Thinking back carefully, it seemed that just now, when he was still wielding his wife's sword, his right hand had habitually made a move and slipped her purse away.

No way, could it be that his previous self was actually a master thief?

Had he unconsciously retained some of his predecessor's bodily habits?

Impossible, an idiot shouldn't know these things. Suddenly, a flash of light crossed Emily Thompson's mind.

He immediately summoned that codex, his gaze locking onto the portrait of the goateed man on the second page.

Then, Emily Thompson thought of something else and looked at the female assassin on the first page.

A moment later, in a side room somewhere in the Li residence, Mr. Harris asked curiously, "Young master, what are you doing in the assassin's room?"

The female assassin who tried to kill Emily Thompson had once been a maid of the Li family. This was her room, which had already been searched and was now somewhat messy. Emily Thompson searched around the room and found a slip of paper in the drawer by the bed.

"Mao hour: Get up, wash and dress, before the third quarter of Mao hour, clean the young master's courtyard."

The content on the slip was simple, listing what she needed to do at what time each day, such as cleaning, making the bed, and so on. In such a grand household, the servants had fixed tasks every day, and as their posts changed, so did their daily duties.

A moment later, Emily Thompson had Mr. Harris prepare brush and ink, returned to his room, walked to the desk, picked up a brush, and wrote the same content on another slip of paper.

"Mao hour: Get up, wash and dress, before the third quarter of Mao hour, clean the young master's courtyard."

He picked up the two slips and compared the handwriting. Both were delicate and elegant, written in small regular script. Not just similar—they were absolutely identical.

Chapter 9: Undercurrents

Emily Thompson finally understood how he had acquired such beautiful handwriting.

He looked at the floating codex before him. It seemed that he could unconsciously acquire a skill from the criminals recorded in the codex—like the female assassin's calligraphy, the goateed thief's stealing technique, and even use them without realizing it.

But calligraphy was one thing—what was with this sleight-of-hand pickpocketing that even Mr. Harris and his wife, both martial arts experts, hadn't noticed? Even if they weren't using their inner energy, their senses should be far sharper than ordinary people.

If he ever got caught for unconscious theft in the future, that would be such an injustice...

He didn't know whether this skill was permanent or temporary, but from now on, he'd have to be careful. If he got caught stealing in public, it would be a huge embarrassment.

Thinking this, Emily Thompson glanced at the codex and saw that the number on the cover had refreshed.

"Name: Emily Thompson."

"Lifespan: Ten days."

His remaining lifespan had changed from eleven days to ten. Emily Thompson didn't know the exact time, but it must have passed midnight. It seemed the codex's time refreshed at midnight each day.

Emily Thompson turned off the light and climbed into bed.

For his previous self, midnight was still early for sleep—working through the night was common.

That's why he ended up here.

No more staying up late, starting now.

After a long day of exhaustion, Emily Thompson quickly drifted into sleep.

Meanwhile, in another courtyard of the Li residence, a light was still on in a certain room.

Mr. Harris placed a packet of pastries on the table and said with a smile, "Heaven must be blessing us. After that bump on the head, the young master has actually become smarter. He can add up thousands in an instant and answer without hesitation. And the way he acted in the county yamen today—he really has the bearing of the master in his youth. It's a pity the master didn't see it..."

Standing at the desk was a middle-aged man.

The man stood tall, with a dignified and handsome appearance, sharp features, and an air of authority and wisdom between his brows. Three strands of long beard on his upper lip and chin were neatly trimmed, adding to his calm and steady demeanor.

He picked up a pastry and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly. His face showed no expression, and there was a faint weariness between his brows. Only when Mr. Harris mentioned the young master did a rare softness appear in his eyes.

Mr. Harris said, "The young master really is different from before. Master, do you want to go see him?"

The middle-aged man looked toward another dark courtyard, gently shook his head, and said, "He's already asleep. No need to disturb him. Let him rest well."

"Master comes home rarely, always late and leaves early. It's been a long time since you've seen the young master..." Mr. Harris sighed and said, "But the young master really was disturbed a lot today. Letting him rest is for the best."

The middle-aged man asked, "Has the assassin's identity been confirmed?"

With a thud, Mr. Harris knelt on the ground and said remorsefully, "She is the daughter of Gu Wenhan, the former magistrate of Qinghe County whom you sentenced to death a year ago. It was my negligence that allowed her to sneak into the residence and almost cause a disaster. Please punish me, master!"

The middle-aged man personally helped him up and said, "You need not blame yourself. There are as many people who want to kill me as there are fish in the river. No matter how careful we are, there will always be oversights. This is not your fault... It's late, go get some rest."

The old steward nodded and reminded, "Master, you should rest early too."

As he walked to the door, the middle-aged man suddenly asked, "There shouldn't be a shortage of maids in the residence. Who brought her in?"