The name Zong Di Jin Guang, which meant Ascending Golden Light, was something Yan Shouyi had heard of long ago.
It was one of the thirty-six Heavenly Constellation Transformations, and a supreme technique taught by Primordial Heavenly Venerate to the Twelve Golden Immortals.
It was no exaggeration to call it a divine technique.
Strictly speaking, Zong Di Jin Guang was a movement technique. It wasn't as legendary as Sun Wukong's Somersault Cloud, which could travel 108,000 li in a single somersault, but it was still frighteningly fast.
It was so fast that one could vanish from the spot, as if burrowing into the earth and disappearing.
Yan Shouyi couldn't be happier to be able to learn such a technique.
He quickly said gratefully, "If Grandpa is willing to teach me, I am of course willing to learn."
"Mm, good, good!"
Zhang Shantong stroked his beard and smiled, then asked Yan Shouyi to extend his left hand.
Yan Shouyi extended his left hand, palm open.
Zhang Shantong dipped his index finger in tea and began writing on Yan Shouyi's palm.
He wrote for over ten minutes.
Yan Shouyi couldn't see what Zhang Shantong was writing, but he didn't rush him.
By the time Zhang Shantong finished writing, all the information about Zong Di Jin Guang flooded directly into Yan Shouyi's mind!
It was all what Zhang Shantong had just written!
Studying this information carefully, Yan Shouyi was immensely shocked.
He couldn't help but murmur, "An immortal touches my crown, I bind my hair and receive longevity… I didn't expect Grandpa to have such a divine skill?!"
"It's not as exaggerated as you say, but it's pretty close," Zhang Shantong said proudly. "Your grandfather doesn't know this move."
Yan Shouyi couldn't help but laugh and cry. Even at this point, Zhang Shantong still wanted to compete with his grandfather.
It seemed that Zhang Shantong still held a lot of resentment because his grandmother had married his grandfather.
Zhang Shantong added, "What I've passed on to you is merely the method. How far you can cultivate depends on your own comprehension. But since you are my godson, your comprehension should not be bad."
Yan Shouyi was utterly impressed by Zhang Shantong's ability to boast, even linking it to him being a godson.
After accepting Zhang Shantong's meeting gift, Yan Shouyi felt great.
He then remembered Long Feicheng and the others.
So he quickly said, "Grandpa, my friends are still outside. Can I ask them to come in?"
Zhang Shantong shook his head. "I prefer quiet and don't want to see outsiders. If you hadn't picked up the fishing rod and called out my name, I wouldn't have seen you."
Upon learning the reason, Yan Shouyi had to give up.
He then heard Zhang Shantong say, "Now that the old house belongs to you, it's a good thing. At least you won't let outsiders disturb me anymore."
"Grandpa, I'll come see you often," Yan Shouyi paused, then added, "Next time, I'll bring the girl I like to visit you."
Zhang Shantong's eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful!"
Indeed, older generations liked to see the wives of their juniors.
Seeing that it was getting late, Yan Shouyi indicated his intention to leave, and Zhang Shantong did not stop him.
He just said, "You rascal, since you are a descendant of Lu Ban, you probably can't escape the Five Disadvantages and Three Deficiencies. As your godfather, I have to urge you a few words. If there's a way to change your fate, it's best to act sooner rather than later."
"I understand," Yan Shouyi nodded obediently.
Zhang Shantong was urging him to go find the Li family of West Lake again.
"Alright, you can go. Pick up the fishing rod you used before, and you can go back," Zhang Shantong said with a smile.
Before leaving, Yan Shouyi did not forget to say, "Grandpa, I will definitely find a way to break Tong Jingcheng's curse on you!"
"Let fate decide," Zhang Shantong wasn't particularly concerned.
Yan Shouyi said goodbye and picked up the fishing rod.
His vision blurred, and suddenly he heard Long Feicheng's curses.
"You little brat, you ambushed me just now, didn't you!"
"Don't think I'm afraid of you just because you're a vengeful spirit! I've dealt with ghosts before!"
"Ouch, another ambush! Be careful or I'll blast you to death with my palm thunder!"
The group of vengeful spirits he had seen before had all returned and were pestering Long Feicheng and the others.
Long Feicheng couldn't defeat these vengeful spirits, so he could only rage in frustration and curse.
Huang Hai and Zhou Yuquan didn't dare to provoke the vengeful spirits at all, covering their heads and running around.
Seeing Yan Shouyi return, Long Feicheng seemed to have found a savior.
"Brother Yan, lend me two palm thunder talismans quickly, I can't take it anymore!"
Yan Shouyi smiled slightly and shouted at the group of vengeful spirits, "Disperse now, or Grandpa Zhang will get angry."
Upon hearing the words "Grandpa Zhang," the vengeful spirits were instantly terrified, like naughty children who were afraid of being spanked. They immediately scattered.
Seeing the vengeful spirits disappear, Long Feicheng and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief and surrounded Yan Shouyi, asking:
"Where did you go just now?"
"I was pulled into the Yin Yang realm by an old ghost here."
Yan Shouyi explained, "But I've reached an agreement with him, and there's nothing to worry about now."
Long Feicheng asked in a low voice, "Can we still live in this house then?"
Yan Shouyi smiled and shook his head.
"Damn, so all that excitement was for nothing!" Long Feicheng grumbled.
He thought they would finally be able to own a house.
Yan Shouyi comforted him, "We can't live here now, but maybe in the future."
"How much is the future? It'll be too late by the time my son gets married!"
"It won't be too long."
Yan Shouyi, worried that they would disturb Zhang Shantong, spoke as he led them outside.
When they reached the outside and locked the door, Yan Shouyi glanced at Huang Hai and Zhou Yuquan and said,
"If you two have time, why don't we find a teahouse to sit for a while? I happen to have some things I want to ask you about."
The two were eager to have more interaction with Yan Shouyi.
So they immediately agreed and arranged for a teahouse nearby.
Naturally, they paid for it, as Yan Shouyi and Long Feicheng were broke.
The teahouse was only two stories high, and they went into a private room on the second floor, from where they could directly see the people coming and going downstairs.
As soon as they sat down, before the tea was even served, Yan Shouyi couldn't help but ask:
"Gentlemen, I actually want to know about Tong Jingcheng."
Because of the old house, Yan Shouyi had learned of Tong Jingcheng's existence, and he seemed to hold a significant position in the Lu Shan Sect.
However, he had never heard anyone mention Tong Jingcheng before, so something must have happened to him.
Especially now that Yan Shouyi had agreed to help Zhang Shantong break the curse, understanding Tong Jingcheng had become a necessity.
Huang Hai and Zhou Yuquan exchanged glances and replied:
"Tong Jingcheng is our senior martial uncle, meaning he is the senior disciple of the Sect Master and the First Elder. The Second Elder, Tong Jiuhua, is an adopted child of Martial Uncle Tong and also his direct disciple."
Yan Shouyi nodded, no wonder Tong Jiuhua also had the surname Tong. It turned out he was closely related to Tong Jingcheng.
The two continued, "Martial Uncle Tong is hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius in our Lu Shan Sect. He entered the sect at the age of three, had read a hundred classics by seven, graduated by ten, went down the mountain for trials at eleven, and took over the sect elder duties at eighteen. In the history of our Lu Shan Sect, he has achieved what no one before or after him has. He is universally recognized as a chosen one, considered the hope of the Lu Shan Sect!"
"Yet, such a genius, due to an event that occurred many years ago, could not bear the immense blow and pain and committed suicide..."