roccoschili Chapter 257 A Fortune Teller from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Arrives in the Capital
Chapter 257 A Fortune Teller from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Arrives in the Capital
As night falls, the capital city becomes even more bustling than during the day.
As dusk settles, millions of lights illuminate the entire city of Chang'an, making it appear as if daytime has fallen to earth.
On both sides of Zhuque Avenue, shops and restaurants stand side by side, and colorful lanterns hang in front of every household.
Vermilion palace lanterns, glass lanterns, plain white paper lanterns, and those exquisite revolving lanterns, their surfaces painted with figures, flowers, and birds, slowly rotate with the heat of the candlelight, casting flowing light and shadow.
The streets were teeming with pedestrians, shoulder to shoulder.
Vendors carried their wares on shoulder poles along the street, their bamboo baskets at both ends filled with steaming hot food.
The sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts, the caramelized scent of roasted sweet potatoes, and the savory flavor of wonton soup mingled together, drifting in the night breeze.
Children carrying candied hawthorns weaved through the crowd; the bright red hawthorns, coated in a transparent sugar glaze, glistened under the lights.
Young women walked together, carrying exquisite lanterns, chatting and laughing softly, their eyes full of joy.
Further away, the sound of gongs and drums could be heard.
That's a lion dance performance at the street corner.
Two brightly colored lions leaped and bounded through the crowd, their heads held high and their tails moving gracefully, drawing cheers from the onlookers.
Around the lion, several shirtless, burly men were performing fire-breathing. With a mouthful of strong liquor in their mouths, they suddenly breathed it out at the torches, and a fire dragon shot into the sky, bursting into countless sparks that rained down in the night sky.
Cheers and shouts of approval rose and fell.
Lively, bustling, and prosperous.
It's like a living "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" scroll.
Xu Fenghua stood in the crowd, quietly watching everything.
She wore an ordinary plain dress, her long hair was tied into a simple bun and secured with a wooden hairpin, and her face was free of makeup, making her no different from the other ordinary women in the city.
Even so, her innate dignified demeanor still made her seem somewhat out of place in the crowd.
Her gaze swept over the shops, the vendors, and the pedestrians.
My mind is filled with countless thoughts.
Chang'an was indeed more prosperous than the northern border.
The nights in the North are silent.
The cold wind howled, and the snow fell heavily.
The shops closed early, and the streets were deserted, except for the crunching sound of patrolling soldiers stepping on the snow.
What kind of life do the people in the North lead?
They toil in the fields year-round, their faces to the earth and their backs to the sky, yet their harvests are barely enough to make ends meet. Every year, people freeze and starve to death when winter comes.
And here—
Looking at all this, Xu Fenghua felt an indescribable bitterness welling up in her heart.
The prosperity of Chang'an City cannot be summarized by the word "lively".
This is a kind of prosperity that comes from within, emanating from the very core of one's being.
It's not a false prosperity propped up by a few businessmen or officials.
It is not a golden age, but a true golden age created by millions of ordinary people.
She thought of Jiangnan.
That place she had secretly managed for six years.
The prosperity of Jiangnan is renowned throughout the world.
The silks of Suzhou and Hangzhou, the salt merchants of Yangzhou, and the prosperity of Nanjing were truly breathtaking.
Even in Jiangnan, something is missing compared to Chang'an at this moment.
The inner peace and contentment that permeated everyone's face was gone.
The people of Jiangnan also had smiles on their faces.
But there was always a hint of calculation and shrewdness hidden in that smile.
And at this moment, every face she looked at—
The old man selling roasted chestnuts had a face full of wrinkles, but his eyes were full of kind smiles.
The child holding the candied hawthorn skewer smiled, his eyes crinkling, revealing a missing front tooth.
The group of young women walking together chatted and laughed in hushed tones, their eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future.
The crowd watching the lion dance cheered as the lion leaped, their faces filled with pure joy.
It was a genuine smile, one of contentment with life.
It was a smile that only appeared in times of peace and prosperity.
Xu Fenghua's vision blurred again.
She took a deep breath and suppressed the sour feeling.
"What are you thinking about?"
A lazy voice sounded in my ear.
