I cultivate the Purple Mansion Golden Elixir Dao on Earth

Jiang Songjing has seen more dying people and elderly people than most young people in the world have.

He was a young Taoist priest who had followed Master Yunfu around since childhood to perform rituals, turn ritual implements, and chant scriptures to help the deceased pass on.

In his childhood, he had seen at least eighty or a hundred people who were old and dying.

Although those were all things from his childhood, they were precious memories of his time with Master Yunfu, so he still remembers those past events clearly and knows exactly how an elderly person should behave.

The older a person is, the less coherent their speech becomes, and if they talk for a long time, they will definitely swallow words and break them, making it difficult for others to understand them.

Judging from his voice and appearance, Ying Manyuan is just like that kind of old man.

Yet when he spoke, his words remained fluent and articulate, without any hesitation...

This only shows that his brain is still in a sharp and active state—which is not the behavior of an elderly person at all!

So, he's faking it.

But what is he pretending for?

Who are you putting this on for?

...And what is the purpose of this pretense?

Jiang Songjing felt a growing sense of annoyance.

But at that moment, Ying Manyuan seemed to move her head with great difficulty and cast her murky and dim eyes at him.

"Child, your name is Jiang Songjing, right? I've looked at this name many times since I heard about you..."

He chuckled casually, but Jiang Songjing's face remained expressionless as she met his cold gaze, causing the old man to be momentarily taken aback.

In that instant, something extremely tiny seemed to peek out from his eyes, scrutinizing Jiang Songjing for a moment before immediately withdrawing it.

Although the glimmer of light was fleeting, Jiang Songjing still caught a glimpse of Ying Manyuan's appraising expression.

This made him even more certain of his underlying suspicions.

So he stood there expressionless, waiting for the old man to say the next thing.

After a moment of surprise, Ying Manyuan returned to her aged appearance, looking at him with loving eyes.

"Song Jing, I know about the oath you made in front of the manor and what you did afterwards... You're such a strong-willed child... but also a bit young and naive."

The old man's eyes became slightly misty, as if he was about to fall into memories again, stirring up a kind of sentimental atmosphere.

But Jiang Songjing didn't let him have his way; she preemptively spoke to him:

"No need for further words, Chairman Ying!"

"I have traveled north to Jingzhou to ask you about something."

"My mother...is she dead or alive?"

"If she were still alive, where would she be now? If she has passed away... where is she buried?"

The sound, like a sword being drawn coldly when two people meet on a narrow path, instantly severed the nostalgic and sorrowful atmosphere in the ward.

The four sensitive female caregivers looked up in astonishment, casting slightly disapproving glances at Jiang Songjing.

Yang Ruixing turned to look at Jiang Songjing with a complicated expression.

He truly hadn't expected that this young Taoist priest would actually keep his word when he went north to Jingzhou.

...Even now, he can still act so heartless and resolute!

"I really admire him now."

Yang Ruixing thought to himself.

A strange glint flashed in the old man's eyes.

But Jiang Songjing noticed this admiring look, which only made her more disgusted.

He was now certain that Ying Manyuan was plotting something.

That scheme must be closely related to him, and it's highly likely to be connected to Langyuan Group and the Yang family's businesses...

...But that's precisely why Jiang Songjing loathed him so much!

"How could I be like you, a usurper living in someone else's house, blinded by greed!"

And... just as Jiang Songjing's feelings of annoyance were accumulating.

Ying Manyuan looked at him and spoke again with a smile:

"...You child, you're so impatient. I heard you became a Taoist priest. How come you spend all day in the temple reading scriptures and chanting, can't you even temper your temper?"

Jiang Songjing looked at him, remaining silent and cold.

This left Ying Manyuan's joke, meant to lighten the mood, completely unfulfilled.

The old man suddenly felt as if something he was holding in his hand was constantly leaking out from between his fingers.

This sense of loss immediately made him more cautious. So, looking at Jiang Songjing, he still smiled, but hesitated before speaking, each word carefully chosen:

"Song Jing, about your mother... now is not the right time to talk. I have surgery in the next couple of days. After the surgery, we'll talk about it together..."

"It's alright, I can go by myself."

Jiang Songjing abruptly interrupted him, freezing Ying Manyuan's smile on his face. But that smile seamlessly transformed into deep weariness and anger in the next second:

"...Can't you even try to understand how I feel?"

"...How about this, you settle down in Jingzhou first, find a place to stay close to the hospital, and I want to see you properly these next two days... After two days, I'll tell you where your mother is. We'll go see her together."

"Think about it, you are my child! I also want to make up for my mistakes and fill the emotional void you've experienced without a father all these years..."

"Chairman Ying has misunderstood."

"Although I have no biological father all these years, I have had someone who is better than a father to me who has always guided me through life... Now that I think about it, if I had stayed by your side, I might have regretted it for the rest of my life."

These words immediately chilled the atmosphere in the ward to the bone.

The female caregivers were stunned and covered their mouths with their hands, completely unable to believe that this seemingly handsome and refined young man could utter such resolute words.

Even Uncle Shan, who had been standing guard beside her, raised his head and stared intently at Jiang Songjing.

Yang Ruixing's expression became a mixture of emotions.

As for Yang Wanyi, her gaze kept shifting between Jiang Songjing and Ying Manyuan.

This scene seemed to bring her a sense of pleasure, yet it also filled her eyes with a anger that she couldn't quite explain.

Jiang Songjing didn't care what these people thought.

He simply took a step forward, his entire body piercing the ground like a sharp sword, but more striking than its sharpness was an invisible sense of tall, slender stature.

Jiang Songjing said in a cold voice:

"Chairman Ying, there's no need for your gentle words. I'm not buying it."

"...Please tell me quickly, where is my mother!"

……

Several tens of minutes later.

At the door of the ward, Jiang Songjing frowned deeply, staring at the tightly closed door in front of her.

His interrogation ultimately failed.

Just as he was making a dramatic and sudden approach to Ying Manyuan, the old man revealed a pained expression and then pressed a button on the bedside table.

Then, accompanied by the sound of alarms, several doctors in white coats rushed in from outside and drove the Yang family and Jiang Songjing out.

As they drove him away, they kept blaming Jiang Songjing, saying things like "stimulating the patient's body," "inducing negative emotions," and "do you know how high Chairman Ying's heart rate just spiked?"

Although Jiang Songjing didn't believe that Ying Manyuan had fallen into such a dangerous situation because of his words, he was helpless since the other party had even resorted to the shameless trick of "fleeing due to illness."

Standing at the door of the ward, Jiang Songjing sighed softly.

My heart was filled with doubts, frustration, and hatred.

But when he turned his head, he saw Yang Ruixing staring intently at him.

That was no longer the wary and disgusted look one would give when looking at a competitor.

Instead, it was a look of admiration, yet also a hint of speechlessness.

"I... am starting to really admire you now."