Stripped of My Right of Inheritance Upon Transmigration

At the beginning of August, the blazing sun hung high over Wushan Territory, baking the earth until even the air seemed to warp with heat.

Yet Luo Ning was dressed in heavy noble attire as he followed a smooth road paved with bluestone toward the highest point of the estate—Wushan Fortress.

More than ten minutes ago, he had still been a game planner working through the night on a proposal. He had never expected to suddenly die from overwork and be reborn in the body of a noble youth in another world.

He had not even had time to process his previous self's memories before guards escorted him under watch to Wushan Fortress, where he would face a judgment directed at him.

Fortunately, the road was fairly long, giving Luo Ning time to sort through some of his previous self's memories and understand his current situation.

It turned out this was a supernatural world that superficially resembled the early Middle Ages on Earth, but actually possessed Battle Qi and magic.

The previous self he had transmigrated into was named Luo Ning Wushan. He was the Legitimate Grandson of the Marquis of Wushan Family and had the Right of Inheritance to the marquis title.

Yet despite being raised in a top-tier noble family, he had not mastered a single kind of Supernatural Power. Instead, he drifted through banquets and dances, indulged in wine and women, and accomplished nothing of note.

At a banquet two days ago, his previous self had gotten completely drunk and slept with a woman.

No one had expected the woman to commit suicide the next day, leaving behind a suicide note accusing his previous self. The matter quickly became known to everyone.

Logically speaking, many nobles had chaotic private lives. Sleeping with a woman at a banquet was hardly a major matter.

Even the suicide of an ordinary woman would not normally be considered much of an issue.

But the problem was that this woman's identity was anything but ordinary. She was the youngest granddaughter of Orson Hyde, the Border Count of Wushan Ridge.

Wushan Territory was currently plagued by internal and external troubles and was highly unstable. This Border Count not only had a thriving family, but also bore the crucial responsibility of guarding the border.

This meant that although the Border Count was the marquis's vassal, if their relationship soured, even a slight reduction—or complete refusal—of support in major matters could cause immeasurable harm to Wushan Territory.

Because of this, the moment his father returned from campaigning and heard about the matter, he had punched his previous self. He had only intended to teach him a lesson, but instead sent him straight to heaven.

The more Luo Ning remembered, the more worried and uneasy he became.

Would the Marquis's Manor sacrifice him for the stability of the territory and the family?

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed!

His previous self's mother had died early. His father did not care for him, his grandfather did not favor him, and he had no power backing him. Though his political standing was high, his position was deeply awkward.

"How did I run into something this troublesome the moment I transmigrated?"

Luo Ning felt helpless. He glanced to either side, and the guards following him completely crushed any thought of whether he could slip away.

Sigh...

The Marquis's Manor was enormous. Rock gardens, fountains, flowers, and countless other sights filled its grounds, all displaying the Wushan Family's wealth and deep foundations.

Up the broad stairs stood an enormous military fortress completely made of white jade, standing tall atop a small hill. It was imposing without losing its solemn weight.

This was Wushan Fortress.

Luo Ning was awed by the sight for only a second or two before anxiety replaced that feeling.

He was about to face not only his father, Count Wiggins, whose single punch had sent his previous self to his death, but also representatives of the Hyde Family, who had come in fury to demand an explanation.

Both groups wanted to vent their anger on him. How could a pitiful newbie who had just transmigrated possibly endure such overwhelming rage?

"Heavens above, spirits below, legendary golden finger, hurry up and show yourself! Save your master!"

As a fan of games and novels, he knew that every transmigrator had a golden finger.

With no way out, this was all he could pray for.

Perhaps in response to his call, a line of words really did begin to flicker in his vision:

Activation upon obtaining a noble title

Luo Ning was overjoyed when he saw it. He really did have a golden finger.

But after reading the contents clearly, the smile on his face froze. This golden finger actually still needed to be activated!

"A noble title... How could that be so easy to obtain?"

Although his previous self possessed the Right of Inheritance, to become the Marquis of Wushan Territory, he would first have to wait for his grandfather to die, then wait for his father to pass away. Only then would it be his turn to inherit.

Even taking a step back, after graduating from the Supernatural Academy, his father might grant him a viscount or baron title. But that would be next year, and there was still a whole year to go.

Besides, Luo Ning was not only facing Wiggins's rage right now, but also the risk of being "sacrificed." Where was he supposed to find himself a noble title?

