Su Chunyi

Chapter 11: Su Chunyi

When Chen Ye revealed that Wang Sanqi owed him 520,000 copper coins, not only Wang Sanqi himself but also every onlooker gaped in shock and sucked in a sharp breath.

Hadn't it started at one coin per fortune reading?

The second reading had only cost two coins. How had the amount snowballed to such a terrifying 520,000 after just eighteen readings?

Chen Ye calmly counted on his fingers and explained the arithmetic to the crowd. "One loss, one coin; two losses, two coins; by the third, it's four... By the tenth, you already owe me over two thousand coins..."

As Chen Ye laid out the baffling sum in painstaking detail, everyone around him stared in disbelief, as though they'd heard some outlandish tale.

One coin, multiplied over and over, could really become 520,000?!

The number left Wang Sanqi's legs weak and his whole body trembling.

"Fraud! You're a fraud! I'm reporting you to the authorities!"

Wang Sanqi tossed out that hollow threat, all bluster and no bite, then turned and bolted. His pitiful retreat sent the crowd into roars of laughter.

Chen Ye didn't stop him. Instead, he clasped his hands toward the crowd with an easy smile and called out, "Thank you all for standing up for what's right. If anyone would like a reading today, I won't charge a single coin."

At that, the crowd cheered even louder.

They'd just seen the young Daoist's skill with their own eyes, and now he was offering readings for free? Where else could they find such a bargain?

Without needing any further encouragement, the passersby gathered around him, each unwilling to miss this chance. Some asked whether their household would be safe, some wanted to know when wealth would come their way, and others asked where they might find love. Everyone had something they wished to pray to the gods and Buddhas for.

True to his word, Chen Ye patiently read their fortunes and answered their questions one by one. Amid the crowd's successive exclamations of amazement, he became a little immortal whom everyone praised.

Chen Ye talked until his mouth was dry, and even as the sun sank in the west, the crowd still hadn't dispersed. Helpless, he clasped his hands to them and apologized. "My spiritual power has been drained. I truly can't give accurate readings anymore today." Only then did the crowd slowly disperse, still reluctant to leave.

Chen Ye had worked all day and had earned only one copper coin, yet he was in quite a good mood. After today, his reputation as a divine fortune-teller would surely spread through Cui County.

If he wanted to make real money in a short time, he'd have to find a way to reach the powerful and wealthy. Once his name was known, people would naturally come seeking him out.

Humming a little tune, Chen Ye swiftly packed up his fortune-telling stall and headed off.

He wound through streets and alleys, turning left and right until he'd made seventeen or eighteen turns, then finally found a dilapidated little house in a remote spot.

A mountain of garbage lay piled in front of the house, stinking up the air. But the most eye-catching thing wasn't the filthy surroundings; it was the fat man standing there, rubbing his hands and bowing like a servant—none other than the rogue Wang Sanqi.

Chen Ye glanced at him with a hint of amusement at the corner of his mouth. "You really are impatient. We agreed you'd come at midnight so no one would see you. Couldn't you even wait a few hours?"

Wang Sanqi hurriedly replied, "Don't blame me, Daoist. My father is gravely ill. If he takes the medicine a few hours sooner, he'll suffer that much less. I did a decent job acting, didn't I? Please keep your promise and grant me the immortal pill."

"You're a real piece of work. You spend your days stealing and bullying the good, and apart from your filial heart, you're good for nothing. You've dragged the reputation your father and brothers built through the mud."

As he scolded Wang Sanqi, Chen Ye took a pill from his robe and handed it over. Then he instructed him, "Your father's qi is weak, and his body is depleted. This medicine will replenish what he's lost. Remember, give it to him with warm water, then let him sleep for a whole day. Don't disturb him. When he wakes, he may have a ravenous appetite, but don't feed him a big meal right away. Keep his food light for three days before he returns to normal."

Wang Sanqi took the pill, heedless of the filth underfoot, and dropped to his knees with a thud. He kowtowed to Chen Ye three times, each bow loud and hard.

"What good is kowtowing to me? Go kowtow to the people you've bullied and apologize. Make whatever amends you owe them. From now on, do more good deeds. If I hear you're doing evil again, I'll personally make sure you get what you deserve. Your old father has taken my pill, and I'll cut open your chest and gut to take it back."

Terrified, Wang Sanqi waved his hands frantically. "I won't do it again, I swear! Don't be angry, Daoist. I'd never dare do anything evil again."

With that, he kowtowed three more times—thump, thump, thump—then tucked Chen Ye's pill into his robe as if it were a priceless treasure and sprinted home.

Watching him go, Chen Ye shook his head and sighed. "If only karmic retribution were real. A good man like me ought to be blessed with great fortune."

Chen Ye pushed open the door of the broken-down house and was about to step inside and rest when he caught the faint sound of a breeze behind him.

He turned around warily. A woman in a pale-yellow gown and a bamboo hat stood quietly at the mouth of the alley.

Her face was hidden completely beneath the hat. From her elegant gown, he could only tell that she was a young woman.

When had she arrived?

Chen Ye's heart jumped, and he gripped the white banner in his hand tighter. She'd appeared behind him without making a sound. If she'd come at him with a knife, he'd be dead.

