Chapter 305 - The Origin of the Emperor Brush, Good Men Are Rewarded!
Chapter 305: The Origin of the Emperor Brush, Good Men Are Rewarded!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the society of today, news about good men and kind deeds seemed to be something of the past.
Liu Li was clear about gifting Ling Yun the Emperor Brush since she was the one who had given it to him.
Liu Li would’ve thrown the brush away according to her mother-in-law’s instructions if Ling Yun hadn’t accepted it. Hence, Liu Li hadn’t given it any further thought after giving it to Ling Yun.
She had felt guilty when giving her benefactor something that seemed to harbor evil. She had been prepared to throw it away otherwise.
Not only had Ling Yun not despised it, he had treated it with great care. He had even taken the initiative to come specifically to offer them compensation after he had discovered its value. If he wasn’t a good man, who was?
Properties in Qingshui City were going for at least twenty thousand per square feet. Any house would easily be worth two million yuan.
Liu Li knew that Ling Yun could’ve kept silent about this. He was using it as a reason for them to accept his money. The brush was not necessarily worth eight hundred thousand.
Li Yunxiang was exasperated. “That can’t be. Brother Ling Yun, I tried to sell that brush in the Antique Market for a whole month. No one was interested in it…”
“Brother Li, you didn’t manage to find the right person. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, especially when it comes to collectors. The most important thing is whether the collector likes it or not. No matter how much money you offer me, I won’t sell the things I like. It’s the same.”
“To be frank, I know some collectors. A friend is an avid collector of brushes, ink and paper. He took an instant liking to this brush when he laid his eyes upon it. He has offered a very good price and wants to know the origin of the brush. That’s why I’ve come to ask you,” Ling Yun said succinctly.
Ling Yun gradually built his questions towards the origin of the brush, hoping to get some useful information from Li Yunxiang and his wife.
“Erm…” Liu Li was caught. She had once told Ling Yun that this brush was an heirloom. She couldn’t actually tell him that it was stolen from a tomb, right?
Li Yunxiang didn’t think about it for too long. “Brother Ling Yun, I’ll cut to the chase. My ancestors were pirates.”
“Pirates?” Ling Yun asked curiously.
Li Yunxiang blushed as he nodded. “Yes, basically they were tomb raiders. I heard that this brush was taken by my great-great-grandpa from a huge tomb.”
Ling Yun understood immediately. This Emperor Brush was actually a funerary object! That was exactly what Tang Meng had told him last night.
“Oh… I see, then… Do you know which tomb was it from?” Ling Yun pretended to ask casually after the sudden realization as his heart pumped away in excitement.
That was the main purpose of his visit. He wanted to know which tomb it was from so that he could visit the tomb to check for any other treasures.
Liu Li’s unease dissipated, seeing that Ling Yun wasn’t angry at the fact that it was actually a funerary object. Liu Li replied, “Brother, I’ll explain to you.”
It turned out that Li Yunxiang’s family, including Liu Li, hailed from Huaiyang in Henan Province. Henan used to be the Central Plains of Huaxia. Countless Emperors had been buried there since ancient times.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty a hundred years ago, Huaxia had suffered a huge catastrophe. The common man suffered. Many had resorted to stealing from graves in order to survive.
Li Yunxiang’s great-great-grandpa was the best of the best in this trade. He had taken it out of the grave but hadn’t managed to sell it. That was how it had become an heirloom and had been passed down from generation to generation.
Ling Yun was able to make some inferences. He had memorized the geography and history in his high school textbooks. He conjured the geography and location of Henan in his mind when Li Yunxiang mentioned it.
Ling Yun had once highlighted two key places of interest in the geography textbook: Songshan Shaolin Temple and the eastern section of the Qinling Mountains.
The Qinling Mountains-Huaihe River Line was the north-south boundary of Huaxia. To Ling Yun, it was most likely the largest dragon vein in Huaxia.
One of the the best Fengshui places for burial of key appointment holders in the ancient times was undoubtedly in the Qinling Mountains.
Ling Yun was shaken to his core. He waited for Liu Li to finish before asking innocently. “Big Sister Liu, does that mean that this brush is from the large tomb in Huaiyang?
Liu Li giggled and shook her head. “That might not be the case. Our ancestors dug wherever they felt might hold treasures. Who knows which tomb he brought it out from? One thing is for certain though. It must be from one of the tombs in Henan.”
