Ten years later, on a bright spring morning, the family of four stood by the lakeshore. Tian, serious and thoughtful at ten years old, was skipping stones with a precise flick of his wrist that hinted at a natural talent for cultivation. Chen, a vibrant ball of energy, was trying to climb the old oak tree, her laughter echoing across the water.
Ye Xia, her hand resting in Mo's, watched them. The memory of the ugly, betrayed heiress was like a story from another lifetime, a faint ghost that no longer had any power over her. She had faced gods and monsters, and she had won. But her greatest victory was this: the sound of her children's laughter, the warmth of her husband's hand, the peace of a quiet morning.
The system was silent, its work complete. It had been a strange and terrible road, from wasting money to wasting a celestial ritual, all leading to this simple, perfect moment.
Mo squeezed her hand. "What are you thinking?"
Ye Xia looked at Chen, who had finally made it to the first branch and was waving triumphantly, and at Tian, who offered a rare, bright smile at his sister's success.
She thought of the pools of water, the weight dragging her down, the betrayal in Liang Rui's and Lin Wanwan's eyes. She thought of the vow she had made in those final, drowning moments: I will have the last laugh.
A slow, genuine smile spread across her face, filled with a peace and joy that the vengeful ghost of her past could never have comprehended.
"I'm thinking," Ye Xia said, her voice soft with contentment, "that I finally am."
~ End of Volume 1 ~