Chapter 40 Word Divination
"Sir?" The boy's puzzled voice pulled Chen Chang'an back to reality.
He quietly drew in a breath, forcing himself to remain calm, his gaze falling on the "Han" character the boy had just written.
The strokes were neat and forceful, yet the turns carried a hint of restrained sharpness—just like the seemingly ordinary yet fate-bearing boy before him.
"The character 'Han' is composed of 'Wei' and 'Gan,'" Chen Chang'an began slowly, his mind working quickly while his voice lowered slightly. "'Wei' means tanned hide, hardened through countless trials; 'Gan' means shield, able to ward off external foes. One who writes this character must be someone who has endured hardship yet remains unyielding."
A trace of surprise flashed in Han Yu's eyes before he quickly regained composure.
Seeing this, Chen Chang'an felt inward delight—worthy of being a child of fate. Just this ability to conceal emotions far surpassed his peers.
"However…" Chen Chang'an deliberately paused, drawing a circle over the 'Gan' part on the right side of the "Han" character. "Look here at this stroke—the start is strong, but the end is closed off hastily, which foretells some turbulence in the near future."
Han Yu's brows furrowed slightly as he instinctively touched the jade gourd hidden in his sleeve.
Chen Chang'an's eyes, sharp as a hawk's, caught the small movement. It seemed the boy had already found the opportunity that would allow him to defy fate.
"But there is no need to worry." Chen Chang'an shifted his tone, revealing a mysterious smile. "The overall structure of the 'Han' character is tight at the top and loose at the bottom, symbolizing difficulty first and ease later. You are destined to have a benefactor who will help you through this trial, after which your future will be limitless."
As he spoke, he glanced at the system interface's pet tab. The gray [Bind] button made his heart itch.
As long as loyalty reached 60, he could take this future peerless expert under his command.
Unfortunately, Han Yu's loyalty toward him was only a pitiful 0—purely a stranger.
No, it had now risen to 5—a stranger with a slight fondness.
…
"Thank you for your guidance, sir." Han Yu cupped his hands in salute, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. He then reached into his sleeve, hesitating. "I wonder how much…"
Regret stirred in his heart. Although this fortune-teller's words were pleasing to hear, it would likely cost money. If he had known, he wouldn't have acted on impulse.
But the next moment, a gentle breeze passed. When Han Yu looked up, the table before him was empty.
Only the sheet of rice paper with the "Han" character remained, pressed under a green stone, trembling slightly under the setting sun.
Where is he?
Han Yu's pupils contracted sharply as he quickly scanned the surroundings.
The market was still filled with the sounds of vendors' shouts and children's laughter, yet there was no trace of the fortune-teller.
He reached out to touch the paper; the ink was not yet fully dry, proving what had just happened was not a hallucination.
Could it be that he had met one of the masters his third uncle once spoke of?
Han Yu murmured softly, carefully folding the paper and placing it in his chest.
He had originally been half-skeptical toward such street diviners, but now his heart was in turmoil.
Han Yu had not taken the prediction of coming troubles too seriously, for he had just joined the Eight Elephant Sect and was in high spirits.
But Chen Chang'an's sudden disappearance instantly put him on alert, and he quietly memorized Chen Chang'an's words.
He did not know that just thirty steps away, Chen Chang'an was leaning against the railing on the second floor of a teahouse, quietly watching Han Yu's shocked expression with a proud smile. This was exactly the effect he had wanted.
The boy before him was clearly the type of mortal-flow protagonist—tenacious in spirit, cautious in conduct, and not easily trusting others.
But regardless, he was still only a boy of fourteen or fifteen. Chen Chang'an decided to stay close and take his time.
"Directly taking him in is unwise—it could easily breed resentment. Anyone destined by fate will have some measure of pride.
Even my own eldest disciple only became so easy to guide because I happened, by sheer coincidence, to say a classic line I'd read in a web novel from my past life.
He took it as his own creed, and everything went smoothly afterward. So… instead of becoming his master right away, it's better to first become the 'benefactor' in his destiny."
Glancing once at Han Yu, who had now blended into the crowd, Chen Chang'an silently chanted the invisibility spell. He lightly vaulted over the railing, landing without stirring a speck of dust, and followed without a sound.
…
By evening, Han Yu was still turning over the day's events in his mind, his thoughts in turmoil.
"Trouble in the near future, but a benefactor will appear…" Han Yu murmured softly, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the jade gourd in his chest.
Ever since he had obtained the jade gourd, he had not known how to use it—he merely often held it in his hand to examine it.
"Forget it. Tomorrow is the assessment. The most urgent thing now is to cultivate the Longevity Art well and pass Elder Mo's test."
Although they had exchanged few words since meeting, Han Yu still felt great gratitude toward the elder who had so openly shared a cultivation method with him, and so he privately referred to him as Elder Mo.
Han Yu quickly resumed his cultivation. Perhaps because his mind was distracted by the day's events, he forgot to put away the jade gourd.
At this moment, the boy sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, forming seals with his hands according to the book's instructions, his breath long and fine as silk.
Moonlight streamed through the lattice window, casting a faint bluish glow upon his brow.
As the mental technique circulated, the pores across his body subtly opened. With each breath, a white mist formed into a tiny dragon shape, gliding three inches before his nose before dissipating suddenly.
He did not notice in the slightest that, at the same time—
On the elm table three zhang away, the jade gourd stood facing the full moon.
At some point, the jade stopper at its mouth had loosened on its own, and a thread of silvery-white radiance slipped inside like a living thing.
Fine patterns gradually emerged across the gourd's surface, and hidden talismans lit up one by one.
They refined the moonlight into glistening drops of jade-like dew, which gathered inside the gourd's belly into a small pool of spiritual liquid, exuding a cool, serene glow.
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