The male supporting character was actually myself.

Duan Tang leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. "As for the legacy left by our ancestors, that's a bit more complicated."

After all, the relationships between ghosts in the underworld are relatively more complicated. There are bound to be disputes among brothers, with some dying first and others dying later, and there may be illegitimate children. In order to avoid all sorts of trouble over property, the underworld has explicit regulations.

In the inheritance of property left by ancestors, if all other persons with inheritance rights pass away within a certain period, then one can receive their rightful share. This opportunity will not come again.

Once the term is up, even if it's your own son, you won't get a single penny!

Moreover, the underworld still values ​​tradition. The order of succession is based on the eldest son and eldest grandson. If there is no eldest son or grandson, a legitimate daughter is also acceptable. The underworld emphasizes equal inheritance rights for men and women, and those born out of wedlock are relegated to the back.

Don't underestimate the difference between "嫡" (legitimate son) and "长" (eldest son), especially in larger and wealthier families, where the gap between the legitimate son and the eldest son can be enormous.

Even if someone passes away early and puts in a lot of effort, as long as the eldest son of the deceased falls within a certain number of years, they can seize power. No matter how unfair it seems, birth determines everything! The underworld is still very feudal in this respect, leaving no room for negotiation.

Furthermore, in today's society, there are many illegitimate children, and some who aren't biologically related, hiding it their whole lives without anyone knowing. Once they reach the underworld, everything will be cleared up immediately; you'll find out who the father is. Illegitimate children, haha, aren't even as good as those born out of wedlock who have been legally recognized. They can only claim a share of the inheritance if everyone else is dead.

The fluffy little dumpling was perched by the window, chuckling to itself, "He believed it! He believed it! The protagonist really thinks he can seize the inheritance just because he's the eldest grandson, hahaha~ Host, your trick is really effective, another protagonist has been completely fooled!"

As Jiang Chen listened to Duan Tang's embellished and improvisational ramblings, ready to offer reminders at any moment, he ate his delicious ghost food while simultaneously considering how to quickly win over Murong Liangchen so he could accompany Bai Ling in dual cultivation...

"So that's how it is!" Murong Liangchen instantly understood. As the eldest grandson, he could legally inherit his ancestors' legacy as long as he went down, and no matter how capable Murong Jiangchen was, he would have to step aside!

"How long exactly is the time limit? How long after the other party inherits can they file a lawsuit to get it back?"

“Five years.” Duan Tang, following Murong Jiangchen’s reminder, opened his hand and waved it. “Once the five-year public notice period is over, it will be useless for anyone to come.”

Only such a short time?!

This was something Murong Liangchen hadn't expected. He had originally planned to wait until he was in his thirties, young and strong enough to raise his child to a sensible age, before going down to seize the property.

But if it's only for five years, then I need to think about it carefully.

At the very least, we need to have a son; we must coax my wife back so she can get pregnant and give birth as soon as possible.

I'll try to have two babies in three years and three in five years. Oh no, if I time it right, I can also keep one in my belly. Jiang Yulu loves me to death, so she'll definitely give birth to it. That would be four babies in five years.

It would be best if all four of them had sons, so that with so many wives, children, and grandchildren, they could earn a lot of extra money by burning paper money for their husbands every year...

"Master, could you please arrange a ritual? Money is no object, the sooner the better!" He didn't want all the money to go to that old bastard.

Thinking about the three lives he was carrying and countless other sins he had committed, Murong Liangchen became extremely anxious.

Spend money as soon as possible to increase your good karma value. The more the better. You might even be able to get a minor official position and live a life of wealth, power, and happiness!

Duan Tang looked him up and down with difficulty: "I can, but Mr. Murong's current physical condition simply cannot keep up. No matter what kind of charity you do, you have to do it yourself to accumulate merit points. There's no rush now. Why don't you take care of your health first and wait until you have the energy and strength to catch up before you start making arrangements?"

"It's just from eating too much ghost food; he'll recover in ten days to two weeks at most. By then, I'll have finished my current tasks and have plenty of time to organize a few more events for you. I can also contact various sects to participate in some grand gatherings and sponsor the training of some junior celestial masters, guaranteeing my good karma will skyrocket."

This was exactly the same as what the other celestial masters had said, and Murong Liangchen breathed a sigh of relief, having no doubts.

