Volume One, Chapter 12: The Deception Begins

The bustling noise of the market in Southern Wan City seemed to be blocked out by an invisible wall.

Lu Sheng—the precious and only son of the noble Lu family—sat idly on a somewhat quiet bluestone step by the roadside. The large pile of crude, mud-yellow pastries he had just bought lay discarded by his feet like abandoned rubble. A nameless anger simmered within him, growing more annoying the more he thought about it.

That morning, his father had forced him to recite that tiresome Thousand Character Classic. For a single mispronounced line, his father’s stern face had scolded him as “worthless wood unfit for carving.” In a fit of rage, Lu Sheng had slipped away through a side gate while his nanny wasn’t looking. But once outside, despite having some silver to spend freely, this vast county town held no place he found entertaining.

Irritated, he began counting ants in the crevices of the stone slabs. Nearby, the subtle rustle of clothing signaled someone sitting down close by.

Lu Sheng didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids. Instinctively, he scooted a little further away, drawing a clear boundary with his movements—do not disturb this young master’s sulking!

After about half a cup of tea’s time passed, the silence beside him became oddly profound. The only sound was the faintest childlike breathing drifting over. Unable to suppress a spark of curiosity, Lu Sheng glanced sideways with the corner of his eye.

There sat a little boy in rough, faded linen—about two paces away. Unexpectedly, despite his tattered clothes, the boy’s face was exquisitely delicate, with a finely chiseled nose, long, thick eyelashes, and strikingly clear eyes that shone with a spirit and refinement starkly at odds with his ragged appearance.

Lu Sheng snorted quietly, a childish streak of rivalry stirring within him, unnoticed even by himself: This brat… he’s quite handsome, almost half as good-looking as me!

He turned his head slightly and finally noticed the boy’s peculiar behavior—the child was carefully cupping his hands in front of his chest, fingers slightly curled, palms hollowed as if guarding an invisible treasure, his expression focused and still, like a small statue frozen in time.

Doubt spread in Lu Sheng’s mind like ink dropped in water: This kid… could he be crazy? Pretending like there’s something there in midair?

Perhaps sensing Lu Sheng’s gaze, the boy suddenly lifted his head, eyes wide and alert like a startled fawn, watching Lu Sheng warily. At the same time, the hands that had been seemingly holding nothing quickly withdrew to his chest, clutching tightly as if afraid the richly dressed young master might snatch away this invisible object.

This defensive gesture instantly ignited Lu Sheng’s pride.

“Hmph!” he glared with disdain, chin raised high, his tone suffused with wounded arrogance and contempt. “Look at your shabby appearance! The Lu family’s treasury is piled high with treasures and silver! Why would I care about whatever junk you’re clutching? If it’s so precious to you, I don’t even want to look at it!” He paused, but curiosity still gnawed at him, forcing him to order stiffly, “Hey! What exactly are you holding? Stop pretending! Show it to me, let this young master see it!”

The little boy—none other than Xiao Ning—hesitated, his face a flicker of struggle and doubt, weighing whether this wealthy young master was trustworthy. After a moment, as if resolved, he cautiously and very slowly extended his empty hands forward, nearly reaching Lu Sheng.

Lu Sheng peered down intently and blinked several times—inside those small palms, besides some faint reddish lines and a bit of dust, there was nothing at all, not even a single leaf!

“Are you mocking me? There’s clearly nothing…” Lu Sheng felt played with, his anger flaring, ready to explode.

“—Hold my Mo He Le for me,” Xiao Ning suddenly interrupted, voice deliberately lowered with solemn seriousness, pushing his hands even further forward.

“Mo He Le?” The name struck Lu Sheng like a switch cutting off his rising fury. As a son of an official family, he had heard of it—it was the top-tier luxury toy mentioned in the Drunken Weng Chronicles, only something the princes and nobles of Bianjing City could afford! Made of fine silk, adorned with jewels and painted decorations, an expensive and exquisite figurine! One of his grandfather’s classmates owned one, treasured and rarely shown.

Before his mind fully processed this, Lu Sheng’s body acted on instinct. He almost reflexively stretched out his hand, awkwardly and clumsily “catching” beneath Xiao Ning’s invisible offering, his face a mixture of shock and confusion, comically earnest as if he really held a heavy invisible object.

No sooner had he “caught” it than Xiao Ning swiftly withdrew his hands, looking at him with a calm expression.

Lu Sheng looked down at his own equally empty hands, then back at Xiao Ning, utterly baffled. “You…”

A sly yet innocent smile curled at Xiao Ning’s lips. His clear eyes met Lu Sheng’s as he asked deliberately, each word clear and precise: “If you, Young Master Lu, don’t believe I truly have the Mo He Le in my hands, then why did you just reach out to catch it?”

“I…” Lu Sheng was struck dumb by the sudden question piercing his soul. Indeed, if he truly believed there was nothing there, why had he reached out? His face flushed deeply, feeling exposed as if caught red-handed in the clumsiest trick. Embarrassed and angry, blood rushing to his head, he violently made a rough “throwing away” gesture, flinging his hands downward as if to slam the nonexistent Mo He Le onto the ground, stammering in a dry voice, “Who… who caught your thing?! There’s nothing! I never caught anything!”

“Oh no!” Xiao Ning suddenly slapped his thigh, voice rising sharply with disbelief, pain, and anger. He pointed at Lu Sheng and shouted, “How could you throw my Mo He Le away? And break it! That’s a treasure I brought all the way from Jiangnan! Worth a fortune! You owe me! You must compensate! At least five taels of silver!”

Extortion! Barefaced extortion!

Alarm bells rang in Lu Sheng’s head. He immediately realized this brat was trying to con him! Though he had plenty of silver, he wasn’t a fool, especially not one to be tricked by a ragged little kid. How could he swallow this humiliation? When had Lu Sheng, young master of the Lu family, ever suffered such injustice?

In a flash, Lu Sheng’s quick wit ignited! Cornered, he glared fiercely at Xiao Ning, plunged his hand into the splendid sky-blue silk of his robe, fumbled briefly, then theatrically pulled out a handful of “air.” With fierce bravado, as if challenging him to a duel of will, he thrust his hand forward and loudly declared, “Fine! I’ll pay! Young master has money! Here! Ten taels of silver! All for you!” He forced a proud smirk and fixed his gaze on Xiao Ning, thinking furiously: You brat! Trying to play me with this trick? Let’s see how you handle this! Time for you to taste defeat!

Yet, to Lu Sheng’s surprise, the little boy opposite him showed no sign of panic or anger. Instead, he seemed perfectly prepared.