Chapter 26
The villa was bustling with activity. Due to Wen Hongbo’s absconding with the family’s funds, the enormous house was about to be seized as collateral.
Wen Xi and Wen Cheng looked devastated, likely never having imagined such an outcome.
This was the first time they had truly witnessed Wen Hongbo’s ruthlessness and selfishness.
His swift escape, without a single thought for them, seemed to confirm Wen Linyu’s earlier claims about being used as tools.
The villa would soon no longer belong to Wen Linyu, but he wasn’t worried. Retrieving the money from Wen Hongbo wouldn’t be difficult for him and Gu Chi.
One night was all they needed.
That night, after changing vehicles dozens of times and traveling a great distance from A City, Wen Hongbo, exhausted from the journey, finally succumbed to sleep. He was grateful for the ten years of health he had exchanged with Wen Cheng before leaving; otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it this far.
He dreamt of suffocating darkness, as if being dragged into an abyss.
A voice echoed: “Quite a distance you’ve run. Come back now, and bring every penny. For every yuan missing, I’ll take a piece of your flesh.”
The voice sounded familiar, and the words made him tremble. He slept restlessly, waking up groggy and disoriented.
The boatman told him three times that they had reached the shore. He stumbled off the boat, then turned back, buying a return ticket.
The boatman gave him a curious look, assuming he had forgotten something important.
Wen Linyu maintained his routine, waking up early, having breakfast, strolling through the garden, and then going out with Gu Chi, either to the mall to play arcade games or to a resort for fishing. A leisurely life.
Only Wen Xi and Wen Cheng were stressed.
By the third day, they couldn’t take it anymore. Debt collectors hounded them relentlessly. No matter how much they sold, they couldn’t repay the enormous sum Wen Hongbo had stolen. Their health was also deteriorating rapidly.
Their future looked bleak, without a glimmer of hope.
No amount of filial piety was worth ruining their lives. They refused to continue this charade.
Wen Linyu finally smiled: “That’s right.”
He looked at Gu Chi. He wasn’t entirely sure how to resolve this situation. He had focused primarily on his own cultivation during those ten years.
Gu Chi, not wanting to prolong their suffering, explained: “It’s simple. Just tell them, in their presence, that you’re unwilling to continue the exchange.”
“Lifespan exchange rituals aren’t easily successful. Multiple conditions must be met. If even one condition isn’t fulfilled, it fails. You can even reverse the process.”
“For example, demand they return everything they’ve taken, with interest.”
He emphasized the word “interest.”
Wen Linyu thought, Truly worthy of being the Demon Lord. So ruthless.
What was his belonged to him. Even after an exchange, he had the right to reclaim it. And after using his life force, paying interest seemed only fair.
He recalled the Wu family’s red envelope scheme. If anyone tried that again, he would borrow their lifespan, with a daily interest rate of three hundred percent. Let’s see if they could afford it.
Wen Xi and Wen Cheng understood Gu Chi’s implication, their expressions turning even more complex. They exchanged glances, wondering where the formerly timid Wen Linyu had found such a person.
The question remained unanswered.
Having helped them, Wen Linyu stated his own terms. He wanted them to leave his house. Once Wen Hongbo returned the money, he would give them their share, enough for them to live comfortably.
As for family… he had never had one, and he didn’t need one now. They had no grudges against each other. It was best for them to live their own lives.
Gu Chi was the most pleased with this decision.
He looked smugly at Wen Xi and Wen Cheng, as if declaring his own position as the most important person in Wen Linyu’s life. Step aside, siblings!
Wen Cheng & Wen Xi: “…” Seriously, we get it!
We’re not even competing with you! What are you so smug about?
On the third day, the driver’s announcement, “We’ve arrived,” startled Wen Hongbo from his exhausted slumber. He rubbed his heavy eyelids, splashed water on his face, and stepped out of the car with his suitcase, then froze, his blood turning to ice.
The grand, ornate gate before him… wasn’t it his own house?
How…? He had been traveling non-stop for three days and nights. How was he back here?
He must be dreaming—
No! Wen Hongbo, realizing the horrifying possibility, stumbled back, trying to flag down the taxi, but his body moved forward against his will.
The gate’s facial recognition system scanned his face, and with a beep, the gates slowly opened, like the jaws of a monster.
He was dragged inside.
“Long time no see.”
Standing before the villa was the person Wen Hongbo dreaded most—Wen Linyu. The timid boy was gone, replaced by a smiling, confident young man, his dark eyes unreadable.
