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From the game background, Mo Qi understood that the jade pendant, the murderous dagger, and the death of the Grand Marshal were crucial to this mission. To unravel the mystery and complete the task, he had to enter the Grand Marshal’s mansion.
The mansion should be the grand house in the middle of the ancient town, the only impressive building in the entire attraction. Even though the Grand Marshal had died, there must be clues in that mansion.
But he was just a bookstore owner. How could he get close to the Grand Marshal’s mansion? And with his current financial situation, how could he solve the problem of food?
Connecting these two issues, Mo Qi thought of a solution that could kill two birds with one stone.
In the bookstore, Mo Qi rummaged through boxes and shelves, setting aside popular Republic-era martial arts novels, specifically searching for old books—preferably ones that were very worn, handwritten copies being the best.
After some careful selection, he ended up choosing several books closely related to feng shui and metaphysics. One book in particular had yellowed pages that seemed ready to disintegrate at the slightest touch.
Lin Fuwang, not well-educated, could barely remember the titles of the popular books. With these old books in front of him, many characters were unfamiliar. Scratching his head, he asked Mo Qi, “Boss, what are all these books about?”
One book was titled “Interpretation of the Book of Changes ” by an unknown author, another was “Liu Bowen’s Diagrams for Divination,” and the last one, almost disintegrating, lacked a cover and dealt with funeral rites, sacrifices, and worship practices.
All three books were written in traditional vertical script, and Mo Qi struggled to recognize about seventy to eighty percent of the characters, straining his eyes.
“The whole town is in turmoil right now. I’m just an ordinary citizen, unable to do much. The only thing I can do is present these three books to the Grand Marshal’s mansion, hoping they might help the military officials there find solutions,” Mo Qi said. “And maybe, if the books prove useful, we might receive some rewards in return—preferably something to eat.”
“Boss Mo, you’re so capable and smart!” Lin Fuwang looked at Mo Qi with admiration in his starry eyes.
Mo Qi wasn’t sure about the relationship between the bookstore owner and Lin Fuwang in normal circumstances, but he believed that Lin Fuwang would never have looked at Boss Mo with idolatrous admiration before.
Being in this era and not being blind, Mo Qi couldn’t conveniently wear the Charm Glasses. It was natural for the Charming Aura to be released at random. Fortunately, he had only seen two people so far: Lin Fuwang and the little girl seeking shelter from the rain.
The Charming Aura doesn’t necessarily induce romantic feelings; it can evoke affection in various forms—family, friendship, or love. Under the influence of the Charming Aura, Lin Fuwang gradually developed a sense of dependence and admiration for Boss Mo, akin to the relationship between a general and his soldiers in ancient times.
This kind of bond is much better than romantic love, and Lin Fuwang didn’t seem to be affected by any negative effects, maintaining a positive relationship.
The tricky part is the little girl. It’s unclear what kind of feelings she has developed.
Thinking ahead to the complications that would arise from entering the Grand Marshal’s mansion and interacting with various players, Mo Qi realized he needed a cover identity. After a moment of contemplation, he motioned for the little girl, “Come here.”
The shivering little girl cautiously entered the bookstore, gingerly avoiding the books to keep from transferring rainwater onto Boss Mo’s books.
“I don’t have food to offer you, but I can’t bear to see you catch a cold in the rain either. Come with me to the back room. I’ll see if there are any old clothes you can change into,” Mo Qi said.
The little girl eyed Mo Qi for a moment, then grinned, revealing a missing front tooth, likely in the midst of losing baby teeth.
Mo Qi led her into the back room, directing her to use a clean cloth to dry her hair. As she did so, he rummaged through the wardrobe and found a patched-up short tunic. It was much too big for the little girl, but it was better than wearing wet clothes.
The little girl saw him bring out the clothes and immediately started to undress. Mo Qi hurriedly said, “Even though you’re a child, there are still differences between boys and girls. Let me step out first, then you can change. Remember to dry yourself completely before putting on the clothes, so they don’t get wet too.”
He walked out, closed the door behind him, and heard rustling sounds inside as the girl changed clothes. He reminded her once more, “Let me know when you’re done changing.”
