SWDnovel Chapter 52: Divination
Chapter 52: Divination
At the same time, Zou Yun slowly raised his left hand, and the pad of his thumb quickly pinched the six joints of his index, middle, and ring fingers.
The movements were fluid and precise, carrying an ancient and mysterious rhythm.
His wide sleeves billowed and billowed violently in the wind, and his full beard and hair danced wildly in the wind as well.
It was as if this invisible wind was a revelation given by heaven and earth.
Fusu, standing to the side, held his breath and didn't dare to blink, for fear of disturbing Zou Yun.
Time seemed to stand still on this grassland.
Suddenly, Zou Yun opened his eyes!
A glint of light flashed in his eyes, like a lightning bolt piercing through the dark clouds.
Zou Yun spoke loudly, his voice carried by the wind to Fusu's ears.
"The hexagram indicates minor good fortune. The young master is benevolent and can be saved, but he is gentle and indecisive. In matters concerning Shangjun, good fortune may conceal misfortune, and excessive gentleness may lead to his downfall."
Seemingly worried that Fusu hadn't understood, Zou Yun leaned forward slightly and added another sentence.
"If things change, young master, you must heed General Meng's advice in order to turn misfortune into good fortune."
"Benevolence can offer salvation, but gentleness lacks decisiveness... excessive gentleness leads to ruin..."
Fusu repeated the divination text in a low voice, his mind churning with thoughts.
The military and political affairs of Shangjun, His Majesty's decrees, the undercurrents in the court... these thoughts intertwined in his mind.
Although he did not yet understand the meaning of the divination, Fusu knew that Zou Yun would not speak recklessly, so he composed himself and bowed to Zou Yun once again.
"Thank you, Master!"
As he straightened up, Fusu seemed to suddenly remember something.
He reached into his robes, his fingertips groping inside. "Right, what's this, Grand Master...?"
However, when Fusu took it out, his words came to an abrupt halt.
The palm, which should have been empty, now held a plain silk cloth.
It was unremarkable, trembling slightly in the wind, with not a trace of its former mystique.
"this......"
Fusu looked up at Zou Yun with astonishment in his eyes.
"I have already dispelled the concealment and disguise techniques on this object. Young Master Fusu may keep it as a memento," Zou Yun said with a smile.
In fact, he did not leave voluntarily.
Rather, it was a new set of rules that were tested after adding the concepts of "limited extension" and "freedom of movement" to that invisible thread.
First of all, the addition of concepts is not arbitrary; the more a concept goes against common sense, the more cultivation points are required.
Secondly, adding concepts does not change the original material of the object.
Finally, there are objects with attached concepts. Once separated from the original object, the concepts attached to it will irreversibly dissipate on their own.
That is why Zou Yun felt comfortable giving it to Fusu and the others.
"I see," Fusu exclaimed.
He looked down at the plain silk in his hand and carefully put it away again.
"Young master, if anyone asks you about our whereabouts later, you may tell them."
Zou Yun suddenly laughed, the smile on his lips as mysterious as his usual demeanor.
It's as if they've already figured everything out!
"Um?"
Fusu wanted to ask more questions.
"Da...da..."
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves approached from afar.
Feng Zhixue, Zheng Ze, and Meng Xuande finally arrived on horseback.
Seeing the solemnity between Zou Yun and Fusu, and the complexity in Fusu's eyes, they couldn't help but rein in their horses and exchange bewildered glances.
For a moment, I was unsure whether I should go up and disturb them.
"Go well, and may everything go smoothly for you."
Zou Yun said calmly.
"Ha! May the Great Master also have a safe journey."
Having said that, Fusu did not hesitate any longer, mounted his horse, and rode away.
As he passed the three men, he nodded to them, then suddenly yanked on the reins and squeezed the horse's belly with his legs.
The horse neighed, carrying its master, and sped away in the direction they had come from.
"Great Master, what brings Young Master Fusu here?"
The youngest member, Wei Shuqing, stared at Fusu's departing figure with a face full of confusion.
Zou Yun did not answer immediately.
He stood still, silently watching the figure grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared on the horizon.
Zou Yun then withdrew his gaze and sighed.
"Young Master... it's time to put his principles into practice. We also have our own paths to walk..."
