Underworld App (7): A reunited family

The young man’s shout instantly drew everyone’s attention. Lily didn’t know what was going on—she only heard her younger brother just say, “The app has developed a new function; it can see the appearance of ghosts through the phone camera,” and the next moment, he suddenly shouted forward in shock and anger. He even threw his phone away and rushed forward in panic, trying to grab the wooden sword.

In that split second, instinct moved faster than logical thought. The wealthy girl immediately sensed that something was very wrong.

But that wrongness obviously wasn’t more important than her brother’s safety. Lily rushed over and pulled her brother back with all her strength, causing them both to crash heavily to the ground. Her elbow hit the marble floor, and the pain almost brought tears to her eyes.

Her brother wasn’t grateful at all. His eyes turned red with fury as he tried to push his sister away and shouted repeatedly, “What are you doing?! Are you crazy?! That’s Grandpa!!!”

The wealthy girl froze. It was only then that she finally realized what that ominous feeling in her heart had been. Her expression cracked in an instant—turning into fear and even rage!

She didn’t know where the rage came from—it was purely instinct. So she didn’t immediately look toward the Son of the World. If she had, she would have seen the guilty and stunned look on his face!

Only now did the rest of the family start to react. Their expressions varied—some confused, some anxious, some in disbelief. They sternly asked, “Awen, what did you say? You said that’s your grandfather?!”

The young man called Awen climbed up from the floor and tried again to touch the wooden sword. The family, worried and at a loss, could only look at the Son of the World and ask, “Master, what’s going on?”

At the same time, they tried to stop the young man: “Don’t touch it yet!”

The young man stomped his foot in frustration.

He didn’t know what exactly had happened. He just recalled the few words his sister had said and the horrific image of his grandfather in pain through the phone camera. He yelled in anger, “It was you, wasn’t it?! How could you do this!!! He’s my grandfather! How could you have someone hurt him?! Even if he’s become a ghost, he’s still our family! Don’t you have a conscience? I hate you all! I hate you!!!”

The boy’s roar left everyone shaken. His red-rimmed eyes were filled with tears that wouldn’t stop falling. The entire group stood in place, overwhelmed with panic, and all stared at the spot where the peach wood sword was stabbed into.

Could it be… Could their loved one really be standing there?

Lily reacted the fastest. She quickly grabbed the phone off the floor, forced herself to stay calm, stopped her hands from trembling, and aimed the camera at the spot where the sword was.

And then—

She let out a pained scream, reacting exactly the same way as the young man earlier. Tears burst from her eyes as she jumped up and shouted to the one she trusted most, her father, “Dad! Dad! It’s Grandpa—it’s really Grandpa!!!”

Even the wealthy girl was saying this—so even though the others didn’t understand how the phone worked or knew that the underworld app had a new feature, they began to panic.

They rushed over, asking, “What’s going on? How can your grandfather be there?!”

“It’s real!!” Tears blurred her vision. The wealthy girl sobbed helplessly. Her face was covered in tears and snot, and she wiped it with her sleeve, completely ruining her makeup, but no one cared about that now. They quickly took the phone from her and huddled around the screen, which was cracked and had a chipped corner, and looked closely.

Then, everyone jolted and cried out, “Dad! / Brother!!!”

They all rushed toward the spot with the peach wood sword, their eyes red and filled with panic.

A middle-aged man turned to the Son of the World, who looked visibly disturbed, and pleaded, “Master, please pull the sword out! That’s my father!”

Someone else, quicker to realize what was happening, suddenly changed expression and looked at the Son of the World with hatred in their eyes. Teeth clenched, they nearly shouted accusations but then remembered the sword was still in the old man’s chest. Afraid the Son of the World might kill him outright, they held themselves back with difficulty.

Some of them were quick-thinking and cautious, but the young, hot-headed boy didn’t consider so much. His face flushed with rage, and he charged forward as if to strangle the Son of the World, yelling, “It’s you!! I’ll kill you!!!”

Lily stood frozen, unable to believe what was happening, staring in despair at the man she had developed feelings for. She shook her head unconsciously, her expression filled with pain.

She watched as her brother rushed forward to attack the man. Then, inexplicably, her family members blocked her brother with all their might. Even her aunt didn’t care that the bandage on her face had come loose, and screamed with a distorted expression, telling her brother not to do anything rash.

Her mind buzzed. It was as if she were present in this place and yet dreaming, as if an invisible membrane had separated her from the world entirely.

She only snapped back to reality when her father called her name. Her face went pale as she looked at him, her eyes filled with helplessness.

Her father immediately understood what she was thinking.

After all, today’s disaster was entirely caused by his daughter.

She had brought a stranger home and, in front of the entire family, chased her grandfather down all this time—and even stabbed a large sword into her grandfather’s chest.

