Chapter 5 — The Eldest Sister from the Underworld

You guys, I am so sorry. I genuinely did not know that your kindness towards me was entirely because of my older sister, nor did I know that she had already passed away. But over these past three years, could it really be that you harbor no genuine affection for me at all? I was truly sincere with all of you.

Not a single person paid her any heed. Frustrated and resentful, she bit her lower lip and pressed on. Ever since we were children, both our parents and all our relatives always said that I was much more obedient and sensible than my older sister. Could it be that you still prefer her over me?

Mother Quy chimed in, echoing her sentiments. Indeed, that damned Quy Hanh was wild and unruly from the moment she was born; how could she ever compare to the sweet and affectionate Tinh Tinh?

Before she could even finish her sentence, Xie Yaoguang turned his head and shot them a chilling, merciless glare. The three of them instantly snapped their mouths shut. Shen Zhiyu kept his gaze fixed upon my portrait, his voice dropping to a soft murmur. If it were not for her, the lot of you would never have possessed even the slightest qualification to set foot inside this estate. I foolishly believed the lot of you were cherished mementos she had left behind, which was the only reason I willingly consented to care for you. Why are you all so utterly incapable of gratitude?

Quy Tinh Tinh bit her lip hard as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Mr. and Mrs. Quy were left completely speechless, unable to utter a single word in their defense. I stood quietly by the doorway for a moment, momentarily lost in thought. The ancient pendant resting against my collarbone began to grow warm once more, and as I instinctively shifted my weight, my elbow brushed lightly against the wooden doorframe. By all accounts, my immaterial form should have simply passed straight through it. Yet, perhaps guided by some mysterious resonance of the pendant, I inadvertently produced a faint sound. A dull tap. It was a remarkably soft noise, almost entirely swallowed up by the sound of Quy Tinh Tinh crying. However, Shen Zhiyu and the others whipped their heads around in unison to look in my direction.

The atmosphere within the mourning hall turned taut and heavy in an instant. Shen Zhiyu laid down the spirit-calling banner he was holding and took a deliberate step forward. Who is there?

I deliberated for a moment, ultimately deciding to remain silent for the time being. Yet Xie Yaoguang seemed to sense something in the air, suddenly turning his eyes straight toward me. Sister Little Hanh, is that you?

His voice was already thick with emerging tears. A formidable underworld lord, a towering figure who commanded absolute respect, was currently crouching right there on the ground, his eye rims as red as a rabbit's as he frantically scanned his surroundings. At that moment, he looked rather pitiful.

You have finally come back, haven't you? You heard what I just said, didn't you? Quy Hanh, can you truly be this heartless? Won't you please just come out and let me see you? I, I have changed so much, I have become truly formidable now...

I leaned back against the doorframe, refusing to budge. Chu Zeming took a couple of steps forward as well, his voice trembling visibly. Are you angry with us? Are you blaming us because back then we blindly followed your final dying wish and foolishly rushed off to care for the Quy family without conducting any investigations? It was abundantly clear that they treated you poorly, yet we went out of our way to take such good care of them...

Qin Rui wore an expression of deep grievance. But we only showered the Quy family with pampering because we genuinely thought it would make you happy. Sister Little Hanh, please do not be angry. Over the past half-month, we have already punished them severely!

The moment those words left his mouth, he cast a sharp look of instruction toward his subordinates. A subordinate immediately grasped his intent. The lackey had barely stepped in front of Quy Tinh Tinh and her parents when their entire bodies began to violently shake. They let out a terrified shriek and began frantically kowtowing before my funerary tablet. We are sorry, we were wrong! Little Hanh, it was all our fault for treating you so poorly! You are a magnanimous person, please do not hold this against us!

Judging by how accustomed they were to this routine, the spectacle must have played out countless times already. Shen Zhiyu and the others scanned the room with desperate anticipation in their eyes. Even though every single one of them had grown into towering overlords capable of covering the sky with a single hand as local legend claimed, right now they looked precisely like abandoned children, as if they would stubbornly refuse to leave unless I materialized before them. I lingered by the doorway, watching them in silence, before finally letting out a soft sigh. The very second I manifested my form, the candles burning inside the mourning hall flickered gently. All eight fellows snapped their gazes toward me in unison. A heavy silence hung in the air for three full seconds. Xie Yaoguang was the absolute first to lunge forward.

Sister Little Hanh!

The rest of them scrambled frantically to chase after him. Eight muscular men, standing nearly a full meter and ninety centimeters tall, charged forward simultaneously—a scene that remained undeniably overwhelming. Instinctively, I took two steps back, terrified of being crushed flat by their momentum. It was only when each of them passed straight through my spectral body and slammed heavily into the opposite wall that I smiled bitterly and realized my worries were entirely redundant. I had perished long ago. Even a simple embrace had become an impossible luxury. I was utterly incapable of making physical contact with them. Xie Yaoguang had charged with the greatest force, colliding violently with the wall while the other seven men piled on top of him in a tangled heap. Tears streaming freely down his face, he cradled his head and looked up at me.

Sister Little Hanh, you have no idea. My martial arts are extraordinary now, it has been such a long time since I last felt pain like this...

That single remark acted like the flipping of some hidden switch. The men crowded eagerly in front of me, fighting one another to declare how deeply they had missed me and how formidable they had each become over the years. Shen Zhiyu had risen to become the wealthiest tycoon in Northern City, Xie Yaoguang reigned supreme across the martial world with no rival in sight, and Chu Zeming had established himself as a universally renowned lawyer of high acclaim. I quietly gazed upon them, unable to suppress the gentle upward curve of my lips. Every single one of them had grown up immensely. It felt as though they had all surpassed my own strength by a wide margin. Back in the old days, they were merely eight little rascals trailing diligently behind me, calling me their big sister every single day.