The Recluse—
What is a recluse who lives outside the world?
A recluse is like Old Du, who can see astonishing changes in Su Nanyin's features at a glance.
His involuntary exclamation of surprise made Su Nanyin's heart tremble.
Even Li Wujiang's expression changed.
Not to mention Shen Chongchong, who had long known Daoist Priest Du was extraordinary.
"Daoist Priest—"
Su Nanyin quickly regained her composure and was about to say something with a smile when Old Du turned around, "Esteemed lay disciples, please follow me to the purification room."
Baiyun Temple had many purification rooms.
But the "Supreme" purification room was undoubtedly the one in the independent courtyard behind the temple.
This purification room was not large, only about twenty square meters.
It was built on the cliff of the back mountain.
Outside the window was a valley over a hundred meters deep.
Standing by the window, one could see the red maple leaves covering the valley.
When the wind blew, the red waves rippled, it was spectacular and beautiful.
Inside the purification room, apart from a few meditation cushions, there was nothing else.
Not even tea was offered, which truly highlighted the status of the "Supreme Purification Room"!
"Lay disciple Su."
After seating Su Nanyin and the other two, Old Du got straight to the point, "Misty Ridge is in flux, and lay disciple Shen (Shen Yue) intends to completely retire. Your karmic ties with lay disciple Shen have been severed."
Su Nanyin and Shen Yun's faces changed in unison.
Shen Yue was Su Nanyin's one and only true love!
No one would believe their fate was over, except perhaps after a hundred years!
Yet Daoist Priest Du spoke plainly—
Even Li Wujiang raised an eyebrow, his lips tightening.
He was determined to breathe cautiously.
After all, this was about Su Nanyin's future, a top secret of the Shen family of Lingnan that could not be revealed to outsiders. Yet Old Du had invited her to participate, so she had best remain silent.
"Daoist Priest."
Su Nanyin took a deep breath, bowed her head, and clasped her hands, "I beg Daoist Priest to enlighten me."
"Misty without Shen means without spirit. It will be uncertain and could damage great fortune."
Every word Old Du spoke was so cautious. "Misty with Shen means with spirit. It will be stable, and the flowing water will aid in its stabilization. But lay disciple Su's childhood name is Guanyin, and in her youth, she was known as the Guanyin of Su Nan. And Guanyin entering water merges with the water, which is called Dripping Water Guanyin."
Dripping Water Guanyin—
It is a foliage plant. If there is no sunlight, or if it is not planted and cared for properly, its largest leaves will turn yellow and wither.
"Dripping Water Guanyin entering the Misty will result in death within three months."
After saying this, Old Du closed his eyes.
He needed to give Su Nanyin time to process.
Even Li Wujiang was unaware of the Lingnan Shen family's intention to permanently reside in Misty, let alone Old Du.
But Old Du had seen all of this the moment he laid eyes on Su Nanyin!
And he had told Su Nanyin bluntly that if she were to follow Old Shen and reside permanently in Misty, she would only live for at most three months.
The light outside the window gradually darkened.
A large moon rose from the east.
There were no lights in the purification room.
Everyone was silent, completely absorbed by the darkness.
Su Nanyin finally spoke, "But I cannot let go of my worldly ties."
Her so-called worldly ties were the three cabbages she had painstakingly cultivated.
Old Du then opened his eyes and said, "Therefore, I said that your karmic ties with lay disciple Shen have been severed."
Shen Chongchong, who was as transparent as a ghost, couldn't help but interject, "You saw long ago that my mother couldn't bear to leave us, so she had to live separately from my father?"
"Thirty years of a connection is also quite good."
Old Du looked at the dark Shen Chongchong and said, "Child, you must all redouble your filial piety to your mother from now on. She has sacrificed too much for you."
Shen Yun lowered her head, "I will always remember Daoist Priest's words."
"Daoist Priest."
Su Nanyin slowly asked, "The reason I invited Li Wujiang to come today was specifically for my third child. You already know her birthdate and time."
Old Du nodded and replied, "Lay disciple Su, when you came last time, I told you that the spirit fire of your third child was flickering."
Su Nanyin immediately pressed, "And now?"
"I need to calculate."
Old Du said, then got up and walked out of the purification room.
Outside, the bright moon had risen, echoing the last lingering glow of the sunset in the west.
Old Du looked up to the east, his left hand rapidly calculating with his fingers.
Su Nanyin and the other two also walked out.
"Strange."
Daoist Priest Du frowned and murmured, "Although the spirit fire is still flickering, the dead wood has already sprouted."
Su Nanyin immediately exchanged a glance with Shen Chongchong, then together they looked at Li Wujiang.
Li Wujiang was completely baffled—
I'm just here for the ride, why are you looking at me?
Li Wujiang could only look at Old Du.
Under the moonlight, Old Du's face was full of struggle.
Li Wujiang understood, and quietly gestured to Shen Chongchong. The two quietly left the courtyard.
"This old Taoist priest could have just told us to come out directly, couldn't he?"
About ten meters outside the courtyard, Li Wujiang couldn't help but curse behind him, "He had to look constipated and make us come out ourselves."
Shen Yun gave an awkward laugh.
But she curiously looked back at the courtyard, wanting to hear how Old Du was predicting Du Junlin's fate.
Li Wujiang pulled her, "Chongchong, let's go ahead. Tell me about Maomao. Alas, poor child, how could she have been 'plucked' by that sow of mine?"
Shen Yun—
Always felt that Aunt Wujiang's sigh was incredibly fake!
Inside the courtyard.