And she even had feelings for the person who almost killed her grandfather!!!

The middle-aged man looked at his trembling daughter with a complicated gaze. He could understand her in his heart, but emotionally, he found it difficult to forgive her.

So, under his daughter’s desperate gaze, he looked away and walked toward the young man who stood there with an oddly cold expression. He forced a gentle tone and asked, “Master, could you withdraw your power and release my father?”

The Son of the World was in an extremely foul mood. He absolutely had no intention of sparing that old ghost. He even wished he could destroy him right now to prevent future trouble!

And what the hell was up with that damned app—how was it ruining his plans again?!

Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, he looked at the chaos before him and cursed himself for not killing the old ghost sooner for the sake of some benefits. If he had, none of this trouble would be happening now.

If things kept going this way, he wouldn’t just lose the benefits—he might end up in a full-on conflict with this family!

Steadying himself, he directly refused, saying, “That’s a fierce ghost! Do you really think you can live peacefully with a fierce ghost?”

The middle-aged man forced a smile and apologized, “Yes, yes, you’re right. It’s just… until now, my father had never hurt us. If he suddenly lashed out today, maybe it’s because we made him angry…”

“Absurd! Ridiculous!” the Son of the World shouted angrily. “I’ve been exorcising demons and protecting the way for years—saved countless people, killed countless ghosts! If every ghost were allowed to run free because of your soft hearts, and it kills again, can you bear that responsibility?!”

The man was scolded harshly, and although he was filled with anger and resentment, he couldn’t risk turning against the Son of the World, not when he still needed something from him.

At that moment, the impulsive and hot-tempered son stepped forward again. He took the phone from an elder nearby, pointed it at his grandfather, and said with trembling lips, “Grandpa, I’ll give it a try. If it hurts, I’ll stop right away!”

Then, without hesitation, he gripped the potentially dangerous peach wood sword and gave it a cautious tug backward!

“Stop!” The Son of the World, who knew very well that the wooden sword couldn’t hurt anyone but could instead let the ghost escape, was furious and shouted, “Damn it!”

But neither the young man nor his family paid him any attention. Their eyes were locked on the wooden sword and the phone screen. Their fists clenched tightly with tension, and they didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

Seeing that the sword was about to be completely pulled out, the Son of the World couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, “Stop him!”

A nearby ghost immediately responded and charged at the young man.

The young man suddenly felt an icy chill sweep over him, as if he had been struck on the back of the head. His body collapsed backward in a straight line, losing all consciousness.

“Ahhh!!” Lily screamed in panic, quickly cradling her brother, shaking him, and crying out repeatedly, “Awen! Awen!!”

Some were more focused on the matter at hand than even the young man’s safety. One rushed over, took over the young man’s “mission,” and with a grim resolve, yanked the wooden sword out of the air!

“Bastards!!” The Son of the World’s eyes bulged in fury at the sight, shouting without restraint, “Damn it! Do you fools even know what you’ve done?!”

But no one paid him the slightest attention. Instead, they all waited anxiously, fearing another fierce “attack” from the old man like before.

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

Several seconds passed, but the expected attack never came. Some let out a sigh of relief, while others revealed expressions of vindicated belief.

They knew it—their grandfather, who always had a tough mouth but a soft heart and cared about them the most, could never have hurt them!

Otherwise, why was it that before the so-called master arrived, their family only experienced some unlucky or frustrating events, but never anything truly harmful? It was because their grandfather had only been trying to get their attention—he never meant to harm them!

But things got strange the moment this so-called master showed up.

First, the grandfather destroyed the younger brother’s precious antique and hurt the face of the sister he adored the most.

Then, he went on a rampage, destroying the home the middle-aged man had built with his own hands, showing no regard for possibly harming his loved ones while fighting the “master.”

Something about it all just didn’t make sense!

The aunt, whose face was half-covered in blood, held the phone and choked out, “Brother! How are you?!”

Everyone else, despite their age, was crying like children. They remembered the pain of the grandfather’s funeral not long ago, and the image of him earlier with a sword in his chest, writhing in pain as if on the verge of death—it tore their hearts apart.

On the screen, the old man collapsed weakly to the ground. Seeing his family surrounding him, desperate to reach him but unable to touch him, he gave a helpless, bitter smile and spoke in a mosquito-like voice, “Alright, that’s enough. Stop yelling. You’re giving me a headache.”

That impatient tone, the hidden tolerance and helplessness in his eyes—it was exactly the version of their grandfather they had known all these years. Their hearts ached even more. Their cries grew louder and more unrestrained, wanting to release all the grief they had bottled up since losing him. And as they cried, they couldn’t help but feel a deep joy—a sense of losing and regaining what was once gone. Grateful, overwhelmed, and utterly indescribable.

