In the evening, the dim, slightly hazy sunlight streamed through the window into the study, illuminating the young man's rugged and handsome face.
It should have been a peaceful scene, but upon closer inspection, one would find the young man's temples covered in sweat, holding an Ancient rhyme scroll in his hand, frozen in place.
"The masterpiece '"spring river duck play picture"', passed down from the great painter Liu Beihong five hundred years ago, is priceless. This is the antique that Lord Sima Nong has treasured the most for many years. What am I going to do now!"
Just now, Lin Shan, a Disciple of the Lin Family's outer courtyard, was assigned to clean Lord Sima Nong's study for the first time.
While carefully holding the '"spring river duck play picture"' and dusting it, a transparent interface suddenly appeared in his eyes.
The background was a mysterious disk, divided into eight areas: Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, and Kun, engraved with various pictographic symbols, as well as mountains, birds, fish, and insects. In the center was a prompt:
[ "spring river duck play picture" ]
Ancient rhyme: 5 points
Absorb?
...
Lin Shan was so excited when he realized what was happening. After transmigrating for 10 years, his Golden Finger had finally arrived!
One must know that in his previous life, he was just a corporate slave, joining a 996 company after graduation, adding bricks and tiles to his boss's dreams.
One night, while sleeping soundly, his boss suddenly called, demanding he go to the company in the middle of the night to revise a proposal. He had no choice but to go out into the stormy night, and just as he left, a bolt of lightning spanning the sky struck directly down.
When he woke up, he found himself transmigrated to another world, possessing the body of a 6-year-old boy named Lin Shan.
This world was similar to ancient feudal times. The original owner was born into the Lin Family in Clear River County of the Great Song Dynasty, a humble branch Family member. His parents died young, leaving him alone to be fostered by the Family in the Lin Family's outer courtyard.
As everyone knows, after transmigrating, having no parents, no sister, and no house is the standard setup for a transmigrator's rise! At the time, Lin Shan was excited for a long time, finally ending 996 and about to start a life of blessings!
However, 10 years passed in a flash. He had no powerful cultivation talent, no sacred body or double pupils, let alone any old master. He could only barely Cultivate and live in the Family's outer courtyard, and usually had to do odd jobs as required.
With his 16th birthday and adulthood approaching, he hadn't even cultivated True Qi. According to Family rules, he would have to leave the Lin Family and make his own living. By then, as a mere Mortal who had left the Family, with nothing and no skills, he would likely end up on the streets, wasting his life away.
But who would have thought that today his luck would suddenly change!
Lin Shan excitedly examined the transparent interface before him, and at the "Yes/No Absorb Ancient rhyme" option, he solemnly chose "Yes".
Then,
there was no 'then'.
Lin Shan, who had been waiting for a long time, was bewildered, but when he came back to his senses, he suddenly found that the '"spring river duck play picture"' in his hand seemed to have become light, as if something important had been drawn out of it.
The place where his fingers held it was even slightly indented, cracks covered the edges of the scroll, and fine dust puffed and fell.
Finally, after carefully holding it stiffly for a while, this precious famous painting shattered into a pile of dust on the ground.
Lin Shan instantly broke out in a cold sweat. Lord Sima Nong was a fanatic for antique calligraphy and paintings, especially fond of the '"spring river duck play picture"'. Everyone in the Lin Family knew this. According to rumors, he would play with it for a while every night before reluctantly going to sleep.
Now this was a disaster. He was an outer branch member, with no Family support and no connections, a poor kid. If the Family found out, the lightest punishment would be expulsion from the Family, and the heaviest would be being beaten into a cripple!
What should he do now?
In his desperation, Lin Shan racked his brains but couldn't think of any useful solution. He could only clean up the traces at the scene and quietly slipped out of the study first.
He could only hope that no one would discover it for the time being.
Lin Shan was worried sick on his way back to his residence, while also pondering about his Golden Finger and what exactly the 'Ancient rhyme' could do.
After dinner, in the Family's outer courtyard square, hundreds of clansmen were gathered in a dense crowd, each not daring to breathe too heavily, subtly emitting a heavy atmosphere.
Lin Shan stood in the crowd with a sense of unease, a bad feeling premonition forming in his heart.
"We just received news that the '"spring river duck play picture"' in Lord Sima Nong's study has disappeared without a trace. Does anyone among you know the inside story?"
The speaker was an old man, Lin Executive, who managed the Family's outer courtyard. He had already finished work for the evening and was planning to go to the pleasure quarters to listen to music and watch a play, but was dragged here to find someone.
He heard from above that Lord Sima Nong's treasure, the '"spring river duck play picture"', had disappeared. He was playing with it last night, and it mysteriously vanished tonight. Lord Sima Nong was naturally furious.
It is said that when the study is burglarized, the first step is to investigate within the Family, which led to the scene just now.
The square was terrifyingly quiet. A storm seemed to be slowly brewing. Everyone was shocked in their hearts. Someone actually dared to steal Lord Sima Nong's treasure?
Lin Shan's back was covered in sweat, and his heart felt a faint chill. He didn't expect the Family's reaction to be so fast!
He had just accidentally destroyed the ancient painting in the evening, and it was discovered within two hours, and the investigation started immediately.
Fortunately, the ancient painting had turned into flying dust, and he had also cleaned up the traces. No matter what they did, they wouldn't be able to find this item. When there was no evidence, it might very likely end without resolution.
