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

"thump!"

The sound of knees hitting the carpet echoed in the living room.

Song Changfeng's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

Song Changlin's eyes widened.

Song Yun gasped.

Shen Xingzhou's jaw was agape, and he didn't close it for a long time.

Shen Zhengting frowned, his eyes revealing extreme shock.

Chen Xiaoyu covered her mouth tightly, while Lin Keke grabbed her arm and dug her fingers into her flesh.

Shen Nianqing sat in the main seat.

There was no gasp, no getting up.

His gaze swept calmly over Zhou Xiuqing, who was kneeling on the ground, before turning to look at Su Qingluan beside him.

Su Qingluan put down the celadon teacup in her hand.

He stood up and smoothed the hem of his white casual clothes.

He walked slowly to Zhou Xiuqing.

Looking down at this master of traditional Chinese music with a full head of silver hair.

"My senior master, out of a moment of kindness, allowed you to listen in outside the cave for fifteen days."

Zhou Xiuqing lay on the ground, her shoulders trembling violently, tears streaming down her face.

"With just these fifteen days of basic knowledge, you have established this foundation in the secular world and preserved this legacy."

Su Qingluan bent down slightly, stretched out her hands, and supported Zhou Xiuqing's arms.

"That shows you put your heart into it. Get up."

Zhou Xiuqing stood up with the help of the force.

She dared not look Su Qingluan in the eye, and simply wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve.

"Young Master."

Zhou Xiuqing's voice was hoarse, filled with undisguised fervor.

"My greatest wish in this life is to be able to kowtow to the Tianyin Pavilion with dignity, for I wish to be recognized as a member of the Song family! The entire Song family is willing to offer incense to the Tianyin Pavilion for generations to come!"

To acknowledge one's ancestors and return to one's roots.

This means that the Song family's century-old foundation will be directly incorporated into the Tianyin Pavilion.

But no one in the Song family dared to voice their opposition.

The Nine Heavens Phoenix Melody Zither sat on the coffee table; it represented a level of sophistication that they were not even qualified to look up to it.

Su Qingluan withdrew her hand.

"The rules of Tianyin Pavilion are strict. The outer disciples need the Pavilion Master's approval to be included in the roster."

"I can't make a decision."

The light in Zhou Xiuqing's eyes dimmed instantly, and her body swayed slightly.

"but."

Su Qingluan changed the subject.

Zhou Xiuqing suddenly raised her head.

"In a while, Tianyin Pavilion will hold a grand ceremony."

Su Qingluan spoke calmly.

"I can give the Song family three places to attend the ceremony. You can ask the Pavilion Master for them yourself."

Zhou Xiuqing's withered hands clenched tightly.

Three spots available for attending the ceremony!

This was the first time in sixty years that the Song family had the opportunity to truly set foot in that legendary place.

"Thank you, Young Master! Thank you, Young Master!"

Zhou Xiuqing was about to kneel down again.

Su Qingluan raised her hand to stop her.

"We are guests of the Shen family today, so put away your formalities."

Zhou Xiuqing nodded repeatedly, then turned to look at Shen Nianqing with a deep sense of awe in her eyes.

She lived for seventy years; she was the most shrewd of all.

The young master of Tianyin Pavilion's attitude towards this worldly woman was definitely not ordinary.

"Madam Song, please have a seat."

Shen Nianqing spoke up at the opportune moment and gave instructions to the steward.

"Uncle Liu, bring out fresh tea. Also, tell the kitchen to prepare lunch."

Everyone sat down again.

The atmosphere eased considerably.

The Song family members still only dared to sit on a third of the sofa, but the tension on their faces had turned into barely suppressed excitement.

Shen Xingzhou sat on a single sofa, holding his phone in his hand.

The screen remained lit, and messages kept popping up.

"The Ho family's financial chain has completely broken down, and all three listed companies have suspended trading."

"The Lu family's three core warehouses in the eastern suburbs have been seized, and the Wang family has cut off all logistics channels."

Lin Peisheng declared that if the development rights to the Jianglan project are not handed over by 3 PM, Shen's Group's stock will plummet to its daily limit tomorrow.

A fine layer of cold sweat seeped from Shen Xingzhou's forehead.

