A Trifling Trick

[Author's note: the original divination material in this chapter and the next has been deleted. It wasn't important, so that was that.

Just make sure you don't miss the important parts.]

"There are all sorts of considerations in marriage divination: how the zodiac signs generate, harmonize with, restrain, harm, clash with, and punish one another; the stellar associations and melodic elements of the sixty-year cycle; the life palace, the eight characters, directions, and so on," the old Taoist briefly explained. "Today, I'll teach you how to calculate the direction of your marriage partner first."

Calculating the direction of a marriage partner was simple. I understood it as soon as he explained it.

But when the old Taoist finished, he cast a meaningful sidelong glance at me.

I couldn't work out what that glance meant at the time.

It wasn't until many years later, after countless experiences, that I truly understood how many stories too complicated to explain lay behind that meaningful glance.

At the time, all I could think about was testing whether the theory was accurate.

The old Taoist beat me to it and explained, "You have to be rigorous when testing this.

You don't get to decide whether someone is living a good life.

For some people, a hundred million is just a modest goal. For others, that goal is nothing more than a joke.

In other words, what you consider a good life might, to that person, be the equivalent of losing his last pair of underwear.

Everyone has a different sense of scale.

Outsiders might not know, but people know where they stand.

Besides, the good life you see might not be real.

Qian Zhongshu's wife once said: every family's pots have soot on the bottom. It isn't that other people's lives are endlessly glamorous; they simply haven't shown everyone their mess.

So when you test it, you must be objective, not subjective."

Having said that, the old Taoist looked at me with an expression of lofty detachment from worldly affairs.

I gave it some careful thought. His words weren't wrong, and that did seem to be how things worked.

Still, this old Taoist could go from talking about underwear to discussing Ms. Yang Jiang in a single turn. His taste...

But I knew my limits. I was no match for the old Taoist in an argument.

With a grin, I said, "You're right, Master."

Inwardly, though, I thought, Whether he's right or not, I can take my time testing it myself later.

Once we finished discussing marriage divination, I felt it was far too simple, so I shamelessly asked the old Taoist for more. "Master, it's not like I can look for a partner every day. How about teaching me some more practical tricks?"

Although I said that, I was still nervous, unsure whether he would think I was being greedy.

To my surprise, the old Taoist wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, he readily agreed.

Perhaps he appreciated my eagerness to learn and improve.

Considering that I had little foundation and would struggle to understand anything too advanced, the old Taoist said, "I'll teach you a finger-counting divination art."

Finger-counting divination?

Like those immortal masters on TV who count on their fingers and divine the answer?

That would be pretty cool.

I perked up and listened with absolute concentration, afraid I might miss even a few words and fail to understand.

The finger-counting divination art was simplified by Zhuge Liang from Strange Gate and Hidden Armor. It was also known as Zhuge's Horseback Divination or Minor Six Ren Divination, shortened to Minor Six Ren.

This was easy to learn too. As soon as he finished explaining, I started counting on my fingers.

I wanted to divine how my upcoming studies in Singapore would turn out.

To my surprise, as I counted, I ended up on Red Mouth.

Red Mouth?!

It foretells disputes and trouble?

I was shocked.

I have no doubts about my ability to learn. Why wouldn't I graduate without a hitch???

That makes no sense at all.

"Could it be... that the reading isn't accurate?" I asked the old Taoist, completely baffled.

As though he had known the result all along, the old Taoist said serenely, "Why did you choose to divine this matter at this very moment? That is heaven's will.

If you're unhappy with the result and deliberately wait two hours to try again, getting Minor Auspiciousness instead, then it really will be inaccurate."

I was on the verge of tears. This wasn't about being happy or unhappy with it. Given my abilities, the result simply wasn't logical.

But I didn't dare say that aloud.

There was no point arguing now.

If Master says it's accurate, then fine. I don't believe it anyway.

I'm an absolute materialist. I'll let the outcome speak for itself when the time comes.

Both of the arts the old Taoist had taught me were far too simple for me. There was nothing miraculous about them.

I asked the old Taoist, "Master, why were you able to tell me exactly which school I'd graduated from the very first time we met? [Master had named the Harbin Institute of Technology outright.]

What method did you use?"

That was what I considered truly miraculous.

The old Taoist laughed. "Ha, a trifling trick. Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning."

That wouldn't do at all. With a broad smile, I pressed him for guidance. "How about... mentioning it anyway?"