Gugugu~~~
In the room of the small courtyard at this moment, Wan Yunting and Chang Wude were sitting on small stools around the brazier with Kang Nuolan. The three stomachs grumbled involuntarily.
"Kid, go to the refectory and see if there's any breakfast," Chang Wude said, turning to Wan Yunting.
Wan Yunting, who was holding his phone and chatting with Jin Xiuwen about Yan Ting Beauty Company, turned and glanced at him. "They said last night that they wouldn't give us food. I don't want to go for nothing. It's freezing outside."
"Tsk, can you bear to see your master lose face?"
Chang Wude kicked over the stool with one foot, causing Wan Yunting to fall to the ground. Wan Yunting looked helpless and sighed, got up, patted the dust off his pants, and sat down with the stool. "Old man, they are clearly trying to drive us away. Why bother?"
Chang Wude glared and shouted outside, "The more they act like this, the more I won't leave!"
"Alas, then we can only starve."
Wan Yunting sighed and continued chatting with Jin Xiuwen on his phone. Because the company's beauty products were launched the day before yesterday, Jin Xiuwen said the sales were good and the user feedback was also very positive...
"Nuolan, go ask for some food," Chang Wude began to direct Kang Nuolan again.
As a result, the girl still had that calm and indifferent expression. She shook her head slightly and said, "Let's starve. Going out for nothing will make us even hungrier."
"Pfft..."
Wan Yunting couldn't help but laugh out loud. Chang Wude, angry, kicked his stool again. However, this time Wan Yunting immediately stood up and grinned at Chang Wude, making him want to get up and beat the kid.
"Uncle Shi Chang, Junior Brother Wan... Junior Sister Nuolan..."
At this moment, Li Zihang's voice came from outside. Wan Yunting's eyes lit up, and he excitedly said, "Zihang brought us food..."
Opening the door, he saw Li Zihang carrying something. Wan Yunting immediately asked, "Zihang, did you bring us food?"
"Mhm, mhm."
Li Zihang nodded.
"Quick, quick, come in..."
Wan Yunting pulled him in, and Li Zihang gave him the more than ten steamed buns he was holding, packed in a black bag. "Junior Brother Wan, Uncle Shi Chang, I risked my life to steal these steamed buns from the refectory! Sister Yingying has now ordered Uncle Wang at the refectory not to give you food."
"Good, good, good, Zihang is so thoughtful."
Wan Yunting took a steamed bun and handed it to Kang Nuolan, then took one himself and started eating heartily.
"Just steamed buns, didn't you bring any pickles?" Chang Wude complained.
Li Zihang gave him a side-eye. "Uncle Shi Chang, having steamed buns is good enough. Uncle Wang at the refectory is watching too closely. I couldn't steal pickles. Just make do with it."
"Don't mind him, eat it if you want, or don't."
Wan Yunting glanced at Chang Wude and ignored him, eating with Nuolan...
"By the way, Uncle Shi Chang, when I came over earlier, I saw a disciple sneaking around the corner of the wall," Li Zihang then said in a low voice.
Wan Yunting's expression froze. He glanced at Chang Wude, who was also eating steamed buns, and said to Li Zihang with a smile, "Let him sneak around. We know about this."
Li Zihang said, "Uncle Shi Chang, there are rumors outside that you've returned to seize my master's position as the Abbot. Is it true?"
Chang Wude's old eyes glared at him, and he angrily cursed, "You brat, you believe such rumors? If it weren't for you guys looking for me, would I have returned to the sect with you?"
Li Zihang paused, scratched the back of his head, and nodded. "It seems so. Then it's not true."
"What is Sima Boyong doing now? And how is your master?" Wan Yunting then asked.
"Uncle Shi Boyong? He's treating my master."
Li Zihang said, "He said that my master's impatience and anger caused him to vomit blood, which triggered his old illness. So, my master is now lying in bed recuperating. The entire Ancestral Worship Ceremony is now being handled by Uncle Shi Boyong."
Upon hearing this, Chang Wude frowned and asked, "Is your master very ill now?"
Li Zihang nodded and said, "I heard from Sister Yingying that my master's condition is not very good."
At this, Wan Yunting and Chang Wude exchanged glances, and they both had a bad premonition!
"Zihang, keep an eye on Sima Boyong for me. If anything happens, report it to me immediately," Wan Yunting said to him seriously.
Li Zihang's expression froze, and he looked at them strangely. "Junior Brother Wan, Uncle Shi Chang, do you have a grudge against Uncle Shi Boyong?"
"Don't ask so many questions. As long as you help me with this, I can satisfy any request you have," Wan Yunting glared and said generously.
"Really?"
Li Zihang became excited upon hearing this. "Then give me a million!"
...Wan Yunting immediately gave him a speechless side-eye. He knew this kid was all about money. "I'll give it to you later. Go quickly."
