No one notified me in advance. Everyone in the end times is crazy.

Chapter 518 God, please bless my family with wealth and prosperity!

There was a knock on the door, followed by Lu Jinchuan's voice: "Come out. My mother has agreed to let you move around freely in the villa, but only within the villa."

Lu Jinchuan opened the door, his face red and swollen, clearly having been beaten again.

Fang Hui didn't show any pity for him; instead, she was wary: "Aren't you afraid we'll run away?"

“Didn’t you notice when you came? This villa is in the mountains. You can’t escape, and neither can I.” As Lu Jinchuan spoke, he walked behind Xu Yu’an, put his hands under his armpits, lifted him up, and carried him away as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Fang Hui got up from the ground and followed.

Lu Jinchuan carried Xu Yu'an into the study, let him sit on his lap, massaged him with one hand, and did his homework with the other.

Fang Hui didn't understand Lu Jinchuan's intentions, and even felt that the nib of the pen might prick Xu Yu'an.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm under a lot of pressure."

"You don't seem to answer other people's questions directly."

“My mom doesn’t let me have a pet, saying it will distract me and affect my studies. But I don’t like studying at all, and I’ve always wanted to have a pet.”

"Are these related to the questions I asked?"

[Silly girl, he's just keeping Xu Yu'an like a pet.]

"Whether it's related or not, are you really going to keep staring at me like that?"

"I want to make sure An'an is safe."

“I have no reason to hurt him, and my mother also said that it’s okay to play around as long as you don’t kill him. It’s so strange, she seems indifferent.”

"Play?"

"It's nothing, don't disturb my studies."

Lu Jinchuan handed Xu Yu'an a pencil and a sheet of calculation paper for him to draw on.

The hands of the clock spun round and round. Xu Yu'an nodded sleepily. Lu Jinchuan put down his pen, turned him around, and let him sleep in his arms.

Even Fang Hui couldn't help but yawn.

"Go back to sleep if you're tired, and stop staring at other people."

Give An'an to me.

"You should just stand there and watch."

"..."

Around 3 a.m., Lu Jinchuan closed his notebook, took off his glasses, and rubbed his tired eyes.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Fang Hui, who was pinching her thigh to stay awake, and said with a strange sense of admiration, "I didn't expect you to be able to endure it."

Give An'an to me.

"Go back and rest, he slept with me."

Fang Hui didn't care and followed behind. When Lu Jinchuan fell asleep holding Xu Yu'an, she gently pulled Xu Yu'an out, carefully held her in her arms, and prepared to take her back to the attic.

Her footsteps were very light, and as she passed the corner, she smelled something burning.

Quietly approaching along the wall, Shi Ying saw an offering table with a red cloth covering the statue of a deity. After respectfully offering incense, Shi Ying lit the disposable bowls and chopsticks that Xu Yu'an had used and offered them to the "deity".

"My Lord God, please bless our family with wealth and prosperity!"

Suddenly, a figure appeared behind Shi Ying, moving from nothingness to reality. His voice was deep as he said, "As long as you make offerings with sincerity and regularly provide tributes to the gods, they will surely bless you."

Shi Ying seemed to be used to his way of making an entrance and was not frightened. She turned around and flattered him, saying, "Yes, High Priest, this is all thanks to you."

"I am merely a messenger of God."

As the person spoke, they emerged from the shadows. Luo Shiyu's pupils suddenly dilated as he saw what the person was holding.

[A dog-headed staff! A white cloak—it all matches! This guy is the mastermind behind Wang Xiaobao's death, and he's from this era? Villains really live long lives; the deaths of the Xu couple are probably related to him.]

"My lord, please have a seat and some fruit."

"Just say what you need to say, no need for fake flattery."

Shi Ying rubbed her hands together and tentatively said, "It's... my son. As you know, he's my only child. I'd like to ask him for a minor official position."

"He's not destined for that."

"Then... what kind of fate does he have?"

"He's destined to die young; he probably won't live past twenty."

"Oh? Your Honor! You must save my son! I... I'll kowtow to you."

"No need. Do you remember the child I asked you to bring back?"

"I remember~ I remember~"

"His destiny is very good; he is destined for great wealth and high status."

"That……"

"Didn't I teach you? The life-swapping technique. It's just that their ages are too different, so it will be a bit troublesome to deceive the ghost official."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all, please tell me in detail."

"From now on, let him eat and live with your son, and try to let him be covered with your son's aura. Also, write your son's birth date and time on a talisman, burn it, and mix the ashes into his food once a day."

"Okay, okay, I got it. How long do we need to keep doing this?"

“When he comes of age, he will be taken away by the ghost official in place of your son.”

"Okay, thank you."

"There is one more thing. Before each meal, have him personally offer incense to the gods. Don't forget to burn the things he has used to the gods."

[Offering incense before meals? There's a saying: "Humans eat, ghosts eat incense." Is this offering to a ghost?]

"What... what would happen if I forgot?"

"You can try it, see if the ghosts of the Xu couple will come after you."

"No! No need!"

The man gave a cold laugh, a mocking laugh that was not concealed.

"Remember that your current wealth and glory are all given by God. He can give you these things, and He can also take them away. Don't forget to send offerings regularly."

"Weren't there enough people on the plane last time?"

[The plane? The plane that crashed with Xu Xiao?]

"Enough? Would you feel that the money I give you is enough?"

"No, no, I'll find a way to cause another accident."

"In times of war, human life is the least valuable thing."

"Yes, you are right."

The man suddenly turned his head toward where Fang Hui was, and he walked over step by step.

Fang Hui held her breath and quietly backed away while holding Xu Yu'an.

The man stopped abruptly as he reached the corner.

He took something out of his pocket and handed it to Fang Hui.

"Here, candy."

Fang Hui stared at him without giving a response.

"Here you go, pagoda-shaped sugar, for killing worms."

Fang Hui's body jolted suddenly, and she subconsciously reached for the zombie worm hiding in her sleeve.

The man didn't retract his hand, continuing to speak to himself: "Insects are strange things; some only lay eggs when they're on the verge of death. Take it, you need it."

For some reason, Fang Hui accepted the candy as if possessed.

"That's right, good boy, hurry back before she wakes up."

Fang Hui looked in Shi Ying's direction and found that she had fallen asleep on the sofa at some point.

When I turned around again, that person was gone.

[Disappeared? Chronologically, this was during a world war; there were no ghosts or monsters yet, and no ghost tamers. How did this guy manage to vanish into thin air?]