Chapter 1: A Theft Triggered by a Golden Finger
riginal owner was born into the Lin family of Qinghe County, Daliao Dynasty, as a collateral descendant. He lost both parents since childhood and was left alone in the outer courtyard of the Lin fami...In the evening, the dim, mellow sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the boy's handsome and resolute face.
It should have been a peaceful scene, but upon closer inspection, one could see that the young man's temples were covered in sweat and he held a delicately aged scroll tightly in his hand, not daring to move.
Five hundred years ago, Master Liu Beihong's masterpiece "Spring River Playing with Lovers" is priceless. This is the family heirloom that the head of the household has cherished for many years. Now what should we do
Just now, Lin Shan, an outer courtyard disciple of the Lin family, was assigned to clean the master's study for the first time.
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As she carefully dusted the Spring River Flows into the Sea painting, a transparent image suddenly appeared in her eyes.
The background is a mysterious disk, distributed with eight areas: Qian, Kun, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, and Dui. Various hieroglyphs and images of mountains, birds, fish, and insects are engraved on it. In the center is a string of clues:
Spring River Picturing a Couple Ducks Ancient Rhyme: 5 PM Is it absorbed
At that moment, Lin Shan's excitement was overwhelming. After ten years of traveling through time, his golden finger had finally arrived!
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You know, in his past life, he was just a wage slave. After graduating, he entered a 996 company and contributed bricks and tiles to the boss's dream.
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That night, as he was sound asleep, his boss suddenly called, asking him to go to the company in the middle of the night to revise the plan. He had no choice but to brave the stormy night and head out. As soon as he stepped out, a bolt of lightning that spanned the horizon struck...
After waking up, I found myself transported to another world. I had transmigrated into the body of a six-year-old boy named Lin Shan.
This world is similar to the feudal period of ancient times. The original owner was born into the Lin family of Qinghe County, Daliao Dynasty, as a collateral descendant. He lost both parents since childhood and was left alone in the outer courtyard of the Lin family, raised by his relatives.
As is well known, after crossing over, parents dying, no sisters or houses are the standard configuration for a traverser's revenge! At that time, Lin Shan was excited for a long time, finally ending 996 and starting a life of blessing!
As a result, ten years passed in a blink of an eye. Without powerful cultivation talent, no saintly physique, let alone an old master. He could only struggle to cultivate in the outer courtyard of the family, and usually had to do chores as usual.
Seeing that his sixteenth birthday, the age of adulthood, was approaching, he still hadn't cultivated any true qi. According to family rules, he would have to leave the Lin family and fend for himself. Once he left the family as an ordinary person with no money or skills, he would probably end up struggling on the streets for the rest of his life.
But who would have thought, good fortune suddenly arrived today!
Lin Shan excitedly eyed the transparent panel before him. Under "Absorb Ancient Rhymes" he solemnly chose "Yes".
Then...
And that's it.
...
After waiting for half a day, Lin Shan couldn't figure out what was going on. But when he came to his senses, he suddenly found that the Spring River Pictorial in his hand seemed to have become light and airy, as if something important had been taken away from it.
And where his fingers gripped, there were even faint indentations; the scroll's edges were cracked and dusty ash puffed down.
Finally, after a tense standoff, the precious painting was reduced to dust scattered on the floor.
Lin Shan instantly broke out in a cold sweat. The head of the family was an ardent collector of antique calligraphy and paintings, particularly fond of the work "Spring River Flows with Ducks." The entire Lin family knew this well. It was rumored that he had to play with it every evening before going to sleep.
Now he's in a real predicament. As an outcast of the outer branch, he has no support from his family and no connections to help him. If he were found out by the family, at best he would be expelled, at worst crippled!
What should we do now
Lin Shan, in a desperate situation, racked his brains but couldn't come up with any useful solutions. He could only clean up the traces at the scene and quietly slipped out of the study.
I can only hope that no one has found out yet.
On his way back home, Lin Shan was troubled and kept thinking about where the golden finger had gone. What could "Gu Yun" possibly do
......
After dinner, in the courtyard of the family's outer mansion, hundreds of family members huddled around a large pile. They all held their breath and an oppressive atmosphere hung in the air.
Lin Shan stood among the crowd, feeling a knot of unease in his stomach. A sense of foreboding washed over him.
“I just received news that the Spring River Flows into the Sea painting from the master’s study is missing. Does anyone here know anything about it”
The speaker was an elderly man, Lin, the steward who managed the outer courtyard of the family. He had originally finished work for the night and planned to go to the pleasure quarter to listen to some music and watch a play, but he ended up being pulled away to find someone.
I heard that the master's prized painting, "Chunjiang Playing with His Beloved," has disappeared. It was still being admired last night, but tonight it vanished mysteriously. The master is naturally furious.
It is said that when a thief enters a study, the first thing to do is check within the family. That's why we just saw what happened.
The square was eerily silent, a storm seemed to be brewing slowly, everyone was shocked in their hearts, someone dared to steal the chieftain's treasure
Lin Shan was even more drenched in cold sweat, a chill running down his spine. He hadn't expected the clan's reaction to be so swift!
That afternoon, I had accidentally ruined an ancient painting. It wasn't even two hours before it was discovered, and the investigation began immediately.
The good thing is that the ancient painting has turned to ashes, and I have also cleaned up the traces. No matter how hard they try, they will never find it. By then, with no evidence, it might very well be dropped.
But then his luck ran out.
