Chapter 49: After the Matter, Farewell to the Miserable Old Fortune Teller

“Who the hell is playing music without permission!”
One of the two kneeling middle-aged men suddenly sprang to his feet, furious and shouting. At his roar, which was fierce and intimidating, a little girl darted out from the back door of the hall and ran straight to Zhang Kai outside.
Yao Yao?
Zhang Kai’s eyes widened when he saw the little girl.
How did this girl end up here too?
Moreover, she was even playing tricks on the two uncles!
“Stop right there! Whose child are you? Don’t you have any manners?” the middle-aged man roared at Zhang Yao.
Zhang Yao suddenly halted, stuck out her tongue at the man, and exclaimed, “You traitor! Scoundrel!”
With that, she ran to Zhang Kai, hugged his leg, and said in a wronged tone, “Big brother, he’s yelling at me.”
Zhang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he couldn’t help feeling a sense of satisfaction.
Damn, they don’t even care about the family name anymore. Talking about kinship with people like this is pointless—they’re outsiders.
He reached out, picked Zhang Yao up, and said, “Don’t be afraid. Big brother’s here.”
Zhang Yao quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, planted a sweet kiss on Zhang Kai’s cheek, and looked triumphantly at the middle-aged man, sticking out her tongue again.
The man’s face darkened. He turned to Zhang Mingren and the others.
“Mingren, is this your idea of making fools of us? Isn’t this a bit childish?”
Zhang Mingren replied expressionlessly, “Childish is a lot more endearing than someone who doesn’t acknowledge their father or their ancestors.”
“You!”
“Brother, why waste words on him? He’s just a poor villager from a mountain hamlet, destined to be a coward all his life, with no prospects. All he can do is talk big,” the other middle-aged man said resentfully as he stood up.
The angry man paused, then suddenly smiled. “You’re right. Why am I even arguing with you? You almost fooled me. Now that the old man is dead, even though I don’t recognize him, he’s still my father on paper. His possessions rightfully belong to us. Keeping them is against the law, so hand them over, or I’ll call the police right now and let them settle this.”
“That’s right. If you don’t hand them over, we’ll call the police. Mingren, after all these years of being brothers, the old man hasn’t even been laid to rest yet. You don’t want to make this ugly, do you?”
Zhang Mingren was beside himself with anger.
His wife was right—these two really are beasts.
They were ready to completely tear off all pretense.
At that moment, Zhang Mingren felt utterly disillusioned with the two, even disgusted.

People like this aren’t worthy of the Zhang name.
“Fine, this is Second Uncle’s legacy. Take it. From this day on, you are no longer part of the Zhang family. We will erase your names from the family register. Remember this: those unworthy of being sons will never have a good end.” Zhang Mingren tossed a small box to them, speaking coldly.
Catching the box, the two men were overjoyed and didn’t bother to reply. They opened the box at once, eager to see what was inside.
This was the reason they’d come.
The old man had refused to give it to them while alive. Now that he was dead, no one could stop them from seeking their roots.
Since childhood, they’d known their mother was different from the villagers. She’d taught them things the people here could never access, which made them feel superior.
When they grew up and went to work in the outside world, experiencing the wealth and glamour, their proud and ambitious hearts longed to learn about their mother’s family, their biological father’s roots.
If only they could reunite with their birth family, they could leap from being nobodies to people of wealth, power, and status.
But in no time, their expressions changed dramatically; their faces even turned pale.
“This can’t be true! Zhang Mingren, you must have forged the old man’s legacy. Give us the real one!” One of the men couldn’t hold back and shouted at Zhang Mingren.
Zhang Mingren replied, “If you think it’s a forgery, get someone to authenticate it. The old letter paper is decades old, and the handwriting is your mother’s—something we couldn’t possibly imitate. As his sons, can’t you tell?”
The man gritted his teeth. “But this isn’t what we wanted! Zhang Mingren, you tricked us.”
“Exactly! This isn’t real. How could we possibly be…” The other man trailed off, but the disappointment and fear in his eyes were unmistakable.
“There’s an address in the letter. You can go there and see for yourselves if it’s true. After tonight, you are no longer Zhangs. Leave at once, and if we ever see you again, you’ll bear the consequences.”
Though it was Zhang Mingren speaking, the uncles and elders at his side all wore the same expression.
They may not have been blood relatives,
But after decades of raising them, what kind of person would turn into an enemy so easily?
A thankless ingrate—our ancestors truly named it well.
The two men grew somewhat fearful.
They’d grown up here and truly feared the Zhang family might take matters into their own hands. If they got beaten up, it would be humiliating.
After a moment’s hesitation, the two men turned and left resentfully.
Their reputation was already ruined, but they still wanted to check—if any family legacy remained, it would be far better than their current lot.
“Kid, those two have a malicious aura about them. Tsk, they’ve done plenty of wicked deeds,” a voice suddenly whispered in Zhang Kai’s ear. It was Madam Liu’s voice.
Zhang Kai’s gaze shifted slightly.

A malicious aura is an outward sign of heinous acts and accumulated evil that brings constant misfortune.
Not only does it cling to the wrongdoer, but it can also be passed down to direct relatives—even descendants—if the evil isn’t resolved, becoming a hidden threat. It may not show at first, but once misfortune strikes, the consequences can be truly dire.
There are similar records in the books passed down at White Cloud Temple.
Such cases are termed as those “afflicted by ominous fate.”
It seems the content in the letter their mother spoke of is likely true.
A family that accumulates virtue will know blessings; a family that accumulates evil will know calamity.
A traitor not only brings misfortune upon himself but also dooms his descendants.
With this, Zhang Kai felt utterly satisfied.
The good are rewarded and the wicked meet their just ends—such is the justice of heaven. It was reassuring.
“Yao Yao, let’s go home.”
With that, the matter was settled. Zhang Kai had no intention of interfering further.
Afterwards, the funeral proceeded in order. When the grief passed, relatives and friends returned to their homes.
After all, the living must go on with their lives. Like the sun, whether it’s cloudy or clear, it rises and sets as usual. Life never stops—work until the end.
Zhang Mingren’s family also left the village, returning to the county to continue their ordinary existence.
After spending a few joyful days with his family, Zhang Kai set out on the road again.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to stay home, but the curse upon him was a ticking time bomb. Even though his family was protected by the Spirit Substitute Charms,
How many times could those charms really ward off danger?
The best way was to leave his family, embark on the path to strength, and with true power, shelter his loved ones for a lifetime of peace.
And so, Zhang Kai returned to Mount Wudang.
There, he saw the old fortune-teller, limping, bandaged around the head, but grinning from ear to ear.
Zhang Kai: ???