Chapter 341: , Changing Fate (Please subscribe!)

Born in the Year of the Horse, born at the hour of the Horse.

This "Horse" was according to the zodiac hour system. Li Heng was a bit stunned; he was indeed born at 12:16 PM.

But he didn't make a sound, waiting quietly for what followed.

Master Zou touched his jaw again and continued, "Lunar Year of Jiyou."

The lunar year of Jiyou was indeed 1969.

Through bone-reading, Master Zou had accurately stated his birth date and Eight Characters (Bazi) at a single glance.

Li Heng was quite shocked inside.

Since he could remember, his family had warned him repeatedly that the Eight Characters were extremely important and should not be easily shown to others, lest malicious people harbor bad intentions.

So, all these years, besides his family, he had almost never told outsiders his birth time. Mai Sui and Yu Laoshi shouldn't know.

Chief Editor Liao would have even less way of knowing.

Seeing Yu Laoshi, Mai Sui, and Chief Editor Liao looking over, Li Heng, despite the turmoil inside, remained calm on the surface, revealing no flaws.

He actually wanted to see just how capable this Bazi master in front of him really was.

Master Zou asked, "What do you want to look at?"

Li Heng said his first sentence: "Marriage and career."

Master Zou withdrew his hand and said, "Fate carries peach blossoms; you have good affinity with the opposite sex, and are prone to extramarital affairs."

Master Zou didn't act like other fortune-tellers, deliberately feigning depth or using pretentious jargon; instead, he spoke in the most common, easy-to-understand language.

Li Heng: "..."

Mai Sui looked at him, and three figures appeared in her mind simultaneously: Xiao Han, Chen Zijin, and Song Yu.

Chief Editor Liao smiled, laughing at his teacher's accuracy and also at his Junior Brother's philandering.

Yu Shuheng was lost in thought.

Li Heng wanted to test the other party's depth and asked, "How many relationships will there be?"

Master Zou extended three fingers: "Three. All are devoted people who will accompany you for a lifetime. Two will bear you children, and the firstborn of one will pass away prematurely."

Li Heng's heart skipped a beat.

Damn it! Wasn't this a true portrayal of his previous life?

In his past life, both Xiao Han and Zijin had borne him children. Only after Song Yu's firstborn daughter passed away at a year and a half did she not have any more.

Hearing about the three relationships, Mai Sui's face instantly dimmed. She lowered her head, staring blankly at the ground, wondering what she was thinking.

Yu Shuheng's frown flashed and vanished, then returned to calm, but her gaze remained fixed on Li Heng's back for a long time.

Chief Editor Liao looked at Li Heng, then at his teacher, calculating silently in his heart: Xiao Han, Chen Zijin, Mai Sui.

Could it be that the three relationships the old master spoke of referred to these three women?

Is Zhaoyi completely out of the running?

Thinking of this, Chief Editor Liao sighed silently, sighing for Zhaoyi.

Li Heng changed his tone: "Old Master, never mind the career. I want to look at the first 30 years of my life."

Master Zou didn't make a sound.

Li Heng said, "I am willing to pay five times the fee."

He could only say that.

If the other party didn't care for money, he had no way at all; after all, besides his reputation as a writer, he only had a few pennies.

Of course, he also understood that with the other party's level of fame, they couldn't be short of money and might not necessarily care for his few coins.

But he still stated the five-times-fee offer, aiming to show an attitude.

Unexpectedly, Master Zou spoke: "Your fate is too heavy; your parents couldn't bear it. Not long after you were born, the family fortune began to decline. At 7, a relative passed away. At 26, you wore mourning clothes. At 30, you will face a tribulation."

Saying 30, he meant 30. At this point, Master Zou stopped and didn't speak further.

Hearing this, Mai Sui raised her head again, looking at him with a face full of worry.

Yu Shuheng was the same, though her expression was relatively calm.

Chief Editor Liao fell into deep thought.

Li Heng chewed over the other party's words, and a chill suddenly rose on his back. Damn it, was it really him who affected the Li family?

Not long after he was born, Comrade Li Jianguo was sent down to teach at a county middle school due to inappropriate remarks, and later, framed by jealous colleagues, he completely lost his "iron rice bowl."

At age 7, his great-grandfather passed away.

At 26—he calculated—it was exactly 1995, when Comrade Li Jianguo died with hatred, never seeing those who framed him fall from power before he died.

As for the tribulation at 30, Li Heng painfully thought of the accidental death of the daughter Song Yu had borne him.

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat stiff. Whether it was Yu Shuheng, Mai Sui, or Chief Editor Liao, none had expected that behind his glamorous exterior, he had to bear so much.

Fearing he would be upset, Mai Sui gathered her courage and quietly reached out, grabbing his palm and holding it, comforting him and conveying her feelings: No matter what the situation is in the future, I will always be by your side.

Yu Shuheng swept a glance at Mai Sui, her gaze lingering on their palms. A few seconds later, she shifted her gaze away.

Li Heng held Mai Sui's palm back and said, "That's not right."

