Chapter 168 - Mysterious Diviner
Leaving the workshop tower, Leon did not return to the palace immediately. It had been a week since he was gone. The pill store he bought should have finished its renovation. He decided to stop by and check it out.
"Young man, would you like to have your fortunes divined?" An Old fortune teller reached out when he saw Leon passing by.
Leon paused his steps and turned towards the source of the voice. He looked left and right before pointing to himself, before asking suspiciously, "Are you talking me?"
No shit, I am talking to you. Do you see anyone else here besides you? The Old fortune teller wanted to say, but he refrained from doing so and wore a humble smile. He did not want to lose a potential costumer.
"Yes, yes dear customer. Would you like to have your fortunes divined?" The Old fortune teller rubbed his hands and asked again.
"Heaven's secrets aren't so easy to divulge. Are you sure you can divine my fortune?" Leon asked doubtfully. In fact, he did not believe the fortune teller could divine his fortunes accurately.
Seeing the shady-looking store and the magic crystal ball, Leon immediately deemed the Old fortune teller as one of those ordinary fortune tellers in mortal cities that relied on spouting some hocus pocus nonsense to earn a living. They may sound profound but is actually vague and didn't mean anything. They don't really have the skills to predict the future.
Real divinations relied on skill, not tricks and luck. Without comprehension in any of the three mystic laws of destiny, fate and karma, how can it be considered true divinations?
"Hahaha, heaven's secret is like a forbidden fruit stowed away in a locked chest. Unless we have the key, it is impossible to see the whole picture. However, only some slight comprehension of the mystic laws is needed to peer through the keyhole and catch a glimpse of it."
"Oh?" Leon was caught by surprise and began evaluating the Old fortune teller seriously. "You know about the three mystic laws, Old man?"
Leon suddenly recalled a conversation he once had with Lina in the library. There was a group of people in the world that could read the stars to divine the world's fortune. Was this Old man one of them? Would he know more about the world than the ignorant mass?
"Hohoho…" The Old fortune teller chuckled while stroking his long white beard. "Wouldn't you find out after I divine your fortune? Come, take a seat."
Leon followed the Old fortune teller's gesture and sat in front of the crystal ball, before asking, "So how will you divine my fortune?"
He wasn't completely convinced that the Old man was proficient in the mystic laws. It was simply too hard to grasp. But of course, this wasn't the reason for Leon's doubts. There were all sorts of geniuses in the world. He wasn't so narrow-minded. The reason for his doubts was the crystal ball in front of him.
Wasn't these Diviners meant to read the stars? Why do they need a crystal ball like those other phony fortune tellers?
"A medium is needed to divine one's fortune. I would need an item on your body. Something infinitely closer to you, the better."
"Something infinitely closer to me, huh…?" Leon mentally repeated. The closest item on his body would be the Book of Life left behind by his father. It was his greatest treasure and also his greatest secret. There was no way he would take that out.
What else could he use? Hmm… Leon traced the Dragon Phoenix Jade on him. The Dragon Jade half had been on his body since he was a newborn. Although he didn't place any importance on it, it seemed to be tied to his destiny and could be said to be the next closest object on his body.
"Try this."
Leon handed the jade over. He was slightly curious of its origins. He still hadn't figured out what kind of jade it was. He was after all a doctor in his previous life. Not an antique master. He can't know everything.
After accepting the jade, the Old fortune teller placed it on top of the crystal ball before releasing the folded curtains around the storefront. The room was suddenly doused in perpetual darkness, but Leon did not panic and continued to sit comfortably with a placid expression. His divine sense was omnipotent and could see through the veil of darkness. If the fortune teller played any tricks, it would not be hidden from Leon.
However, there was no need for such concerns. The Old fortune teller was genuine and wholly interested in doing divinations for Leon with reasons unbeknownst to him.
Leon was soon colored with surprise when the supposedly ordinary crystal ball shined with luminescent lights and the world's constellation appeared on it.
"This… this is no ordinary crystal ball." Leon commented. It made sense why the Diviner uses the crystal ball if it reflects the real constellation of the world. The stars could not be seen during the day. Although the final brilliance of the day was receding with the setting sun, it was more than enough to still obscure the starry sky.
The fortune teller just smiled mysteriously at the comment and continued his star divination. The fortunate teller made some strange incantation gestures with his hands and the jade began to float, while the crystal ball rotated.
The means of a diviner was too mystical for Leon's understanding and left him speechless. He hadn't been able to sense the fortune teller's cultivation, as it appeared no different to an ordinary person. How was that possible that he could not sense it? Was the fortune teller cultivation-less? But he is clearly using mystical means. Was the fortune teller using runes? Arrays? Formations?
Leon frowned in thought. He could not see such things. Either it didn't exist, or the fortune teller was too skilled at concealing it from his prying eyes. Perhaps, the fortune teller had a means of concealing his own cultivation. There was also one other possibility, the fortune teller's cultivation was actually so high that it simply cannot be sensed, not even an obscured feeling.
Leon felt this was the most unlikely possibility. He hadn't heard of such a powerful being and for what reason the person approached him. He would rather believe it was the former possibility.
The fortune teller was unaware of Leon's complicated thoughts and continued his divination, murmuring incomprehensible words and calculated with his fingers.
Watching the gradually descending jade, Leon assumed it would land on one of the constellations, but which one would it be and what would it entail? Was it going to be the Dragon Constellation or the Phoenix Constellation? Or rather the major Leo Constellation that represents the lion?
He didn't have to wait long for the answer, but the answer was not something he had guessed. Even the fortune teller appeared surprised by the result. The jade had landed on a blank constellation, or rather it landed on the dark star.
The dark star was not a real star, but a black hole that devours all of creation. It also represents the unknown.
"What does this mean?" Leon asked.
The fortune teller frowned and resuming calculating his fingers, causing Leon to be speechless. What does it even mean to calculate one's fingers? What purpose does it serve?
The fortune teller did not seem to hear Leon's question as he was lost in his own thoughts.
"This is strange… too strange… how can it be the dark star constellation? The heavens have obscured the destiny of the dragon phoenix union… The fate of the desolate is uncertain and the darkness threatens to swallow everything. Does this unknown star represent a great change or the coming of a calamity?"
At the side, Leon's lips twitched. Are you trying to divine my fortune or the world's? Does my fortune even have anything to do with the world? But then again... maybe it really does! Hurry and answer my question!
The Old fortune teller soon shook his head and threw the jade back to Leon. "Young man, your fortunes is protected by the heavens. I cannot divine it."
His words made Leon's expression terrible. At least ordinary fortune tellers would spout some rubbish about his fortune, but this one didn't even tell his fortune and just simply tells him that it cannot be divined? So, was this fortune teller a con man after all? Was he going to be charged for the useless service now?
However, Leon did not get a chance to utter a word. He was shocked by what happened next. The fortune teller waved his hand and Leon was sent spinning out of the store by an unknown force.
"Ugh… what the hell, Old man?" Leon shook off his dizziness and hollered. "How dare you kick me out like…. Huh? Where did he go?"
Leon could not find the store nor the fortune teller. Everything had simply disappeared in thin air. All that could be seen in its place was an alleyway and the soft gust of wind carrying a trail of dust behind it.
Leon: (☉_☉)
He could not make sense of what just happened. There's no way a store could grow legs and run away… Did he just encounter a ghost or what? In the end, who the heck was that old fortune teller?