From Old Man Meng's lips, I finally learned the answer I had been seeking.
Everything began with Zhang Yucheng's son, Zhang Yunliang.
Zhang Yucheng was a wealthy businessman in Yanbei City, always busy with work and neglecting his only son. Not only did he fail to discipline him, but he also spoiled him immensely.
As a result, Zhang Yunliang grew up arrogant and unruly. After graduating high school, he idled around, spending his father's money recklessly on parties and indulgence. He became one of the city's most infamous playboys.
Old Man Meng had apprenticed in carpentry from a young age, following his master and practicing the secret techniques of Luban—an ancient craft rooted in mysticism—and eventually joined the Luban Sect.
However, those who study Luban's mystical arts are said to be cursed with the "Five Evils and Three Deficiencies" throughout their lives.
Meng's particular fate was the curse of "solitude," meaning he was destined to grow old alone, without companionship or support.
When he began studying the second volume of the Book of Luban, his master had warned him: anyone who practices the mystical arts in the second volume invites misfortune—especially the curse of solitude. It was an ancient rule passed down from the sect's founder, and disciples were advised to remain unmarried to avoid bringing harm to others.
But not all carpenters face such a fate.
The Book of Luban is divided into two volumes. Those who study only the first are merely craftsmen—artisans earning a living through skill, without any supernatural consequences.
At the time, Old Man Meng was a bright and quick learner. His master cherished him deeply and had no intention of passing on the cursed second volume.
However, Meng discovered its existence and pressed his master about it. Eventually, his master relented and warned him solemnly of its dangers.
But in his youthful arrogance, Meng dismissed the curse. He was obsessed with mastering the craft and demanded to learn the second volume.
Seeing his determination, the master reluctantly agreed, though he made Meng fully aware of the risks.
Meng, blinded by his passion for the art, brushed off the warning.
He never imagined that the curse of "solitude" would truly take hold in his life.
After his master passed away, Meng paid even less attention to the warning.
In his late twenties, while working a carpentry job at a client's house, he impressed the family with his skill. The client's daughter fell in love with him.
At the time, carpentry was a respected and lucrative trade. Furniture factories weren't widespread yet, so people from nearby villages would hire skilled craftsmen.
It was a well-paid, relaxed profession—envied by many.
Before long, Meng married the girl, and soon after, they had a healthy baby boy.
This only strengthened Meng's disbelief in the so-called curse. He was living a happy, fulfilled life.
But everything changed when his son grew up, married, and had children of his own.
The curse began to manifest.
First, Meng's daughter-in-law died of illness. Not long after, both his son and daughter-in-law died in a tragic accident, leaving behind only a granddaughter, not yet three years old.
Old Man Meng raised her on his own, dedicating his life to caring for her.
By then, he truly believed in the curse of the second volume of the Book of Luban. He lived in constant fear that something terrible would happen to his granddaughter.
But as she graduated high school and left to work in Yanbei City, with nothing bad happening, Meng slowly let his guard down.
He never expected that disaster would still strike.
His granddaughter, Meng Xiaolan, was beautiful, kind, and hardworking—well-liked by all.
Unfortunately, while working in Yanbei City, she encountered Zhang Yunliang.
Tall, handsome, and a seasoned flirt, Zhang Yunliang quickly swept Xiaolan off her feet. She fell deeply in love, and soon after, became pregnant with his child.
But then Zhang Yunliang suddenly disappeared.
Xiaolan was frantic. She searched for him desperately, but he had vanished without a trace. Terrified and heartbroken, she didn't dare tell her grandfather, afraid of causing him more worry.
A pure and innocent soul, Xiaolan eventually lost all hope. In a moment of despair, she jumped from the rooftop, ending her young life—and her unborn child's.
When Old Man Meng received the news, he was devastated. He went to the place where she had jumped.
The scene was horrific—her skull crushed, blood everywhere. A piece of her skull had even flown off somewhere and couldn't be found.
Old Man Meng fainted on the spot.
Xiaolan had been his only remaining family. Now she was gone too.
Determined to learn the truth, he questioned her coworkers. Only then did he discover the real cause of her death.
From that moment, Old Man Meng had only one obsession: vengeance for his granddaughter.
He had studied the second volume of the Book of Luban all his life but had never used its mystical arts—until now.
Now, he planned to unleash everything he had learned to destroy the Zhang family.
Through meticulous investigation, Meng discovered something important.
He returned to the flowerbed where Xiaolan had jumped and found the missing piece of her skull.
Using forbidden rituals from the Book of Luban, he summoned her restless spirit and bound it to Zhang Yunliang.
But he didn't want Zhang to die easily.
Instead, he placed a curse on him—one that made him relive Xiaolan's death every night.
Each time Zhang closed his eyes, he would be plunged into a nightmare of falling from a rooftop, his skull shattering upon impact, experiencing Xiaolan's terror and agony.
And that wasn't all.
Old Man Meng also located the Zhang family's ancestral tomb and used dark Luban rituals to destroy the feng shui and drain their ancestral luck.
He hated every single member of the Zhang family.
And he vowed that they would all pay dearly for Xiaolan's death—until their bloodline ended in ruin.