Meeting on the Road

If one's cultivation level is high, one is riding an official mount, and one is not carrying enough wealth to incite greed, there are actually not many unexpected events on the journey.

Starting from Jiangdu Kingdom, Zhang Xuezhou and Gongsun Hong galloped northwards.

Aside from their commendable cultivation practices, almost nothing else affected the two of them on their journey.

The two rode their horses through Huainan and into Liang.

"Is it not delightful to have friends coming from afar?"

There were still more than 30 li to go before the Suiyang City post station, which Zhang Xuezhou and his group intended to pass through. Yao Yuanguang, who had been away for more than a month, waved to Zhang Xuezhou from a distance of about 100 meters ahead.

"Yes!" Gongsun Hong replied briefly, then asked Zhang Xuezhou, "Your friend?"

"Not a friend," Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand and said, "He's just an old fortune teller, but he's very well-informed!"

"It's truly rare for someone who can read fortunes to live to this age," Gongsun Hong said. "It seems he's a master with genuine skills!"

As Gongsun Hong sat on his horse and looked into the distance, he saw Yao Yuanguang with an old face, long gray hair and a flowing beard, which gave him an otherworldly air, which made Gongsun Hong admire him greatly.

A person's first impression can be formed by observing their appearance. If a person has a good physique, appearance, and temperament even in old age, such a person must have a self-disciplined mindset, and their abilities and achievements will not be too bad.

Although Zhang Xuezhou jokingly mentioned that the other party was an old fortune teller, Gongsun Hong felt that such jokes were fine to say, but if he believed them, he would have wasted all the years he had lived.

"It's not easy for him to run into you here by chance," Gongsun Hong said.

"How many days have we been waiting?" Zhang Xuezhou asked Yao Yuanguang casually.

"Including today, it's been nine days!"

Yao Yuanguang was skilled in both physiognomy and divination, but he was not always right.

Moreover, his ability to accurately predict Zhang Xuezhou's arrival in the Northern Border was not merely a matter of physiognomy; it was also based on the information he gathered from Pilan, which led to his speculation.

"Sir, you're amazing!"

Zhang Xuezhou originally wanted to prove that Yao Yuanguang was not as powerful as Gongsun Hong had imagined, and that he had not deliberately blocked the road.

But Yao Yuanguang honestly admitted it, and Gongsun Hong felt that he was too amazing.

Upon further reflection, Zhang Xuezhou realized the difference in perspective between himself and Gongsun Hong.

In the physiognomy that Zhang Xuezhou recognizes, to intercept someone, the timing must be precise. One side arrives exactly as the other side successfully intercepts. This kind of physiognomy with the slightest error is the highest level of physiognomy.

However, in Gongsun Hong's mind, being able to wait here nine days in advance already demonstrated extraordinary physiognomy skills.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Yao Yuanguang, clearly eager to meet this extraordinary person.

"Where did this guy come from? I've never seen you run with him before."

Upon seeing Zhang Xuezhou rein in his horse and dismount for the meeting, Yao Yuanguang couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"You're not good at physiognomy, just do a reading directly," Zhang Xuezhou retorted.

"How could I possibly have that ability?" Yao Yuanguang said in a low voice, his head aching. "I know whether you leaked the information to the North or to Pilan!"

"But I didn't tell Pilan I was coming to the Northern Border," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"She secretly read your official documents and knows you're looking for Li Shaojun. Your official document searching for someone heading north will inevitably pass through Suiyang, which is also within Li Shaojun's frequent area of activity," Yao Yuanguang said in a low voice. "It's not hard to guess!"

"Pilan is really good at selling information," Zhang Xuezhou said in a low voice.

"Do you need my martial uncle to guide you on the right path?" Yao Yuanguang asked in a low voice, seeking credit.

"No need, someone has already given me pointers!"

Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand in refusal, indicating that Yao Yuanguang's approach was useless and that he shouldn't expect to easily obtain information about the Wudang Holy Mother's secret location from him.

He's not like Pilan; he's not so easily fooled.

"Brother, you are a man of exceptional talent; it seems you are the one who has guided my friend!"

