The villa of Uncle D?ng was filled with the rich, savory aroma of bún m?m. In the kitchen, Dì T?, Anh ?ào, and Anh Ph??ng were swiftly arranging the dishes on the table. Join and Mary carried out plates piled high with fresh greens — shredded water spinach, banana blossom, basil, bitter herb, water mimosa, water lily stem, sesbania blossoms… all neatly displayed in a vibrant, colorful spread.

  On the dining table, steaming bowls of bún m?m were arranged in perfect order, topped with plump shrimp, tender fish, and soft-cooked squid. The fragrant broth wafted through the room, making everyone’s stomach growl.

  C?u D?ng inhaled deeply, clearly delighted.

  – “Mrs. T? makes the best Bún M?m in the world! I’ll go call over Mr. Tài’s family and the professor.”

  He stood and walked to the villa across the street. Mr. Tài was carefully trimming a hedge when he noticed him; he washed his hands quickly and came to open the gate.

  – “Mr. D?ng, is something the matter?”

  C?u D?ng smiled politely.

  – “I’m inviting your family and the professor over for Bún M?m. Everything’s just been served — come quickly while it’s still hot.”

  A short while later, everyone was seated. Before each person sat a beautifully arranged bowl of bún m?m and a mountain of fresh vegetables. The aroma rose warmly — rich, bold, yet pleasant.

  Mr. Tài was the first to speak:

  – “Does anyone want to go to B?n Thành Market later to buy fabric for áo Dài?”

  Join’s eyes lit up instantly, excitement bursting from her voice:

  – “Yes, please! I’ve been wanting to visit B?n Thành Market!”

  Mary beamed brightly:

  – “I want to get an áo dài tailored, too.”

  C?u D?ng nodded with a gentle smile:

  – “Then I’ll treat both of you to one set each. And one for Mrs. T? as well.”

  Dì T? waved her hands modestly:

  – “I’m already old — anything is fine for the wedding. Just make outfits for the kids.”

  M? Linh spoke softly, but with warmth:

  – “You’ve worked with our family for over twenty years. You’re like family to us. At Anh Th?’s wedding, we can’t let you dress plainly.”

  Charles chuckled:

  – “I’d like to wear a Vietnamese áo Dài too. Perhaps I should get one tailored.”

  Meanwhile, Anh Th? kept staring at her phone. C?u D?ng’s patience thinned.

  – “Eat. If that boy doesn’t show up, I’ll hire a jeweler to make your ring myself.”

  Anh Ph??ng’s lips curved slightly, her eyes cold, though she kept quiet.

  – “Use that baby to slip into this family and seize our assets? Let’s see how holy that brother-in-law of yours really is.”

  Charles continued smiling politely, but his thoughts were sharp as ice:

  – “The moment that boy steps into this family… will also be the moment you all answer for your sins.”

  Join calmly enjoyed his Bún M?m, thinking something entirely different:

  – “The professor said the second son-in-law is like a poisonous seed planted in this corrupt family. I should probably ask the Witch Council for permission to stay in Vietnam longer… this show might get interesting.”

  At the international hospital, My’s mental state had gradually stabilized. She was dozing peacefully, her face much calmer than before. Mr. Quy and Mrs. Lan felt somewhat reassured seeing their daughter recover.

  Mr. Quy took a sip of mineral water and said:

  – “Ah, right. The second daughter of Mr. D?ng is getting married soon. He wants to book our restaurant for the wedding.”

  Mrs. Lan nodded:

  – “It’s better to work with people we know. Just tell the restaurant manager to arrange everything.”

  ---

  In a corner of the room, Tu?n sat on a wooden chair, eyes fixed on My, though his heart felt hollow. Their feelings for each other had faded long ago — he did not love My, and he knew she didn’t love him either. But this was a marriage built on economic benefit, one he had no choice but to accept. To maintain his standing in the business world, he needed the “umbrella” of her wealthy family — the family of his future wife.

  His mind drifted to the image of a wild, rustic but fiercely proud girl. He still remembered every detail of her, even though they had only met briefly.

  And then… Trang.

  He remembered the way she looked at him each time they met — genuine, sincere. A poor tomboyish girl who had truly loved him, yet he had coldly rejected her with silence and avoidance. Then came the shock: that ragged, impoverished girl turned out to be a heiress, the successor to a vast fortune. By the time he realized that, it was already too late. Opportunities never come twice.

  Those thoughts swirled endlessly in his mind, weighing him down even more.

  ---

  Across the hospital room, Deep was sitting with a cup of coffee, scrolling through his phone. It rang — his assistant Tan was calling. Deep stepped into the hallway and answered.

  Tan’s voice was filled with disbelief, almost stuttering:

  – “Boss… the old man named Nhan whose picture you sent last night… I checked all population records with my team, but there is no such person. Did you accidentally send us a character from a movie or a comic?”

  Deep frowned, stunned:

  – “How could I mistake him? I, my two friends, and the professor saw Mr. Nhan with our own eyes. He even brought along another old man around his age — Mr. Phúc — from the countryside to Saigon!”

