Chapter 1: Despair

"Mohan, I heard your daughter was born with spiritual eyes. The Tan family is offering a hundred million to buy her corneas. You’re about to strike it rich—don’t forget your buddies when you do!"

At the entrance of the Li Group, a security guard grinned at Mohan, who was on duty.

"Come off it. He’s just a son-in-law who married into the Li family. His own daughter isn’t even allowed to take his surname. Even if her corneas were sold for a billion, he wouldn’t see a single cent," another security guard scoffed, glancing at Mohan with disdain.

Boom!

Mohan’s mind exploded. He grabbed one of the guards, trembling all over. "Li Jian, is what you said true?"

"Huh? You mean you didn’t know? The whole company’s talking about it," Li Jian replied, startled.

Mohan’s heart trembled. He shook his head, released Li Jian’s arm, and his whole body shook with rage. "Anyone who dares touch my daughter’s corneas, I’ll fight them to the death!"

Inside, Mohan’s voiceless scream echoed, his eyes blazing with fury as he dashed out of the company.

Watching Mohan’s retreating figure, the other security guard shook his head in contempt. "See? That’s the fate of someone who lives off his wife. Not only does he have no rights, but even his own children don’t belong to him. Pathetic!"

Li Jian nodded, feeling a pang of sympathy for Mohan.

"Daddy, save me! I don’t want my corneas removed! Auntie said if they take them, I’ll be blind!"

"Daddy, I don’t want to be blind. If I am, I won’t be able to see you or Mommy!"

Mohan ran all the way home. As soon as he entered the neighborhood, he saw a young man carrying his daughter toward a car.

The despair and terror in his daughter’s eyes broke his heart.

A chill seized him. Mohan’s face twisted in anger as he shouted, "Li Bing, what are you doing? Put Xiaoxiao down!"

He lunged forward to snatch his daughter away.

The young man carrying his daughter was his cousin, Li Bing.

His daughter was born with spiritual eyes, a rarity in a hundred years. It was said that once awakened, she could see through all things.

The Li family had kept this secret, but behind closed doors, they were negotiating to sell her corneas!

"Get lost, you useless fool. Good dogs don’t block the way!" Li Bing sneered coldly.

Mohan’s face darkened. "She’s my daughter. Put her down!"

"Your daughter?" Li Bing mocked. "Why doesn’t your son carry your surname? Why is he named Li?"

Mohan’s heart ached. He took a deep breath, anger boiling up uncontrollably.

He was merely the son-in-law brought into the Li household. Naturally, his children couldn’t bear his surname. This was one reason he’d suffered mockery for years.

"Li Bing, don’t push me!" Mohan stared at Li Bing, his voice icy.

Smack!

Li Bing raised his hand and slapped Mohan’s face, swaggering, "Not only will I push you, I’ll beat you. Dare to fight back?"

"You—"

Mohan’s face was grim, his fists clenched so tightly his nails bit into his flesh. Still, he forced himself to stay calm.

Li Bing, seeing Mohan’s furious yet powerless expression, was even more disdainful. He slapped Mohan’s cheek and sneered, "You’re just the Li family’s stud, brought in to carry on the bloodline. What right do you have to stand in my way? If I weren’t worried about delaying Young Master Tan, I’d make your life a living hell!"

He shoved Mohan aside, but Mohan blocked the car door, refusing to budge.

"You damn fool, looking to die?" Li Bing snapped, kicking Mohan hard.

Mohan, frail to begin with, was caught off guard and knocked to the ground.

Li Bing glanced at him with contempt and opened the car door.

"Daddy, save me! I’m scared, Daddy..."

Xiaoxiao struggled and cried in Li Bing’s arms, but at just four years old, she could not escape his grip.

"Don’t be afraid, Xiaoxiao. As long as Daddy is here, no one will touch your corneas!"

Mohan climbed to his feet and charged at Li Bing.

At that moment, Li Bing signaled with his eyes. Two company security guards pinned Mohan down and beat him.

Mohan was thin and weak. Although he worked as a security guard at Li Group, it was his wife, Li An’an, who had arranged the job. He merely handled parking and gate duties—fighting was never his strength.

Pinned to the ground, Mohan shouted angrily, "Li Bing, let go of my daughter!"

Li Bing got into the car, shut the door, and started the engine.

"Let me go!"

"Ah!!"

Mohan roared at the sky, but no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break free from the guards.

He watched his daughter crying inside Li Bing’s car, saw terror and despair in her eyes, and then watched Li Bing speed out of the neighborhood...

Mohan was utterly desperate. Blood rushed to his head.

"Anyone who dares hurt my daughter, I’ll fight them to the death!"

"Li family, I, Mohan, swear today—if you take my daughter’s corneas, I will slaughter your whole clan!"

"Ah!!!"

Mohan screamed to the heavens, his cry echoing far and wide.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Even the clouds above seemed stirred, responding fiercely.

Thunder and lightning crashed, bolts splitting the clear sky.

Bang!

Overwhelmed with rage, Mohan collapsed to the ground, lost consciousness, and slipped into a coma...

Mohan dreamed—a long, strange dream.

He saw himself die from a stroke, his soul drawn by a mysterious force into the underworld.

He wandered, confused, down the Yellow Springs Road among countless spirits. As he crossed the Bridge of Forgetfulness, it suddenly collapsed, the Styx raging below, with countless vengeful ghosts wailing.

When offered the Soup of Oblivion, the old woman serving it recoiled in fear, dropping the bowl before handing it to him and fleeing in terror.

At the Hall of Judgment, the ten Yama Kings shivered at the sight of him. King Yama himself invited him to the throne, offering the best tea and wine of the underworld.

They treated him with utmost deference, calling him Lord of the Underworld.

It was as if he had become the King of Heaven himself.

Yet Mohan’s heart was consumed with worry for his daughter; he had no idea what any of this meant.

Only one thought remained:

I must return. I must return and save my daughter!