"I have a golden finger but can't activate it. This is like bad luck opening the door for bad luck—nothing but bad luck all the way home!"

He truly had grievances he could not put into words.

"Young Master Luo Ning, the lords are waiting for you inside!"

After escorting Luo Ning to the fortress entrance, the guards stood on either side of the doorway. The captain made an inviting gesture, signaling for Luo Ning to enter alone.

Standing beneath the fortress's five-meter-tall gate, Luo Ning keenly felt how small he was. He looked inside and could vaguely make out several figures at the far end, dozens of meters away.

Heavy. Oppressive.

"What comes cannot be avoided!"

He took a deep breath, then stepped inside.

There were no guards standing watch along either side of the castle hall's corridor. It seemed they did not want the argument inside to spread outside.

"Perhaps things aren't as bad as I imagined."

Luo Ning comforted himself and soon reached the end, where he saw the five people clearly.

On a lofty jade seat directly ahead sat an elderly man with graying hair and a face full of wrinkles.

The moment he saw him, Luo Ning's heartbeat quickened.

This old man was the builder of this castle, the lord of Wushan Territory, a powerful Meteor Rank knight, the Marquis of the Auduin Kingdom, Rulans Wushan.

Luo Ning had not expected this matter to alarm even the old marquis, who had not involved himself in political affairs for more than ten years. It seemed that even the marquis had no choice but to take the relationship with the Hyde Family seriously.

To the old marquis's right stood a burly, rough-looking middle-aged man with a full beard.

He was Marquis Lulance's second son, the Count of Wushan City, the future heir of Wushan Territory, and Luo Ning's father, Wiggins Wushan.

As the old marquis's second son, Wiggins should not have had the Right of Inheritance to the noble title. Only because his elder brother Gremus had died in battle thirty years ago had the position fallen to him, yet he clearly had not been prepared.

At fifty-two, Wiggins was still only an Advanced Knight. His strength was lacking and his mind was unclear, making him unable to suppress the restless vassals in these chaotic times.

And as Wiggins's eldest son and the future second heir of Wushan Territory, his previous self had been an ordinary man who had not even mastered Supernatural Power.

With both heirs being like this, outsiders naturally believed that once the old marquis died of illness, the Marquis of Wushan Territory would gradually fall apart.

This was the root of Wushan Territory's instability.

Luo Ning secretly glanced at the other three people. All wore armor and carried swords, radiating powerful auras. The golden-haired man in the middle in particular made Luo Ning deeply uneasy.

If he had not mistaken him, this man was the knight who followed the Border Count—Nigan Golden Lion, a peak Gold Rank knight only one step away from matching the old marquis in combat strength.

When Luo Ning arrived, the five people in the hall wore different expressions.

The old marquis on the high seat remained impassive, neither angry nor sorrowful.

The three knight representatives snorted coldly, glaring at him with furious, murderous eyes.

Only Wiggins roared angrily, "You worthless bastard, why aren't you kneeling?!"

Luo Ning was startled by the sudden roar. Were Advanced Knights in this world all so loud?

Remembering the punch that had killed his previous self, he could only submit obediently and kneel in the middle of the hall.

"Heh."

At that moment, a cold laugh came from above. Nigan Golden Lion, the Gold Rank knight representing the Hyde Family, cast Wiggins a disdainful glance.

"Now that the culprit is here, the Count of Wushan City need not put on this empty performance before us. Miss Selena died because of Luo Ning. The Wushan Family must give our Hyde Family a satisfactory explanation for this matter!"

"That's right!"

The knight beside him echoed, "And in the campaign against the Black Gold Brotherhood, Baron Slant died in battle because of your mistaken command. You must pay the price for your error!"

"The Hyde Family's Legitimate Grandson and youngest granddaughter both died because of your Wushan Family. If this matter cannot be properly handled, only the friendship between our two families will suffer!"

Following the principle that "my vassal's vassal is not my vassal," the three knights led by Nigan served Count Hyde. They gave Wiggins no face at all, immediately launching into an angry tirade as though they were ready to resort to war if no price was paid.

Normally, Wiggins would have shouted back even louder in such a situation.

But this time, he had no way to retort, because he truly had made a mistake in his command during the war against the Thieves' Guild.

His face flushed red with anger, but with nowhere to vent anger, he could only roar at Luo Ning again, "Damn it!"

Luo Ning's heart sank to the bottom.

He had not expected two members of the Hyde Family's younger generation to die at once. One granddaughter would have been one thing, but even their Legitimate Grandson, who possessed the Right of Inheritance, had unexpectedly died in battle.

