In the quaint little street, Xiaohuan’s brow furrowed slightly, but her eyes gradually brightened. She carefully examined the white paper in her hands, where the name “Qin Wuyan” was written in neat, well-formed characters. Each stroke was elegant and rounded, with a subtle restraint at the corners, making it a very beautiful script indeed.
Xiaohuan blinked, then smiled suddenly. “Sir, your name contains the character for ‘flame,’ which naturally represents a strong, fiery energy. However, it is balanced by the character for ‘nothingness,’ which shifts the momentum to a more yin, gentle nature. The character ‘Qin’ also points west, indicating that you will find great fortune in the western, cold regions.”
She gently placed the white paper on the table and looked at Qin Wuyan. “The Western Dead Marshes are a yin, damp place. Your journey there will surely be favorable.”
A faint smile appeared on Qin Wuyan’s face, and his pale, youthful visage seemed to gain a bit of color. He nodded and said, “Thank you, miss. Here is ten taels of silver, please accept it.” He took out a piece of silver from his robe and placed it on the table.
Xiaohuan glanced at it, but Zhou Yixian, who was nearby, reached out and took the silver, tucking it into his robe. “Thank you, sir,” he chuckled.
Qin Wuyan smiled but did not seem to leave. Instead, he took out another ten taels of silver and placed it on the table. Zhou Yixian, taken aback, asked, “Sir, what is this for?”
Qin Wuyan remained calm. “I have a friend who is also going to the Dead Marshes. Could you please read his fortune as well?”
Xiaohuan was surprised, but Qin Wuyan had already taken a pen and paper and wrote two characters, handing them to her. “His name is Gui Li,” he said with a smile.
Suddenly, the bustling street fell silent. Some people quietly retreated, while others cautiously approached. Shadows could be seen on the rooftops, and though it was daytime, the air grew cold.
Zhou Yixian frowned and looked around, but before he could say anything, Xiaohuan pushed the paper back. “I’m sorry, sir, but for a reading, the individual must write the characters themselves.”
Qin Wuyan didn’t seem upset. He just smiled and said, “Is that so?”
He showed no intention of leaving, standing in front of the table. Xiaohuan’s expression changed, and just then, a hand reached out and wrote “Gui Li” on the paper. A voice said, “Miss, please look at these two characters.”
Xiaohuan turned to see him.
It felt as if a decade had passed in an instant!
Xiaohui perched on his shoulder, its eyes darting around, but the man’s features remained unchanged, as if time had stood still.
The street was deathly quiet. Hidden and visible forces seemed to surround the two young men, each watching and waiting…
Xiaohuan hesitated for a moment, then took the paper.
“Gui Li!”
She whispered softly.
※ ※ ※
These two characters were not as beautifully written as Qin Wuyan’s. They were heavy and clumsy, yet each stroke was clear. The strokes seemed to hold back, but at the end of each, a sharp edge was revealed, giving off a sense of arrogance.
Xiaohuan’s eyes seemed to brighten. After a moment, she put down the paper and asked, “Sir, what do you wish to know?”
Xiaohui suddenly jumped off Gui Li’s shoulder and onto the table, curiously playing with the brush. Gui Li looked at him and said, “I am also going to the Dead Marshes. Can you tell me about my fortune?”
Xiaohuan looked at him and smiled. “Every person has a soul. Those who do not dissipate after death often become feared spirits. Sir, with such a fierce name, do you not believe in ghosts and deities? Why ask me?”
Gui Li gave her a silent look but did not speak. Qin Wuyan, however, laughed. “You’re wrong, miss. You’re wrong.”
Xiaohuan was taken aback. “What am I wrong about?”
Qin Wuyan’s eyes glimmered as he looked at Xiaohuan, but his gaze also swept over Gui Li. “In ancient times, Heavenly Slaughter Ming Wang opened the heavens and earth, and the Holy Mother of Yomi created all life. These are immutable truths. How can one not believe?”
The cult of the Dark Religion always revered the Two Saints, the Heavenly Slaughter Ming Wang and the Holy Mother of Yomi. Ordinary believers held them in utmost faith, but to the righteous, they were considered heretical. Yet Qin Wuyan’s words seemed to challenge something.
As he spoke, the invisible pressure on the street intensified.
Gui Li slowly turned to face him, and Qin Wuyan also turned.