Yao Yuanguang exchanged a few words with Zhang Xuezhou in a low voice before turning to the friendly old man with a hint of ingratiation.

Yao Yuanguang hadn't taken Gongsun Hong seriously before, but since he was able to help Zhang Xuezhou in finding Li Shaojun, the other party must either have a powerful background or be equally capable.

Being able to associate with Zhang Xuezhou suggests that the latter has some connection to the imperial court, but Yao Yuanguang had indeed never met Gongsun Hong before.

He made a polite remark, which prompted Gongsun Hong to repeatedly deny it.

"No, no," Gongsun Hong waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "It's rare to meet a great physiognomist; you are the one who has shown me the way!"

"It seems you have some unresolved questions," Yao Yuanguang said.

"That's right," Gongsun Hong nodded repeatedly, "A master can predict the future, I hope you can tell my fortune and see if I can live a better life!"

"Oh!"

After only a few words, Yao Yuanguang knew that the old man was most likely a down-on-his-luck official who had been ostracized from the court in Chang'an City.

Gongsun Hong wore a Confucian robe and possessed both knowledge and cultivation; such great Confucian School were not many.

If the other party hadn't been completely unknown in Chang'an City, Yao Yuanguang wouldn't have had a hard time guessing their identity based on this information.

"My physiognomy skills don't help those who aren't destined to be with me," Yao Yuanguang waved his hand and refused, "Whether you live a good life or not doesn't depend on my physiognomy skills. Knowing it in advance is useless!"

"If the great fortune teller can foresee that my grandson will one day rise to prominence, then this old man will strive with all his might. If the future looks bleak, I will give up and retire to my home. I hope the great fortune teller will take pity on this pitiful old man and help me out!"

As time went by, Dong Zhongshu's gifts were most likely delivered to Chang'an City.

Gongsun Hong knew very well that Dong Zhongshu would keep his word, but he was indeed uncertain about the future, unsure whether he would be able to handle many things in the future, or whether he would be able to achieve his goals.

He felt uneasy, but also longed for reassurance.

It's rare to encounter a fortune teller who is skilled in divination, especially one who is quite old.

In Gongsun Hong's view, the older a fortune teller is, the more skilled they are; unreliable fortune tellers are unlikely to live long.

The old man before him was older than himself, and the man had a graceful figure. As long as Zhang Xuezhou wasn't joking around, Gongsun Hong felt that he had encountered a rare and great fortune teller.

At this point, he no longer cared about saving face; he only wanted to be able to perform face reading normally.

"You... you have a dignified appearance, with a prominent forehead, suggesting you possess exceptional talent but are being underutilized and attacked by petty colleagues," Yao Yuanguang casually remarked. "Someone like you, if you happen to meet an enlightened ruler, will surely rise to prominence, even becoming a marquis or prime minister would be no problem!"

"This~"

Yao Yuanguang's words nearly made Gongsun Hong's head spin with excitement.

"Sir, what is the auspicious sign of the Azure Dragon?" Gongsun Hong asked, unable to contain his excitement.

"Green represents azure, and dragon represents good fortune. A petty green figure is obscuring you, making it difficult for you to soar across the four seas like a dragon, hence your unsuccessful career," Yao Yuanguang said. "Once the green fades, you will surely radiate the golden light that a dragon's body should possess, thus ascending to the highest court!"

"This... sigh... this..."

Gongsun Hong could hardly contain his joy.

If anyone else had said this, Gongsun Hong would have taken it as flattery, but since it was said by a professional, the effect was completely different.

This had the same effect as what a doctor said to a patient, so Gongsun Hong felt he had to believe the Grand Diviner's words.

He paced back and forth, while Yao Yuanguang pulled Zhang Xuezhou along for a few steps, indicating that he was in a hurry and wanted to seek help.

"You didn't use any physiognomy skills just now, aren't you ashamed to say such things casually?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in a low voice.

"Saying a few kind words won't hurt anyone," Yao Yuanguang said. "It might even help him regain his confidence in life!"

You're right!

Zhang Xuezhou replied to Yao Yuanguang with a disgruntled expression, feeling that the other party was a big liar and that the fact that their sect hadn't been wiped out was incredibly lucky.