Anh Ph??ng was carrying a tray of fruit up from the kitchen when she suddenly froze.

  This was her first time seeing Anh Tú in person. During his wedding with her sister Anh ?ào, she had still been in Canada and could only see photos. But now — standing right in front of her — was a presence so overwhelmingly powerful it made her breath hitch.

  A pure, ancient yokai aura — elegant yet oppressive — surrounded him like a halo.

  Compared to that, she was nothing more than a human dabbling in magic. How could she possibly measure up to the bloodline of a noble spirit like him?

  On the sofa, Anh Tú had already recognized her from the pictures. With just a brief glance, he instantly sensed it:

  The girl was a witch — But her energy was tainted. Impure. Twisted by forbidden arts.

  Anh Ph??ng set the fruit on the table, doing her best to act natural.

  C?u D?ng happily introduced:

  – “This is Anh Tú, your brother-in-law. You couldn’t attend the wedding last time, so now the two of you finally meet.”

  Anh Tú stood up politely:

  – “Nice to meet you, Ph??ng. I’m glad we finally have the chance to say hello.”

  Anh Ph??ng forced a smile:

  – “Nice to meet you too, anh Hai. I had exams back then, so I couldn’t attend the wedding.”

  Anh Tú nodded:

  – “No worries. Your studies come first.”

  But in her mind, bitterness swirled:

  – “Two brothers-in-law… one’s a yokai, the other’s a centipede demon…

  My parents seriously have the worst taste in sons-in-law.”

  Meanwhile, Anh Tú kept his gentle smile, but internally:

  – “This girl… she practices dark magic.

  Even worse than that centipede brat.”

  ---

  Outside in the Gothic mansion’s garden, everyone was calmly enjoying bowls of Cháo Bát B?u.

  Yin glanced toward D?ng’s villa with a smirk:

  – “That house has everything — a yokai, a centipede spirit, and now a daughter learning dark magic. What a collection.”

  Erion scoffed:

  – “I won’t say anything about Anh Tú, but that centipede brat dreaming of becoming a prince is annoying. And the girl practicing dark arts? One flick of my finger, and she’s done.”

  ---

  Meanwhile, at the Th? ??c penthouse, Deep was pouring tea for Charles, Join, and Mary:

  – “Have some tea and snacks. Lunch is on me today.”

  Charles looked around:

  – “Where are the other two? You guys usually travel as a trio.”

  Deep placed a plate of mung bean cakes on the table:

  – “Tu?n and Ti?n went to visit My in the hospital. I stayed to host you all.”

  Join leaned forward anxiously:

  – “Is Miss My seriously ill?”

  Deep sighed:

  – “Her old issue flared up again. She said she saw a painting talking to her… and monsters in the mirror. MRI came out normal, so now they’re switching to psychological treatment.”

  Mary whispered:

  – “Poor Miss My… I hope she recovers soon.”

  Deep rubbed his temples:

  – “Next week is D?ng’s second daughter’s wedding. I don’t know how he’s going to manage everything. Their house in Gò V?p is a bit far for such a big event.”

  Charles interrupted:

  – “His house is normal again.”

  Deep blinked hard:

  – “What? How? That place was frozen twice. It was clearly supernatural.”

  Charles exchanged a look with Join and Mary:

  – “I also heard from Mr. Tài’s family that they saw hallucinations, right?”

  Deep nodded slowly:

  – “Hallucinations worse than that woman Tu?n almost married. But now that you mention it… it is strange. No matter how horrifying the hallucinations were, after a day or two… they’re all normal again. Like they forget everything.”

  Charles began recounting:

  – “Late last Sunday night, D?ng’s whole family experienced hallucinations. The husband and wife even fainted. But by the next morning, they were completely normal again. Then the entire family invited me, my two students, Tài’s family, and their in-laws out shopping — laughing and having fun like nothing ever happened.”

  Join added:

  – “I asked Anh Ph??ng if she remembered anything, but she said everything was blurry. Their entire family couldn’t remember a single detail. It’s like their memories were erased.”

  Mary frowned:

  – “That is strange. Someone definitely intervened… but who?”

  Charles cleared his throat and gestured:

  – “Show me the black-cat fur sample you found.”

  Deep stared in confusion:

  – “Black-cat fur? What’s that about?”

