That evening, the Ouyang family held a family banquet.
All the members of the Ouyang family had already gathered. The two elders of the family, Ouyang Shen He and Ouyang Xing Teng, were seated at the head of the table. Ouyang Zhi Xin, Ouyang Zhi Hui, and others were arranged in order. The main table was primarily occupied by those who held prestige and had made contributions to the family.
As Wan Yun Ting was the only one from the family who could sit at the main table, Ouyang Xin Yuan, Ouyang Yu Meng, and others had to be seated at the side tables. The women of the family also sat together.
In particular, the table where Fang Yan Xi, Xia Xiang Yun, and her sister Fan Meng were seated became the focus of conversation among the family's women.
Fang Yan Xi, with her bulging belly, was surrounded by the Ouyang family's aunts and cousins, who incessantly asked about when she would give birth and reminded her to take care of herself.
However, Fang Yan Xi knew very well that these aunts and cousins were merely showing fake kindness to curry favor with her.
After all, how could one easily fathom the true intentions of people in a large family like the Ouyang family?
Wan Yun Ting's family was the center of the entire clan. Although everyone treated them with flattery and attentiveness, in private, the family members were constantly vying for their own interests, leading to endless struggles.
However, this was understandable, as large families were inherently like this. Ouyang Zhi Xin, as the patriarch, had to balance the interests of these family members. Minor squabbles were acceptable, but they absolutely could not be allowed to disregard family ties for the sake of profit.
"Little Wan, what are your plans now?"
Ouyang Shen He invited Wan Yun Ting to sit beside him. They had just discussed the martial arts sects'讨伐 (tǎofá - to attack/denounce) against him. However, for a prominent family in the capital like the Ouyang family, neither power nor wealth was something to be feared by those so-called major martial arts sects.
Wan Yun Ting shook his head and smiled, "I don't have any specific plans for now, but I'll be staying at home for a while. This afternoon, Yan Xi also mentioned that I should go back to the company to work for her."
"That's good."
Ouyang Shen He smiled, "Whether you return to the family's group or work at your Chao Ting Group, it's all good. We all support you."
However, the mention of returning to work at the family group caused the expressions of other elders present to subtly shift, as if they were afraid that Wan Yun Ting would affect their interests within the family group!
Wan Yun Ting smiled, seemingly having discerned their thoughts, and said to his grandfather, "I plan to return to Chao Ting Group to help Yan Xi with some matters. She's about to give birth, and for the next year or so, she won't be able to work at the company."
"Yes, that's good..."
Ouyang Shen He and the others nodded with smiles, fully supporting whatever decision their grandson made.
Afterward, they chatted about some insignificant topics with the family elders. Fang Yan Xi was also engaged in conversation with her aunts and cousins, but most of the topics were uninteresting to her.
Seeing this, Wan Yun Ting got up and smiled, "Grandpa, Uncle, you all continue chatting. I need to help Yan Xi back to rest."
"Ah, yes, yes, quickly take Yan Xi back. She's so pregnant. Hurry back, hurry back..." Ouyang Shen He said immediately. What he cared about most now was the fourth-generation great-grandchild in his granddaughter-in-law's womb.
"Uncle, Uncle Zhi Hui, we'll be heading back. Dad, you all continue your chat..."
Wan Yun Ting greeted Uncle Ouyang Xing Teng and the others, then turned towards Fang Yan Xi, who was being surrounded by her aunts and cousins. He knew that women were not interested in such scenes and specifically went to find her to leave.
However, upon Wan Yun Ting's arrival, he was also pulled into conversations by the aunts and cousins for about ten minutes before he managed to lead Fang Yan Xi away towards their residence. Along the way, Fang Yan Xi sighed, "Your family is so large; it's really not easy to gather together."
"Yes."
Wan Yun Ting nodded with a smile and said, "Earlier, at the dinner table, when I said I was going back to help you at the company, they all became nervous, as if they were afraid I would go back to work at the family group and take their positions."
Fang Yan Xi turned her head and glanced at him with her beautiful eyes, smiling, "Our dad also mentioned to me before that he wanted me to work at your Ouyang family group!"
"Oh?"