Xu Fenghua suddenly came to her senses.
Qin Mu had stopped walking at some point and was looking back at her.
The moonlight and lamplight intertwined on his face, making his deep eyes shine even brighter.
Xu Fenghua lowered her eyes.
"It's nothing," she said softly.
Qin Mu smiled gently as he looked at her.
No further questions were asked.
He simply turned around and continued walking forward.
Xu Fenghua took a deep breath and followed.
……
As we walked, the street ahead suddenly became crowded.
The crowd gathered like a tide, blocking the road ahead.
Xu Fenghua stood on tiptoe and looked towards the center of the crowd.
Just then—
"Let's go take a look!"
An excited voice rang in her ear.
Xu Fenghua turned her head and saw Qin Mu craning his neck to look at the crowded people in front of him.
Those deep eyes were now filled with childlike curiosity and anticipation.
The smile that usually lingered on his face was now replaced by pure, undisguised excitement.
Looking at his appearance, Xu Fenghua felt a strange, indescribable feeling welling up inside her.
Is this man really the unfathomable, cunning, and nightmare-inducing Emperor of Qin?
Is he really the chess player who remains calm and collected in the imperial court, yet has the entire world situation under his control?
At this moment, he looked like a playful rich young master.
No, even more pure than a rich young master.
Like a child who has never seen the world and is full of curiosity about everything.
Xu Fenghua suddenly felt that this world was truly absurd.
A person who could manipulate her at will, a person she hated to the core, yet was powerless to do anything about.
It's unbelievable that someone would make such an expression just from watching the fun.
"What are you standing there for?" Qin Mu turned to look at her, held out his hand, "Come on."
His hands were long and fair, gleaming with a warm glow under the lamplight.
Xu Fenghua looked at the hand and hesitated for a moment.
Then, she reached out and gently took his hand.
The palm of my hand was still warm.
The touch of the calluses is still familiar.
But holding it now, the complex emotions in her heart were more intense than ever before.
Qin Mu took her hand and squeezed into the crowd.
The people around were jostled and pushed about, muttering complaints.
But when they saw Qin Mu's handsome face and his ordinary yet undeniably noble demeanor, their complaints automatically fell silent.
They simply made way for each other.
Qin Mu led Xu Fenghua by the hand and squeezed his way to the front of the crowd.
In front of me is a small stall.
The stall was simple: a worn-out wooden table covered with a faded blue cloth.
Several items were placed on the blue cloth.
A few rusty copper coins, a palm-sized tortoise shell, a few bamboo sticks, and a yellowed ancient book.
Behind the wooden table sat an old man.
The old man had white hair and beard, a gaunt face, and wore a faded gray Taoist robe.
He closed his eyes, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and remained motionless, like a statue.
His posture and demeanor truly gave him a somewhat otherworldly and ethereal air.
The most eye-catching thing was the couplets hanging on both sides of the stall.
First line: Calculating heaven and earth, calculating all past events
The second line: Calculating others, calculating oneself, calculating past and present lives.
Horizontal scroll: Divine Calculation of Heavenly Secrets
The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, with strokes that flow like dragons and snakes; one glance reveals it to be the work of a master calligrapher.
Xu Fenghua looked at the couplet and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
Calculating the heavens and the earth?
Have you calculated all the events of the past?
Can one fathom the past and future lives?
What a boastful tone.
She grew up in the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion and had seen countless so-called "masters," "magicians," and "demigods."
Those people are either swindlers or charlatans, relying on their silver tongues and the ability to read people's expressions to cheat unsuspecting people out of their money.
Those who are truly capable are one in ten thousand.
The old man in front of me looked exactly like a charlatan.
But the onlookers around them were filled with awe and whispered among themselves.
"This old gentleman is quite remarkable; he's from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion!"
"The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion? That legendary, mysterious organization that can glimpse the secrets of heaven?"
"That's right! I heard from my cousin that everyone in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion has extraordinary abilities."
"Really? That's amazing?"
"Of course it's real! Didn't you see the couplet he wrote? It calculates heaven and earth, calculating all past events; it calculates others and oneself, calculating past and future lives. Without real skill, who would dare to write such a couplet?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Fenghua's heart stirred slightly.