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"Okay, let me ask a different question. Who went into the master's study between midnight and evening today"
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Master Lin swept his gaze across everyone, his eyes cold and sharp as if he could see through their very souls. The aura of dominance cultivated over years of wielding power within the clan was fully on display at this moment.
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This morning I went to the study room to trim the flowers and water them...
"This afternoon I went to the study to add paper and grind it..."
A man and a woman stepped forward. The man's name was Lin Fan, and the woman's name was Lin Shu. They were about the same age as Lin Shan and were orphans who had been raised from childhood at the Outer Courtyard.
This evening I went to the study to sweep away the dust...
Lin Shan gritted his teeth and stepped forward, his heart pounding like a drum. After all, the task at hand was arranged by the supervisor last night, and he couldn't shirk responsibility even if he tried.
Lin, the steward, inquired with several officials and found out that only three people had entered the study today. He then called them forward one by one.
"When you went in, did you see if the painting was still there"
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Three people waved their hands in unison, all saying they didn't know anything. They claimed to be focused on their work and hadn't noticed anything else.
Master Lin's face, already a grim one, darkened further. Yet, his voice remained soft and persuasive.
The value of this antique needs no further explanation from me. You can't afford it, so come clean now. Otherwise, when we find out later...
Lin Shan and the three others were silent as if struck by a chill, no one dared to answer.
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment, and countless eyes from behind gathered like daggers to my back.
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“Search them thoroughly, all three of them, inside and out, including their residences. Don't miss a single corner!”
......
After about two hours, the three men were thoroughly searched, inside and out. In the courtyard, there were three piles of things taken from their homes.
Lin Shan had the fewest possessions, just an ordinary iron sword, and bedding like sheets and blankets.
Lin Shu is a girl, with a few extra clothes and toiletries.
Things were different when they got to Lin Fan. Besides everyday necessities, they even found a box of silver notes, and a whole bunch of pills, weapons, and secret manuals.
All the clansmen in the courtyard were astonished. Most of them had never seen so much money in their lives.
A billionaire slumming it to experience life on the streets
Lin Shan was also taken aback. Wasn't this kid an orphan like me Hiding so deep
Master Lin was also incredibly surprised. He had saved up his entire life, and all he had was a few hundred taels of silver. It was probably not even a fraction of what Lin Fan had!
"Lin Fan, tell us, how did you get all these things" Lin Shi asked.
At this time, Lin Fan was still dumbfounded. He had been fine in the family's hidden place. How did he suddenly get involved in the incident of the clan head's study being robbed!
With no other choice, he clasped his fists.
“Sir, this is my personal belongings. It has nothing to do with the stolen Spring River Picture of a Couple at the recent outing, right”
Liu, the steward, looked at him with suspicion. "Your personal savings You've been running errands all day long. Your monthly allowance from the clan is only one copper coin. Where did you get so much"
Lin Fan was speechless for a moment, stammering and unable to say anything.
At this time, some people in the courtyard had begun to suspect something and started making up their own connections.
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Behind Liu the steward, another manager was the first to speculate: "Could these coins found in his house be from selling the Spring River Picture of Tuin to the black market or pawnshop"
Whispers filled the crowd, with most people agreeing that it was highly probable. After all, the Spring River Flows into Pictorial Scrolls was a masterpiece passed down for five hundred years. If a buyer who matched perfectly came along, they might be willing to pay thousands or even tens of thousands of gold coins.
Furthermore, they searched everywhere but couldn't find it. The other two looked rather destitute compared to Lin Fan, who naturally became the prime suspect with that box of silver notes in hand.
Lin Zhishi also nodded repeatedly: "That's right, Lin Fan was the first to enter the study in the morning and certainly had the most time to deal with this painting."
Public opinion immediately turned against Lin Fan.
And the culprit, Lin Shan, stood on the side, at this time a little at a loss.
Is this the rhythm of someone taking the blame for me
Others may not know, but he clearly remembered activating his cheat code. He absorbed something called "Gu Yun" from the painting, and had no idea what it was used for. After absorbing it, the famous painting turned to ashes.
Though the trouble he had caused was right before his eyes, someone else had taken the blame. Lin Shan's tightly strung nerves loosened slightly, but he felt uneasy in his conscience and didn't know how to deal with himself for a moment.
But at this time, the atmosphere on the field had already begun to ferment. Everyone speculated about the origin of Lin Fan's silver tickets. Lin Fan knew that if he didn't explain clearly, he might be blamed immediately!
He slowly touched his chin, let out a long sigh, and then muttered to himself, "I can't hide it anymore..."
Then...let's not pretend anymore.
All eyes turned still, and for a moment, it seemed as if they had discovered that Lin Fan had straightened his back, revealing sharp edges. His brow resembled a sharp sword blade, and the corners of his eyes glittered with confidence!
With hands clasped behind his back, within a space no bigger than a square foot, a wind blew automatically, and the robes behind him rustled like hunting garments!
Then, his lips twitched slightly, a wry smile mixed with helplessness, as if there was also a hint of... mischief
Only hearing him murmur with a clear and bright voice.
>
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"When I was fourteen, I stumbled into the deep mountains and fell off a cliff, luckily hanging onto the green pines by the ravine. After surviving this great danger, I entered a cave in the cliff, which turned out to be the legacy left by a peerless master..."
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Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!r manager was the first to speculate: "Could these coins found in his house be from selling the Spring River Picture of Tuin to the black market or pawnshop"Whispers filled the crowd, with most people...