Chapter 113: Water Spirit Master's Token

Mao Tao raised his hand, "I want to try too!"

He tried it, and as a result, he drew a mid-low lot. The verse read:"Despite the earnest heart, the earthen pot breaks by the well."

Mao Tao's face fell, but He Yue chuckled, "Alright, at least it's better than my brother's."

Mao Tao was anxious, muttering to himself, "Do I need to eat more pig trotters with vermicelli lately to get rid of this bad luck?"

It was Madam Zhu's turn. She picked up the divination stick container and shook it a few times.

What she drew was also a mid-high lot.

"In my first year after being sold here, I came to draw lots twice. Several months apart, both were mid-high lots, saying my future would definitely be good," she said, biting her lip. "If it weren't for that encouragement, I would have drowned myself in the lake long ago."

Upon seeing and hearing this, Madam Ying could no longer resist. Curiosity finally overcame fear.

When the lot she drew landed, everyone gasped in surprise:

"A supreme-high lot!"

The lot read: "A cluster of flowers, seeing purple qi in the morning and resting among clouds at night."

Mao Tao was very envious, "Madam, you have flower clusters, purple qi, and auspicious clouds – all good things!"

Who doesn't like auspicious words? Madam Ying was so pleased she couldn't close her mouth, "This is, oh dear, this lot can't be taken seriously."

He Lingchuan silently took the divination stick container and shook it a few times.

As expected, the red supreme-low lot remained stubbornly with him.

He Yue saw his elder brother's face turn even uglier and couldn't help but clear his throat:

"There should be a lot interpreter in this shrine, right?"

The Water Spirit Shrine used to be bustling with visitors and incense, so it was impossible not to have a resident lot interpreter.

"Old Liu, who guards the shrine, is responsible for interpreting lots," Madam Zhu said. "But he's currently in the west of the village. The bandits didn't kill him, probably because he cooks well."

"Then get that person over here." He Lingchuan put away his lot and turned to walk towards the west of the village.

"Chuan'er, are you going to deal with those fierce, evil-looking bandits?" Madam Ying was a little worried. "At this time, it's not good to complicate matters."

He Lingchuan remained silent, his steps growing firmer.

Others thought his reaction was excessive, but only he knew that the four words "dove occupying magpie's nest" pierced his heart like nails, almost puncturing the deepest secret within him.

He had to get to the bottom of this matter!

Immortal Spirit Village was so small; he walked quickly and soon reached the boundary agreed upon by the officials and bandits.

Two soldiers stood on this side, while two bandits stood on the other.

He Lingchuan then spoke to the two men, "I want to buy a person: Old Liu, who guards the Water Spirit Shrine."

The bandit, in a slouching manner, asked, "What do you want him for?"

"When I have nothing to do, he can interpret lots for me." He Lingchuan pulled out a large silver ingot and dangled it in front of the two, "Keeping an old useless man isn't beneficial for you; you might as well exchange him for silver."

The silver weighed a full ten taels and was of high purity.

An old useless man was indeed of little value, only his cooking was decent. The two bandits huddled together to discuss for a few moments, then turned back and said, "You'll have to pay more."

He Lingchuan sneered, turned, and walked away. How dare they try such a low-level trick in front of him?

These two small-time thugs, who followed their leader out to plunder, would they even get enough money each time to afford a lavish feast? He seriously doubted it.

Indeed, seeing him about to leave, the two became anxious, "Come back, come back, alright, alright!"

They indeed didn't consult anyone else again. Involving more people would mean splitting the money further.

Soon after, the two bandits brought over an old man with half-white hair and beard, pushing him across the boundary, "Here, give us the money."

He Lingchuan simply tossed the silver ingot over.

Unexpectedly, this action was seen by the surrounding villagers. Several local men and women rushed forward, shouting, "Buy us too! Officials, kind sirs and madams, please buy us too!"

Who didn't know the east of the village was safe and the west suffered? Seeing Old Liu successfully escape, other villagers were burning with anxiety.

Mao Tao caught Old Liu and followed behind He Lingchuan.

Madam Ying even uttered a sound, "Everyone, please calm down..." But He Yue grabbed her arm and pulled her back without a word.

It wasn't time to save people yet.

Soon, the fierce bandit leader was alerted and rushed over to question them. The two subordinates stammered and stuttered, and only after being slapped twice did they explain what happened.

The leader slapped them twice, "Whatever he wants to buy, you give it to him? What if he wants to buy your lives, will you give them too? Are these two idiots?"

The two men, with bitter faces, repeatedly said they wouldn't dare.

The leader, fuming with anger, reached out a hand, "Where's the money?"

***

Meanwhile, Old Liu entered the east village territory, profusely thanking everyone, almost kneeling and kowtowing.

The fierce bandits were like evil gods; he, like the other villagers, had originally thought he wouldn't live until dawn.

These few living immortals had saved him from a sea of suffering.

"Why not thank us with practical action?" He Lingchuan pulled out the two supreme-low lots from his sleeve, "Can you interpret them for me?"

"Ah?" Old Liu took the red lots and froze, "Who drew these?"

"I did."

Old Liu looked at him, then at the lots, "And the other one?"

He Lingchuan became even more displeased, "Still me."

"How is this possible?" The old man's mouth almost formed an 'O', "You can draw two supreme-low lots consecutively?"

"I drew more than ten times, and it was always these two lots," He Lingchuan said, pointing to the others, "They got mid-high and supreme-high lots."

Old Liu had never heard of such a thing either; he was stunned for a long while before needing more light.

Old eyes become blurry, and the characters on the lot were small.

Mao Tao brought the torch close, so close it almost burned the lots, and only then did Old Liu manage to read the contents of both lots aloud, squinting.

"Oh, it's these two."

Mao Tao was a qualified 'foil', "What's wrong with these two?"

"These two are newly made, and were only put in ten days ago."

No wonder the red paint was so fresh.

"Here, whenever a supreme-low lot is drawn, it must be removed and set aside, never returned to the container, because each person's great disaster is unique. The Water Spirit Lord hasn't allowed mortals to draw lots for a long time, and the lots in this container haven't been replenished or replaced for two years," Old Liu thought as he spoke. "But just ten days ago, the Water Spirit Lord suddenly appeared to me in a dream, saying that a great calamity was about to befall me. I was terrified and immediately sought a solution. The Water Spirit Lord then said that as long as I made two new lots like these and put them in the container, I would turn misfortune into good fortune."

Everyone exchanged glances. It seemed to be true; because He Lingchuan wanted an interpretation, Old Liu was safe.

"So these two lots were specially prepared for me?" He Lingchuan's eyes were full of doubt. Could this be a trap? "Then interpret them for me."

"I cannot interpret them."

"What?" He Lingchuan was greatly displeased, "Did I waste my money? Aren't you a lot interpreter?"

"These two are 'sealed lots,' meaning they can only be seen, not interpreted." Old Liu gave a wry smile, "This old man has a secret, which I might as well tell my benefactors now: in the past, I could interpret lots because the Water Spirit Lord granted me a trace of divine power; however..."