Secret: The years I served as a foreign aid for the Aurora Club

Chapter 584 Snowball

892
Bang, clang.

"The number of Dayan is fifty, and its use is forty to nine. Divide it into two to symbolize two, hang one to symbolize three..."

The three copper coins were thrown into the copper plate in front of him for the sixth time. They rolled a few times and finally fell flat into the copper plate.

The round-faced, slightly plump fortune teller heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the three coins were on the plate. Then he took a deep breath nervously and pushed up the small black round sunglasses on his nose, revealing a pair of brown-black eyes that stared intently at the position of the three coins.

After reading it, he hurriedly took out the small draft book, grabbed the charcoal pencil and wrote the sixth hexagram on it.

“…The upper hexagram is Kan, and the lower hexagram is Dui, which means water above and marsh below, which is the “Water and Marsh Jie” hexagram…The changed hexagram is Zhen on the upper hexagram and Kan on the lower hexagram, which means thunder above and water below, which is the “Thunder and Water Jie” hexagram.”

"Thunder and water interpretation?"

The round-faced fortune teller rolled his eyes, showing a hint of joy on his face. He recalled the knowledge he knew by heart and said, "It's actually a good hexagram! Zhen is on top and Kan is on the bottom. Zhen represents thunder and Kan represents rain. Thunder and rain together nurture all things. This is the hexagram for interpretation."

Bu Suanzi thought about it again, his eyebrows raised with joy, his eyes narrowed together:
"This divination is really good! It has a sense of winter going to spring, spring thunder rumbling, and the river thawing, which is also in line with the current season... What good thing is going to happen? I calculated the future market of the Taoist temple, and it actually shows signs of rejuvenation. Could it be that the house I couldn't negotiate before is finally being sold to me, my fellow apprentice finally found a job, the stock I calculated is going to rise, or the big boss who came to calculate before remembered me and wants to donate tens of thousands to the Taoist temple, or the Taoist temple is finally going to have new disciples?"

After talking to himself for a while, he calmed down a little, put his small round sunglasses back on, touched his round chin and muttered:
"In the future, I don't know if it will be tomorrow or next year, but good things are always good. It seems that there will be some changes in the temple."

"Forget it, forget it. I won't think too much about it for now. I can't keep throwing away my precious copper coins..."

Bu Suanzi was amused for a moment, and then he picked up the old copper coins on the copper plate one by one. On them were vaguely engraved with the words "Tong Bao" in ancient characters, as well as other complex marks. They were all precious treasures unearthed by archaeologists.

His master's master used these copper coins, saying that they were good things brought out from a certain ruins, very old, and extremely precious antiques in the "last era". Unfortunately, their Tianzun lineage had no chance to merge with the Tao, and could not sense the location of Tianzun. They could barely become a Taoist who entered the hall, and they could not find a place to sacrifice their lives for the Tao, and eventually they could not avoid old age and death.

Over hundreds and thousands of years, not much silver and money were accumulated, but these items were passed down from generation to generation.

The fat Taoist put the copper coins into the small black cloth bag he was wearing, patted it, and muttered to himself:

"Tianji suddenly donated money to the temple for renovation and wrote off the previous debts. There must be something fishy going on. It's a pity that I can't figure it out. He must have seen something or encountered something in that secluded place over there, but he didn't share any information with me. And the matter of Tianzun's successor, I just took a look at it and there was no further news. I wanted to ask for advice, but he said he was in seclusion to meditate. Old Yang is really hateful..."

If he hadn't encountered anything related to Tianzun, why would he suddenly be nice to us?
"...I'll go test him in two days. I heard they have launched a new mechanical puppet. I wonder if there is one suitable for me."

As he said this, he stood up, cleaned up the scene where he had divination, cleaned the surrounding area, and put fresh fruits on the altar in front of Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun.

Finally, he looked up at the brand new mahogany altar table, which had been painted with white putty the day before yesterday. He clicked his tongue for a moment, then reached out from his arms to take out three incense sticks and inserted his hands into the small bronze tripod.

The blurry statue in the shrine seemed to be looking at him, and also seemed to be looking at the gate behind him and the old well in the courtyard.

"God, please bless the younger generations..."

Bu Suanzi muttered a few words, but had no idea what he was asking for.

