Marriage is predestined by heaven, and that's the greatest

Evening.

Ghost Market Street, Treasureless Pavilion.

It wasn’t yet time for the night market to open.

The main hall of Treasureless Pavilion remained unlit, its doors still shut.

In a small room in the inner quarters.

Shen Buyao stared silently at the large sheet of paper spread across the table for a long while.

Then, she turned to Shen Jiuyi sitting across from her and said:

"Big Cow, hurry up and analyze the chart already!"

"I don’t understand this crap—what am I even looking at?"

"Isn’t that why I called you here?"

Shen Jiuyi held a pen in her hand, having stared at the drawn chart even longer than Shen Buyao.

But her prolonged silence was driving the antique-obsessed sister up the wall.

"Buyao, are you absolutely sure you got Lin Yu’s accurate birth details? No mistakes?"

Shen Buyao crossed her arms, her tone firm:

"Our landlady told me this herself."

"Down to the exact hour—it can’t be wrong!"

Shen Jiuyi bit the tip of her pen, giving Shen Buyao a grave look.

Shen Jiuyi: "…"

Shen Buyao: "???"

Shen Jiuyi: "Tsk…"

Shen Buyao: "Just analyze the damn chart already—why are you staring at me?"

Shen Jiuyi took a deep breath:

"Buyao, in all my years studying Zi Wei Dou Shu under ‘Grandma,’ I’ve… never seen a destiny chart this overwhelmingly powerful!"

Shen Buyao raised one eyebrow skeptically.

She glanced at the handwritten chart on the paper, baffled:

"Look, I might not know much, but I’ve heard a thing or two."

"Aren’t charts with stars like Purple Star, Broken Army, or Greedy Wolf supposed to be the impressive ones?"

"Lin Yu’s chart doesn’t even have any of those flashy constellations!"

Shen Jiuyi immediately shot her a disdainful look.

It was a look Shen Buyao knew all too well—the same one she gave Shen Jiuyi whenever the latter went off about "antique trivia."

Shen Jiuyi continued with a deeper explanation:

"Amateurs should really keep quiet."

"What makes a destiny chart overwhelmingly powerful?"

"It’s not about one palace showing wealth or high status."

"The most crucial thing is… the stars being in their rightful positions!"

"The Sun governs career—when it resides in the Career Palace, that’s its rightful place."

"The Moon governs wealth—when it resides in the Wealth Palace, that’s its rightful place."

"…"

Shen Buyao, lost in the jargon, cut her off impatiently:

"Ugh, fine, fine, we get it—you’re the expert, okay?"

"Can you dumb it down for me? What does it all mean?"

All that technical talk might as well have been gibberish to her.

Shen Buyao wasn’t here for a lecture.

Shen Jiuyi sighed in resignation, her expression cold:

"The Heavenly Secret Star in the Life Palace means this person is incredibly sharp, well-liked, and has a knack for deep understanding and research."

"Plus, their IQ is off the charts—don’t even think about outsmarting them, or they’ll destroy you."

Shen Buyao nodded approvingly:

"See? Now that’s something I understand. Go on."

Shen Jiuyi then proceeded to break down the rest of Lin Yu’s destiny placements in plain terms.

But this was just the appetizer.

Zi Wei Dou Shu had evolved over time, now incorporating broader analyses tailored to modern circumstances.

A person’s destiny shifted every ten years in major cycles.

At twenty, Lin Yu was currently in the midst of a powerful phase.

And based on Shen Buyao’s descriptions of his recent changes, the chart aligned perfectly.

Moreover, the analysis suggested that for the next year, Lin Yu’s unstoppable momentum would continue unabated.

Nothing—divine or demonic—could stand in his way.

After several minutes of explanation, Shen Jiuyi concluded with emphasis:

"To sum up Lin Yu’s destiny—he has the toughest fate I’ve ever seen!"

Shen Buyao’s hands clenched, her heart skipping a beat: "!!!"

Now she understood why Shen Jiuyi had kept glancing at her during the reading.

In Zi Wei Dou Shu, there existed an exceptionally rare destiny configuration…

The Calamity Star: representing impulsiveness and a tendency to attract misfortune.

The Lonely Star: representing isolation and self-reliance.

When both appeared in a chart, it formed the "Calamitous Lone Star" destiny.

In the twelve palaces, no other stars interacted with these.

Or, to put it another way—forming deep relationships with others would inevitably bring them calamity.

Ever since "Grandma" had analyzed Shen Buyao’s chart as a child, her life had unfolded exactly as predicted.

Her expression flickered with complexity for just a moment before she scoffed, reverting to her usual defiance:

"Pfft, Big Cow, quit trying to scare me with this nonsense."

"I don’t believe in this outdated crap—my fate is mine to control!"

"Got it? Screw destiny!"

Shen Jiuyi folded the paper on the table and asked nonchalantly:

"If you don’t believe it, why did the Shen family split apart?"

"If you don’t believe it, why have you pushed away everyone who tried to get close all these years?"

"If you don’t believe it, why did you rent an apartment after I calculated your wealth luck lay at the crossroads of east, west, south, and north?"

"If you don’t believe it…"

"Then why did you bring me Lin Yu’s birth details to analyze?"

Shen Buyao’s eyelids twitched, her hands gripping tightly behind her back: "!!!"

Shen Jiuyi hadn’t raised her voice, yet her words carried an invisible weight.

Shen Buyao quickly changed the subject:

"Whatever—this ‘Calamitous Lone Star’ nonsense means nothing. No one stays with anyone forever anyway, and I don’t need that."

Shen Jiuyi: "You don’t?"

Shen Buyao: "Do I?"

Shen Jiuyi: "Don’t you?"

Shen Buyao: "Do I?"

Shen Jiuyi: "You’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met."

Shen Buyao: "You fu—"

Shen Jiuyi: "I’m your grandma."

Shen Buyao: "…"

Realizing she was outmatched, Shen Buyao turned and headed for the door, muttering:

"Stay here for a bit. I’m going out."

Shen Jiuyi raised an eyebrow:

"Where to?"

Shen Buyao glanced back, her tone petulant:

"To find Lin Yu, strip down, and make babies with him. Got a problem?"

Shen Jiuyi shook her head calmly:

"Blessings."

……

Meanwhile.

In the apartment’s first-floor kitchen.

Lin Yu was chopping vegetables with a knife, preparing to show off his cooking skills to Chen Qimeng.

Suddenly, the system’s notification echoed in his mind.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host! You’ve successfully bound your first Daoist cultivation partner!]

[Partner’s sect identity: Elder of the Heavenly Artifice Pavilion, Hidden Vein of the Mystic Gate (Shen Buyao)]

[Rewards: 100 Sect Contribution Points, 200 Spirit Stones]

"Holy shit!!"

Lin Yu’s hand jerked, his mind reeling.

The knife slipped, nearly slicing his finger.

Lin Yu: "???"

What the hell is that antique-obsessed woman…

Doing?!