Master Kong Chan shook his head and looked at Xuan Chi, saying, "Based on the method of destiny derivation, the Eight Characters of Mr. Xia’s daughter indeed indicates an early death, with a calamity at sixteen! However, this calamity is not too severe, provided she meets the one with her Red Simurgh Star Fortune. But within the Red Simurgh Star Fortune, there is yet another calamity, thus two calamities overlapping, and she won’t live past twenty-four! To speak of it, this fate is rather strange, fraught with peril, yet it also bears the sign of a Phoenix Nirvana, where death leads to rebirth. Even I, the old monk, cannot fully comprehend it!"

Xuan Chi was surprised, "Master means that the Jianghu imposter pretending to be you wasn’t wrong in his calculation?"

Master Kong Chan mildly reproved, "If people defame me, deceive me, insult me, ridicule me, despise me, slight me, hate me, mock me, I shall merely endure him, tolerate him, overlook him, evade him, contend with him, respect him, and ignore him! A monk should not speak ill, Xuan Chi, do not be rude!"

Xuan Chi raised one hand in salute and murmured, "Amitabha Buddha!"

Yet his curiosity lingered, so he couldn’t help but ask again, "Then what about the Jianghu imposter... how will Master deal with this person tarnishing your name?"

Master Kong Chan smiled meaningfully, "Everything in the world is governed by fate and karma, why bother to care?"

Xuan Chi was puzzled, "But Master, this person is using your name to deceive the world!"

"As I’ve said, whether it’s deception remains debatable, as for the name, there are many with the same name across the world!"

"Master..."

"Alright, alright, a monk seeks emptiness in all things, you’re too engrossed!"

Xuan Chi looked at his master, who remained unmoved, feeling a bit helpless; his master was just such a character, never burdening his mind with matters, transcending worldly concerns, is this the true man beyond worldly affairs?

Observing his master’s calm expression, as if nothing had just happened, Xuan Chi swallowed back what he was going to say; his master had mentioned that deep knowledge of the Buddhist Law leads to clarity in worldly matters!

It seems that his own understanding is too shallow to grasp his master’s realm!

On the third day that Xia Wanqing returned excitedly from the Bodhi Temple, his mischievous son Xia Sichen followed suit shortly after.

Seeing this son of his, as elusive as a dragon that shows its face but not its body, Xia Wanqing’s expression cracked a little. He remembered searching the mountain for him when he descended, yet couldn’t find a trace of the rascal; now he had suddenly appeared from the ground, was he a spawn of the Earth Gravitational Sun?

Annoyed, he said, "Brat, what are you doing in the Capital City?"

Xia Sichen lounged carelessly on the chair, one foot raised high while the other dangled, grinning, "Shouldn’t I be asking you, Father? You took the villagers down the mountain and came to this place, the Capital City isn’t Haotian Village’s territory. Do you really want to be at Huangfu Yuxuan’s service? Father, don’t forget your original intention, we people of Jianghu don’t interfere with Court matters!"

Xia Wanqing glared at him, "He’s your brother-in-law!"

"My sister isn’t married; where did the brother-in-law come from?"

"Even if not married, he’s still a brother-in-law!"

"Did my sister admit it? Did I admit it?" Xia Sichen rolled his eyes.

Xia Wanqing was infuriated by his attitude, scolding, "You impudent brat, in matters of marriage, it’s the parents’ orders and the matchmakers’ word, is it your place to speak?"

Xia Sichen widened his eyes in disbelief, looking at Xia Wanqing like a spurned, resentful woman, his voice full of reproach, "Father, you said you wouldn’t force Wenjin, you said even if she had only a year to live, you’d let her live happily and stress-free in that year! But knowing she doesn’t want to marry Huangfu Yuxuan, why do you still force her?"

Xia Wanqing’s face darkened listening to this, he sized him up and said, "So, would you rather watch your sister die?"

Xia Sichen sighed, "Father, I thought we had no secrets and would speak freely, I didn’t expect you to hide from me! Wenjin’s calamity at sixteen was clearly resolved, yet you kept it from me, Father, so this is the kind of father you are!"

Xia Wanqing felt a flush on his face as his son stripped him of his pretense, but looking at Xia Sichen’s expression, full of lament, reproach, disappointment, and hurt, he couldn’t help but be amused even while annoyed, he scolded, "Brat, you’re overacting! Playing this game in front of your father, you’re still too green!"

An impudent rascal slouching with no proper posture, playing at being aggrieved and sentimental; if he hadn’t seen it, he’d have almost been taken in by this brat.

Not knowing who this brat takes after, launching into drama at the smallest disagreement.

Xia Sichen rolled his eyes, "Father, stop diverting the subject, Wenjin’s calamity at sixteen is resolved, why force her to marry someone she doesn’t want to marry?"

Xia Wanqing vexedly retorted, "What do you know, brat? How was Wenjin’s calamity at sixteen resolved? It was because she met Young Master Yu."

"By your logic, Huangfu Yuxuan is the remedy?"

Xia Wanqing, "I asked Master Kong Chan at the Bodhi Temple, her calamity could only be resolved by meeting her destined Red Simurgh person, so if not Young Master Yu, who else could it be?"

"Not necessarily!" Xia Sichen argued, "Don’t forget, Wenjin spent over a year in the Jianghu, she has encountered perhaps a thousand, at least eight hundred people; how do you know Young Master Yu is her destined Red Simurgh person? Maybe it’s someone else?"

"That’s impossible," Xia Wanqing said firmly, "Don’t forget, their Eight Characters are a match made in heaven."

Xia Sichen dismissed, "That’s not absolute; what if someone else also has Eight Characters that match hers? Don’t credit everything to Young Master Yu, I don’t think that guy’s a good sort. Clearly an Imperial Grandson, yet he deceived us saying he was a merchant’s son, our people couldn’t even track him in the Capital City, if we hadn’t been vigilant, wouldn’t we have been duped?"

Xia Wanqing knocked on his head, "That’s called caution; think about it, Royal Family descendants tread carefully, and when out in the world, of course, they’re prudent. We of Jianghu are already so, let alone him!"

Xia Sichen said, "Anyway, I can’t let Wenjin suffer, if Wenjin disagrees, no one can force her! Father, getting entangled in Royal Family disputes brings no benefits, you’ve been too rash!"

Xia Wanqing sighed and glanced at him, "You think I want to get involved? Isn’t it because Wenjin doesn’t agree to the marriage? We at Haotian Village are already in the wrong; now that Young Master Yu offers a little help, how can we not aid in return?"

Xia Sichen’s perceptive eyes fell on Xia Wanqing, "Father, is it really just because of guilt? Is there no other motive?"

Xia Wanqing immediately widened his eyes, "Brat, what other motive? What are you insinuating?"