Chapter 773 Red Mountain Sanatorium

Xu Wuyi pushed open the courtyard door and walked out.

Outside, Song Qingwu’s butler, Mr. Zhou, was waiting by the entrance. Seeing Xu Wuyi emerge, he immediately stepped forward to greet him, his attitude even more respectful than when they had arrived.

“Grandmaster Xu, I will see you out.”

Xu Wuyi followed him. They traced their way back along the same path, passing through several moon gates and winding along the zigzagging corridor. The night had deepened. The surroundings were pitch black and silent, save for the occasional chirp of insects. A few lights glowed in the distant buildings, looking exceptionally warm in the darkness.

Upon reaching the tall iron gates, Mr. Zhou came to a halt. He stepped aside and made a polite gesture of invitation.

“Grandmaster Xu, the car is ready and waiting outside. The driver will take you wherever you need to go.”

Xu Wuyi nodded and stepped through the iron gates. A black commercial vehicle was parked outside, a uniformed driver standing beside it. The moment the driver saw Xu Wuyi, he opened the car door and stood respectfully to the side.

Rather than getting in immediately, Xu Wuyi stood by the curb and glanced back at the gates. The quaint, antique plaque hanging above them was somewhat blurred in the night, but the characters for “Song Villa” remained clearly visible.

At the Song family’s residence.

Song Yi was still sitting by the stone table, slowly sipping from his cup of cold tea. Hearing footsteps, he lifted his eyelids to glance at Song Qingwu.

“Is he gone?”

Song Qingwu nodded and came to a stop in front of him.

“Go call Xingxian over.”

Song Qingwu paused for a moment before nodding and turning to leave the courtyard.

A moment later, a young figure followed Song Qingwu inside. The man appeared to be in his early twenties. He had handsome features, a tall and straight posture, and wore a dark blue cultivation suit. He was none other than Song Xingxian, one of the most outstanding descendants of the Song Family’s current generation.

He walked up to the stone table and respectfully bowed to Song Yi. “Sixth Granduncle.”

Song Yi looked at him, his gaze lingering on the young man’s face for a few seconds before he nodded. “Sit.”

Song Xingxian took a seat on the adjacent stone stool. He kept his back ramrod straight, his eyes fixed on Song Yi as he waited for him to speak.

Song Yi didn’t speak right away. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and set it down. The tea had long since gone cold, but he didn’t seem to mind. “How has your cultivation been lately?”

Song Xingxian answered truthfully, “Thanks to your blessing, Sixth Granduncle, my progress has been fairly smooth. I just mastered the third layer of the Galaxy Sword Manual last month and am currently attempting to break through to the fourth layer.”

Song Yi nodded, a hint of satisfaction showing on his face. “Not bad. That’s faster than your father was back in the day.

“But don’t get arrogant. The path of Martial Arts is long, and you are only just beginning. You still have a long way to go. You must tread steadily and build a solid foundation.”

Song Xingxian listened intently and nodded. “I will keep your teachings to heart, Sixth Granduncle.”

Song Yi looked at him. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly asked, “Do you know of Xu Wuyi?”

Song Xingxian was slightly taken aback, but he nodded. “I do. He’s the youngest Grandmaster in Federation history, and he’s in the same cohort as us. During the previous youth tournament, both my older brother and I lost to him. In that battle, I couldn’t even block a single strike of his spear.”

He spoke in a calm tone, entirely devoid of bitterness, as if he were merely stating an objective fact.

Song Yi gave a noncommittal hum, his gaze growing more profound.

“There’s no shame in losing to him. That boy is an anomaly; he can’t be judged by conventional standards. But you must remember—losing once doesn’t matter. What matters is what you do after you lose.

“From today onward, you need to put even more effort into your cultivation. Practice for two extra hours every day to make your foundation even more solid. Strive to completely master the fourth layer of the Galaxy Sword Manual by the end of this year.”

Song Xingxian felt somewhat confused upon hearing this. He didn’t understand why his Sixth Granduncle was suddenly bringing this up or demanding that he work harder. But he didn’t ask any questions; he simply nodded.

“Yes, I understand.”

Song Yi looked at him, his eyes carrying a bit of gratification as well as a mix of complex emotions. He knew Song Xingxian didn’t understand, but he didn’t need the boy to understand. He only needed him to follow his instructions, to work hard, and to grow stronger.

He waved a hand dismissively. “Go on. Focus on your cultivation.”

Song Xingxian stood up, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave the courtyard.

Song Qingwu stood to the side, watching the young man’s figure vanish into the night before turning back to look at Song Yi. “Sixth Granduncle, what are you…”

Song Yi picked up his teacup and took a slow sip.

“Zheng Mingchuan is a dead man walking. He risked his life these past few years to pave the way for his youngest son, but it will all end up being a pipe dream.

“Fan Chongguang is a man who refuses to tolerate any foul play. Once he learns the truth of the matter, the Zhou family won’t get off lightly either. The Logistics Committee is going to face a major reshuffle.

“As for the Green Shoot Project, Xingxian can compete for a spot. And you should also have our people ready to take over the Zhou Family’s remaining properties.”

Song Qingwu nodded, saying nothing more. The courtyard fell quiet once again, save for the rustling of the bamboo leaves in the night breeze.

Sitting by the stone table, Song Yi stared at the clusters of tall bamboo. Suddenly, he spoke again, “After this is over, resign and come back to work for the family.”

This meant asking Song Qingwu to completely abandon his official government position. Even though he had braced himself for this, he still harbored a sliver of wishful thinking now that the moment had arrived.

“Sixth Granduncle, perhaps I can wait a little longer?”

Song Yi merely shot him a cold glare. “Wait for what? Wait for someone to use this incident to dig a trap for you?

“Qingwu, you must remember this clearly: if we can use Xu Wuyi to deal with the Zhou Family today, there is no guarantee that others won’t take a leaf out of our playbook and use the same tactic against us tomorrow.”