The two young men stood facing each other in the simple street, their eyes cold and steady.
The silence was oppressive. Zhou Yixian suddenly felt dizzy and found himself breathing heavily. He noticed many people around, some listening, some peeking, and some even directly watching, holding their magical weapons ready.
Gui Li’s pupils narrowed, and his voice became low. “Toxic Gentleman?”
Qin Wuyan’s smile faded, but his voice remained steady. “Blood Gentleman!”
Suddenly, a muffled thud echoed through the air. The tension in the crowd heightened, and the scene was on the verge of erupting.
Even the calm faces of Gui Li and Qin Wuyan seemed to twitch slightly.
A voice, tinged with panic and embarrassment, sounded. “No, no, I didn’t mean to…”
Everyone looked to see Zhou Yixian, in his nervousness, had dropped the silver he had just picked up. Xiaohuan, sweating, glared at him. Zhou Yixian blushed and mumbled, but in his heart, he was shaken.
In the past decade, the Dark Religion had grown in power, and many talented young members had emerged. Among the most outstanding were the “Three Gentlemen”: Qin Wuyan of the Venom Sect, known as the Toxic Gentleman; Gui Li of the Ghost King Sect, known as the Blood Gentleman; and Jinyin of the Reconciliation Sect, known as the Marvelous Gentleman.
Among the four main factions of the Dark Religion, only the Eternal Hall had no young members among the Three Gentlemen.
These three young men wielded significant power in the Dark Religion. Wherever they went, bloodshed and conflict often followed. However, they had never met. Some said that when they finally faced each other, it would mark the beginning of a great battle among the four factions.
Now, the two most powerful factions, the Venom Sect and the Ghost King Sect, were facing each other through the eyes of these two young men.
The atmosphere was tense. Zhou Yixian felt suffocated. He wanted to sneak away with Xiaohuan, but any movement could provoke these dangerous men.
Just then, Qin Wuyan smiled. “Brother Gui Li, I have long admired your name. It is a privilege to meet you today.”
His smile eased the tension. The invisible pressure began to recede. Gui Li’s expression softened, and both knew it was not the time for conflict.
“You flatter me, Brother Qin.”
Qin Wuyan continued as if nothing had happened. “With Brother Gui Li here, the treasure in the Dead Marshes will surely be yours.”
Gui Li looked at him and said, “The world is vast, and I am but a small player. If Elder Dusen desires the treasure, no one would dare to challenge him.”
Qin Wuyan’s expression changed, and he quickly replied, “My master no longer concerns himself with such matters. If anyone should claim it, it would be Master Yuyang of the Eternal Hall.”
Gui Li nodded. “You are right, Brother Qin.”
They looked at each other and smiled. Qin Wuyan bowed and left, his figure graceful and unhurried.
As he walked away, the bustling street emptied. The once crowded area now had only a few people.
Gui Li turned to Xiaohuan, whose eyes showed no fear. He looked at her for a long moment, then at Zhou Yixian, and finally back at Xiaohuan. A faint smile appeared on his lips. “You’ve grown up.”
The long-lost smile, like a gentle breeze melting snow, disappeared quickly. By the time Xiaohuan realized it, Gui Li had already picked up Xiaohui and headed west. The surrounding people followed, but the crowd dispersed.
Xiaohuan felt a strange emptiness, looking at the young man’s retreating figure, surrounded but unapproachable except by the monkey on his shoulder.
She watched, lost in thought.
“Hey, girl!” a loud voice shouted beside her.
Xiaohuan and Zhou Yixian, who was packing up, were startled. They saw a strange-looking man with a dog-like face. “Girl, since you’re good at fortune-telling, tell me my fortune.”
Xiaohuan looked at him. “Certainly, sir. What would you like, a reading or a character divination?”
Before he could answer, they heard a “chirp chirp” sound. Everyone turned to see Xiaohui, the monkey, running back and jumping onto the table, its eyes darting around.
The man glared at Xiaohui. “Why the rush? Do you think I’d eat the girl?”
He turned to Xiaohuan. “I don’t know how to write. Just read my face.”
Xiaohuan smiled. “What would you like to know, sir?”
The man thought for a moment. “I bear a heavy burden. Will I achieve great things in the future?”
