After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

Huiqing reacted quickly, flashing out from behind the bamboo, saying "Coming, coming, senior brother," but her steps were not slow either. In the blink of an eye, the two figures disappeared into the depths of the winding path.

Jiang Dusheng: "..."

Master's skill at changing the subject has truly become more and more refined.

Xie Jinchen watched all of this unfold, finding it quite amusing.

He shifted his position closer to Jiang Dusheng, lowered his voice, and whispered in her ear with a clear smile:

"So you... have another name, Taotie?"

Jiang Dusheng glanced at him coolly, then pinched his hand lightly with her fingertips as a warning.

Then, Jiang Dusheng turned and nodded to the young novice monk who had been waiting in the distance, signaling him to bring the person over.

The young novice monk, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, hurriedly ran to lead the way.

Before long, the three siblings of the Jiang family were led to the stone table in the bamboo garden.

Jiang Dusheng remained calm, pointed to the empty stone bench opposite him and Xie Jinchen, and said, "Sit."

The three sat down as instructed, their movements somewhat reserved.

The stone benches were cold, and the bamboo shadows swayed on their faces.

Jiang Wanqing sat in the seat closest to Jiang Dusheng, her gaze falling on him with a complex expression, her lips moving slightly.

It seemed as if a thousand words were stuck in his throat, but in the end, he didn't speak first.

Huiqing's words, spoken without any deliberate attempt to lower her voice, struck her heart like a heavy hammer.

If she had been willing to put aside her prejudices, jealousy, and scheming, and genuinely get along with her elder sister, would everything have been different?

As the eldest brother, Jiang Zhiyuan took a deep breath, suppressed the complex emotions surging in his heart, and spoke first:

"Dusheng, Father... he is ill, and he often talks about you, saying he wants to see you one last time."

"He knows he was wrong and regrets it deeply. Could you please go back and see him for the sake of our father-daughter relationship? Even just once would be enough."

Jiang Dusheng listened quietly, his gaze sweeping calmly over the three of them. His eyes were clear and unwavering, yet they showed no emotion whatsoever.

She slowly shook her head, her voice clear and steady: "No. My kinship with the Jiang family is over, and our karma is severed. You need not come looking for me again in the future."

After saying this, Jiang Zhiyuan's expression turned somewhat grim. He leaned forward, his voice slightly agitated:

"Dusheng, I know that the Jiang family owes you too much, and it is all of us who have made you so heartbroken."

"But...but no one is perfect, who can be without fault? Father is old and seriously ill, and he is filled with remorse. You should have some compassion and, for the sake of blood ties, go and see him."

Jiang Dusheng put down his teacup, his gaze seemingly unintentionally sweeping over the faces and clothing of the three members of the Jiang family.

Although Jiang Wanqing's eyes were slightly red, her clothes were made of the latest material from Changling, and a kingfisher feather hairpin in her hair had a warm and lustrous sheen.

She was clearly dressed up carefully, not someone who had neglected her appearance due to a sudden change in her home.

Although Jiang Zhiyuan and Jiang Zhiheng had worries etched on their foreheads, they were not shrouded in the shadow of a critically ill or dying relative.

Although his breathing was restless and agitated, there were no signs of the weariness or exhaustion from long-term care at the sickbed.

Jiang Dusheng withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and slowly spoke:

"Buddhism does indeed speak of compassion, but it is not unprincipled forgiveness, much less the erasure of past harms. All phenomena arise from causes and conditions, and all phenomena cease due to causes and conditions."

She paused, her gaze sweeping past Jiang Zhiyuan, as if piercing through him, looking into the past:

"The kinship between me and the Jiang family was worn away by your repeated choices and my repeated abandonment. The result now is that we are strangers on different paths. This is the natural law of cause and effect."

Jiang Dusheng paused for a moment, then continued, "No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. This is true. However, to err is human, to forgive divine. But this correction must come from the heart, a genuine repentance and rectification, not from fear or ulterior motives."

She looked directly into Jiang Zhiyuan's slightly flickering eyes, her voice calm and without accusation:

"Is Jiang Mao's regret today due to his guilt towards me, or because he fears the world's gossip about the Jiang family mistreating their own daughter and having no other way to marry into the family?"

"Or perhaps... it's a regret that I didn't seize my position as the Imperial Advisor earlier, to pave a smoother path for the Jiang family's advancement?"

Each question is like a fine needle, piercing through Jiang Zhiyuan's warm veil disguised as kinship.

"I have only one word for you: clinging to lost family ties and forcing a broken bond is like trying to catch the moon's reflection in water, only adding to your troubles. As for the Jiang family, everything is a thing of the past, nothing to dwell on, and nothing to continue."

"When conditions arise, people gather; when conditions cease, they disperse. My connection with the Jiang family ends here."

Jiang Zhiyuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but found that all the words he had prepared seemed pale and powerless in the face of these words.

Jiang Zhiheng lowered his head in shame, a rare occurrence for him.

Jiang Wanqing bit her lower lip tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms. The regret she felt because of Huiqing's words was completely extinguished by these words, leaving only embarrassment.

The bamboo grove was quiet for a moment, with only the rustling of the wind through the bamboo leaves and the faint chanting of Buddhist hymns in the distance.

Jiang Dusheng didn't say anything more and calmly stood up.

Xie Jinchen also stood up and naturally took her hand.

The two stood side by side, like a perfect couple, exuding an ethereal charm.

"That's all I have to say. Please go your way. May the future be long and uncertain for you all." Jiang Dusheng gave them one last look, his gaze calm, as if he were looking at any ordinary pilgrim.

After saying that, she pulled Xie Jinchen around and walked along the bluestone path into the depths of the bamboo forest.

The three members of the Jiang family sat blankly on the stone bench, gazing in the direction they had left, speechless for a long time.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows that create a dreamlike scene.

Jiang Zhiyuan finally sighed and stood up dejectedly: "Let's go... There's no need to come again. We came too late and made too many mistakes."

Jiang Wanqing silently got up and took one last look in the direction Jiang Dusheng had left.

In the autumn light and shadow, Jiang Dusheng and Xie Jinchen's backs were so close together, as if they had never been separated and would never be separated.

Behind me, only a gentle breeze rustled through the bamboo grove, the bright sun hung high in the sky, and the world was clear and pure.

—End of text—

Thank you so much to everyone who has followed along. I'm truly grateful.

I am also very grateful to everyone who has given me tips, whether it's for love, to urge me to update, or for anything else, thank you so much.

There are shortcomings in the book, thank you for your understanding.

Don't tell me if you find any typos after it's finished, because you can't fix typos in a finished book, hahaha, don't drive my OCD crazy.

I used to prefer Buddhist things, but after finishing the book about the Emperor of Fengdu, I leaned towards the Taoist philosophy of freedom and following one's true nature.

It wasn't until I finished writing the book "Saving Lives" that I suddenly realized that after breaking through a thousand techniques and comprehending ten thousand paths, I finally understood that all methods ultimately lead to the same goal.

I hope I can try to write a book of every type.

My new book has started. I'm trying out the cultivation genre. Those who are interested can check it out.

It's okay if you're not interested.

In the journey of life, we are all just passersby, our companionship brief, and eventually, we must part ways.

When fate brings us together, we gather; when fate takes us apart, we part. As the years pass, may you all cherish good intentions and be free from worries year after year. If fate allows, we will meet again.

Oh, by the way, the side story will be finished by the end of the month. Thank you all for your support. - ̗̀ ෆ( ˶』ᵕ』˶)ෆ ̖́-