The wedding was livestreamed by the sister, revealing his identity as a Taoist priest.

Taiqing Palace, Celestial Master's Study.

The moonlight outside the window is like water, and the sound of pine trees is like the rustling of wind.

Chen Shidu sat alone at his desk, his brush tip hovering over the Xuan paper.

Several lines of writing had already appeared on the paper, the ink still wet.

There weren't many words, but each stroke was written extremely slowly.

It was as if he was deliberating, or perhaps savoring the moment.

He never drafted his letters to Shen Nianqing.

She writes whatever comes to mind, and she can understand it.

"To Nianqing, my dear friend."

"Spring is in full bloom in the mountains, and the tung trees are in full bloom."

"You said you wanted to see the tung blossoms last time. I'll bring you there after I'm done with this busy period."

With a sudden shift in style.

"The fourth betrothal gift will be delivered in a few days; you will like it."

He paused for a moment, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Miss you."

The two characters were written on the paper, the ink deep and rich.

Just as I was about to sign it.

"Bang!"

The study door was kicked open.

Master Xuanmo rushed to the front, followed by a group of white-bearded old men, their Taoist robes billowing in the wind and their whisks swirling wildly.

"Celestial Master!"

"Something terrible has happened!"

"Su Qingluan will personally deliver the betrothal gifts!"

"Get to the Shen family within three days!"

A cacophony of voices erupted.

Chen Shidu paused for a moment.

A drop of ink fell from the tip of the brush, spreading out as a small dot on the rice paper.

He didn't look up.

The study fell silent instantly.

The twelve elders stood there, not daring to breathe, their eyes fixed on the Celestial Master's back.

Chen Shidu placed the pen on the pen holder.

I picked up the half-written letter, gently blew on the ink to dry it, folded it, and set it aside.

Then he sighed.

"I see."

Master Xuanmo was getting anxious.

"Master! You know? What should we do then? Given Su Qingluan's temperament, if she goes to the Shen family and meets Miss Shen, what if…?"

"What if what?"

Chen Shidu turned around.

Master Xuanmo choked.

Chen Shidu's expression was calm, even carrying a hint of helpless gentleness.

It's like an older brother hearing that his younger sister has gotten into trouble again.

"She won't hurt anyone."

"but……"

"I know Qingluan's temperament better than you do."

Chen Shidu stood up, walked to the shelf on the side of the desk, and took down a new sheet of Xuan paper.

He sat down again and picked up his pen.

"This is a psychological problem."

The twelve elders looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Treat the heart disease with the heart medicine."

When Chen Shidu put pen to paper, his handwriting flowed smoothly like clouds and water.

"It's better to guide than to block, better to let go than to stop. The more you try to stop her, the more she'll feel like an outsider."

Qingxu stepped forward, craning his neck to see what he was writing.

Chen Shidu did not stop him.

On the rice paper was another letter.

"Azure Phoenix:"

"I heard you're coming to deliver the betrothal gifts. Thank you for your trouble."

"These past years, I've been the one who wronged you."

"If you want to see her, then go see her."

"But there's one thing I want you to remember."

"You are my junior sister, a member of the Taiqing Palace, and the daughter of the Tianyin Pavilion Master. The path you have walked, the path you have cultivated, and the suffering you have endured over the years should not be diminished because of anyone."

"Including me."

"Nianqing is a good girl, and so are you."

"I hope you get better, brother."

"I really mean it."

Signed: Shi Du.

The pen stops.

No one spoke in the study.

Master Xuanmo looked at the letter, opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Qingxu lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.

Chen Shidu folded the letter and put it into a plain-colored envelope.

Then he sealed the letter he had written to Shen Nianqing before, and placed the two letters side by side on the table.

"Qingxu".

Qingxu felt a jolt run through his body.

"exist!"

Chen Shidu looked at him.

"Take these two letters to Tianyin Pavilion."

Qingxu's expression began to contort.

"The first letter is for Nianqing. Give it to Uncle Liu, and he will forward it."

Qingxu nodded.

"Give the second letter to Qingluan personally."

Qingxu continued to nod, his face beginning to turn pale.

"Then."

Chen Shidu paused for a moment.

"You go with her."

Qingxu's eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.

"Celestial Master!"

His voice cracked.

"Why me again!"

Chen Shidu looked at him with a calm gaze.

"You are the head of the Purple Mansion, with high enough seniority and great influence, so she won't make things too difficult for you."

Qingxu gritted his teeth, stretched out his trembling hand, and stuffed the two letters into his bosom.

"besides."

Chen Shidu added a sentence.