Tianzun had never responded, and his master, uncles, and ancestors had tried their best but were unable to shake the seal set by this ancestor. This small Taoist temple had been passed down for so many generations, and the people in the temple had basically regarded worshipping Tianzun as a habit of life.

Go ask the Master Lu Ban next door for help and maybe you can really improve your skills. Tianzun is a bottomless pit, and even if you throw coins into it, you can't hear any sound.

When he thought that the old man Tianji who had traveled to a secular land might have really met his ancestor there, Bu Suanzi felt a little expectant, a little curious, and a little hard to imagine. If this ancestor was really there, how would they get along in the future?

"Forget it. Please, I beg you to protect me so that no one else can steal the frozen melons in the well when I come back at night. If you are really in another world, could you please let me know when you have some free time?"

The fat Taoist laughed, and then he picked up his white cloth flag that symbolized his "iron-mouthed judgment", carried a long bench, straightened his indigo long cloth jacket, hummed a little tune, and went out leisurely.

When passing by the small pond in the yard, Bu Suanzi grabbed half a piece of white rice cake that he had not finished eating in the morning from the bag hanging on his waist, broke it into pieces and fed it to the koi in the pond. He watched for a while as the palm-sized fish opened their mouths to scramble for the cake crumbs, and then put two pieces of fruit candy on the small blue and white porcelain plate in front of the golden toad sculpture placed on the water spout in the pond.

"Our temple's fortune for next year will depend on you again! I'll treat you to a good meal at the end of the year. My fellow apprentice only knows how to spend money but not how to make money. When I ask him to help with the work of delivering mail and goods, he always complains for a long time..."

"Ah! What a rich family, you travel around all day long and study. If you have time, study more seals and secret techniques. It would be great if you could support the family with me."

Bu Suanzi finished speaking earnestly, then stood up, walked out of the gate of the Taoist temple, and walked down the mountain along the long steps paved with bluestone slabs.

As he took a step forward, the evergreen pines and cypresses behind him moved closer to the center, and the steps he passed by disappeared one by one.

When he got down the mountain, only the dirt road on the hillside was left behind him, and the quiet little Taoist temple in the mountains seemed like just an illusion.

……

Seeing that Audrey was willing to try to investigate, Hermes nodded slightly and said:
"I'll give you the detailed information later, but I must remind you that this matter is quite dangerous and you must not be careless."

At this point, He paused and said in a friendly manner:

"If you encounter an accident and cannot solve it on your own, you can try to call my name or chant the Lord's name for help. Of course, you'd better try to inform me, because the Lord's presence may cause some other changes there."

"Will He...actually respond to my request for help?"

Hermes groaned and said something very strange:
"His authority is not complete, and his influence is limited. He will not respond to everything, except for the protection period for novice followers."

...Audrey was not surprised at all to hear such incomprehensible words from the old angel. She didn't know when Hermes had become "a kind and generous senior with a somewhat unconventional mind" in her mind. This might be what Hermes showed on purpose, but Audrey didn't hate his personality.

As for the process of asking for help from Honorific Name, she was also very familiar with it, and decided to ask Hermes for help before taking action.

She had never expected that God, like Mr. Fool, would actually respond to the requests of some believers - or that the secrets hidden in this village related to dragon worship were quite important to Him and the Psychological Alchemy Society?
Hermes did not explain, but said:
"As a member of the jury, you should be in charge of a '1' level sealed item, but you have just entered this ranks and need some time to observe. In addition, you can also find your shortcomings that need to be made up in the next action, and then apply for similar items from the church or the Psychological Alchemy Association. However, as a member of the Dusk Hermit Association, you have the privilege of temporary requisition."

The benefits and status are still very considerable, the missions are difficult, and the pay is acceptable. I'll try to make a plan after I go back... Audrey nodded and asked.

"Then how can I get in here without your invitation?"

Hermes pointed to the illusory masks on the table:
"From now on, you can take your own personality mask out of this city."

"Those who have masks are all members of the Psychological Alchemy Society. No matter where you are, as long as there are at least two humans around you, um, excluding yourself, you can enter this city by wearing the corresponding personality mask."

"And these seven personality masks themselves are illusory and closely connected to certain of your cognitions. They do not need to be preserved in a special way. As long as you want, you can take them out from the collective subconscious sea around you at any time."

