The moment Xiang Qingniu saw Fang Jie, he knew this guy was definitely not a law-abiding citizen. Although Fang Jie was resting against the carriage with his eyes closed when he saw him, Xiang Qingniu was certain this guy had also noticed him long ago. The reason was simple: he himself had noticed the boy first, and then the meat in the driver's hand.
For some reason, he felt the boy wasn't an ordinary person.
As for why he was so sure, even he didn't know. Therefore, from the beginning, he had to hesitate about whether to stop the carriage. If the boy was truly a hidden master, would he end up losing more than he gained? He absolutely wouldn't do a losing proposition.
But in the end, he compromised.
Because the meat in the driver's hand looked really delicious.
He spotted the carriage about a hundred meters away. When he figured Fang Jie would be a troublesome person, the carriage was only twenty meters away. He steeled himself to stop the carriage when it was ten meters from him.
Then he made a decision.
After careful consideration and precise calculations, he decided his idea was feasible.
So, when the carriage was about three meters away, he closed his eyes, let out a soft cry, and collapsed onto the road. If the carriage didn't stop, the wheels would definitely run him over. But he calculated that at three meters, the driver would definitely react, and the carriage would certainly not stop.
The wheels might run over him, but they definitely wouldn't roll over him.
Based on the approximate weight of the carriage, he estimated he wouldn't be seriously injured.
Of course, he calculated all this precisely to ensure the carriage hit him. If he didn't crawl under the carriage, how could he cling to them? And if his leg wasn't truly injured and unable to walk, how could he cling for a long time? For a ride, for a free meal, even being run over by a car wheel would be worthwhile.
In that short moment, so many thoughts raced through Xiang Qingniu's mind.
This wasn't just talent; experience was also crucial.
When he left the Yiqi Temple on Qingle Mountain, he didn't carry a single copper coin. He spent six years exploring almost the entire Sui Dynasty. Initially, he relied on this talent; later, he relied on ever-growing experience.
When Chuchenzi learned that he had spent six years traversing the Sui Dynasty, he was impressed by his junior uncle's immense perseverance. Master Xiao of Qingle Mountain, upon hearing this, remained silent for a moment before shaking his head: "Traveling the entire Sui Dynasty in six years—I'm afraid even I couldn't do that. Junior Brother, you are a prodigy, rare, and formidable."
The Sui Dynasty was vast.
Even an ordinary person might not be able to thoroughly explore the entire Sui Dynasty in a hundred years.
Xiang Qingniu had always considered himself a prodigy, only slightly inferior to his second senior brother.
Xiang Qingniu's calculations were flawless; when he fell, the wheel was only about ten centimeters away from him. He closed his eyes, then focused his strength on his left leg, trying to brace himself against the wheel. Although the carriage was somewhat dilapidated, its frame was large, probably weighing no less than a thousand pounds. The crushing pressure from the wheel during operation would certainly be immense, but with proper protection, he shouldn't suffer any serious injuries.
Close his eyes.
Strengthen his strength.
Three seconds later, Xiang Qingniu opened his eyes with some confusion, first looking at his leg, then at the wheel.
The wheel was still ten centimeters away from him; it hadn't moved at all.
Just then, the young man in the black scholar's robe jumped down from the carriage, squatted down beside Xiang Qingniu, and looked earnestly at Xiang Qingniu's chubby face, saying, "This Taoist priest, such skillful movement techniques!"
Xiang Qingniu's heart tightened, and an ominous premonition arose within him. He feigned a very distressed expression, even convincingly beading sweat on his forehead.
"Young master, I don't know what you mean… I suddenly felt weak and collapsed while walking. Hope I didn't frighten you… I've been traveling a long way these past few days, I'm sure I'm exhausted. You can tell I haven't eaten for days, right?"
The young man chuckled and said, "Not frightened, but you seem kind of familiar."
Xiang Qingniu asked in surprise, "Why?"
The young man didn't answer him, but smiled at the sleazy driver and said, "Meeting a fellow traveler, wouldn't you call it fate?"
The driver nodded and said, "You've done this quite a bit along the way from Dali in Southern Yan to Fangu. But it seems… this guy is quite skilled too."
Xiang Qingniu blushed, climbed out from under the cart, brushed the dust off his clothes, and turned to leave. He now understood why he had felt a sense of wariness when he saw the young man. Damn it… what bad luck, running into a fellow traveler.
"Hey!"
Xiang Qingniu had taken four or five steps when he heard the boy call from behind. He turned around, glared at the boy, and said, "You've got a good eye. I admit defeat today, okay? Let's say goodbye forever, like the mountains and rivers remain green as ever!"
"Are you really hungry?"
The boy asked with a smile.
Xiang Qingniu paused for a moment, then puffed out his chest—enough to make even a young girl envious—and proudly declared, "Not hungry!"
"Oh..."
The young man shook his head and sighed, "Is it just my stomach growling? I just ate..."
...
...
"Young master, I see you have a full forehead and a square jaw; you're clearly no ordinary person. Would you like me to read your palm? A person's fate is predetermined, but if one can glimpse a fraction of destiny beforehand and prepare for encounters, one will surely be invincible. I cultivated Taoism at the Yiqi Temple on Qingle Mountain in my early years. Although I wasn't very successful, I can still see thirty years in advance."
Xiang Qingniu stuffed the last piece of meat into his mouth, chewing as he said, "Thank you for your hospitality. I won't charge you for this divination."
Fang Jie couldn't help but smile, looking at the fat man's serious face before him, and shook his head: "I don't believe in fate at all."
Xiang Qingniu swallowed the meat, feeling much better. Hearing Fang Jie say he didn't believe in fate, he couldn't resist his competitive spirit.
