Silence fell like a curtain after Shi Mu's declaration.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then someone in the crowd whispered, "That's not a ghost. That's… that's really Shi Qing."
Zhao Yilan's fingers clenched the chair's armrest until her knuckles turned white.
"You're supposed to be dead," she hissed.
Shi Mu's eyes were steady. "You made sure of that. But I'm still standing."
The portrait of "Shi Qing" loomed behind her like a joke carved in grayscale.
Shi Mu turned to face it again.
They had held a funeral without her body.Published obituaries.Invited mourners.Made her a story, not a person.
And everyone believed it.
Everyone except the ones who orchestrated it.
Zhao Yilan stood, shaking. "This is blasphemy! You disgrace the family with your lies!"
Shi Mu laughed softly, her voice sharper than any slap.
"I disgrace the family? You faked a death certificate and tried to bury your daughter to cover your crimes."
"You're not my daughter!" Zhao Yilan screamed.
"I know," Shi Mu said quietly. "And I'm thankful for that."
Fu Yunshen had entered silently and stood near the door, watching everything unfold with calm precision. His eyes never left Shi Mu.
When two guards tried to grab her, he stepped forward and blocked them with a look.
"I wouldn't do that," he said. "She's protected now."
Shi Mu stepped closer to Zhao Yilan.
She bent down slightly, voice just loud enough for everyone to hear.
"You buried me once. I wonder how many others you've erased."
Zhao Yilan slapped her—hard.
The sound rang through the hall.
Shi Mu didn't flinch.
She turned her face back, expression unreadable.
"Thank you," she said.
"For proving to everyone here exactly what you are."
[System Notification]
Public Exposure Event: Level III
Emotional Surge: Acknowledged
Social Standing Shift: Positive – Sympathy Triggered
Brotherhood Value +230 (Truth Declared + Abuse Publicly Endured)
Current Total: 10,445 / 1,000,000
The monks began to gather their things and mutter prayers under their breath.
The guests started whispering louder—no longer about Shi Mu being a ghost.
Now they asked:
"What else did the Shi family lie about?"
Shi Mu turned toward the door.
"Fu Yunshen," she said, voice calm, "let's go."
He nodded and moved beside her.
As she passed the altar, she paused only once.
Then reached forward—
And knocked over her own portrait.
Let the dead image lie.
The living had work to do.