Chapter 170: The Inheritance and the Twisted Face

The memorial service for Xia Yubing’s parents was finally upon them. The police had closed the case, for the Painted Skin Ghost, the true perpetrator, was already dead. Further investigation into the mansion and the victims’ remains from that fateful day would undoubtedly yield little new information.

Speaking of the remains, Xia Yubing’s parents—in fact, their entire family—had died without intact bodies, their skin cruelly flayed. Organizing a proper farewell ceremony proved incredibly difficult under such gruesome circumstances.

I had no desire to meet Xia family relatives. Their presence would inevitably lead to endless disputes. Yet, having inherited Xia Yubing’s identity and living her life, attending the memorial was only proper. Moreover, there was the troublesome matter of an inheritance.

Considering this, I walked into the master bedroom. I placed new offerings on the altar and bowed several times before speaking.

“Parents, this Saturday I will attend your memorial service,” I said. “I hope you both won’t make things difficult for me, and please bless me so those relatives don’t pester me for the inheritance.”

No sooner had my words faded than the flames of the two candles on either side abruptly turned a spectral green. Immediately after, the door to the incense pavilion swung open on its own, revealing not only two paper effigies inside but also a letter.

“What is this?” I wondered.

I took out the letter and opened it, only to find a will. The will stated that all of the Xia family’s assets would be inherited by Xia Yubing—which was now me—and it bore the signatures of Mr. and Mrs. Xia.

Most preposterous of all, the will was stamped with a notary public’s seal, meaning it held legal validity. This was utterly impossible; the will had just been conjured by them. The faint flow of ‘wealth energy’ subtly emanating from it also clearly indicated its true origin.

Although the Ratwood Eye had coughed out my blood, it only slowed its absorption of ‘wealth energy’; it was still slowly devouring it. The twin ghosts had used this absorbed ‘wealth energy’ to fabricate a will for me on the spot.

I could only take a photo of the will and send it to Mo Qingyan, asking her what I should do.

She quickly replied: [That will is real for you. Even if you take it to a notary public now to check the database, you’ll find that the will has already been notarized. Once it’s written, it becomes an established fact.]

“Is that true?” I asked again, seeking confirmation, for I found it truly difficult to believe. “Even if they never had it notarized in life, a will that appears now will become notarized and legally binding?”

Mo Qingyan replied: [If it was forged using ‘wealth energy,’ then yes, that’s how it is. It twists reality, making it an established fact. Whether you check the database, the notary’s surveillance footage, or ask the staff, they will all conclude that the two individuals personally went to notarize the will during their lifetime.]

‘This is what they call domineering?’ I previously had no concept of ‘wealth energy’ or ‘wealth luck,’ thinking it merely boosted one’s fortune. I never imagined it could directly tamper with records and memories in such a way.

Mo Qingyan sent another message: [However, you must be careful. The ‘wealth energy’ absorbed by a cursed object often contains undesirable elements, especially a will created by ghosts. I estimate that absorbing a few days’ worth of ‘wealth energy’ isn’t enough for you to claim the entire inheritance. If you suddenly acquire too much wealth, beware of ominous occurrences, like the previous car accident.]

‘I had a premonition even without her warning; this isn’t a good thing. Setting aside everything else, the Xia family’s inheritance includes haunted houses and the Fukang Commercial Center, which is at the eye of a storm. If I inherit everything, then when they inevitably collapse, I’ll be the first one held responsible.’

After some thought, I messaged Mo Qingyan again: “What should I do if I don’t want to inherit this karma?”

Mo Qingyan replied: [Simply burn the will and return it to the elders. Reality will correct itself to its original state, with no side effects.]

I then separately asked Bai Yue and Xiao Qing. Bai Yue gave an answer similar to Mo Qingyan’s. Xiao Qing said she wasn’t sure and would look into it, eventually concluding that burning the will was the way to go.

It was basically confirmed then: Mo Qingyan’s method was the standard. I placed the will into a copper basin, but as I prepared to light it, I hesitated. This was billions in family assets; if I kept this will, I could gain enough money to last a lifetime.

Yet, I recalled the risks associated with that ‘wealth luck,’ and the endless harassment I would likely face from those Xia family relatives if I claimed the will. With these thoughts, I extended my hand, bringing the lighter to the paper.

The will ignited, emitting an eerie green flame. For a moment, as the will caught fire, I almost reached out to grab it and extinguish the blaze, but I ultimately restrained myself.

Only when the green flames had completely consumed the will, and everything was irreversible, did my heart finally relax. I felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, leaving me with an immense sense of ease and no more dilemmas.

I bowed once more to the incense pavilion. “My fortune is shallow, my fate thin,” I stated. “I fear I cannot inherit so much wealth. I merely wish to live a peaceful life and secure my place. Thank you for your care, parents, but I have no need for this will.”

*Click!* The door to the incense pavilion closed. The eerie green ghostly flames slowly extinguished, leaving only a pile of ashes. I breathed a sigh of relief and went out to cook dinner.

After finishing dinner, I seriously pondered whether I should go down and practice Tai Chi with those people again. Considering that Yi Zhiqiu had taught quite a lot today, which required practice to master, I decided to join them for a training session.

Once in the community, I unfortunately encountered the one person I least wanted to see. It was the old man who sold snake meat. He was carrying two empty baskets, seemingly having just come from the market after selling all his meat, and his eyes immediately fixated on me.

I instantly went into maximum alert. The Iron Thread Gu in my wrist was poised, ready to strike, and the Golden Edge Gu flew out. This was the same creature that had instantly killed that monstrous serial killer, the demon who dismembered victims and sold their parts in the market. No amount of vigilance was too much.

“What a beautiful young lady. Your flesh looks so tender,” the old man said, looking at me. His gaze wasn’t one of admiration for my beauty, but rather like he was appraising a pig for slaughter.

When his eyes shifted to my face, however, he sighed. “What a pity,” he murmured. “Why is your face crooked?”

‘My face is crooked?’ If I hadn’t just looked in the mirror before coming out, I would have been tempted to check again. But the old man before me, upon closer inspection, had a face even more distorted than before.

His eye sockets were now uneven, his nose was askew, and the corners of his mouth were slanted. His entire face appeared deformed; it was not a normal human face, resembling instead a face disfigured by hemiplegia or paralysis.

As he approached, my body trembled, my reaction even more violent than when that madman had lunged at me with a knife. I wanted to make the first move before he could even show any abnormality.

Just then, a slightly familiar voice came from behind me: “Hey, Old Zhang, have you sold all your meat?”

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