loyal and has a clear sense of right and wrong. Apart from his love of showing off, there’s nothing wrong with him.”
Elder Song laughed. But a moment later, he sighed, his face full of concern.
“Haven’t you noticed that he can be extremely violent at times?”
“His vicious streak is unnaturally strong.”