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Chapter 15 - The Century-Old Curse

The conversation had just taken a sharp turn when a call came through Huang Peiyu's earpiece.

Without any visible change in his expression, Huang answered the call. He didn't speak—he simply listened.

"Captain Huang," came the voice from the other end, "this is the forensic lab. We've finished the DNA comparison with the hair that Officer Zhuang brought in this morning. Just as you suspected—Bai Shuang is indeed the biological daughter of Bai Qing."

Huang Peiyu's pupils contracted instantly.

Though he had already anticipated this result, facing the truth head-on still gave him a jolt.

He hung up quietly, managing not to let either his apprentice or Miss Chahua notice anything strange.

After a moment of silence, he asked,

"Why is Bai Shuang's surname 'Bai'?"

Chahua tensed up again, clearly trying to suppress something.

"I once heard a rumor… It's been circulating for centuries. I don't know if it's true."

"I've always liked a good story," Huang said, smiling faintly. "The stranger, the better."

Chahua gave him a cautious glance before lowering her eyes again.

"Have you ever heard of something called a coffin child?"

"A what?" Both Huang and Zhuang spoke in unison.

To their understanding, Bai Shuang might at most be a posthumous child. But this term—"coffin child"—sounded far more macabre.

Chahua furrowed her brows.

"A coffin child—also called a 'coffin-born infant'—is a baby born after the mother dies fully pregnant. The mother's corpse is sealed in a coffin, and only then does the child emerge."

Huang squinted thoughtfully.

"I've heard a similar tale. The famed Song Dynasty coroner Song Ci—he was supposedly a coffin child too."

Chahua nodded slightly.

"Actually, the former Lord Bai was a coffin child. This isn't some superstition—it's documented. His mother was nearly full-term when she got into a car accident. To save the baby, the emergency doctors performed a C-section right there at the crash site."

Huang signaled Zhuang with his eyes. Zhuang immediately pulled up a holographic screen and began searching the archives.

Sure enough, he found it—not in any classified file, just a regular emergency report.

Huang frowned deeper.

"If that's all public record, why call it a centuries-old rumor?"

Chahua replied,

"Lord Bai wasn't the first orphan of the Bai family. In fact, his father was also a foster son of the Taoist Master. Both of his parents died before he was born. He came into this world as a coffin child and became the next child raised by the Master."

Despite his extensive experience, Huang felt a chill crawl down his spine.

"The Taoist Master you're referring to—is that Wu Qiong?"

"Yes," Chahua nodded. "As far as I know, for the past few centuries, every head of the Bai family has been a foster child of the Taoist Master. The rumor says the Bai family was cursed generations ago—the curse said their bloodline would end.

"Whenever a new head of the family had a child, tragedy would strike before the child was born. It was the Taoist Master who protected the Bai family for centuries, ensuring each child survived. But the curse is cruel—its only cure is a life for a life. That's why every generation's patriarch died young, leaving only an orphan behind."

Huang Peiyu sneered silently.

If this story were told centuries ago, people would have believed it without question.

But after hundreds of years, ghosts and curses no longer scare people—science does.

From a criminal investigator's perspective, this wasn't a touching legend—it was the playbook of a control freak.

Every time a family head matured and gained independence, Wu Qiong would ensure their death and raise the next heir himself.

This way, each generation would treat Wu Qiong as a father, obey him unconditionally, and remain utterly loyal. In turn, Wu Qiong could hold sway over the Bai family for centuries.

Just as Wu Qiong once said: he was immortal and had to pay extra survival tax. So he devised a clever trick—he himself earned no income and let the Bai family generate all the wealth.

By controlling generations of Bai orphans, he enjoyed riches without being taxed.

Huang couldn't help but glance at his young disciple.

Zhuang Mo was currently dating Bai Shuang. If this cycle repeated itself, once Bai Shuang became pregnant, Zhuang Mo's life would likely be in danger.

And when he remembered Wu Qiong had so casually handed the role of Player One to Zhuang, it seemed less like a gift—and more like a trap.

Once Zhuang officially inherited Whale Fall and Bai Shuang gave birth, their journey to the afterlife might begin.

Zhuang, oblivious to all this, looked confused by his mentor's strange gaze.

Huang shook off the thoughts and asked the final question:

"What's the relationship between Bai Shuang and the previous Lord Bai?"

Chahua pouted slightly, puffing out her cheeks.

"My uncle once told me that Lord Bai shared a secret with him. He said he had a daughter—but no one ever saw her, not even up until his death."

"When did he say this?" Huang asked.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "My uncle didn't give me details. But I've always suspected that Miss Bai is that very daughter. I've seen the photos—they look far too alike."

Huang scoffed inwardly.

No need for suspicion—the DNA test proves it conclusively.

Zhuang looked like he wanted to say something, but Huang stopped him with a firm hand.

Under the table, Huang swiped open a discreet screen and showed Zhuang the forensic report.

Zhuang's eyes widened.

So… Bai Shuang was the sole legal heir of Whale Fall!

Wu Qiong must've known from the very beginning that Bai Shuang was Lord Bai's daughter. But if he already knew that, why hold the Whale Fall Trials and invite the entire galaxy to compete for inheritance rights?

Zhuang couldn't figure it out. But Huang had already pieced things together.

His theory: Wu Qiong was using He Shouchen to kill by proxy.

Recalling how Wu Qiong effortlessly manipulated a room of over a hundred people the other night, Huang realized—Wu Qiong could control people like a puppeteer.

If he wanted someone dead, he wouldn't need to lift a finger.

The investigation should begin with He Shouchen. If he was the killer, the true puppet master behind the curtain would soon be revealed.

And once Wu Qiong's mask came off, the centuries-long mystery of the Bai family's tragic heirs would be solved at last.

At that point, Wu Qiong would face justice.

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