Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity
Chapter 135 - 60: A Thief Enters the House

Chapter 135: Chapter 60: A Thief Enters the House

"Brother, take your time on the way!" Mr. Gu got up and walked to the door. Seeing that it was still somewhat clear outside, he didn’t keep Uncle Gu any longer, fearing that when it got dark, he wouldn’t be able to see his way back.

"Alright, I’m heading home then!" Uncle Gu waved his hand and walked toward the village path.

Once Uncle Gu was gone, Mr. Gu locked the courtyard gate. He didn’t notice a shadow lurking outside the courtyard wall, peering into the Gu family’s yard. When Mr. Gu closed the gate, the figure could only crouch down by the wall and peek surreptitiously, then withdrew. That shadowy figure was staying in the neighboring yard the Gu family had bought.

After Mr. Gu and the others fell asleep, Gu Chengyu entered his private space to practice inner strength for an hour. He then practiced swordsmanship for another hour. Calming his mind, he intended to refine his calligraphy inside that space.

Just when he had finished grinding the ink and was about to pick up the brush, Gu Chengyu suddenly heard a thud outside in the courtyard. Although it was quite faint, his hearing had become particularly keen since he started cultivating inner strength.

Listening carefully, Gu Chengyu believed someone had entered the courtyard. Though they walked quietly, their footsteps were heavy—it must be a man. A thief, more likely. Rumors had spread that the Gu family had a lot of silver, making it an attractive target.

Gu Chengyu picked up the small bow he had used last time from his space, and after some thought, also picked up a dagger. While the small bow would be useful from a distance, the dagger would come in handy if the person got too close.

With the bow and dagger in hand, he sneaked out of his space, climbed quietly out of bed, slipped on his shoes, and tiptoed to the main room’s window. It was fortunate that he could see in the dark; he could clearly make out the furnishings in the room. Unfortunately, the window was down, and he would need to open it to see what was happening outside in the courtyard. But he was afraid the noise from opening the window would alert the thief.

He looked back at Mr. Gu and the others, noting they were sound asleep. Gu Chengyu decided not to wake them. Suddenly waking someone up from a deep sleep often leads to indiscriminate noise, especially in the silent, dark night.

The thief wanted to steal, which meant they would have to come inside to look for valuables. There was nothing of value in the courtyard.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Chengyu listened again. The thief’s movements were extremely cautious, as if they were afraid of knocking something over. However, their target was clear—they were heading for the main room. It seemed they knew the Gu family’s routines and habits, possibly having scoped the place out beforehand, or maybe they were an acquaintance.

The Gu family’s silver was stored in a cabinet next to the brick bed in the main room, where Mr. Gu and Mrs. Lv slept. To steal the silver, the key from Mrs. Lv would be needed, and she didn’t even take it off while sleeping.

The thief would have to avoid making noise and would have to unlock several locks. Stealing the silver wouldn’t be easy. Gu Chengyu guessed that the thief might be from the village or the surrounding area but wasn’t very familiar with the Gu family; otherwise, they would know how difficult it was to get the silver.

After some thought, Gu Chengyu put the bow and arrow back into his space and took out two small stones he had left there. Gently opening a slit in the window, the night’s bright moonlight illuminated the ground with some clarity. Gu Chengyu looked to the left toward the main room door, and seeing no one yet, prepared to shoot the stones once someone appeared.

Of course, since the intruder was human and not a wild creature, the force had to be controlled—enough to stop him but not seriously harm him. Otherwise, catching the thief could backfire later.

With his eyes fixed on the door, Gu Chengyu saw a man in a dark blue crude cloth short coat creep into view. However, the man’s face was covered by fabric, so even Gu Chengyu couldn’t see the thief’s face. No matter, once captured, they’d find out who he was.

The man took a step toward the main room. Gu Chengyu found it odd; the ancient door latches would need to be gradually scraped open with a knife. This man had no knife; how would he get in? Curiosity piqued, Gu Chengyu decided to wait and see if the man had any clever tricks.

Sure enough, the man suddenly stopped, lightly patted his head, then turned and walked toward Gu Chengyu’s direction.

This startled Gu Chengyu. Initially, he thought the man had spotted him, but on second thought, it seemed more like the man had forgotten something. As the man moved in, Gu Chengyu guessed that, unable to get through the main door, he intended to enter through the window instead. How foolish; clearly, this wasn’t anticipated beforehand.

Seeing the man approaching, Gu Chengyu decided to stop waiting. He shot the stone in his hand directly at the man’s knee, eliciting a muffled grunt. Gu Chengyu assumed the thief wouldn’t want to risk being caught, so even in pain, he didn’t dare make a sound.

To prevent the thief from escaping, Gu Chengyu quickly shot another stone at the man’s other knee.

Fear surged through the man. He had no idea what had happened or why his legs suddenly hurt so much—as if the pain had reached the bone. Though he felt for blood on his knees, he found none, just an excruciating pain that made walking difficult. The silent courtyard amplified his terror; it was truly eerie!

The man turned, intending to run outside the yard. No matter what, escaping first was necessary. However, his knees couldn’t muster strength, causing him to collapse to the ground.

Seeing the man struggle in vain to get up, Gu Chengyu relaxed, knowing he couldn’t run. Leisurely, he climbed back onto the bed where Mr. Gu was sleeping and gently shook him awake.

"Dad! Dad! Wake up, there’s a thief in the house!" Gu Chengyu whispered to Mr. Gu.

Initially, Mr. Gu was still groggy from being shaken awake, but upon hearing those words, any drowsiness quickly vanished. Realizing that speaking loudly would scare off the thief, he restrained his urgency. After touching Xiao Bao’s hands and finding them unharmed, he relaxed a bit. He then turned to Mrs. Lv, gently shook her twice, and upon sensing her steady breathing, concluded she was still asleep, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.

Oh no, what if the thief entered other rooms or even inside the house? Mr. Gu hurried to get off the bed and was about to put on his shoes and head into the inner room to check on Gu Wan.

"Dad, don’t rush. The thief is still in the yard," Gu Chengyu whispered, pulling Mr. Gu’s sleeve.

Though the thief couldn’t flee, Gu Chengyu didn’t want to wake his mother and second sister, preferring to rouse them only after they’d caught the thief. That way, the two wouldn’t be frightened.