Chapter 4 The Fortune Teller

Chapter 4: The Fortune Teller

The streets of the capital were crazy busy, packed and loud.

At this moment, a man wearing a white gauze veiled hat sat cross-legged on the ground.

In front of him lay a Tai Chi Bagua diagram, his hands resting on his knees, looking all mystical and holy.

"Young master, it's blazing hot out. How about we head back?" a slightly flattering voice sounded.

"Quit your nagging. I just came out for a bit and haven't even had my fun yet. Keep it up, and I'll skin you alive!"

The bootlicking servant shrank back, not daring to speak further.

Zhou Zhan, annoyed by the racket, picked up his pace and dove into the crowd.

The men behind him immediately perked up and followed closely, "Young master, wait for me!"

Zhou Zhan ignored the servant's calls, weaving through the crowd.

He'd snuck out for a rare chance, and he was dying to lose these guys.

Everything outside seemed novel; he held a cricket bought from a vendor, fiddling with it.

Just as he stepped onto the bridge, women and vendors were rowing boats underneath, hawking their stuff along the river.

Zhou Zhan leaned against the bridge railing, feeling a rare sense of ease, when he caught a figure out of the corner of his eye.

Though the person's face was unclear, he wore a Daoist robe, giving off that 'hidden master' vibe.

It looked legit, and his gaze then fell on the canvas banner beside the man.

The words "Divine Fortune Teller" were so big they nearly blinded him.

Cheng Ge was sleeping soundly when a voice suddenly came to his ear, "Give me a fortune reading."

Cheng Ge shot up like he'd been electrocuted, quickly steadying himself, and sneakily wiped the drool off his chin.

Putting on a show, he drawled, "Ahem... So, young master, what do you want me to read?"

Cheng Ge forced calm, stretching out his pins-and-needles legs.

Zhou Zhan thought for a moment and said, "Just check out my future and luck."

Hearing this, Cheng Ge immediately straightened his back, "Extend your hand, and let me take a look."

Zhou Zhan did as told, and Cheng Ge grabbed it, acting all deep.

He traced random patterns on his palm, while his eyes secretly observed Zhou Zhan's expression, even letting out a huge yawn.

Zhou Zhan felt those slender, pale fingers slide across his palm, making his skin tingle and go numb.

He had heard that Daoist priests lived a hard life, practicing martial arts and cultivation daily. How could this little priest's hands be so soft and pale?

"Young master, your palm lines are clear, you've got some serious luck," Cheng Ge fabricated.

Hearing this, Zhou Zhan's interest piqued, "How so? Tell me more, Daoist."

Cheng Ge's eyes darted around, and he continued his fabrication: "See this 'Jade Pillar' line? It's straight and long, like it can hold the whole world, a sign you'll conquer everything. Surely, you're gonna be big, powerful in the future, with boundless prospects."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhan's eyes went wide, and he said excitedly, "Is that really true?"

Cheng Ge was planning to quit after today, so he didn't hold back on the BS.

"If I'm lying, come find me then, and I'll chop off my own hand as an apology!"

Zhou Zhan was thrilled by what he heard, grinning like a fool.

He pulled a silver ingot from his pocket and slammed it hard on the table in front of Cheng Ge, "Excellent! For those words, this silver's yours!"

With that, he plopped down across from Cheng Ge.

Cheng Ge's eyes went wide at the sight of the ingot; this one ingot was worth months of his con jobs. Man, rich idiots are the easiest marks.

Once the excitement faded, Zhou Zhan got a little down, "Daoist, my family's always fighting, and there are frequent conflicts among my brothers. I've tried to smooth things over, but it never works. How can I resolve this?"

Cheng Ge pocketed the silver, thinking to himself that brother drama was hard to BS about, but for the money, he sucked it up and went for it.

"Young master, brotherly fights are usually about money or power. Everything in the world is connected and balanced, all predestined.

The Dao follows nature; the more you force it, the more it backfires." After speaking, Cheng Ge nervously observed Zhou Zhan's expression.

"What does that mean? Just tell me what to do."

Cheng Ge shifted his seat, feeling his mouth go dry. This fortune-telling gig was damn hard.

"To put it simply, he restrains you! Does he always vie with you for everything?

