Chapter 353 The Boss Didn't Really Lie...
Chi Feichei walked towards the South Wall.
The next Mystery pointed to the South Wall.
"The material of the Carpet is good, but its age is still evident, suggesting it was left here many years ago and hasn't been replaced. There are square indentations on it, probably from a Display Case or something similar..."
"However, on the four walls, the shades of brown are inconsistent. In the lighter areas, you can roughly make out three squares of different sizes. There were originally Hanging Paintings on the Wall, and they had been hanging there for a long time..."
"This should be the Exhibition Room..."
"Furthermore, at the Wall Corner of the Carpet, there are traces of artificial cutting on the edge, and red fibers are visible in the golden edging of the Wall Corner. Originally, during the Renovation, the Carpet's edges should have been directly pressed under the Wall corner, but it was later cut open and lifted up to be examined..."
"Judging by the edges of the cut marks, they were made at least ten years ago. Considering the good quality of the carpet, the effects of Time would be somewhat lessened, so it was cut open at least twenty years ago, or even earlier. It's currently impossible to determine whether it was done by a previous Master of Twilight Mansion or someone else."
"Could those Things have already been taken?" Hissashi asked.
"Don't Know."
Chi Feichei walked to the South Wall, moving along the Wall and Observing as he went, gently wiping it with his gloved right hand.
There's nothing special, and no Mechanism...
Could it be that he found the wrong Place?
No, over the years, Twilight Mansion has changed many Masters. Among them, many wanted to find the Treasure left by Karasuma Renya, which is why they bought this Place. Even if they didn't alter the layout Inside the Room, they would have definitely searched Twilight Mansion thoroughly. If the Mechanism were that simple to find on the Wall, it would probably have been discovered long ago...
Hmm? Wait, if previous Masters tried their best to maintain the Furnishings in Twilight Mansion in their original state to find the Treasure, then it's unlikely they would have moved the Things from here.
Was it after Karasuma Renya passed away that the Things here were moved out? And for some Reason, they weren't moved back?
Or... was it that this Room had already been emptied before Karasuma Renya passed away?
If it's the latter...
Why empty the Room?
In an empty Room, whether there is Wealth can be seen at a Glance.
This Is the first Psychological Tactics.
To make people think there's nothing good here, so they won't search patiently.
Secondly, the dark red Carpet and white Chandelier in the Room are too conspicuous, drawing attention. It seems that the Carpet and Chandelier have also been moved.
This Is the second Psychological Tactics.
Even if someone suspects this is a deliberate Mystification, and hopefully Checks the more conspicuous Carpet and Chandelier, and after Checking the Walls around, finding nothing special or any Mechanism, they'll be disappointed and think they're overthinking things.
At least for now, the Psychological Tactics have been successful. It seems previous Masters haven't considered installing a Camera in this empty Room.
Then, the Things they really want to hide should be in an inconspicuous Place...
Chi Feichei scanned his surroundings, his Gaze paused on the Ventilation Window. "It really is... quite boring."
"Hmm?" Hissashi became energetic. "Master, do you know where the Things are?"
"The Hint actually has two meanings: one is National Emblem, and the other is Light," Chi Feichei said, looking at the Ventilation Window. "The Sun, Moon, and Star all have Light. To find the Star Pearl hidden in the Jungle, Light is also needed. There are many ways to Say 'light' in English: Light, Ray, Beam... 'Light' is generally used for Light Source. Sunlight, Moonlight, and Starlight all use 'Light'. 'Ray' implies radiation, like X-rays, which are X-ray. 'Beam' generally refers to a Beam of Light..."
Hissashi tried to follow his Thinking, but failed and chose to give up. "Then which one is it? Light?"
"No, Jewelry itself doesn't emit Light. Even a night-luminescent pearl needs to absorb enough Light. What we're looking for is the Star Pearl, not the Sun, Moon, and Star, so Light Source is excluded, not 'Light'," Chi Feichei said softly. "Secondly, Lamplight can also go out during a Power Outage. The only Light that's always there is natural Light. In this Room, the only Place where natural Light can enter is..."
Hissashi looked at that row of Ventilation Window.
Chi Feichei continued, "That Window has a fence. If Light comes in, it must be a Beam of Light, not a radiating Ray, but a Beam, meaning Beam of Light."
In addition, the Ventilation Window is on the right side of the South Wall, which is to the west. Only during the Time when the Sun sets will sunlight project in as a Beam of Light. This also fits with the name 'Twilight Mansion'. We shouldn't have picked the wrong Room."
"Hmm... If the Beam of Light is projected from Outside, it will eventually fall on..." Hissashi silently Turn Head, looking at the South Wall. "Master, it's back to the South Wall again..."
"No, 'Beam' also has another meaning: Beam," Chi Feichei said, looking up at the Ceiling. "Generally speaking, this type of building is unlikely to have exposed Beams, but the Beam's Location in this Room is easy to find."
It is indeed easy to find. The Ceiling of this Room is wooden. Although other Places are flush with that Beam and painted with the same color wood Lacquer, the rest of the Ceiling is made of scattered wooden boards. Only that Beam runs straight across.
"Is it in the Beam?" Hissashi looked up.
"The Beam is too long, it's hard to pinpoint the Location, and it's not guaranteed no one would notice the Beam. It's not on the Beam. The Ventilation Window in this Room is very high. If you connect the Landing Point of the Beam of Light projected onto the South Wall to the Beam, it forms a perfect square." Chi Feichei took out a telescopic Rod from his Coat Pocket, extended it, and used it to trace on the Ceiling. "Draw a Five-Pointed Star within the square, and the five Landing Points where it intersects with the square..."
