The Nine-Lives Master Thief

Zhen Manor, Tingshui Pavilion. After recounting everything that had happened down to the smallest detail to Mr. Yu, Ding Songyan, Xu Chang'an, and Ding Daniu were arranged to wait here for what came next. There were no large basins of ice here, nor any water-powered fans, but not far off, a stream cascaded from the crest of a rockery, splashing continuously and sending out a cool, refreshing mist. Xu Chang'an sat, stood, and paced back and forth, brimming with anxious dread. He looked up and saw Ding Daniu beaming as he stuffed dried meat into his mouth, chewing vigorously. Ding Songyan was leisurely sipping tea, sampling the mung bean cakes, sesame crisp candies, and other refreshments provided by Zhen Manor. "Second Brother Ding, aren't... aren't you nervous or worried?" Xu Chang'an could not help asking. Ding Songyan used the teacup lid to brush aside the floating tea leaves and gave a faint smile. "Worrying won't change anything." Besides, he thought, that's your master, not mine. "I've heard in stage plays that he who holds raging thunder in his chest yet keeps a face as placid as a lake may be appointed supreme general," Xu Chang'an said admiringly. "Second Brother Ding, you certainly won't just be a storyteller in the future." Ding Songyan pointed at his elder brother. "Then what is he?" Ding Daniu was wholeheartedly focused on devouring the Zhen Manor refreshments, paying no attention to the two of them at all, showing not the slightest hint of nervousness or worry. *He just has a thick skull...* Xu Chang'an did not dare voice the thought aloud. Brother Ding's bare arms were as thick as his own thighs. *** More than an hour later, Mr. Yu returned to Hanshui Pavilion. He said to Old Master Zhen, "The deceased was Zhang Rui, a well-known thieflord in the prefectural city. This manual was found on him." Zhen Qianfan, who had set down his iron exercise spheres long ago, took the volume. The paper felt tough and possessed a degree of water resistance, though it was covered in creases. On the cover were several large characters: *Ten Bodies and Hundred Hands Flawless Mysterious Art* Flipping inside, there was a plum-blossom-shaped secret mark and a person's name written in calligraphy distinct from the manual itself: "Jia Yushu." Zhen Qianfan leafed through it quickly and saw the final page titled "Stealing Heaven's Secrets," but it contained only a few sparse lines of text with nothing following. "Though incomplete, it is enough to practice up to the perfection of the Dayan Realm. "Jia Yushu... Jia Yushu, the 'Nine-Lives Master Thief'?" Mr. Yu replied, "Not far from Zhang Rui's body, we dug up another corpse that has already turned to bone. Its skeletal characteristics match this art; it should be the Nine-Lives Master Thief, Jia Yushu. "The one who stole *The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas* from our manor back then was very likely him." One of Old Master Zhen's four ears twitched slightly, and he nodded faintly. "So it was him." "Divine Physician Shao examined the remains and believes Jia Yushu has been dead for roughly nine months," Mr. Yu continued. Old Master Zhen's expression shifted several times, the light in his eyes flaring sharply. "He stole *The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas* nine months ago, only to turn right around and die in a mass burial ground? "Incompetent fool!" *This...* Mr. Yu was taken aback. Having served in Zhen Manor for years, he knew the old master rarely revealed his emotions. Why was there such an obvious display of feeling today? He had even cursed Jia Yushu as an "incompetent fool"? In the heavy silence, Zhen Qianfan muttered to himself, "Why didn't the person who killed Jia Yushu take *The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas*, nor take this *Flawless Mysterious Art*? "Heh, the Nine-Lives Master Thief... even nine lives could not escape death in the end." Mr. Yu reported honestly, "Divine Physician Shao believes Jia Yushu was not murdered, but took his own life." "Took his own life..." Zhen Qianfan lifted his eyelids, unable to conceal his shock. An instant later, a look of profound complexity entered his eyes, as though he had recalled something. *** Tingshui Pavilion. Seeing Mr. Yu enter, Xu Chang'an rushed forward with brisk steps. Ding Songyan set down his teacup and followed closely behind. Ding Daniu reluctantly licked his fingers and slowly stood up. "You cannot speak of this matter to anyone. To the outside world, simply say that Zhang Rui offended Zhen Manor and fled to distant parts to take refuge." Mr. Yu's gaze swept over the three faces, finally settling on Xu Chang'an. "The items found on your master cannot be given to you; they did not belong to him either. As for the courtyard and silver your master left behind, you disciples can discuss among yourselves and divide it." Xu Chang'an's heart returned to its place, and he bowed repeatedly in immense gratitude. Mr. Yu gestured for him and Ding Daniu to leave first, keeping only Ding Songyan behind. Then, he said to Ding Songyan in a low voice, "The Old Master is very appreciative of your performance over the past few days. You are perceptive, decisive in the face of opportunity, and possess a composure far beyond your years. "Concubine Qin previously inquired on your behalf about martial practice. What the Old Master meant just now was that if you wish to enter the Xiaoming Sect, Zhen Manor can help you find a decent martial arts school to temper your body and cultivate qi in advance, without you having to spend your own money. If you wish to join Zhen Manor, everything except Zhen Manor's secret arts can be considered." Ding Songyan listened attentively, but showed no outward joy. His experience told him that whenever words like this and benefits like these appeared, they would inevitably be followed by the word "but." If there wasn't one, he would actually be frightened and steer clear. "However, you must do one thing," Mr. Yu said, shifting the topic. "What is it? Is it dangerous?" Ding Songyan asked, having already anticipated this. "It is not dangerous, but your lips must be sealed. You cannot speak of it to anyone, including Concubine Qin, and including your parents and siblings." Mr. Yu stared into Ding Songyan's eyes. Before Ding Songyan could respond, he abruptly changed the subject: "The *Legend of the White Snake* you've been telling outside Duokang Temple over the past few days is quite good. People in the streets and alleys are already talking about it, but there are also those who are displeased. They feel you aren't following the rules, abruptly jumping from historical storytelling to dramatized legends. If they hadn't known you had ties to Zhen Manor, they would have already complained to the storytellers' guild and tripped you up openly and in secret." *Colleagues are rivals indeed...