Chapter 7 Judgment: What she desires is what I desire.
After noticing the change in Fu Yao's attitude, Yue Yining was startled and became wary of A Yu's approach and attempts to be friendly. Her avoidance was clearly noticed by the man, but he showed no sign of discouragement. No matter how she treated him, he remained as kind, gentle, kind, and considerate as ever.
This is so strange.
On the surface, the two women appeared to be weak women with nothing to their name. Although Yue Yining was a Taoist master, he was a big spender who believed in the idea that "money spent will come back again." He never had any savings. Even if he wanted to cheat her out of money, he would have to wait until the next time she set up her fortune-telling stall.
All of Ayu's actions pointed to one goal: to gain their trust.
But how much is their trust worth?
Yue Yining's ostensible reason for entering the city was to purchase some magical tools and consumables, but her real purpose was to visit the government office. There were no officials in the town; if she wanted to know about recent missing persons or notices, she would have to go to a nearby major city. Although the journey to the city wasn't far, it would still take almost an hour, and with the weather growing increasingly hot, she often felt lazy and only made the decision yesterday.
Yue Yining pondered. More than half a month had passed since the day she entered the city, but there were still no missing person notices posted by the government that matched Ayu's characteristics.
Right next to Yue Yining were two women whispering among themselves. The first woman looked at the notice and spoke up in a loud voice: "I saw this wanted criminal posted here the month before last, and he still hasn't been caught! Look at what it says: 'Broken into a house, murdered four people, and fled.' How scary!"
Woman B was also watching, and she clicked her tongue in amazement: "That's right, more and more people are getting into trouble these days. This world is really in chaos!"
Yue Yining had a sudden inspiration and naturally asked, "Auntie, do you think the government would post missing person notices if someone from a wealthy family went missing?"
Woman A: "Of course they will! These officials are very good at using their public power for their own private affairs!"
Woman B: "Yes, yes, not a single official is any good!"
Yes, that's her deduction too. If a powerful or wealthy person lost their child, they would definitely report it to the authorities.
Was her deduction wrong? Was that person not a noble young master from an official family, but a spoiled servant who had run away from the manor? But if so, how could one explain the contradictions in his behavior...?
Yue Yining had a headache and rubbed her temples.
Forget it. There's no point in staying here and thinking any longer.
Let's leave now and go buy something, so we don't linger too long.
Yue Yining quietly withdrew from the crowd, sighed inwardly, and was about to slip out into a nearby alley when she suddenly froze as she peeked out from around the corner.
She immediately stopped and retreated to her original position, almost stumbling.
A few meters away, a familiar figure stood in the alley, elegant and graceful, with his back half turned to Yue Yining.
It was Ayu. He was standing in front of a vendor, and from Yue Yining's angle, she could just see the dark patterns on the hem and cuffs of his clothes, as well as his long eyelashes that were slightly lowered.
Yue Yining pressed against the wall, the bricks, scorching hot from the blazing sun, touched her palm. She quickly withdrew her hand, only gently supporting herself against them.
She started to doubt herself as soon as she hid.
No, why is she hiding here?
If you run into them, just say hello openly. It's suspicious to act like a thief, okay?
Wait, why is he here? Shouldn't he be near the department store in the east of the city at this time?
"...Grandpa, were you calling me just now?"
When Ayu's voice came, Yue Yining's ears twitched slightly, and she quietly peeked out from behind the wall, revealing half of her face.
The sun shone behind the walls and rooftops, casting deep shadows in the alleyways. Only then did Yue Yining see clearly the person in front of Ayu. It was an old man with white hair and beard, dressed in an ordinary black cloth robe. His frost-covered eyebrows pressed down on his wrinkled eyelids, making it impossible to see his eyes. The old man smiled faintly: "Yes, it was me who called you."
"Young friend, are you in a hurry?"
Ayu nodded, her tone gentle: "It's a bit rushed."
“I see you have a connection,” the old man said, a bamboo tube with a cricket pattern wrapped around his waist. His withered palm was open, on which lay a flattened bamboo strip. He looked at Ayu and grinned. “If you are willing, I can tell your fortune. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to fool you because I have no business. I will not charge you for this fortune telling.”
