573: Chapter 562 573: Chapter 562 Hengduan Mountain Range, the largest and broadest mountain range in all of Sunan, with its main peak, Hengduan Mountain, located more than a hundred kilometers to the west of Sunan.
Legend had it that the top of Hengduan Mountain was always enveloped in mist, as if dressed in a garment made of clouds, giving it the appearance of an Immortal’s abode.
Below Hengduan Mountain lay a village called Huling Village.
The village was small, with fewer than 100 residents.
As the era progressed, staying in the countryside offered little prospect for development, which is why, over the years, people from Huling Village had been moving out, leaving behind only a few dozen elderly folks.
At the entrance to Hengduan Mountain near Huling Village, there was a branching path leading directly to the midsection of the mountain where a small nunnery known as White Cloud Temple was located.
At this moment, Song Yun and Song Qingyan stood at the entrance of White Cloud Temple.
“Auntie, why are we here?” Song Yun asked curiously.
Song Qingyan had suddenly arrived in Sunan the night before, headed straight for the villa, and had him accompany her today; he thought they were going to meet some impressive figure, but surprisingly, they ended up at a nunnery.
“To drink tea,” Song Qingyan replied lightly with a smile, then stepped into the nunnery.
There weren’t many people inside the nunnery.
Through the entrance was a small courtyard, and climbing a few steps led to the main hall of the nunnery where religious icons were placed, and a couple of young nuns were sitting, reciting scriptures.
“Mr.
Song, you’re here,” greeted a middle-aged nun, clad in a pale gray robe, palms pressed together in respect, addressing Song Qingyan.
“Yes,” Song Qingyan smiled in response.
“The Abbess is waiting for you in the meditation room, please follow me,” the middle-aged nun said, bending slightly, signaling Song Qingyan and Song Yun to follow her.
This was Song Yun’s first visit to a nunnery, and it felt quite similar to a temple.
Song Yun wasn’t very interested in this; he preferred Tibetan Buddhism, feeling it was purer than the Han Chinese varieties.
They didn’t go on social media, didn’t drive luxury cars, didn’t constantly attend political conferences, didn’t appear on entertainment shows, didn’t use trendy smartphones.
They were merely the purest of monks, fasting and reciting Buddha’s name daily, cultivating and disciplining themselves.
Buddhism in the mainland had been so tainted by the secular world.
After wandering around the nunnery for quite some time, the middle-aged nun led them to a tranquil small courtyard surrounded by a flowing stream, the sound of water babbling along.
The middle-aged nun gestured for Song Yun and Song Qingyan to enter, then stepped back a few steps, leaving the courtyard.
“Don’t look around too much,” Song Qingyan whispered to Song Yun as she noticed him looking around everywhere like a thief.
Song Yun quickly nodded, indicating he understood.
They pushed open a small wooden door, and Song Yun followed Song Qingyan into a small wooden cabin.
Song Yun took a moment to look around the small cabin, which was simply furnished with a wooden table, several cushions, and then, a wooden bed.
On the table, there were several thread-bound books inscribed with some strange characters that Song Yun couldn’t recognize.
Seated on one of the cushions was an elderly nun, who seemed to be in a trance.
The elderly nun was exceedingly frail, her face covered in wrinkles.
At the sound of their arrival, she slowly opened her eyes, which held no glimmer of luminosity, only endless chaos.
“You’ve come,” the old nun spoke softly, her voice seeming ancient as if coming from eons past.
“I have,” replied Song Qingyan with a smile, walking over to a cushion and sitting down cross-legged.
Song Yun followed suit and sat down as well.
“This is Song Yun, isn’t it?” The old nun’s lips curled into a slight smile.
Song Yun froze for a moment, then said, “Yes, Abbess, it’s me.”
The moment he said it, Song Yun felt awkward; he was used to addressing others as ‘Mr.
Song,’ but now he was the one being addressed as such.
“Song Yun, call her Great-grandmother,” Song Qingyan said from the side.
“Great…
Great-grandmother??” Song Yun’s mouth dropped open in astonishment.
“This is my grandmother, your great-grandmother,” Song Qingyan explained.
“This…” Song Yun’s mind went blank; what was going on?
Did that mean this was Old Song’s mother?
If Old Song was already over seventy years old, then this old nun must be nearing a hundred?
“No need to keep calling, I left the Song family a long time ago,” the old nun’s face showed a trace of reminiscence, then continued, “When I took my vows, Song Yun, you weren’t even born yet.”
“I…” Song Yun didn’t know how to respond.
Having Old Song as his ‘Second Grandpa’ was one thing, but suddenly being introduced to almost a 100-year-old woman as his great-grandmother was completely baffling to anyone.
“Hehe, today I asked Qingyan to bring you here; actually, it was just this old skeleton wanting to see you,” the old nun said affectionately, looking at Song Yun.
“The one I cherished most was your dad, Ergou.
Ah, you and your father, you’re carved from the same mold.”
“Hehe.” Song Yun chuckled stupidly, and then after they chatted about various things, about which Song Yun was mostly confused, the old nun spoke after half an hour, “Song Yun, even though I’ve been away from the Song family for a long time, I still know that the Song family is now in tumultuous times.
No family can remain powerful forever, a fact you must obviously understand.”
Song Yun nodded.
This was also why he had always been reluctant to fully brand himself with the Song family mark.
The Song family was too formidable, like being in the middle of a blazing fire—once something went wrong, it wasn’t a minor issue that could be easily fixed.
Song Yun knew that many high-ranking officials were connected to the Song family, yet none of those high-ranking people would allow such a massive entity like the Song family to exist.
This was understood by both Old Song and Song Yun, hence there was a tacit understanding between them—Song Yun wouldn’t return to the Song family until Song Ergou was back!
This was Old Song making provisions for future generations of the Song family!
“Sigh, actually, there are some matters I shouldn’t be meddling with anymore.” The old nun slowly stood up, and Song Qingyan hurried to assist her.
The old nun walked over to a table, opened a drawer, and took out a book from inside it.
“This is something left behind by our old Song family.
It has passed through my hands for many generations.
Now, I’ve called you here to give this to you.
I think it might be useful to you,” the old nun handed the book to Song Yun, who opened it and was immediately stunned.
The book described more than ten types of breathing and expelling techniques—some could enhance speed, others strengthen muscle force, some increase strength, and there were even methods to enhance one’s X-abilities.
This…
this was a goddamn all-powerful manual!
It could be considered a summary of all the secret manuals he had studied before; clearly, the Song family’s foundation was extraordinarily deep!