Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Dao Thieves (3)
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From the moment the sect leader's alcohol touched him, red energy emanated from my maternal grandfather's body, pointing toward the locations of the curse artifacts that formed its foundation.
'If the Huang Family has the Imperial Palace, then the Yi Family has this manor.'
The problem, as Yi Yun-young had pointed out, was that the Yi Family Manor was so vast that the endpoints of the red energies were blocked by various walls and rooms, impossible to see at a glance.
'Each one is as big as the Pearl Eon Family's main estate, with no fewer than six grand courtyards attached, twenty pavilions with artificial ponds or gardens, and over three hundred ordinary rooms.'
On top of that, with the young manor lord Yi Jung-young's sharp vigilance, we had no choice but to sneak around at night searching for the artifacts.
Thanks to Yi Yun-young's suggestion, things seemed much easier now.
"Yes. Then we'll do that. I'll go bring the professor and the others."
"Very well."
With Yi Yun-young offering to show us around the manor, I quickly agreed and entered the Hall of Peaceful People.
There, regardless of age, the group stood at attention, and Professor No Sam opened his mouth with an excited expression.
"How did it go?!"
I gestured for Professor No Sam to calm down.
Then, in a voice lower than usual, I spoke.
"...It seems just as I suspected."
Professor No Sam lowered his voice as well.
"...If it's as you suspected, Eon?"
My fellow students swallowed dryly.
I spoke again.
"My maternal grandfather is hovering between life and death, and those behind it seem connected to the incidents we've faced recently."
Professor No Sam furrowed his brow and spoke.
"The Hall of Peaceful People's leader mentioned you went with this manor's young lord to visit the Shanxi Golden Carp. Does that gentleman seem aware of it?"
No Sam pinpointed the eldest maternal uncle, but...
That question could apply to everyone in the Yi Family Manor.
"To that, I can only say, who knows."
They might truly be unaware that the Demonic Cult was behind the Shanxi Golden Carp's illness.
Or they might have turned a blind eye for their own gain.
In the worst case, they could have even assisted.
"You can't even trust people in the same trade, and among them, merchants are the hardest to read."
"Your sharp tongue spares no one, not even your maternal uncles. So, what should we do?"
"I have a few ideas and ways to resolve this, but they're not fully sorted yet."
To do that, we needed to confirm the artifacts' locations first.
"I'll explain once it's organized. For now, let's head out."
"Head out? Where to?"
"Uncle Yun-young—no, the Hall of Peaceful People's leader—offered to give us a tour of the manor."
At my words...
No Sam tilted his head just as I had when I first heard the offer from Yi Yun-young.
"At a time like this?"
"Yes. It's absolutely necessary."
I insisted firmly, and he nodded.
"Alright. Let's do it."
With Professor No Sam's permission, I immediately prepared my fellow students.
"You all heard? Get ready."
Though I said "get ready,"
Since the clothes we wore were already the academy's formal attire, it didn't take long.
They just smoothed out the wrinkles from sitting in chairs while waiting for me and adjusted their mindset.
"Your faces are too serious. Relax those expressions. Think of it as truly touring a famous landmark."
With preparations done, we left the Hall of Peaceful People.
As soon as we stepped out, Uncle Yun-young pointed to a distant outer wall and spoke.
"The Yi Family Manor's layout is actually modeled after the character for 'Yi' . If you climb the watchtowers at the corners of that outer wall you see there, you can take it all in at a glance. But lately, with the family's atmosphere turning sour and all sorts of cumbersome house rules popping up, guests can't go up anymore. Such a shame."
And so the tour of the Yi Family Manor began.
"Anyway, some mock it as the Yi family's excessive self-love, and while saying that, they subtly build their own estates mimicking their clan name. Truth is, there's a deep meaning behind this manor's design."
"What meaning is that?"
"Was it Jeong Hyeon Dojang?"
"Yes."
"Curious? Five hundred taels."
"...Th-that's too much. Even for us beggars, that's hard to come by even in copper coins."
"Just kidding, just kidding."
