1 Chapter 001:

Mortal Realm, East Asia, China

The air was unusually cold on this Tuesday afternoon. The white clouds of condensed breath rose between sharp exhales in the sea of somber-attired people. In fact, if one were to look at the faces of many within this crowd, they would recognize most to be among the most influential politicians, businessmen, or other tradespersons within the nation.

And yet, here they were, standing outside in the cold on a normally very busy weekday for most of them. And the thing that had made all of them put aside their plans was the casket before them. On one hand, it was their father or father-in-law, but on the other, it was the wealthiest person in the country. It was his wealth that they had to thank for many of their careers.

As the ceremony continued for several hours and the casket was closed, an orator stood up and began to announce loudly. The previously tired and callous expressions on the faces of most attendees had melted away as they listened earnestly to the proclamation of the old man's will.

After a long recollection of the old man's life, both tragedies and triumphs, the orator had finally reached the most important part for those present.

"'And so,'" the orator had read in place of the deceased, "'In light of all the successes of my many descendants, I have decided to give my entire inheritance away to my youngest and closest grandchild, Zhang Wei.'"

At that moment, one could feel the air as if it were freezing around them. Taking a moment to collect their wits, all the attendees present turned to look towards a rather unassuming youth. While he was dressed appropriately, it was far from lavish, allowing others to instantly derive much about his financial situation. This youth seemed modestly surprised at the announcement, his mouth slightly open.

At first, there were only a few whispers. But then, these whispers turned into murmurs and then shouts of disbelief. Quickly, many attendees were in protest. After all, they did not truly care for the old man who was their father but instead for the value of his wealth.

One greasy-looking mustached man had stood up to say, "It was father's money so I won't argue with the decision to give a lot to Little Wei, however, is the entire inheritance not too much for such a young boy to handle? What if he were to spend Grandfather's money recklessly? Then, who should we turn to cry to?"

Many voiced agreements, sharing this sentiment. Seeing this, the greasy man smiled before turning to the child in question.

"Little Wei, surely you won't blame us, right?"

Sitting in a chair, Zhang Wei was rather peaceful, not showing anything on his face. Instead, he only stared very deeply at those present. While nothing was said, his relatives felt deep blushes cross their faces.

The twelve-year old Zhang Wei uttered in a low tone, "Reckless? Daylight robbery is indeed reckless, Uncle, but then again, what is there to expect of thieves?"

The statement seemed off-hand and was said very impassably. However, all the people present felt the tension in the air.

The greasy man had stroked his mustache and inquired, "Now, now, Little Wei, be careful with your words. Others might misunderstand your intentions."

The small child only remained silent.

The greasy man had a thick face however, and persisted. Seeing that he could not reason with the child, he then turned to badmouthing. "It really won't do for Little Wei to have the whole inheritance, I mean, our late brother and sister-in-law were truly ill-fortuned. If we leave the money with him, who knows if catastrophe will strike again."

Again, there was tension, but of a stranger kind this time. After all, the man was bringing up the fact that his own nephew had lost both of his parents, who were technically his siblings. Not only that, but he was also using the boy's nearly orphaned status to steal money from him. Even the many businessmen present found it a bit much. Of course, they got over it instantly, anyway.

At this time, the young child had already stood up as he glared across at his uncle. His look was calm yet fierce. "I'll tell you this and this only. If you dare to do so much as to lay a finger on the inheritance, the only thing of ill-fortune would be your missing hands."

Instantly, harsh criticisms abounded as Zhang Wei was called 'unfilial', 'rude', 'egotistical', and the like. He paid it no mind however.

His small back stood tall as he said one last sentence. "You all tried your hands, that's fine. But now that you haven't got anything, it's time for the bandits to descend the mountain and live honest lives. I won't be seeing you."

After a longer while of name-calling and harassment, Zhang Wei's face did not shift as he stood perfectly still. Seeing this, as well as the absolute law of the will itself, they did not bicker any further and left the scene in droves. The greasy looking man gave one last ferocious look at Zhang Wei before leaving as well.

With the departure of everyone, Zhang Wei looked around and saw the scattered seats and messy footprints near the grave site. Seeing this, he was further infuriated at the behavior of his relatives. To him, it was obvious who was and was not filial!

He was pulled from these thoughts however when the orator came over and told him that in addition to all of his grandfather's wealth and property, there was another item explicitly stated. The gentlemen put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small green orb. Zhang Wei recognized it as the pearl on his grandfather's ring.

Holding on to the orb, it had both a cold and hot sensation which was rather healing. Additionally, it shone with a strange luster reminiscent of life itself. Lost in his thoughts, Zhang Wei had not noticed when the gentlemen disappeared. He was about to put away the orb when he saw something he never imagined.

Across from him, standing in front of the casket, was an old man with a toothy grin. Although it was hard to make out his features due to the man's oddly long hair and beard, Zhang Wei could still tell.

"Grandfather!?"