  Assistant Tan insisted:

  – “But every database says the same thing… The scrap-collector named Nhan never existed. There is no record of him at all, as if he… doesn’t exist in this world.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Deep tightened his grip on the phone, a chill running down his spine:

  – “Check again! There’s no way that’s possible.”

  Tan replied in a hurry:

  – “I’ll recheck everything. I’ll contact you as soon as I find something.”

  Deep added one more order:

  – “Investigate that girl Trang thoroughly. I want to know where she is right now. She’s the adopted daughter of Qu?c and H?nh. Track her biological parents — find out who gave her to that couple.”

  The call ended. Deep stood frozen in the hallway. A sharp jolt ran across his back. The information Tan had just reported left him so cold that his whole body trembled.

  – “Mr. Nhan… who exactly are you?”

  At the headquarters of the Serpent Clan, everyone was enjoying the poetic scenery—like stepping into a living ink-wash landscape. But in a corner of the grand hall, the two royal sons-in-law were still locked in a verbal and silent battle, glaring at each other without a trace of surrender.

  On the table was a lavish Chinese banquet: crispy roasted duck, herbal-steamed chicken, crab and shiitake soup with century egg, crispy stir-fried noodles, Yangzhou fried rice, and desserts like lotus seed sweet soup, ginseng tea, and dried longan dessert. The fragrance filled the hall, yet those two still refused to pick up their chopsticks.

  L?p Thành sighed:

  – “The food is amazing, but those two are too busy staring each other down.”

  Lita sipped her lotus-seed dessert, shooting an annoyed look at Trúc Di?n:

  – “You brought everyone here to visit, but all you do is fight with your brother-in-law.”

  Trang tasted her cooling ginseng sweet soup, looking helpless:

  – “Erion is no better. Let’s just eat, then we’ll go enjoy ourselves and let the two of them continue proving their masculinity.”

  Yin agreed instantly:

  – “The Princess is right! After we eat, let’s explore B?n Thành Market. Leave them be. Tonight everyone can come to my house — I’ll cook proper rustic Mekong dishes for you all.”

  Nh? Phu nodded along:

  – “I love Mekong dishes.”

  Arian picked up a piece of roasted duck and added:

  – “Let’s finish and head out. I’m tired of these two little brothers-in-law already.”

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, the two royal sons-in-law continued their silent duel.

  Trúc Di?n glared at Erion, voice sharp:

  – “After the wedding of that D?ng fellow’s daughter, I’ll visit your headquarters. I want to see exactly how impressive it is.”

  Erion raised his chin in challenge:

  – “Of course. I always welcome those… beneath me. Gives them a chance to broaden their horizons.”

  Immediately, sparks of lightning cracked in the air—zzt… zzt… zzt…—as if ready to explode between their clashing gazes.

  ---

  Scene Switch – D?ng’s Mansion

  Everyone had just finished their bowls of Bún M?m. C?u D?ng set down his teacup, his voice booming:

  – “Rest a bit, then we’re heading to B?n Thành Market.”

  Outside the gate, Huy and his family stood staring at the mansion. Huy frowned:

  – “When did my father-in-law’s mansion return to normal?”

  Mr. Tín squinted through the gate with suspicion:

  – “This don’t make sense. Ice can’t melt that fast. And that kind of ice — the hotter it gets, the thicker and colder it becomes. So that… whatever force did this — did it spare your in-laws or what?”

  Huy shook his head:

  – “I doubt they’d let it go so easily. Usually, before a storm hits, the sea looks calm.”

  Inside, Dì T? was wiping the table when she glanced toward the gate:

  – “Looks like Huy’s family has arrived.”

  M? Linh curled her lip in annoyance:

  – “They finally show up. Aunt T?, go open the gate.”

  Dì T? hurried out. When she opened the gate, she saw their old Dream motorbike loaded with decorations hanging everywhere.

  – “Did you two just go shopping?”

  Mr. Tín smiled warmly:

  – “Yes, we bought some decorations for the house. And Huy came to take Th? to pick wedding rings and place the invitation order.”

  After parking the motorbike in the yard, Dì T? quickly informed them:

  – “Everyone is getting ready to go to B?n Thành Market to buy fabric for áo dài. You should join them — it’ll be fun. There’s also Miss Anh Ph??ng and two foreign friends from Canada. They’re all going together.”

  The moment Huy’s family stepped onto the front steps, they froze. A wave of alternating cold and heat — like slicing blades — washed over them. Huy narrowed his eyes and whispered:

  – “Don’t tell me it’s those two high-ranking vampires again…”

  Mr. Tín shook his head, voice grave:

  – “No… this is someone else.”

  Mrs. Nguy?t trembled slightly, clutching her handbag:

  – “Let’s go inside before your in-laws start wondering.”

  Dì T? glanced back at the three of them, puzzled:

  – “Are you and your parents feeling unwell? Your faces… don’t look too good.”

  Huy quickly improvised:

  – “Ah… they were out shopping all morning for the wedding, so they’re a bit tired, Aunt.”

  Dì T? hurried:

  – “Then help them inside to rest. I’ll go make some tea.”