  Join placed a small ziplock bag on the table:

  – “We found these at Anh Ph??ng’s house. They look like black-cat fur. But their family doesn’t have a cat — stray cats wouldn’t get inside either.”

  Mary added:

  – “From afar, it looks like ordinary black-cat fur. But up close, it’s… not.”

  Charles opened the bag, pulled out a few strands, and held them under the light:

  – “The hair is fine but thick… and the color isn’t exactly jet black.”

  Deep extended his hand:

  – “Let me see.”

  He examined the fur closely — and his eyes widened.

  – “This isn’t black-cat fur. It’s lynx fur. I’ve seen the specimen in the Natural History Museum in London. No mistake. The one I saw was golden-brown, but the fiber structure is identical.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Charles stiffened:

  – “That’s impossible… There are no lynxes in Saigon. And black lynx fur is extremely rare.”

  Join shook his head, still in disbelief:

  – “Exactly! Where would black lynx fur come from?”

  Deep nodded slowly:

  – “Lynxes are already rare. Black lynxes? Practically unheard of. And yet… this shows up inside D?ng’s house? This is truly bizarre.”

  ---

  Back at the D?ng family villa, the atmosphere in the living room was cheerful. Both sides of the family were discussing the guest list.

  Anh ?ào returned from the supermarket and glanced at Anh Tú. She knew he wasn’t happy, but she could still sense his effort to act warm and dutiful in front of everyone.

  Anh Tú, however, understood his wife painfully well — how she always looked elsewhere, yearning for something she imagined to be better. Still, for the sake of the bigger picture, he continued his role like an award-winning Hollywood actor.

  He walked toward her gently:

  – “Honey, I’m home with you today. Let’s go out for coffee later. I even invited Th?’s husband-to-be to join us.”

  Anh ?ào forced a smile:

  – “Of course. I’ll go help Dì T? in the kitchen for a bit.”

  She walked away, her heart heavy. To her, Anh Tú had become ordinary, dull, overshadowed by the fantasies she built in her mind. She didn’t appreciate her kind husband or his loving family. Her eyes were still secretly drawn toward the elegant gentlemen from the Gothic mansion.

  She had used manipulation to secure this marriage — so naturally, no real affection ever grew in her heart.

  As soon as she disappeared from sight, the smile on Anh Tú’s lips vanished.

  He smirked coldly:

  – “Greedy… just like My. You trapped me with that staged bedroom accident—there was never any real love. And those men from the Gothic mansion you drool over? You’re not worthy to carry their shoes.”

  Inside the penthouse suite, the atmosphere grew heavy. Everyone was still thinking about the black lynx fur — an extremely rare wild cat — that somehow appeared at Mr. D?ng’s house.

  Suddenly, Deep spoke up:

  – “There’s something else weird… Yesterday, a friend of my assistant said someone hired him to investigate Trúc Di?n and his girlfriend. But their data is protected by a military-grade firewall. He said he’s never seen anything like it.”

  Charles frowned.

  – “Information about Mr. Nhan doesn’t exist in any official database, yet we’ve seen him with our own eyes — a real, living person. And a military-level firewall… that’s only used to protect extremely special individuals. Usually high-ranking political figures or major mafia organizations.”

  Deep’s eyes widened as he lowered his voice.

  – “So you’re saying… Trúc Di?n and his girlfriend are… mafia?”

  Join jumped.

  – “Mafia? That sounds like an action movie… And uh… who is Trúc Di?n again?”

  Deep answered immediately:

  – “He’s the sworn younger brother of the sorcerer V?nh. Sort of like his assistant — knows some charms and rituals for blessing or warding off bad luck. People hire them during construction, groundbreaking, or opening ceremonies. I’ve met him a few times.”

  Mary asked:

  – “What does he look like, uncle?”

  Deep recalled carefully:

  – “He looks like a character from a fantasy novel: long black hair, delicate features, sharp nose… and his eyes — black, but with a silver sheen. When light hits them, they shimmer like silver.”

  Join shivered.

  – “Hearing you describe him… he doesn’t sound like a normal person at all. Do you have a photo of him?”

  Deep shook his head.