Now that the grandfather was safe, the aunt and others finally turned their attention to the Son of the World. They glared at him with fury and demanded, “What were you really up to?! Why did you lie to us and hide the truth about our grandfather being a ghost?!”

“My uncle would never hurt anyone, and certainly not us!!!”

The old man’s ghost was deeply touched by everyone’s reaction, but he also noticed the hostile ghosts nearby and quickly warned them, “That guy brought other ghosts with him—those were the ones who hurt Awen! All the earlier so-called attacks were staged by him. You must be careful!”

“What?!” Everyone was furious and panicked, their gaze toward the Son of the World filled with growing disgust.

“A-Chen! Call the police!” the aunt immediately instructed the butler.

The butler was about to do just that when the Son of the World, sensing danger, suddenly darkened his expression and roared, “Don’t force me!”

Everyone looked at him. He gritted his teeth and shouted, “You asked me here to exorcise a ghost, and now you’re turning around and blaming me?! I risked my life to help you, and the moment you found out that ghost was your family, you turn on me and try to call the police?!”

The crowd exploded in anger. “What nonsense!”

“You’re twisting right and wrong!”

Lily, the wealthy girl, was completely disillusioned. The light in her eyes had faded, tears falling silently as she gently touched her unconscious brother’s pale, cold face.

The Son of the World glared and threatened, “You hypocrites are disgusting! Now you want to use your influence to call your cop friends and have me arrested?! I’m telling you, I’m not some pushover you can toy with! Don’t think I won’t make you die right here on the spot—or make that old man’s soul vanish for good!!”

“You dare?!” Everyone shouted in shock and fury, and now, for the first time, a hint of fear crept into their eyes.

The Son of the World sneered coldly, “Go ahead, try me! Killing one is nothing—killing two would be a bonus!”

Everyone fell silent. Their eyes, once filled with anger, were now watchful and wary.

Seeing this, the Son of the World finally relaxed a little and continued threatening, “Let’s just say I’m unlucky today—dealing with a bunch of ungrateful traitors! I’ll spare that old guy, but I still expect the full payment you promised me earlier!”

Everyone went quiet for a moment, stunned that in a moment like this, the Son of the World would bring up money—something they hadn’t even cared about.

Could money actually get rid of him…?

Strangely, he didn’t seem as scary anymore…

They kept their expressions neutral, revealing nothing of their inner thoughts. The middle-aged man, pretending to be annoyed, reluctantly agreed. His tone was stiff: “Take the money and leave.”

“Hmph, I don’t want to stay here and be insulted anyway!” The Son of the World rolled his eyes. All he could think about were the benefits the family had promised to curry favor with him earlier. The thought cheered him up—he didn’t even care about losing this connection anymore.

Both sides pretended to be unhappy but were eager to finish the transaction and go their separate ways, unwilling to even look at each other.

The butler, remembering a post he’d seen on the underworld app, asked around the villa and got a talisman from a maid. He placed it on the young man’s forehead, hoping it might expel the dark energy from his body.

Lily asked nervously, “Will that actually work?”

They all knew what a talisman was—but since it only cost 99 yuan and was sold in bulk online, they had never been interested in buying one.

After all, a single incense stick they offered at temples usually started at 180,000 yuan, and they’d burn at least twelve at a time.

Items blessed by esteemed monks required months of chanting to gather spiritual energy, and they had to wait at least three months to receive them.

In the past, even a simple-looking talisman had to be drawn after bathing, burning incense, and using tremendous focus. After drawing one, the master would need to rest before attempting another, and they wouldn’t dare make too many for fear of harming their spiritual foundation. Such talismans were rare and expensive—tens of thousands couldn’t even buy one.

Just as they were thinking this, the unconscious young man suddenly jolted upright, as if waking from a nightmare. He gasped sharply, face filled with terror.

“—Ah!”

The family immediately rushed to him with joy. “Awen!”

“You’re awake!”

The young man trembled in fear. “I… just now…!”

“It’s okay now. Don’t be scared.”

Everyone gently comforted their greatest hero of the day. Lily didn’t hesitate—she picked up the fallen talisman and stuffed it into her brother’s arms. “Take this!”

“Huh…” the young man looked surprised. “What is this? It feels so warm… and nice to hold.”

Everyone was stunned, staring at the talisman in shock. Regret surged in their hearts.

“If only we had believed those people online earlier…”

“Nonsense. If we’d used the talisman, how would Big Brother have gotten close to us and told us he was still alive!”

Online posts said once you carried a talisman, all the strange noises disappeared. Maybe if they’d had one, all their “bad luck” would’ve gone too?

Thank goodness they were too snobbish to buy it. Thank goodness!

The old man’s ghost, lying on the ground, looked helpless and couldn’t help but mutter, “I’m already dead.”

