Stripped of Inheritance Upon Crossing Over

In the Wushan Territory in early August, the scorching sun baked the land, and the heat even distorted the air.

Yet, Luo Ning was dressed in formal noble attire, walking along the smooth, flagstone-paved road towards the highest point of the estate – Wushan Fortress.

Just over ten minutes ago, he was a game planner pulling an all-nighter writing a proposal. He never expected to suddenly die and be reborn as a noble's son in another world.

He didn't even have time to process the memories of his previous self before he was escorted under guard to Wushan Fortress to face a trial against him.

Fortunately, the road was quite long, giving Luo Ning time to digest some of his predecessor's memories and figure out his current situation.

It turned out this was a world that superficially resembled Earth in the early Middle Ages but actually possessed the extraordinary powers of Battle Qi and Magic.

His predecessor, whom he had transmigrated into, was named "Luo Ning Wushan," the legitimate eldest grandson of the Wushan Marquis Family, with the right to inherit the title of Marquis.

But this person, born into a top noble family, not only failed to master any extraordinary power but also indulged in banquets and dances, was addicted to fine wine and women, and achieved nothing.

Just the day before yesterday, at a banquet, his predecessor got completely drunk and went to bed with a woman.

No one expected that this woman would commit suicide the next day, leaving behind a suicide note accusing his predecessor. The matter quickly became widely known.

Logically, many nobles had messy private lives, and having relations with a woman at a banquet wasn't a big deal.

Furthermore, a common woman committing suicide wasn't a major issue either.

But the problem was that this woman's identity was very unusual. She was the youngest granddaughter of Count Orson Hyde, the Border Count of the Wushan Territory.

Currently, the Wushan Territory was unstable, facing both internal and external troubles. This Border Count's family was not only prosperous but also held the important responsibility of maintaining border security.

This meant that although this Border Count was a vassal of the Marquis, if relations soured, even slightly reducing or withholding effort on certain major matters could cause immeasurable damage to the Wushan Territory.

Because of this, his predecessor's father, who had just returned from a campaign, punched his predecessor as soon as he heard about the incident. He had only intended to teach him a lesson, but unexpectedly sent him straight to the afterlife.

Recalling this, Luo Ning's heart grew increasingly troubled and anxious.

Would the Wushan Marquisate sacrifice him for the stability of the territory and the family?

It seemed very possible!

After all, his predecessor's mother died early, his father didn't dote on him, his grandfather didn't love him, and he had no power base supporting him. Although his political status was high, his situation was very awkward.

How did I run into such a troublesome situation as soon as I transmigrated?

Luo Ning felt helpless. He turned his head and glanced left and right. The group of guards following him completely extinguished any thought of him trying to slip away.

Sigh...

The Marquisate was vast, filled with countless landscapes like rock gardens, fountains, and flowers, everywhere displaying the Wushan Family's luxury and heritage.

Ascending the wide stairs, a massive military fortress built entirely of white jade stone stood atop the small hill, grand yet imposing.

This was Wushan Fortress.

Luo Ning's heart was only stunned by this scene for a second or two, then it was replaced by anxiety again.

He was about to face not only his father, Count Wiggins, who had sent his predecessor to his death with one punch, but also representatives of the Hyde Family who had come angrily demanding an explanation.

Both groups wanted to vent their anger on him. How could he, a poor little newbie who had just transmigrated, bear such great wrath?

Oh spirits of heaven and earth, legendary cheats, quickly show yourselves and rescue your master!

As a game and novel enthusiast, he knew that every transmigrator had a cheat.

In this desperate situation, he could only pray for this.

Perhaps in response to his call, a line of text did flash in his vision:

Activated upon obtaining a noble title

Seeing this line of text, Luo Ning was overjoyed. He did have a cheat by his side.

But after reading the content of the line, the smile on his face froze. This cheat actually needed to be activated!

A noble title... how is that so easy to obtain?

Although his predecessor had the right of inheritance, to become the Marquis of the Wushan Territory, he first had to wait for his grandfather to die, then wait for his father to pass away, before it would be his turn to inherit.

Stepping back, after he graduated from the Supernatural Academy, his father might bestow upon him a Viscount or Baron title, but that would be next year, still a year away.