And it was his previous self's father's fault.

"Won't they pin this on me too?"

Luo Ning grew increasingly uneasy. Both he and Slant were Legitimate Grandsons. Could they use his life to repay Slant's?

The silent, oppressive, suffocating atmosphere made Luo Ning's breathing quicken. He was only a newcomer to society who had not long since left school. How could he have experienced a scene like this before?

But he knew the person who would decide whether he could leave safely was not his father, nor the three representatives of the Hyde Family, but Rulans Wushan, who sat on the high seat and had yet to speak.

The old marquis had once intended to raise his previous self as his successor—after all, his son was already useless, so he could only place his hopes of reviving the family on his Legitimate Grandson.

But his previous self's performance had disappointed him, especially after he still had not mastered Supernatural Power over the past two years.

"Though death is unavoidable in war, I am deeply saddened by Baron Slant's death. He was a brave child."

The old marquis slowly opened his eyes and finally spoke from the high seat.

"Please ask Sir Nigan to convey my grief and apologies to Orson and Barrington."

At his words, Nigan rose, pressed one hand to his chest, and gave a Knight's Salute. It was clear that his attitude toward Wiggins was completely different from his attitude toward Marquis Lulance.

"Nigan will certainly convey them. However..."

The old marquis raised his hand and let out a heavy sigh, interrupting him.

"Speaking of which, Wushan and Hyde are related by marriage, yet two such unfortunate incidents have occurred. Wiggins bears fault for Slant's death, and we should compensate you. But Selena..."

At this point, he glanced at his grandson kneeling on the floor. At this moment, Luo Ning's heart rose into his throat.

Whether he lived or died depended on the next sentence.

"Selena was a child who committed suicide. She did not die directly by Luo Ning's hand."

Upon hearing this, Luo Ning finally let out the breath he had been holding.

With the old marquis's words, he knew his little life had finally been saved.

As long as he could live, it was still manageable.

But Nigan and the other two immediately grew anxious.

"My lord, although Miss Selena did not die directly by Luo Ning's hand, she died because he humiliated her. You cannot simply dismiss this matter with a few words!"

As he spoke, he took a piece of Parchment from his pocket and said with tears in his eyes, "This Parchment was written by Miss Selena herself. It records everything that happened after Luo Ning forcibly dragged her into a room! If even this is not punished, then we..."

"Do not be hasty."

Marquis Lulance interrupted Nigan again.

"I merely said that Selena did not die directly by Luo Ning's hand, so I will not agree to your demand that Luo Ning pay with his life. But I never said I would not give the Hyde Family an explanation."

Hearing this, Nigan, who had been prepared to argue further, finally stopped.

In truth, he knew it was impossible to directly demand the life of the Marquis's Manor's Legitimate Grandson. But only by making such a demand could they obtain what they wanted.

After a long silence, Rulans slowly spoke.

"Slant's death caused the Hyde Family to lose an outstanding Legitimate Grandson. Both his death and Selena's death can be attributed to our Wushan Family, so I will make a promise here."

Luo Ning held his breath and listened intently to what would follow. His fate depended entirely on how the old man on the seat chose to arrange things.

"I can promise this."

Marquis Lulance spoke solemnly. "Among the third generation, my youngest grandson, Brayden Wushan—the son of Wiggins and Diane—will inherit the marquis title of Wushan Territory in the future. As for Luo Ning..."

He paused and glanced at Luo Ning, who had lowered his head. "Strip Luo Ning Wushan of his Right of Inheritance!"

Though there was an inheritance system involving the eldest legitimate son and Legitimate Grandson, they could still be disinherited if they committed fatal errors.

Luo Ning had now committed a fatal error—or rather, he had been swept into the vortex of one.

Would stripping Luo Ning of his Right of Inheritance improve the relationship? Would that count as giving an explanation?

It certainly would.

Because Brayden, who would replace Luo Ning's Right of Inheritance, had a mother whose surname was Hyde. She was Orson Hyde's daughter.

In other words, Brayden was the Border Count's biological grandson through his daughter.

Luo Ning's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. In that instant, he seemed to understand something.

Could Selena's suicide have been meant to strip him of his Right of Inheritance and transfer it to his half-brother Brayden?

If so, the plotting behind this was truly too sinister.

"No, I need to find a way to leave the center of this vortex!"

Contract signing tomorrow. Investments welcome.