Before Chen Ye could ask who she was, the woman broke the silence first. "You said just now that good people should be blessed with great fortune. There's something I don't understand. You helped a scoundrel—does that count as doing good?"

Her voice was cool and flat, like frost on a winter night, and carried a distance that kept everyone at arm's length.

Rather than answer her directly, Chen Ye clasped his hands respectfully and asked, "May I ask who you are, miss?"

"Su Chunyi, of the Qinghe Sword Sect."

Chen Ye's heart gave a thump. Though he'd known for some time that cultivators from the Qinghe Sect were here, and had rehearsed this moment in his head many times, seeing one with his own eyes still made him uneasy. He tightened his grip on the white banner.

Seeing this, Su Chunyi reassured him. "There's no need to worry. The magical treasure in your hand possesses its own spiritual resonance, which is truly rare. But the Qinghe Sect's disciples wouldn't commit the evil deed of killing someone to steal their treasure. I'm merely curious and would like to ask you something."

Her tone was sincere, and Chen Ye finally relaxed. It seemed his master had been right: others saw the white banner as a fine magical treasure, not something connected to the demonic path.

Calming down, Chen Ye said respectfully, "So you're a distinguished disciple of the Qinghe Sword Sect. I'm Chen Ye, a Rogue Cultivator with no sect or school. My humble abode isn't fit for guests, so let me treat you to a drink at a tavern."

Su Chunyi gently shook her head and declined. "Sorry, but the sect rules forbid me from drinking. Besides, the mortal world is the same everywhere. You needn't worry about it."

Chen Ye felt helpless and grumbled inwardly, It's not as if I actually want a drink with you. It's just that there's no one around here, and I'm afraid you'll kill me to keep me quiet.

"Then how about tea? My cultivation isn't as high as yours, miss. This place is too filthy to talk comfortably."

As he spoke, Chen Ye slowly edged toward the mouth of the alley, while keeping a wary eye on the Qinghe Sect sword cultivator.

Su Chunyi didn't stop him. She simply followed behind at an unhurried pace, seemingly unbothered by going somewhere more crowded.

Chen Ye secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed she really hadn't come looking for trouble.

With a jumble of thoughts on his mind, Chen Ye led Su Chunyi to a teahouse, chose a quiet corner, and invited her to sit.

Chen Ye asked, "What kind of tea do you usually drink, Miss Su?"

"Plain water will do."

Chen Ye: ...

Were the Qinghe Sword Sect's rules really that strict? They wouldn't even let her drink water with a little flavor?

Helpless, Chen Ye ordered a pot of Pu'er at random and even tipped the waiter a few copper coins.

Su Chunyi seemed rather surprised. She asked softly, "This may be rude of me, but I've been observing you in secret for a long time. I truly don't understand what you're doing. Could you explain it to me?"

Chen Ye looked puzzled and asked in return, "Why were you watching me, Miss Su?"

"I suspected you were connected to Cui County's forced conscription of boys and girls. Whenever anything unusual happens in Cui County, I sense it and come to investigate. I wasn't deliberately targeting you."

Chen Ye gave a wry smile. "Then you think far too highly of me. I'm just a Rogue Cultivator who dabbles in unorthodox arts. I've only just reached the Qiling Realm. How could I have that kind of ability?"

"The Qiling Realm?"

Su Chunyi furrowed her brow, even more confused. "But your divination is extraordinarily powerful. I thought you were a hidden senior expert concealing your cultivation."

Divination was an exceptionally profound art. With a simple flick of one's fingers, one could glimpse the past and future—an ability only an immortal could possess. For a cultivator to study this path in depth, the bare minimum was the Tongxuan Realm.

The Qiling Realm was only the very first step on the path of cultivation, and one at that which offered little advantage over ordinary people.

Chen Ye patiently explained, "If I could really divine the past and future, why would I need to stage a trick with Wang Sanqi? I was just performing a double act to fool the passersby."

Su Chunyi pressed him further. "That's exactly what I don't understand. Since you went to such lengths to stage this act, why did you give readings to everyone else for free? And how did you get so much right afterward? Dozens of people came for readings. Surely you couldn't have been in cahoots with all of them?"

Su Chunyi had watched Chen Ye coldly from the moment he began his act until he packed up his stall. Everyone who'd come to him for a reading thanked him profusely and said he'd been uncannily accurate. Su Chunyi couldn't make sense of it.

Chen Ye could almost feel Su Chunyi's gaze piercing through her bamboo hat, staring at him with keen curiosity.

That gaze felt almost tangible. Could it be the sort of look his master had warned him about, one that could slice his head off in an instant?

Fortunately, Chen Ye had seen this coming. He'd given Zhao Hezhou everything he owned that was connected to the demonic sect, so Zhao Hezhou could use it to save his life and throw it away after finding a safe place to stay.

His master had already gotten away with his deception, and Chen Ye himself had never done anything evil. No matter how sharp Su Chunyi's gaze was, he faced it calmly, his expression as peaceful as ever.

Chen Ye poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip. Only then did he say to Su Chunyi, "Miss Su, this is a secret art. I can't pass it on to others. If you want to know, perhaps we can make a deal."

Su Chunyi asked softly, "What would you like in exchange?"

Chen Ye looked at her with eager anticipation. "If I answer your questions, could I exchange that for a Qi Condensation Pill?"