In the dead of night, Murong Renjing sat alone in the west tower.
On the small round table before him sat a pot of wine. He gazed at the full moon in the sky and let out a sigh.
"Does the family head miss Beiye?"
The butler appeared behind him at the opportune moment and asked softly.
He then sat on another stool and poured himself a cup of wine.
"Yes, I don't know how he's been all these years. I wonder if we were truly in the wrong back then, just like with Yuhan's matter this time."
Murong Renjing had made very few significant mistakes in his life. The only two mistakes he had made were both concerning his eldest son's family.
He had three sons in his lifetime.
Murong Beiye!
Murong Hongjun!
Murong Tianfang!
This time, Murong Tianfang did not return, staying in the capital to guard the family. Only Murong Hongjun had returned.
The butler tilted his head back and drained his cup of wine, then spoke, "What happened back then is in the past. Even if Young Master Beiye were here, he couldn't change what happened then. Besides, it wasn't our fault. Didn't we cripple the Kong family afterward, forcing them into seclusion? To this day, they still keep their doors shut."
He had also taken action back then and was one of the few people who knew what had happened.
Murong Renjing smiled, "When people grow old, they tend to reminisce about the past and yearn for family reunions. Yet, our family has a banquet every year, and I hope he can return.
Sometimes I wonder if I will see him again in my lifetime. Only when he returns can it be said that he still recognizes me as his father. At least... I don't know if he still hates me. At least, I can see him before I die."
The butler looked at him, then after a moment of silence, said, "Why don't I go find the Princess?"
The implication was for the Princess to contact Murong Beiye and ask if he could return for the New Year.
The butler had watched the three brothers grow up and witnessed the changes in the Murong family. He understood the old family head's feelings very well. Moreover, as he grew old, with one foot already in the grave, he longed to see Murong Beiye.
Counting the time, it had been ten to twenty years since he had last seen him.
Back then, he blamed himself. If he hadn't interfered in their affairs, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
"Forget it, forget it. When he can forgive me, he will return. Regardless, he is a member of my Murong family, my son, Murong Renjing. At least, before I die, I will surely see him, right?"
Murong Renjing mumbled to himself. The butler quietly left, but as he did, a black and white photograph appeared on the table.
Yan Fengqing!
"Old woman... I'm sorry to you. When you left, I promised to take good care of our three children. You left because of that matter. I, Murong Renjing, can truthfully say I've lived with a clear conscience towards heaven and earth, but I've wronged you and Beiye."
"Old woman, if you were still here, you would surely scold me again. But how I wish you would scold me."
...
In front of the old Kong family mansion.
An Audi A8 with a license plate from Nan Province stopped there. The car door opened slowly.
Murong Ye stood before the gate, before the somewhat dark red steps, lost in thought for a long time. He lowered his head and lit a cigarette.
The faint light flickered on and off in the darkness, and the sound of burning tobacco could be clearly heard.
"Who's there!"
The Kong family members suddenly spotted Murong Ye and charged at him without a word!
However, Murong Ye's figure bizarrely disappeared. When he reappeared, he grabbed the neck of the approaching person and slammed him forcefully onto the ground, kneeling.
"Pfft—"
The man spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes widened, and his pupils gradually blurred.
*Crack, crack—*
After standing up, Murong Ye clenched his fists tightly, emitting a crisp sound.
His gaze transitioned from calm to somewhat ferocious, and then from ferocious to a composed expression filled with killing intent.
"We've just returned, let's bear with it for now. There's plenty of time anyway."
The butler beside him suddenly appeared and said softly.
Murong Ye nodded slightly and waved his hand. A gust of wind blew, as if nothing had happened. But after they left, on the steps, dust was swept away by the breeze, revealing four large characters!
I am back!
...
Under the night sky, Jinling was ablaze with lights, a spectacle incomparable to the night of Nan Province.
After all, it was a first-tier city and the heart of Jiangnan.
And under the night sky, the most interesting place was probably the Confucius Temple. The night at the Confucius Temple was filled with the demeanor of scholars and artists. A single boat, handsome men and beautiful women dressed in long robes and Hanfu, walked along this historically rich street, as if they had traveled back to the prosperous Tang Dynasty overnight.
However, there were too many people, to the point that Murong Hanqi kept stopping to eat snacks as they walked. Ye Longlin helplessly stood alone on the side waiting for him. After waiting for a long time, he suddenly turned around and found that Murong Hanqi had disappeared!
He searched for half an hour without finding anyone. Along the way, he called Murong Hanqi many times, but there was no answer, which made Ye Longlin realize that this matter was not simple.
After speaking with Yuan Gang, Ye Longlin unleashed his aura, but still couldn't find Murong Hanqi. However, a strong presence guarding the area seemed to feel offended and an aura of a high-grade Dragon Elephant manifested, pressing down on Ye Longlin!
Ye Longlin had no time to deal with him now. His Dao Realm aura erupted, revealing an aura of supreme majesty. The hidden individual quickly approached.
"My apologies for the offense, sir. I am someone guarding this place for the Song family. Please forgive me."
Ye Longlin glanced at him and directly commanded, "Clear everyone from the Confucius Temple. Anyone acting suspiciously, apprehend them immediately. Also, I need to find someone here, Murong Yuhan!"
"Understood."
The man didn't hesitate. He turned and immediately arranged it!
The other party was a Dao Realm powerhouse, and he dared not provoke such an existence. Provoking such an existence would be suicidal!
Murong Hanqi's sudden disappearance made him realize the seriousness of the matter. But... he hadn't offended anyone recently. Who would have captured Murong Hanqi?
This baffled him to no end.
"Ye family!"
Ye Longlin frowned and dialed Yan Wuji's number.
"Murong Hanqi has disappeared, right in front of me!"
Yan Wuji's voice was very noisy, but upon hearing Ye Longlin's voice, Yan Wuji exclaimed, "How is that possible!"
"Who has the ability to capture someone right in front of you? That's impossible!
Are you joking with me? This is not a funny joke. If someone dares to capture someone in front of you, it means they don't take you seriously at all, or even consider you an enemy. But... a Dao Realm existence, is that possible? Such an existence appearing in Jinling... you should know who it is."
Yan Wuji couldn't believe it, but he also knew that Ye Longlin wouldn't joke with him about such matters, which proved that this was true!
"I really don't know who it is,"
Ye Longlin said slowly, his face extremely grim.
Capturing someone right in front of him without revealing any aura meant either the other party was more powerful than him, or it was an ordinary person.
There were only these two possibilities.
Yan Wuji also considered this, his expression solemn. He glanced around and then used his spatial movement technique to leave his original spot.
"Are you sure? If that's the case, then either the other party is extremely powerful, or they are ordinary people. Because an existence like yours wouldn't be unable to detect them. If we assume that, then the other party must be an ordinary person."
"I've already had the Song family seal off the Confucius Temple. So, if the other party is an ordinary person, they must still be here. The Dragon Pavilion soldiers are on their way. Once they arrive, they will conduct a thorough search!"
Just as they were speaking, Yuan Gang appeared before him with heavily armed Dragon Pavilion soldiers.
"Hurry up and come."
After saying that, he hung up the phone. Ye Longlin looked at Yuan Gang with an extremely grim expression.
"Starting from the Confucius Temple as the center, conduct a comprehensive, floor-by-floor search!"
"Yes!"
Yuan Gang also understood the gravity of the situation and nodded. All the Dragon Pavilion soldiers behind him immediately dispersed.