Old Du smiled bitterly and said to Su Nanyin, "Lay disciple Su, do you believe lay disciple Li is cursing me?"
Su Nanyin pursed her lips and smiled, "That's for sure."
Old Du said something nonsensical, "One drags three."
One drags three?
Su Nanyin was stunned, unable to understand what Old Du meant by "one drags three."
"After lay disciple Shen permanently resides in Misty, if lay disciple Su follows, not only will you die within three months, but the spirit fire of your three daughters will all be unstable."
Old Du said, "Misty is lay disciple Shen's destination. Lay disciple Su, you are the only factor that can stabilize your three daughters. The so-called 'one drags three' means that the happiness of all three of them depends on you to support them. Whether you go to Misty or not, it depends on how you support them in the future."
Su Nanyin's brows furrowed, and she lowered her head in thought.
"I have never predicted such a strange fate."
Old Du spoke the truth, "The three daughters are clearly adults and have their own careers, yet their stability depends entirely on lay disciple Su."
Su Nanyin looked up, "Daoist Priest, are the unfortunate fates of my cabbages related to Li Qianfan's identity as the young master of Lieyan Valley?"
Old Du smiled enigmatically and said nothing.
Even though he didn't say it, Su Nanyin knew what he meant.
It was nothing more than—
The heavenly secrets cannot be revealed!
"It's just 'one drags three', isn't it?"
Su Nanyin looked up, squinting at the moon, the image of that sow appearing in her mind.
She squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth, "This old lady, I'll drag them!"
"Say your final goodbyes to lay disciple Shen before the moon sets," Old Du said softly. "Remember to leave lay disciple Shen before sunrise. Otherwise, it will be bad for both you and him."
Su Nanyin stared blankly at the full moon, motionless for a long time.
Old Du kept her silent company.
The wind blew—
Su Nanyin whispered as if in a dream, "Since our fate is over, why must we endure the pain of a final farewell?"
"Immeasurable Heavenly Lord!"
Old Du loudly chanted his Daoist title.
Nine o'clock in the evening.
Sijiu was breezy.
But Lingnan was pleasantly warm.
If the person by his side at this moment were Porcelain Doll instead of Shen Maomao, Li Qianfan would have been in the mood to recite a poem to the bright moon: "Moonlight before my bed, two pairs of shoes on the floor. Raising my head, I gaze at the moon, and in my ears, Chongchong sings."
But seeing Shen Maomao's conceited face, Li Qianfan had no poetic inspiration, let alone any desire to urinate.
Fortunately, the sound of hurried footsteps from outside broke the awkward atmosphere in the room.
Uncle Kui, along with two men, escorted a man with a black hood over his head to the front courtyard living room of the old mansion.
Perhaps the moon in the sky sensed that something bad was about to happen here tonight, so it quietly waved its hand and called a patch of dark clouds to cover its face.
The light in the entire world dimmed accordingly.
The atmospheric pressure began to drop.
The air humidity increased noticeably.
Tonight, the weather turned from clear to cloudy, with a chance of rain.
Such capricious changes were quite common in subtropical border regions.
"Son-in-law."
Uncle Kui strode into the room, bowed to Li Qianfan first, and then said to Shen Maomao, "Eldest Miss. Lin Yifeng has been brought."
Eldest Miss looked at her son-in-law.
Meaning, let son-in-law take charge of the subsequent matters.
But son-in-law, feeling the sudden muggy heat, picked up a folding fan and began to fan himself.
He had spent the entire afternoon accompanying Shen Maomao to review (or rather, take over) Lin Yifeng's businesses and was already tired.
Where would he have the energy to deal with Lin Yifeng?
Moreover—
Lin Yifeng and Shen Zui were, after all, husband and wife.
If Li Qianfan were to intervene and make decisions, and they were to reconcile later, wouldn't he look like a fool?
Poisonous food can be eaten.
But acts that yield no benefit must absolutely not be done!
Seeing that Li Qianfan was ignoring her, Shen Zui could only coldly order, "Bring that ungrateful wretch in."
Uncle Kui waved his hand.
The two underlings pushed Lin Yifeng in.
His hood was removed.
Lin Yifeng, who was bewildered, finally saw the light of day!
He saw Shen Zui and also Li Qianfan.
However.
Lin Yifeng ignored everything else and angrily asked Shen Zui, "Shen Zui! Just because I criticized this waste that night, you sent people to abduct me?"
It was Su Nanyin who sent people to abduct Lin Yifeng.
But Lin Yifeng didn't know that.
He thought Shen Zui had done him a favor!
After being called a waste to his face by Lin Yifeng, Li Qianfan felt even more bored.
But he made up his mind: "I'll just watch, I won't say a word."
"Uncle Kui, you guys go out first."
Shen Zui ignored Lin Yifeng and said softly to Uncle Kui.
"Yes."
With Li Qianfan present, Uncle Kui had no fear that Lin Yifeng would try to harm Eldest Miss.
The door closed.
With his hands tied behind his back, Lin Yifeng cast a venomous glance at Li Qianfan, and said to Shen Zui in a deep voice, "Untie me and let me go."
"Let you go?"
Shen Zui's face was sinister, "Lin Yifeng, do you think I would let you go so easily if I had brought you here?"
"Let me go!"
Lin Yifeng declared forcefully, "Didn't you always wish I would divorce you voluntarily? After you let me go, we'll go to divorce tomorrow! Heh, to be honest, I've had enough of being married to a woman like you! I really don't know how I was blind enough to marry you back then."