ALWARFC Chapter 2

“Dong!” The sound was made as the tablet was casually thrown onto the table.

Su Weisheng stood before the ancestral table and counted the tablets, noticing that since his time, there had been three or four more generations, but the position of the high priest had never reappeared. This made it clear just how much the Su family had fallen into decline.

In the corner, there was the sound of rustling. Su Ran, who had just regained consciousness, was secretly dragging his unconscious companion toward the exit. Su Weisheng cast a cold glance. The suppression from his bloodline caused the unworthy descendant to freeze. After a moment, he slowly dragged Bai Songyin back to his original position.

Su Ran hesitated for a moment, carefully peeking out: “I, Su Ran, the unworthy descendant of the tenth generation of the Su family, respectfully greet my great-grandfather.”

Su Weisheng glanced at him with a faint smile, his eyes half-lidded. He didn’t respond immediately but asked instead, “Do you know who I am? Aren’t you afraid that I’m some wandering ghost, taking over your family’s ancestral hall?”

Su Ran obediently replied, “I’ve seen the portrait of you from when you were young. You look exactly the same as you do now. You are my grandfather’s grandfather, my great-great-grandfather.”

Su Weisheng raised an eyebrow. The little brat was actually quite sharp, saving him a lot of trouble.

The ancestral hall was very dark, but it didn’t affect Su Weisheng in the slightest. He could clearly see Su Ran carefully examining him in the dim light. After a while, Su Ran hesitantly asked, “Great-grandfather, did you come here to assign something? Is the offering insufficient? Actually, I, your great-grandson, brought offerings for you this time. I certainly didn’t mean to offend!”

Saying this, he shook his bag. A piece of bright yellow silk fell out, standing out in the darkness. Su Weisheng, intrigued, reached out and pulled it, only to reveal a banner with large embroidered characters: “The ancestors have wealth. Their blessings sustain the descendants.”

Well, well, this was nothing less than a blatant attempt to snatch his money. The so-called “blessings to descendants” were being harvested like wool from a sheep by these unworthy descendants, leaving behind nothing but a dark, empty room.

Su Weisheng’s hand began to itch.

And of course, Su Ran, the most famous troublemaker in the entertainment industry, didn’t notice the dark look on his great-grandfather’s face. He was still proudly showing his filial piety, “Don’t worry, I’ll arrange the grandest offerings for you when I return. I’ll burn down a ten-story mansion and eighty-eight young boys and girls to serve you, ensuring that you have a comfortable rest in the afterlife!”

He said it as though he couldn’t wait to send the “ghost ancestor” back to the underworld, never to see him again.

Filial piety—truly, he was about to die from his own filial piety.

Su Weisheng’s fists had begun to clench.

“No rush. My connection to the world of the living is not yet severed. I still have some time to stay here.”

With an expressionless face, he crushed the banner in his hand into powder and said slowly, “Do you know, every pearl and agate here is something I hold dear? My good great-grandson, when will you restore this place to its original state? That’s when I will return to my coffin and rest in peace.”

Su Ran’s face changed drastically. His brain, without thinking, blurted out the truth: “How could it be restored to its original state? Not to mention I don’t have that much money, but this mountain was donated to the country long ago. They’re planning to turn it into a tourist attraction…”

Before he could finish, he was horrified to notice that powder was floating in the wind, and a dangerous aura began to fill the entire dark space. The unworthy descendant immediately turned and ran!

The chilling wind seemed to have a form, wrapping around him and ruthlessly tossing him beneath the white robe.

Su Weisheng instinctively reached out toward the offering table, but his hand found only air. It then occurred to him that the most convenient tool for smiting—his jade bone fan—had been stolen and sold by his grandson. Glancing at the unfilial great-grandson, his anger surged. Without hesitation, he delivered a slap straight to his face.

