The old man stared at the young man for a long time.
Finally, he sighed heavily. "Once you're out, go straight to the Netherworld for money. Spend as much as you like."
"What I'm sending you to do this time, there's no telling whether you'll survive."
The young man in sunglasses fell silent for a moment, then suddenly cheered, as though he hadn't heard the second half.
"Yes!"
"Long live Grandfather!"
"I'll bring you back some hamburgers from the city."
"Oh, right, those people from the Netherworld all look fierce. Will they give me money if I just ask? How about writing me a letter or something, Grandfather?"
"No need." The old man shook his head, then suddenly took out a peculiar, palm-sized compass, square below and round above, and handed it to the young man.
"This is my Six Ren Pan."
He took out a yellowed ancient scroll as well and solemnly handed it to the young man.
"This is the foundation of our Yuan Family."
At those words, everyone around them jolted and stared fixedly over. They all understood what Grandfather's actions meant.
"I used sixteen methods of divination, including dream interpretation, observing celestial phenomena, Six Yao, I Ching divination, and character analysis, to look into the Nine Provinces' future. Every result foretold great calamity."
"Yet amid those ominous signs, there was a variable."
"But that variable was too indistinct. I couldn't even determine whether it was truly a variable or another calamity."
"When I looked deeper into it, something terrifying happened. Everything around me turned bloodred, with all kinds of enormous corpses strewn across it. It felt as though... a god had died. An intense aura of ill omen filled the air... It was too uncanny!"
The old man drew a deep breath.
The other old men