Does he try to take what should be yours, acting as if it's his due?"

"Daoist, you're spot on!" Zhou Zhan slapped his thigh, his expression excited, "That's exactly it! Shameless!"

Seeing Zhou Zhan convinced, Cheng Ge grew bolder: "That's it. He restrains you. If you keep giving in, conflicts will naturally persist.

You must restrain him back! If he fights, you fight harder, show him your strength. Best to restrain him to death, and then all conflicts will be resolved."

Zhou Zhan's eyes sparkled as he nodded repeatedly, "Right, right, the Daoist speaks sense. Damn it, I've had enough of holding back."

Cheng Ge tapped his fingers on the table, looking smug, thinking he'd fooled another one. Not bad.

"By the way, my father... my father is always very strict with me. If I slack off in my studies even a little, he scolds me harshly. What should I do about that?"

Cheng Ge glanced at the sky, his expression faltering. This guy had too many problems. If I were his father, I'd beat him too.

He touched the silver in his pocket, barely suppressing his irritation, and spoke unhurriedly, "For this, I'll need to cast a divination for you."

With that, he pulled three square-holed copper coins from his pocket and placed them in Zhou Zhan's hand.

"Young master, shake these coins in your hand a few times, then toss them onto the table. Do this six times."

Zhou Zhan did as instructed. Cheng Ge looked at the arrangement of coins on the table, furrowed his brow slightly, and quickly thought of how to fabricate.

"Young master, look at this hexagram. Qian represents heaven, symbolizing authority and strictness.

Your father's strictness towards you is actually a sign of high expectations, hoping you'll achieve greatness. However..." Cheng Ge changed his tone, "This hexagram also carries Gen, suggesting potential change. Not good."

Then, looking up at Zhou Zhan, he opened his mouth and spun a tale, "Your ancestral grave might have some issues."

At that, Zhou Zhan's face instantly turned pale. This guy is incredible!

Last month, the Ministry of Works messed up repairing the imperial mausoleum, causing Taizu's tomb to get flooded.

If that's true, then it all adds up.

Cheng Ge saw his face and knew he'd pulled one over on him again.

Shaking his head like some wise guy, he sighed and said, "The feng shui of your ancestral grave seems to have been damaged, messing with your family's luck. That's why your dad's so hard on you and your brothers don't get along."

Zhou Zhan freaked out and jumped up, grabbing Cheng Ge's arm and shaking him wildly. "Master, you gotta help me!"

Cheng Ge's head was spinning, his brains almost scrambled.

"Hold up... hold up. I'll fix it for you, no problem. Let go of me first."

Zhou Zhan obediently let go. "Spit it out."

"There's a way to fix it, but it'll cost me some of my mojo. You see..." Cheng Ge shot him a wink.

The guy got it right away and pulled out an even bigger silver ingot than before, slamming it on the table.

Cheng Ge's eyes lit up at the shiny silver, and he was instantly stoked.

"In that case, I'll risk some of my mojo to set up a fortune-turning array for you, to help smooth things out a bit." Cheng Ge bluffed with total confidence.

Cheng Ge pretended to set up the array, muttering incantations under his breath as he began the ritual.

He waved his hands over the array, swaying his head, hopping left and right.

After about the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, Cheng Ge reluctantly stopped, then pulled out a peachwood talisman he'd bought for two coppers, pressed it onto the array, and tapped on its surface.

Cheng Ge pressed his lips together, dead serious, barely holding back a laugh.

Man, this gig takes more commitment than acting.

"Alright, the fortune-turning array is complete. This peachwood talisman is made from consecrated peachwood, capable of warding off evil and turning luck around.

Keep this talisman on you at all times, never let it leave your person." Cheng Ge said with a straight face.

"For the time being, you gotta get up at 3 AM and not hit the sack until 11 PM. Diligently study your lessons and never slack off, or the array will fail and bring about backlash and disaster."

Zhou Zhan carefully picked up the peachwood talisman, cherishing it like a treasure, and tucked it into his shirt. "Master, you're truly miraculous. If things turn out as you say, I'll reward you handsomely in the future."

Cheng Ge waved his hand, feigning nonchalance. "It's nothing. My honor to help you."

Once the guy was gone, Cheng Ge packed up his stall and bailed fast.