Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"It's alright, we can keep it a secret for as long as we can." Wen Long waved his hand, indicating that Han Hu didn't need to worry too much about those things.

"Master, Master! It's a boy! A steward shouted excitedly as he ran towards the courtyard where the master resided. The servants and guards who heard the news were initially stunned, but then their joy was palpable.

"Master, Master! It's a boy! He's been born!" The steward shouted as he ran into the master's courtyard, barging in without even knocking.

The head of the family, Wenmou, who was engrossed in reading at his desk, frowned. This steward was usually so well-behaved; what was wrong with him today? He had barged in. Wenmou looked up coldly at the steward who was now standing before him.

"What happened that made you forget even the most basic courtesy of knocking on the door?" Wenmou closed his book and quietly looked at the panting butler standing in front of his desk.

The butler was chubby and had a menacing look, but in reality, this seemingly unapproachable butler was the most amiable and unpretentious person in the entire Wen family. So Wen Mou didn't urge him, but simply asked his question and then quietly watched the chubby butler, waiting for him to catch his breath and calm down.

After a while, the fat butler finally caught his breath. After taking a deep breath, he hurriedly bowed to Wenmou, who was sitting at the desk, and then quickly repeated what he had said.

"Master, it's a boy, he's been born."

"What! It's born! Quick, let's go!" Wen Mou, who had been looking serious, instantly changed his expression, his joy startling even the fat butler. After all, the head of the family had always held a high position and was used to being aloof. This sudden bright expression was quite a surprise to the butler.

Actually, Wenmou did hear it, but he developed a habit at some point where he would set up a barrier outside his room when he was reading to block out external noise so that he could truly immerse himself in the pleasure of reading.

So when the butler was running around the courtyard shouting, although Wenmou heard someone yelling, he couldn't quite make out what was being shouted outside. This was partly due to the barrier, and partly because Wenmou himself had deliberately chosen to ignore the sounds from the outside.

However, one fact must be acknowledged: Wenmou has grown old. The once energetic and vigorous young man has now turned gray; after all, time waits for no one.

When Wenmou rushed over, the child had already been cleaned and placed in a small swaddle made of rolled-up bedding. The baby was fast asleep, gently held in his mother's arms.

"Master, Master, Master..." When a maid noticed Wenmou's arrival, she quickly bowed in greeting. The other maids, who hadn't seen Wenmou, also turned around and bowed upon hearing the voice. Wenmou ignored them, his eyes shining as he slowly walked to the young woman's side, his gaze filled with doting affection as he silently looked at the peacefully sleeping infant before him.

"Dad, you're here." The young woman looked up and saw that it was Wenmou. She couldn't help but smile at Wenmou, her eyes filled with happiness.

"Yes, yes, Ling'er, you should rest well and don't overwork yourself." Wen Mou nodded quickly and whispered his advice.

"Hey, where is he?" After looking at the baby still in swaddling clothes with affection, Wenmou seemed to remember something and looked around.

"Dad, he hasn't come back yet. He should be back in a couple of days." The new mother, whom Wenmou called Ling'er, looked at the baby in her arms, smiled sweetly, and answered Wenmou's question.

"This child, I should have never let him go out. Now look what happened, he wasn't even by your side when the child was born. My good daughter-in-law has suffered all this for nothing." Wenmou sighed after hearing Ling'er's reply. The child's father was away because Wenmou had sent him out on business, but he never expected that such a thing would happen while he was away.

"It's alright, Father. I understand. The family needs him, so it's only right that he goes out. It's alright, he'll be back in a couple of days, and we'll see him soon." Seeing Wenmou's face full of self-reproach, Ling'er quickly smiled and comforted him to make him feel better.

"Quickly! Go and call Uncle Huang over." Hearing his daughter-in-law Ling'er's words, Wenmou nodded, his expression finally softening a bit. Just then, as if remembering something, Wenmou suddenly shouted an order to the servant standing at the door.

"Yes, Master, I'll take care of it right away." The young servant standing at the door quickly bowed and agreed, not daring to disobey Wen Mou's orders.

"No need, I'm already here." A steady, deep voice came from outside. Yes, that's right, it was Old Huang.

Although decades have passed, Lao Huang doesn't look much older and still walks with the brisk pace of a young man.

"Old Huang." The servant bowed deeply and greeted him respectfully as soon as Old Huang appeared at the door, not daring to be negligent in the slightest. What a joke! That was his grandfather's generation.

As before, Old Huang gave a soft "hmm" and then helped the servant who had bent over to his feet before walking up to Wenmou.

"Uncle Huang." Old Huang slowly walked up to Wenmou, and Wenmou bowed slightly to him. "Uncle Huang, how did you know Ling'er's baby was born today?" Wenmou asked curiously, because Old Huang usually didn't care about such things, and when other children were born, Old Huang hadn't arrived before Wenmou called him.

Old Huang didn't immediately answer Wenmou's question. He simply stepped forward, gently parted the swaddling clothes of the baby, and took a closer look. Then, his eyes revealed a complex mix of emotions: excitement, reluctance, and sadness.

