"If you choose to open at a fixed location, your restaurant will automatically obtain the certification of 'The Mouth of Hunger.' Moreover, you will be able to dine for free at most restaurants in Hell. No, I should say that most restaurants would be delighted to host a Chef Demon like yourself..."

As the secretary spoke of the benefits of the card, he became quite talkative. "Hannibal and the Butcher of Heaven have both expressed great appreciation for your performance and have praised your talent, seeing a bright future for you. Especially since you are a Disastrous Musician, a Legendary Investigator, and..."

He paused for a moment, suddenly looked around as if to confirm there were no cameras present, then continued in a hushed voice, "You're from the Abyss Genealogy, right?"

"Huh?" Huai Shi was startled and then became somewhat uneasy. "Is there a problem?"

"It's rather embarrassing to say, but my cousin's aunt's second son's coworker asked me to pass on a message to you." The secretary lowered his voice and whispered in his ear, "There are also great opportunities within the Abyss..."

"Forget it."

Huai Shi dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand, his expression turning serious.

He well understood what the secretary was hinting at. In today's world, the only ones who could recognize at a glance that he was from the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy, aside from the remnants of Utopia's old mechanisms, were probably the Golden Dawn, formed after everyone collectively plunged into the Abyss.

How could he dare get involved with that bunch of bad news?

With so much that mustn't see the light of day beneath him, he was still a remnant of the Heavenly Kingdom.

Just offending the Ranch Owner was troublesome enough, let alone getting entangled with another destructive factor. It would be like asking for a swift death.

Nevertheless, the secretary did not forget his primary duties, and after mentioning it once, he did not bring it up again.

After finishing the drink, the secretary climbed back into the flames of the stove and vanished from sight. Huai Shi decided to simply stay overnight in the restaurant's employee dormitory.

The Apprentice had prepared a room for him, treating him to VIP-level hospitality. Then, the Apprentice started the midnight service, making late-night snacks for the many ghosts that roamed after their night's wanderings.

Huai Shi lay in bed, drowsy, turning the card over and over in his hands.

Suddenly, a bold idea flashed into his mind.

If a Chef Demon's certificate allowed him to eat for free in the Abyss, then the credentials of a Disastrous Musician would surely...

* * *

In the dead of night, the grand hall of the ancient estate was brightly lit.

An elderly man, dozing in the seat of honor, was awakened. He lifted his bleary eyes and saw the hall crowded with people.

And there was a wheelchair being pushed forward, with the vacant Lin Yu sitting in it.

The elderly man's gaze lifted slightly, and a glint of understanding flashed within their murky depths.

"Xiao Yu? You don't even recognize your Great-Grandfather anymore, huh..." He laughed nonchalantly. "To come back in such a ruined state, truly disgraceful... Forget it. It's so late, let's not bother with anything further. Just go rest."

The others immediately understood, as this was not an uncommon occurrence for them. They rose to leave, but the woman pushing the wheelchair remained, looking up, unwilling to let it go. She wanted to speak, "Grandfather, are we just going to let this matter drop?"

"What else?"

The elderly man let out a strange laugh. "Is she your daughter alone, and not my great-granddaughter? When your husband was brought back with broken legs after being beaten up out there, did I say anything?"

The woman's expression froze.

The elderly man continued to press, "I have seven grandsons. Excluding your husband and Old Third, what about their four brothers—some older, some younger—who died? Were they not my grandsons?"

"..."

The woman turned pale. Even though she had been forewarned, she still found it hard to accept such a callous outcome. "But, that person in the livestream..."

"This is why they say indulgent mothers spoil their children. All nonsense."

The old man sighed with a hint of regret, shaking his head. "As far as I can remember, I had seven uncles; only one remains alive. I had fourteen brothers; only myself and the eighth one are still living. Among all of us, I am the only one who reached the Fifth Stage.

"You only have one daughter, and isn't she still alive? Perfectly intact. If you ask me, Xiao Qin, you should be happy."

There was no coldness or detachment in his voice. Rather, it was as if he were stating an undeniable truth, leaving no room for dissent.

The woman stood rooted to the spot, stunned.

The old man, however, lifted his head, seeming a bit more alert, his previously slurred voice becoming clear.

"Since everyone is here tonight, let's talk a bit more," he suggested, looking around at his descendants and nodding. "Among you, some are Sublimators, and some are not. Some have enemies everywhere, while others haven't even set foot outside. Those who didn't return are either already dead or are courting death.

"You commit all sorts of mischief outside, following your own desires recklessly. You are all very diligent children—very good. Members of the Lin family have always been like this since ancient times."

He asked, "Does anyone here still not know that we Lin family members are all mad?"

Laughter erupted.

Several individuals sitting at the forefront, hearing the family head's words, laughed unabashedly, nodding their heads in agreement.

"That's more like it."

The old man clapped his knee contentedly, an ominous glint shining in his shadowed eyes, "If you wish to achieve the might of the Candle Dragon, if you pursue the Power of this path of sublimation, then this is how it should be!

"Without invoking hatred, how can you convert Source Substance? Without creating trouble, how can you obtain the Karma Fruit? Do you expect to rely on good deeds like helping me cross the street?"

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