What do you mean, still alive…

The expressions of those around them shifted slightly, pretending they hadn’t heard. “Aren’t you still here with us, big brother?”

“Other than not being able to touch you, it’s no different from being alive!”

“Exactly, exactly.”

The old man was speechless.

He put on a grumpy face, but the corners of his mouth couldn’t help lifting.

He was happy.

He looked at the young man who had both saved his life and risked danger to pull out the sword, his gaze gentle: “Your dad and uncles always cause trouble. You’re the only smart one.”

The young man grinned so wide his teeth showed, clearly proud and overjoyed to be praised by his grandfather.

But the wealthy girl standing beside him grew more downcast upon hearing that, unable to hold back soft sobs. Her crying stood out sharply amid the crowd’s smiles.

Only then did everyone recall the trouble the wealthy girl had caused. Their brows furrowed in displeasure.

If she hadn’t brought that man here, how would the old man have suffered so much? Their home wouldn’t have been turned upside down, and Second Uncle’s beloved vase wouldn’t have been smashed into a pile of worthless shards.

The wealthy girl had realized this too. Knowing that her good intentions had led to disaster, she was crying from guilt and regret.

At that moment, no one had the right to forgive her—except the old man with the sharp tongue and soft heart.

He pretended to be annoyed. “What are you crying for? Mourning already? Your grandpa’s still here!”

The wealthy girl choked out, “But, but…!”

“Enough crying, you’re giving me a headache,” he said sternly. “And look at that face of yours—like a blotchy stray cat. You’re uglier than a ghost! Go wash up!”

“Sob sob sob…” She covered her face and cried. With the old man urging her on, she stumbled away to the nearby bathroom.

Once she had left, the old man gave a light cough and asked, “Who exactly was that man earlier? How did Lily meet him?”

“She said they met at the hospital. She went for a checkup last week and met that guy, and apparently he saved her,” the young man said with a pout. “But I think that ‘rescue’ is questionable! That guy even claimed you were a fierce ghost and said you were trying to hurt us! Maybe he staged the whole thing—sent a ghost to scare her just to play the hero and get close to our family! After all, my sister is a legit rich and pretty heiress.”

Even though his sister said that ghost had been bothering her for a while, hadn’t their grandfather also been “bothering” the whole family for a while now? The truth wasn’t necessarily what it seemed!

Whether it was a stalker or a guardian—now that the ghost had been forcibly destroyed by Wu San, only he had known the real truth, and he was gone.

The elders nearby nodded. “That could very well be the case.”

“Anyone unaware of the situation would easily have been fooled by that guy.”

After all, they couldn’t see ghosts with the naked eye!

So whatever that guy said was taken at face value!

“Lily meant well…” someone said too quickly and then fell silent, sneaking a glance at the old man.

The old man… showed no expression at all.

His face remained stern, as if he hadn’t heard anything at all.

And with that, everyone understood. This was the classic tough-love grandpa subtly expressing that he didn’t really mind what happened earlier. He wanted to forgive his granddaughter but was too proud to say it directly.

The crowd couldn’t help but smile. Their grandfather was, as always, lovable and warm in his own way.

Their frustration with the wealthy girl began to fade. After all, if they started scolding her again and the old man heard it, he’d probably secretly feel bad.

They couldn’t bear to let their grandfather, who had finally returned, feel hurt again.

The middle-aged man laughed and said, “Dad, when you passed, you said your life had been full and joyful, and that there was nothing to regret. We actually believed you!”

If it hadn’t been for those parting words—so calm and without a hint of regret—they wouldn’t have seen that post on the Underworld App and, after realizing ghosts were real, never even dared to wish that he had become one.

They even said, “Ghosts stay behind because they have unresolved obsessions. They must be unhappy. It’s better for Dad to pass on peacefully.”

But now—what peaceful passing? If their father were really still around, they would’ve dreamt of having him stay by their side forever!

Even if it meant he couldn’t rest in peace…

In their hearts, they all knew exactly what their father’s obsession was.

He simply couldn’t let go of the family. He wanted to protect them and watch over them.

As for those so-called “unlucky” incidents—looking back, they might not have been bad luck after all.

Like when a strange sound startled someone while they were driving.

Thinking back, they were always mentally distracted by exhaustion or grief after the funeral, barely focused on the road.

That sound had to have been Grandpa trying to wake them up—snapping them out of it to avoid an accident.

And if they thought carefully, they could probably find a reason behind every incident. If they really couldn’t, then it probably meant they’d done something to make Grandpa unhappy, and he was venting a bit.

But even if it was just venting—so what? As long as it made Grandpa feel better, it was worth it.

Thinking about how their lost loved one had suddenly returned to them, everyone started smiling like fools. The sunlight felt extra warm today, and they were filled with energy from head to toe.