  – “I don’t have his picture. But the kid did show me the insignia contained within the firewall system. The symbol was a snake wearing a crown. As for his girlfriend, her firewall was different — the symbol was a pair of twisted horns with a flame between them, and above the flame… a floating crown.”

  Join, Mary, and Charles froze.

  Charles spoke softly:

  – “The three of us study spiritual lore. The twisted horns and flame — that’s the emblem of Demon King Satan. As for the crowned serpent… there are no official records, but in classical texts, ‘m?ng xà’ means serpent. My guess is… the Snake Deity.”

  Deep yelped, then quickly covered his own mouth.

  – “What!? Oh my god — ! Don’t tell me… Trúc Di?n is the Snake Deity!?”

  Charles nodded slightly.

  – “Who knows? In this world… anything is possible.”

  Deep suddenly remembered something.

  – “Mr. Nhan gave us a phone number before. He told us to contact him regarding Mr. D?ng’s family. Do you still have it?”

  Charles nodded:

  – “Of course I do. But I tried calling… it didn’t go through. I think it’s a one-way contact.”

  Outside the garden of the Gothic mansion, Din was still troubled by how Mr. D?ng’s entire family could forget everything after being punished by illusions.

  L?p Thành spoke up:

  – “If we want answers, we have to go to D?ng’s house. Sitting here guessing is a waste of time.”

  H?u K? nodded:

  – “They’ll come here to deliver the wedding invitations eventually, but waiting for that takes too long. We need to investigate now.”

  Erion crossed his arms, nodding in agreement:

  – “We’ve ignored this matter long enough. I already have a plan… They met you all yesterday, so all you need to do is this…”

  ---

  At the D?ng family mansion, in the living room, Mr. Tín took out a carefully wrapped plastic bag containing red wedding invitations embossed with elegant gold lettering.

  – “Here be the wedding cards they ordered. What do you think, in-laws? Pretty, right?”

  C?u D?ng nodded:

  – “They look great. For the guest list, your family writes yours, and I’ll handle ours.”

  M? Linh smiled brightly:

  – “And remember to invite the neighbors from the Gothic mansion and that Trúc Di?n fellow too. Important guests, all of them.”

  At that moment, Dì T?, who was cleaning the stairs, suddenly noticed two men and two women in modern-style cheongsams standing at the gate like tourists visiting the neighborhood. She muttered:

  – “Huh… who’s that at the gate?”

  Hearing her, C?u D?ng stepped out to check. When he saw the group, he smiled:

  – “Ah, relatives of Trúc Di?n. What brings them here?”

  M? Linh shrugged:

  – “They probably came to visit the Gothic mansion. We saw them at B?n Thành Market yesterday, remember? They seemed familiar with the owner there.”

  C?u D?ng happily opened the gate. Outside, Nh? Phu and ??i Ng?c were posing effortlessly, their figures like supermodels in stylish cheongsams. L?p Thành was about to snap a photo when the gate opened, so he pretended to be surprised:

  – “Oh! Mr. D?ng — this is your house?”

  C?u D?ng laughed:

  – “That’s right. You’re all visiting the Gothic mansion, aren’t you?”

  H?u K? nodded politely:

  – “Yes, that’s right. The scenery here is beautiful, so we just took a few pictures. Sorry if we disturbed you.”

  – “Disturb? Not at all! If people find my house pretty enough for photos, I’m honored!”

  Nh? Phu stepped forward with graceful composure:

  – “Your yard is truly lovely — the Koi pond and the bonsai trees… very pleasing to the eye.”

  M? Linh, proud as ever, stepped out too:

  – “Please, come inside. Our Koi pond is gorgeous, and we have a Japanese-style garden as well. Take your time taking photos.”

  ---

  As they stepped into the yard, ??i Ng?c suddenly paused. The heightened senses of a serpent deity made her more sensitive than ordinary humans. She whispered:

  – “There’s the scent of a spirit beast here… but I can’t tell what kind yet.”

  H?u K? nodded slightly:

  – “I sense it too. We need more clues.”

  Inside the house, Mr. Tín and Mrs. Nguy?t greeted the familiar guests from the day before:

  – “Well, hello everyone — what a coincidence,” Mr. Tín said politely.

  L?p Thành replied:

  – “Hello! Quite lively here today. Is Huy around?”