"Take good care of her on the way. Although her cultivation is high, she has been emotionally unstable these days. Don't let her hurt herself."

Qingxu looked at Chen Shidu, remained silent for two seconds, and then clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"I obey."

He turned around, took two steps, and then turned back.

"Master, if I may be so bold as to say something..."

"explain."

Qingxu's expression became unusually serious.

"Miss Su is a good girl. She has been carrying this burden all these years on her own. It hasn't been easy for her."

Chen Shidu nodded.

"I know."

His voice lowered.

That's why we sent her.

"You can only truly let go of what you should let go of once you've seen it with your own eyes."

Qingxu took a deep breath, said no more, and strode out of the hall.

Behind them, the eleven elders looked at each other, their necks hunched, their expressions of relief evident.

……

The capital city. The old residence of the Qi family.

late at night.

The study light was still on.

Qi Zhen sat behind his mahogany desk, a thick stack of documents spread out in front of him.

Photos, screenshots, and text reports were arranged neatly.

He picked up the first one.

Screenshot of trending search.

[#Chen Shidu's First Betrothal Gift: Taiyi Star Paper#] A box worth 20 million, and paper worth 50 million.

[#The Second Dowry Gift: Seven-Star Dharma Lamp#] The foremost of the four sacred artifacts of Taoism.

[#The Third Betrothal Gift: Xuantian Demon-Subduing Stele#] A supreme treasure for suppressing evil for six hundred years.

Each one is followed by the word "explosive".

Qi Zhen flipped to the second copy.

Report from the antique appreciation event.

The photos were taken by his men who mingled among the audience.

In the photo, Qi Liancheng's business partner, Shen Xingzhou, stands on a stage and shouts in front of thousands of people, pointing in the direction of his Qi family.

"My brother-in-law's background is something your Qi family's three generations combined can't match!"

Qi Zhen's fingers tightened, causing deep creases to form along the edges of the photo.

The third one.

Investigation report.

On the night of the incident on the elevated ring road, all surveillance equipment within a two-kilometer radius simultaneously went blank for 4.7 seconds. During this period, no electromagnetic interference was recorded, and subsequent self-tests showed that everything was normal.

[Conclusion: This can be achieved through non-technical means.]

The fourth one.

Background investigation of Master Zhao.

[Zhao, whose real name is unknown, entered Qiliancheng's service three years ago through an intermediary. He claims to be a rogue cultivator from Maoshan, but his actual lineage is unclear. It has been confirmed that he is related to the "Nine Infants" lineage.]

Qi Zhen read through all the documents one by one.

Then he stacked them together and placed them neatly back on the table.

Close your eyes.

The only sound in the study was the ticking of the grandfather clock.

A minute later, he opened his eyes.

There was no anger, no sadness in those eyes.

"Liancheng".

He touched the broken watch on the table.

"Dad will give you an explanation."

He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack.

A night breeze blew in, stirring the documents on the desk.

"That gray-robed Taoist said that his senior brother could kill people, but in the end, his senior brother himself died."

Qi Zhen sneered.

"A bunch of useless trash, trying to use me as a tool."

He turned around and took a spare cell phone from his desk drawer.

I found a number that didn't have a note.

Thumb hovers above the dial key.

"But even waste has its uses."

He pressed the call button.

It rang three times before being answered.

"Mr. Qi."

On the other end was that hoarse, grating voice.

Qi Zhen made no small talk.

"Your senior brother is dead."

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"Mr. Qi is well-informed."

"I don't like being used as a pawn."

Qi Zhen's voice was calm.

"I, Qi Zhen, have been in business for forty years. I can tell at a glance who wants to take advantage of me."

He paused.

"But I don't care."

The person opposite him paused slightly in breathing.

"You have your purposes, and I have my grudges."

Qi Zhen walked back to his desk and sat down.

"We can walk the road together, but I'll set the rules."

"What does Mr. Qi want to do?"

Qi Zhen's gaze fell on the screenshot of Chen Shidu trending on social media.

"He is a member of the Taoist sect. To deal with him, we must use Taoist methods."

"How many people are left in your Nine Infants lineage?"

There was a five-second silence on the other end.

Then the third brother's voice rang out, with a hint of barely suppressed laughter.

"Enough."

"it is good."

Qi Zhen picked up the pen on the table and wrote two words on a piece of white paper.

Shen family.

"I'll provide the money, the manpower, and the intelligence."

"You use magic, you use underhanded methods, you use those shady things."

He put down his pen.

"But there is one condition."

"Mr. Qi, please speak."

Qi Zhen's voice deepened.

"I want to see him die with my own eyes."