Yi Yun-young's wit was so sharp that the cadets, who had awkward smiles when leaving the hall, gradually started genuinely enjoying the tour.
"It's built embodying the saying 'Under the plum tree, don't adjust your hat'"
"Don't fix your hat under a plum tree—don't do things that invite misunderstanding, right?"
"Exactly. When our family first rose, other merchants cheated on scales for profit. But we gave extra, and people started saying the Yi family of Shanxi were the most trustworthy merchants under heaven."
"Ah! So the entire estate forms the character 'Yi'?!"
"The eaves of the buildings become the plum branches, a reminder to always watch words and actions."
"Primordial Heavenly Venerable. Perhaps Brother Eon's Dao spirit stems from his maternal family."
Especially Jeong Hyeon seemed ready to follow even if Yi Yun-young asked for a guarantee, marveling as he toured.
Cheon Jang-ho, in that atmosphere, casually opened his mouth.
"Wow, the dogs raised here must live better than most beggars, right? Isn't that so, Pro— Ack! Ouch!"
He got smacked hard by Professor No Sam.
- Tsk tsk tsk. This young beggar truly courts the rod.
Seeing that, a word came from Master at my waist.
'Do you realize how blessed you are with disciples, Master?'
- ?
'?'
While dealing with Master, amid the relaxed atmosphere, I quietly tugged at Woo So-rung and Zhuge Sulji's sleeves.
"Young Master Yong-un?"
"What's up, Brother Eon?"
I sent a transmission telling them to carefully note the buildings and walls' layout.
Then, I began silently tracking the red energy visible only to me.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Given the immense scale of the Yi Family Manor, the tour lasted quite a while.
We toured halls filled with stories and a treasury displaying treasures open to guests.
When we reached an artificial pond, we dipped our feet or fed the carp.
At lunchtime, we ate spring rolls and knife-cut noodles brought by maids and servants.
We even toured a garden with small animals roaming free.
The long tour ended only as evening fell.
"That's it. Excluding areas restricted to guests, I think we've seen it all."
But the next event followed immediately.
"Let me check the sundial—it's almost past the hour of Shen. Professor No?"
"Speak."
"At the hour of Xu, there's a banquet hosted by the young manor lord. He said he'd invite you and the cadets. I'll guide you to the guest quarters first, so rest and attend then."
The next event was the evening banquet.
The food was lavish enough to break the table, but the mood wasn't cheerful.
For good reason.
Yi Jung-young, leading the banquet, seemed to see us only as props to highlight himself.
"Thank you for accepting my invitation. With so many from far and wide, allow me to introduce lightly. Over there are the Wild Wind Double Legs hero from the Righteous Martial Academy and the academy's dragon phoenixes. Here is the Beggar's Clan Shanxi Branch Leader Deok-geun, who always aligns with the Taiyuan Merchant Group. Ah, Hero Yong is here too. As for Hero Yong, from Xianyang in Shaanxi Province..."
Most attendees, excluding us, showered Yi Jung-young with flattery to catch his eye.
"Young manor lord, get well soon! I've received great favors from Elder Shanxi Golden Carp myself many times over, but it's time he enjoyed his full lifespan!"
Get well, my foot.
"Hahaha. You're the great hero of Gansu. Your words lift my spirits. In that spirit, let's go a round of drinks."
This was only my second time seeing Yi Jung-young, so I couldn't know how vigorous he was when Grandfather was healthy.
'Hard to be more spirited than this.'
Well, it wasn't without gains.
The youngest maternal uncle, who had sat silently with his faction at one side, approached us after the banquet.
"Wild Wind Double Legs hero, your hard work is appreciated. Ever since learning of your youthful days wandering the lands for the jianghu, I've admired you in secret. Happy to meet at last. I am Yi Gwon-young, vice leader of the Taiyuan Merchant Group's purification hall and the young uncle of Yong-un and Yong-myeong here."
"No Sam."
Yi Gwon-young.
Third son below Uncle Yun-young by age,
But strictly applying succession favoring children of the principal wife, openly excluding Yi Yun-young.