  Mrs. Nguy?t smiled:

  – “He took his wife to shop for a wedding dress. Probably won’t be back until this afternoon.”

  At that moment, H?u K?’s group immediately focused on Anh Tú, realizing that he was a pure spirit being — no demonic energy whatsoever. In contrast, Anh Tú could see clearly that they were not ordinary creatures either; they were serpent deities, pure-blooded and powerful.

  C?u D?ng proudly introduced:

  – “This is my eldest son-in-law, Anh ?ào’s husband.”

  Anh Tú greeted them calmly:

  – “Nice to meet you all.”

  The serpent deities greeted him in return. Then Nh? Phu lowered her voice:

  – “The spirit-beast scent is stronger now… meaning we’re very close. But it’s not him — he isn’t a spirit beast.”

  C?u D?ng spoke politely:

  – “Please, have a seat!”

  Then he turned toward the kitchen and called loudly:

  – “Mrs. T?, make some tea and bring up some pastries for our guests!”

  Nh? Phu noticed the stack of wedding invitations on the table. She gently picked one up:

  – “The design is adorable.”

  M? Linh beamed with pride:

  – “That shop really knows how to design. The colors stand out beautifully.”

  When Dì T? came up from the kitchen carrying a tray of tea and pastries, she bowed politely:

  – “Please enjoy the tea, everyone.”

  But the moment the tray touched the table, H?u K?’s group stiffened at the same time.

  A strange smell hit them — strong, distinct.

  In their minds, the same thought echoed:

  – “Spirit beast scent… very strong…”

  Seeing the guests momentarily freeze, C?u D?ng urged them:

  – “Please, have some tea.”

  H?u K? quickly regained his composure:

  – “Thank you. The tea smells wonderful.”

  L?p Thành looked at Dì T?, tilting his head:

  – “She’s your housekeeper?”

  C?u D?ng nodded proudly:

  – “Yes, this is Mrs. T?. She’s worked for us for twenty years. Very kind and meticulous.”

  Dì T? smiled gently:

  – “Thank you for the compliment, sir. Lunch is almost ready too. Just let me know when you’d like to eat and I’ll serve it.”

  She turned to the guests, noticing their eyes fixed on her:

  – “Do I have something on my face? Why are you all looking at me like that?”

  Nh? Phu quickly softened her tone:

  – “Oh, nothing. Please don’t mind us.”

  M? Linh sipped her tea and said:

  – “Mrs T?, make sure you store my fur coat properly, okay? I really treasure it.”

  Dì T? responded:

  – “Miss Anh Ph??ng wanted to take a look at your coat, so after she finished, I put it back in the wardrobe.”

  C?u D?ng frowned:

  – “It’s scorching hot, why is she trying on a fur coat? This is Saigon, not Canada.”

  Dì T? explained:

  – “It’s because of the black cat fur, sir. Last night I found a few strands on the carpet, and this morning when I cleaned your bedroom I saw a few more. I thought they fell from Madam’s fur coat, so Miss Anh Ph??ng borrowed it to compare.”

  Mr. Tín, who was writing invitations, paused:

  – “Black cat fur? But my in-laws don’t keep any cats. Could it be a stray?”

  Dì T? shook her head:

  – “If a stray cat sneaked in, I would’ve chased it out immediately. Besides, this neighborhood doesn’t have strays. Only expensive purebred cats raised by the neighbors — and they never let them roam around.”

  ??i Ng?c frowned slightly:

  – “So those fur strands… didn’t come from the coat at all.”

  M? Linh nodded firmly:

  – “My fur coat is made from mink, not cat fur.”

  L?p Thành looked at Dì T?:

  – “When you cleaned up, did you keep the fur you found? Could we see it?”

  Dì T? pointed to a tightly sealed plastic bag outside in the garden:

  – “I vacuumed everything and gathered it into that bag.”

  Anh Tú immediately offered:

  – “If allowed, I can help take a look.”

  C?u D?ng frowned deeper:

  – “It’s just a few strands of black cat fur… Why is everyone acting like it’s serious?”

  Then he suddenly froze mid-sentence.

  – “Wait… that’s true. We don’t have a cat. So where did the fur come from?”

  Anh Tú stood up at once:

  – “I think it’s strange too. Let me go check.”