Ice Vapor Goddess

Chapter 111 Linear Time

Two hours later, Kyle's personal guard quietly arrived at Black Street.

Arthur, of course, did not hide the results of the divination. After he turned to the upright position of the "Death" card, he bid farewell to Cynthia and immediately reported the situation to Siron.

Are you kidding me? This is Speyside. With home advantage, why not mobilize the army? Do you think you can solve a case all by yourself?

Besides, he was self-aware enough to know that he wasn't some kind of brilliant detective; he was just someone who preferred to do things.

So Siron arrived immediately, and his personal guard stood watch nearby to prevent any accident from happening to the bishop.

Now he's someone who can't afford to get into trouble; he's always accompanied by guards. Kyle stood vigilantly outside the door, the safety off his gun.

Xiren looked at the exotic caravan and its doors, knocked on the door, and went inside.

The Gypsy woman sat motionless behind the square table, the incense and soft light shining on her curly hair, which flowed like a surging black river onto her golden-black skin.

It was as if she had been sitting here a thousand years ago, and everything was like time standing still.

Legend has it that this people have been wandering for thousands of years, traveling to every corner of the world in caravans. They make deals with the devil, practice witchcraft and magic, are skilled in divination and predicting the future, and also steal children and money.

They will bring all sorts of amazing things, perform all sorts of tricks, and put on amazing shows.

Gypsy women are extremely beautiful. They have supple bodies and wheat-colored skin. They are skilled in music and dance. When they dance passionately in the sunlight, their steps are like swirling pieces of gold.

She smiled at him: "You've come."

Xilun raised an eyebrow: "You knew I would come?"

“I look forward to your arrival,” she said.

"So you did it on purpose?" Siren sat down in front of her. "Deliberately intimidating my subordinates."

She smiled slightly: "Perhaps, but it's not easy for a disabled fortune teller to see a bishop."

Xiren was taken aback when she saw her wooden prosthetic limb under the table. Unlike the mechanical right prosthetic limb of Renn, this was a purely decorative wooden carving, barely able to allow her to walk.

He paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, now you've seen me."

Cynthia handed him the cards: "Would you like a divination?"

Xilun took the tarot cards and shuffled them: "What spread? Three cards again?"

Curiosity gleamed in her eyes: "I didn't expect the Lord to know this."

Xilun washed them into three piles, took one sheet from each pile and put them away: "I played with these when I was in school."

He didn't say where he was studying, but the University of Florence certainly wouldn't allow it, but Cynthia didn't ask.

The candle burned quietly. Instead of immediately revealing the card to Siren, she said softly, "You don't like it."

He could see that Xilun's movements were casual, very standard, but completely uncaring, lacking the mystical respect for fate, spirits, and divination.

“Yes, I don’t like it, especially the three-card spread.” Siren nodded. “I loathe this past-present-future timeline.”

“But this is the foundation upon which the Church is built,” she said softly. “Ancient philosophers said that the world is a cycle of recurrence, that what has happened will happen again, that the world is an eternal cycle. Only the Messianic Church claims that the world is linear, from creation to the fall, from the fall to redemption, and that the world will eventually move toward the promised future.”

Xilun glanced at her in surprise, not expecting a fortune teller from such a remote corner to say such things.

“No, I’m not just talking about a linear view of time, but also that kind of past determinism,” he said, with a thoughtful and inquisitive tone. “The past determines the present, which means that the dead rule the living, and those old, ruling things still determine the operation of the world. The world is like a kingdom of the dead, where the words of the dead and the wealth of the dead determine the vibrant present. It’s like how ten years of hard study can’t compare to someone else’s three generations of accumulation, because their ‘past’ is stronger than yours.”

"Determining the future now means that the future is uncertain and chaotic, but your current status, wisdom, and accumulation can determine whether you will go well or not. Just like if someone is richer, more powerful, or stronger than you, it means that their future will definitely be better than yours. In other words, 'people who are richer than you work harder than you.'"

Cynthia said softly, "Isn't this wrong?"

“It’s neither right nor wrong,” Celen said, looking into her eyes. “But it’s a sycophantic, powerless view of time.”

"The future determines the present. When you believe that glorious future must exist there, you will be drawn to it, walk towards it, and get closer to it. When you feel angry, indignant, courageous, and have faith for something, it is the future calling you. No matter how absurd or impossible it may be, it exists when you believe, because faith is such an absurd thing. It must be born from the impossible, but it will eventually become possible."

"What is decided now is the past. Everything that is old is a paper tiger. They seem huge, deeply rooted, and invincible, but that's just what that flattering view of time tells you. In fact, as long as you raise your weapon, everything old and dead will be swept into the grave. The dead cannot rule the living; they can only threaten you with death. But when you are not afraid of them, they are not so terrible."

The two remained silent for a long time, then Cynthia chuckled softly: "So you firmly believe in the future you hold dear, and resolutely sweep the old things into the grave."

“You could say that,” Xilun nodded.

“Then—please turn over the cards,” she said.

Xilun glanced at her, seemingly lost in thought.

He turned over the card representing the past, which depicted Death riding a white horse and reaping everything; it was the upright Death card.

He paused.

Then, he revealed the second card.

The young king stood atop a magnificent chariot, riding two black and white horses.

That is the Chariot in its proper position.

But Siren didn't rush to reveal the third card. Instead, he looked at Cynthia for a long time before smiling.

He placed his hand on the third card.

“The sun is in the upright position,” he said.

With a flick of the wrist, a brilliant solar corona emerged.

“You guessed right,” Cynthia smiled. “It seems you don’t believe in fate either.”

Xilun curled his lip: "Isn't tailoring your approach to the individual's needs the most common tactic of fortune tellers? I've already explained my philosophy and given you enough time to change the cards."

With a smile on her face, Cynthia subtly moved her hands, and the tarot cards spun and switched at a rapid speed. The Grim Reaper in front of her became the Hermit, and then the World, and he didn't even see how she did it.

“Those who work in this industry know a thing or two about these things.” She showed no embarrassment at being exposed, but instead looked at Xilun with curiosity.

"But how can you be sure that this isn't fate's arrangement?"

She pointed to the [Sun] in front of Xilun.

Xilun frowned, and was shocked to find that they were two cards stuck together. Tearing off the top card, the "Sun," revealed the "Tower" in its upright position.

Lightning struck the white tower, the crown fell, and people fell from the top of the tower.

This is a rare card that doesn't have a good outcome whether upright or reversed. Upright, it represents sudden change, huge failure, and tragic death. It can also metaphorically represent the manifestation of God, implying that even the most arrogant person cannot challenge God's majesty.

(End of this chapter)