The use of the mind and consciousness is beyond my imagination. Just the existence and entry of this place, as well as the virtual personality mask made of some kind of enhanced "cognitive personality", are enough for me to study for a long time... Audrey nodded slightly:

"I will wait patiently for the probation period to end."

"You don't get angry easily," Hermes commented with a smile.

"Just keep it like this, Audrey. You are also a very good psychologist and will not be overly disturbed by a virtual personality."

After discussing the matter of the psychic dragon in Eastchester County, Hermes briefly answered a few questions raised by Audrey. As a pioneer in psychology and a senior in mysticism, Audrey gained a lot from his guidance. She listened very carefully and shared some of her own experiences from time to time.

"Okay, that's all for today."

After a while, Hermes glanced at his wrist, where a quartz watch was hanging: "An hour has passed. Miss Montemar might be waiting for you to come back for dinner." Audrey subconsciously wanted to stand up and say goodbye, but she quickly came to her senses and continued to sit there. After Hermes stood up, she also stood up and prepared to leave.

Before leaving, she asked with a little curiosity:
"What is the name of this city, sir?"

"Yes." Hermes said with a smile, "This place is called the Garden of Eden... But it will probably become a former name soon."

Garden of Eden... Audrey asked thoughtfully:
"Is it because God's kingdom of heaven is actually called Eden? Then what will it be called if it is renamed?"

Hermes nodded and said, recalling:

"The other old guys in the Twilight Hermits have been discussing this for almost a week, and my ears are almost callused from listening to them. Some people recommended 'Bethlehem' or 'Jerusalem', which are said to be the names of holy cities of the Lord found in the ancient old world. Others recommended 'Sodom' and 'Gomorrah'. Then we studied it for a while and found that these were the names of evil cities that disobeyed the Lord..."

As Hermes spoke, he scratched his hair in distress, got on the carriage, and complained to Audrey:
"Nothing has been decided yet. I have nominated a few, but no one seems interested."

Audrey couldn't say anything and could only smile politely.

After a while, they took the carriage they came in, drove out of the "Garden of Eden", and returned to the garden of the Cathedral of Light filled with sunflowers.

"Go back and write a letter to Mr. Richard first, and then talk to Irena about the area I will be responsible for in the future. By the way, I need to think carefully about whether to have a new identity. After all, that village belongs to the Hall family. If I change my identity, it may be inconvenient for me to investigate."

"If I were to go to Loen, my area of ​​responsibility would definitely be handed over to Irena for temporary management. This would be considered my reward..."

Audrey turned slowly and walked along the path towards the cathedral while thinking.

……

"Teacher Dorian, just send it here."

Fors stood at the gate of the Abraham family mansion, holding the ticket that brought her here. The words "Backlund → Trier" on the front of the ticket had faded, but the ink on the back of "Trier → Backlund" still had a faint twinkling of starlight.

I really should have paid attention at that time. How could there be a direct train between the two capitals?

Now Fors has become a Sequence 5 "Traveler" in just one year. He no longer has to risk his life to listen to the "Full Moon Whisper" like the previous students after being promoted. He can live and grow in peace.
Dorian looked at his most proud student, and he felt more and more satisfied, and reluctant to let him go. He no longer had brothers, sisters, or children. Fors was grateful and kind, and Dorian had already regarded Fors as his successor.

"Ok."

Dorian calmed down and said calmly, "Actually, I want to keep you for a few more days. After you go back, you should think more about how to play the role of the 'traveler'. If you have any questions or knowledge about mysticism, you can write to me and ask me."

"By the way, you can actually consider going to the spirit world yourself and looking for a messenger. This will be a good challenge for you."

"I have put the ritual of summoning the messenger in those travel notes for you. You can take a look at it when you go back. In addition, wandering the spirit world is also an excellent way to travel. A 'traveler' will often go into the spirit world in person to select a messenger. But don't forget the taboos. Once there is danger, leave in time and don't stay in the spirit world for too long."

Fors' heart was pounding when she heard this, and she nodded and said, "Okay."

Dorian nodded. After a few seconds, he suddenly thought of something and said, "By the way, Fors, you told me before that you wanted to visit a friend who currently lives in Trier. Are you not going?"

Fors was stunned for a moment. Thinking of Miss Audrey, the "Justice" who had taken the initiative to leave the Tarot Club, she felt a little sad for a moment and sighed:
"That friend has left, and it is not convenient for me to visit her."

"I'm sorry to ask you about your sad story."

