Chapter Twenty-Six: It Must Be You Who Crosses the Firmament

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The midday sun was shining brightly, and on the sparsely populated curb, Master Liu had set up his stall. To call it a stall was generous—it was nothing more than a small folding stool, with a yellow cloth embroidered with a Bagua diagram spread in front of him, a tortoiseshell and six coins engraved with the words "Xia Tai Zhen Xing" placed atop it.

Because the alley saw little foot traffic, Qingfeng sat on the edge of a nearby flowerbed, reading a book, while Master Liu wore sunglasses and played mahjong on his phone. Every so often, the phone would emit sounds like "Eight Bamboos, Red Dragon..." which elicited disdainful looks from passersby.

After lunch, Qin Xiaomo and Ji Dou planned to visit the shop opposite the sinkhole to borrow surveillance footage. Passing through a shallow alley, they happened upon Master Liu idly playing cards, awaiting business.

As they passed, Master Liu called out, "Miss, wait a moment. Your eyes are bloodshot and your brow dark. Are you troubled by difficult matters lately? How about casting a fortune?"

Qin Xiaomo glanced at Master Liu, and the first word that came to her mind was "swindler." She waved her hand and prepared to leave with Ji Dou.

Just then, Master Liu began to recite poetry: "The moon shines bright, stars are sparse across the barren wilds; jade bowls brim with nectar and crystal wine. If you ask from whence it comes, it must be to help you traverse the heavens."

After a few steps, Qin Xiaomo halted. Though she hadn’t fully understood, the mention of "desert, nectar, jade bowl" seemed to reference the information from the night she searched for the Violet Spirit Pearl.

Turning back, Qin Xiaomo scrutinized Master Liu.

"Miss, shall I cast your fortune?" Master Liu set down his phone and smiled faintly.

"Sir, what did that poem mean just now?"

"Just a casual recitation. Does it sound familiar to you?"

"No, not at all. Aren’t you going to cast my fortune? How does it work?" Qin Xiaomo, for reasons she couldn’t explain, felt hesitant to mention the game she had entered to strangers.

Master Liu placed the six coins inside the tortoiseshell and handed it to Qin Xiaomo. "Miss, simply shake it and pour out the coins."

Qin Xiaomo took the tortoiseshell and shook it earnestly, silently wishing for her own safety in the near future. She poured out the coins, and Master Liu lined them up, stroking his beard as he studied them carefully. After a while, Master Liu shook his head. That slight gesture made Qin Xiaomo’s heart tremble, and she quickly asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Miss, are you asking about matters away from home?" Master Liu looked up at her.

"How did you know?" Qin Xiaomo was startled. Could this old Taoist truly have some ability?

"This hexagram is that of the Year Governor and Month Constructor. What is not yet completed will come to fruition, but fire and water do not mix, thus the sign of the Year Governor and Month Constructor."

"I don’t understand," Qin Xiaomo shook her head.

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"Miss, be cautious in everything when you go out. Beware of those who plot against you, seeking to harm you when you are unprepared."

"Is it that serious? What should I do?"

"As long as you remain vigilant and careful, misfortune will not befall you."

"Some troubles can’t be avoided. If someone seeks to harm me in the shadows, all I can do is suffer it—I don’t even have the means to protect myself." Qin Xiaomo thought of the black-clad figures and paper dolls from the Hall of Shadows who had been pursuing her lately, and the cause of the sinkhole, and she felt goosebumps rise on her skin.

For some reason, Qin Xiaomo always felt responsible for the sinkhole, as if it had been caused by the earthfish, even though the opening of the space-time portal had nothing to do with her; she was even a victim. Yet she inexplicably felt this was something she ought to bear.

"Master, how much is the fortune fee?"

"Miss, pay whatever you feel is appropriate."

Qin Xiaomo searched her pockets and found she had no cash. "Master, do you accept WeChat?"

Master Liu deftly produced a WeChat QR code from his cloth pouch. "Of course."

