The Gilded koi's Curse
Every single morning at dawn, I head straight to the koi pond to change the water and feed that red-and-gold koi. It's a ritual I never skip.
Jane, the Johnson family's longtime housekeeper, always sighs as she passes the pond, "Mr. Lincoln, you care for that fish more than you do for yourself."
I wiped the moss from the pond's edge without looking up. "It appreciates a kindness more than most people do."
And that's no lie. The Johnson family has ridden a wave of fortune these past three years, all because of this koithe sacred token of the Water Deity Priestand it only keeps its spiritual nature because I nourish it daily with my own energy.
I had just finished feeding the fish when I heard the sharp click of high heels at the gate.
Chloe Johnson linked arms with a man as they walked in. The man wore designer clothesher secret lover John Bailey, whom she'd been hiding for six months.
"Chester, what are you just standing there for?" Chloe called from a distance, her voice full of disdain that pricked like needles.
John strode over and kicked the water bucket I'd left by the pond, spilling water all over the ground.
"I heard you guard this fish every day? Chloe says she wants to gild it. I think it's a good ideaonce gilded and placed in the living room, it'd really boost our status."
My hand paused: "The koi is a living creature; gilding it will destroy its spiritual nature."
Chloe sneered, brushing her hair back: "Spiritual nature? How much is that really worth? John said gilding would cost fifty thousand dollars, and I already agreed. Since when do you, an live-in son-in-law husband, have a say?"
John pulled several bills from his wallet and tossed them into the water in front of me: "Here, a reward for your hard work fishing. Don't linger around here any longer."
The bills floated on the water, slowly soaking and softening.
I didn't pick up the money or even look at them. I just bent down close to the water and whispered in a voice only the koi could hear: "Time to feast. From now on, you don't have to guard them anymore."
A subtle ripple suddenly spread across the water's surface, and the koi's tail fin gently flicked, as if responding to me.
Chloe saw I wasn't moving and shoved me: "Are you deaf? Hurry up and scoop it out!"
I straightened up and stared at her and John: "The Johnson family's luck ended the moment you decided to gild the koi."
John thought I was talking nonsense and raised his hand to strike me: "You brat, how dare you curse the Johnson family?"
Chloe blocked him, a mocking smile playing at the corner of her mouth: "Don't waste time on him. Let the bodyguard scoop it out. We'll wait upstairs."
As they turned to leave, I glanced back at the koi Pond. The koi had sunk to the bottom, showing only a patch of red scaleslike a fire gathering strength, ready to explode.
I knew right then that the Johnson family's curse had begun.
When Chloe came down the stairs, she clenched a divorce agreement in her hand, followed by two black-clad bodyguards.
"Chester, sign this." She tossed the agreement onto the stone table before me. "Here's fifty thousand dollars in cashenough for you to find another wife. Sign it and get out."
I picked up the agreement and glanced over the clausesevery single one was against me; it didn't even mention the salary I earned at the Johnson family over the past three years.
"This agreement is unfair." I said.
Chloe immediately snapped, "Unfair? You eat at the Johnsons', live at the Johnsons', and now you dare talk about fairness while we're kicking you out? If you weren't still somewhat useful, I wouldn't even give you this fifty thousand!"
John stood up from the sofa, walked over to me, and patted my shoulder. "Bro, be sensible. Chloe's already with me. It's pointless for you to keep fighting."
I ignored him and just stared at Chloe: "The koi cannot be sent out to be gilded."
"You still dare to bring up the koi?" Chloe reached out, snatched the cash off the table, and slammed it in my face. "Here's the money. Will you sign the agreement or not? If you won't, I'll have the bodyguards sign it for you!"
John laughed out loud and patted the shoulders of the two bodyguards beside him. "You see? He doesn't know his place. Help him remember once and for all who's the master of the Johnson family."
The two bodyguards immediately grabbed my arms, with a grip strong enough to crush my bones.
"What do you wanna do?" I struggled a little.
Chloe leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Press his head into the filtered water tank. Let him get a good whiff of that stench, so he won't be running his mouth everywhere."
The bodyguard dragged me toward the filtered water tank, filled with filthy water drained from the koi pondgreen algae and fish waste floating in it. The sharp stench stabbed straight into my nostrils.
"Stop!" I shouted, but the bodyguard held me down tight.
The next second, my head was shoved into the tank. The filthy water burned my throat and stung my eyesthey couldn't stay open.
I could hear Chloe and John laughing, and the bodyguard's cold snort.
It took them over ten seconds to pull me up.
I wiped the dirty water off my face, my hair dripping wet, looking completely disheveled.