"I found out about the baby's birth through Old Wen's loud voice." Old Huang turned his gaze away and smiled at the plump butler standing to the side. Wen Mou was taken aback at first, but immediately realized what he meant and laughed as well. Butler Wen was good in every way, except for his exceptionally loud voice, a fact known to everyone in the Wen household.

"Besides this matter, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you." Old Huang's expression turned serious.

"Uncle Huang, please speak."

"This child, let's call him Wenlong."

Chapter 1245 Wenlong

"I found out about the baby's birth through Old Wen's loud voice." Old Huang turned his gaze away and smiled at the plump butler standing to the side. Wen Mou was taken aback at first, but immediately realized what he meant and laughed as well. Butler Wen was good in every way, except for his exceptionally loud voice, a fact known to everyone in the Wen household.

"Uncle Huang, what do you think of this child?" Wenmou paused for a moment, then looked with a grin at Old Huang, who was standing to the side, also beaming. Upon hearing this, everyone present turned their attention to Old Huang.

"That's why I came to see you today. Besides this matter, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you." Old Huang's expression turned serious.

"Uncle Huang, let's go this way." Wenmou noticed that Old Huang's gaze and expression had become serious. He also suppressed his smile; he knew that Old Huang wouldn't look so serious unless it was something very important.

"Uncle Huang, tell me, is there anything you need me to do?" After pulling Old Huang aside, Wenmou looked at him with a serious expression and a furrowed brow. He was eager to know what had happened to make Old Huang look like this, an expression he hadn't seen in many years.

"This child, let's call him Wenlong." Old Huang stared intently into Wenmou's eyes for a long while before finally moving his lips and uttering those words directly.

"What?" Clearly, Wenmou was taken aback when he heard Lao Huang say that. Wenlong, that was Wenmou's father's name. For a long while, Wenmou was too shocked to speak, or rather, he didn't know what to say.

"Is this really... okay, Uncle Huang?" Wenmou stared at Old Huang in astonishment for a long time without saying a word. After a while, Wenmou finally digested the impact of Old Huang's words and murmured his question.

"Mou'er, do you believe in reincarnation?" Old Huang didn't answer Wenmou's question directly, but instead turned to look out the window. His eyes were deep, yet carried a hint of unfathomable sorrow. Old Huang stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at a distant spot outside the window, a place that seemed so far away, so distant it left him feeling somewhat lost.

"I...I don't know. Sometimes I hope it's true, but other times I know it's wishful thinking. After all, people aren't gods; once they die, they die. What reincarnation is there?" Hearing Lao Huang's words, Wenmou lowered his head, smiled helplessly, and shook his head gently.

“Mou’er, you don’t believe me. But this old codger does.” Old Huang was silent for a while. “Do you know why I came in such a hurry today?”

"Uncle Huang, I don't know." Wenmou honestly shook his head, because he genuinely didn't know why Old Huang had arrived so quickly this time, and he hadn't even notified Old Huang beforehand. The whole "Butler Wen's loud voice" thing was just an excuse. Wenmou knew these things very well; Old Huang wouldn't allow anyone to disturb him while he was cultivating. Unless Butler Wen's cultivation level was higher than Old Huang's, getting Old Huang to hear him was simply a pipe dream.

"Actually, I already knew when the previous children were born, but this child's birth time is too coincidental. If there is no reincarnation in this world," Old Huang said calmly.

"So, Uncle Huang, what do you mean..." After being reminded by Lao Huang, Wenmou seemed to remember something, and suddenly his eyes widened, looking at Lao Huang standing to his side with disbelief.

"My elder brother was born at the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) and Zi (11 PM-1 AM). Think about what day it is today." Old Huang ignored Wenmou's expression and said this indifferently.

"It's Hai Shi now, and just now it was Zi Zheng..." Wen Mou murmured for a moment, then suddenly became shocked.

"Uncle Huang, you mean... this child was transferred from my father..." Wenmou couldn't continue; he really couldn't finish his sentence.

"I don't know, but it's too much of a coincidence, don't you think?" Old Huang shook his head gently.

For a moment, the two were speechless, unsure of what to say next.

“I’ll teach this child from now on.” After a while, Old Huang turned around and said this to Wenmou. Wenmou slowly nodded and said nothing more.

Old Huang nodded to Wenmou, said nothing more, and turned back to check on the child. Wenmou stood still, staring blankly at Old Huang's retreating figure and the child in Ling'er's arms.

After gently covering Wenlong with the quilt, Han Hu turned around, walked to the door, and quietly closed it.

But Han Hu didn't rush to leave the door. Instead, he stood there quietly, frozen in place. After a while, he nodded and walked back to Wen Long's bedside. He pretended to tuck Wen Long in and then gently patted the unconscious Wen Long without making a sound.

This slap had a significant impact. Wen Long, who had clearly fallen into a coma, sat up abruptly, his eyes gleaming with a chilling light that was impossible to look directly at, a stark contrast to his previous weak and pale appearance.

"So, is everything settled?" Wen Long asked Han Hu in front of him with a serious expression.