His smile was perfect, more refined and aristocratic than any wealthy young master he had ever seen. Why hadn’t he noticed this before?
But it was too late now.
Cold sweat drenched his back. He wanted to beg for mercy, but his mouth wouldn’t open, no sound escaping.
Wen Linyu rubbed his ear, smiling apologetically: “You know I hate it when you yell. Be quiet, and I’ll be gentler. What do you say?”
Wen Hongbo’s eyes widened in terror. He couldn’t speak, his body rigid like a corpse. He frantically looked at Gu Chi, pleading silently for help.
In his panic, he was desperate for anyone to save him.
But Gu Chi’s expression was one of approval, clearly pleased with Wen Linyu’s demeanor.
Demons, they’re all demons!!
But his voice remained trapped as he was stuffed into a rectangular box.
A thud echoed as the heavy object hit the floor.
Wen Cheng, hearing the noise, peeked out to see Wen Hongbo, the man who had run away with their money, lying on the ground!
Before he could call out to his father, Gu Chi spoke casually: “Changed your mind about returning what you stole?”
Wen Linyu looked at him: “Are you going to repay evil with kindness?”
Wen Cheng felt a chill run down his spine. He shook his head vehemently, then cautiously approached Wen Hongbo, glancing nervously at the two menacing figures: “He’s unconscious. Will it even work?”
Wen Linyu was toying with a small, elongated stone box, not quite a jewelry box, but more like a miniature coffin. A strange little thing. Wen Cheng quickly looked away.
Lin Wanshow was in a mental institution. As her daughter, Wen Xi could easily retrieve what had been taken from her. The effect was immediate. The next day, Wen Xi’s color returned, her energy restored, her appetite renewed.
She had been weak and frail since returning from abroad. Now, finally able to eat a proper meal, she burst into tears. The betrayal and manipulation by her own parents were hard to bear.
Once this was over, she would leave, perhaps never to return.
Wen Cheng, snapping out of his daze, heard Wen Linyu say: “It doesn’t matter. As long as he can hear it, it counts.”
He took a deep breath and told the unconscious Wen Hongbo that he was unwilling to continue the exchange and demanded the return of everything that had been taken.
It was a simple statement, and nothing visibly changed. He wasn’t sure if it had worked.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Wen Linyu pulled out his phone and called the police.
“…” Who wouldn’t call him a filial son now?
Wen Hongbo’s stolen funds were recovered in full. The missing amount was just travel expenses, easily covered by Wen Hongbo’s personal wealth. The embezzled funds were returned to the company, and the rest, naturally, went to his biological son.
Wen Linyu also transferred the promised shares to Wen Cheng and Wen Xi.
He was now truly wealthy. His teacher’s lessons had been valuable. If you wanted resources, the fastest way was to take them.
Exchanging lifespans was too slow and inefficient.
Now, this villa truly belonged to him. He could discard the unwanted people and belongings. And there were quite a few of those.
The butler, who had always looked down on him…
The kitchen staff, who had served him leftovers…
As they were evicted from the villa, they exchanged glances.
They felt a sense of relief. At least they were only being evicted and having their wages docked, not suffering the same fate as Mr. and Mrs. Wen. They never would have imagined that the timid boy they had once scorned would rise to power so quickly.
Once the villa was empty, Wen Linyu took the stone box and went down to the basement.
The walls of the room had been demolished to rescue Lin Wanshow. No one had been down here since, and the place was covered in dust.
Gu Chi followed him, his eyes widening in fury as he saw the state of the room: “You… lived here?”
Wen Linyu nodded: “Yes. But not for long.”
“How long?” Gu Chi pressed.
“Three years.”
Three years wasn’t long for a cultivator, but Wen Linyu had been just a child then. Abandoned in this cold, damp, windowless room.
A pang of heartache shot through Gu Chi.
He stared at the stone coffin in Wen Linyu’s hand, wanting to tear Wen Hongbo’s soul to shreds and feed it to the ghosts.
Damn that bastard! How could he call himself a father?
“It’s alright, Teacher. Now it’s his turn to experience it.” Wen Linyu restored the demolished walls, returning the basement to its original state.
He placed the miniature stone coffin containing Wen Hongbo’s soul in the center of the room and locked the door permanently.
A double prison. It should be enough for him to savor the experience.
The stolen money was recovered, but the man was now a vegetable. The outside world, hearing the news, would likely say “serves him right,” just as his “loving” father had said to him when he was bullied.
