Chapter 1

Spring sunlight filtered through the window, illuminating the spacious tea room. Feng Yi stared at a stack of papers in front of him, his face tense, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.

An hour ago, he was still a young man in deep trouble, owing a huge debt due to his partner's betrayal. And now...

Feng Yi glanced at the old man sitting across the table. The old man was impeccably dressed, every hair in place, like an ancient gentleman. He smiled, the corners of his mouth curving in a measured way, neither too deliberate nor too perfunctory, as if the papers on the table were just a menu rather than a property transfer agreement worth hundreds of millions.

When Feng Yi was almost in despair, it was this old man who appeared before him, telling him that he had a great-aunt he had never met, who had recently passed away and left him a substantial inheritance.

As an adult who had just experienced the harsh realities of life, Feng Yi did not believe in windfalls, especially ones that came at such a convenient time!

So when this happened, the first thought that came to Feng Yi's mind was—

Dead scammer!

But now, as he faced the property transfer agreement on the table, he was already 70% convinced.

Of course, the presence of three lawyers nearby also played a role. These three were well-known in the city, and a quick online search would reveal a lot of information about them. Feng Yi had also briefly interacted with one of them.

Why not fully believe?

The papers on the table were a property transfer agreement, not a will. According to the old butler, the part of the property left to Feng Yi by his great-aunt, whom he had never met, was directly handed over to the butler. The butler would then transfer the property to Feng Yi in batches, with no time limit and no specific amount required.

This operation seemed very mysterious to Feng Yi.

He couldn't understand why his great-aunt would use this method to leave him an inheritance.

Was the butler so trustworthy? Even more so than her own children?

If it were one of her children or grandchildren, it would make more sense, given the blood ties.

But a butler?

The first batch of property the butler transferred to Feng Yi was worth 100 million yuan. The condition was that Feng Yi had to do one thing—go to the Feng family ancestral home and write his name in the family register.

Leaving aside the "Feng family ancestral home" he had never heard of—

"Family register?"

Does such a thing still exist?

What era is this, to still have family registers??

But putting that aside, just finding the ancestral home and writing his name could get him 100 million yuan. That seemed too easy, right?

He didn't believe it.

But 100 million yuan...

He, who was burdened with debt, really needed it.

After a long while, Feng Yi's gaze, which had been fixed on the papers, finally moved away. He wiped the sweat from his palms on his pants and said, "...I'll go to the restroom first."

The old man across the table smiled understandingly and nodded slightly, "Please do."

Feng Yi walked out of the tea room with a stiff body, all his calm gone, his breathing rapid. He quickly entered the restroom, closed the door, and splashed cold water on his face from the sink.

The cold water didn't wake him up.

Good, it wasn't a dream.

Feng Yi looked at himself in the mirror.

Due to insomnia and the pressure of debt, he hadn't rested well for a long time. His eyes, filled with bloodshot, turned a frightening red under the emotional strain.

He splashed his face again, dried his hands hurriedly, and took out his phone from his pocket. The screen showed over 10 missed calls, all from creditors.

Ignoring those, Feng Yi opened his contacts and looked at two phone numbers. He hadn't dialed these numbers since he left the Feng family five years ago. After some hesitation, he dialed one of them.

It rang for a long time with no answer.

He dialed the other one, which disconnected after two rings.

Not surprising.

Feng Yi exhaled softly.

One must rely on oneself!

He put the phone back in his pocket.

He splashed his face with cold water again, tidied himself up, and returned to the tea room.

His brain, which had been overheated, cooled down a bit. His voice still trembled slightly, but he spoke more smoothly than before. His smile when facing the butler became more natural. Although his mind was still in chaos, he had to maintain a calm exterior.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No problem," the butler said, his smile deepening as he looked at Feng Yi's current state. "Have you thought it over?"

"Yes, I've thought about it calmly, but I still have many doubts. Your appearance at such a convenient time makes me suspect that it's intentional," Feng Yi probed.

"No, I originally planned a one to two-year observation period. I started paying attention to you last month, and this is the second month. I learned that you were in significant trouble, so I decided to contact you earlier," the butler explained calmly.

Feng Yi didn't know if this was true and asked more about his great-aunt.

The butler gave a brief account.

Feng Yi learned that his great-aunt had gone abroad early, had children, and mainly developed her business there, though she also had assets in China. When dividing her property, she left a part to Feng Yi. She was buried abroad, and Feng Yi would need to travel there to pay respects.

That was all the butler would say.

"Why me? The Feng family is a large clan. There are so many of my generation on this side, why choose me?" Feng Yi asked.

The butler smiled at him, as if looking at a kitten he had just picked up from the street: "Ms. Feng said your appearance is the most appealing."

Feng Yi touched his sharp face.

"She has a good eye!"

For the first time in his life, an elder had said his appearance was appealing!

He had heard many comments about his appearance being "unfaithful and unlucky," so hearing that his appearance was appealing was quite a surprise.

Feng Yi thought he was handsome. There were many sharp-faced celebrities in the entertainment industry, and many had even sharper faces than him. However, elders seemed to prefer traditional "lucky" faces or those that looked more serious and upright.

But...

Who cares what face I have, as long as I'm handsome!

Feng Yi wasn't entirely narcissistic.

In his first year of college, the salon owner personally approached him for a collaboration. He often received invitations to various club activities at school.

