Chapter Ninety-Six: The Scheme Unfolds

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Seeing the crowd brawling together, Liang Yan lost interest, shook his head, and walked away. He wandered through the throng for a while before entering a tavern alone. The main hall on the first floor was already full, filled with both wandering heroes and refined scholars, all merrily toasting and sipping wine at their tables, creating a lively scene.

Liang Yan, by nature disliking noise and commotion, furrowed his brow slightly and headed upstairs to the second floor.

The second floor was quiet, with only a few tables occupied. Liang Yan intended to casually find an empty table and sample the local cuisine. Yet, as his gaze swept across the room, he spotted a young scholar in white robes seated by the window.

This scholar was handsome and distinguished, radiating a refined elegance, but bore an air of playful irreverence that made him smile as he looked toward Liang Yan. Could this be the same charming scholar he had seen earlier on the street?

“Strange! Do I know this person? Could he be waiting here specifically for me?” Liang Yan wondered, puzzled. Just as he prepared to ignore him and turn toward another vacant table, the scholar spoke.

“Fate brings us together; why not join me for a drink, fellow traveler?”

These words stirred a tumult within Liang Yan’s heart, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Since entering the city, he had secretly activated his Celestial Mechanism Pearl, concealing all his cultivation, appearing no different from an ordinary mortal.

Not to mention that the other party was merely a seventh-level Qi Refinement cultivator; even if the venerable Yun Xuzi himself appeared, without prior knowledge, one would hardly discern his true nature.

Throughout his cultivation, only three individuals had ever seen through the concealment of his cultivation via the Celestial Mechanism Pearl: Xiu Mu Sheng, Tang Xiaoyun, and Blood Frenzy—all at least Golden Core realm, with Blood Frenzy possibly beyond that.

Yet this man before him, with cultivation no higher than seventh-level Qi Refinement, how could he have seen through him?

This thought immediately put Liang Yan on guard. This man was either a senior expert disguising himself as a fool or an old acquaintance.

Regardless, there was no need for hostility just yet. After a brief pause, Liang Yan approached the scholar’s table and sat opposite him.

“Heh heh, there is no need to be tense,” the scholar said with a smile. “I am indeed a Qi Refinement cultivator, and your technique to conceal your aura is quite clever—I have not truly seen through your cultivation.”

“How then do you know I am a cultivator?” Liang Yan asked curiously.

“Simple,” the scholar replied. “Cultivators communicate with Heaven and Earth, refining essence into qi. Even in ordinary walking and breathing, there are subtle differences that martial masters cannot replicate. Such nuances often go unnoticed by many cultivators, but I happen to be skilled in this art.”

“This art?” Liang Yan inquired further. “May I ask what ‘art’ you specialize in?”

The scholar glanced at him mysteriously. “Lean in close; this matter must not be spoken of outside.”

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Liang Yan frowned but obeyed.

The scholar whispered softly in his ear:

“Reading words and expressions, discerning omens, predicting fate with unerring accuracy—half-immortal, that is what I am.”

“You…” Liang Yan smiled wryly and thought to himself, “So you’re a charlatan from the martial world.”

He recalled a fortune-telling old man who once claimed to be half-immortal but had been killed by Tang Diexian on Mount Yongle…

“My surname is Ji, given name Lai. May I know your name, brother?” The scholar asked with a cheerful grin.

“Ji Lai!” Liang Yan was momentarily stunned but struggled to suppress a laugh, feeling this was quite inappropriate. Wearing a strange expression, he said, “So you are Ji the Half-Immortal—my apologies! I am Liang Yan.”

“Heh heh, pleased to meet you, Brother Liang.” Ji Lai smiled gently, then spoke seriously. “Please do not mention ‘Ji the Half-Immortal’ again. You must understand, fortune-telling and divination inevitably involve karmic ties. We seers usually do not reveal our true identities lightly; otherwise, it becomes a nuisance.”

“Of course, Brother Liang is an exception. We took to each other at once and had a pleasant conversation. So I am not afraid to confide in you.”

“Oh?” Liang Yan smiled helplessly, bowing slightly. “Then I must thank you for your kindness, Brother Ji.”

“Not at all!” Ji Lai waved his hand magnanimously. “We are fated to meet. I can give you a free reading and divine your prospects!”

“Such a generous offer? Without charge?” Liang Yan asked with a half-smile.

Ji Lai’s expression faltered. “A true man’s words are golden and cannot be revoked. But I left in such a hurry that I forgot my money. Please, Brother Liang, settle this table’s bill for me. That way, you show sincerity, and the reading will be accurate!”

“Such a lazy scholar!” Liang Yan thought.

Yet with nothing pressing to do and finding Ji Lai amusing, he said carelessly, “Very well, have your reading. If it is accurate, I shall pay for this feast without complaint.”

“Excellent! Brother Liang, you are truly straightforward!”

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Ji Lai beamed with joy and produced two turtle shells from his waist, placing them upside down on the table.

“Brother Liang, please place your palm upon the shells and wait a moment.”

Liang Yan complied. After a short while, Ji Lai said, “All set, you may remove your hand.”

Liang Yan withdrew his palm and looked closely. The patterns on the turtle shells had shifted, no longer as they were when first taken out.

Ji Lai’s eyes fixed intently on the surface, while his right hand continued rapid calculations beneath his sleeve. After a moment, his brow furrowed deeply.

“This is not good, not good…”

Liang Yan could not help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Your divination shows the ‘Great Calamity of Heaven’s Net and Earth’s Trap,’ implying you are heading toward an extremely perilous place, akin to walking into death itself! Hmm?”

Suddenly Ji Lai looked up at Liang Yan in surprise.

“Could it be that Brother Liang is going to that…?”

Liang Yan’s heart stirred and he interrupted, “Brother Ji, have you divined something?”

“This makes no sense…” Ji Lai shook his head, then looked back at the turtle shells, continuing to calculate rapidly. After a moment, he said, “Your life now is like a mayfly’s—uncertain from one moment to the next. Could it be you harbor a hidden illness?”

Upon hearing this, Liang Yan was shocked. This man had already described his current predicament in a few words. If he was not someone arranged by Yun Xuzi, then he truly was a remarkable half-immortal!

Taking a deep breath, Liang Yan said slowly, “Since Brother Ji is so gifted, could you tell me if there is any way out of this deadly situation?”

“Well…” Ji Lai picked up a wine cup from the table and drained it in one gulp. Then he took down a small abacus from his waist and began flicking the beads swiftly.

“Divination and fortune-telling are free; explaining the hexagram costs five taels; guidance to avoid misfortune and break the fate costs ten taels—a total of fifteen taels. Greedy, greedy!”

Liang Yan: “……”