Moreover, Luo Ning was currently facing not only Wiggins's anger but also the risk of potentially being "sacrificed." Where was he going to get a noble title?

Having a cheat but not being able to activate it, it's like bad luck's mom opened the door for bad luck, completely down on my luck!

He truly... had no words to express his bitterness.

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

After escorting Luo Ning to the entrance of the fortress, the guards stood on either side. The captain made a gesture of invitation, indicating for Luo Ning to go in alone.

Standing beneath the five-meter-high gate of the fortress, Luo Ning felt his own insignificance. He looked inside, and at the end several dozen meters away, he could vaguely see a few figures.

Heavy, oppressive.

What's coming, I can't avoid it!

He took a deep breath, then stepped inside.

There were no guards standing along the corridors of the castle hall. It seemed they didn't want the arguments inside to be spread.

"Perhaps things aren't as bad as they seem."

Luo Ning reassured himself and quickly reached the end of the corridor. He could now clearly see the five people inside.

Seated on a high jade throne directly ahead was an old man with white hair and a face full of wrinkles.

Seeing him, Luo Ning's heart couldn't help but beat a little faster.

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

Luo Ning hadn't expected that this matter would even alarm the old Marquis, who hadn't concerned himself with political affairs for over ten years. It seemed the relationship with the Hyde Family was something even the Marquis had to take seriously.

Standing to the old Marquis's right was a burly, rugged middle-aged man with a full beard.

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

As the old Marquis's second son, Wiggins should not have had the right to inherit the title. It was only because his elder brother, Gremus, died in battle thirty years ago that it fell to him, but he was clearly unprepared.

At 52 years old, Wiggins was still only a High-Grade Knight, lacking strength and clear thinking, unable to suppress the restless vassals in these chaotic times.

And the original owner of this body, as Wiggins' eldest son, the second heir to Wushan Territory in the future, was just an ordinary person who hadn't even mastered supernatural power.

With both heirs being of such character, the outside world naturally believed that after the old Marquis passed away, the Wushan Marquisate would gradually fall apart.

This was the root cause of Wushan Territory's instability.

Luo Ning quietly glanced at the three people on the other side. They were all wearing armor and carrying swords, exuding a powerful aura. The golden-haired man in the middle, in particular, made Luo Ning very uneasy.

If he wasn't mistaken, this person was the knight who followed the Border Count—Nigan Golden Lion, a peak Gold Rank Knight, just one step away from being able to rival the old Marquis in combat power.

Seeing Luo Ning approach, the expressions of the five people in the hall varied.

The old Marquis on the high throne remained impassive, showing neither anger nor sorrow.

The three knight representatives snorted coldly, glaring with hostility, their eyes looking as if they wanted to devour him.

Only Wiggins roared angrily, "Damn it, why aren't you kneeling!"

Luo Ning was startled by the sudden roar. Were High-Grade Knights from another world this loud?

Considering the punch the other party had used to kill the original owner, he could only obediently submit and kneel in the center of the hall.

"Heh heh~"

Just then, a cold laugh came from above. Nigan Golden Lion, the representative of the Hyde Family and a Gold Rank Knight, glanced at Wiggins with disdain.

"The main person is here. The Count of Wushan City doesn't need to put on this act in front of us. Miss Selena died because of Luo Ning. The Wushan Family must give our Hyde Family a satisfactory explanation for this matter!"

"Exactly!"

The knight beside him echoed, "Also, this time's encirclement and suppression of the Black Gold Brotherhood was precisely because of your incorrect command, which led to Baron Slant's death. You must pay the price for your mistake!"

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

Adhering to the principle of "my vassal's vassal is not my vassal," the three knights, represented by Knight Nigan, served Count Hyde as their lord. They gave Wiggins no face at all, directly launching into an attack, acting as if they would resort to force if a price wasn't paid.

Usually, in such situations, Wiggins would spray back even louder.

But at this moment, he couldn't refute, because he had indeed made mistakes in command during this war against the bandit group.

His face was flushed with anger, with nowhere to vent his frustration, so he could only roar at Luo Ning again, "Damn it!"

Luo Ning's heart, however, sank to the bottom.

He hadn't expected that two of the Hyde Family's grandchildren would die at once. One granddaughter was bad enough, but even the legitimate eldest grandson with inheritance rights had died unexpectedly in battle.

