~When the Star of Lonely Calamity descends, it brings ruin to kin and death to all around. Only a noble one can save such a fate, and only through good deeds and virtue can the curse be eased.~
"My name's Hao Yunlai. I was born into a large, thriving family. We got rich by making fake medicine, and soon our family became one of the wealthiest in the region. With strong connections, thick backing, outrageous profits, and government protection, we crushed countless lives beneath our feet. The family's glory was built on a mountain of corpses. So many people bled, wept, and cursed us, and all that hatred only made our business grow stronger and spread even farther.
Everything changed when I was born.
My mother died giving birth to me. A month later, my thirteen year old second brother choked to death on a rice dumpling he stole from the kitchen. When they found him, both hands were gripping his throat so tightly he could not breathe.
When I turned one, my sixteen year old eldest brother died after playing League of Legends for seven hours straight. He was so focused that he held his piss until it killed him.
During New Year's, when we went home to honor our ancestors, my six year old third sister fell into the toilet pit and drowned.
On Qingming Festival, my grandfather got crushed to death by a cow that was supposed to be used as an offering.
In only six years, everyone in our massive family was dead. They tried everything. Some tried to fight fate, others turned to charity and begged for a way to lift the curse. After they discovered I was the Star of Lonely Calamity, the one destined to bring death to all my kin, they tried to kill me too. It only made things worse. Some donated all their wealth to do good, but all that did was let them die with their bodies intact.
My fate grew heavier and heavier. Anywhere I went, anyone I met, any creature I touched, tragedy followed. It kept getting worse. Eventually, even standing near me meant death. I became a walking plague god. But all I ever wanted was to live like a normal person.
When I was eight, I met someone, a noble one. He taught me how to do good, how to build virtue, and how to live like a normal human again.
He said he had sealed my cursed fate by binding it to the souls of my entire family, the ones suffering in the eighteenth level of hell. The curse could be suppressed for a while, and I could live like a normal man for a time. But if I ever faced real danger, the curse would explode with terrifying force and might consume me along with everything else.
That was the price of being normal for a while.
So I usually release only one of them at a time. The earlier a relative died, the stronger their curse. Earlier, when it got that dangerous, I had to release my second brother. He strangled me with his own hands, blaming me for sending him to hell. Each time he returns, he is worse than before. Next time, he might actually kill me.
Unless there is absolutely no alternative, I will never release my mother. If that happens, it means I will be dying together with my enemies.
If it really comes to that, I will accept it. If dying that way can help others, it will be worth it. The noble one said I will not live past thirty anyway, since my family's sins are too heavy. All I can do is try to make up for them. But if I hurt innocent people again, I will only die faster.
Heaven's justice may be slow, but it always arrives.
After twenty years of learning, I have started to control it. I can stop the curse from hurting a few people, usually two or three at most. That is why I never use my ability when we have a large team. If I did, I would probably wipe them all out. Otherwise, I could have brought everyone in here and destroyed everything in our way. Funny thing is, they still think I am just an ordinary guy. And honestly, being protected by them feels pretty nice.
Lately though, I have felt weaker, almost like an old man reaching the end of his life. I am tired all the time, always wanting to sleep. Maybe one day I will fall asleep and never wake up.
But before I go to hell to pay for my sins, I want to help my teammates as much as I can. I will give all I have for that.
By the way, those fifty contribution point eggs are amazing. I hope I can meet that chicken and her owner again in my next life. They are both great."
Hao Yunlai swam faster and faster. He charged ahead without hesitation and ignored the terrifying creatures around them.
The place where Jing Shu and the others were might as well have been the deadliest pit on Earth. All kinds of venomous creatures lurked in the water, yet none of them attacked. They simply died one after another in strange and unbelievable ways.
You could say it was caused by Hao Yunlai's curse, but each death felt too coincidental. Then again, could there really be that many coincidences in the world?
It was tragic, painfully tragic.
Yang Yang held Jing Shu's hand and kept a safe distance. She did not dare get too close, afraid the plague like misfortune clinging to Hao Yunlai would reach her. The effect was too terrifying. Everywhere he went, bodies piled up. How could anyone not be afraid? If they ever reached Austin City while he was in this state, who knew how many would die once he entered this plague god mode?
No wonder Yang Yang had said he would never have chosen this route unless he was absolutely sure. As it turned out, he really did have a plan. He had just unlocked the seal of Satan himself.
Their journey was short this time. The three of them soon reached the end of the underwater world. Whatever should have been waiting for them there might have been something incredible. Instead, thanks to Hao Yunlai's curse, everyone who had been waiting there was already dead.
Jing Shu finally understood how horrifying his curse truly was.
When Hao Yunlai went berserk, he was like a demon king. He was cold and ruthless, killing without hesitation. Yet all he had done was look in someone's direction.
The three of them made it safely out of the underwater passage and into the rich man's real mansion.
Jing Shu ripped off her diving suit and gasped for air. She swore she would never wear one again.
Hao Yunlai collapsed to the floor, completely drained. He could not even open his eyes. It looked like his ability had a time limit, maybe about five minutes. It was enough for emergencies but not for long battles. And once used, it left him entirely wiped out.
Jing Shu rubbed her chin and mentally rated his ability. An A rating felt too low.
Yang Yang pulled out a map. "We will split up from here. You take Hao Yunlai that way, and I will go toward the tech building. The rich guy's formula is probably there. Whoever finds it first, send a message in the group chat."
Jing Shu cleared her throat. "You take Hao Yunlai. It is safer that way." In truth, she just wanted to explore alone so she could quietly stash any treasure she found in her Cube Space.
"No chance," Yang Yang said with a grin. "He is too heavy. And once we get inside, this is my territory. Do not forget last year in America when I stole all that stuff right under their noses."