Su Ran, disoriented by the pain, raised his head and saw his majestic great-grandfather looking down at him. The old man’s lips curved into a smile, but his eyes were as cold and venomous as poison, gritting his teeth as he spoke: “You’re truly a wonderful great-grandson. Since you’ve come all this way, I can’t let you leave empty-handed. So, take your great-grandfather with you on your way back.”

As evening approached, nightfall quietly descended. Suddenly, there were sounds of rustling and dragging coming from below the mountain. Soon after, there was the noise of a heavy object being thrown into a car.

Bai Songyin, still groggy, slowly began to wake up. His eyes narrowed into slits as he drowsily surveyed his surroundings, slowly realizing that he had been lying on the back seat, seemingly asleep.

He let out a relieved sigh. As expected, the ancestral hall and the ghostly encounter must have been just a nightmare.

“Awake? You were sleeping quite soundly.”

A cold voice of evaluation came from above. He turned his confused head and caught a flash of dazzling gold. He then realized that someone was standing outside the car, looking down at him from a high position.

Bai Songyin’s hair stood on end. With a horrified scream, he began frantically banging on the glass, shouting, “Ghost! Ghost! Brother! Brother Ran! Ghost! We really brought a ghost with us!”

“Shut up, stop yelling!” Su Ran, who was about to get into the car, quickly scolded, cursing under his breath, “If you keep yelling, we’ll make the headlines!”

Bai Songyin immediately fell silent, but then, trembling, he extended his hand toward Su Ran. “Brother Ran, you… you… he… he… ghost! Ghost!”

Su Ran didn’t even turn his head, pretending as though nothing had happened. He calmly corrected, “What ghost? What are you saying? That’s my great-grandfather!”

Bai Songyin cautiously glanced at the “vengeful ghost” and saw that his white robe was embroidered with special symbols. Beneath a half-golden mask, a pale jawline and lips were visible, and long, dark hair cascaded behind him, with a few small braids faintly visible within.

It looked like something one might wear for a ritual, but he seemed so young.

And, even in the entertainment industry, where beauty was everywhere, no one could be more eye-catching than this “vengeful ghost”. Even among powerful business tycoons, no one had a more commanding presence than him at this moment.

Bai Songyin could hardly believe his eyes. He grabbed Su Ran’s sleeve and whispered, “This, this is your great-grandfather? The one who was the inspiration for the high priest character you played in that TV drama… huh?”

Su Ran quickly covered his mouth, silently cursing the idiot for always bringing up the most troublesome topics! He cautiously glanced at Su Weisheng to see that his great-grandfather hadn’t paid attention to their conversation. Only then did he relax a little.

Su Weisheng didn’t pay any mind to their startled reactions. Having slept for so long, he was deeply intrigued by the changes in the world. He was now gazing with great interest at the mountain of cliffs before him.

About two hundred years ago, this place was his domain, a land he personally inspected and chose as his resting place. Back then, the mountain was still desolate and uninhabited, but now it was not only full of vibrant greenery but also had traces of human activity down below.

He followed the small path forward and happened to see a stone monument at a scenic spot. The monument, covered with several hundred characters, introduced the story of Linya Mountain, most of which was related to the Su family.

Su Weisheng closed his eyes. He had been asleep for so long that his thoughts were sluggish, but upon reading the inscription on the stone, memories from his youth began to flood back to him.

—

Su Weisheng was born in the remote, harsh northern region of the Youguo, in the well-known bitterly cold land of Lianpozhou. The weather here was severe, with winter all year round, the population sparse, and food extremely scarce. Most of the people around had moved to the imperial capital, leaving only the Su family to remain in Lianpozhou, keeping their ancestors’ teachings alive through generations of hardship and willpower.

In year 932, seven-year-old Su Weisheng sat on the corridor outside the school, wrapped in a thick fur coat and eating sweet potatoes. He sat cross-legged, his back naturally straight. From a distance, he looked like a snowball, yet he was carefully peeling his sweet potato with an air of dignity.

