Maiyi Onmyoji

Delving into Omens

After being tormented for most of the night, it felt as if I'd died once, leaving me utterly sleepless.To ward off the cold and recover my strength, I immediately began practicing squats and stretches inside the shop.My body felt generally fine, except for a lingering chill.After a while, I was drenched in cold sweat, but I felt significantly better.I made some tea, drank hot water, and continued my exercises.At dawn, I went out for a morning run, sprinting until after seven.I had three large bowls of hot porridge at a breakfast shop, finally breaking a sweat.On the way back to the shop, I realized I had fully recovered, the icy sensation completely gone.Upon reaching the shop entrance, I noticed someone inside.It was Mr. Liu from last night.What was he doing here? Could something have happened to Liu Zhao?That shouldn't be the case; the ghost bride had mentioned Liu Zhao had a powerful magical artifact that she couldn't approach.Or perhaps Liu Zhao had told him about last night's events, and he had come to investigate?Seeing me return, Mr. Liu immediately stood up and scrutinized me.Puzzled, I looked at Mr. Liu, "Grandpa Liu, is there something you need?"Mr. Liu, dressed in simple blue garments, furrowed his brows, his clear black and white eyes darting around.Seeing his eyes, I instantly understood; Liu Zhao had inherited his eyes from his grandfather.In his youth, Mr. Liu must have been quite the philanderer.But there was a sharp glint in his gaze now—a shrewdness."Did Liu Zhao come to see you last night?" Mr. Liu asked nonchalantly.This kind of person speaks with restraint, never revealing too much, clearly a deep and inscrutable individual."Liu Zhao?" To deal with such astute people, the best way is to play dumb and keep a blank expression, "Oh, Liu Zhao! Yes, he did come, but he didn't do much and left shortly after. Then, I went to sleep.""Sleep?""So, you know nothing about what happened later?"Mr. Liu continued to stare into my eyes.I wondered silently if Mr. Liu could also read faces.Feigning confusion, I nodded, "Yes, I slept until daylight, then went for a run."Mr. Liu stroked his chin, looking somewhat puzzled.After a pause, he said, "Let me feel your pulse."Instinctively, I raised my hand...But then I realized he might detect the Yin energy on me and trace it back to my ghost bride!So, I quickly pulled my hand back, "Sorry, Grandpa Liu, I suddenly remembered my grandfather's words; he said I'm not allowed to let others feel my pulse.""Not even your pulse?" Mr. Liu was slightly taken aback, "Your grandfather was quite peculiar."I immediately retorted, "My grandfather wasn't peculiar; he was looking out for me. In today's chaotic world, with so many bad people, I must be cautious.""Hehe, you're quite vigilant."Although Mr. Liu laughed, it was a cold laugh.He glanced around the shop and then back at me, "Tell me, child, what kind of business are you planning to run here?""Fortune-telling, of course."I could tell he thought I was naïve and questioned my abilities.Mr. Liu chuckled, "You can read fortunes?"This statement was quite condescending.I felt a bit displeased, "Of course, Grandpa Liu, would you like me to read yours?"As soon as I said it, I regretted it.Mr. Liu was a seasoned professional; giving him a reading would be like showing off martial arts in front of a master.But then I thought, I had learned true face-reading from the Ma Yi Ghost Xiang; Mr. Liu might not be better than me.Mr. Liu laughed heartily, "Sure, sure, you'll be the only one to read my face. Go ahead, tell me about today's fortune."Damn...Mr. Liu was making things difficult right from the start!Reading a person's fortune involves looking at the forehead and nose to see their life path and then using the features to predict yearly fortunes and misfortunes.In other words, the features can reveal at most the yearly luck.But to precisely determine daily fortune, that's extremely difficult.However, it's not impossible.Mr. Liu placed a hundred yuan on the table, "Here's the fee. If it's accurate, I'll give you nine hundred more to make it a thousand."Mr. Liu's expression was full of disdain.I felt a bit uneasy.Since things had come to this, I decided to use the calculation methods from the Ma Yi Ghost Xiang."Grandpa Liu, how old are you today?"This had to be asked, as guessing would never be as accurate.Mr. Liu sat down heavily, drawing out his words, "I'm seventy-one..."Seventy-one's annual fortune is located on the lower right side of the face, between the earlobe and chin.Seventy-one years old corresponds to 1938, with a five-element sign of "City Wall Earth."This year, the five elements are "Thunder Fire."Today is July 