"Let's go."
After saying this, Zou Yun mounted his horse, lightly shook the reins, and rode off in the opposite direction.
That direction leads to a deeper, more desolate expanse, to an endless天地 (heaven and earth).
Seeing this, Feng Zhixue and the others, though still having doubts, had no choice but to suppress them.
They immediately urged their mounts on, following the dark figure as they disappeared into the northern sandstorm.
On the vast, boundless grassland, the sky and earth blend into one color.
One rider heads south, gazing at the myriad lights of homes, only to find himself caught in a vortex of power struggles. Another rider heads north, returning to the vast天地 (heaven and earth), seeking freedom and unbridled joy.
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When Fusu finally returned to the prefectural governor's residence, it was 3:45 PM.
The sun was already setting in the west, and the gates of the prefectural governor's mansion appeared solemn and oppressive in the sunlight.
Upon learning of the young master's return, Meng Tian was already waiting at the door. He was dressed in casual clothes and stood tall, but a gloomy look lingered between his brows.
Seeing Fusu walking briskly towards him, Meng Tian stepped forward and bowed to him.
"Young Master Fusu."
Meng Tian paused, then looked at Fusu with a complicated expression. "Someone is looking for you, my lord."
"Um?"
Fusu paused slightly, his brows furrowing unconsciously, a sense of unease crossing his mind.
But he didn't ask any further questions, he just nodded and said, "Let him come over."
"only!"
Before long, the county official who had responded earlier arrived with three men dressed as commoners.
The man at the head was none other than the one with a conspicuous scar on his face.
The three men bowed their heads, their posture respectful, but their eyes were rapidly scanning their surroundings.
Seeing that the figure they wanted to see did not appear, the three exchanged a brief glance, and then the scarred man stepped forward and bowed.
"Young Master Fusu, we are all secretly dispatched by the inner court to protect the Grand Master. This is our token."
As soon as they finished speaking, the three of them almost simultaneously pulled out a jet-black bamboo talisman with inscriptions on it to identify themselves.
With just one glance, Fusu confirmed that what the three men said was true; they were indeed subordinates of Zhao Gao, the Commander of the Imperial Chariots.
At the same time, Fusu's brows furrowed even more deeply.
The scarred man seemed oblivious to Fusu's sudden darkening expression, maintaining his bowed posture.
His voice was deliberately low and earnest, yet it carried an undeniable urging.
"Please, Young Master Fusu, tell us where the Grand Master has gone, so that we may continue to secretly protect his safety."
"guard?"
"They're probably tracking, monitoring, and even... killing them if necessary!"
Fusu sneered inwardly.
He remained silent, his lips pressed into a thin line, his gaze coldly sweeping over the three people in front of him.
The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze instantly.
The humility on the faces of the three scarred men vanished quickly, replaced by a stiff, cold expression, with even a hint of fierceness flashing in their eyes.
The atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, ready to snap at any moment.
"Young Master..."
Meng Tian, who had been observing Fu Su coldly from the sidelines, keenly sensed a hint of danger.
He called out softly at the opportune moment, breaking the increasingly stagnant silence, and took a few steps forward, subtly tugging at the hem of Fusu's robe.
Meng Tian's reminder brought Fusu back to his senses from his anger.
He recalled what the Grand Master had said earlier, and understood Meng Tian's concerns, knowing that it was not the right time to completely break off relations.
So Fusu took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said in a deep voice.
"All I know is that the Grand Master has gone to the clouds."
The moment the words "in the clouds" were uttered.
The stiff mask on the scarred man's face instantly melted away, replaced by a fawning expression, as if the tension from before had never existed.
He bowed repeatedly to Fusu, showering him with flattery.
"Thank you, young master! You are so kind! We will certainly do our utmost to protect the Grand Master..."
Their attentiveness was nauseating.
Fusu's expression turned even uglier. He pursed his lips, suppressing his disgust, and waved his hand, signaling them to leave quickly.
Having obtained the exact location, the three scarred men were not about to linger for even a moment longer!
They gave Fusu and Meng Tian a perfunctory bow, and then, as if granted a pardon, quickly turned around.
Moments later, three well-equipped troops, raising clouds of dust, galloped out of Shangjun.
The target is straight up—the clouds!