The woman's voice was ethereal, almost as if it couldn't be clearly heard upon closer listening.
Following the sound, one could vaguely make out the silhouette of a woman.
Ying Bing's delicate brows twitched slightly, her expression as calm as ever.
She once believed that fate lay solely in her own hands.
But across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, there truly existed mystical divination arts.
Thus, she maintained an attitude of "believe it if you will, disregard it if you won't."
Li Mo gazed at the distant figure of the woman, his heart stirring faintly.
It wasn’t that he had any interest in fortune-telling.
After all, he already possessed the Heavenly Fate Divine Eye—though it couldn’t discern his own destiny.
It was mainly because of the recent incident involving Senior Brother Ouyang that he couldn’t help but remain wary.
At any rate, this place was close to Sword City...
The little Princess Jiang Chulong blinked her pale gray eyes, her delicate ears tinged with red as if she had thought of something.
Could...
fate also be divined?
"Shall we take a look?"
Li Mo asked.
Ying Bing neither agreed nor disagreed, while Jiang Chulong nodded eagerly.
The three of them stepped into the pavilion.
Only then did they realize that this so-called fortune-teller was indeed a young woman.
Her attire was ancient yet refined, and while her features weren’t exceptionally beautiful—merely above average—her eyes were strikingly profound.
Apart from a cloth banner reading "Immortal Points the Way," she had all the usual tools of a fortune-teller.
"You’re quite different from what I imagined a fortune-teller would be," Li Mo remarked as he sat on a stool.
"Mortal attempts to glimpse the heavens inevitably invite the Five Misfortunes and Three Deficiencies," the woman replied with a faint smile, neither confirming nor denying.
She didn’t spare a glance at Ying Bing or Jiang Chulong, instead fixing her gaze on Li Mo. A fleeting obscurity flickered in her eyes before fading away.
"Palmistry, physiognomy, or birth horoscopes—what would you like me to divine for you, young master?"
"Palmistry, then."
Li Mo casually extended his hand.
The woman gave a slight nod, took his palm, and lowered her eyes to examine it.
At that moment,
a glimmer of light flashed imperceptibly in Li Mo’s Heavenly Fate Divine Eye.
[Name: Tian Miao]
[Age: 21]
[Root Bone: River-Luo Mystic Body]
[Cultivation: Observation Deity, Ninth Heaven]
[Fate: Gold-Gray]
[Evaluation: The current emissary of the Yantian Sect, ranked third on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. A prodigy who cultivates the "Heavenly Divination Scripture," yet her entire cultivation stems from 'Fate.']
[Recent Circumstances: Under orders from the current Yantian Sect leader, she descended the mountain to seek the 'Blazing Misfortune' disrupting celestial fate. Afraid to recklessly use her Heaven’s Eye again, she 'borrowed' a fortune-teller’s stall this morning, intending to return it later.]
Blazing Misfortune?
An emissary of the Yantian Sect?
Li Mo was momentarily stunned—this woman had such a background.
He couldn’t see his own fate.
Could she catch a glimpse of it?
"Shallow and disordered lines—your fate is marked by frequent calamities and ailments."
"Judging by your Heaven, Earth, and Man lines, you were likely born into modest comfort, yet lack financial fortune and may meet an ill end..."
As she spoke,
Li Mo glanced at his system inventory, his emotions remarkably steady.
Her reading didn’t seem particularly accurate.
"This person..."
Ying Bing’s eyes flickered slightly, as if she recognized the woman.
What she said aligned perfectly with what Ying Bing had witnessed in her past life.
But in this life, it was the complete opposite.
"Ah?"
Jiang Chulong gasped in alarm, her voice trembling.
"How... how could this be?"
The woman shook her head gently, her gaze softening slightly as she looked at Jiang Chulong before adding,
"I only learned palmistry this morning, so it may not be entirely reliable."
"How about... I read your face instead, young master?"
Li Mo: "..."
An emissary of the Yantian Sect, who just learned divination today? How novel.
Oh, and she 'borrowed' the fortune-telling setup this morning? That explains it.
"Then let’s try that."
"Very well."
She leaned in slightly, studying his face intently.
"A full but not overflowing forehead—a sign of blessings without longevity..."
She listed several more points,
none of which were particularly uplifting.
Halfway through, she herself paused, her expression turning odd.
"Do I have no redeeming qualities?"
"You do."
"That’s a relief... What’s good about me?"
"You’re a boon to your wife."
"..."
Young Li fell into deep contemplation.
That’s... an oddly specific trait.
Ying Bing: "?"
What nonsense are you spouting?
Jiang Chulong: "!!"
Brother Li really is... really is a... what was it again... a treasure of a man?
That was a phrase her teacher had taught her—she wasn’t sure if it fit...
"Are you sure you didn’t misread?"
Li Mo was momentarily speechless.
He almost wanted to ask if she’d been reading the manual upside down.
The woman shook her head. "That’s truly what I see in you."
After a pause, she added,
"And not just a little—you’re exceptionally auspicious."
"How auspicious?"
"Marrying you could lead to wearing imperial yellow in a few years."
"...Is that even reasonable?"
Li Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The woman nodded. "It’s likely my lack of skill. I won’t charge you."
Just then,
the morning bell of Hengyun Sword City rang out.
Li Mo stood and still handed her a silver note.
The three of them then walked back into the misty rain.
"Brother Li... you’re amazing."
"Imperial yellow makes me amazing?"
"Of course... Only Father Emperor can... can..."
Jiang Chulong’s voice grew quieter, as if recalling something painful.
Li Mo thought for a moment and said,
"Chulong, someone who feasts on delicacies daily and wears imperial yellow isn’t necessarily an emperor."
"Really?"
With a few lighthearted remarks, Li Mo lifted the spirits of the easily amused little princess.
Watching the young man chatter away, spinning tales like a comedian,
Ying Bing lowered her eyes slightly and murmured,
"A boon to his wife..."
......
In the solitary pavilion,
Tian Miao frowned and pulled out a booklet from her sleeve. On it was written:
"Ma Yi’s Divination Classic"
Though not as domineering as the "Heavenly Divination Scripture," it was far from ordinary.
A past patriarch of the Yantian Sect had once used this very art to recognize the future Martial Emperor in his humblest days.
Though she had only just begun studying it, her mastery of the "Heavenly Divination Scripture" should have prevented such a muddled reading.
"Did I misread...?"
"If so, how should I report for the next Hidden Dragon Ranking?"
The Hidden Dragon Ranking assessed only battle achievements.
But beyond that, it also listed distinctive traits or strengths to help the realms of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths understand these prodigies.
Was Li Mo’s defining trait really... being a boon to his wife?
After a long silence,
she finally steeled herself.
Her eyes shimmered with an obscure light, as if piercing through layers of mist to glimpse the figures not yet far away.
"Pfft—"
Human fountain.jpg
Several seconds later, she staggered to her feet.
Pulling out a jade slip reserved for the sect, she dipped her brush into the still-wet blood she had just coughed up.
Bending over the table, she carefully wrote the first line:
[The Blazing Misfortune has been located. Awaiting the Master’s decree.]
Only then did she begin recording the other details for the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
The new edition was soon to be released.
Across Yunzhou—and the world—many waited eagerly...
......
Today, I heard people say that our dear audience holds something magical called "powering up with love." I wonder if it's true or not—ah, I kinda want it... OrZ.
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
