Chapter 113: Lord Water Spirit's Lots

He decided to give it a try, but he ended up with a medium-low fortune, and the verse read:

"This heart is sincere and earnest; the clay pot is broken near the well."

Mao Tao looked dejected, but He Yue laughed and said, "That's enough, it's still slightly better than my brother's."

Mao Tao was anxious and muttered to himself, "Could it be that I need to eat more pig's trotter noodles lately to wash away this bad luck?"

It was Zhu Xiuer's turn to take the bamboo tube and shake it a few times.

What she drew was also a medium-high fortune.

"The first year I was sold here, I came to draw lots twice. A few months apart, both were medium-high fortunes, saying that my future would definitely be good," she said, biting her lip. "If it weren't for this support, I would have thrown myself into the lake to end it all long ago."

Lady Ying heard this and saw this, and she could no longer hold back; curiosity had finally overcome her fear.

When the lot she drew fell to the ground, everyone exclaimed, "A top-tier fortune!"

Written on this lot was, "Flowers in clusters, seeing purple energy in the morning and resting in the clouds at night."

Mao Tao was very envious: "Mistress, you have flowers, purple energy, and auspicious clouds—all good things!"

Who doesn't like auspicious words? Lady Ying was so happy she couldn't close her mouth: "This is, oh my, these lots aren't necessarily accurate."

He Lingchuan silently took the bamboo tube and shook it a few more times.

The result was as expected; the red bottom-tier fortune was inseparable from him.

He Yue saw his older brother's expression growing increasingly ugly and couldn't help but cough: "There should be a lot interpreter in this shrine, right?"

The Water Spirit Shrine used to have guests coming like a flowing stream and thriving incense; it was impossible for there not to be a resident lot interpreter.

"Old Liu, who watches the shrine, is responsible for interpreting the lots," Zhu Xiuer said. "But he is at the west side of the village now. Those bandits didn't kill him, probably because he cooks well."

"Then I'll ask for this person." He Lingchuan put away the lots and turned to walk toward the west side of the village.

"Chuan'er, do you want to deal with those fierce and wicked people?" Lady Ying was a bit worried. "At a time like this, it's not good to create extra complications."

He Lingchuan did not speak, his pace becoming even more determined.

Others thought he was overreacting, but only he knew that the four words "the dove occupies the magpie's nest" were nailed into his heart, piercing the deepest, most secret point in his soul.

He had to get to the bottom of this matter! The Spirit Immortal Village was only so big; he walked quickly and soon reached the boundary line agreed upon by the officials and the bandits.

Two soldiers stood on this side, while two bandits stood on the other.

He Lingchuan said to the two of them: "I want to buy someone: Old Liu, who guards the Water Spirit Shrine."

The bandit was nonchalant: "What do you want him for?"

"Nothing to do, interpret lots for me." He Lingchuan produced a large silver ingot and shook it at the two of them. "It's useless for you to keep an old man; you might as well trade him for silver."

That silver was a full ten taels, of excellent quality.

An old man was indeed of no use, other than being decent at cooking. The two bandits huddled together to discuss for a few moments, then turned back and said: "You have to pay more."

He Lingchuan sneered and turned to leave. Such low-level tricks dared to be played in front of him?

These two small fry followed their leader out to rob houses; he deeply doubted whether the money they got each time was enough for a single meal of wine and women.

Sure enough, when the two saw him about to leave, they grew anxious: "Come back, come back, fine!"

They really didn't go to consult anyone else. Finding another person would mean splitting the money another way.

Before long, the two bandits brought over an old man with half-white hair and beard, and shoved him across the boundary line: "Here, give us the money."

He Lingchuan very decisively threw the silver ingot over.

Unexpectedly, this action was seen by the surrounding villagers. Several village women rushed over, shouting: "Buy us too! Official and Lady, please be kind, buy us over too!"

Who didn't know that the east side of the village was safe and the west side suffered? Seeing Old Liu successfully get across, the other villagers were burning with anxiety.

Mao Tao grabbed Old Liu and followed behind He Lingchuan.

Lady Ying even let out a sound: "Everyone, please stay calm..." But He Yue grabbed her arm and retreated without a word.

It was not yet time to save people.

Soon, the fierce bandit leader was alerted and rushed over to question them. The two subordinates stammered and were slapped twice before they told the truth.

"Whatever he wants to buy, you just give it to him?" The leader slapped them both. "What if he wanted to buy your lives? Would you give those too?" Were these two idiots?

The two of them pulled bitter faces and kept saying they wouldn't dare.

The leader reached out, furious: "Where's the money?"

Over there, Old Liu entered the east side of the village and thanked everyone profusely, nearly kneeling to kowtow.

The bandits were fierce and wicked; like the other villagers, he had originally thought he wouldn't live until dawn.

It was these living immortals who saved him from the sea of bitterness.

"Why not show your gratitude with action?" He Lingchuan pulled the two bottom-tier lots from his bosom. "Help me interpret these?"

"Ah?" Old Liu took the red lots and was stunned. "Who drew these?"

"Me."

Old Liu looked at him, then at the lots: "And the other one?"

He Lingchuan became even more annoyed: "Also me."

"How is this possible?" The old man's mouth nearly opened into an 'O' shape. "You managed to draw two bottom-tier lots in a row?"

"I drew them over a dozen times, and they were always these two lots." He Lingchuan pointed at the others. "They got medium-high and top-tier fortunes."

Old Liu had never heard of such a thing; he stood blankly for a long time before he could focus.

The old man's eyes were failing, and the characters on the lots were small.

Mao Tao brought the torch closer, so close it almost burned the lots, before Old Liu could squint and read the contents of both lots.

"Oh, it's these two."

Mao Tao was a qualified straight man: "What's wrong with these two?"

"These two were newly made and only put in ten days ago."

No wonder the red lacquer was so new.

"Around here, whenever a bottom-tier lot is drawn, it must be taken out and placed elsewhere, never to be returned to the tube, because everyone's great disasters are not the same. Lord Water Spirit hasn't allowed mortals to draw lots for a long time, and the lots in this tube hadn't been replenished or changed for two years," Old Liu said while thinking. "But just ten days ago, Lord Water Spirit suddenly appeared in my dream and said I was about to face a great disaster. I was terrified and begged for a solution. Lord Water Spirit then said that as long as I made two such new lots and put them in the tube, I could turn bad luck into good."

The group looked at each other. It seemed to be true; because He Lingchuan wanted to interpret the lots, Old Liu was safe.

"So these two lots were prepared specifically for me?" He Lingchuan's eyes were full of suspicion. Could this be a trap? "Then interpret them for me."

"I can't interpret them."

"What?" He Lingchuan was very dissatisfied. "My money was wasted? Aren't you a lot interpreter?"

"These two are 'closed-mouth lots,' meaning they can only be seen, not interpreted," Old Liu said with a bitter smile. "This old man has a secret, and it's no harm to tell my benefactors now. I used to be able to interpret lots because Lord Water Spirit shared a sliver of immortal power with me; however..."

(End of chapter)