“Ahem! Ahem!”
The Second Elder suddenly coughed violently several times, stroking his beard as he said, “Well now—young Yue.”
“You’re a scholar yourself, you ought to understand this principle. The ways of Daoism are profound, and some things passed down by our ancestors… we must still believe in them.”
The three Lu brothers watched this performance, finding it utterly ridiculous.
Lu Yue laughed in exasperation: “You elders have lived so many years, yet you still believe in this nonsense? What damn Daoist magic—it’s nothing but trickery!”
“Your words miss the mark. The mysteries of Daoist arts are profound beyond comprehension. It’s precisely because we old bones have lived so long that we dare not disbelieve!”
“You—you—” The three Lu brothers were furious but powerless in this matter.
Once the elders made a decision on such affairs, the younger generation had no say.
Speaking up was as useless as passing wind!
Lu Yue irritably ran his hands through his hair. Fine—the older generation was superstitious, and he couldn’t change their minds. Let the old Daoist have his look.
It might not be as serious as their mother had claimed anyway.
Why offend these old fools before anything was decided?
With this thought, Lu Yue exchanged a calming glance with Lu Xiao and Lu Chuan. The three tacitly ceased their objections.
During the Lu family’s debate, the old Daoist remained silent, like an immortal detached from worldly affairs in deep meditation. Only when the Grand Elder invited him did he nod slightly toward the group, enter the Ling Tang, and begin his work.
Tortoise shells, copper coins, ritual mirrors—
The old Daoist murmured incantations under his breath.
The crowd waited in the courtyard, craning their necks to peer through the open doors.
Though they understood nothing of what they saw, the Daoist’s imposing demeanor was quite intimidating.
Moreover, with Song Jinyao explaining that this was the renowned Xuanhe from Mount Mei, the elders’ attitudes grew even more reverent.
Who was Xuanhe?
A figure even the imperial family treated as an honored guest.
Because of this, when Xuanhe emerged from the Ling Tang, the elders clustered around him as if attending to their own ancestor.
Even without specific requests, someone of Xuanhe’s stature was worth currying favor with!
They served tea, poured water—the Second Elder nearly extended his withered arm to massage the Daoist’s shoulders, but withdrew awkwardly under Xuanhe’s placid, unmoving gaze.
“Daoist Master? What have you discerned?”
“Yin energy has penetrated the hall. The lantern extinguished, yang energy wanes. The Lu clan… I fear may decline within three generations.”
Xuanhe’s words “decline within three generations” made the elders stagger, their faces turning as pale as paper.
Just as Song had predicted!
“Daoist Master.” Song Jinyao spoke at the opportune moment: “In my youth, I heard that the Changming Lantern extinguishing in the Ling Tang signifies ancestral unrest and compromised spiritual residence, leading to family decline. That’s why I invited you here—to avert this calamity. Do you have a method, Daoist Master?”
The clan elders burned with anxiety, looking at Xuanhe imploringly: “Yes, Daoist Master? Is there a way to resolve this?”
“There is indeed a method, but it would require this family to exhaust their wealth for the burial. I wonder if you would be willing?”
This confirmed Song Jinyao’s earlier assertion—to avert the disaster, an extravagant, lavish burial was necessary.
Otherwise, it would affect the fortunes of three generations of Lu descendants.
The elders immediately patted their chests in belated fear: “Willing! Willing! We must be willing!”
“Third Son, you and your brothers must not cling too stubbornly to wealth. Money lost can be earned back as long as we’re alive, but if the Lu family’s fortune is severed because of this, it would be a catastrophic disaster. You must understand what’s truly important and consider the bigger picture.”
Lu Yue: “……”
The second and fourth sons also wore dark expressions.
They didn’t believe the Taoist’s words.
But they couldn’t oppose the elder generation in the clan who did believe. Against such overwhelming opposition, if they didn’t want to become the family’s sinners, they had no choice but to…
Grudgingly accept in silence.
Lu Yue gritted his teeth, his clenched fists showing bulging veins on the back of his hands. Accept it?
No, he wouldn’t accept it!
There must be another way – he needed to think, to think harder!
Among the four sons, only the eldest, Lu Yuan, showed no dissatisfaction.
He had never expected Song Jinyao to share any property with him anyway. Since it was never meant to be his, he naturally didn’t care how it was disposed of.
The moment he learned of his father’s death yesterday, he had already decided that after the mourning period ended, he would leave the estate and live separately.
Just then, the third son’s wife, Qiao Shi, suddenly began crying while supporting her pregnant belly.
“Mother? Must we really bury all the family wealth as burial goods? Then what will your grandson eat and use after he’s born?” Though pregnant women couldn’t enter the Ling Tang, she could still enter the courtyard. The moment she stepped into the courtyard and heard that all family assets would become burial goods, Qiao Shi was the first to object.
As the only daughter of a respected scholar, she had married into the Lu family to enjoy a comfortable life, not to start from scratch with the entire family.
“Mother, please have mercy on us. Father is already dead – no amount of burial goods can bring him back to life. If he knew his own grandson would suffer because of him, he would surely be heartbroken.”
“Will you let your daughter-in-law kneel before you? Let’s not listen to that old Taoist. I beg you.”
Qiao Shi cried increasingly louder, kneeling while holding her belly and clutching Song Jinyao’s legs, giving Song Jinyao a headache.
She had originally thought that Qiao Shi, being a scholar’s daughter and educated, would be reasonable. But after the marriage, she discovered that indeed, like attracts like.
This Qiao Shi was exactly like the third son in character.
Both were smooth talkers, but their hearts were like lotus seedpods – full of holes and schemes.
