Chapter 54: Heaven's Chosen One

Master Huìquan opened the box, and upon seeing the seal on the painting, he froze for a moment.

"The Huicheng Tang Family's Soul-Confining Seal?" Master Huìquan asked, "Does Xiao Jiu Zhanggui know anyone from the Huicheng Tang Family's hidden lineage?"

I pondered briefly in my mind, then replied, "Tang Tang is my senior fellow student."

Master Huìquan obviously knew Tang Tang, and he smiled, saying, "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, what good fortune! The Huicheng Tang Family isn't something just anyone can connect with, especially that hidden lineage figure—he hasn't shown himself in years."

I asked doubtfully, "Hidden lineage?"

"You know Tang Tang, so you should know her father Tang Ao, who is a famous treasure appraisal master in our country." Master Huìquan explained, "But the Tang Family started with tomb raiding, and now they are also renowned treasure-hoarders. Everyone knows the Tang Family has a Tang Ao skilled in treasure appraisal, yet no one knows that behind Tang Ao hides an even stronger Tang Xun."

"As for Tang Xun, he is arrogant, sharp-eyed, and acts swiftly and decisively; on the path of Yin and Yang, he is also a renowned figure. If I'm not mistaken, this soul-confining seal must have come from his hand."

"Since we've come to this point, I frankly said, 'Yes, recently I cooperated with Aunt Tang and obtained this painting.'"

Master Huìquan was even more surprised, but then he stroked his little beard and laughed, saying, "Unexpected, yet understandable; I've long seen that Xiao Jiu Zhanggui is no ordinary pond-dweller—soaring to the skies is only a matter of time."

I felt a bit embarrassed by what he said.

Master Huìquan put away the painting, then took out paper and brush, saying, "I will place this painting before the statue of the Three Pure Ones; Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, rest assured—now let me examine your birth characters."

This time I hesitated not at all, picked up the pen, and wrote down my birth characters.

Master Huìquan took it, glanced at it, then began to calculate.

"Judging by the literal meaning of these birth characters, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui's fate is wholly yin, with menace mixed with killing energy; every three years there is a calamity, and the one at age eighteen is the fiercest—ten deaths, no life… No, that's not right, still not right—the eighteen-year-old calamity seems to have a turning point; if aided by a noble person, puff…"

Without warning, Master Huìquan spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his lips instantly turning pallid, as if he had suffered severe Heavy Damage, his body swaying as well.

I quickly reached out to support him: "Master, what's wrong?"

Master Huìquan steadied himself, wiped the blood from his lips with a handkerchief, and lifted his gaze to stare at my face.

Knowing he was examining my facial features, I remained still.

After a while, he examined my palm, his fingers slowly tracing the lines on my hand while muttering something under his breath.

"No, still not right." Master Huìquan, as if encountering a problem, asked, "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, forgive my boldness, do you have any physical defects? Even missing a toe counts."

I thought seriously, then shook my head: "No, I have ten fingers and ten toes, no major scars, and past physical exams showed no missing organs."

Speaking of this, I suddenly recalled what Liu Junyan had once said.

He always liked to touch the spot behind my shoulder blades and had also said I was lacking something or other.

But the spot behind my shoulder blades is clearly fine, and outwardly there's nothing wrong.

Master Huìquan still wasn't convinced and began calculating my birth characters again.

"Strange, your birth characters are clearly entirely yin, yet your facial features show a pure yang pattern; your fate at eighteen is chaotic, with desperate straits and also a turning point, but this turning point doesn't resemble a turn—it seems more like a continuation, and onward…… vomit…"

Having calculated to this point, Master Huìquan violently spat another mouthful of blood, his vision went black, and he collapsed onto the table.

I was terrified and shouted for help at the top of my lungs.

Xiǎo Dàoshì came in, together we propped Master Huìquan onto the bed, pinched his philtrum and gave him water, and after a while he finally came to faintly.

I silently let out a breath of relief; if Master Huìquan didn't wake up today, my guilt would be great.

I quickly said, "Master, my birth characters are too ominous; the midwife calculated them at my birth, saying I am a lone crane bringing mourning, that I will kill everyone around me—please don't calculate further."

I feared that further calculation would kill Master Huìquan through mutual destruction.

"Nonsense!" Master Huìquan snapped angrily, "I pride myself on some skill in reading birth characters, yet I cannot calculate yours at all; that midwife, knowing only a bit, dares to dictate others' life and death—on what basis?"

Hearing these words, I inexplicably felt moved, and my eye sockets instantly reddened.

From childhood onward, I have borne too much blame because of that phrase 'a lone crane bringing mourning'—I cannot return home, I cannot recognize my relatives.

Even now, when relatives meet, they treat each other like enemies.

Everything is because of that phrase 'a lone crane bringing mourning'.

But today Master Huìquan said this saying is wrong, that the midwife randomly dictated life and death—heaven knows, this is how encouraging it is for me!

"Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, I cannot divine your birth characters." Master Huìquan steadied his mind and continued, "I can only calculate your fortune up to age eighteen; beyond that, your fate is veiled like gauze, and one whose Dao cultivation hasn't reached a certain level absolutely cannot discern it clearly."

However, based on my years of experience judging people by appearance, those with such birth characters are generally Heaven's Chosen Ones; Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, your future is limitless—do not belittle yourself because of those half‑learned people.

I nodded firmly.

After leaving Clear Spring Temple, I exhaled a long breath, feeling much lighter, then went down the mountain, hailed a car, and prepared to return to Wufu Town.

Although this visit to Clear Spring Temple didn't yield a calculation of my birth characters, I still gained much.

I am not a person of great misfortune and lethal influence; rather, I am very likely a Heaven's Chosen One.

What is a Heaven's Chosen One, I don't know, but it's surely better than being a great misfortune and lethal influence, right?

The car moved steadily forward as I wandered in thought; just at the stretch of road before entering Wufu Town, my peripheral vision suddenly caught a person standing by the roadside.

A woman with her hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing a red‑black archery outfit, holding a long bow in her hands.

My whole body jolted; I half‑rose, craned my neck to look closely, and found myself staring into eyes almost identical to mine.

And between her brows blazed a fiery‑red feather‑shaped mark!

She… indeed is the person from the painting.

She is the true Ali!

Under my gaze, the woman slowly raised the hand holding her long bow, aiming at me.

The taxi continued forward at a steady speed, yet the woman stood at the roadside, her body moving in perfect parallel with the car—utterly uncanny.

And her other hand slowly rose, drew the bowstring taut, aimed at me, then released suddenly.

Whoosh!