Chapter 9: The Eldest Miss (Part Two)

This must be the eldest daughter of the Yan family. Shuisheng turned around to ask Yan Jianning something, only to find that he had already left the courtroom and closed the door behind him.

Inside the courtroom, a sudden silence descended, so profound that Shuisheng could hear the beating of his own heart.

Sunlight streamed through the side window, casting a diamond-shaped shaft of light into the otherwise dim space, falling at the feet of the woman standing there.

The woman, dressed in mourning attire, turned around. She appeared to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, tall and slender, with elegant and striking features. Her eyes were like clear autumn waters, mesmerizing and captivating. Though clad in plain mourning clothes and without makeup, her natural beauty was still profoundly moving.

“You must be that Shuisheng, the boy from Wang’ao Fishing Village?” the eldest daughter spoke, her voice sharp and cold. Her eyes were like bolts of cold lightning, sweeping over Shuisheng and sending a chill through his body.

Shuisheng nodded and countered, “And you? What is your name?”

The air grew somewhat stifling. The eldest daughter was surprised—this boy was too quiet, too composed. Moreover, his direct and somewhat impolite question about her name showed that he did not regard her, the highly esteemed eldest daughter of the Yan family, with any undue reverence.

This boy...

About fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed simply and neatly, with a dry, tidy crew cut, his demeanor natural and calm. A village boy from a fishing hamlet, yet when faced with someone as renowned and exalted as herself in Fuling City, he showed no trace of fear.

“Yan Ruobing,” she said after a brief pause.

“Greetings, eldest lady,” Shuisheng replied.

“You must be wondering why the Yan family of Fuling City brought you out from that remote fishing village,” Yan Ruobing said bluntly, as if her world could not tolerate any formalities. She glanced at the memorial portrait on the desk. “That is my grandfather, Yan Yingjie, the previous head of the Yan family. He passed away two days ago at 2:20 in the early morning, due to illness.”

Shuisheng instinctively stepped forward and followed her gaze to the black-and-white memorial portrait. The elderly man appeared to be about ninety, or perhaps over a hundred years old, with a somewhat elongated face, faint eyebrows, and a few age spots on his cheek. His eyes were bright and seemed to see through the world’s affairs, with a faint smile etched at the corner of his mouth.

“Before he passed, the old man left a will for you, instructing that two items be given to you,” Yan Ruobing said as she moved to a side table covered with a red cloth. With a sweep of her hand, the cloth fell to the floor, revealing two objects.

A book, and a glass sphere about the size of a fist.

Shuisheng’s heart trembled. Could these be the objects those men had painstakingly searched for and even attempted to kill him over? Some secret water cultivation method from another world, and a single drop of water? How had those men known in advance? Who exactly were they?

He took a couple of steps forward and examined the book. It was very old, and on the cover were the three characters “True Water Manual.” The texture and overall style of the book bore a strong resemblance to the “Essentials of Immortal Power” that Zhang Gu had previously given him.

Turning his attention to the glass sphere, it was roughly the size of an adult fist, transparent and clear. Inside, it seemed to be a vacuum, with a single round drop of water suspended in the center.

“Take them. They are yours now,” Yan Ruobing said.

“But why?” Shuisheng asked, confused.

“Why... even we in the Yan family want to understand why,” Yan Ruobing’s voice was devoid of any worldly emotion. “The Yan family controls vast enterprises, with a hundred thousand people working for us throughout Fuling City. Our intelligence network is extremely thorough. Yet, even after more than two days, no one knows why the old master knew you, why he knew you, or why he made a separate will for you.”

“The items are his collectibles, from the otherworldly Wangxian Continent, but they are not particularly rare or precious. The mystery is why.”

Though her tone was cold, the eldest daughter’s curiosity was evident.

“I... I don’t know him, I’ve never met him,” Shuisheng said honestly. He stepped forward, took three incense sticks from his sachet, lit them respectfully, bowed thrice before the portrait, and placed the incense in the burner.

He would accept the items. The Yan family was vast and powerful; they likely had no conspiracy against an orphan from a fishing village.

If receiving a gift for no reason, he would repay it if there was a chance.

Seeing his respectful demeanor, Yan Ruobing’s expression softened slightly.

“Within these two days, the Yan family has conducted a secret and thorough investigation,” she said. “We have verified all of the old master’s known close companions. The Yan family has strict traditions, and during his youth and middle age, the old master was disciplined, diligent, and focused on cultivation and family business. There is no evidence supporting any such liaison. Furthermore, we compared your DNA data with the Yan family’s and found no match. So we have ruled out that theory.”

Shuisheng felt a pang of disappointment. Then he laughed quietly to himself. Shuisheng, oh Shuisheng, what are you thinking? You must have read too many books, imagining yourself a lost prince to be reclaimed by your family.

Still, how did they get hold of his DNA data?

He found it strange but dared not ask.

“There are those who say you might be the descendant of a woman the old master once loved,” Yan Ruobing continued, “since you are too young to be his son, perhaps his grandson. But after investigation, we found no such evidence. Moreover, with the Yan family’s resources, if we wanted to repay a benefactor, there are countless ways besides a will. That doesn’t make logical sense. So we have also dismissed that theory.”

“Another speculation is that the old master met you on some occasion, liked you, and considered you a close friend. But you say you don’t know him, and close friendships don’t usually warrant leaving items in a will. This is also illogical and untenable.”

After speaking, Yan Ruobing looked quietly at the boy, hoping he might solve the mystery.

“I truly don’t know him. I have never seen him,” Shuisheng smiled bitterly. “Even customers who bought fish from me or whom I took on sightseeing trips at sea, I remember them all. I have never met this old gentleman.”

“Then there is nothing more to say,” Yan Ruobing replied. “Grandfather only said to give you these things, with no other instructions. Since they are now with you, that’s the end of it. From now on, the Yan family has no further ties with you. You may leave.”

She seemed impatient, as if weary of having spoken so much, eager to end the meeting.

Shuisheng had wanted to learn more, as the matter concerned his safety. The three men who had pressed him about these two items had perished at sea, but clearly they had accomplices and perhaps even masterminds behind them. Yan Ruobing considered the matter closed, but he did not.

Yet, it was difficult to voice his concerns.

Well, since she had given the order to leave, he would not linger. He rolled up the “True Water Manual” and tucked it along with the glass sphere containing the water drop into his pocket. He nodded to Yan Ruobing: “I’ll be going now.”

After taking a dozen steps and turning back, he asked, “Are some people within the Yan family also very interested in these two items? Do they want to obtain them?”

Yan Ruobing shook her head. “They are ordinary artifacts of an ability user. Common ability users outside might be interested, but the Yan family’s heirs don’t even take them seriously.”

“Oh,” Shuisheng nodded again and then turned to exit through the courtroom door.

After he left, a woman clad in a tight white outfit appeared beside Yan Ruobing. She wore sunglasses, an arrogant expression on her face, with a fierce killing intent veiled beneath her brows.

“Feng Xian, what do you think?” Yan Ruobing asked.

“Judging from his demeanor and the subtle shifts in his abilities, he is mostly telling the truth,” the woman in white said. “However, he is troubled and somewhat disappointed.”