Iron-Mouthed Judge of Fortune

In the bustling city, various shops and roadside stalls were noisy, filled with shouts and a constant stream of people.

"Pancakes! Freshly baked pancakes!"

"Tofu, tofu! Freshly ground tofu!"

"Fortune-telling! Ancestral divine fortune-telling, ten copper coins per reading, no charge if inaccurate!"

Zhao Huai's figure passed by as he strolled leisurely towards the pawnshop, tossing a copper coin up and down in his hand.

His luck today was excellent, all "Fortune," but no destiny had emerged yet, truly a contradiction.

Suddenly, Zhao Huai was stopped by an old man at a roadside stall.

The old man wore a linen brown robe, his face covered in wrinkles, and his hair was already turning gray.

He kept muttering:

"Ancestral divine fortune-telling! Young master, won't you calculate your fate? It would be a pity not to!"

Zhao Huai silently shook off the old man's hand and said expressionlessly:

"My fate is good, no need to calculate, thank you."

After saying that, he was about to leave, but he was stopped again. The fortune-telling old man had a lecturing look on his face: "Young man, I've seen too many people like you. Young and arrogant, relying on a little bit of strength, you don't know the immensity of heaven and earth. You don't know how much calamity is waiting for you behind the scenes."

"Heh."

Zhao Huai was amused by his serious appearance.

He had the golden copper coin with him, did he need this man to calculate?

He was more likely to ruin his future.

Zhao Huai immediately sneered: "Alright, it's not impossible for you to calculate, but if it's inaccurate, you have to give me one hundred taels of silver."

The fortune-telling old man was stunned, speechless: "Young man, you're robbing me."

"What, are you afraid? Are you going to calculate or not?"

Zhao Huai smiled faintly.

The fortune-telling old man regained his composure and laughed: "Alright, what's wrong with me giving you one hundred taels of silver if it's not accurate at all."

Zhao Huai immediately decided that if the other party said anything that was off, he would vehemently deny it, just to teach these charlatans a lesson.

"Ancestral divine fortune-telling, my reputation as the Iron-Mouthed Judge of Fortune is not just for show."

The fortune-telling old man said smugly.

"Does the young master want to read palms or interpret characters?"

"Palm reading, I guess."

Zhao Huai stretched out his hand directly.

The fortune-telling old man grabbed his hand, squinted his eyes, and carefully observed it.

After looking for a long time, the fortune-telling old man couldn't help but frown.

Seeing this, Zhao Huai smiled playfully: "Can't see anything, can you?"

But the fortune-telling old man shook his head and smiled: "No, this old one roughly understands."

"Really?"

Zhao Huai asked suspiciously.

"Naturally, it's true."

The fortune-telling old man's tone was very confident.

"In my opinion, the young master's palm corresponds to yin and yang, and is filled with joy. You should have just gotten married a few days ago."

Zhao Huai was slightly stunned when he heard this, then frowned and asked:

"Anything else?"

The fortune-telling old man smiled: "Looking at the young master's face, joy is slightly above the head. This wife's appearance should be very beautiful, and the two are very much in love."

"You're following me?"

Zhao Huai said calmly.

Anyone who knows him could find out these things with a little attention.

"This old one wouldn't dare."

The fortune-telling old man shook his head and continued, "Since the young master doesn't believe me, then I'll talk about your fortune."

"Just now, I was wondering, the young master's fate is indeed one of great fortune, but logically speaking, it should have fallen and been interrupted three years ago, and completely declined. Now, your luck has been revived from the ashes, and even a glimmer of hope has emerged, which is quite strange."

"But what is certain is that in the next few years, the young master will soar into the sky."

The fortune-telling old man's tone was like a sigh, and also like a lament.

If the information just now could be said to be man-made, then hearing these things now felt somewhat strange to Zhao Huai.

Because his path was exactly the same as the old man said. After the Great Yan Dynasty fell, his luck naturally declined, until the Great Luck Overhead was born, his fortune improved slightly.

Zhao Huai believed it a little, but he didn't dare to believe it completely, so he said with a calm expression, "Let me draw a lot."

"Please."

The fortune-telling old man smiled and took out a box of wooden sticks, handing it over and explaining:

"Young master, whatever you want to ask or know, just silently recite the question in your heart, and then toss the wooden sticks, and you will receive guidance from heaven."

Guidance from heaven? If there really is guidance from heaven, then quickly send me back to my original world.

Although Zhao Huai thought so in his heart, if there really was such an opportunity, he wouldn't choose that. He was living more freely now than before.

Today was a rare opportunity to pray. He didn't originally believe in ghosts and gods, but after coming to this world, he had to be skeptical. He might as well ask about his goal, how to attain immortality.

After thinking it over, Zhao Huai tossed the sticks.

"Tap."

A wooden stick landed softly.

Zhao Huai stepped forward to take the stick, looking at the words and murmuring:

"I will follow what my heart deems good, though I die nine times, I shall not regret."

The fortune-telling old man glanced at the words on it and smiled:

"These are the words of the ancient sage Qu Yuan, telling us that as long as it is something you pursue and believe in your heart, even if you die, don't regret it. Persist in doing it, and you will always achieve it."

"Immortality without regret, huh?"

Zhao Huai seemed to understand something.

The fortune-telling old man put away the wooden sticks and earnestly taught, "The destiny of heaven can be changed by human affairs. Heaven is only giving us a warning. The I Ching is about change. If you can do your best, even a bad lot won't be bad."

"Young master, do you think my calculations are accurate?"

Zhao Huai pondered for a long time, smiled slightly, and did not answer.

Instead, he took ten copper coins from his waist and threw them to the old man.

"Thanks."

After that, he turned and left.

The fortune-telling old man held the ten copper coins, looked at Zhao Huai's departing figure, and smiled playfully.

"Old Yu, does he have any cultivation or not?"

At this time, a female vendor selling candied haws at a roadside stall slowly approached the old man and asked in a low voice.

"He really doesn't."

The fortune-telling old man shook his head, "I felt his root bones and sensed his dantian. He is indeed an ordinary person."

The female vendor nodded, then asked, "Then your divination for him, is it all true?"

"Half true, half false."

"Which part is true, and which part is false?"

The fortune-telling old man smiled faintly, "Qing Han's girl is naturally a seer, as for what comes after, the secrets of heaven cannot be revealed."

The female peddler sighed, "I was adopted and raised by the Princess from a young age, following her north, conquering cities and territories, invincible in battle. She is my idol."

"But now, where have I ever seen her like this? Where has that heroic, peerless, Silver Armor Long Halberd wielding general gone?"

"Now Prince Qin's people have occupied half the imperial court, what should we do?"

The fortune-telling old man said calmly, "Perhaps, this is the real her. This old man has been with the Princess for many years, offering advice and strategies for years, and has long expected this day to come."

"An ordinary life is not necessarily bad, moreover, the husband she married may not be ordinary in the future."