Before leaving, Duan Tang hinted that as long as he had money, it would be easy for him to farm good karma, and that he should stop thinking about it and focus on getting his health back so he could start farming data.

"The future looks promising!" After thanking the three celestial masters profusely, Murong Liangchen relaxed and lay down on the comfortable bed, ready to recuperate and recover his health as soon as possible so that he could spend money to raise his goodness value to a new level.

It's just money, isn't it? The head of the prestigious Murong Group and the son-in-law of the richest man in the world, would he lack that kind of thing?!

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Great Deceiver

Murong Liangchen felt a surge of longing upon hearing this and seized the opportunity to inquire, "Master, I would like to ask you some questions about the true situation of the Underworld. I hope you will be kind enough to enlighten me."

"Well..." Duan Tang frowned slightly, showing a somewhat troubled expression. "It's not that I'm keeping things to myself, but there are some things that are explicitly prohibited from being spread by Celestial Masters in the human world. I guess it's to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, and I would have to take responsibility if rumors started to circulate."

Sure enough, this is because they are afraid the world will know the truth, so they are keeping the news under wraps.

If it weren't for that fool Murong Jiangchen's cleverness, I would have been completely kept in the dark!

This big, clumsy guy looks like a complete simpleton, not smooth or experienced at all. He's probably a newbie who hasn't experienced the harsh realities of life yet, which is why he's not like other Taoist masters who would rather not take a job than offend Wang Baoyi and kill his adopted ghost.

People like him are easy to fool. Just play the victim, say a few nice things, and give him some money, and you can easily get him to cooperate.

The information he gave me was definitely more credible than that of an old hand like Wang Baoyi. Luckily, the steward was capable enough to pick up Master Duan, who happened to be passing by; otherwise, I don't know how long I would have been tormented.

“Master, I’m not asking for this information for nothing; it’s knowledge for a fee.” He lowered his voice and coaxed, “Anyway, I’ve been to the underworld and have a general understanding of it, so it’s normal for me to know the truth about the underworld. After all, I saw and heard it with my own eyes and ears. It’s just that there are some things I didn’t think to ask about at the time, so I wanted to ask Master Duan for clarification. If you encounter any confidential questions, you can simply not answer them, right?”

A hint of hesitation appeared on Duan Tang's honest face, followed by a moment of blank contemplation before he nodded and said, "Mr. Murong is right. You've already been there, so remembering some things isn't against the rules. The Underworld launched this day trip activity to expand its influence and let people know that such a place exists, not because it's superstition or false advertising."

Since Mr. Murong has been fortunate enough to be chosen for the trip, there are some things we can talk about. What would you like to know?

Murong Liangchen was secretly pleased with himself for his "cunning plan," but on the surface he pretended to be very curious. "After a person dies, what kind of process does he go through to get to the underworld? I heard Wang Baoyi mention it before, something about the offsetting of merits and demerits."

"Oh, that's nothing secret." He slapped his thigh, revealing a casual "that's it" expression, and took a sip of tea to explain: "There used to be all sorts of rules, like those for suicide or those who hadn't reached the end of their lifespan, each with its own regulations."

But things are different now; even the underworld needs to progress and reform.

Nowadays, the emphasis is on simplifying everything, meaning that things that can be resolved in one go shouldn't require ghosts to make two trips. Everyone is equal, even the dead should be treated equally, right?

So from the moment a person dies, they are completely severed from their past.

Whether it's suicide, murder, execution, natural death, etc., they all receive the same treatment—they are taken to the Yellow Springs by the soul-collecting underworld officials.

There, people would climb the Viewing Platform to see his life and then look at their relatives and friends in the human world after their death. Some lucky ones could even see how their funeral went and whether it met their expectations.

Then they will be taken by the underworld messengers to a classified gate.

Inside, the most important step, the one that determines the ghost's future, takes place—the classification of good and evil and the offsetting of merits and demerits.

We don't really understand the specific algorithm, but it basically takes all the good and bad things a person has done in their life and evaluates them together, assigning one score for good deeds and one score for bad deeds, and then canceling them out.

If you have a lot of bad karma, the remaining points will be used to identify the bad things you've done, and you'll be sent to the eighteenth level of hell to suffer and atone for your sins. Hell is basically an underground prison. Once your bad karma has been atoned, it's like being released from a labor camp and sent to the underworld.