But his hope of getting away with it was shattered next.
"Alright, I'll change the question. From early morning to evening today, who entered Lord Sima Nong's study?"
Lin Executive's gaze swept back and forth over everyone like a hawk, as if trying to see through their hearts. The imposing Aura of a superior, cultivated over many years of acting authoritatively in the Family, was displayed to the fullest at this moment.
...
"This morning, I went to the study to prune flowers and water them."
"This afternoon, I went to the study to add paper and grind ink."
A man and a woman stepped forward. The man was called Lin Fan, and the woman was called Lin Shu. They were the same age as Lin Shan, both orphans raised in the outer courtyard since childhood.
"This evening, I went to the study to sweep away dust."
Lin Shan bit the bullet and stepped forward as well, feeling extremely panicked. After all, this task for today was arranged by the Steward last night, and denying it would also be found out.
Lin Executive gathered evidence from multiple sources, questioned several Stewards, and confirmed that only these three had entered the study today. He called them forward one by one.
"When you went in, did you find the painting still there?"
The three repeatedly waved their hands, all saying they didn't know, claiming they were focused on their work and didn't pay attention to anything else.
Lin Executive's gloomy old face gradually sank, but he was still speaking coaxingly.
"I don't need to say how precious this antique is, and you cannot afford it. Confess now, and you will be treated leniently, otherwise, if it's found out later..."
Lin Shan and the other two were as silent as cicadas in winter, no one dared to answer.
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. Countless eyes gathered behind them, like thorns on their backs.
"Search all three of them, their entire bodies and their living quarters! Don't miss a single corner!"
About two quarters of an hour later, the three were searched inside and out. In the courtyard, three piles of items searched from their homes were piled up.
Lin Shan had the fewest items: an ordinary iron sword, bedding, etc.
Lin Shu was a girl, so she had more clothes and toiletries.
It was different when it came to Lin Fan. Besides daily necessities, a box of silver notes was actually found, and even a large pile of elixirs, weapons, Secret Manuals, and so on.
All the clansmen in the courtyard looked surprised. Most of them had never seen so much money in their lives.
A wealthy magnate slumming it to experience life?
Lin Shan was also startled. Wasn't this kid an orphan like him? He hid himself so well?
Lin Executive also found it incredible. His entire life's savings amounted to only a few hundred taels, probably not even a fraction of Lin Fan's!
...
"Lin Fan, tell us, where did you get these things?" Lin Executive asked.
Lin Fan was still completely bewildered at this moment. He had been hiding himself well in the Family. How did he get inexplicably involved in this messy business of Lord Sima Nong's study being burglarized!
He could only cup his fist.
"Reporting to Steward, this is my personal savings, it has nothing to do with the theft of the '"spring river duck play picture"', right?"
Lin Executive looked suspicious, "Your personal savings? You're just doing odd jobs all day, and your monthly allowance from the Family is only one guan. Where did you get so much?"
Lin Fan was speechless for a moment, stammering and unable to speak for a long time.
At this point, some people in the courtyard were already suspicious and began to make their own assumptions and connections.
A Steward behind Lin Executive was the first to make a hypothesis: "The money found in his home, could it be from exchanging the '"spring river duck play picture"' in the black market or a pawnshop?"
Whispers increased among the crowd in the square. Most people thought it was highly possible. After all, the '"spring river duck play picture"' was a famous work passed down for five hundred years. If they met the right buyer, it could be worth thousands or even tens of thousands of taels.
Furthermore, the painting wasn't found after the search, and the other two among the three looked poor. Lin Fan's box of silver notes naturally made him the biggest suspect.
Lin Executive also nodded repeatedly: "That's right. Lin Fan was the first to enter the study this morning, he certainly had the most time to deal with this painting."
Public opinion instantly pointed the finger at Lin Fan.
...
Meanwhile, Lin Shan, the one who caused all this, stood aside, feeling a bit bewildered at this moment.
Is this... a rhythm of someone taking the blame for him?
Others didn't know, but he remembered activating his Golden Finger and absorbing something called 'Ancient rhyme' from the painting. He didn't know what the 'Ancient rhyme' could do, but after absorbing it, the famous painting turned into ash.
However, the great disaster he caused was coincidentally being shouldered by someone else. Lin Shan's tense nerves slightly relaxed, but he felt a bit uneasy in his conscience, unsure how to handle himself for a moment.
But at this moment, the atmosphere in the square had already started to ferment. Everyone was speculating about the source of Lin Fan's silver notes. Lin Fan knew that if he didn't explain clearly, he would likely be taking the blame immediately!
He saw him slowly stroke his chin, let out a long sigh, and then muttered to himself, "In the end, it can't be hidden anymore..."
"Then... let's stop pretending."
Everyone's breath suddenly hitched. In an instant, they seemed to notice Lin Fan straightening his back, revealing sharp edges. His brows were like keen sword tips, and his eyes sparkled with confident light!
With his hands clasped behind his back, the air within a small area around him stirred on its own, and the robes behind him rustled!
Then, the corner of his mouth slightly twitched, a trace of bitter smile, six parts helplessness, and perhaps one part... wickedness?
They only heard him speak slowly with a clear and bright voice.
"When I was fourteen, I accidentally wandered into the deep mountains, fell off a cliff, and happened to get caught on a pine tree in the mountain stream. After miraculously surviving, I entered a cave in the cliff, which turned out to be the Legacy left behind by a peerless master..."