'Add the Beggar's Clan Shanxi Branch Leader title.'
The man in the fiercest succession struggle with Yi Jung-young.
And sure enough,
Yi Gwon-young brought it up immediately.
"My brother was rude at the banquet. Father wasn't such a lone ranger when he was healthy; he's changed. Allow me to apologize on his behalf."
Pretending to apologize, Yi Gwon-young undercut Yi Jung-young,
Using phrasing that implied agreement with his claim if accepted.
'Admiring Professor No Sam was a lie from the start.'
We toured all day; if true, he or Yong-myeong would have greeted earlier.
Of course, No Sam was no pushover.
"A beggar's fed; that's enough."
In his own way, No Sam drew embarrassment from Yi Gwon-young's face.
"I-is that so? Hahaha. As expected, so magnanimous."
As Yi Gwon-young's awkward smile appeared, I immediately asked one question.
"There were many strangely dressed wanderers, Taoists, and monks in Taiyuan city. I heard you gathered them, Uncle. Is that true?"
"...I didn't gather fraudulent wanderers."
At Yi Gwon-young's unwitting slip, No Sam crossed his arms.
"You did call some, though?"
A beggar's mouth in this world spreads like potent social media; mishandle the explanation, and it's exhausting.
To recover, Yi Gwon-young began explaining from the beginning.
"When your grandfather—Father—first fell ill. No medicine worked, and every physician mumbled they didn't know the ailment. So I brought a reputed diviner from Taiyuan to see him."
"And?"
"He said it could be cured. Then he laid out some things, shook a crystal ball, and claimed the sea was polluted before vomiting blood and dying. So I thought high monks or virtuous Taoists might solve it, but what's the point of calling them?"
"The eldest uncle won't let them in as sponsors?"
"Exactly. He says people can't die like that here, associating with unorthodox paths will turn away scholars and harm ties with officials, Shanxi is inland so what's this sea talk—every excuse, but really, he doesn't want Father recovering."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Back at the guest quarters after meeting Yi Gwon-young.
Cheon Jang-ho shook his head, correcting his earlier words.
"The dogs here might live better than beggars, but beggars live better than the people here."
Smack!
"Ow! Why this time?!"
"Your friends and you call Brother Eon types 'this house's people'; you gonna talk like that?"
After smacking Cheon Jang-ho's head, Professor No Sam turned to me.
"We toured the manor and attended the banquet. Is that thinking from earlier sorted now?"
I nodded and immediately spoke to Yong-myeong.
"Yong-myeong, bring some writing materials to Lady Zhuge."
Familiar with the manor, Yong-myeong silently fetched and laid out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone before Zhuge Sulji.
"Young Master Yong-un?"
Zhuge Sulji widened her eyes at me.
"If it's to pick suspicious uncles, my judgment isn't firm yet."
"Mine neither on the uncles."
"Then why give them to me?"
"Didn't I tell you today to memorize the manor's building layout?"
"You did."
"Pretend you're a bird and draw the manor from above."
At my words, Zhuge Sulji tilted her head but began sketching a bird's-eye view based on ground level.
Excluding the rear garden and restricted areas as instructed,
She completed a bird's-eye view in the shape of Ja.
Ja
"Done."
"Hand me the brush."
Taking back the brush, I roughly drew a tree radical above Zhuge Sulji's detailed bird's-eye with roofs and walls.
Tree
>Ja
Completing the 'Yi', I began marking the spots where the curse artifacts were hidden, as confirmed during the day.
"Huh?"
At my actions, So-rung, who heard the same from me, muttered.
"Isn't that where the water jar was?"
Water jar.
Great estates of this era placed large jars big enough for a person everywhere, filled with water.
Superstitiously for housing water spirits, practically for quick firefighting in wooden buildings.
"Lady Zhuge? What else do they call those jars in your clan?"
"Sometimes 'hai' (sea)... Ah? The sea is polluted?"
I returned the brush to Zhuge Sulji.
"Estate architecture has patterns anyway. With your sharp mind, mark the unseen spots too."