3rd, a fire month and a wood day.Fire burns wood, creating earth.The year's five elements are auspicious, and the month's and day's five elements are also auspicious.However, on Mr. Liu's annual fortune position, there was a dark age spot.Freckles indicate romantic entanglements, scars indicate calamities, and age spots indicate rotten romantic prospects.Wood overcomes earth, water overcomes fire.One and six belong to water, while five and ten belong to earth.Thus, the times corresponding to water and wood are highly unfavorable for Mr. Liu.1:50 or 16:50 could spell trouble for him; otherwise, the day is full of good fortune.I calculated the result but hesitated to speak.Because if the prediction is too precise, it could become inaccurate due to unforeseen changes, especially with an expert like Mr. Liu. It was unwise to state the exact time."Finished?"Mr. Liu seemed a bit impatient.I frowned, "Grandpa Liu, today is a very auspicious day for you; everything will go smoothly.""Hmph..."Mr. Liu gave a peculiar laugh.Seeing his disdain, I felt annoyed and decided to take a gamble, "However, there's one time today when things might go awry, with a rotten romantic encounter. I'll write down the time; you can check if it turns out accurate.""Alright, go ahead."Mr. Liu's expression was infuriating.I quickly jotted down the time, folded the paper, and handed it to Mr. Liu.Mr. Liu took the note, shook his head at it, and left.Watching him leave, I felt a wave of anxiety. If I failed this prediction, I'd lose face and have no choice but to close the fortune-telling shop.The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. Mr. Liu was seventy-one; the idea of a "rotten romantic encounter" seemed implausible.Damn, I might have embarrassed myself this time.As I was pondering, Huang Rong arrived.Her face looked sallow, evidently from a sleepless night.But today, she wore a white blouse and denim shorts, her legs as pale and tender as jade.Why was she dressed like this?I felt a little displeased because she was a pure goddess in my mind, who should dress conservatively and elegantly."Good morning, Shui Lei!"Huang Rong greeted me with a gentle smile, her voice soft and her demeanor shy, confirming she was indeed Huang Rong, not my ghost bride."Good morning, have you had breakfast?"I greeted her.Huang Rong nodded, "Just had a bun and some soy milk.""That's not much."I felt a pang of sympathy, "You should eat more and nourish yourself."Huang Rong smiled and shook her head, "I'm used to it; I ate the same way at school.""Oh, please come in."I planned to cook lunch and invite Huang Rong to stay.Once inside, Huang Rong took out her phone and looked at me, "Shui Lei, the police station called me earlier. They said my mom was arrested and asked me to come in. I've never been to a police station; could you accompany me?"That tigress! She assaulted the police and fled; no wonder they arrested her."Of course, I'll go with you. It's not like we have any business."I quickly gathered my essentials, left the shop unlocked, and headed to the police station with Huang Rong.At the station's entrance, we encountered the police officer from yesterday.We hurried over, "Hello, officer.""Oh, hello, it's you. Do you need anything?" The officer had some time and chatted with us at the entrance.After explaining that Huang Rong was the tigress's daughter, the officer frowned and told her, "Girl, your mother not only assaulted an officer but is also suspected of hiring a hitman. This is a serious case; you should be prepared. Also, your second aunt has gone mad and has been sent to a mental hospital. You should visit her if you can."Huang Rong wanted to ask about the hitman case, but the officer said the investigation was ongoing and couldn't reveal much.After registering at the station, we hurried to the detention center.Inside, I saw the tigress.Overnight, she looked pale and exhausted, but her fierce gaze remained.As soon as she saw Huang Rong, she started cursing, calling her a bastard child, the offspring of an affair, and an ungrateful beast, worse than a dog.She also threatened me, saying she would kill me once she was out.Huang Rong cried uncontrollably, but the police quickly escorted the tigress away.I led Huang Rong away, consoling her until she calmed down.Luckily, I had talked to her about this beforehand, giving her some mental preparation. Otherwise, with her innocent nature, discovering the truth would have devastated her.Worried that the second aunt might be faking madness, we rushed to the mental hospital.Through the hospital's fence, I saw her sitting under a large willow tree, making two little dolls out of cloth strips and twigs, muttering to herself...