Chapter 2634

This work, Xu Shichu could probably handle too. But shouldn't professional matters be left to professionals?

"Good." The great shaman placed the remaining three dice into the cup, then said to He Lingchuan, "You do it yourself."

"Why?" Why did the great shaman personally shake the cup for the merchant, but when it came to He Lingchuan, he let him do it himself?

The great shaman's words carried deep meaning:

"Shouldn't one's fate be held in one's own hands?"

"Makes sense!" He Lingchuan picked up the cup, swayed it left and right a few times, then slapped it upside-down onto the table with a crack.

This motion was still what the willow-twist taught him, far more graceful than the great shaman's posture.

Open.

"Oh dear, all black?" The tailor shop owner beside him jumped in surprise, "Young man, what are you trying to guess?"

All six dice were black.

The great shaman said with hands behind his back: "He knows the count in his heart, but cannot speak it aloud."

He Lingchuan's face also darkened: "Can I try again?"

"Please, go ahead."

He Lingchuan shook the cup once more, then slapped it upside-down again.

Crack.

Still all six faces black.

The tailor shop owner's face was full of surprise, he quietly stepped back a few paces, keeping his distance.

Being able to throw two rounds of all black, this man seems to have terrible luck—better to stay clear of him.

He Lingchuan glanced at the Fate Divine Sigil on his wrist; the serpent's eyes no longer glowed, but from any angle, they seemed to glare at him with ill intent.

It had warned him before: the power of fate is hard to resist.

The great shaman again said: "Three attempts are allowed, you may try once more."

He Lingchuan grabbed the cup, poured the dice in one by one, then, after silently pondering for a long while, began to shake the cup.

Crack, open the cup.

Upon seeing this, all three were speechless.

The dice were still all black, but they could only see five, because two were stacked.

He Lingchuan gently nudged the top die—the "black two"—aside, revealing the die beneath—

Red one.

Finally, a hint of red appeared, though still covered.

He Lingchuan asked: "How should this be interpreted?"

If the old charlatan dared to say the first cup shake should count, He Lingchuan would surely beat him senseless.

"Ominous, ominous, a great battle looms—you are in a deadly situation." The great shaman shook his head and swayed his body, "Only by seeking life in death might there be a sliver of hope."

He Lingchuan pressed: "How exactly can one 'seek life in death'?"

The black dots on these dice are as dark as his karmic burden.

The great shaman sighed regretfully: "Even Heaven's Dao cannot foresee the unknown."

You might as well just say you don't know. Old charlatans aren't professional; after bluffing, they usually offer a solution—that's how they swindle money. He Lingchuan tucked his disdain away, cupped his fists toward him: "Thank you, Great Shaman, for clearing my doubts."

The great shaman nodded lightly, radiating Daoist immortal aura: "Go on, you'll be busy ahead."

He Lingchuan walked a few steps, was about to cross the threshold, then suddenly turned back, placing two taels of silver on the table:

"Almost forgot to pay."

The great shaman scooped up the silver and shoved it straight into his pocket.

Facing the morning sunlight, He Lingchuan leapt down from the loft and walked out of the tailor shop.

The morning light brushed past him, illuminating Panlongcheng. The great shaman watched him bathe in sunlight, his back view, and smiled faintly.

……

He Lingchuan donned his cloak, covered his face, and stepped onto the streets of Panlongcheng.

In the past, the desert winds were fierce, and the old residents of Panlongcheng all liked to dress this way.

Compared to five years ago, this place is much livelier; I heard it's because there are more residents now. He walked casually past three streets—shops have basically been replaced half and half, only a few old stores remain familiar to him.

Early in the morning, before he even reached the market district, he smelled a fragrant aroma wafting through the air. After walking a few more steps, he saw seven or eight breakfast stalls—from meat-filled wontons to pan-fried buns, from sesame cakes to sweet fried pancakes, everything was available, sure to stir anyone's appetite.

But He Lingchuan frowned, because this place used to have thirty or forty breakfast stalls at once.

He Lingchuan found an unfamiliar stall, ordered three custard-yellow pastries, each the size of a fist.

"Forty wen."

He Lingchuan was slightly surprised: "Three pastries for that much?"

Although each is fist-sized, he used to buy this kind of breakfast in Panlongcheng for just four or five wen each.

After five years away, have prices increased severalfold?

"Each is fifteen wen, and you get a discount for buying three." The vendor hurriedly covered the steamer basket with cloth, lest the steam escape, "Eggs free? Milk free? Sugar free? These three have been rising every few days—we have no choice but to follow suit."

He Lingchuan paid, picked up the fragrant pastry, and ate while walking.

The pastry was soft, but not as fragrant as before—could it be that too much water was mixed into the eggs and milk? He Lingchuan doesn't know how to make pastries, nor does he understand why.

After passing through this most lively, bustling area, He Lingchuan continued forward, his brows slightly furrowed.

Panlongcheng is still bustling, but beneath the lively surface, he sensed some bad omens:

Shops selling rare and valuable goods have noticeably decreased.

After Panlongcheng took control of the Mao River Plain, the north-south trade route was opened, allowing the city to exchange goods with the outside world—merchandise quickly diversified, first jewelry and curiosities, then premium ingredients, and later even trendy items from Between Between Between Beijia would appear in Panlongcheng's shops.

But this time, after walking around again, He Lingchuan found that shops selling such valuable goods had been reduced by more than half.

Even the exotic Treasure shop on Main Street that had stood firm for eight years changed its sign and turned into an inn.

Yes, it was White Fatty's shop.

His family's former Treasures were equally beautiful in price and quality, and were also coveted by the wealthy. He Lingchuan offended Sun Fuzi, and had picked out two items from here as compensation, and indeed soon received forgiveness.

As the saying goes, one leaf knows autumn; He Lingchuan himself had started in business in reality, and knew this was not a good omen:

The clientele for high-end luxury goods had dwindled, possibly due to an economic downturn, people's purses were not as full, and they began to save on unnecessary expenses. Moreover, now being wartime, commercial cargo flow was not as smooth as before.

He had just passed the vegetable and meat stall at the market, which five years ago was six wen each, and just now he heard the vendor shouting, "Twenty wen for two!"

He Lingchuan sighed inwardly; the vegetables and meat had not risen too much, and he did not know how much effort Panlongcheng had expended to stabilize prices.

Panlongcheng was a war city, and before it was most adept at fighting wars, doing business, and managing the economy all at once.

Now it showed signs of decline, which could only mean that the pressure exerted by Begga was truly immense.

Previously Panlongcheng had also been at odds with Begga, but due to various internal and external reasons, Begga could not devote its full strength to dealing with it.

Once the news of the Great Vase leaked out, the determination of the Holy Venerable of the Spirit Void to obtain the vase overwhelmed all other noises!

If only Panlong could be given a few more years to develop, just a few years, and Panlong could grow stronger by several degrees, giving it more confidence to resist Begga, alas!

Alas, fate would never wait for him, or for Panlongcheng to prepare.

He Lingchuan walked home lost in thought, and soon pushed open the door.

Thanks to reader singingc for the reward

(End of chapter)