The mysteries of the White Cloud Temple's inner arts and magic, the Plum Blossom Divination Manual revealing divine secrets.
Xiao Dao calmly analyzes the divination results, while Jiu'er eagerly tries to be the first.
Butterflies dance in the wind, carrying messages; birds sing on branches, their sentiments incomplete.
The art of divination is profound; seeking the secrets of heaven leads to understanding its true meaning.
...
Every morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierce through the clouds and shine into the lecture hall, Master Lingsu begins to explain "Plum Blossom Divination" to Liu Feng. Also known as "Plum Blossom Numbers," it is a famous ancient divination technique.
"Everything has its own body, and within that body lies a universe; if one can know that all things are within me, then one can establish the three realms separately. Heaven divides creation within the One, and man cultivates his mind; even immortals have two kinds of words, and the Way is not falsely transmitted, but lies within man."
"Every object has its own destiny of birth and death, and all follow the laws of heaven and earth. Only by understanding and practicing with our hearts can we truly grasp and inherit these principles."
Jiu'er also sat down next to Ling Su Zhenren with Liu Feng, listening attentively.
Plum Blossom Divination originates from the numbers of the Eight Trigrams and combines them with the images of all things to predict future events through observation and calculation. Its key lies in sincerity and a keen perception of one's surroundings.
Liu Feng listened with great interest, occasionally asking questions.
Jiu'er, on the other hand, would sometimes frown and sometimes nod, clearly feeling both curious and somewhat troubled by these abstract concepts.
Upon seeing this, Master Lingsu couldn't help but shake.
She originally did not intend to teach Jiu'er the Plum Blossom Divination too early, but seeing that Liu Feng, who was even younger than Jiu'er, was going to learn it, she called on the nine of them.
Unexpectedly, she thought Jiu'er was also quite talented, but compared to Liu Feng, the gap was obvious.
Seeing the two children's completely different reactions, Master Lingsu pondered to herself. She decided to guide Jiu'er more, after all, this child also had her own extraordinary qualities.
Therefore, during the explanation, Master Lingsu would occasionally give Jiu'er pointers to help her understand those complex concepts.
Liu Feng seemed to notice Jiu'er's confusion. After class, he took the initiative to find Jiu'er and said with a smile, "Junior sister, don't worry. This knowledge is indeed a bit difficult. We can discuss it together and learn from each other."
Looking into Liu Feng's sincere eyes, Jiu'er felt a warmth in her heart and nodded.
At Baiyun Temple, Master Lingsu and Daoist Qingfeng often played chess, played the zither, and enjoyed tea. At the same time, they watched Liu Feng and Jiu'er grow up day by day, feeling very gratified.
On this day, Master Lingsu felt that he had taught enough Plum Blossom Divination, and the rest would have to rely on their own understanding.
Therefore, she decided to test their mastery of Plum Blossom Divination.
"Feng'er, Jiu'er, how about you use the Plum Blossom Divination method to predict tomorrow's weather?" Master Lingsu said with a smile.
Jiu'er glanced at Liu Feng secretly, wondering how she could defeat him.
Liu Feng did not notice Jiu'er's strange behavior. After receiving the divination task, he immediately entered a focused and calm state.
He first silently recited the incantation of Plum Blossom Divination in his mind, allowing his mind to be like a calm lake, clearly reflecting everything around him.
Then, he slowly walked to the window and looked at the scenery outside.
Just then, a butterfly flew by gracefully. Liu Feng's gaze followed the butterfly's trajectory closely. The butterfly's flight seemed casual, but it triggered a series of thoughts in Liu Feng's mind.
According to the principles of Plum Blossom Numerology, butterflies belong to the Xun trigram, which represents wind.
Meanwhile, the clouds in the sky drifted slowly. Combining the shape of the clouds with the wind symbol represented by the butterfly, Liu Feng deduced that the wind force would not be too strong, but it would still have some impact on the clouds.
He then observed the swaying of the surrounding trees to further confirm the wind force. Recalling the weather patterns of the past few days, he found that the weather had been relatively stable recently, without significant fluctuations.
Taking all these factors into account, Liu Feng predicted that tomorrow's weather would be mostly cloudy and windy, but not very strong.
However, Jiu'er was filled with tension and unease when she performed the divination.
When she saw the birds singing in the branches of the yard, she immediately assumed it was a good omen, believing that tomorrow would be a sunny and warm day. But she didn't think deeply about the true meaning of the birds' appearance.
In reality, the appearance of the bird may be accidental; it may simply be looking for food, and it may not have any direct relation to the weather.
Jiu'er relied too much on a single phenomenon during the divination process, unlike Liu Feng who considered multiple factors comprehensively.
The next day, Liu Feng and Jiu'er arrived early before Master Lingsu to report their divination results.
Ling Su Zhenren smiled at them but did not speak.
As time goes by, the weather gradually changes.
Sure enough, just as Liu Feng had predicted, the sky gradually filled with clouds, and the wind began to blow.
However, the sunny and warm weather that Jiu'er had divined did not materialize.
Jiu'er's cheeks flushed red instantly. She was unwilling to accept it and said defiantly, "Master, I was just unlucky this time. I will definitely be able to predict more accurately next time."
Master Lingsu smiled and shook her head, saying, "Jiu'er, divination isn't about luck. Liu Feng can accurately predict the weather because he has a deeper understanding of Plum Blossom Divination and can make calculations by combining various factors. You should learn from him."
Liu Feng found it amusing to see Jiu'er's dejected look.
He walked over to Jiu'er and said, "Junior Sister, don't be sad. I just happened to guess right."
Master Lingsu asked, "Feng'er, Jiu'er, what are your thoughts on the results of this divination?"
Liu Feng lowered his head slightly and said respectfully, "Master, when I was divining, I tried my best to analyze the situation calmly and did not dare to be careless in the slightest. When I saw the butterfly flying by, I thought of the Xun hexagram, which represents wind. Combined with the drifting clouds and swaying trees, I deduced that tomorrow would be cloudy and windy. I know that the art of divination must be treated with rigor and cannot be based solely on a momentary feeling."
Jiu'er bit her lip, somewhat unconvinced, and said, "Master, I just saw the birds singing and thought it must be a good omen. Who knew it might be wrong?"
Liu Feng looked at Jiu'er and said gently, "Junior Sister, divination isn't just about looking at one phenomenon. We need to observe more and think about all sorts of factors."
Jiu'er glared at Liu Feng and said, "Hmph, all you do is spout platitudes. I'll definitely be more accurate than you next time."
Liu Feng smiled and said, "Okay, Senior Sister, let's work hard together and we'll definitely do better next time."
Master Lingsu looked at them and said with a smile, "Feng'er is calm and cautious, while Jiu'er is lively and straightforward. You each have your own characteristics, but you both still have a long way to go in the art of divination. Feng'er must not be arrogant or complacent, and must continue to be rigorous. Jiu'er must learn to think calmly and not be impatient."
Liu Feng and Jiu'er replied in unison, "Yes."
Finally, Master Lingsu instructed Liu Feng, "In divination, one must adhere to the three principles of not divining. The occurrence and development of things are all within the normal state. Only when things are in a state of change will the 'opportunity' to enter into their changes be revealed. As the ancients said, 'Before thoughts are stirred, ghosts and gods do not know.'"
...
After failing the initial test, Jiu'er truly began to study Plum Blossom Divination diligently, and later inherited the mantle of Master Lingsu.
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