Chapter 308: The Fortune Teller

Chapter 308: Fortune Teller

"Don't underestimate the Martial Arts Tournament.

Though the championship's prestige has waned compared to the past.

Among the top hundred, there are still about thirty martial arts limit-breakers."

Hearing Qi Yuan's words, Yang Shan couldn't help but retort.

"Thirty... as strong as you?" Qi Yuan mused. "The last champion—could you take him on?"

Qi Yuan fell into a dilemma.

What if the opponents in this tournament were too strong?

If he couldn't win through martial arts alone, what then?

Should he... cheat a little?

After all, this was a game; a small cheat wasn't really cheating.

Besides, no one could tell he was cheating.

So Qi Yuan wouldn't be cheating at all.

Open and aboveboard, with righteous integrity.

"The last champion..." A smug smile crept onto Yang Shan's face. "We're evenly matched."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

He hadn't cheated, and there was no need to.

"If this year's tournament is just as weak, winning the championship will be a breeze for me.

Looks like there's no need to cheat!"

"Hey, you're underestimating me, aren't you?

What do you mean by 'weak'?" Yang Shan couldn't help but say. Qi Yuan's mouth was just asking for a beating.

What kind of talk was that?

Even if he was arrogant, he shouldn't be so tactlessly proud.

"Ah, I finally understand the loneliness of being invincible—whether it's 'Seeking Defeat' or 'Undefeated.'

Unrivaled in the world—what a profound solitude."

Qi Yuan's voice was stirring, carrying the air of a refined gentleman in a corrupt world, a lone and proud swordsman.

This aura, exuding naturally, made Yang Shan pause for a moment, inexplicably convinced by Qi Yuan's words.

But he still stubbornly retorted, "Lonely brother, let's see if you'll be lonely at this tournament!"

...

Above lies the Star Sea, below lies the Orchid Terrace.

Longtai City was an emerging first-tier city in the State of Qinyuan.

This city was famous for being a trendy tourist destination, with a constant stream of visitors each year.

In reality, though, it was a strong industrial hub.

This year's Martial Arts Tournament was held in Lantai City.

Lantai City was located in the northern part of Qinyuan. During a dynasty that once ruled over Qinyuan, Lantai had been one of the two capitals.

That capital was known as the Martial Capital—Wujing City.

Legend had it that during the Tianhu Dynasty, three thousand martial artists once gathered in Lantai to hold the Ascension Martial Meet, seeking ways to break through the limits of martial arts.

The three thousand martial artists sat together, discussing martial arts and the Way, delving into the essence of martial arts.

Rumor had it that the martial arts champion, Luo Bufan, had an epiphany at the Ascension Martial Meet and broke through the martial arts limit.

Suddenly, a lotus bloomed above his head, and he stepped into the void and vanished.

This was also the most recent recorded instance of breaking the martial arts limit.

On the land of Qinyuan, breaking the martial arts limit had become a thousand-year challenge.

Walking along the streets of Lantai, Yang Shan's eyes gleamed with longing. "For martial artists, the most famous place is the Martial Cloud Pavilion.

On the Martial Cloud Pavilion, traces left by thousands of martial artists, ancient and modern, with their own strength, remain.

If someone of extraordinary talent observes those traces on the Martial Cloud Pavilion, they might glimpse the true essence of those martial artists' paths.

Our Old Qin's last martial artist to ascend, Luo Bufan, also left his mark on the Martial Cloud Pavilion.

After our tests are done, want to go take a look?"

This time, their destination was the Martial Arts Alliance branch in Longtai City.

Longtai City was also the venue for the Martial Arts Tournament.

So for Qi Yuan to participate in the national tournament through a special channel, he needed to take a different route.

"Hmm... sure, I'd like to see the traces those ancients left behind.

And that Luo Bufan—he sounds interesting," Qi Yuan replied.

"Yeah, let's go. The building ahead is the Martial Arts Alliance branch.

But we'll have to queue for a bit—there are a lot of people here today.

These people will all be future luminaries in the martial arts world. If you plan to develop in this field, it's worth getting to know them."

"Looks like they'll all be old rivals? I, Qi Undefeated, can't be bothered to make their acquaintance," Qi Yuan said, dubbing himself Undefeated.

He would need to participate in more than one Martial Arts Tournament.

So, as the tournaments continued, those who hadn't won the championship would always be his opponents.

"This young friend is interesting. Coming here at such a young age—you must be like me, one of the rare ones in this world!"

A voice rang out, and a young man in flamboyant clothes, with hair styled into a cockscomb, walked over.

He looked only about twenty-five or twenty-six, and his strength was clearly at the martial arts limit.

Seeing the newcomer, a flicker of solemnity passed through Yang Shan's eyes. "Northern Crane—Han Xianyun!"

"Didn't expect my reputation to be this big," the cockscomb-haired man said with a smile.