In his second year, he expanded his collaborations to earn tuition and money for a house, working with salons, photo studios, clothing and accessory stores, and even the largest hot pot restaurant on the commercial street outside the school.

In his third year, he partnered with someone to open a small studio, no longer working alone, and saved enough money to buy his first house. Among ordinary students of his age, he was considered a success.

In his fourth year, he got lucky and joined a web drama production, playing a minor but eye-catching role. Unexpectedly, the web drama became a hit at the beginning of the year, and he gained some online presence, finally stepping into the entertainment industry.

His career was on the rise, and he planned to capitalize on this momentum to make more money in the entertainment industry. However, he was betrayed at a critical moment—his partner orchestrated a series of incidents and then fled with the money.

Feng Yi faced furious business partners, huge breach of contract fees, and various compensation costs.

So, he was in dire need of this money.

If he weren't in such a difficult situation, even with 100 million yuan in front of him, he would have thought twice. His experiences told him not to be too naive; without enough resilience, even a windfall could crush him.

Most appealing appearance? So she left him a large sum of money?

Who is he trying to fool!

100 million yuan, what kind of trap is waiting for him behind this!

But even knowing there might be a trap, he had to step into it.

No matter how much he complained in his heart, Feng Yi just smiled and continued, "Where is the Feng family ancestral home? Is it the century-old villa in Yangcheng?"

The butler chuckled, as if the century-old villa in Yangcheng was beneath him.

"Far outskirts of Yangcheng, Xiaofeng Mountain."

Feng Yi thought to himself: As expected, I've never heard of it.

He was born and raised in Yangcheng, and left for Rongcheng to attend university after the college entrance exam, never returning. He had a vague memory of Xiaofeng Mountain, but it wasn't significant.

However, it was the first time he heard of the Feng family ancestral home on Xiaofeng Mountain.

In front of the butler, Feng Yi took out his phone and searched for information about Xiaofeng Mountain in Yangcheng, then fell silent.

He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he didn't expect the challenge to be so great.

Xiaofeng Mountain, also known as Snake Mountain, was named for the many snakes there.

Just looking at the pictures online made his skin crawl.

Feng Yi hated snakes, but for the sake of overcoming this crisis, what were a few snakes?

Besides, most of the snakes on Xiaofeng Mountain were non-venomous garter snakes, and the mountain was fenced off.

"Is the ancestral home guarded?" Feng Yi asked.

The old man seemed satisfied with Feng Yi's reaction, his smile widening. "Of course, it needs to be maintained. But don't worry, I've already spoken to the guards."

Feng Yi nodded, thinking that the difficulty wasn't too great.

"I need to clarify, I left the Feng family after the college entrance exam," Feng Yi added, "due to ideological differences."

Leaving the Feng family and then going to the ancestral home to update the family register would be a slap in the face, and it would be extremely difficult, as seen in historical dramas. Feng Yi needed to plan carefully.

The butler understood Feng Yi's concerns and said, "You don't need to worry. The family register is unrelated to the Feng family on the other side. Ms. Feng personally placed the register in the ancestral home, and no one else knows about it."

Feng Yi raised an eyebrow.

That didn't sound right.

The family register in the ancestral home was unrelated to the "other side" of the Feng family?

Was there a division?

Feng Yi wondered if there was some "split" between his grandfather and great-aunt's generation.

The butler across the table handed him a zodiac coin.

Feng Yi was familiar with this metal coin, which looked like a small accessory. He wore one around his neck, which he had worn since childhood.

One side of the coin had the twelve earthly branches and corresponding zodiac signs, and the other side had the Bagua diagram.

In the Feng family, only those born in the Year of the Snake had such a zodiac coin.

Feng Yi took out the coin he was wearing, and the one in the butler's hand flew over and attached to his.

The two coins overlapped, and the patterns on them began to rotate.

A golden light flashed, blinding Feng Yi so he couldn't see the patterns on the coin.

After a soft click, it stopped.

When he looked again, there was no trace of the two coins being stacked. The coin was slightly thicker, and the side with the twelve earthly branches and zodiac signs now showed only a snake pattern, almost covering the entire surface!

Feng Yi couldn't control his expression, his eyes wide as he examined the coin from both sides and even tried to pry it with his fingers.

It was indeed one coin!

"This... new technology?" Feng Yi held the coin and asked the butler.

"Old technology," the butler said. "You should wear it when you go to the ancestral home. It is the key to the family register."

"Key?"

Feng Yi realized that this "family register" might be different from what he imagined.

He didn't follow the tech news and didn't know what amazing technologies existed today. Hearing the butler's words, he marveled at the rapid advancement of technology. Whether it was new or old technology, if it could impress people, it was impressive.

He was certainly impressed.

At the same time, he felt extremely cautious.

If such advanced technology was involved, the matter was definitely not as simple as it seemed.

But he still signed the agreement. Given his current situation, this was the best solution.

After signing, the butler quickly left, leaving a phone number for Feng Yi to contact him if needed.

After the butler and lawyers left, Feng Yi sat alone in the tea room for a while, calming down before leaving the shop. If he left with his mind still in turmoil, he might have an accident while driving.

But as soon as he stepped out of the shop, a cool breeze blew, and Feng Yi suddenly stopped. He remembered something.

He slapped his forehead.

"The most important thing I forgot!"

He quickly took out his phone and sent a message to the number he had just saved—

[Are you there?]

[Can you lend me some money first?]