As soon as these words were out, the gazes of the three in the room converged on him again.

But Master Zou didn't make a sound, instead tilting his head, his fingers constantly pinching and calculating.

Li Heng thought to himself, if you, old master, can't see clearly, is pinching and calculating any use?

Of course, he only muttered this in his heart; naturally, he wouldn't say it out loud and interfere with the other person.

After a long while, amidst the waiting of the four, Master Zou asked, "Started writing last year?"

This wasn't a difficult thing. Li Heng glanced at Chief Editor Liao and replied, "Yes."

Chief Editor Liao shook his head with a laugh. He hadn't mentioned Li Heng at all before coming; he had only mentioned Mai Sui, saying he couldn't see through a woman's palmistry, which was why the old master had him bring her over.

Master Zou asked, "Now you have a reputation abroad?"

Li Heng considered that the People's Daily had already dubbed him a "legendary writer," so that should count as having a reputation. "More or less."

Master Zou asked, "Lost your virginity in the last two years?"

Li Heng: "..."

Whoa! I'm asking you to tell my fortune, not to expose my privacy!

Damn it, how am I supposed to answer you when you ask like that?

However, before he could answer, Master Zou threw out a sentence: "Broken too early; more than half of your fate has been lost."

Hearing this, Li Heng really wanted to turn around and leave.

But he endured it and asked piously, "How so?"

Master Zou said, "You chose the wrong target. If you had given your virginity to a girl with a 'Bao Gai Tou' (a roof radical), not only would you not have lost your fate, but you would have flourished."

A girl with a 'Bao Gai Tou'?

Li Heng was stunned. Could it refer to Song Yu? Didn't the radical of the character 'Song' happen to be a 'Bao Gai Tou'?

He steadied his mind and asked, "Does her Bazi clash with mine?"

This "her" referred to the one he first had intercourse with—Chen Zijin.

Master Zou shook his head: "Her fortune isn't thick enough; she can't contain your wealth."

Li Heng felt something was wrong!

If Song Yu's fortune was thick enough, why did she lose her daughter at 30? It caused her to never be able to shake off the psychological shadow, and she didn't want to have children again.

Li Heng asked, "Can a girl with a 'Bao Gai Tou'?"

Master Zou nodded and shook his head, remaining silent.

Li Heng held his breath and said, "I am flourishing now, so that's not accurate."

Master Zou surprisingly didn't refute him. After pondering for a while, he reached out to touch his head again, then grabbed his right hand and touched his palm. Afterward, he let out an "Eh," and his expression began to change, shifting unpredictably.

This touch lasted a full five minutes!

Finally, Master Zou, with a fluctuating expression, slowly withdrew his hand and muttered as if to himself: "Strange, strange. Your fate can actually change. I've never encountered this before. My skills aren't up to par; today is all nonsense. I have no right to take your money."

Li Heng wouldn't give up. Having finally met someone with real ability, was he going to give up halfway?

He extended his hand, "Master, touch it again."

Master Zou shook his head, "I cannot see your fate."

Seeing this, Chief Editor Liao interjected, "Teacher, he is my Junior Brother."

Understanding the implication, Master Zou struggled for a bit, then reached out to read his bones again—touching his head, his palm, his back, behind his ears, and even asking him where he had moles on his body.

But the result of the inquiry was the same; Master Zou sighed as before, "Strange fate, I cannot calculate it, eh."

Chief Editor Liao leaned forward, "Even you, old master, cannot?"

Master Zou was silent.

But finally, he gave Li Heng a hint: "Too much ease leads to breaking; when things reach an extreme, they reverse. Your peach blossom luck is too strong, which easily leads to a peach blossom tribulation. You need to invite a divine object home to suppress it; it can help you cross the tribulation at 30."

The tribulation at 30?

Could his daughter with Song Yu be saved?

It seemed his Second Uncle had said something similar the day before he died, saying he had a peach blossom tribulation and even gifted him a golden toad.

That golden toad was currently treasured in his bedroom back home; he hadn't brought it out.

Li Heng's spirit was jolted. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he asked, "What divine object? Where can I invite it?"

Master Zou pondered for a long time. "Meeting is fate. I will have him bring this divine object to you in a few days."

The "him" in Master Zou's mouth was Liao Hua.

For the next few minutes, no matter how Li Heng asked, how he tested, or how he tried to lure him...

... Master Zou remained silent as gold, as if he had practiced a vow of silence, never saying another word.

With no other way, Li Heng, seeing it was a dead end, finally gave up and took the initiative to step aside. And because his mood was fluctuating too much, he didn't stay in the room but went outside to get some air.

Once the door was closed, Master Zou asked Liao Hua, "Which one is he?"

Liao Hua looked toward Mai Sui and said with a smile, "Sit a bit closer."

Mai Sui said softly that it was fine, got up, and sat in the position Li Heng had just vacated.

PS: Due to feeling unwell, I originally said in the group that I might not update today. But I thought, even if the word count is a bit low, I'll post another chapter. Sorry everyone, don't blame me.

(End of chapter)