Chapter 48: Melodramatic Tales of the Past

By the time they left Yama’s Ravine, it was already the latter half of the night.

Zhang Kai immediately leapt away, heading straight for the village.

He slipped quietly back into the old house’s bedroom, sat cross-legged, and began to undress for bed.

At home, Zhang Kai still wanted to appear like an ordinary person, for he didn’t know how much longer he could live such a life.

He soon fell into a peaceful sleep.

Meanwhile, Lady Liu wandered throughout the old house. Her body was small, but no height could hinder her. In no time, she had already managed to glean some basic information.

She could move freely within a hundred-meter radius around Zhang Kai. Beyond that range, a vague sense of dread arose, as if stepping outside that distance would bring upon her the most terrifying threat imaginable.

This threat compelled Lady Liu to look up at the sky.

The night sky was filled with twinkling stars, drifting dark clouds, and a gentle breeze. The sky was beautiful, yet unremarkable.

Nothing could be seen, but the looming threat was unmistakably real.

“What on earth is it?” Lady Liu murmured to herself, her eyes filled with a strange reverence.

This force, which drove gods and demons alike into hiding or transformed them into forbidden entities, had never revealed its true form. It was only known as a great terror, a calamity that covered all things, from which no living being was spared.

Lady Liu cast another deep glance at the old house’s bedroom.

Could this young man be the one to set me free?

She had no other choice. To remain hidden in the fault lines of the earth would drain too much of her spiritual merit. Without him, perhaps she could not last much longer.

In the face of calamity, all living things are weak.

Time slipped by.

Dawn arrived.

When Zhang Kai woke, he had Lady Liu hide in his mouth, then headed out to the ancestral hall where his great-uncle’s body lay in state.

Although only a shell remained, the funeral rites were still important. They were not just an act of respect for elders, but a cherished tradition—a ritual of filial piety. If everything is simplified, people will slowly change, and relationships will lose their meaning.

Even the ban on firecrackers during the New Year hinted at this change.

As noon approached, his mother arrived with his younger brother and sister.

His brother, Zhang Yue, was quiet, gentle, and somewhat resembled their mother—fair-skinned and handsome, with a cool and aloof demeanor.

His sister, Zhang Yao, was lively and sweet-tongued, calling for her big brother as soon as she saw him, demanding to be picked up, which made Zhang Kai very happy.

Taking the opportunity, Zhang Kai activated the talismans he had extracted from Lady Liu with his own energy, placing them on his mother, brother, and sister, shielding them from his own curse.

His mother, busy helping with the arrangements, handed her phone to Zhang Yao so she wouldn’t cause trouble, and asked Zhang Kai to watch over her.

But Zhang Yao, being cute and charming, was quickly surrounded by relatives and friends, making Zhang Kai’s supervision unnecessary. Soon, she had joined a few other children in gaming together.

The day passed slowly in the heavy atmosphere.

According to custom, funerals lasted three days.

That meant tomorrow, his great-uncle’s body would be taken for cremation and burial.

But Zhang Kai noticed that his great-uncle’s two sons still hadn’t arrived.

This displeased him greatly.

No matter what had happened between them, he was still their father!

How could they be so heartless?

Didn’t they fear their own children would treat them the same way one day?

Around eight or nine in the evening, as Zhang Kai was supervising his siblings with their homework, he saw his mother rush into the old house, her face clouded with anger.

“What’s wrong, Mom?” Zhang Kai asked, puzzled.

“Those two heartless cousins of yours finally showed up. I thought maybe their consciences were pricked, but no—those two bastards only came for a relic your great-uncle left behind. Now they’re arguing with your father. Really, I don’t even know what to say anymore. Our Zhang family has always had good people—how did we end up with two such scoundrels?” His mother was still fuming, cursing through gritted teeth.

Zhang Kai frowned and asked, “Mom, what exactly happened between those two cousins and Great-Uncle? Can you tell me?”

His mother thought for a moment and said, “I suppose there’s no harm in telling you now. Actually, those two aren’t your great-uncle’s biological sons. Your great-aunt was once a girl in distress, and your great-uncle rescued her. He fell head over heels in love with her—she was beautiful, and he was completely smitten. But she was already someone else’s wife and pregnant, though she never revealed her identity. All your elders were against it, but your great-uncle was stubborn as a mule, especially after your great-grandfather died—no one could talk him out of it. So the rest of the family gave up.”

Zhang Kai was stunned. “No way. That’s so dramatic!”

His mother continued, “It gets even more dramatic. Your great-uncle treated those two as his own, doted on them endlessly. Your great-aunt was deeply moved, never spoke of her past, and dedicated herself to him. She made those boys true members of the Zhang family, to care for your great-uncle in his old age. Sadly, after her ordeal, her health was poor and she died young. When her belongings were sorted after her death, the boys found something that revealed the truth. They turned against your great-uncle, saying she had left behind a relic proving her identity. Since they weren’t truly Zhangs, they felt no loyalty to our family’s values. They actually forced your great-uncle to hand over the item so they could trace their roots. Can you believe it? Maybe hiding the truth was unfair, but he raised them for over twenty years! And they want to renounce the Zhang name? What kind of people do that?”

“Is there really such a relic?” Zhang Kai asked.

“There is,” his mother replied, “but it’ll probably disappoint those two scoundrels—or even frighten them.” As she said this, a mocking smile appeared on her face.

“Oh?” Zhang Kai was intrigued. “Mom, have you seen it?”

“Of course. Your great-uncle gave it to your father for safekeeping. I found it by chance while sorting things—just a letter in your great-aunt’s handwriting, quite beautiful. That’s how I learned she was from a noble family, but also rather unfortunate.” Her tone was tinged with pity.

Zhang Kai’s curiosity flared. “Mom, I want to see it too.”

“You can’t. Your father took it, and he’s discussing it with those two scoundrels now. He told them they’d have to kneel all night before your great-uncle’s spirit if they wanted it.” His mother sighed.

Zhang Kai was disappointed. “Well, at least tell me what it says.”

His mother hesitated, then said, “There’s no harm now. Their real father was the son of a traitorous businessman. When his crimes were exposed, he was hunted down. Your great-aunt was kept in the dark—she survived only because she wasn’t home at the time. That whole family of traitors is long gone.”

Zhang Kai was speechless.

This really was the stuff of melodrama!

“I’m going to have a look.”

Not quite sure what drove him, Zhang Kai felt the urge to watch the scene unfold and hurried out the door.

“Hey! Where are you going? Be careful your father doesn’t catch you!” his mother called after him, but Zhang Kai was already out of the courtyard. She grumbled a few words, then let it go.

Not long after, as she was making the children’s beds, her anger flared again. “Yao Yao! Where did you run off to? You haven’t finished your homework!”

At his great-uncle’s house, in the mourning hall, Zhang Kai stood outside watching.

Two middle-aged men were kneeling by the little bed where his great-uncle’s body lay, their faces sullen and insincere.

Clearly, these unfamiliar men were the two so-called cousins he hadn’t seen in years.

His father and several uncles and relatives sat on benches nearby, their faces dark and unspeaking.

It was obvious they were venting their anger.

Zhang Kai watched with satisfaction.

Whether or not they were blood-related, the debt of upbringing was immense. To deny that—kneeling for a night was letting them off easy.

He was muttering to himself when suddenly lively music burst out.

A female voice began to sing:

“Come with me, we’ll set out at dawn… There’s a place called Happy Home…”

Zhang Kai: ???

Father Zhang Mingren and the other elders: ???

The two fake cousins: …