Lin Fuwang approached and gave Mo Qi a thumbs-up. “Boss Mo, you’re truly kind-hearted. Even in such difficult times, you’re still helping others.”
Judging by Lin Fuwang’s expression, it seemed like he was about to become Mo Qi’s devoted admirer.
Mo Qi didn’t reply. He wasn’t purely benevolent, nor did he have a reason to act kindly towards a little girl who might not even exist in the real world. Everything he did had a purpose.
“I’m done changing,” the small, husky voice came from inside the room.
Mo Qi walked in and saw that the clothes were indeed excessively large. The short tunic looked like a dress on her, and the pants were ridiculously long.
Since there were patches on the clothes, there must be needles and threads in the wardrobe. Mo Qi found them, quickly sewed a few stitches on the girl’s clothes, rolled up the pant legs, adjusted the waist, and turned the clothes into a dusty little skirt.
Although still not quite fitting, it was much better than before. At least now she didn’t have to hold up her pants while walking.
The shoes couldn’t be resized, and the little girl was originally barefoot with many scars on her feet. Mo Qi could only cut some fabric from the oversized clothes and stuff it into the shoes to provide some temporary padding for the girl to wear.
Mo Qi acquired these skills thanks to his experience from various part-time jobs. While attending classes, he couldn’t work full-time, so he took on odd jobs like making fake flowers and other small handicrafts. This helped him develop dexterity and the ability to handle simple sewing tasks without difficulty.
The clean little girl hugged Mo Qi’s leg and whispered softly, “You’re really nice.”
Mo Qi gently touched her braided hair and said softly, “I’m old enough to be your father. From now on, no matter who asks, you can call me ‘dad’, alright?”
“Dad!” The little girl responded without hesitation.
Mo Qi observed the little girl again and felt that the possibility of her being a player was very slim. If she were a player, she would likely be trying to beg at the mansion rather than relying on him, a simple bookstore owner. Moreover, the girl appeared genuinely weak and pitiful, not putting on an act.
Recognizing her as his daughter in this context would be a protective measure, especially if they were to encounter other players. Seeing how dependent the girl was on him would also serve to protect his identity among them.
“What’s your name?” Mo Qi asked.
“I’m Little Red Jacket,” the girl replied.
“Then I’ll call you Xiaohong,” Mo Qi said. “My surname is Mo, and I’m the owner of this bookstore. If anyone asks, just answer accordingly.”
“So should I be called Mo Xiaohong?” the girl asked.
“If you don’t mind, you can use Mo as your surname while you’re with me,” Mo Qi replied, gently patting her head.
The girl stared at Mo Qi and said, “Okay, I’ll use Mo as my surname with Dad.”
Probably influenced by the Charming Aura, the little girl naturally adores Mo Qi as if he were her father.
Sure enough, as Lin Fuwang had said, the rain stopped after noon. It wasn’t a heavy rain to begin with, and soon the water on the road surface decreased significantly, though it remained somewhat slippery. Mo Qi couldn’t wait for the road to dry completely. He held Mo Xiaohong’s hand, wrapped several books in oil paper, and prepared to go to the Shuai Mansion to sell books.
Lin Fuwang watched Mo Qi eagerly as he rummaged through the counter for a long time without finding even half a copper coin. All he could do was look at Lin Fuwang with an “I wish I could help” expression.
“Shopkeeper, I can endure for a day. Can you bring back something to eat tonight?” Lin Fuwang asked.
“I’ll try,” Mo Qi replied, reminding him before leaving, “Close the door after I’m gone. If someone comes asking for debts and hurts you, it wouldn’t be good.”
Mo Qi hadn’t forgotten that the game had left him owing a considerable amount of money for inventory. Even in the game, he remained vigilant against this possibility.
“Alright, alright, I’ll pretend there’s no one in the house,” Lin Fuwang replied eagerly.
Only then did Mo Qi feel relieved as he held his adopted daughter’s hand and headed towards the Shuai Mansion. Along the way, Mo Xiaohong nibbled on her fingers, her eyes fixed on Mo Qi.
Arriving at the scenic garden area, sure enough, the plaque at the mansion’s entrance read “Great Shifu Mansion,” with “Shifu” misspelled as “Shuai.” It was evident that the people associated with this grand mansion lacked a high level of education from top to bottom. White flowers adorned the mansion’s plaque, likely in preparation for a funeral ceremony for the Great Shifu.