"Money makes things happen. Uncle Shi Chang, I'm leaving. I'll steal more steamed buns for you at noon!" Li Zihang said happily, waved, and turned to leave.
"Remember to steal pickles."
"Will do..."
Li Zihang, who had replied, left excitedly.
"Old man, could Sima Boyong be trying to harm the Abbot Uncle?" Wan Yunting asked Chang Wude as he sat down and ate his steamed bun.
"He dares!"
Chang Wude, who had sat down, glared with his old eyes and took a fierce bite of the steamed bun.
Wan Yunting said sternly, "Old man, don't forget my master. Sima Boyong is capable of anything to achieve his goals!"
At this, Chang Wude's old face darkened. He knew Sima Boyong's character much better than Wan Yunting.
"Kid, we need to find a way to see my senior brother!" After a moment, Chang Wude glared with his old eyes and said sternly.
Wan Yunting nodded, understanding his meaning, but frowned. "But even you can't see Abbot Senior Brother now, so what can we do?"
"We still have to find a way."
Chang Wude, filled with worry, lost the appetite for steamed buns. "If Sima Boyong really intends to harm my senior brother, he has a hundred ways to tamper with my senior brother's body, so we must find a way to check my senior brother's condition first!"
Wan Yunting said, "If all else fails, let's ask Master Ghost for help."
"No."
Chang Wude waved his hand and said sternly, "Before Sima Boyong reveals any flaws, we absolutely cannot ask Master Ghost to act. This will only allow Sima Boyong to continue hiding his true intentions. If we drag it out until the end, he will be the one who wins!"
Wan Yunting understood his meaning. If Master Ghost acted now, Sima Boyong might continue to hide his ambitions until Master Ghost passed away, and then no one would be able to stop him.
At this moment, in the Abbot's residence, in Duan Wuyu's room, Sima Boyong was sitting by the bedside, feeling his pulse...
Yang Jingyi, Duan Yingying, Wei Ping, and Sima Wentang stood by watching. Duan Wuyu, leaning against the headboard, had woken up, but his complexion was very poor, and his eyes looked dim and lifeless as he gazed at Sima Boyong. He coughed weakly from time to time and said in a weak voice, "Boyong junior brother, you don't need to examine me. I know my condition. I don't have much time left."
Hearing his father's words, Duan Yingying, standing beside him, was close to tears.
"Senior Brother Duan, don't say such things. With me, Sima Boyong here, your illness will get better."
Sima Boyong looked at him with determined small eyes and comforted him, "Don't worry. Although your hidden illness is very serious, as long as you cooperate with the treatment and recuperate well, you will get better."
Duan Wuyu nodded weakly and asked, "How is the Ancestral Worship Ceremony preparation going?"
Sima Boyong released his emaciated wrist and said, "Senior Brother, you don't need to worry about the Ancestral Worship Ceremony now. I will handle it for you. Your priority now is to recuperate well and not exert yourself."
Yang Jingyi, standing beside them, also said, "Wuyu, listen to Boyong junior brother. You don't need to worry about the Ancestral Worship Ceremony. We will handle it."
Duan Wuyu nodded upon hearing this and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Boyong junior brother."
"What are you saying, Senior Brother? This is my duty."
Sima Boyong patted his hand and stood up with a smile. "Senior Brother, please rest well. We'll be leaving now."
Yang Jingyi, Wei Ping, and the others nodded. Duan Yingying was asked to stay and accompany Duan Wuyu for a while. The group walked out of the room into the courtyard. Yang Jingyi said, "Wei Ping, you all go about your business."
"Yes, Auntie."
Wei Ping nodded. Sima Boyong also asked Sima Wentang to leave. Yang Jingyi then took him to a side room. Her expression was solemn, and she asked sternly, "Boyong junior brother, tell me the truth. Can your senior brother's illness be completely cured?"
Sima Boyong's expression immediately turned sad. He sighed slightly, and then his small eyes looked at Yang Jingyi with great determination. "Sister-in-law, Senior Brother's hidden illness is indeed very serious. It's almost impossible to cure it, but don't worry, I will do my best and try every possible way to save Senior Brother's life."
Upon hearing this, Yang Jingyi's heart sank with sadness. She nodded and said, "Boyong junior brother, your senior brother can only rely on you now!"
Sima Boyong immediately stood up and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely cure Senior Brother's illness."
"Good."
Yang Jingyi stood up and nodded.
"Then Sister-in-law, please take care of Senior Brother. I'll go out to select medicinal herbs and decoct medicine for Senior Brother." Sima Boyong said.
"Yes, thank you."
"What are you saying, Sister-in-law? This is what I should do." Sima Boyong smiled and then bid farewell and turned to leave.
Yang Jingyi followed him out and saw him off at the courtyard gate. Watching Sima Boyong's retreating back, Yang Jingyi's brows furrowed tightly.
Because she never trusted Sima Boyong!