Ji Dou marveled at how even fortune-telling had kept pace with the times—what excuse did she have not to work hard? Qin Xiaomo paid fifty yuan and prepared to leave, but was stopped by Master Liu, who handed her a triangular paper packet. Inside, she could see runes drawn in cinnabar. "Miss, I feel a connection with you. Keep this talisman with you; it will ward off evil spirits. And here’s my business card—if you wish to have your fortune told again, you can visit my shop."

Qin Xiaomo took the talisman, thanked Master Liu, and headed toward the sinkhole.

Once Qin Xiaomo and her companion were out of sight, Qingfeng sidled up to Master Liu. "Master, are they people of destiny?"

Master Liu kept his eyes fixed on Qin Xiaomo’s departing figure. "Did you notice the black-gold snake on the left wrist of the girl who cast the fortune?"

"I didn’t. Master, I only saw a golden glow on her wrist, but couldn’t make out the actual form."

"That’s because your cultivation isn’t deep enough. Hurry back and practice harder." Master Liu was about to start lecturing, but Qingfeng interjected, "Master, what does the black-gold snake look like?"

"This is the first time I’ve seen a black-gold snake myself. Previously, I only read about it in ancient texts handed down through my family. It is said to be formed when meteoric iron falls in a place rich with spiritual energy, cultivating for ten thousand years to gain a serpent’s body. Though small in stature, it bears deer antlers on its head, eyes like luminous green gemstones, and its fangs carry a venom that no one can cure."

"Master, do you still have those ancient books?"

Master Liu shook his head regretfully. "I saw them when I was a child, but after my grandmaster wandered off, there’s been no trace since."

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Qingfeng felt an inexplicable envy and kept glancing in the direction where Qin Xiaomo had disappeared. "Master, will we see that sister again?"

"Very soon," Master Liu squinted, lost in thought.

After a while, Master Liu instructed Qingfeng to pack up. "Come on, let’s go to the market."

"Master, the market again? It’s already past one o’clock—the vegetables won’t be fresh at this hour."

"I’ve arranged with Boss Sun at the butcher’s to save me some sheep tripe."

"Master, can I wash the sheep tripe clean today and blow air into it myself?" Qingfeng pleaded reluctantly.

"Once the gamey smell is gone, how will the fish bite in the middle of the night? Stop fussing and hurry up."

Qingfeng pouted and followed behind Master Liu, carrying the little folding stool.

Leaving the fortune-telling stall, Qin Xiaomo wore a grave expression. Though she didn’t believe in hexagrams, she had hoped for a good omen, at least as a form of psychological comfort. Yet after the casting, her mood only grew heavier.

Arriving at the convenience store opposite the sinkhole, Ji Dou politely explained their purpose to the clerk, who was agreeable. After calling the boss to report, he promptly copied the surveillance footage for them.

Playing the video on Qin Xiaomo’s laptop, the scene stunned them. The sinkhole had appeared suddenly—nothing unusual at first. But soon after, two figures entered the frame at the mouth of the sinkhole, holding something unclear. A lump of flesh, the size of a grapefruit, glowed green from within. After placing it at the edge of the hole, the camera signal began to flicker, as if interfered with, making it impossible to see what the two were doing. In the fragmented footage, one person drew a wooden sword at the sinkhole's rim, slicing through the air as if fighting an invisible foe, dodging left and right.

Finally, one of them pressed a talisman against the air, pierced it with the wooden sword, and suddenly a stream of green liquid sprayed from the empty space, dripping from the edge of the hole into the pit and vanishing.

"This..." Ji Dou stared, eyes wide with shock. If she hadn’t witnessed it herself, she would never have believed what had just appeared from thin air.

"The one with the wooden sword—doesn’t he look familiar?" Qin Xiaomo whispered.

"Zoom in," Ji Dou said. Qin Xiaomo enlarged the image, and Ji Dou exclaimed, "Isn’t that the Taoist who cast your fortune?!"

They exchanged glances. Qin Xiaomo said, "No wonder he gave me his card. Let’s go find him."