He gasped for breath and replied to several commands, but they all went unanswered.

The Jiangcheng business community has been terrified by the two powerful families in Beijing, and no one dares to take over the Shen family's business at this time.

Shen Xingzhou suddenly stood up.

The movement was too large, knocking over the coffee table next to it, spilling tea all over the floor.

All eyes turned to them.

"Big brother?"

Shen Nianqing looked at him.

"Madam Song, Miss Su."

Shen Xingzhou's face was ashen, and he forced out an apologetic smile.

"Something urgent has come up at the company, and I have to go take care of it. Excuse me."

After saying that, he grabbed his coat and strode out.

Song Changfeng sat on the sofa, watching Shen Xingzhou's hurried departure, his eyes flickering slightly.

He turned and exchanged a glance with his mother, Zhou Xiuqing.

Zhou Xiuqing held her teacup and nodded gently.

The luncheon was held at Shen's Restaurant.

The food was plentiful, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely.

The Song family members dared not act presumptuously in front of Su Qingluan, and ate their meal in a very proper manner.

After the meal, everyone moved to the sunroom in the back garden.

Shen Nianqing had a guzheng brought over.

"Madam Song, I have long heard of the Song family's unparalleled skill in playing the zither. Today is a rare occasion; I wonder if I would have the honor of hearing it?"

Shen Nianqing made the suggestion with a smile.

Zhou Xiuqing was flattered and waved her hands repeatedly.

"In front of the young master, how dare the Song family show off their meager skills? However, since Miss Shen has spoken, Yun'er, go and play a tune, and ask the young master for some pointers."

Song Yun took a deep breath and stood up.

I walked up to the guzheng, washed my hands, and sat down.

This is a common rosewood guzheng on the market, far inferior to the Song family's collection.

But the moment Song Yun's hands touched the strings, her entire demeanor changed.

Fingertips flick.

A melody of "High Mountains and Flowing Water" flowed through the sunroom.

The technique is skillful, the notes are lively, and every transition is handled perfectly.

As expected of the leading figure of the younger generation of the Song family, this piece of music displayed a great deal of style.

Chen Xiaoyu and Lin Keke sat in the corner, listening intently.

"That sounds really good."

Chen Xiaoyu lowered her voice.

"It's even better than those masters I've heard on TV before."

Lin Keke nodded repeatedly.

"That hand speed, that rhythm, it's amazing."

The song ended.

The lingering sound echoed around the beam.

Song Yun removed her hands from the strings, stood up, and looked at Su Qingluan with some trepidation.

Su Qingluan leaned back in the rattan chair, holding a glass of water in her hand.

He looked at Song Yun and remained silent for a moment.

"The body is gathered, but the spirit is scattered."

Su Qingluan uttered five words.

Song Yun's face turned pale.

"You are too focused on the elegance of your fingering and the absolute precision of your pitch."

Su Qingluan's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Song Yun's heart.

"Music is a natural thing. If you are thinking about how to show off your skills and how not to make mistakes, then the music will be full of craftsmanship. If you are too craftsmanship, you will not be able to enter the true path."

Su Qingluan extended her right hand and flicked her index finger lightly in mid-air.

"Clang!"

Without touching the strings, one of the strings on the guzheng automatically emitted a clear and crisp sound.

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried an ethereal quality that pierced the soul.

Song Yun was jolted awake, as if struck by a sudden enlightenment.

She looked at the string that was still trembling slightly and bent down deeply.

"Thank you for your guidance, Young Master."

Song Yun's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement.

Zhou Xiuqing watched from the side, feeling greatly gratified.

This single piece of advice is worth ten years of diligent practice in Song Dynasty poetry.

It was evening.

The Song family members rose to take their leave.

Shen Nianqing personally escorted him to the front gate.

The black Maybach convoy slowly drove away from the Shen family villa.

Genting Hotel, penthouse presidential suite.

Zhou Xiuqing sat on the leather sofa.

The humility and fervor on his face had completely vanished.

Instead, there was the iron-fisted and ruthless rule that had governed the Song family for decades.

Song Changfeng stood in front of her, holding an urgent briefing that had just been delivered.

"Have you found out?"