Qi Yuan had heard of the name Northern Crane, Han Xianyun.

In the martial arts world, there were two peerless prodigies, considered the most likely to break the martial arts limit.

These two were the Southern Lion and the Northern Crane.

Both had reached the martial arts limit in their twenties.

Among them, the Southern Lion not only had profound cultivation but also formidable combat power.

Last year, he had challenged that year's tournament champion and lost by only one move.

This year, the hottest favorite to win the championship was the Southern Lion.

Northern Crane... is the second candidate.

Qi Yuan looked at Northern Crane Han Xianyun, a strange expression in his eyes: "You should change your hairstyle."

Han Xianyun paused, then a hint of meaning flickered in his eyes: "What, is my hairstyle not cool enough?

Little brother, if we meet at the martial arts tournament, you can kick me in the groin, but don't mess up my hair."

Han Xianyun was utterly flamboyant, his words startling from the first utterance.

"Your hairstyle is cool, but it doesn't suit you," Qi Yuan said calmly.

"Oh, has little brother studied hairdressing too? A fellow enthusiast?" Han Xianyun's eyes widened. "I designed this hairstyle myself. How about it, cool or not? Want me to design one for you, free of charge!"

"No thanks." Qi Yuan shook his head. "In your bloodline, there is neither rooster nor crane, but rather... a rat.

So, this title and discovery of yours do not suit you.

You should change your hairstyle."

"Bloodline?" Han Xianyun was stunned.

He had never heard of such a notion.

He looked at Qi Yuan, a strange expression on his face: "Are you serious, or just messing with me?"

"Serious, of course. If I wanted to mess with someone... it wouldn't be you.

That fortune-teller in front of the building—isn't he more interesting than you?"

Qi Yuan did not delve deeper into the topic.

Northern Crane Han Xianyun's martial bloodline was indeed akin to the "rat" in Qi Yuan's research.

As for what resided within his own body, it was a kind of "sea fish."

"Fortune-teller? You believe that?" Han Xianyun looked toward the stall in front of the building.

There, a young man with a frail complexion sat at the stall.

The sign read "Iron Mouth Divine Calculation" in four large characters.

Beside him lay a pile of odd trinkets, making him look like a charlatan.

"Even if you're pretending, you should at least look the part. He's too young to be a divine fortune-teller... I don't buy it." Northern Crane Han Xianyun was the first to disbelieve.

Qi Yuan, however, smiled: "How about we let him divine who will win this martial arts tournament?"

Northern Crane Han Xianyun nodded: "Nothing better to do anyway. Let's go see."

"You're too late—Southern Lion Zhang Yang has already gone!" Han Xianyun quickly looked over, a hint of surprise and some displeasure in his eyes.

"Zhang Yang is looking for trouble." Han Xianyun's words faintly revealed his dissatisfaction with Zhang Yang.

Though Zhang Yang was a martial arts prodigy, this man... was exceedingly arrogant.

Not just any arrogance—he was haughty and looked down on everyone.

It might be forgivable for a martial artist to be proud.

But Zhang Yang was not only proud; he also disdained martial arts itself.

He carried an air as if his presence in the martial arts circle was an honor to that circle.

At that moment, as Zhang Yang approached, many young talents from the martial arts alliance also gathered to watch the young fortune-teller.

Qi Yuan and Han Xianyun walked over as well. Qi Yuan stroked his chin, lost in thought: "I still haven't bought the three golds for Ning Tao. Maybe... I should set up a fortune-telling stall myself to earn some extra cash?"

Meanwhile, in the crowd, Zhang Yang's expression was thick with disdain: "A charlatan playing tricks! Fate is a profound mystery—even the path of immortals cannot claim to peer into destiny. What makes you worthy of being an 'Iron Mouth Divine Calculator'?"

"Not being able to peer into destiny is merely a matter of insufficient power." The young man's expression was weak, but his eyes brimmed with confidence.

If Zhang Yang's gaze was lofty and dismissive of all,

then that young man's gaze was truly... a serene "pride."

As if incompatible with the world.

Southern Lion Zhang Yang, upon hearing this, felt even more scorn.

Just a few days ago, he had learned earth-shattering news that left him in a foul mood.

He felt that wasting so many years in the martial arts circle was a complete loss.

He had always looked down on the martial arts world, and now... with the resurgence of spiritual energy and the emergence of the immortal path,

his disdain for the martial arts circle only deepened.

If not for the desire to fulfill his wish of winning the championship and drawing a perfect close to his past life,

he would never have come here.

In recent days, he had gained some understanding of the immortal path and felt a longing for it.

To him, mastering martial arts meant the immortal path would naturally be no challenge.

Now, seeing a swindler peddling lies, he could not help but step forward.

"Then divine for me—what will become of my future?" Southern Lion Zhang Yang demanded, staring at the young fortune-teller.