"It's okay, teacher." Fors gathered her linen shawl, and the brooch Dorian gave her was pinned on her chest. She hugged the Trier cakes and other gifts she was going to take back to share with Xio, and waved goodbye to Dorian again.

She injected her spirituality into the ticket in her hand, and the next moment, just like when she came, a sudden blue light engulfed her. A strong pulling feeling instantly brought her to the spirit world and left Trier.

After Fors left, Dorian also left the mansion in a carriage as he had something else to do.

In the evening, Dorian passed by the port of Trier. When he looked up while buying a newspaper, he happened to see a passenger ship entering the Rhine River pier. A young man with black hair and green eyes got off the ship, carrying a suitcase. Among the ordinary passengers, this young man with outstanding appearance, tall stature, and very friendly appearance was quite eye-catching. As soon as Dorian saw him get off the ship, several vendors selling their goods immediately surrounded him.

But his eyes suddenly blurred and the figure of the green-eyed young man suddenly disappeared, and when he appeared again he was several meters away.

The green-eyed young man was tidying up his wrinkled clothes, and their eyes met by chance. The green-eyed young man smiled at Dorian, and then his figure suddenly twisted again, not only disappearing from the spot, but also completely disappearing from Dorian's spiritual intuition.

...Dorian felt a chill in his heart, and could no longer read the newspaper leisurely. He bought a pancake for dinner and hurriedly left the dock.

……

"Old man, do you know that person just now?"

Leonard got off the boat, bought a mayonnaise bread, and whispered to Pales in his mind.

"He's an 'apprentice', a junior of the Abraham family. Now that Bethel Abraham has returned, it's best not to have anything to do with them... If there's no one you want to visit in Trier, take the ship tonight and leave."

"Don't rush us, we just got here." Leonard took another big bite of the bread. The freshly baked bread was soft and moist, with a lot of mayonnaise in the middle. It was not only nutritious, but also tasted very good. After taking a bite, the aroma of wheat and the sweet and sour taste of the special mayonnaise filled his mouth, which immediately made Leonard feel a little good about this city he had just visited.

"This wheat bread seems to taste much better than Rune's..."

Leonard carried the box and walked towards the ticket office at the dock, thinking idly, "The same goes for the wheat bread on the ship. Is Intis' wheat better than Loen's? Or is it because it's freshly baked? It's really delicious..."

While eating, he counted out a few banknotes from his pocket and prepared to give them to the dock staff to buy the next boat ticket.

TBC
------

Emlyn did not return to the Harvest Church immediately. He walked alone on the streets of Backlund for a long time before he finally suppressed his emotions.

By this time, as a demigod, he could at least realize that something was wrong with his condition.

"My emotions are leaning towards the negative direction. My hatred and anger are amplified... The archbishop is right. There must be a very strong extraordinary power interfering in Backlund. Those believers are unable to discover their own mental problems, so they do impulsive things one after another, and their casualties incur greater hatred, and the situation keeps snowballing..."

"This doesn't seem like something an 'audience' would do. Instead, it should be something that demons, hunters, witches, or even the group of 'lunatics' who believe in the original moon would do. But lunatics probably don't have the brains to come up with such a strategy..."

But what can you do if you know it?
Even he, a demigod, was affected silently, which proved that the other party's power was far stronger than his, and he was at least at the angel level!

"...I must return to the Harvest Church immediately and brew a large amount of medicine to calm the mind. Regardless of whether it works or not, it will at least relieve the pain..."

Emlyn immediately turned and walked towards the pharmacy, preparing to buy some raw materials and seeds, but before he had gone far, a voice suddenly appeared in his ears.

"Excuse me, judging from your clothes, you must be a priest of the Church of Mother Earth, right?"

Emlyn turned around and saw a man from Loen wearing glasses and with dark brown hair, who was looking at him with a complicated expression. When Emlyn turned around, the man adjusted his glasses, pointed to the east, and said in embarrassment:
"...Father, you Feynaport people heard that a bishop of the Church of Mother Earth was taken away for speaking up for them, and now you are attacking the Holy Wind Cathedral, trying to get them to release him. Is this true or not? Would you like to go and take a look?"

Emlyn was stunned.

After a few seconds, he suddenly spread his wings, and like a dark light, he rushed along the street towards the Holy Wind Cathedral under the dim sky.

(End of this chapter)