518: Chapter 518 Chen Tang's Sorrows and the Couple's Worries

"Enough, what are you fussing about? Let's find an inn to settle down in first; we can sort the rest out later." Jiang Chen shook his head and led him deeper into the street by the wrist. This child really hadn't seen much of the world, thinking everyone knew his name. If he didn't sheath his sharp edge and contentedly return to being a mortal, how could he talk about traveling? For those who cultivate the Dao, one must first cultivate an ordinary heart.

"My Lord, an urgent report from Zhaoge!"

Li Jing took the secret missive from the messenger, his fingertips trembling slightly as he immediately broke the seal to scan it. At a single glance, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He was not the dim-witted and ignorant King Zhou; how could he not know that the four words "Human Saint Teacher" carried the weight of a thousand jun? In terms of prestige, it was on par with Nüwa herself—a pillar of heaven that absolutely must not be provoked. And now, of all things, they had gone and offended this great deity. Disaster was surely imminent!

"Understood. You may go and rest."

"As you command, My Lord."

After the messenger withdrew, Li Jing slumped into his chair at the desk. He rubbed his temples with one hand while clutching the thin letter with the other, his brows knitted tightly together, his face etched with anxiety and bitterness.

"Husband, why is your complexion so poor? Have you encountered some vexing matter?" Li Yinshi lifted the curtain and stepped out. At a glance, she saw her husband's furrowed brow and grave expression, and before her words had even faded, she had already hurried forward.

Li Jing looked up to see his wife walking slowly, cradling her swollen belly. His heart tightened, and he hurriedly suppressed his worries, reaching out to steady her arm and lead her to a seat before whispering the matter to her. Yet, the cloud of gloom between his brows never dissipated.

"What? His Majesty dared to be so foolish! To dare to insult the Saint Teacher—isn't this pushing the entire Great Shang into a pit of fire?" Li Yinshi gripped her sleeves tightly in shock, her voice trembling. She had always known the exalted status of the Saint Teacher; how could a mere mortal emperor dare to show disrespect? This wasn't just being willful; it was clearly severing their own foundations!

"That is exactly it, my wife." Li Jing sighed heavily. "The letter says the palace where the Saint Teacher resided has been razed to the ground. If not for the consideration that outside forces should not interfere in the internal affairs of the human race, I fear the entire Zhaoge would have been turned to scorched earth! Not to mention that he dared to write wild words in the temple of Nüwa... Such behavior is unforgivable! The fortune of Great Shang is likely coming to an end."

The two exchanged a glance, both silent. Previously, there had been a sliver of hope; even if the poem inscribed in the temple of Nüwa was absurd, they still held three parts of doubt. Now, with the evidence as solid as a mountain, there was no room for maneuver—the lifeline of Great Shang was truly tottering.

Li Jing was no ordinary military general. In his early years, he had studied under the loose cultivator Du'e Zhenren of West Kunlun. Influenced by what he heard and saw, he knew deeply that certain existences must not be touched. Even if they had been in seclusion for many years, as long as a thread of karma connected them, it would be enough to turn the world upside down. Therefore, he had always been tight-lipped, not daring to let his thoughts wander even a fraction.

"Forget it, empty talk is useless right now." Li Yinshi gently stroked her belly, her voice low but firm. "The Saint Teacher has yet to appear, but is Nüwa someone to be trifled with? We shall just watch and wait. It is only a pity... I never heard that His Majesty was this dim-witted before."

The couple both shook their heads and sighed. Even if he wasn't a wise ruler, he shouldn't have been so mindless and reckless; it was truly lamentable.

"Mm, no need to waste more energy on this." Li Jing's gaze darkened, his tone turning resolute. "The Sages have their own arrangements. Even if the Saint Teacher does not arrive in person, he may not be without countermeasures. We just need to attend to our own duties and must not act rashly—one wrong step, and the entire family will be destroyed." As soon as he finished speaking, he issued orders to reorganize the defenses of Chentang Pass, thickening the walls, increasing the guard posts, and tightening security.