* Ding Songyan was not surprised by this. He had already prepared an excuse to handle peers who might come looking for trouble: he was young and lustful, wanting to win the favor of Miss Xiaoqing, and would tell fewer stories in the future to focus most of his energy on martial practice. Seeing that Ding Songyan was neither shocked, angry, nor afraid, Mr. Yu gave a slight nod. "There is an honored guest in the manor who loves listening to dramatized legends, but does not wish anyone to know he is staying here. "In the past, we had youngsters from our own manor collect storybooks and learn storytelling on their own to keep the secret. By now, the honored guest has grown tired of all the common ones, so your *Legend of the White Snake* came at just the right time. "If you agree to tell it and keep the matter secret, you will be considered one of our manor's own disciples, and you will naturally receive the benefits I just mentioned." "With Sister Nuansheng here, I was already half a Zhen Manor disciple to begin with." Ding Songyan first claimed the connection, then chose his words carefully to ask, "Does that honored guest have any other inclinations?" *I sell my craft, not my body!* It took Mr. Yu several breaths to grasp the implication beneath Ding Songyan's words, and his expression twitched slightly. "That honored guest's only inclination is listening to dramatized legends. "If he fancied other things, would Zhen Manor fail to find them and need to come looking for you?" *That's a relief...* Ding Songyan silently murmured to himself. Mr. Yu looked at him and said, "There is no rush to answer. Give me your reply tomorrow." Ding Songyan breathed a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to express his gratitude to Mr. Yu for the earlier matter. *** Chengyu Lane, the Ding family courtyard. After dinner was finished and the tables and bowls were cleared away, Ding Songyan held a bowl of water and a boar-bristle brush, squatting before the elm tree to clean his mouth. His father, Ding Shengyi, was beside him doing something similar. After swishing and spitting, Ding Songyan looked toward his father and asked thoughtfully, "Father, does the Yi clan not pass their martial arts to outsiders with other surnames?" From his inquiries over the past two days, he had discovered that the Yi clan was one of the "Three Clans" among Great Zhao's "Two Religions and Three Clans." It was a premier power and prominent lineage that possessed grand masters, far superior to the Xiaoming Sect whose influence was limited to Dingjiang Prefecture. County Lieutenant Yi Qincang of the county yamen was a direct descendant of the Yi clan. Ding Shengyi spat out his rinsing water, turned his head, and scrutinized Ding Songyan for a while before saying, "You would have to marry into their family. "Moreover, County Lieutenant Yi has no daughters, so you can forget about it, boy." The corner of Ding Songyan's mouth twitched. "Father, you don't seem to care much about such things?" Ding Shengyi, whose temperament carried a trace of softness, chuckled. "Back when I was down on my luck, having one meal for every three I starved, if the Liu family hadn't taken an interest in me, I might have frozen to death at home or starved by the roadside. Back then, I didn't see the ancestors blessing me." "Perhaps being favored by the Liu family was the ancestors' blessing," Ding Songyan retorted quietly. From the sound of it, his mother's maiden family in Yuejiang Prefecture had been quite well-off? Ding Shengyi fell silent. After a moment, he let out a sigh. "The Yi clan is actually quite tolerant. If you truly render great service, they allow your descendants to restore their original surname; you just have to become a branch of the Yi family, and the inheritance of their martial arts must still follow the Yi clan's rules." Ding Songyan hummed in acknowledgment and turned to ask, "Father, why did we have to leave our homeland and come to Dingjiang Prefecture to seek shelter with Sister Nuansheng?" This was something he had always been very curious about, especially after realizing just now that the Liu family's circumstances didn't seem to have been bad. Ding Shengyi's hands trembled abruptly. Only after a long while did he pat Ding Songyan's shoulder. "It's a good thing you forgot..." He paused, his expression turning bleak. "Back when I was down on my luck, I did some shameful things. After the Liu family fell into decline, those matters were eyed by others again, so we had no choice but to come to Dingjiang Prefecture to turn to Nuansheng. Don't ask about the details. Rest assured, your misfortune had nothing to do with this. If it truly were connected, your father would already be in prison." With that, he rose and walked back to the main house. When night fell and he lay in bed, Ding Songyan spoke through the folding screen: "Little Sister, why did our family have to leave Yuejiang Prefecture?" Ding Qingyan let out a laugh upon hearing this. "Only you, Father, and Mother know about that! Back then, I begged you to tell me, but your lips were sealed tight and you wouldn't say a word. Now you come asking me!" As she spoke, her voice took on a wistful tone. "Back then, we lived in a large three-courtyard compound. Even though the other Liu family branches were there and we only had half a courtyard, it was still much better than now. There were ceramic pipes pumping water from the well, and chamber pots with flushing funnels..." Ding Songyan did not feel much nostalgia over this; he merely felt that his elder brother's nature was terrifying, and there were hidden perils lingering around his father. Though the Ding family appeared stable for now, they could run into a storm at any moment. He finally made up his mind to accept the assignment from Zhen Manor. Troubling thoughts banished, Ding Songyan was just about to close his eyes and sleep when a gust of chilly wind blew across him, making him shudder all over. "You haven't even written down what you're going to tell tomorrow. How can you sleep?" a soft, delicate voice whispered gently beside his ear.