Chapter 10: A Mistake

I thought to myself, I’ve always been a straightforward person, lived for so many years without offending anyone. So why have all these big shots suddenly appeared here, itching to mess with me? It’s not like I wanted to encounter a ghostly wall. How was I supposed to know that when you walk, nothing happens, but when I walk, an extra path appears?

Tian Yuqing finally shifted his gaze away from me. He pushed Tian Xiao slowly to the threshold and stopped. Seeing Tian Xiao’s frail and withered hands, I felt a pang of pity for the old man. After a lifetime in the martial world, he couldn’t find peace in his old age and had to personally come to this godforsaken place.

I looked up and saw the man in pajamas take out two enamel cups from a drawer. Using a kettle from the 1980s, he poured two cups of hot water. He carried one to the threshold and offered it to Tian Xiao, but the old man didn’t take it. The two of them stood there in a stalemate.

After a minute or two, the man in pajamas turned slightly, facing the light from inside, and smiled. “You could actually hand over the Jade Casket to them now. That way, they can’t threaten you anymore, and they won’t threaten us either.”

Tian Xiao shook his head slowly and sighed. “Didn’t we foresee this situation years ago?”

Sensing something amiss in their words, I stepped forward and asked, “What is it that you foresaw?”

Throughout history, fortune-telling has been seen as either mystical or practical, teaching people how to seek benefits and avoid harm. The hexagrams are usually cryptic and hard to interpret, not something just anyone can decipher.

My family has no connection to fortune-telling, so I’ve always been skeptical that this craft can truly predict a person’s fate. Besides, there are rules like the Three No-Looks in this trade.

The man in pajamas and Tian Xiao ignored me, their indifference irking me. But I knew everyone here had more experience than me. Even Tian Yuqing didn’t speak up, so it wasn’t my place. Still, I was very annoyed.

Tian Xiao continued to look at the man in pajamas. He straightened slightly. “Lu A’yao, you have no choice this time, and neither do we. When you get to Gansu, you’ll understand why I came personally to invite you. It’s our destiny.”

The man called “Lu A’yao” took a sip from the enamel cup. I finally saw what was on half of his face.

It was a kind of porcelain resembling crumpled paper. This porcelain was thin and translucent, with red ink symbols written on it, almost fused with the skin, looking very natural. The symbols extended from his chin to his lower eyelid.

I couldn’t tell if this was a custom or some personal eccentricity. What custom involves embedding porcelain into facial skin? I scrutinized Lu A’yao again. He wore pilled pajamas and looked young, showing no trace of being a “successor” in this trade.

In this line of work, many clients naturally trust those who seem mystical, even if their skills are lacking. So, many in this business dress the part to boost their performance.

For example, Rogue Tan wears agate and jade, with large bead necklaces. My Fourth Brother doesn’t like wearing things, so he studies tea ceremonies and incense, decorating his shop in an antique style.

But none of these traits were present in Lu A’yao. He seemed detached from this field, and his behavior was odd. If I were an outsider seeking a feng shui master, I’d find him unreliable.

The only thing that struck me as strange was the Porcelain Figurine he had.

After a long wait, Lu A’yao finally looked up with a smile. He sat back at the table, pointed at me, and said to Tian Xiao, “I need to speak with him alone. You shouldn’t mind waiting fifteen minutes, right?”

I was bewildered, my mind slow to react. Lu A’yao wanted to talk to me?

Tian Yuqing raised his head at Lu A’yao’s words, his expression becoming inscrutable. He tried to step over the threshold but was stopped by Tian Xiao’s hand from his wheelchair.

Tian Xiao made a gesture of invitation, turned his wheelchair, and said to me, “Child, we’ll wait for you outside.”

With that, he gave me a push. I was completely unprepared for such strength from someone who looked so frail. I stumbled, nearly tripping over the threshold. It would have been embarrassing to fall headfirst.

As soon as I entered, the wooden door closed behind me. I looked down and saw a Porcelain Figurine on each side of the door, each connected by strings running up to the ceiling and down to Lu A’yao. The strings were so fine they were almost invisible.

Lu A’yao gestured for me to sit, pushing the untouched cup of water to the chair opposite him.

As long as someone is breathing, there’s nothing to fear.

I walked over, pulled out the chair, and sat down. “What do you want to talk about?”

Lu A’yao had turned serious, but his logic was clear. “We don’t have much time. I’ll speak quickly and as simply as possible, so you need to listen carefully.”

I was taken aback, but Lu A’yao didn’t wait for me to respond. He paused briefly and continued, “Coming here was a mistake. I have a way to correct it. There’s a car behind this building. I can help you leave and return to a normal life.”

“Wait, hold on,” I interrupted him. “What mistake? Why is coming here a mistake? Do you know what my Fourth Brother and the others are looking for?”

Lu A’yao rolled up his sleeve to check his watch, organized his thoughts, and asked, “Do you know what you’re holding?”

I glanced at the large wooden box by my feet.

Lu A’yao said, “They’re investigating this casket. Partly because of higher-ups, partly for themselves. But as far as I know, everyone who has obtained this casket has met a bad end. I didn’t intend to get involved, but those old foxes tricked you into coming, so I have no choice.”

I was skeptical, thinking, did we know each other before? I’m a good university student, dedicated to my studies for twenty years. What does your involvement have to do with me being here?

“I know you might not trust me, but I don’t care about that. I need you to make a choice now: leave here and return to Henan, or continue with them?” Lu A’yao placed a copper coin in front of me.

At that moment, it seemed like an easy decision. First, I couldn’t fully trust the eccentric Lu A’yao because of his partial concealment, so his words only held half the weight for me.

Second, my instinct told me to reunite with my Fourth Brother. I’d feel more secure with him. Besides, this is a society governed by law, not the old days of coercion and temptation. Safety shouldn’t be a major concern.

I took Lu A’yao’s copper coin and said, “I’m going to Gansu.”

Just as I finished, Tian Yuqing pushed the door open. “Time’s up.”

Lu A’yao smiled at Tian Yuqing, took a bag from under the table, stood up, and patted my shoulder. “Let’s go then.”

He then asked Tian Yuqing, “You have spare clothes and equipment in the car, right?”