But those who return from hell usually have nothing and can only hope that their ancestors will protect them by burning paper money for them.

If you're lucky, you can sneak into the ghost market and become a low-level worker to barely make ends meet; if you're unlucky, you can only wait for your soul to be annihilated.

If the good and evil values ​​are equal, then you will be spared imprisonment and will not have to suffer in hell. The rest of the process is the same as above.

If you have a lot of good deeds, then congratulations! You've already taken a 70% lead over the ghosts in the first step! You'll be sent directly to the ghost market, avoiding many unnecessary detours. If your descendants and ancestors are helpful, then you'll have no worries. Even if they aren't, it's okay. At least you'll have a relatively good job that you can be assigned directly. Even if you can't become rich and powerful after working hard for a few years, you can at least live a comfortable life.

If your good deeds score exceeds a certain threshold after the settlement, you'll be considered a legendary philanthropist!

These types of ghosts can be directly sent to the ghost market where they are well-fed, well-housed, and well-paid. If their good karma accumulates to a certain level, they can even obtain a minor official position, eliminating the need for reincarnation and allowing them to enjoy eternal wealth and glory in the underworld.

Duan Tang explained in detail, and Murong Liangchen listened attentively.

He recalled his short twenty years, and it seemed that... he hadn't done many good deeds. He had even plotted to kill his parents and his younger brother, Murong Jiangchen. His sins were indeed quite grave.

"Once we reach that classification gate, what kinds of things will be included in the good/evil score calculation?"

"Wow, there's a lot! The relevant departments in the underworld have a very wide scope of control. They remember every word, action, and even thought a person has in their entire life. They take into account everything, from spitting on the ground and littering to making fun of or bullying others. Oh, and there's also the issue of karmic offsetting, which is quite complicated and I don't really understand how it's calculated."

Damn it, does bullying count as something?

Murong Liangchen couldn't help but twitch his lips. He had done his fair share of bullying when he was in school, but he was young and naive back then and just showed off because he was rich. It would be too much trouble to settle accounts after he died...

Duan Tang's mouth was dry from talking, and while taking a break to drink tea, he went over Murong Jiangchen's instructions and comforted him, saying, "It would have been impossible to do this in the past, but now we believe in putting down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot."

Whoever realizes this early enough will have ample time to make amends.

For example, what if someone has committed countless evil deeds in the past? Of course, they should do good deeds to make amends! It's just a simple matter of adding or subtracting good and evil values ​​by offsetting merits and demerits. If someone has done many evil deeds in the past, they should donate more money and hold more Dharma assemblies and Taoist temples to deliver wandering ghosts. Their good value will definitely increase rapidly.

Take Master Wang for example, even someone as powerful as him doesn't understand this principle?

Then how dare they raise ghosts to swindle money? Isn't it because they themselves control their own moral compass? If they do one bad deed, they immediately do two good deeds, and that cancels it out?

Do you know why some wealthy people are so keen on donating money to temples?

He gave the other person a knowing look and sighed, "Why can those cultivators manage to balance worldly affairs and cultivation? It's because they already know the ins and outs of it, and they just need to make sure that their good points always outweigh their bad points."

Moreover, the merit accumulated from holding a Dharma assembly or temple ceremony is in the tens of thousands, so this little bit is not a problem at all.

Just you wait and see, when Master Wang goes there, not only will he not be punished, but he'll also go straight to the underworld and rise through the ranks to great heights.

Regarding the balance of merits and demerits, Old Turtle Sun wasn't lying. Murong Liangchen curled his lip in disdain, thinking that Wang Baoyi probably wanted him to invite him to perform a ritual.

Ha, the old man is quite cunning. He takes my money to accumulate merit for himself, and he even uses ghosts to scare me into giving him money.

Damn it, if I don't find a way to ruin your reputation, do you really think I'm easy to fool?

Thinking of this, he hurriedly asked, "Master just said that how one fares in the underworld depends on one's descendants and ancestors. Could you explain that in more detail?"

"Hey! Isn't that simple?" Duan Tang replied casually, "Where does the money for ghosts come from? Isn't it the paper money burned by their descendants? Ordinary relatives and friends don't care about burning paper money, so they have to rely on their descendants!"

If no one burns the offerings, that would be terrible; you'd be penniless and unable to move an inch in the underworld.