Mo Qi boldly stepped forward and knocked on the door.
The gatekeeper was a tall, slender young man of about seventeen or eighteen, dressed in military attire Mo Qi had never seen before, with a gun slung over his waist. His attitude was extremely arrogant as he opened the door and said, “Who dares to cause trouble at the Shuai Mansion?”
“I am the shopkeeper of the town’s bookstore. I have come specially to deliver some books to the military officer,” Mo Qi replied.
Mo Qi boldly stepped forward and knocked on the door.
The gatekeeper was a tall, slender young man of about seventeen or eighteen, dressed in military attire Mo Qi had never seen before, with a gun slung over his waist. His attitude was extremely arrogant as he opened the door and said, “Who dares to cause trouble at the Shuai Mansion?”
“I am the shopkeeper of the town’s bookstore. I have come specially to deliver some books to the military officer,” Mo Qi replied.
The jade pendant incident has stirred up a storm throughout the city. Everyone knows about the town being unable to leave. If it weren’t for fear of the soldiers at the Shuai Mansion, the townspeople would have long been in chaos, scrambling to loot supplies everywhere. The current maintenance of law and order stability is also due to the fact that the Shuai Mansion is armed.
Upon hearing that there was a way to suppress the jade pendant, the gatekeeper’s demeanor suddenly became more friendly. He scrutinized Mo Qi for a moment, his aversion dissipating, and the Charming Aura naturally took effect. The gatekeeper couldn’t help but exclaim, “Though you’re getting on in years, your looks are still decent. Scholars really are all pretty boys.”
Mo Xiaohong continued to gnaw on her fingers vigorously, despite only having one front tooth.
Mo Qi remained unfazed. He took out the book “Interpreting the Book of Changes” and opened it to the page with the Bagua diagram, handing it to the gatekeeper to see.
In these times, few could read, and the gatekeeper got a headache just looking at the characters. He quickly pushed the book away, saying, “Don’t show me that. I’ll take you to see the secretary. You two must have something to discuss.”
Mo Qi held Mo Xiaohong’s hand and moved towards the gate. The gatekeeper stopped him and asked, “Who’s this little girl?”
“This is my daughter,” Mo Qi explained, “She’s very young, and with the town unsettled like this, I don’t feel safe leaving her alone in the shop. Could the officer make an exception?”
“You already have a daughter? This pretty boy doesn’t seem to know whose favor to court,” the gatekeeper remarked flippantly, eyeing Mo Qi’s face. Seeing his submissive demeanor, he stepped aside. “Alright, if you can come up with a way to leave this town, you and your daughter will be esteemed guests of the mansion. Come in.”
Finally allowing Mo Qi inside, the gatekeeper led him to the main hall.
The main hall’s doors were wide open, with a coffin placed prominently in the center. A white cloth covered the coffin, concealing the face of the deceased.
Strangely, a portion of the white cloth had been torn aside, deliberately revealing a knife.
This deceased person was likely the famous General who died under mysterious circumstances. It was puzzling why the knife remained in the body if the person was already dead.
“Don’t look around randomly. Let’s enter through the side door to the side hall,” the gatekeeper pulled Mo Qi gently. “The General’s death… well, it doesn’t seem like it was done by a human. That ominous knife is especially eerie, and no one dares to remove it.”
“When will the General be buried?” Mo Qi asked.
“They say it’s an old tradition in his family to keep the body for seven days. It’s only the third day now. Goodness, seven days! Thankfully, it’s been raining these days, keeping it cool. Otherwise, it would have started to stink!” the gatekeeper said fearfully.
“When did our town start having rain at night and stopping around noon?” Mo Qi asked.
“Isn’t it since the night the General died…” the gatekeeper paused, then looked at Mo Qi. “You’re not suggesting that this rain is somehow related to the General’s death, are you?”
Mo Qi replied nonchalantly, “I’m just speculating.”
This seemed to impress the gatekeeper, who now regarded Mo Qi as someone with genuine abilities. His attitude became respectful. “Sir, please come this way.”
Mo Xiaohong’s finger-nibbling slowed down at this change in atmosphere.