The Affairs of the Martial World - Vol 4: Chapter 5

Looking at the time, it was already noon. Zhu Que arrived at a tavern, ordered food and drink, and ate alone. Suddenly, he heard someone dining nearby say, “The guest of the Xie family is truly remarkable; he can predict fortunes and misfortunes with great accuracy. A few days ago, the butcher of the East Gate was told that he had too much negative energy, his brow darkened, and that he would soon face a calamity. Sure enough, he died at home yesterday.”

The other person asked, ‘Wasn’t the butcher confirmed to have died of a heart condition by the coroner?'”

The man said, “Yes, at that time, the guest of the Xie family asked the butcher to pay him to ward off the disaster, but the butcher was reluctant to part with those few taels of silver. Now, even if he has money, he has no life to spend them.”

The other asked suspiciously, “Does that mean the butcher could have avoided disaster if he had paid for it?”

The man said, “It’s always worth a try. Now that person is dead, who knows if it was useful? But since this person dares to say such a thing, he must have the ability; otherwise, wouldn’t he be ruining his own reputation?”

The other said, “If the butcher paid and didn’t die, who can say for sure whether there was a disaster or not? How can it be proven that there was a disaster and it was avoided?”

The man said, “If one doesn’t die, it’s hard to say whether it works or not, but as soon as he dies, it’s clear as day. After that, more people started going to get their fortunes told.

Hearing this, Zhu Que turned back to the two and said, “Brothers, why not come over and sit for a while? Let’s share a drink together. This way, I’ll cover your food and drink expenses.”

One of the two stood up and asked in confusion, “Who are you, sir?”

Zhu Que said, “My surname is Zhu, and I am a scholar. I found your conversation quite interesting, so I thought it would be nice to discuss it here.”

The two exchanged glances, nodded together, and called the shopkeeper to bring their food and drinks to Zhu Que’s table. Zhu Que then asked for two more stir-fried dishes.

The three settled down, and Zhu Que asked, “May I know your esteemed names?”

One person said, “My surname is Zhang, my given name is Bing. This person is surnamed Li and is called Li Mao. I wonder if Scholar Zhu, who is generous and hospitable, wants to ask about the guest of the Xie family?”

Zhu Que smiled and said, “A wise person doesn’t speak in riddles. That’s right, I want to see this person and have him calculate whether I can pass the provincial exam.”

Hearing this, Zhang Bing seemed somewhat dazed and said, “Indeed, if I can pass the provincial exam, losing some money would be worth it.”

Zhu Que said, “Money is a small matter. May I ask what the name of this guest from the Xie family is and their background?”

Zhang Bing said, “It’s said that the Xie family has invited an outsider who once served as a Taoist priest at the Qinglian Temple. This time, he came down from the mountain and returned to his original name, Quan Zhenyi.”

Zhu Que asked, “So what did the Xie family originally do? Why would Quan Zhenyi go to their house?”

Zhang Bing said, “The Xie family is quite wealthy and in the silk business. It’s said that they met him while doing business some time ago, and he only visited their home a few months ago.”

Zhu Que asked again, “Since you say he never misses in his fortune-telling, besides the butcher you mentioned, are there any other things he has predicted accurately?”

Zhang Bing said, “Of course, Granny Yang, who lives in my backyard, lost her husband early and has only one son who has been working on the farm. She hasn’t seen him for over two months. When she asked when her son would return, he returned on the day it predicted. Isn’t that amazing? Besides, he also helped with marriage prospects, which were quite accurate. Not only that, but he can also heal illnesses that some doctors have been unable to cure for a long time. After just half a day of acupuncture, the patient was significantly better.”

Zhu Que said, “If that’s the case, then this person is just like an immortal.”

Li Mao, who had been silent for half a day, said, “That’s right. Many call him Semi-immortal Quan, but his fees for fortune-telling and healing are too high. If you don’t have money, you can’t afford it.”

Zhu Que asked, “May I know where the Xie family is? I would like to pay a visit.”

Zhang Bing said, “Sure, sure, I see that Young Master Zhu is quite talented and will definitely excel in the exam. However, it’s more reassuring to consult him first. The Xie family is located to the west of the town. From here, walk along the road with a bridge for two or three miles, and you’ll see a peach orchard. Next to the orchard, there are about a dozen households, and the largest one among them is the Xie family.”

As the saying goes: “One’s hands are short when taking from others, and one’s mouth is short when eating from others.” (1) This flattery from Zhang Bing was delivered very naturally.

Zhu Que poured a cup of wine and said to them, “Thank you for the information. Come, let’s drink this cup of wine and eat more dishes. It’s a waste if we leave leftovers.”

Perhaps because the food and drinks were free, the two ate particularly a lot.

After Zhu Que finished eating, the two continued to eat leisurely. Zhu Que settled the bill first, bid farewell to them, and then headed towards the Xie family.

He faintly felt that the Taoist Quan Zhengyi appeared here for a reason, most likely related to the Fragrance Cult and its manipulation of people’s hearts.

(1) “One’s hands are short when taking from others, and one’s mouth is short when eating from others.” — An idiom for ‘if you owe someone a favor, you can’t refuse them.’