Damn Heaven

Jiang Ziya shook his head and said to Verdant Green Maiden, "Ziya was thinking about state politics..."

Verdant Green Maiden pried open a seashell with a small knife, scooped out the shell meat inside, gulped it down, and exhaled a puff of hot breath.

Blowing on the steam, she glanced at Jiang Ziya.

"Let's hear it."

"The Former King has recently passed, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne as a child. Ziya fears the Under Heaven Vassal Lords may harbor thoughts of their own."

Jiang Ziya's expression was troubled as he looked at Verdant Green Maiden.

"Teacher, do you have a Clever Plan?"

Verdant Green Maiden clapped her hands, brushing off the residue, "I'll teach you one saying: Children and Grandchildren Have Their Own Blessings! Don't overthink it. When do we start class, Teacher Jiang?"

"Ziya is a Mortal, unable to escape worldly concerns, unlike Teacher who can transcend the mundane."

Jiang Ziya sighed.

Everyone living in this world has ties!

A Banished Immortal like Verdant Green Maiden, alone and unburdened, was probably one of a kind.

Under Verdant Green Maiden's urging, Jiang Ziya devoted all his spare time outside of managing Qi State's court affairs to teaching her the Art of Divination, ensuring that the efforts of those Turtle Elders were not wasted.

Later, just as Jiang Ziya had feared—

The Rebellion of the Three Guards erupted!

The King's Command ordered him to lead troops and join the Duke of Zhou in suppressing the revolt.

Verdant Green Maiden lay sprawled on the table, looked up at Jiang Ziya donning his armor, and stretched lazily.

"Remember to come back and keep teaching me."

"The battlefield is perilous. Ziya doesn't yet know the outcome of this campaign."

Hearing Verdant Green Maiden's words, Jiang Ziya gave a helpless smile. "If Ziya returns safely, I will continue teaching Teacher."

"You'll come back."

Verdant Green Maiden shook the Turtle Shell and said, "This time, I divined it."

Hearing this, Jiang Ziya laughed and said, "With this, Teacher is already ready to Graduate."

Verdant Green Maiden curled her lip.

Graduate?

She couldn't be bothered to take on disciples or be a master. Why would anyone want to be a teacher? Wouldn't some brat just drive you mad?

Jiang Ziya led the Qi State army to suppress the rebellion.

Verdant Green Maiden stayed behind in Ying Qiu city, utterly bored. To test her own learning, she set up a Fortune Telling Stall in the city.

She charged no money, divining fortunes for free.

But she never expected this move to trigger a chain reaction.

The Green Robe Immortal Maiden's fame spread far and wide!

Even people from outside Qi State came seeking her out, hoping for a fortune-telling result.

Watching the crowd of people coming to her for divination grow daily—even asking trivial things like how much rice to eat tonight or which foot to step with tomorrow—

Verdant Green Maiden, surrounded and blocked in, was furious!

If not for the Snake's Bestial Nature being suppressed over the past one or two thousand years, she would have wanted to bite off their heads just looking at this noisy mob.

She couldn't bite them, and she couldn't drive them away. So Verdant Green Maiden had one trick—

Run!

The Fortune Telling Stall vanished overnight, as if it had never existed, leaving those who came to visit the Immortal Maiden the next day staring in shock, wondering if their eyes were playing tricks on them.

Inside the Qi State Palace, Verdant Green Maiden lay sprawled on a tree.

Her bare, fair feet, without shoes or socks, dangled down, swaying in the wind like a Snake Tail.

"Really ticks a snake off!"

Verdant Green Maiden clenched her fist and shook it at Jiang Ziya, who had returned from suppressing the rebellion.

"Your Qi people spread news way too fast! A few days ago, I even ran into some folks from Hao Jing asking me to divine their love fortunes."

"The Qi People Are Good at Business, so news naturally spreads quickly."

Jiang Ziya looked up at Verdant Green Maiden's delicate figure among the tree shadows.

"Of course, the main reason is that Teacher's Art of Divination is so superb that it draws so many people to you."

"Even if you flatter me, I won't come sweep your grave, you know."

Verdant Green Maiden tilted her head, adjusting her posture to be more comfortable.

Hearing her half-joking remark, Jiang Ziya chuckled, stroked his beard lightly, and shook his head. "I wouldn't dare hope for Teacher to sweep my grave."

"Don't worry. We've known each other after all. If I ever run out of money, I'll come Rob Your Grave."

"The Qi State is wealthy—remember to have your descendants stuff plenty of treasures into your grave."

Verdant Green Maiden rolled off the tree and landed, patting Jiang Ziya on the shoulder.

Jiang Ziya looked at her and smiled. "You truly are a Banished Immortal, unlike mortals who hold great reverence for ghosts and spirits."

He didn't mind her intention to rob his tomb.

If, thousands of years from now, she could actually come to his grave, that would be his fortune!

"I told you, I'm an Immortal Snake, and you still won't listen!"

Verdant Green Maiden shot him a glare, waved her hand, and walked off. "Come on, let's go to the coast and catch some fish to eat."

Jiang Ziya quickly reminded her.

"Ying Qiu is two or three days' journey from the sea!"

She took a few steps forward, then turned back to his side and said, "Then have your people roast me a few oxen."

"Your appetite seems much larger than before I set out on campaign."

Jiang Ziya looked at her with some surprise; he'd never seen anyone eat beef by the whole ox.

"It's getting cold. Eating more helps me sleep."

Though she had taken human form, Verdant Green Maiden still retained many of a snake's habits.

She preferred shade and disliked extreme heat or cold.

Jiang Ziya nodded. "However, sacrificial livestock are precious. Even as the Qi State Ruler, I can only find you one old ox at most. Please forgive me."

Verdant Green Maiden waved dismissively, unconcerned.

"As long as there's food, I'm not picky."

As winter arrived, thick clouds gathered over Ying Qiu, bringing the year's first snow.

The pure white flakes blanketed every rooftop in the city.

Verdant Green Maiden curled up inside her room, stretched her feet out toward the stove fire, and pulled the animal skin blanket tighter around herself, muttering, "When did it used to feel this cold?"

Jiang Ziya entered from outside, brushing the falling snow from his clothes, and caught her complaint.

"In past years, Ying Qiu never saw snow this heavy. I suspect it's because of you that Heaven has bestowed this auspicious snow."

"Damn Heaven."

She cursed.

In this era, only she dared to rail against Heaven so recklessly.

Hearing her, Jiang Ziya shook his head with a smile. He took several bamboo slips from a rack, spread them on the table, and began carving something with a knife.

Verdant Green Maiden half-opened her eyes and glanced at him.

"You're working every day I see you. Aren't you tired?"

"State affairs keep me busy. Naturally, I can't match your leisurely freedom."

Jiang Ziya focused intently on carving the bamboo slips.

She turned over, stretched her back, and said, "Haven't the Three Overseers already been pacified? What's there to be so busy about?"

"The Great King has summoned all the Under Heaven Vassal Lords to select artisans and build a new capital city on the Luo River Bank!"

Jiang Ziya looked at her, explaining.

"Construction starts next year!"

"By the end of this year, we must have all the needed artisans and building materials ready."

Verdant Green Maiden closed her eyes, lying comfortably, and said casually, "Can't you just delegate that to your subordinates? Doing everything yourself like this—you won't live long."

But Jiang Ziya just laughed.

"I've lived long enough. I only want to do my utmost for Great Zhou."