The common people did not know the reason and assumed it was a routine inspection. Seeing the orderly deployment of the official troops, they actually felt a bit more at ease and had no complaints.

Jiang Chen brought Gui Lingzi to an inn, rented a private courtyard to settle down, and prepared to travel through the human territories.

"Master, are we really going to stay here for a long time?"

"Silly disciple, how can we just sit around and eat into our savings?" Jiang Chen stroked his beard and smiled. "Tomorrow, follow me to set up a fortune-telling stall and earn some travel money, hehehe..."

The next day, as the sky began to brighten, Gui Lingzi was dragged out of the room. A faded cloth banner was shoved into his hand, inscribed with: "Calculating Heaven, calculating Earth, calculating fate; eight or nine times out of ten, it's not accurate." He froze on the spot, his face turning green—this wasn't soliciting business, it was clearly smashing his own sign!

"What are you cowardly about?" Jiang Chen glared sideways and scolded him sharply. "There will always be people who come to try it out for novelty. If we guess one or two things right, won't we establish ourselves? Looking so scared—what does that look like!" After scolding him, he flicked his sleeves and walked out. Gui Lingzi followed behind, head drooping and brain listless, looking just like an eggplant beaten by frost.

Earth Spirit crouched on the wall, tilting her head and laughing. The tip of her tail flicked up and down, as if to say: "See that? Got scolded again, didn't you? Stupid to the core!"

Gui Lingzi dared to be angry but dared not speak, so he could only bare his teeth at her and squeeze out a bitter smile, following Jiang Chen out of the courtyard gate, listless.

Before long, the two selected a street corner with constant pedestrian traffic, set up a long table, arranged the meditation cushions, and erected that ragged banner. The fortune-telling stall was officially open for business.

Gui Lingzi snuck a glance at his master pretending to call out for business and couldn't help but want to laugh. Just as the corners of his mouth lifted, his cheeks burned hot with tension.

Jiang Chen swept his gaze over, his face instantly turning dark as he growled, "If you dare bare your teeth again, you'll be rolled back to Wuji Grotto-Heaven for seclusion immediately! You won't leave seclusion until you advance to Quasi-Saint—Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!"

Gui Lingzi jumped, his spine instantly straightening. He gripped the flagpole tightly with both hands, his face turning pale, and he dared not move a single bit more.

Jiang Chen snorted coldly, only then smoothing his sleeves and sitting upright, continuing with his "Great Dao of Profound Mystery."

But after an entire day, not a single person stopped to inquire about fortune. Jiang Chen grew more anxious the longer he waited, his brows knitting into a knot—was the banner too eye-catching? Or was this kid beside him naturally unlucky, scaring all the customers away? He glanced sideways at Gui Lingzi, his eyes full of disdain.

Seeing his master's gloomy expression, Gui Lingzi immediately shrank his neck, not daring to argue at all—who knew what punishment was waiting for him next? Being a well-behaved little attendant was the safest bet. If his senior brothers caught him getting scolded, he would surely be branded with the reputation of "not following the rules," and only he knew the bitterness of that.

On the first day, he had been full of enthusiasm, but by the second and third days, that sense of novelty had faded away, like tea that had gone cold. Business was cold, but the stall was still set up, though the hawking had long since ceased. He just sat quietly on his small stool, watching the flow of people coming and going in the street, finding a bit of ease in it. With his little attendant beside him, he even learned to mimic the stern-faced look, though secretly he couldn't help but want to laugh.

But opportunity is something that never waits for anyone. Before the words had even faded, just as Jiang Chen and Gui Lingzi had secured the fortune-telling banner, someone arrived.

"May I ask, Great Master, what is your Dharma name?"

Jiang Chen lifted his eyelids and, upon looking up, saw a middle-aged man standing before him. He immediately smiled, "This Daoist is Dao Chen. Sir, what is your surname? What do you wish to divine? Are you looking to see the flow of the years, or asking whether the path to wealth is clear?"

"My surname is Tong, with the given name Lie. Looking at your stall, Daoist, I fear it is difficult to earn even a few copper coins—I have passed by every day these past few days and seen you sitting here as if rooted, with very little business, yet you refuse to pack up the stall. I would like to ask about that."

