Lu Buyu, the legitimate young master, has his fortune stolen by an illegitimate son and coughs up blood every few steps;
The illegitimate son suffers a backlash from his own bloodline, forcing the master of the house to bring the castoff back home;
His stepmother welcomes him with a smile, but behind the scenes uses Lu Buyu as a vessel for sacrifice, carving out his flesh while he’s still alive to offer it to her own son;
The long-suffering young master returns from a psychiatric hospital. Using blood as ink and fire as his guide, he redraws the bloodline ability totem that was stripped bare.
Blood drips from Lu Buyu’s fingertips as he traces the final stroke of the totem. He looks up. “You begged me to come back. Are you ready to pay what you owe?”
One of his ancestral retainers, Lin Yuewu, the beloved youngest daughter of a wealthy Lin family merchant, says to the illegitimate son, “You’re lucky to have any rights at all after your affair. And you still want inheritance rights?”
Another ancestral retainer, Liu Zhenghao, heir to an old and powerful family, says, “Our young master is the one with the blood of the ancient gods. You’ve occupied his home for a full ten years. The illegitimate son is even six months older than the legitimate one. That means you were already cheating as soon as you married into the Lu family!”
Lu Buyu remains calm. “You want to talk to me about marriage and inheritance? Then let’s talk about crimes committed by the mentally ill. You were the ones who sent me away. Did you never imagine this day would come?”
Note: Set in an alternate Republic of China era, with one female lead. A relatively short story.
Inspired by The Gifted and The Female Diviner, as well as a few other sore spots.