  As soon as they entered the living room, C?u D?ng’s cheerful voice boomed:

  – “Perfect timing, brother and sister-in-law! We were just about to head to the market to get fabric for áo dài. Come join us!”

  Mrs. Nga chimed in eagerly:

  – “Great idea! Sister Nguy?t, you should make one too — Sunday is the wedding, we need to rush if we want it ready.”

  Just then, Join, Mary, and Anh Ph??ng came up from the kitchen.

  Instantly, Huy’s entire family took half a step back. The energy radiating from the three young people was powerful enough to make low-ranking spirits bristle in fear.

  Huy whispered:

  – “Who… on earth are they?”

  Mr. Tín, once a millipede spirit — even with low cultivation — could still sense their nature:

  – “Witches. Not enormously powerful… but don’t underestimate them. Be careful.”

  Anh Ph??ng set down a tray of fruit and smiled sweetly:

  – “Please enjoy some fruit, everyone.”

  Mrs. Nguy?t steadied herself and asked:

  – “This little girl… who is she?”

  M? Linh proudly introduced her — as if showing off a precious treasure:

  – “My youngest daughter, studying abroad in Canada. And these are her two close friends.”

  Join bowed politely:

  – “Mary and I are classmates of Anh Ph??ng. Nice to meet your family.”

  But inside his mind, a thought flickered:

  – “So this is the poisonous seed the professor mentioned? This family… they’re neutral spirits indeed.”

  Mary also greeted politely, though her gaze was sharp as a blade:

  – “A millipede spirit… Anh Ph??ng’s family is in big trouble this time.”

  Anh Ph??ng beamed like spring blossoms:

  – “Hello brother-in-law, I’m Anh Ph??ng. Welcome to our family.”

  But her thoughts were full of thorns:

  – “A millipede spirit? And you want to lay hands on my family’s wealth? Let’s see if you’re strong enough.”

  Huy replied courteously:

  – “I’ve heard my parents mention you many times — they’re proud of you. Beautiful and smart.”

  But inside, he was panicking as if a hand were strangling him:

  – “I’m doomed. My sister-in-law and her two friends are witches? I’m going to die for real… I knew getting involved with a rich family wasn’t going to be easy…”

  The atmosphere tightened like a drawn bowstring. Thankfully, Charles stepped in to break the tension:

  – “Please, sit down and enjoy the fruit. No need to be shy.”

  But in his mind, he muttered:

  – “This is going to get interesting… I need to notify old man Nhan immediately.”

  Deep sat on the bench in the hospital hallway, his legs weak, hands gripping his head. His face was as pale as if he had just encountered a ghost. He muttered under his breath:

  – “I clearly met him… even had a meal with Mr. Nhan… So why the hell is my assistant saying there’s no information on him at all…”

  His phone rang. Deep jolted and answered immediately.

  – “Well? Did you get anything accurate?”

  On the other end, Tan’s voice trembled so hard it almost broke apart.

  – “Boss… I – I’ve checked with the whole team. We searched everywhere we could. But… the old scrap collector named Nhan… he doesn’t exist. Not anywhere in the world.”

  Deep shot up from the bench, but forced himself not to scream in the hospital.

  – “What did you just say!? Doesn’t exist in this world? Are you saying… we met a ghost!?”

  Tan’s voice shook, fragmented:

  – “Some of the boys think… maybe you sent the wrong picture. Like, even if someone is dead, their data would still be somewhere… But this? This is completely empty. Like he was never born.”

  A chill crawled down Deep’s spine. Every hair on his body stood up.

  – “What about Miss Trang? Who are her biological parents?”

  Tan lowered his voice to a whisper:

  – “Boss… I couldn’t find anything either. No record of her mother giving birth, no hospital file… Basically, we have no idea where she came from. The only info is… someone brought her and left her in front of Mr. Qu?c and Mrs. H?nh’s home. It’s like she… fell from the sky.”

  Deep hissed into the phone, anger and fear mixing:

  – “Are you joking with me!? Fell from the sky!? Then who was the man who brought her there!?”

  Tan drew a shaky breath.

  – “When investigating, most of the old neighbors around Mr. Qu?c’s place had already moved away. Only a few remain. They described the man’s appearance… and I thought he looked familiar. So I showed them the picture of Mr. Nhan. And they… confirmed it was him.”

  Deep collapsed back onto the bench, gripping the armrest for support. His heart pounded so violently it felt like it would burst.

  – “So… Mr. Nhan brought Miss Trang there when she was a newborn… and after Mr. D?ng kicked her out, the one who appeared next to her… was also him…?”

  Tan continued, voice full of dread:

  – “Boss… I don’t get it. Why did he give her to that family… just to let her suffer twenty years under Mr. D?ng? Then the moment she was thrown out, he shows up again? Boss… something about this is seriously wrong.”

  Deep’s breath grew heavy, cold sweat dripping down his temple.

  – “Keep digging. Anything new — report to me immediately.”

  He hung up, but his hand wouldn’t stop shaking. For the first time in his life, Deep felt like he was standing in front of a truth…

  one that did not belong to the world of humans.