Money talks, so when you have money, you can always tell your children not to be stingy with money during Qingming Festival, Spring Festival, and memorial days. Burn as much as you can. Inflation is really bad in the underworld, so you need to burn plenty.

As for our ancestors, it's even simpler. Didn't our parents, grandparents, great-aunts, great-great-aunts, and ancestors going back eight generations all pass away early? Now that the birth rate is continuously declining, the line to be reincarnated in the underworld would take at least several hundred years. And there are also those who don't want to be reincarnated. So if one or two ancestors who are doing well go there to recognize their relatives, everything will be settled.

The underworld is no different from the human world; if you want to thrive and grow stronger, you have to stick together!

Are other ghosts trustworthy or blood relatives reliable? Is there even a question? Family lineage is definitely the most dependable. I've heard the Murong family is quite powerful in the underworld, with a large business empire; Mr. Murong certainly won't have to worry about the future.

As long as you maintain enough good karma, you'll still enjoy wealth and luxury over there.

Hearing the same convincing lie that matched his own guesses and understanding, Murong Liangchen felt very comfortable.

But then he remembered that Murong Jiangchen had gone down earlier and gotten there first, and he couldn't help but ask anxiously, "Since you can't live without money in the underworld, can I start burning paper money in my account now to save it? Also, what if our ancestors have gone to reincarnate or abandoned us for some other reason? How will so many of our descendants inherit our property? Does the underworld have any regulations or anything like that?"

"First of all, Mr. Murong, you need to know one thing—the corresponding account is only opened after a person dies. In other words, burning paper money in advance in the human world is useless. No matter how much you burn, it's an empty account and nothing will be deposited. Burning paper money can only happen after a person dies. If you ask me, you'd be better off focusing on performing rituals and ceremonies; that would be much more effective than anything else!"

Duan Tang leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. "As for the legacy left by our ancestors, that's a bit more complicated."

After all, the relationships between ghosts in the underworld are relatively more complicated. There are bound to be disputes among brothers, with some dying first and others dying later, and there may be illegitimate children. In order to avoid all sorts of trouble over property, the underworld has explicit regulations.

In the inheritance of property left by ancestors, if all other persons with inheritance rights pass away within a certain period, then one can receive their rightful share. This opportunity will not come again.

Once the term is up, even if it's your own son, you won't get a single penny!

Moreover, the underworld still values ​​tradition. The order of succession is based on the eldest son and eldest grandson. If there is no eldest son or grandson, a legitimate daughter is also acceptable. The underworld emphasizes equal inheritance rights for men and women, and those born out of wedlock are relegated to the back.

Don't underestimate the difference between "嫡" (legitimate son) and "长" (eldest son), especially in larger and wealthier families, where the gap between the legitimate son and the eldest son can be enormous.

Even if someone passes away early and puts in a lot of effort, as long as the eldest son of the deceased falls within a certain number of years, they can seize power. No matter how unfair it seems, birth determines everything! The underworld is still very feudal in this respect, leaving no room for negotiation.

Furthermore, in today's society, there are many illegitimate children, and some who aren't biologically related, hiding it their whole lives without anyone knowing. Once they reach the underworld, everything will be cleared up immediately; you'll find out who the father is. Illegitimate children, haha, aren't even as good as those born out of wedlock who have been legally recognized. They can only claim a share of the inheritance if everyone else is dead.

The fluffy little dumpling was perched by the window, chuckling to itself, "He believed it! He believed it! The protagonist really thinks he can seize the inheritance just because he's the eldest grandson, hahaha~ Host, your trick is really effective, another protagonist has been completely fooled!"

As Jiang Chen listened to Duan Tang's embellished and improvisational ramblings, ready to offer reminders at any moment, he ate his delicious ghost food while simultaneously considering how to quickly win over Murong Liangchen so he could accompany Bai Ling in dual cultivation...

"So that's how it is!" Murong Liangchen instantly understood. As the eldest grandson, he could legally inherit his ancestors' legacy as long as he went down, and no matter how capable Murong Jiangchen was, he would have to step aside!

"How long exactly is the time limit? How long after the other party inherits can they file a lawsuit to get it back?"

“Five years.” Duan Tang, following Murong Jiangchen’s reminder, opened his hand and waved it. “Once the five-year public notice period is over, it will be useless for anyone to come.”

Only such a short time?!