Divination

Ankula looked at the two little ones in front of her with great interest.

Xia Lun had already contacted her in advance, saying he hoped she could help look after his son.

This kid looked a lot like Xia Lun, so Ankula recognized him at a glance.

From the moment they entered the city, Ankula had already been keeping an eye on them.

Eni's cheeks instantly turned completely red. After all, making fun of someone behind their back and being caught red-handed... this was simply too embarrassing.

"So you are Xia Lun and Aina's son... If I remember correctly, your name is Aise?" Ankula's voice carried a hint of laziness, yet it revealed an undeniable authority.

"Yes, Aunt Ankula." The young man bowed slightly, his noble demeanor proper and elegant.

"Hiss—what an unpleasant form of address." Ankula curled her lips.

"Then do you want me to call you Sister?" Aise paused and asked.

"No need, wouldn't that make me a generation younger than Xia Lun and the others?" Ankula waved her hand.

Eni looked at the City Lord with some curiosity.

Ankula still looked very young, appearing to be only around thirty years old. She had a stylish head of short blonde hair. Although her clothes could only be described as plain and practical, they still could not hide her outstanding elegance.

Noticing Eni's gaze, Ankula smiled at her, and Eni shyly lowered her head.

"To think Xia Lun is comfortable letting the two of you venture out on your own at your age." Ankula evaluated the youths before her.

"Young Master Aise is very strong," Eni interjected, feeling a bit defensive.

"Ah, that's not what I meant..." Ankula's expression as she looked at the two became a bit suggestive, clearly implying something else. "Is that guy Xia Lun in a hurry to hold his grandchildren?"

"I... Young Master Aise and I aren't in that kind of relationship. I'm just his maid." Eni retorted with a blushing face, stammering slightly, before sneaking a peek at Aise beside her.

Aise's face remained calm and unruffled, still wearing a faint smile, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

Eni couldn't help but feel a little disappointed; this wasn't the reaction she had hoped to see.

"Hmm... but you really do look like Xia Lun." Ankula unceremoniously reached out and pinched Aise's cheek, her movements so natural it seemed like the most ordinary thing in the world. "These eyes are exactly like Aina's, too."

"Please don't do that, Aunt Ankula," Aise shook his head. "I know about how you confessed your feelings to my father back in the day... It wouldn't be good if others misunderstood."

The way Eni looked at Ankula instantly changed.

"You little brat... you've got some nerve saying that." Ankula curled her lips. "Aina actually told you about this?"

"No, I found out about it myself. The story is actually quite widely known," Aise said quite calmly.

"However, you're overthinking things. How could I possibly be interested in a little guy like you... Besides, that's all in the past." Ankula snorted lightly. "I was young and ignorant..."

Aise: "Then why are you still single to this day?"

Ankula's facial expression visibly froze.

"That's just because I haven't met the right person!" Ankula coughed. "Moreover, I don't fancy ordinary people... and I don't need a partner."

"As expected, one shouldn't meet someone too amazing when they are young," Aise sighed. "I'm truly sorry, Aunt Ankula, that my father delayed you for a lifetime."

"Hah... what are you talking about, you brat!" Ankula vigorously ruffled Aise's hair. "What makes you so sure I won't find a partner in the future? And this has absolutely nothing to do with your father!"

"Yes, as long as you can accept it yourself, Aunt Ankula."

Ankula looked at the face before her that bore a seventy or eighty percent resemblance to her old friend, her teeth itching with irritation.

That guy didn't give her any face either.

"Let's go! Your father sending you to me definitely wasn't so you could just play around." Ankula angrily flicked her sleeve and strode away.

Aise didn't hesitate and immediately followed her.

Eni hurriedly trailed behind them.

A moment later, Ankula led Aise to a separate courtyard.

"Take off your clothes." Ankula unceremoniously slapped Aise on the back.

"Eh?" Eni instantly covered her small mouth in utter astonishment.

"Do I need to take everything off?" Aise asked.

"Tsk, keep your underwear on." Seeing Aise's calm demeanor, Ankula suddenly felt a wave of boredom.

While Aise was taking off his robes, Ankula wasn't idle. She had already taken out various bottles and jars, drawing a bizarre array on the ground.

Compared to ordinary magic arrays, this one was clearly very different. Ordinary magic arrays were usually composed of regular curves and straight lines, quite symmetrical, but the array Ankula drew was composed of countless irregular lines and tricky acute angles, as colorful as an abstract painting. Cinnabar, silver powder, and some kind of liquid shimmering with a faint blue light intertwined on the stone slab to create a dazzling pattern.

Aise had already stripped his upper body bare. Facing the gazes of the two ladies, he didn't feel embarrassed at all.

Looking at Aise's fair skin and well-defined muscles, Eni blushed slightly.

"Your build isn't bad... sit inside." Ankula praised. Even though he was young, Aise's body was already full of the marks of training.

Aise sat cross-legged inside.

Ankula dipped her fingers into an unknown red liquid and directly used her hands to draw lines of patterns on Aise's body.

"What is this for?" Eni asked curiously.

"These patterns will first establish a connection between him and the spirit world, making it easier for me to divine what's wrong with him."

"Then this... does this count too?"

Then, Eni watched dumbfounded as Ankula drew a turtle on Aise's face. Aise kept his eyes closed and said nothing.

"It doesn't affect anything anyway." Ankula chuckled, casually shook her hand, and slowly stood up.

"Close your eyes and shield your senses." This was naturally directed at Aise.

Aise obediently did as he was told.

He could feel that the patterns just drawn on his body were faintly heating up... except for the turtle on his cheek.

An unknown amount of time passed, and the temperature of those patterns gradually faded.

Aise opened his eyes in confusion, the whole process was much shorter than he had expected.

Ankula's expression looked a bit off. The teasing demeanor from earlier was long gone, replaced entirely by solemnity.

"Is something wrong with Young Master Aise?" Eni gulped, feeling a bit nervous seeing Ankula like this.

"Hmm... it's a huge problem." Ankula's face was solemn. "I can't feel anything at all."