And it was the fault of the original owner's father.

This won't be blamed on me too, will it?

Luo Ning felt increasingly uneasy. He was also the legitimate eldest grandson. They wouldn't use his life to compensate for that Slant's life, would they?

The silent, oppressive, suffocating atmosphere made Luo Ning's breathing rapid. He was just a newcomer to society who had only recently left school; where had he ever experienced such a scene?

But he knew that the person who would decide whether he was safe was not his father, and certainly not the three representatives of the Hyde Family, but Rulans Wushan, who was sitting on the high throne and had remained silent.

The old Marquis had once cultivated the original owner as his successor—after all, his son was already useless, so he could only place the hope of revitalizing the family on his legitimate eldest grandson.

But the original owner's performance disappointed him, especially after failing to master supernatural power even in the past two years.

"Although death is unavoidable in war, I am deeply saddened by the death of Baron Slant. He was a brave child!"

From the high throne, the old Marquis slowly opened his eyes and finally spoke.

"Please convey my sorrow and apologies to Orson and Barrington, Sir Nigan."

Hearing this, Nigan stood up and performed a knight's salute with one hand on his chest. It was clear that his attitude towards Wiggins was completely different from his attitude towards Marquis Rulance.

"Nigan will certainly convey it, but..."

The old Marquis raised his hand, sighed heavily, and interrupted the other party.

"Speaking of which, Wushan and Hyde are related by marriage, yet two such unfortunate incidents have occurred. Slant's death in battle is partly Wiggins's fault, and we should compensate, but Selena..."

At this point, he looked at his grandson kneeling on the ground, and Luo Ning's heart was also in his throat at this moment.

Whether he lived or not depended on the next sentence.

"Selena, the child, committed suicide. She did not die directly by Luo Ning's hand."

Hearing this, Luo Ning's heart finally settled.

With the old Marquis's words, he knew his life was finally safe.

As long as he could live, it was fine.

But on the other side, Nigan and the other two were anxious.

"Lord, although Miss Selena didn't die directly at Luo Ning's hands, she died from being insulted by him. You can't gloss over this matter with just one sentence!"

Saying this, he pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket and said tearfully, "This parchment was written by Miss Selena herself. It records everything that happened after Luo Ning forcibly dragged her into the room! If this isn't punished, then we..."

"Don't be anxious."

Marquis Lulance interrupted Nigan again.

"I just said that Selena didn't die directly at Luo Ning's hands, so I won't agree to your demand for Luo Ning to pay with his life. But I didn't say I wouldn't give the Hyde Family an explanation."

Hearing this, Nigan, who was about to argue further, stopped speaking.

He actually knew that it was impossible to directly demand the life of the Marquis's eldest grandson, but only by making such a demand would they get what they wanted.

After a moment of silence, Lulance slowly spoke:

"Slant's death in battle caused the Hyde Family to lose an excellent eldest grandson. His death, and Selena's death, can both be attributed to my Wushan Family, so I will make a promise here."

Luo Ning held his breath, his ears perked, listening to the words that followed. His fate depended on how the old man sitting there arranged things.

"I can promise."

Marquis Lulance said solemnly, "In the future, among the third generation, my youngest grandson, Brayden Wushan, the son of Wiggins and Diane, will inherit the position of Marquis of Wushan Territory. As for Luo Ning..."

He paused, glancing at Luo Ning who had his head lowered, "Deprive Luo Ning Wushan of his right of inheritance!"

Although there is a system of inheritance for the eldest son and eldest grandson, if they commit a fatal mistake, they can be stripped of their rights.

Luo Ning had now committed a fatal mistake, or rather, he had fallen into a vortex of fatal mistakes.

As for whether stripping Luo Ning of his inheritance rights could improve relations? Even give an explanation?

That was certain.

Because the mother of Brayden, who would take over Luo Ning's inheritance rights, had the surname "Hyde". She was the daughter of Orson Hyde.

In other words, Brayden was the biological grandson of this border Count.

Luo Ning's heart suddenly raced. At this moment, he seemed to understand something.

Could it be that Selena's suicide was intended to strip him of his inheritance rights and transfer them to his half-brother, Brayden?

Then the scheme behind this was truly too sinister.

No, I have to find a way to get out of the center of this vortex!

Signing tomorrow, but the investment