Hearing this, the young man smiled with his eyes: "Please place your hand on the bronze plate."

The young fortune-teller sat before a bronze plate inscribed with strange symbols.

Zhang Yang did not hesitate and placed his hand directly on it.

After about a dozen breaths, the young fortune-teller's eyes showed a hint of regret: "You were born into great wealth, but what a pity... your luck has run out.

In this life... you will likely achieve nothing."

The young fortune-teller's words immediately stirred up a commotion.

"You're definitely a fraud! This is Southern Lion Zhang Yang, the favorite to win this martial arts tournament!"

"If this is called achieving nothing, then who can be said to achieve anything?"

"Are you suggesting that sitting here telling fortunes like you is what counts as achievement?"

The onlookers' eyes were filled with mockery.

Qi Yuan watched this scene and silently abandoned his idea of telling fortunes for extra cash.

After all, if he heard such taunts, he would surely be unable to resist reasoning with these NPCs.

But Qi Yuan was poor with words, having learned few insults.

In an argument, he would definitely lose.

And if he lost an argument, what could he do? Only resort to violence.

"This fortune-teller is no good—can't even say a few nice words," Northern Crane Han Xianyun couldn't help but remark.

Qi Yuan looked at the fortune-teller, curiosity in his eyes: "Though I'm not skilled in fate, I think his reading was quite accurate.

Why don't you let him divine who the ancestor of your bloodline is, and see if it's a 'rat'?"

"Huh?" Han Xianyun was baffled.

He couldn't understand what Qi Yuan was saying.

Aren't we all human? Aren't all bloodline progenitors human?

But since Qi Yuan said so, Han Xianyun, being easygoing by nature, stepped forward and said, "Come on, calculate what my bloodline progenitor is."

Han Xianyun's words left many present confused.

Only the young fortune-teller, upon hearing this, gave an almost imperceptible twitch of his shoulders.

But he hid it well; no one noticed except Qi Yuan.

He looked at Han Xianyun and repeated what he had said to Nan Shi Zhang Yang: "Please place your hand on the bronze plate."

Han Xianyun did as instructed, looking at the fortune-teller with anticipation.

After about ten breaths, the fortune-teller spoke.

"Your ancestor once produced a Guardian General of the realm; further back, it is actually the remnant lineage of the last ruler of the Former Tang Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Han Xianyun's eyes narrowed sharply.

If one had investigated the Han family, they would naturally know that their ancestors had produced an ineffably noble Guardian General.

But... the remnant lineage of the last ruler of the Former Tang Dynasty was an extremely secret matter; even among the Li family, few knew of it.

Han Xianyun himself had only learned of this half a year ago.

How did this man know!

For some reason, he felt a sense of absurdity.

Nevertheless, he concealed his expression and continued, "Sir, you certainly have a way with words."

At that moment, the fortune-teller went on: "I have already calculated your bloodline progenitor—it is the Breeding Rat among the three hundred and ninety-nine beasts."

This statement instantly left Han Xianyun at a loss.

Because Qi Yuan had previously said that his bloodline came from a rat.

And now this fortune-teller said the same.

Was it coincidence, or a conspiracy?

"Do you two know each other?" Han Xianyun couldn't help but look at Qi Yuan.

He felt that Qi Yuan and this fortune-teller had colluded to set a trap for him.

Otherwise, how could they know the secrets of his family?

Qi Yuan shook his head: "I don't know this NPC."

Yang Shan quickly added, "I can vouch for him—Qi Yuan doesn't know this person."

Today's events were all coincidence.

Han Xianyun's mind was filled with a thousand whys; he felt that today's affairs reeked of strangeness.

The fortune-teller said, "I am not acquainted with this gentleman... this is our first meeting."

As he spoke, he looked at Han Xianyun: "What I have said is true.

If you don't believe me, think back—three months ago, did you have a dream?

In that dream, you were chased by a giant rat."

Upon hearing this, Han Xianyun's eyes widened.

He was truly shocked.

Three months ago, he had indeed had such a dream.

At the time, he hadn't paid it any mind and had never mentioned it to anyone.

How did this fortune-teller know?

"How do you know?" Han Xianyun's heart was in turmoil.

At this point, Qi Yuan leaned in: "I told you his calculations are quite accurate, but you didn't believe me?"

Qi Yuan didn't know about Han Xianyun's dream, but he could infer a thing or two.

Back when he was still an innate seed, Qi Yuan had inadvertently glimpsed a scene from that female doctor's dream, and as a result, he had been cursed and was on the verge of death.

Three months ago, those who could dream were all people whose bloodline concentration had reached a certain threshold.

This was Qi Yuan's guess.

"Come on, how about telling my fortune? See when I can clear this game?"

Qi Yuan looked at the fortune-teller, his face full of curiosity.

(End of chapter)