"Ka... Ka... Da..."
The Rod landed on the five Landing Points, and the Sounds produced were sometimes crisper and sometimes duller, but the difference was very subtle. It would be hard to notice if you weren't listening carefully.
After tapping all five Landing Points, there was no Movement.
Chi Feichei wasn't surprised. Following the order of tapping Sounds from crisp to dull, he tapped them again.
If it doesn't work, then try it in reverse...
Hissashi watched silently, feeling a little Sigh in his heart.
Alas, Humans are really too complicated. Can't they just Say directly where the Things are and how to get them...?
As the last Point landed, a slight cracking Sound came from the South Wall ahead.
At the point where the South Wall meets the Floor, a grid like a Drawer extended out.
Inside was placed a pure black...
Kendama?
Chi Feichei: "..."
The Boss said this was a 'small Thing, very Fun,' and he really didn't lie...
Hissashi asked somewhat impatiently, "Master, is this some Valuable Treasure?"
"In 11th-century France, there was a Game called Bilboquet, meaning Cup and Ball. In the Edo Period, which is the early 17th century, it was introduced to Japan as an Entertainment Activity After Dinner." Chi Feichei squatted down and picked up the Kendama, only then realizing there was also a round Black Plate underneath. He didn't rush to Look, but examined the Kendama. "In the Taisho period of 1918, the Japanese reformed its appearance. This is the finished product after the reform, called 'Kendama,' a type of Entertainment Exercise. This Thing... is quite addictive to Play."
Hissashi was a little confused, "Is it a Toy?"
After solving the Mystery for so long, the result is a Toy... Is this some kind of Joke?
Chi Feichei was also surprised at first Glance, but he quickly became relieved.
No matter what Thing it is, since it was given to him, he'll just accept it.
The Kendama is wooden and Pitch Black throughout. Crow Patterns are engraved on the Kendama Ball, the handle of the Kendama body, and inside the dish.
Not a Family Crest with a simple Pattern, but Crows in various forms.
Crows spreading their wings and flying, Crows perched on branches, Crows diving, Crows playing together in pairs... Each one is carved very small, yet they are all incredibly lifelike.
As a Kendama, this kind of Kendama with too many engraved patterns will affect the balance of the Kendama Ball, making it difficult to catch. It would definitely not meet the Standard for Competition. However, if it's considered Art or a Toy, it has great collectible value.
And it's not unplayable, it just doesn't meet that 'Standard Specification'.
Kendama once had a prosperous period in Japan, but as more and more Entertainment Methods entered people's Line of Sight, its Popularity is also slowly subsiding.
To this day, although there are still Kendama Associations and Kendama Competitions in Japan, it's very niche. In the eyes of many, it's outdated traditional Entertainment, and many Children and Young Man haven't been exposed to it.
It'll probably take a few more years... No, Never Mind, he doesn't know how much longer it will take. Kendama's Popularity internationally should increase a bit and slowly spread to other countries, but even in the Time before he died in his previous life, there weren't many people around him playing Kendama, far from being 'popular'.
He played it in his previous life. Judging from his Memory, his original consciousness also played it for two years.
Actually, this can also be considered a type of extreme Exercise, a type of Exercise that can Challenge one's own limits, not only testing the Body's spine, but also honing one's Mentality, greatly exercising patience and focus. It requires a Human to endure loneliness and repeatedly practice and Challenge.
Hissashi saw Chi Feichei squatting. It wasn't far from the ground, so it simply retracted its Head, slipped out from its Sleeve, landed on the Carpet, and comforted Chi Feichei, "Never Mind, Master, Toys aren't so bad..."
"Indeed, not bad."
Chi Feichei held the Kendama body and gently lifted it. The String pulled the Kendama to fly up. After flipping his wrist, it landed in the big dish, making a crisp Sound, and was bounced up again by a slight Strength.
At the same Time, Chi Feichei flipped the Kendama body again. When the Kendama fell, it landed on the middle dish again.
Afterwards, it was the small dish, then the Kendama spike...
When the Kendama Ball landed on the Kendama spike, it slipped. The Ball hole didn't go onto the Kendama spike, but slipped off.
"It's been a long Time since I played, my Hands are rusty." Chi Feichei paused for a moment and started again.
Big dish, middle dish, small dish, Kendama spike...
Hissashi propped himself up, listening to the crisp 'dong dong' Sound, staring intently at the Kendama Ball jumping around on the Kendama body, and also staring at Chi Feichei's Agility as he flipped his Hands, his snake pupils gleaming with a cold, faint light.
Master 666...
This Toy is very Fun...
Want to Play.
A minute later...
Chi Feichei familiarized himself with catching the Ball on the Kendama spike, and repeatedly used the big and small dishes to catch the Ball, continuing the 'dong dong dong' sound.
Hissashi waited patiently.
Five minutes later...
Chi Feichei changed his Kendama-holding gesture and continued the 'dong dong dong' sound.
Hissashi: "..."
Ten minutes later...
Chi Feichei continued trying to catch the Kendama Ball on the Kendama body in reverse. Mistake, try again, Mistake, try again.
This Thing is really addictive, just like the yo-yo that was popular in China in his previous life. When you can complete a Method that you couldn't complete before, there's a joy and a sense of achievement in breaking through oneself.
In addition, playing Games like 'match-3' is actually based on this Mentality. You go level by level, and if you fail, you start again, try repeatedly, and figure out the Secret Tip to clear the level.
After passing levels you couldn't pass Before and achieving a new record, you gain a sense of achievement, and involuntarily set the next breakthrough Goal and make breakthroughs.
Hissashi: "..."
Can you Look at it? It's been waiting for ages...
(End of Chapter)