“Why are you crying? Ultimately, isn’t this situation caused by your husband and his brothers’ irresponsible actions? Who else can we blame?”
“Besides, I never said you would starve in the future. You and Third Son share such deep affection – can’t you face this small hurdle together?”
Hearing Song Jinyao’s firm tone that seemed to leave no room for negotiation, Qiao Shi felt as if the sky was falling. She could see her comfortable life vanishing like a bursting bubble – pop! Gone!
Deep affection?
That depended on what it was compared to! Compared to silver, she had no deep affection for anyone!
“If you still harbor resentment, since several clan elders are present, let them punish these three wretched sons according to clan rules!” Song Jinyao had the maid attending Qiao Shi help her up, then continued.
Punishment by clan rules?
Hearing this, Qiao Shi’s crying instantly stopped.
Since extinguishing the Changming Lantern was unprecedented, she didn’t know if this was a sky-shattering offense. But with all clan elders involved, she guessed the transgression must be serious.
If they were truly punished by clan rules, who knew how severe the penalty might be.
Most importantly, even if the three were punished, would that mean the burial goods wouldn’t be used?
If it were truly possible, she would rather her husband suffer a severe beating than part with that money.
When the family divided the assets, she would get one-third of it—she simply couldn’t bear to let it go.
Qiao Shi wiped her eyes and asked in a hushed voice, with a glimmer of hope, “If my husband and the others are punished, does that mean we won’t have to give Father an elaborate burial?”
Her eyes held a hint of eagerness.
“Of course not.” Song Jinyao nearly laughed aloud.
In her past life, Qiao Shi and the third son had conspired against her, this mother, and even driven her out together. She had thought the two shared a deep bond, yet here they were, each scheming for their own gain when trouble struck.
Her fine son, truly blind and foolish!
An idiot!
Your well-being is far less important to Qiao Shi than that money.
Song Jinyao cast a faintly mocking glance over the two of them. “Qiao Shi, are you really willing to let the third son be punished for mere worldly possessions? Is this what you’ve been crying about all this time?”
Qiao Shi: “—”
The question struck at her very heart.
Given Qiao Shi’s earlier words, no matter how she answered now, it would seem insincere.
“I—I naturally can’t bear it,” Qiao Shi stammered, her face flushing crimson as she tried to explain. But her words only invited skepticism from anyone who heard.
Lu Yue’s face turned pale, then ashen. He had been about to reach out and comfort Qiao Shi, seeing her distress, but his hand froze mid-air.
He found it hard to believe. He and Qiao Shi had always been so affectionate—how could she not care about his well-being? How could she prefer him to suffer punishment just to hold onto the money?
Lu Yue felt deeply hurt.
When Qiao Shi heard Song Jinyao say it wasn’t possible, her eyes had filled with disappointment.
Then, after Song Jinyao’s cutting remark, she felt stifled and speechless.
But the next moment, she looked up and noticed the strange expression on her husband’s face, finally realizing what a foolish mistake she had made.
Lu Yue was the most promising scholar among her father’s disciples, likely to attain Gongming. Moreover, she was pregnant—she absolutely could not let her husband grow distant from her now.
Thinking this, Qiao Shi let out a few soft sobs, grabbed the hem of Lu Yue’s robe, and explained, “Husband, I—I didn’t mean it that way. Our child will be born in a few months, and there will be so many expenses then. I was just worried that without money, both you and our child would suffer.”
“I don’t mind for myself, but the thought of you having to study and support the two of us breaks my heart.”
Lu Yue’s gaze fell on Qiao Shi’s swollen belly.
His expression visibly softened.
Of course!
Qiao Shi still loved him—she was just worried about their child. He could understand that and should be considerate.
At that moment, Qiao Shi began wiping her tears again.
She still couldn’t help mourning the loss of the silver.
However, Lu Yue hadn’t told Qiao Shi that the body in the Coffin Guo wasn’t his father, Lu Xiuyuan.
As for the money, he was determined to find a way to get it.
But with so many people in the courtyard, it wasn’t the right time to explain everything to Qiao Shi.
He could only comfort her with gentle words, repeatedly promising that no matter how hard things got, he would never let Qiao Shi and their child suffer.
Only then did Qiao Shi, still wiping her tears, allow herself to be coaxed back to their courtyard.
The clan elders shook their heads and left as well.
The morning’s chaos thus came to an end. As she turned to leave, Song Jinyao caught sight of the second son’s wife, Shen Shi, standing alone by the inner gate, her face ashen and her eyes vacant.
Song Jinyao paused for a moment but said nothing.
Turning around, she instructed the eldest to keep watch at Ling Tang while she personally escorted Xuanhe out.
Upon reaching a secluded corner, Song Jinyao bowed deeply to Xuanhe. “Master, I owe you a favor for this matter.”
Xuanhe, revered and esteemed, had accompanied her in this performance, and Song Jinyao was immensely grateful.
Holding his horsetail whisk, Xuanhe gazed at Song Jinyao. His eyes resembled a deep pool reflecting the moon—clear, profound, as if all distracting thoughts were laid bare before him.
“Lady Song, many years ago, this old Daoist owed your grandfather a life. This matter is nothing significant; do not burden yourself with excessive gravity.”
With these words, Xuanhe placed an object into Song Jinyao’s hand, flicked his whisk, and departed.
The moment his figure vanished into the streets and alleys, these words drifted on the wind:
“All past lives dissolve into illusory shadows. Now reborn, it is a blessing bestowed by the Great Dao. Cast aside the fetters of former days and tread once more the path of cultivation. Jing City is where yin and yang converge, where dragon and tiger coil—amidst the churning winds and clouds, your opportunity lies hidden beneath its bustling splendor. The grievances of the Song Family may yet be redressed.”