Inside the school, the sound of reading filled the air as children stumbled over their recitations: “Close your eyes, concentrate your spirit, gather your energy in the dantian, with the… with the… spirit…”

Young Su Weisheng, impatient, rubbed his ears which had been tainted by the noise. Without turning his head, he interjected: “Focus your mind, spread your spiritual awareness to the altar, and you can communicate with ghosts and gods.”

One of the children inside, annoyed and embarrassed, shouted: “Su Weisheng!”

“Hmm?”

The smug child retorted: “So what if your memory is good? Even if you memorize everything, you’re still a useless waste without an awakened bloodline! Unlike us, one of us will eventually become the high priest!”

Little Su Weisheng, with a puzzled look on his face, replied: “What’s the point of being a high priest in such a desolate place? The so-called privileges would only mean I get to eat two extra pieces of sweet potato. So, what’s there to be proud of?”

Others: ??? Wait, that actually makes some sense. They were momentarily speechless!

Just then, Su Weisheng’s elder brother happened to pass by. Seeing this, he grabbed his unruly younger brother and dragged him away to prevent him from ruining the Su family’s future. “Come on, stop causing trouble. Let’s go to another state.”

Little Su Weisheng’s elder brother was getting married. This was his first time leaving their ancestral land and traveling to see the outside world.

The bustling streets were filled with vendors and traders. The scent of food lingered in the air. Little Su Weisheng, like a snowball in the crowd, stood still, gazing around with his eyes half-closed in interest.

He liked it here.

Su Weisheng turned to his brother and said, “Big Brother, this place is great. Let’s move here.”

His elder brother chuckled, mocking his naive wish: “Our Su family has lived in Lianpozhou for hundreds of years. You can’t just move whenever you feel like it. If you want to be the head of the Su family, wait until you become the high priest. Oh, wait…” He pinched his younger brother’s chubby face, “Only a genius with an awakened bloodline has the chance to become the high priest. You? You’ll just be a fool who eats and waits for death.”

Su Weisheng slapped his elder brother’s hand away in dissatisfaction. With a slow, deliberate tone, he said, “Just wait.”

— Wait for what?

Su Weisheng’s elder brother had no idea how terrifying this simple “wait” would be. The very next day, as they returned to the family home, he watched in disbelief as his younger brother stepped out of the door, having awakened his bloodline.

Elder brother: !!! What the hell just happened?!

From that point on, Su Weisheng seemed to have found his purpose. Not only did his bloodline awaken overnight, but his cultivation speed was also astonishing. Within a few years, he broke the records set by his ancestors and became the first genius in the Su family to communicate with the yin and yang before reaching adulthood.

But all of this was simply to gain influence within the family and move to a warmer place to enjoy the bustling world of humanity. His goal was far-fetched yet reasonable.

Unfortunately, his wish was never fulfilled. In the old year of 939, Youguo collapsed, and the world was plunged into chaos. Prosperity was no longer, replaced by devastation. Su Weisheng once again left for a neighboring state, but there were no longer any delicious candied haws or friendly aunts handing him steamed buns. All that remained were the horrors of war and death. The conflict spread even to the northernmost Lianpozhou.

Su Weisheng thought long and hard until he became an adult, finally succeeding as the high priest.

Under the tide of change, nothing remains untouched. Given their unique abilities, how could they remain unscathed? He made a decision: to lead the Su family out of seclusion and save the people. He wanted to recreate the prosperous scene he had once witnessed in his childhood.

His elder brother and the elders all came to stop him.

“Do you know, the Su family received a divine decree forbidding any bloodline from leaving Lianpozhou for an extended period? This is why we have been enduring hardship here,” the eldest elder said to him. “As the high priest of this generation, if you lead the clan out, you will face the most terrifying punishment from heaven. Even so, do you still wish to go out?”

He did not listen to the warnings and insisted on entering the forbidden area.