"Believe it or not, it's all predestined. If you don't believe me, hold out your hand and let me see. If I say anything wrong, you can kick me off the carriage."
"Really that amazing?"
Fang Jie smiled, holding out his hand and saying, "If you can really see anything, I'll have to look at you cultivators with new respect."
Xiang Qingniu snorted, took Fang Jie's hand, and examined it.
His gaze lingered on Fang Jie's palm for a few seconds, then Xiang Qingniu suddenly screamed, flung Fang Jie's hand away, his face filled with terror. His eyes held an uncontrollable fear. The chubby Taoist priest was pale with fright, and after screaming, he tried to jump off the carriage and escape.
Just then, a slender, graceful hand reached out from the car and grabbed his ankle. Xiang Qingniu was so terrified he didn't flinch.
"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! You go your Asura path, I'll go my human path, let's keep to ourselves! I'm just unlucky to have run into you today. Please have mercy, and I'll pretend I didn't see you!"
He shouted with his eyes closed, his clothes already soaked with sweat in the short time he'd been standing.
It was unclear what terrifying thing he'd seen in Fang Jie's palmistry, but his expression and actions didn't seem feigned.
Xiang Qingniu was so frightened he dared not open his eyes, his hands clasped together in a frantic, pleading manner: "This hero... uh, no, this fellow cultivator from the Asura Path, no matter what, we are both cultivators. Although we belong to different worlds, meeting is fate, right? I just ate your flesh, can I repay you? The abbot of Mushan Taoist Temple is my nephew, and I have at least several thousand taels of silver saved in the small courtyard behind Mushan Temple. I'll give it all to you, okay? I beg you, please don't hold me anymore, just pretend you didn't see me, okay? I beg you, in my nineteen years of life, although I've cheated and swindled, I haven't done anything truly evil..."
"I didn't hold you."
Fang Jie was also surprised and shocked. He looked at Xiang Qingniu and said, "Can't you turn around and look? Do I look like some kind of hungry ghost from the Asura realm?"
"No, no!"
Xiang Qingniu struggled and said, "The hungry ghost realm is full of ghosts who eat human souls and incense offerings. There are no hungry ghosts in the Asura realm!"
He opened his eyes a crack and saw a very beautiful hand gripping his ankle. He couldn't help but exclaim again, "Ah! How come there's a woman in your carriage!"
Fang Jie's mind went blank for a moment, unsure of what the fat Taoist meant. He couldn't help but turn to Mu Xiaoyao in the carriage and ask, "What's your cultivation level?"
Mu Xiaoyao was silent for a while before answering uncertainly, "No cultivation level… but you know, if someone's cultivation level reaches a certain height, I can't sense it. In Fanggu City…"
She didn't finish, but Fang Jie understood.
In Fanggu City, there was a dog meat shop owner and that old cripple in the Red Sleeve Pavilion. Mu Xiaoyao hadn't sensed their strength. For Mu Xiaoyao, this was definitely a blow to her confidence.
"Someone like him seems like a highly skilled expert?"
Fang Jie couldn't help but purse his lips.
"Of course I am!"
Upon hearing Fang Jie doubt his cultivation, Xiang Qingniu immediately retorted, "How do you know I'm not a master? Let me go right now, or I can wipe you all out with a single finger!"
After hearing this, Fang Jie was even more unconvinced.
...
...
"Please let me go, okay?"
Xiang Qingniu secretly glanced at the woman in the red dress sitting not far away, then quickly averted his gaze. It was unclear why he was so afraid of women; it seemed he was even more terrified of them than he was of Fang Jie's palm.
"I can let you go."
Fang Jie looked at Xiang Qingniu seriously and said, "Tell me, what exactly did you see in my palm?"
"Don't scare me, okay?"
Xiang Qingniu said aggrievedly, "I'll pretend I didn't see anything. What you're doing in the mortal realm has nothing to do with me. I'll pretend I never met you, and you can pretend you never met me, okay?"
"If you don't tell me, I naturally won't let you go."
"Do you really not know your own destiny, or are you just teasing me?"
Fang Jie thought for a moment and replied, "I just want to know what you saw. If you're wrong… then you won't be getting off the carriage today no matter what. If you're right, I'll let you go."
"Really?"
Xiang Qingniu asked tentatively. "Of course I wouldn't lie to you."
"Alright... but you can't go back on your word."
"Speak!"
Xiang Qingniu took a deep breath, then cautiously said, "The Dao Ancestor said there are six paths between heaven and earth. The first is the Heavenly Path, which is the god who governs the world... The second is the Asura Path, which is... is a demon that specifically opposes the Heavenly Path. They take pleasure in killing and are driven by greed. You... judging from your palmistry... you should be a dead man... and, moreover, from the Asura Path."
"How can you be so sure?"
Fang Jie frowned and asked. "The Dao Ancestor said... it's a book of profound Daoist wisdom left by the Dao Ancestor, which explains the Six Paths in detail."
"The Six Paths, isn't that a Buddhist concept?"
"That's shameless Buddhism. It was clearly the Dao Ancestor who said it."
"Uh... let's not talk about that. So how are you sure I'm from the Asura Path?"
"Ordinary people have four clearly defined lines on their palms. Most people have at most three lines intersecting. If there's a point where all four lines meet, and that point has a red mole... then that's a demon from the Asura Path. Anyway... anyway, that's what the Dao Ancestor said it's recorded."
"So you're sure?"
Fang Jie asked seriously.
"I..."
Xiang Qingniu paused, then asked Fang Jie with a bitter smile and a pleading tone, "Then tell me, should I be sure... or not?"