Taboo Mage - Chapter 101 - First Meeting with Great-Grandfather

I was amused by what my aunt said, tossing the sunflower seed shells onto the table. With a smile, I asked, “You’re saying that the old man is of such an age already. If he doesn’t have many descendants, that would indeed be strange.”

To my surprise, my aunt waved her hand and glanced at me, “You, kid, must have heard some nonsense from others. Did someone tell you that the old man of the Chi Family is in his nineties this year?”

I nodded cluelessly. Did my aunt mean that the old man wasn’t that age?

Seeing my bewildered expression, my aunt brushed the sunflower seed shells from her table onto the floor, her eyes catching Chi Rui, who was already quite a distance away. She said, “The old man is at least this age this year…”

I stared at the palm my aunt waved in front of me. It was marked by clear lines and years of housework grime. I widened my eyes and stammered, “One…one hundred?”

“Guess again!” My aunt shook her head, speaking to me mysteriously.

I was stunned, “Aunt, stop teasing me. How old is he exactly?”

“At least one hundred and fifty!”

“No way! Even the longest-living people don’t reach that age; that’s like a tortoise’s lifespan!”

I waved my hand dismissively. It was conceivable that Great-Grandfather could be over a hundred, maybe due to Chi Rui remembering the time incorrectly. But there’s a vast difference between one hundred fifty and ninety.

Chi Rui just wanted me to heal Great-Grandfather, so why lie to me about this? It didn’t make sense.

Seeing my disbelief, my aunt stood up anxiously, just as Chi Rui, noticing my absence, turned around and called for me to catch up.

Not wanting to raise suspicion, I quickly said goodbye to my aunt and hurried forward.

Before I left, my aunt pulled me aside mysteriously, saying that if I didn’t believe her, I could ask others. Aside from the Chi Family saying Great-Grandfather is in his nineties, everyone elderly in the village knew he was already one hundred and fifty this year.

Seeing my aunt, it didn’t seem like she was lying. As I walked forward, I pondered whether it was possible that the villagers simply enjoyed spreading gossip. People were curious about such things, and with everyone talking, stories could easily become exaggerated and distorted.

Meanwhile, Chi Rui was already discussing the matter of Great-Grandfather’s eyes. I rubbed my slightly aching temples and pushed the earlier confusion from my mind.

The old residence of the Chi Family was located at the far eastern corner of the village. It was a large three-courtyard compound. From the outside, it appeared to be a typical Siheyuan¹, but stepping over the high threshold into the courtyard, with its weathered screen wall, lanterns hanging from the tall eaves, and the stone slabs underfoot, it felt as if I had been transported back to the last century.

Chi Rui led the way. As we entered, a middle-aged man approached and bowed, saying, “Young Master has returned. Great-Grandfather has been waiting for you.”

Chi Rui nodded, glanced back at Jue Chi and me, and continued forward.

I followed, intrigued by my surroundings. The middle-aged man slowly walked to my side, looked me over, and smiled, “You must be Mr. Gu, the yin-yang life amulet master from the Gu Family in Jiangnan?”

I nodded, “That’s me.”

“Good, good…” he said, repeating the word “good” twice. His gaze swept over Jue Chi before retreating a step to follow behind us.

Though the house was both simple and luxuriously stable, from the moment I stepped into the courtyard, I felt something was off, but I couldn’t pinpoint it.

It wasn’t until we reached the main hall and Chi Rui offered us seats that I and Jue Chi sat in two armchairs. Looking at the room full of antique vases and ornate furnishings, I finally understood where that awkward feeling came from.

This Chi Family mansion was in a very authentic village in Shenyang. Everyone we encountered on the way spoke in genuine Northeastern dialects. Yet, the Chi Family’s house was filled with a distinct Beijing flavor. Even the mannerisms of many nannies and servants were reminiscent of characters I had seen in TV dramas set in the late Qing or early Republican era.

The longer I stayed, the more uncomfortable I felt. I turned to Jue Chi and asked, “Monk, don’t you think this place feels strange?”

“I’ve already had a look around. The house is very clean,” Jue Chi replied without turning his head.

Wasn’t that obvious? The Chi Family isn’t an ordinary family; if the house weren’t clean, they’d notice it themselves.

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Apologies for the wait,” a middle-aged man who had led us here briskly entered through the inner archway, speaking softly. “Our old man has a habit of napping in the afternoon and just woke up. When he heard Mr. Gu was here, he was eager to meet you.”

Before I could finish my sentence, the man interrupted.

Chi Rui stood up, gave me a glance, and I quickly followed suit.

It seemed we were about to meet the legendary great-grandfather Chi of the Chi Family, and I felt a slight sense of anticipation.

Great-grandfather Chi’s bedroom was located in the innermost courtyard, a smaller Siheyuan. The main room faced directly towards the archway, where the old man rested.

I followed Chi Rui into the courtyard. A woman in a white dress drew back the curtain. I originally thought that someone of Great-Grandfather’s age would be sitting, waiting for me to approach him.

Unexpectedly, Chi Rui stopped in the middle of the courtyard. The woman in white stepped inside the house and soon returned, supporting an elderly man with white hair and wrinkled skin.

He leaned on a cane, his hair neatly combed back, wearing a Tang suit, looking full of energy, though he had a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose.

As soon as Chi Rui saw the old man, he quickly approached and bowed, “Great-grandfather, I’ve brought them.”

The middle-aged man from earlier stepped forward, guiding me and Jue Chi ahead. I felt confused; even when meeting big executives in the past, it wasn’t this formal.

Though blind, Great-Grandfather still turned his head accurately towards Jue Chi and me when I spoke.

“Great-grandfather Chi, I am Gu Qingshu, and this is Jue Chi, a monk.”

I sat down on a stone chair in the middle of the courtyard, raising my voice slightly to speak.

To my surprise, Great-Grandfather smiled and shook his head, “Don’t worry, it’s just my eyes that aren’t working well, everything else is in fine shape.”

I chuckled sheepishly, unsure of how to converse with such an elder upon meeting him for the first time.

Footnote:

1. Siheyuan(四合院):A traditional Chinese residential architecture, consisting of a courtyard surrounded by buildings on all four sides. It is a classic layout in Chinese culture, particularly in Beijing.