A figure suddenly appeared on the altar shrouded in black mist. It was the Gatekeeper of the Underworld, the ruler of reincarnation. His face was handsome but devoid of expression as he looked down at Su Weisheng from above.

The Gatekeeper called to him: “Su Weisheng, do you know the cost of leaving?”

Eighteen-year-old Su Weisheng stood beneath the platform. A confident smile played on his face, even arrogantly raising his brow. The fearless youth was bold enough to challenge the Gatekeeper: “What cost could be too great for me to bear? Why don’t you tell me, Gatekeeper?”

—

Now, Su Weisheng stood in front of the stone monument, staring at the “Year 150 of the New Era”, feeling a bit dazed. It was hard to believe that those vivid memories had already passed so many years ago.

Bai Songyin, curious, followed Su Weisheng’s gaze to the stone monument. Through the light of his phone, he whispered as he read aloud, word by word: “Linya Mountain was originally the domain of the secluded family of the Su clan. The Su bloodline is special, often producing talented individuals and extraordinary figures. The family’s high priest could summon the wind and rain and was capable of almost anything. However, they were constrained by the laws of heaven and were forbidden from leaving the mountain and interacting with the outside world.

One hundred ninety-seven years ago, during a time of chaos and war when the people suffering and the nation was in turmoil, the high priest of the Su family boldly defied the heavenly punishment and led his clan out to save the people, rescuing them from the depths of despair.

The high priest’s emergence quelled the war in just three years. This brought about a period of peace lasting twenty years, allowing the people to rest and recover, laying a strong foundation for the establishment of a new era.

Sadly, the high priest, the hero of the people, passed away soon after the war. The Su family withdrew from the stage of history.”

When he reached this part, Bai Songyin was stunned. He looked at the youthful figure on the stone monument with reverence: “So, was that how your great-grandfather passed away?”

Su Ran listened quietly. After a long while, he was moved, his expression difficult to hide. He spoke softly, “My dad also told me this story. He said that if it weren’t for saving the people, our great-grandfather wouldn’t have died young because of the heavenly punishment. But the ancestor had no regrets. Neither does the Su family.”

At this point, Su Ran’s stomach churned. He suddenly felt worthless. Not only had he failed to live up to his ancestor’s legacy, but he was also still depending on the family, even taking the ancestor’s burial items. It was no wonder that even the great-grandfather’s spirit had flown up from the underworld in anger!

Feeling ashamed, Su Ran lowered his head.

Su Weisheng snapped out of his thoughts, feeling a strange look in their eyes. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Did you just mention heavenly punishment?”

“Yes,” Su Ran carefully asked, “I saw a mention of it in the family tree. Wasn’t it because you led the clan out of seclusion to stop the chaos that you passed away young?”

Bai Songyin, standing beside him, also bowed his head with respect. For a moment, the presence of their great-grandfather didn’t feel as eerie.

Su Weisheng pondered for a few seconds: “Heavenly punishment? Yes, that did happen.”

“The high priest could communicate with both the yin and yang. He could also interact with the underworld. On the day I decided to emerge, the Gatekeeper came to warn me of the heavenly punishment, trying to stop me.”

“There are two types of heavenly punishment,” he continued, “One is to sever one’s descendants and the other is to have one’s life cut short.”

Su Ran and Bai Songyin both sighed in regret. Clearly, their great-grandfather had chosen to leave the mountain to save the people, thereby sacrificing his life at a young age. Meanwhile, they, the descendants, not only failed to strive for progress, but they also selfishly took advantage of the ancestral offerings during the sacrificial rites…

Both of them felt deeply ashamed.

The next moment, they heard Su Weisheng speak slowly: “So, when I heard that there was such a thing, I thought, ‘What a deal!’ And I decisively chose to sever my descendants.”

Su Ran nodded in agreement. Of course, that was the reason… Wait a minute?! He suddenly raised his head. Didn’t you choose to cut your life short?!

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Moonlit: I mean… It’s a good deal, right? HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA