The Law of Heaven

Chapter 1 Legacy
Aihara walked out of the station with an umbrella and said softly into her phone, "Xiaosi, I'll be home late today. I have to take care of your dad's business and maybe go back to the store... Order some takeout for yourself after school."

After about ten seconds, the girl's clear voice came from the phone: "Okay, brother, but I heard that Uncle and the others went too, so please try to control yourself."

"Oh, I see."

He frowned and hung up the phone.

His pale yet delicate face was faintly reflected on the blacked-out phone screen. The wind and rain blew in, carrying a strong, earthy smell.

His eyesight has deteriorated significantly recently, and he can barely wear glasses anymore. The rain makes everything blurry and white, and pedestrians on the street carry bags on their heads, scattering like water droplets, leaving the streets empty.

The police headquarters is just across the street, a red Western-style building from the last century, with several police cars parked in front of it.

"Hello, I am Xiang Chaonan's family member, here to pick him up."

Aihara smiled silently at the police officers standing at the police station entrance.

"Oh, here we come."

The officer quickly put out his cigarette and led him into the lobby.

Shortly after entering the door, Xiangyuan heard the relatives of the Xiang family chatting and laughing together. However, his eyesight was not very good to begin with, and the light above his head was a bit glaring, so he couldn't tell who was who for a moment.

Officer Lin, who was in charge of the case, recognized him at a glance. The aloof and beautiful woman in her thirties squeezed out of the crowd and said reservedly, "Aihara, right?"

"Hello."

Aihara nodded slightly, without greeting the other relatives.

The atmosphere in the office seemed to freeze for a moment. The relatives of the old Xiang family looked at each other, especially a bald middle-aged man who looked displeased.

Officer Lin glanced at the strange expressions on the Xiang family members' faces and seemed to understand something. He nodded and said, "Come with me, let's go pick up your second uncle."

Aihara turned around and followed. His father and this group of people were cousins, and he was not close to anyone except his second uncle, so there was no need for formalities.

As he walked further away, he could faintly hear some murmurs behind him.

"Those are your second uncle's brothers and sisters, right?"

Officer Lin asked, seemingly casually, "I can tell you care a lot about your second uncle."

“These guys weren’t like this before. My second uncle was the worst off in the family. Nobody liked him and avoided him.”

Aihara said expressionlessly, "They've suddenly become very attentive."

Officer Lin was taken aback by his frankness and asked, "Where are your parents?"

Aihara shook his head: "My second uncle said he died a long time ago."

Officer Lin hadn't expected the child to have such a family background. After a moment of silence, he changed the subject: "When was the last time you saw your second uncle?"

Aihara thought for a moment: "Last time..."

The last time we parted, my second uncle took him to an ophthalmology hospital in the capital. This usually stingy old man surprisingly booked two rooms, claiming that he needed to rest well for the hospital check-up the next day and was afraid that my snoring would disturb his sleep.

Xiang Yuan was initially quite moved, but unexpectedly, less than half an hour later, he saw his second uncle and a scantily clad young woman being taken away by the police officers who were conducting a surprise room check...

After hearing his story, Officer Lin shook his head: "He spent seven days in the detention center, and after he got out, he didn't go home but went straight to Wushan?"

Aihara nodded: "That old man heard from someone that there was a big tomb in Wushan, so he called a few of his cronies and went there. I tried to persuade him, but he wouldn't listen."

Officer Lin led him to a closed gate, seemingly organizing his words, and tried to be as tactful as possible: "Your uncle's hobby is indeed quite unusual. Not to mention that tomb raiding is illegal and criminal, Wushan is prone to flash floods, which is very dangerous."

Aihara also tried to persuade his second uncle.

But the second uncle confidently stated that he had consulted a divination before setting off, and that the weather in Wushan that day was normal, and that there was a potential dragon vein in the mountains for them to hide in, so that even if they encountered any emergencies, their safety could be guaranteed.

Aihara didn't really believe in these so-called divinations, because by the time the search and rescue team found his second uncle on the mountain, the old man's body was already attracting flies...

·
·
The door to the forensic laboratory opened in front of Aihara, and a staff member pushed out a morgue with a body bag containing his second uncle's body on it.

He came today to cancel his second uncle's household registration and, while he was at it, to take the old man's body away in a hearse to the community funeral home for cremation in seven days.

The 4.11 Wushan flood disaster caused considerable damage to the area, with the affected area suffering immense destruction. To date, the authorities have not been able to determine the exact number of victims, but my second uncle was among the first confirmed victims.

"Waaaaah, this is my younger brother! How could he just be gone like this!"

"It was already difficult enough for the second son to support his two children by running that feng shui shop. Now what are they going to do? God, you're blind!"

"Xiao Si is unlucky; she never even knew who her biological mother was..."

Aihara stuffed his second uncle's death certificate into his bag and ignored everyone.

"These are your second uncle's personal belongings."

Officer Lin came to his side and handed him a waterproof bag.

Aihara took it and glanced at it. Inside the waterproof bag was a cracked, knock-off phone, a crumpled wallet, and a strangely shaped key.

This is a gold-plated key, its craftsmanship both ancient and exquisite, with intricate symbols engraved all over it, resembling flowing clouds at first glance.

These are the keys to my second uncle's shop. It is said that he personally crafted them from some kind of metal ore, and the talismans were also carved by him stroke by stroke.

"Ohara."

The relatives of the old Xiang family gathered around and chattered on and on, basically saying that the brother and sister should live with their uncle from now on and that their livelihood would be guaranteed.

Aihara listened expressionlessly.

He was born with visual impairment. After his parents died, none of his relatives wanted to adopt him. To this day, he still remembers their excuses and faces, which felt like slaps to his young heart.

In the end, it was his second uncle, who was the least successful among them, who raised him.

The uncle and his wife said confidently, "Xiaoyuan is almost an adult. It would be a waste for such a good student to study at a university in China. We will send you to Japan for further studies."

Aihara smiled silently, revealing his true colors.

Studying in Japan doesn't cost too much money, but if he actually goes, he'll probably have to work part-time to earn his tuition. And once his older brother leaves the country, Xiao Si will be completely helpless, a lamb to the slaughter, and the shop will be lost.

This is called...eating off someone's entire fortune.

“The second son’s run shop isn’t making any money, and the antiques he collects aren’t really anything old. He might as well sell the shop sooner rather than later. We can split the money among ourselves, and keep the rest for your wedding and also leave some dowry for Xiaosi.” The eldest uncle spoke in an unquestionable tone, as if the matter was already settled.

The eldest aunt and other relatives chimed in.

"Actually... there are still some old-fashioned ones."

Aihara was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

Where is it?

The relatives all asked.

“Right in front of me.”

Aihara said calmly.

Dead silence.

Officer Lin, who was watching the commotion from the sidelines, had a strange expression on his face. He exchanged a glance with his colleagues behind him, their eyes filled with intriguing meaning.

"Thank you all for your help today." Aihara nodded to the officers, opened his umbrella, and stepped into the downpour.

"Hey, you brat, how dare you talk to your elders like that? We're just trying to help you. How long can you two live off that crappy feng shui shop?" The relatives were furious, but considering that they were in front of the police station, they didn't start a fight on the spot.

The police officers who were watching looked at each other in bewilderment.

Officer Lin shook her head. Although she had been asked to take care of the family as much as possible, it was truly difficult for an upright official to settle family disputes.

Fortunately, the child isn't stupid.

Aihara crossed the zebra crossing alone, just as a bus burst through the wind and rain, shutting out the noise and commotion from him.

The road was covered in a white blanket of snow, and the rain was drizzling down.

Aihara felt somewhat melancholy, not because of the ugly faces of his relatives.

It was because my uncle said something very true.

My second uncle's shop really doesn't make much money.

No one knows why my second uncle, who graduated from Peking University, gave up those high-paying jobs and returned to his hometown to run a feng shui shop that didn't make any money. It was obviously a very absurd decision and didn't make sense.

But my second uncle truly regarded this shop as the most precious achievement of his life. Over the years, every time the old man got drunk, he would laugh and say that if something happened to him in the future, then Xiang Yuan would have to inherit his business.

After all, Aihara was practically his son.

My second uncle is a very unserious person. He usually just laughs and talks nonsense, but he becomes extremely serious when it comes to that Feng Shui shop. Over the years, he has forced my second uncle to learn a lot about Feng Shui and the shop's rules.

Aihara fumbled for the key in his pocket.

"Why exactly?"

·
·
The alley at No. 12 Zhongfu Street is always so quiet.

Aihara walked under the sycamore trees, which were dripping with raindrops, with an umbrella in hand. Along the way were rows of old-fashioned residential buildings with tiled facades. The ground floors of these buildings were all antique shops for rent, with most of them having retro-style red-lacquered wooden storefronts and old, crumbling blue signs with gold lettering.

"Gu Yi Ju and Wen Xuan Ge have both gone out of business..."

He gazed at the old signs and said softly.

This neighborhood consists of old, dilapidated buildings from the 1950s. It was once a very popular cultural street, but now it is deserted, with only a few grocery stores barely surviving. Anyone with any business acumen has long since moved away.

The moist air was filled with the unique fragrance of plants after the rain, and you could faintly hear arguing and children playing from who-knows-where.

As dusk fell, some residents had already turned on their lights, and a warm glow shone through the windows, revealing figures busily working behind the curtains.

Passing by a simple newsstand, the dimly lit building entrance was filled with the smell of cooking oil. Under the ivy covering the walls, there were children's graffiti, and old neighbors were walking their dogs and chatting by the roadside.

The lively atmosphere in these alleyways seems to awaken childhood memories, as if those rainy nights that have faded into the past have suddenly come back to life. The pattering rain is mixed with the fragrance of vegetation, all is quiet, and everything is growing wildly.

My second uncle's feng shui shop is located here. As a former graduate of a prestigious university, the name he chose for his shop is quite decent.

Mirage.

The courtyard hadn't been cleaned in a long time; the ground was covered with soaked fallen leaves, the red plaque under the eaves was peeling, the Spring Festival couplets on the security door had fallen off, and there were spider webs in the corners of the windows.

Aihara shook his head, took out the key, and inserted it into the lock.

Unlocking a door should have been an easy task, but he felt a strange heaviness in it, as if opening the door would bring him into contact with the karma of his deceased loved ones.

The lock cylinder made a sound of movement, as if some dormant dust was being stirred up, as if the sealed time had finally loosened, and the scent of the past was coming to mind.

Aihara had a kind of illusion.

It was as if he hadn't pushed open a door.

It's a different kind of life.

At that very moment, Aihara suddenly felt a dizzying sensation as darkness surged in like a tidal wave. He was engulfed by a strong sense of weightlessness, and his soul seemed to be falling rapidly toward a bottomless abyss.

His breathing became rapid, and he staggered backward to grab the door frame, instinctively clutching the key as if it were his only lifeline.

"what happened?"

After a long while, Aihara's consciousness gradually returned to clarity. He felt only silence all around him, and a strong sense of palpitation welled up in his heart, as if he had been in another world.

In fact, nothing happened; everything was as usual.

He rubbed his forehead, unsure of what had just happened. Perhaps it was due to overwork recently, causing him to experience low blood sugar.

The door opened, and the shop was furnished as before, with an antique style of decoration. The old wooden furniture was coated with wood wax oil, and the cabinets on all four sides were filled with a dazzling array of antiques and ritual objects. The air was filled with the scent of sandalwood.

The laptop on the table was still on, and there was a half-empty bucket of moldy instant noodles next to it. Cigarette butts were piled up like a small mountain on the ashtray. The self-portrait of my second uncle hanging behind the counter was a bit yellowed, and his sage-like appearance was tinged with a hint of sleazy.

My second uncle has such bad living habits.

Aihara closed the door, put the key away in his pocket, placed the umbrella on the umbrella stand, changed into slippers, and let out a long sigh of relief.

When he looked up again, he suddenly froze, as if an electric current had shot from his spine to the back of his head, making his scalp tingle.

Because the self-portrait behind the counter was actually by a different person!

As a cunning old charlatan, Uncle Er naturally needs some ways to package himself, but the person in the painting is no longer this old fellow.

Instead, Aihara was chosen.

In the painting, Aihara is dressed as a modern student, with a delicate and youthful appearance.

"When was this drawn? Did I see it wrong just now?"

Aihara didn't know what was going on. He remembered that the moment he entered the store, the person in the painting was clearly his second uncle, not him.

But it's also possible that he really misjudged, since he has a severe congenital eye disease and his vision is so poor that he can't distinguish between humans and animals from half a meter away.

I just don't know when my second uncle replaced his portrait.

He always felt it was strange.

Aihara frowned as he cleaned the shop. While wiping the counter, he accidentally discovered the property certificate that had been pressed under the newspaper. For someone eyeing this shop, this was an indispensable item.

Aihara casually flipped through the property ownership certificate, then suddenly froze.

Because the name on the property certificate has also changed to Aihara.

"When was this property transferred?"

Aihara had a vague feeling that something was wrong. He wasn't sure if he needed to be present for the transfer of ownership, but it all seemed to have been arranged in advance.

It was as if his second uncle had long been preparing to let him take over.

He turned around blankly, and the image of himself in the painting seemed to be smiling at him.

That smile was as strange as it could be.

　My new book is here! Long time no see!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)