The old man seemed not to hear his tactful refusal, and continued talking to himself, his kind smile unchanged.
Ayu chuckled inwardly, knowing she was being entangled.
He didn't get angry about it, but readily agreed, saying, "Okay."
"Grandpa, how do we calculate it?"
The old man said, "For divination, one should not cast a divination without a specific question; one should only consult a diviner if there is doubt. Young friend, please ask whatever you wish to have divined."
Ayu: "Then let's ask about luck."
The old man laughed loudly three times, then took out a gold-copper plate. With one hand, he opened a bamboo tube, flicked a bamboo strip, and three copper coins jumped into the plate. Yue Yining narrowed her eyes. This gold-copper plate was not quite the same as hers. She was too far away to see the details clearly, but the plate had a thick, lustrous patina, unlike the kind of polished surface that a roadside swindler could achieve.
The copper coin glided across the raised lines in the center of the copper plate, producing a metallic sound. The old man held the bamboo strip in his hand, but his movements became increasingly sluggish, and his expression changed repeatedly.
“The dragon is born of fire, lying in the river abyss… this…” The old man stopped, muttering inexplicably, “Young friend, you will soon have a great opportunity. Your journey will be one of boundless ambition, rising to great heights, riding the phoenix and the luan. Judging from this divination, it is not impossible that you will reach the highest position in the court.”
"...But, young friend, are you now a servant?"
Yue Yining noticed that Ayu's expression seemed unchanged from beginning to end. At this moment, his voice remained gentle, like a spring rain: "Yes."
It's no wonder the old woman had this question. Although Ayu was dressed in plain clothes and had no hat or belt, her demeanor was far from that of a servant. Moreover, she didn't really treat Ayu as a servant; even the fabric used to make her clothes was similar to what Ayu used for herself.
Yue Yining silently grumbled to herself.
The old man said, "It seems that the person in charge of your household is a woman."
The old man didn't say anything special, but Yue Yining inexplicably felt that Ayu's expression softened after he said those words.
The spring rain that had enveloped him stopped. Everything was reviving, and even the wind carried a gentle warmth.
Ayu said softly, "Yes."
The old man pondered for a moment: "Young friend, you and she are destined to be together. According to the divination, she saved your life and gave you a second chance. In the secular world, such a relationship would be perfect if you were husband and wife."
"However, my friend's character is not limited to this. What I am about to say may be offensive, and I hope you will understand."
The old man's voice was deep and powerful, and the moment he recited the judgment, it was low and melancholic:
"Snowflakes fill the mountains like flying catkins, and the river flows into the sea like sinking jade. In the near future, my little friend will become her enemy."
"You two each hold your ground, each has your own principles, and it's hard to say who's better. Neither of you is willing to give in. In the end, you're at loggerheads, irreconcilable enemies, and become like strangers."
Yue Yining subconsciously clenched her fists, her originally lively thoughts slightly slowing down.
It turned out to be... consistent with her calculations.
Yue Yining is most skilled in divination. Although Ayu's birth date, place of origin, and birth class are all mysteries, there are many types of divination techniques that can be calculated even under strict conditions.
On the very first day after deciding to let Ayu stay at home, Yue Yining cast a divination.
Yue Yining, who had been cultivating for over ten years at a young age, could be said to have performed countless divinations and seen all sorts of strange and unusual hexagrams. Even so, the result she obtained that day still far exceeded her expectations.
Her curiosity and desire to explore this person began from this point.
Yue Yining pursed her lips and looked away.
From her angle, she couldn't see Ayu's expression, but it wasn't hard to imagine his reaction.
...It would be hard for anyone not to be surprised to hear that they would become enemies with their current master.
Yue Yining leaned against the wall, lost in thought, when she unexpectedly heard that familiar, gentle voice, clear and bright, without the slightest hesitation: "Old man, you've only miscalculated this one point."
"—I will not become her enemy."
Yue Yining froze, her fingers, which had been unconsciously tapping the wall, stopped.
Ayu refuted the old man's verdict. His voice contained no panic or anger, only a gentle, calm, and unchanging warmth.
It was as if he had long ago foreseen the secrets of heaven, knowing the life and death, the course of fate, and the ending of all stories.
"What she desires is what I desire. I will never be her enemy."
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