"Yes, everything is taken care of. Now we just wait for the results." Han Hu didn't show any surprise on his face; he simply nodded and replied.

"Hopefully, nothing goes wrong this time." After hearing Han Hu's words, Wen Long nodded slowly and gently.

"But, Your Highness, what about the old patriarch?" Han Hu pondered for a moment.

"It's alright, we can keep it a secret for as long as we can." Wen Long waved his hand, indicating that Han Hu didn't need to worry too much about those things.

"Let's get ready. We need to hurry up and start preparing to implement the plan." After a pause, Wenlong considered for a moment, then got up from the bed, slowly walked to the tea table, poured himself a glass of water, and took a small sip.

"Han Hu, come here." Wen Long stopped abruptly after walking quickly for a while, turned around and called out to the person who had been following him.

"Yes, Your Highness, what are your orders?" Han Hu hurriedly bowed and answered when he heard Wen Long calling him.

"Han Hu, lift your head, I have something for you to do." Wen Long looked at Han Hu, who was bent over in front of him, thought for a moment, and then took two steps forward to speak to Han Hu.

Upon hearing Wen Long's words, Han Hu immediately straightened up. Wen Long took a step forward and whispered in Han Hu's ear,

"Come back to the courtyard with me first, and when no one is paying attention to you, immediately go find him. Tell him that I have released him and the plan is proceeding as originally planned for now. Tell him to be careful. Also, tell him to pay close attention to the people around him. I will take care of the follow-up matters as soon as possible."

After speaking, Wen Long took a step back, his gaze returning to Han Hu. Han Hu looked at Wen Long and nodded slightly, indicating that he had remembered.

"Okay, then you must be careful and come back quickly, okay?" Wenlong nodded and instructed.

Wen Long nodded slightly, his eyes glancing inadvertently at a patch of low grass not far away. Then he let out a heavy hum, turned around, and continued walking towards his courtyard. Han Hu saw Wen Long leave and quickly followed behind him.

Not long after, Wen Long and Han Hu entered Wen Long's courtyard one after the other. Wen Long didn't say anything or make any gesture, but simply went straight into his house. Han Hu, on the other hand, turned around and closed the courtyard gate. Everything was so natural and casual.

Without warning, Han Hu slightly raised his head, a fleeting glint of light flashing in his eyes. And all of that happened in the blink of an eye; no one could react in time.

After Han Hu closed the courtyard gate and went inside, Wen Long, who had been standing, finally sat down, picked up the teapot placed to the side, poured two cups of water, placed one cup in front of Han Hu, and picked up the other cup to drink.

After a short while, Wenlong put down his teacup and looked at Han Hu sitting opposite him.

“In a few days, we plan to go to Linghai City to visit Old Huang and, while we’re at it, investigate that person.” When Wenlong spoke of Old Huang, a hint of sadness crept into his eyes.

"Your Highness, are you sure you want to do this?" Han Hu hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Wen Long sitting opposite him. It was clear from his face that he seemed a little hesitant.

"Do you have a better way?" Wenlong smiled bitterly.

"Do you think Uncle Wenxiang's defection from the Wen family was a coincidence? It's really hard to say for sure. You know, the Wen family is not what it used to be." Wen Long paused for a moment, then continued.

"I know, Your Highness, but you also know this. Taking this step could be a step to heaven or a step to hell," Han Hu still reminded him.

“I know, but whether it’s heaven or hell ahead, I’ve taken this step and there’s no turning back. I think it’s time for a major purge of the Wen family.” As Wen Long said this, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

"Alright, if you've really thought it through, then go for it. I'll support you unconditionally." Han Hu nodded. Since Wen Long had already made up his mind, Han Hu didn't say anything more. After all, Han Hu wasn't particularly concerned about the dangers of the situation.

Han Hu's only concern was that nothing unexpected would happen to Wen Long, and he also didn't want anything else to happen to Wen Long in the future.

"Mou'er, I'll go with Long'er to Linghai City this time." Old Huang pushed open Wenmou's door and slowly walked to Wenmou's desk.

"Uncle Huang, come, sit down." As soon as Wenmou heard Old Huang's voice, he immediately stood up from his desk, walked around the desk to Old Huang, and gently helped him up.

Actually, saying he was helping him up was just a formality; he didn't really lift him up. Although Old Huang was old, he was still very healthy and didn't need anyone to help him at all. But out of courtesy, and also out of Wenmou's affection for Old Huang, Wenmou would still instinctively reach out to help him up.

After Lao Huang sat down at the tea table, Wenmou picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for both Lao Huang and himself. He then respectfully placed the tea in front of Lao Huang and waited until he was seated before he began to speak.

“Uncle Huang, why did you suddenly decide to go to Linghai City with Long’er? Long’er is not young anymore, he can handle it by himself.”

“I know Long’er can handle it, but I have a feeling I really need to go to Linghai City.” Old Huang’s expression was very serious.

“But Uncle Huang, you’re getting old, and it’s such a long way. I’m mainly worried about tiring you out. Although we cultivators are generally very healthy, time waits for no one. Besides…” Wenmou suddenly stopped there and didn’t continue.