The Live-in Son-in-Law

Jing Tao hated Ji Xiao to the marrow. She had imagined countless ways to torture her to death, yet none could ease the hatred in her heart.

Ji Xiao had violated her family, cut off her father's path to survival, and nearly ruined her life as well.

On countless nights, Jing Tao had dreamed nightmares of being killed by Ji Xiao. Even after she had mastered her craft and abducted Ji Xiao into the cellar, she still lived in fear.

Now, seeing Ji Xiao refined into Spirit Husk Fox Incense by Xu Yi, Jing Tao suddenly felt relieved.

Since she was dead...

Then let her be dead.

With her great vengeance avenged, Jing Tao felt incomparably safe. Exhaustion surged over her, and all she wanted was a good sleep. She did not care about anything else.

She was tired.

Since her great vengeance had already been avenged...

Then let it be this way.

Xu Yi's words pulled Jing Tao's drifting thoughts back.

"What is Miss Jing's Night Roaming God inheritance like?"

Jing Tao came back to herself, her tone extremely solemn.

"I worship the Yin Son of Heaven.

He rules over all birth, death, and reincarnation in this world. He is the supreme true god!"

The Yin Son of Heaven?

Which one was that?

Xu Yi knew a little about ancient mythology. He knew the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, the Great Emperor Fengdu, and the Ten Yama Kings.

Only this "Yin Son of Heaven" was unfamiliar to him.

In the myths and legends of his homeland, "Yin Son of Heaven" was merely a title, not a specific deity.

This world was likely very different from the homeland he knew.

Unaware of Xu Yi's thoughts, Jing Tao continued.

"I have only just begun worshipping the Yin Son of Heaven through my inheritance. Therefore, I transformed my spirituality into divinity and gained the qualifications to become a Night Roaming God. I became the most basic [Ghost Messenger], able to command ghosts. That is all."

Xu Yi raised an eyebrow.

Being able to command ghosts and use all manner of demons and monsters to arrange this Jing Family residence was hardly something that could be dismissed as "that is all."

Xu Yi looked at Jing Tao, wearing a resigned expression as though he had accepted his fate.

"Now that I know so much, I'm afraid I won't be walking out of this cellar in one piece today."

Jing Tao gave a soft snort.

"At least you know your place."

Xu Yi spoke as though it were only natural.

"Then, Miss Jing, I want to live."

Jing Tao's voice grew quieter.

"You probably know roughly what my situation is, right?"

"Mhm, I know."

"You probably understand my family's situation too, right?"

"I understand."

"You have a general idea what kind of person I am, right?"

"Miss Jing is a good person, a fine person, and someone with great ambitions."

"Good. Then marry into my family."

"???"

Xu Yi did not react at first.

Was that directed at me?

He tried hard to make sense of it, but still could not understand.

Jing Tao was clearly not very good at saying such things. Even though she forced herself to say it while pretending not to care, a faint blush still crept across her face.

"Even though my family has fallen on hard times, we still have an entire Medicinal Soap Factory!"

Jing Tao put on a stern face to hide her panic.

"As long as you marry into my family, you and I can work together to snatch the Medicinal Soap Factory back from those collateral relatives!

Then you'll be one of us. Once my father is cured, he will naturally pass his connections down to you as well.

Then you'll transform from a Green Gang thug into a young master-uncle in one leap! Your social standing will be far higher than it is now!"

Young master-uncle was a Puxi term, referring specifically to a young man who was youthful yet senior in generation, powerful, wealthy, and not to be trifled with.

Hearing her explanation, Xu Yi immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, that!"

Xu Yi's tone was filled with an unquestionable sense of righteousness, as though it was simply what ought to be done.

"You don't need me to marry into your family. I'll still help you!"

Jing Tao's expression gradually darkened.

If you do not marry into my family, how can I ensure that your heart is with my family?

If you do not marry into my family yet still help me, how much of the profits will I have to split with you in the end?

If you do not marry into my family, how can I ensure that after taking the benefits, you will not stab me in the back?

Jing Tao was different from Xu Yi. Though she was even younger than him, Ji Xiao's rampage had shown Jing Tao all the warmth and coldness of human relationships since childhood, all the bitter chill of the worldly world. Her mind was far more mature than Xu Yi's.

She did not voice her concerns, merely asking instead.

"Why?"

Xu Yi answered with righteous conviction.

"When Mr. Ye Hai came to my place, he told me:

The Jing Family collateral branches took advantage of the crisis to seize Jing Hesheng's business. That was inhuman.

Bullying Jing Tao, a lone woman, was unrighteous.

Since this is Green Gang territory, such inhuman and unrighteous people cannot be allowed to bully others as they please."

Xu Yi added.

"I agree with those principles too."

Jing Tao's gaze was complicated.

"Do you know what kind of person your Mr. Ye Hai is?"

Xu Yi said sheepishly.

"Well... I really don't know much about that."

Jing Tao leaned back in her chair. Her tone slowed, and a complicated look appeared in her eyes.

"Mr. Ye Hai was not originally from Puxi City. He came from a small town called Under the Sky Lantern, very close to Puxi City. After Puxi opened its port, he came to Puxi City to make a living."

Xu Yi did know that.

Because the original owner of Xu Yi's body had also been born in that small town called Under the Sky Lantern.

Under the Sky Lantern was only thirty-six li from Puxi City, all by waterway.

Counting carefully, Mr. Ye Hai should have been Xu Yi's distant cousin-uncle, separated by some hundred-odd branches of kinship.

That was why Xu Yi had been able to obtain that letter of recommendation and come to Puxi City to seek shelter with Mr. Ye Hai.

Mr. Ye Hai's branch of the family had lived miserably. He lost his mother early in life, then famine came and his father died too. His younger sister was adopted out to beg for food, while his stepmother raised him.

Later, amid the chaos of war, his stepmother died as well.

When Mr. Ye Hai came to Puxi City, he was all alone.

"Mr. Ye Hai was born to run with gangs."

Jing Tao's tone was complicated. Xu Yi heard disgust and wariness in it, along with a faint trace of admiration.

"Not long after arriving in Puxi City, he joined a gang. At first, he worked on the docks, but it did not take long for him to figure out the ways of making a living there and start 'taking small goods.'"

Seeing Xu Yi's innocent expression, Jing Tao knew he had never been involved in this, so she explained.

"So-called small goods were smuggled goods brought in from Stinky Harbor and Nanyang by teahouse hands and sailors.

Whenever shopkeepers traded small goods with teahouse hands or sailors, Mr. Ye Hai and his group would scout the place beforehand. When the transaction began, they would swarm in and shout at them:

'You gentlemen wear the signboard and have your stacks; we are straw sandals who eat sun-baked wheels and gnaw water skins!'

It meant: you are people with roots and backing, with names and reputations. You follow rules and mind the situation; while we are poor wretches who brave wind and rain, with no one to rely on, scraping out a living in the jianghu.

After hearing this, the other side knew they were desperate men willing to use black against black. Fearing the weapons in their hands, they generally would not risk their lives fighting them. They could only sell the small goods to them at a low price—or simply have them robbed away."

"That was Mr. Ye Hai's first bucket of gold."