👉 Previous Decision: You chose Option A – Bring Master Ba directly to Uncle Duc and the elder council to resolve the betrayal within the family.
The atmosphere in the family hall was thick with anticipation. Liem stood with Anh and Master Ba before the gathered elders, including Uncle Duc. The council members shifted uncomfortably, their eyes wide with concern.
“Uncle Duc, honored council,” Liem began, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands. “We have uncovered the true nature of Kevin’s intentions. And the Camry.”
Anh presented the signed affidavit from Master Ba. Master Ba, his voice quavering, recounted the story: the $35,000 gambling debt, Kevin’s offer, the stolen spirit-talisman coil from Liem’s father’s workshop, and the instructions to install it to “shatter the mind with fear.” He even produced the extra spiritual talisman wiring schematics Kevin had given him.
The elders listened in stunned silence. Uncle Duc’s face, usually so impassive, contorted with a mixture of shock and profound disappointment. He examined the receipts, his gaze lingering on the diagrams of the spiritual coil.
“This is an abomination,” Uncle Duc finally declared, his voice a low growl that filled the room. “To use ancestral beliefs, to weaponize the sacred against one’s own father for mere lucre… this is a dishonor beyond measure.”
He picked up Kevin’s guardianship petition, which had been tabled days ago, and tore it in half. “Kevin Nguyen’s petition is revoked. He is hereby stripped of all family trust access, his actions a stain upon our name.”
Just then, the double doors of the hall burst open. Kevin stood framed in the doorway, his face pale, his eyes wide with a desperate fury. He must have been alerted by someone. He scanned the room, his gaze landing on Master Ba, then the torn petition.
“No!” Kevin roared, his voice cracking. “You can’t do this! This is a lie!”
He charged into the room, his eyes wild. He spotted the Camry keys, which Liem had placed on a small side table, intending to give them to Uncle Duc as evidence. Kevin snatched them, his hand closing around the metal.
He pointed a trembling finger at Liem. “You think you’re so clever, Father? Proving my ‘madness’?” He laughed, a high, desperate sound. “I’ll show all of you who the madman truly is!” He spun on his heel. “Follow me! All of you! I’ll show you what Father’s ‘ghost road’ really is!”
He stormed out, the keys jingling in his hand. Liem, Anh, and the elders stared after him, stunned, as his footsteps echoed down the hall.
➡️ Read CHAPTER 14 to continue the story
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