Jiang Chen knew that the other party wasn't here to have his fortune told, but to probe the bottom line, so he leaned lazily against the bamboo chair and said slowly, "Fortune-telling, after all, is just gambling on fate. Just like you stepping into this street today; I saw you at a glance. If one's luck is prosperous, people will naturally come to the door; if one's luck is stagnant, one can only wait. But if one simply doesn't go out, then opportunity won't even cast a shadow—Heaven's will has always favored those who are willing to wait."

Tong Lie heard this, his heart stirred. His gaze swept over the attendant standing solemnly to the side and the banner swaying gently in the wind. After a slight hesitation, he finally spoke, "Then... I must trouble you, Daoist, to divine for me and see if there is a great tribulation in my fate?"

Jiang Chen's gaze suddenly narrowed, his eyes pinning onto Tong Lie's face like a knife. In an instant, time seemed to be clenched and then released; countless fragments of light and shadow surged and galloped in his sea of consciousness—a corner of the future had quietly emerged. In the blink of an eye, he understood everything in his heart, yet he still pretended to pinch his fingers, closing his eyes and concentrating, his brow revealing an air of unquestionable solemnity.

In truth, the answer had long been settled; he just didn't want to reveal any traces. He was truly slightly surprised in his heart: this person actually had some potential for immortal roots! But whether he succeeded or not would ultimately depend on whether he himself could grasp this fortune.

A moment later, he slowly released his fingers, paused slightly, and then opened his eyes, his tone steady, "Sir, there is a tribulation in your fate."

Tong Lie's expression did not change; he assumed it was just common street talk, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he waited for what came next.

"The Chunxiang Restaurant is quite grand, but unfortunately, it is about to run head-on into a military disaster. If no noble person lends a hand in time, I fear your fate will clash, and it will be difficult to end well."

Tong Lie's pupils shrank abruptly, and he stared at Jiang Chen in shock and suspicion—although he was the true owner of Chunxiang Restaurant, he rarely appeared, spending his days only tending to flowers and water in his own garden. Even the locals of Chentang Pass might not know this, let alone these two newcomers! As for the word "military disaster," it was so precise that it made his heart tighten.

He immediately put away his slighting manner, leaning his body forward, his tone solemn, "Dare I ask, Daoist, is there a way to resolve this? I am willing to offer a thousand gold as thanks, only asking for a pointer toward a glimmer of survival!"

Jiang Chen lifted his hand slightly, his sleeves sliding down half an inch, his eyelids half-drooped, his tone level and calm, "Since a noble person is a noble person, they will come when they should; it cannot be forced. To say one more word now would only disturb the karma—your fate is already tied by threads; if it is disturbed even slightly, the noble person might just brush past you."

"But please rest assured." He took a yellow talisman from his sleeve and handed it over, "This talisman will transform when you meet the noble person. Sir, your fate carries a tribulation, but it hides great fortune; your luck is currently turning. Go with peace of mind."

He never liked to intervene and change people's fates, and besides, this tribulation was still shallow; why bother doing more? After handing over the talisman, he said nothing more.

Tong Lie looked down at the talisman in his palm, then looked up at Jiang Chen, unable to decide for a moment. But facing someone so unfathomable, awe had long since outweighed hesitation—this talisman was clearly a compass in the labyrinth of fate.

He bowed deeply, then set down a heavy ingot of red gold, "The remainder will be sent by someone shortly. Please accept this as a small token of my sincerity; I implore you, Daoist, not to refuse."

Jiang Chen accepted it calmly, the corners of his lips lifting slightly, "Sir, there is no need to worry. Keep your heart as it is, and all things will naturally be at peace."

Tong Lie bowed again, turned around, and hurried back in a rush.

Gui Lingzi stood stunned on the spot, his eyes almost popping out—someone actually came to the door with gold, and just because of the word "noble person," was willing to empty their family savings? That talisman was expensive, but what it earned was solid, real gold! He couldn't help but quietly swallow his saliva, his gaze glued to the man's retreating back, full of envy.