Liu Li suddenly gave Ling Yun a stern look and said carefully, “My brother, why do you care about this? Could it be that you want to…? My dear brother, I am giving you a word of caution because I treat you like my own brother. This is not something good. It’s actually breaking the law…”
Ling Yun shook his head like a rattle hurriedly. “Big Sister Liu, what are you thinking? I am still in high school. How could I possibly raid tombs? Anyway, I wouldn’t dare to go to such eerie places!”
Liu Li rolled her eyes at Ling Yun. “I am sure you dare!”
Ling Yun knew that Liu Li meant something different, but he deliberately ignored it. He gave a boyish grin. “Big Sister Liu, you are very imaginative. I am just curious…”
Ling Yun continued when he saw Liu Li’s disbelief. “Actually, I just wanted to narrow down the area where the brush came from so that my friend can go. Perhaps he can get a full set with paper and ink…”
Ling Yun presented the argument logically, which assured Liu Li. “I am relieved then. Actually, I heard this from my mother-in-law. She loved to tell me these stories when I first married Brother Li. It scared me. If you want to know more, I’ll ask her to tell you when she’s back.”
Ling Yun changed topics and tried to persuade her to keep the two hundred thousand yuan after he felt that he couldn’t get any more information from Liu Li.
Both sides were at a stalemate when Mother Li returned.
She wept with joy when she found that her son’s head was as good as new and was naturally grateful to Ling Yun.
Liu Li told her mother-in-law about the stalemate after she calmed down. She shook her head decisively.
“Child, our family may be poor, but we can’t accept your aid. Please keep your money!”
“Aunty, Big Sister Liu hasn’t told you the full story yet…” Ling Yun smiled.
Ling Yun gave a brief summary of the value of the Emperor Brush and insisted that they keep the two hundred thousand.
Mother Li gave another smile. “That’s even more of a reason why we can’t accept it. Even if this brush is worth hundreds of millions, it’s only worth that much because it is in your hands. We couldn’t even sell it after so many years in our family. It was worthless when I asked Liu Li to give it to you. Now that it’s yours, everything coming from it is yours, including all the money you manage to sell it for!”
Ling Yun and Tie Xiaohu hadn’t thought that Mother Li would be such a clear-headed person. They hopelessly exchanged looks.
She was just an ordinary folk. She was simple and reasonable even though they were poor. That impressed Ling Yun.
Ling Yun refused to be stumped by this problem. He was generous for once. Wouldn’t he become a laughingstock if he failed?
Ling Yun got up silently and motioned Tie Xiaohu to follow him. Liu Li panicked and tried to stop them.
“My dear brother, what are you doing? Why are you leaving without a word?”
Mother Li and Li Yunxiang anxiously got up to stop them as well.
Ling Yun said sternly, “Aunty, Big Sister Liu, I’ll be truthful with you. I am here today to give you this money. How can I eat here if you don’t accept it? I am not in need of money now. If I were, I wouldn’t have given it to you even if you begged me for it. This money will just be lying somewhere if you don’t keep it. You can’t possibly give birth to your child here, right? I don’t want to nag. Either you treat me as family and keep this money, or I’ll leave with Tie Xiaohu immediately!”
Liu Li was nearly moved to tears as she turned back to her mother-in-law for her directions.
“Alright, I don’t know how we managed to strike this great fortune. We’ve really met with such a great benefactor…” Mother Li gave a long sigh as she pulled Ling Yun back to his seat.
“Child, we won’t be able to repay your kindness!” Mother Li’s gaze towards Ling Yun was no different from looking at her own son.
Ling Yun felt that it was necessary to be as good as he could to the Li Family to find out more about the Emperor Brush. He gave a faint smile. “Aunty, what are you talking about? This is just the beginning. I’m not boasting when I say that Brother Li will be wealthy in the future!”
Ling Yun’s voice was calm but resolute.
Mother Li looked at Ling Yun for a long time before breaking into a smile. She started preparing lunch with Liu Li’s help.
The dilapidated house was filled with laughter. Ling Yun enjoyed the atmosphere and realized that doing good was very helpful for his cultivation.
Mother Li and Liu Li chatted as they cooked. Liu Li took the chance to ask about the origins of the Emperor Brush.
Liu Li’s intention was purely to assist Ling Yun. Mother Li gave it some thought before heading back to her bedroom. She returned with a very ancient book and handed it graciously to Ling Yun. “Here, child, this is for you.”