Xiaohuan studied his face. “Your face is unique, but not destined for great achievements. Your three forehead lines are deep, pushing aside the line of virtue, which is broken and weak. Without a noble benefactor, you may not achieve much.”
Xiaohuan spoke lightly, but the man’s face paled. Zhou Yixian, seeing this, stepped forward. “Sir, thank you for the ten taels of silver!”
The man glared. “Rubbish! This woman spouts nonsense. I’m always lucky. You want money? Forget it!”
Zhou Yixian was shocked, but Xiaohuan remained calm. The man was about to leave when Xiaohui jumped onto him.
The man, startled, waved his arms. “Damn monkey, what are you doing…?”
Xiaohui, taking advantage of the commotion, jumped away and landed on the table in front of Xiaohuan, grinning at her.
Xiaohuan, finding the monkey cute, smiled. “Little monkey, what are you doing?”
Xiaohui scratched its head, then stretched out its right hand, revealing a large silver ingot, likely worth more than thirty taels.
The man, realizing this, raged. “Thief! You stole my money!”
He pulled out a magical weapon, but Xiaohui, sensing danger, screamed and leapt around, baring its teeth.
The man hesitated, then lowered his weapon. “Fine, you win. One day, you and that brat will beg me!”
He turned and left.
Xiaohui, relieved, jumped and laughed. Xiaohuan, charmed, petted its head. “Thank you, little monkey.”
Xiaohui, delighted, rubbed its head and wagged its tail.
Zhou Yixian, pleased, came over and tried to pet Xiaohui, but the monkey, screeching, almost bit him. Xiaohuan, giggling, and Xiaohui, perfectly at ease, made Zhou Yixian feel left out.
Xiaohuan, finding Xiaohui adorable, hugged it and played with it. Zhou Yixian, muttering, started to pack up, but he couldn’t help but sigh. “Sigh, in this age, even monkeys are so lascivious…”
Xiaohuan, blushing, glared at him. “Grandfather, what are you saying?”
Zhou Yixian, embarrassed, turned away, muttering, “Sigh, the world is falling apart…”
Xiaohuan, ignoring him, opened a small package and took out two strings of ice sugar hawthorns. She handed one to Xiaohui, who took it, jumped back on the table, and tentatively tasted it.
Xiaohuan, watching, smiled. “Sweet, isn’t it?”
Xiaohui, nodding, happily jumped around, then ran off with the hawthorn, disappearing into the distance.
Xiaohuan, shaking her head, felt fondness for the clever monkey. She turned to see Zhou Yixian staring after it, lost in thought. “Grandfather, it’s just a monkey. Don’t hold a grudge.”
Zhou Yixian, grumbling, said, “If I had a monkey like that, I’d be rich. Stealing silver from a cultivator like that…”
Xiaohuan, exasperated, scolded him. “Grandfather!”
Zhou Yixian, embarrassed, went back to packing.
Xiaohuan, wrapping up the remaining hawthorns, heard a melodious laugh. “Still eating ice sugar hawthorns, even after three years?”
Xiaohuan, surprised, saw a beautiful young woman in a yellow dress, with an elegant face and enchanting eyes.
Xiaohuan, delighted, smiled. “Sister, is that you?”
The woman, familiar with Xiaohuan, pinched her cheek. “Three years, and you’ve grown even prettier. I can’t help but be captivated!”
Xiaohuan, blushing, teased, “Flatterer! Why are you here?”
The woman, smiling, glanced west, where Qin Wuyan and Gui Li had gone.
Xiaohuan, realizing, asked, “You’re going to the Dead Marshes too?”
The woman, blinking, grinned. “Sister, do you want to come and see the excitement?”
Xiaohuan, frowning, said, “But it’s so dangerous…”
The woman, laughing, said, “Don’t worry, I’m here. No one will hurt you. Even if you don’t care, I will.”
Xiaohuan, rolling her eyes, smiled. “Alright, we haven’t seen each other in a long time. I’d love to talk.”
She turned to Zhou Yixian. “Grandfather, are you coming?”
Zhou Yixian, knowing the woman’s identity, agreed. “Of course, I’m coming.”
The woman, smiling, took Xiaohuan’s arm and whispered something in her ear. Xiaohuan, giggling, walked with her, leaving Zhou Yixian to pack up.
Zhou Yixian, sighing, shook his head, lamenting the decline of respect for the elderly.
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