John walked over. "Now you know the rules. Will you sign or not?"
I looked at him, then at Chloe, gritting my teeth and swore in my heart: today's humiliation will be repaid a hundredfold!
I grabbed the pen on the table and signed my name on the divorce agreement.
The moment the pen hit the paper, I clearly heard a faint splash from the koi pond behind melike the koi had jumped out of the water and then fallen back in.
Chloe glanced at the agreement and smiled with satisfaction. "Was that so hard??Now, throw his shit outdon't let him set foot in the Johnson family home again."
After signing the agreement, Chloe's father, Henry Johnson, came out of the study. He was leaning on a cane, his face pale and worn.
"Chester, come with me for a moment." He said.
I followed him into the study. Henry sat on the sofa and sighed, "I've looked over the agreement. Five hundred thousand is too little. I'll add another two hundred thousand for you, but you..."
"I don't want the money." I cut him off, "I just want to see the koi one last time."
Henry hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, the koi's already packed in the van by the door. Go take a look, but once you do, you have to leave."
I walked to the door and saw a van parked by the roadside. In the back seat was a custom aquarium, and the koi was inside, its tail drooping, drained of its usual energy.
I opened the van door, crouched down, and ran my hand over the koi's back one last time.
Its scales gleamed brighter than usual, and its tail fin lightly swept my palm, as if checking whether I was really going to walk away.
"I know you're awake." I whispered, voice low so only we could hear, "You don't have to protect the Johnson family anymore. They're not worth it."
The koi flicked its tail, splashing a few drops of water onto the back of my hand.
Chloe's driver honked impatiently, "Hurry up, we're going to the gilding factory. Don't waste time."
I covered the fish tank and handed it to the driver. "Be careful on the roadit's very weak right now."
The driver snorted, "It's just a fish, weak? You're really out of your mind."
I said nothing else and turned away.
Henry stood at the door, looking at me: "Chester, from now on... take good care of yourself."
I didn't turn back, nor did I respond.
The Johnson family is done with mecompletely cut all ties, no more connections.
After walking out of the Johnson family's gate, I hadn't taken more than a few steps along the roadside when a black supercar pulled up right in front of me.
The car window rolled down, and an old man in a suit poked his head out. His hair was graying, but his spirit was sharp and clearhe was Jonas, the steward of the Water Deity Priest family.
"Mr. Lincoln, you've finally returned." Jonas's voice trembled with excitement. He opened the car door, got out, and bowed deeply to me. "I'm Jonas. I even held you when you were a child."
I looked at him, the blurry figure in my memory slowly coming into focus: "Jonas, how did you know I was here?"
"The family's been looking for you," Jonas said as he opened the car door for me. "Back then, when you got injured and passed out saving Henry, after Henry took you away, we kept investigating. It wasn't until three months ago that we finally traced you to the Johnson family."
I got into the car. On the back seat lay a set of black brocade robes, embroidered with golden water patternsthe ceremonial attire of the Water Deity Priest Clan's younger master.
"These robes are prepared for you," Jonas said. "Once you put them on, you'll become the younger master n of the Water Deity Priest Clan."
I took off my old clothes and put on the brocade robe. It fit perfectly, like it was made just for me.
The moment I put it on, my aura changed. I was no longer the meek gardener, but the younger master of the Water Deity Priest Clan, carrying the majesty of water.
"Jonas," I leaned back in my chair, eyes closed, and said, "Terminate all aquatic prosperity flowing to the Johnson family: the factories, warehouses, aquatic markets. Include Henry Johnson's private accounts. Begin the liquidation. "
Jonas nodded, took out his phone, and made a call: "Send the order: cut off all the Johnson family's aquatic prosperity. Follow the younger master's command."
After hanging up, he told me, "Mr. Lincoln, everything has been arranged. The Johnson family will face the reckoning in less than three days."
The car glided smoothly, the scenery outside the window rolling backward.
"How's the family doing now?" I asked.
"Everything in the clan is fine," Jonas said, "but the Third Elder and the others have some reservations about your return. They think you've been away too long and aren't fit to be the master."
I opened my eyes, my gaze turning cold: "Once I've dealt with the Johnson family's matters, I'll return to settle things with the clan."
Jonas nodded. "Yes, Mr. Lincoln. We will always follow your orders."
The car pulled into a lavish villathe Water Deity Priest Family's stronghold in the city center.
"Mr. Lincoln, you should rest first. If anything comes up, I'll report to you immediately." Jonas said.
I nodded and walked into the villa.
I knew my time had come.
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