Tianji Pavilion.
She was familiar with this name.
It was an extremely mysterious organization in the martial arts world, said to have been passed down for hundreds of years. The leaders of each generation were all exceptionally talented individuals, proficient in astronomy, geography, yin and yang, the five elements, divination, and physiognomy.
It is said that the people of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion never make a move lightly.
It is said that their divinations have never been wrong.
Xu Fenghua's gaze toward the old man became more solemn.
If it's a scam, then it's no big deal.
But if it really is someone from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion...
Just then, a rough voice rang out.
"Old sir!"
A burly man stepped forward and clasped his hands in a salute.
He was dressed in short clothes with a machete at his waist, clearly a member of the martial arts world.
"Sir, how can I get you to do a fortune telling?"
The old man slowly opened his eyes.
Those eyes were cloudy and deep, as if they had held the weight of a hundred years.
He looked at the burly man, his gaze calm, and said indifferently:
"Those who are destined to be with me will not be charged a single penny."
"Those who are not destined for it are worth a fortune."
The voice was old, yet exceptionally clear, each word reaching everyone's ears.
The surrounding crowd fell silent for a moment.
Immediately, a collective gasp of astonishment filled the air.
Those who are destined to meet will not be charged a single penny?
Those who are not destined for it will find it priceless.
The old man's tone was truly arrogant beyond measure.
But it was precisely this tone that made everyone even more respectful.
Only truly capable people dare to say such things.
The burly man paused for a moment, then scratched his head and chuckled憨厚ly:
"Sir, do you think we are destined to be together?"
The old man glanced at him.
The gaze lingered on him for a moment, then slowly shook its head.
"Sorry, we're not meant to be."
Those four simple words instantly froze the smile on the big man's face.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something.
In the end, however, nothing was said.
He simply sighed dejectedly, turned around, and squeezed out of the crowd.
His back view was filled with disappointment.
A murmur of surprise rippled through the surrounding crowd.
"Even he's not a match? I think he's quite sincere."
"What do you know? The old man's talk of fate is predetermined. What good is sincerity?"
"Exactly, exactly. Do you think just anyone can be mobilized by the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion?"
As Xu Fenghua watched this scene, the heavy feeling in her heart deepened even further.
This old man seems to really have some skills.
Just then, another voice rang out.
"Old sir!"
A young man dressed in fine clothes stepped forward.
He was in his early twenties, with a fair complexion, and it was clear at a glance that he was from a wealthy family.
Two servants followed behind him, carrying lanterns and teacups.
"Sir, since you say it's priceless, what if I offer ten thousand pieces of gold?"
His tone carried a hint of smugness and an air of certainty.
The old man looked at him and smiled gently.
The smile was faint, yet it carried an indescribable meaning.
"Young master, there's no need to spend ten thousand taels of gold," he said.
The young man was slightly taken aback.
The old man looked at him and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"We are destined to meet."
The young man's eyes lit up instantly!
"Really?!" His voice was full of surprise. "That's wonderful! Sir, please tell me your fortune!"
A chorus of envious voices immediately rose from the surrounding crowd.
"What a coincidence! He's actually the one I'm destined to meet!"
"Tsk tsk, this person is clearly destined for wealth and privilege, truly exceptional."
"Indeed, the old gentleman recognized it at a glance."
But amidst this chorus of envy, a discordant voice was discordant.
"Is this old man treating people differently based on their status?"
A shrill voice came from a corner of the crowd.
"They see that big man is dressed in rags and say there's no chance, but they see this young master is dressed smartly and say there's a chance. Isn't that blatantly judging people by their appearance?"
Xu Fenghua looked in the direction of the sound and saw a thin, middle-aged man with a smirk and a disdainful expression.
She nodded to herself.
What this person said makes some sense.
Treat people differently based on their status.
She'd seen this kind of thing far too many times.
That's exactly what those con artists are good at.
First, they put on the airs of a wise and shrewd person, then they choose the richest and most powerful person and say they are "destined" to meet them, thus swindling a large sum of money.
This old man is probably the same kind of person.
But just as she finished thinking about it, she heard another voice.