Wan Yun Ting was surprised. He genuinely didn't know about this.
Fang Yan Xi chuckled, "Who told you that you're not interested in managing companies? So your dad could only turn to me."
Wan Yun Ting nodded and smiled, "It's not that I'm not interested, it's just that my goals have changed now, and I don't want to manage a company."
Fang Yan Xi pointed to the small garden ahead, and they went in to sit for a while. She said, "You agreed to work for me at the company because you don't know what to do right now, do you?"
Wan Yun Ting turned to look at Fang Yan Xi, lightly tapping her upturned nose with his finger, and smiled, "Yes, your husband is now an unemployed vagrant. I originally intended to focus on practicing medicine, reviving and promoting our traditional Chinese medicine."
"Heh, but now I've become a traitor to the righteous path. Not only have I lost my position as the chairman of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association, but I don't even have the basic qualification to practice medicine. It's truly pathetic."
Fang Yan Xi slanted her beautiful eyes at him, knowing that the man cared deeply about this matter, as leading traditional Chinese medicine towards revival and widespread development was Wan Yun Ting's lifelong dream and aspiration.
Now, being unable to practice medicine, one could imagine how upset he must be.
Fang Yan Xi took his hand and said, "It's been so long. Perhaps those people have already forgotten about that incident. Why don't you go talk to Elder Gu and the others to see if there's a chance to return?"
Wan Yun Ting looked up at the hazy sky, where not a single star was visible. He nodded and smiled, "We'll talk about it later. But this capital is truly not a good place; you can't even see a single star."
Fang Yan Xi also looked up at the night sky and said, "I heard there will be smoggy days soon..."
The next morning, before the sun had risen, Wan Yun Ting got up from beside Fang Yan Xi to go practice his martial arts. The woman stirred briefly before falling back asleep, accustomed to her man's early mornings.
By the lake, Ouyang Shen He, dressed in white practice clothes, was practicing Tai Chi on the lakeside corridor. The nanny, Ah Zhen, was preparing breakfast and tea in the pavilion. Suddenly, she sensed something and turned to look outside. Wan Yun Ting leaped from the roof of a nearby building, soaring more than ten meters before landing steadily on the lakeside corridor.
"Little Wan, you're here."
Ouyang Shen He stopped and smiled enviously at his grandson who had flown over, "Such great skill! If Grandpa had learned martial arts back then, I probably could have scaled walls and leaped over roofs like you."
Wan Yun Ting smiled, "Grandpa, it's never too late for you to learn now."
Ouyang Shen He waved his hand and chuckled, "Your Aunt Zhen says I'm not cut out for martial arts, so she just lets me practice Tai Chi to exercise."
Wan Yun Ting saw Ah Zhen preparing tea in the pavilion, knowing she was a martial arts master. He waved to her with a smile, and Ah Zhen smiled back before continuing her work.
Afterward, Wan Yun Ting personally taught his grandfather a set of exercises for strengthening the body. After half an hour of practice, the grandfather and grandson returned to the pavilion to sit down for tea and breakfast. Ouyang Shen He said, "Little Wan, after Yan Xi gives birth, Grandpa plans to leave the capital and stay in Zhejiang for a while."
Wan Yun Ting's expression froze, and he asked doubtfully, "Why are you going to Zhejiang?"
Ouyang Shen He took a small sip of tea and smiled, "Because Elder Fan is also returning to Zhejiang, so we've agreed to go to his hometown of Shaoxing together to live out our retirement. The environment and cultural atmosphere there are better and more suitable for elderly people to retire."
Upon mentioning Elder Fan Li Ren, Wan Yun Ting asked, "Has Elder Fan retired?"
"Yes, he's about to step down."
Ouyang Shen He was an old friend of Fan Li Ren.
As soon as he heard that Fan Li Ren planned to return to Shaoxing to retire, he immediately had this idea.
Previously, Ouyang Shen He had retired to Wudang Mountain, but after Wan Yun Ting got into trouble, he had to return to his home in the capital. Wan Yun Ting felt guilty about this, "Grandpa, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to leave Wudang Mountain..."
"Alas."
