Chapter 389: Calculating a Fortune

"Ren Jieshi!"

"What a display of Diamond Indestructibility!"

"Some Saibei Sky Wolf, just an old woman blowing hot air!"

Seeing Sinuoli catch Hailanzhu's powerful strike, the onlookers cheered and hissed. Sinuoli himself let out a long breath; though he appeared calm and collected, he alone knew the truth—relying on the Langxian possession, this blow from Hailanzhu had nearly reached his defensive limit.

Through combat tests and relevant data, Sinuoli judged that his strength had entered the peak stage of mortals. Literally speaking, this represented the strongest combat power in the Mortal World, second only to Demigods.

For short-lived races with lifespans of less than a hundred years, let alone reaching the status of a Demigod, it was almost impossible for them to reach the peak of mortals on their own. Figures like the Fay Enchantress, the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar, and the Grand Master of the Order of the Blazing Sun were all powerful representatives of the gods in the Mortal World.

Among long-lived races like Dwarfs and Elves, those who reached the peak of mortals were also exceptionally brilliant individuals. Among the Dwarf kings, many might rely on ancestral treasures to withstand enemies at the peak of mortals, but setting aside equipment, only Slayer King Agelimu and the Lord of Tiefengbao, Kazador, possessed this level of cultivation.

Given this premise, even if it required some preparation time, Hailanzhu's ability to unleash an attack at the peak of mortals was enough to be proud of among her kin, making her worthy of her fourth-place ranking on the Heavenly List.

"Heh heh, I concede."

"Impressive, there are still many capable people in this world!"

Hailanzhu stood stunned for a moment before digesting the fact that her strongest strike had been easily caught. After dispelling the two immortals possessing her, her face turned pale and her tattoos dimmed; clearly, she had paid a heavy price.

"Will the two lords please stop!"

Before the two could exchange pleasantries, a Dragon Horse descended from the sky. The rider dismounted, took out a scroll, and handed it to Snuori.

"A decree from the Governor: a banquet is set for tomorrow night in the main hall to welcome Lord Sinuoli. The guesthouse has been arranged; please follow me."

"You've certainly come at the right time!"

Sinuoli did not immediately dispel his Avatar of the Gods, the corners of his stone mouth curling upward slightly. The closer he got to Nangao, the more precise Biaolong Miaoying's grasp of his arrival time became; it was likely no coincidence that Hailanzhu could intercept him right at the city gate.

Biaolong must have allowed the Banner Lord of the Manchu to challenge him to gauge his strength and use him to discipline the guest generals under her command. This suited his intentions perfectly; for so many years, Sinuoli had understood that the treatment one received was directly linked to the ability one displayed.

"Hahaha, thank you for the Governor's kindness, please lead the way!"

Noticing that the gazes of the townspeople toward him and his kin had shifted from curiosity and even mockery to awe, Sinuoli walked along, satisfied, observing the sights of Nangao City.

As the front line of Resistance against Chaos, the residents here mostly wore tight-fitting short garments for ease of movement, and almost every man carried a sword or blade at his waist; this alone was vastly different from Fuzhou.

"My King is a guest of the Storm Dragon!"

"Without the Governor's warrant, entering the forge is absolutely forbidden!"

"Ailike, let it be then; I will bring it up with her at the banquet tonight."

Early the next morning, Snuori took his guard out, wanting to visit the military industrial zone that Nangao City was most proud of, but they were stopped at the entrance by the garrison soldiers.

"Do the people here not need entertainment? How is there not even a place to listen to music!" Wandering back to the city center after lunch, Sinuoli muttered as he watched the hurried passersby on the street.

"The closer it gets to the end of the year, the more the barbarians outside the Changyuan lack food and clothing, and the greater the chance of them invading the Changyuan. After winter begins, Nangao will be under martial law, and it won't be lifted until spring." There were no guests in the tavern, and the owner answered his question enthusiastically.

"Barbarians, indeed! With the Great Vortex, the direct Daemons of the Four Gods cannot be deployed in large numbers; the natives eroded by Chaos are the main source of troops."

Leaving behind a remark the owner did not understand, he took out gold to pay for the meal and prepared to return to the guesthouse to rest and recharge for the evening banquet. Excluding Tzeentch and Slaanesh, in terms of strength, the Princess of Nangao could be said to be the strongest person he had seen since he transmigrated.

"What is that? A fortune teller? 'Observe the stars above to know the gains and losses of the future; examine the yin and yang below to discern good and evil within!' That's quite a bold claim!"

Just as he was about to return to the guesthouse, Sinuoli's gaze was suddenly drawn to a fortune-telling stall at the crossroads. A Daoist sat beneath the sign, wearing a nine-beam Daoist cap and an Eight Trigrams robe, looking quite transcendent and extraordinary.

"The Bixue Temple is in Wenchang Lingfu of Weibei Liesheng; this Daoist likely has some real substance." Sinuoli stroked his beard and thought to himself. In his past life, he had been very interested in the ways of fate and feng shui, and since he had nothing to do today, he could ask a question or two.

"Ailike, go test that Daoist and see if his calculations are accurate; the divination fee will be reimbursed as public expense."

The young man went off as ordered, and a moment later, he returned, dancing with excitement. Sinuoli assumed the lad had asked the Daoist to calculate his future and received a satisfying result, hence his agitation.

The young man received the order and left, returning a moment later with wild, dancing gestures. Sinuoli surmised that the lad must have asked the Daoist priest to divine the future and received a satisfactory result to be so excited.

After transforming, he circled around and arrived at the fortune-telling stall from another direction.

"Old Daoist, I want to seek a divination from you, but I don't know how capable you are!"

"Oh? The guest need only provide your birth date and time to this poor Daoist; if the calculation is inaccurate, I won't take a single coin and will even pay you back!"

After Sinuoli provided his birthday, the old Daoist was not surprised; the Ogre he was disguised as had a long theoretical lifespan, though most did not live to die of old age.

"Although you lost your mother in childhood, you have never lacked wealth, and twenty years ago, there should have been a great catastrophe. Strange, hmm, but after passing it, your luck turned, and now your destiny is like being covered by a canopy—it is noble beyond words!"

The old Daoist made a few deductions on the divination board, and as his furrowed brows smoothed out, he spoke his judgment unhurriedly.

"Hiss! The Daoist is truly a master of divine calculation! Please accept this small gift, it is but a token of my respect."

Sinuoli gasped upon hearing this and took a gold ingot from his bosom; this Daoist had truly hit the nail on the head.

"Hehehe, to be able to change the catastrophe destined by fate, your own fortune is great. Now that you have come, what is it you wish to calculate?"

"Hehehe, to be able to change a fated tribulation, your fortune is truly great, sir. So, having come here this time, what is it you wish to have divined?"

Sinuoli, transformed into a stone statue, opened his mouth but hesitated. He had only come to have his fortune told on a whim, and he had not prepared any specific request. If he were to speak of his greatest worry, it would of course be the End Times, but expecting a street-side fortune teller to study the future of the world was certainly unrealistic!

"How about, calculate my marriage!"

He thought of the promise he made to his father after his sister was married off. When his aesthetic needs conflicted strongly with the traditions of his race, even a transmigrator would feel lost.

"Otherwise, let's have our fortunes told!"

He thought of the agreement his older sister made with their father after she married. When one's own aesthetic needs clashed intensely with the traditions of one's race, even a transmigrator would feel lost.