Ouyang Shen He glanced at him and waved his hand, "I know your character, and you wouldn't do anything wicked. Instead, those so-called righteous sects, hmph, they talk a good game, but in private, they'll do anything despicable and shameless for their own benefit. It's utterly disgraceful."
"Grandpa, I encountered this before. If it weren't for your situation, I would have also left Wudang Mountain."
"So, Little Wan, you don't need to blame yourself for this matter. Also, always remember that you are a member of my Ouyang family. No matter what happens, as long as our family is united, there is no enemy we cannot overcome."
Wan Yun Ting nodded. However, with his grandfather leaving the capital, he worried that the Heavenly Eye Master Cult would target him!
"Little Wan, don't worry. With Aunt Zhen here, I'll be fine," Ouyang Shen He said with a comforting smile, sensing Wan Yun Ting's concern.
Ah Zhen, who was cleaning nearby, also turned and smiled at Wan Yun Ting. He then remembered to ask, "By the way, Aunt Zhen, I still don't know which sect or school you come from?"
Ah Zhen, holding the broom, smiled, "Young Master, have you heard of the Xian Xia Sect?"
"Xian Xia Sect?"
Wan Yun Ting's expression changed in surprise. He quickly put down his teacup, "I've heard of it before, but didn't the Xian Xia Sect disappear long ago?"
Ah Zhen slightly shook her head and smiled, "It's not to the extent of disappearing, but our Xian Xia Sect has been living in seclusion in the mountains for hundreds of years, so the martial arts world now believes that our Xian Xia Sect has long since disbanded and vanished."
"So that's how it is."
Wan Yun Ting nodded. He didn't know much about the Xian Xia Sect but was truly surprised that a master hidden beside his grandfather was actually from the Xian Xia Sect.
Ah Zhen smiled, "Years ago, when I came out to experience the secular world, it was Master who helped me, so I've stayed by his side ever since."
Wan Yun Ting nodded. It seemed this Aunt Zhen also had a story. There was no need to inquire further. He thought for a moment and asked, "Aunt Zhen, would you like to learn the martial arts of the Snow Mountain Sect?"
Ah Zhen's expression changed. Ouyang Shen He asked, "Little Wan, did you really get the martial arts manual of the Snow Mountain Sect?"
Wan Yun Ting nodded and then recounted how he obtained the Snow Mountain Sect martial arts manual in the Death Valley of Kunlun Mountain. Ah Zhen sighed, "Logically speaking, the Snow Mountain Sect was annihilated long ago, and this martial arts manual is considered ownerless property. The major martial arts sects shouldn't be able to snatch it from you by force."
Ouyang Shen He slammed the table and snorted, "Those sect members, who constantly talk about righteousness, are still stabbing each other in the back and killing each other for the Snow Mountain Sect's martial arts manual. They claim to be righteous, but now they're using the name of righteousness to demand the martial arts manual from you. I say, don't give it to them. Let's see what they can do."
Wan Yun Ting nodded and smiled, "That's why I didn't give it to them, and I brought all the Snow Mountain Sect martial arts manuals back."
Ah Zhen looked at him and smiled, "Young Master, you wouldn't want me to learn them to protect Master properly, would you?"
Wan Yun Ting nodded, "Aunt Zhen, you are a martial arts master, but those people from the Heavenly Eye Master Cult like to strike from behind. Learning another martial art can also improve one's skill. Would Aunt Zhen like to learn?"
"Yes, I would."
Ouyang Shen He turned to Ah Zhen and said, "Ah Zhen, you learn it, so that Little Wan can also be at ease."
Ah Zhen nodded with a smile, "Our Xian Xia Sect withdrew from Jianghu long ago, and I'm not any so-called righteous person. Since there's the supreme martial art of the Snow Mountain Sect, I naturally want to learn it. Thank you, Young Master."
Wan Yun Ting waved his hand and smiled, "I'll give you the martial arts manual later. Choose whichever you want to learn."
"Okay."
Ah Zhen nodded with a smile, knowing that Wan Yun Ting's generosity in giving her the Snow Mountain Sect martial arts manual to learn was all for the personal safety of his grandfather, Ouyang Shen He.