Since all these rules and superstitions are outdated, what's wrong with me indulging in some me

"Okay," he said. "How do we compete?"

Chen Xu took something out of his sleeve.

It was a small cloth bag, about the size of a palm, made of coarse gray-white cloth, and sealed with red silk thread.

The surface of the bag faintly shows dark red patterns, like bloodstains that have seeped into the fabric fibers and dried.

Chen Xu placed the cloth bag on the table.

The bag made a dull thud the moment it hit the table, as if something heavy had rolled inside and struck the surface with a thud.

The temperature in the hall seemed to have dropped a few degrees.

The castle owner leaned forward slightly from the back of his chair, and Shen Ye put down his wine glass.

Lu Changsheng stared at the cloth bag and sensed a familiar feeling.

resentment.

It wasn't the overwhelming, thick, almost tangible resentment from the bottom of the lake, but rather a compressed kind of resentment.

"Two vengeful spirits are sealed inside." Chen Xu's voice echoed in the hall, neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone to hear clearly. "My master took seven days to seal them. Today, Mr. Lu and I will compete in exorcism—who can dispel the resentment within without breaking the seal in the fastest and most thorough way."

When he said "resolve," he glanced at Lu Changsheng.

"I'll go first, so that Mr. Lu can have more time to observe."

Chen Xu said calmly, and Lu Changsheng nodded, "It's fair enough."

Chen Xu looked around, then his hands were already hovering above the cloth bag. His palms were down, his fingertips slightly apart, and they moved rhythmically, like two leaves unfolding and trembling slightly.

Driven by that frequency, the dark red patterns on the pocket watch face began to glow. Those patterns began to writhe, like living snakes, swimming, coiling, and rearranging themselves on the pocket watch face.

Sweat beaded on Chen Xu's forehead, but at the same time, the resentment inside the bag began to respond.

A black, thick, tar-like substance seeped out from the gaps in the fabric bag's fibers.

The black droplets hovered in the air as Chen Xu's hands began to move, his fingers slightly bent, his palms slightly tilted, and his wrists slightly rotated.

Lu Changsheng watched with great interest. This Chen Xu was not just a figurehead; he could even digest such a powerful vengeful spirit, which showed he had some ability.

He could tell at a glance that Chen Xu was using his spiritual power to weave the resentment into an orderly and stable form, transforming it from a chaotic and uncontrollable mass of energy.

Under Chen Xu's manipulation, the resentment gradually changed form. It transformed from black tar into gray threads, then from gray threads into white mist, and finally from white mist into something transparent and almost invisible.

The cold, heavy feeling in the hall lessened.

The castle owner leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, the rhythm slower than before, as if he were savoring something.

About ten minutes later, Chen Xu withdrew his hands.

The dark red patterns on the bag watch face had faded considerably, but the resentment had not been completely dispelled. The things woven into transparent threads were still suspended in the air and had not dissipated.

Chen Xu's breathing was a little rapid, and beads of sweat trickled down his nose. He stared at the cloth bag and remained silent for a moment.

"I've done my best," he said, his voice lower than before. "There's still 30% left. My master took seven days back then, but I only took ten minutes. This is my limit."

He turned to Lu Changsheng and nodded slightly.

"Mr. Lu, please."

Lu Changsheng walked to the table, then reached out and picked up the cloth bag, holding it in his left palm.

The bag was light, but Lu Changsheng felt a heavy weight, as if it had been pressing down on him for more than a decade.

He used the nail of his right index finger to lightly scratch the pad of his left ring finger, creating a small cut.

Blood seeped from the wound, starting as a tiny drop, then slowly growing larger until it coalesced into a round, dark red bead on the fingertip. The light shone on it, refracting a faint glow, like a ruby.

The hall fell silent.

Blood seeped from the fingertips, seeping into the fibers of the bag and spreading along the pink patterns. The blood and patterns merged into one, and the bag began to glow the next second.

The resentment inside the bag vanished instantly.

Chen Xu's pupils suddenly contracted.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

He had studied his craft for ten years and witnessed his master's process of resolving resentment—a slow, arduous process, like peeling an onion layer by layer.

Each level requires precise control of spiritual energy, as well as a great deal of time and patience. He had never seen resentment "disappear instantly."

"What kind of magic is this?"

Chen Xu was stunned.

The castle owner and Shen Ye craned their necks to look in this direction, their shock impossible to conceal.

Although they didn't know much about the methods of the diviners, they had learned from Chen Xu's experience that even though Chen Xu had worked so hard to expel the resentment, a little bit of it still remained.

Although they didn't know much about the methods of the diviners, they had learned from Chen Xu's experience that even though Chen Xu had worked so hard to expel the resentment, a little bit of it still remained.

And what about Lu Changsheng?

Not only did it dispel all resentment, but it did so effortlessly, using only a drop of its own blood.

Chen Xu stood still, his gaze fixed on the wound on Lu Changsheng's left ring finger, which was showing signs of healing. His lips moved, then closed, then moved again.

"Mr. Lu." His voice was strained, as if he were trying to maintain a certain dignity, "I concede defeat in this exorcism."

He spoke very decisively, so decisively that he showed no resentment whatsoever.

At the same time, Lu Changsheng's score on his forehead skyrocketed.

It went directly from 60 to 80.

The castle owner leaned back in his chair, staring intently at Lu Changsheng, his fingers lightly tapping the table.

If anyone else witnessed this scene, they would surely assume that the master had developed a great deal of approval for Lu Changsheng.

But when Lu Changsheng met that burning gaze, he knew clearly that it was not the look of someone eager to acquire talent, but the look of a hunter looking at his prized prey.

"The exorcism competition is over," he said slowly, with a deliberate ease. "What about divination? Didn't Mr. Chen say before that a diviner's art emphasizes talismans, divination, and exorcism equally? Mr. Lu won the exorcism competition, shouldn't we have a divination competition too?"

He said this with a beaming smile, making it impossible to find fault with him.

Shen Ye frowned and glanced at the castle owner.

Chen Xu was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"The castle owner is right. The divination has not yet been performed."

"How about I pose the questions for the divination?"

Lu Changsheng suddenly spoke up.

"Oh?" Chen Xu was slightly surprised, but quickly nodded in agreement. "That's fair. I'll give you a question, and you give me one."

Lu Changsheng held the young man in higher regard. Although the young man was a bit arrogant, he was not a bad person and did have some real skills.

But having these real skills isn't enough to win this game.

Lu Changsheng thought to himself silently.

He pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the people present before finally settling on Shen Ye.

"Then, what brings this friend of the master here this time?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's expression changed.

The moment the words left his mouth, it was as if a layer of air had been sucked out of the hall.

The castle owner's fingers, which were tapping the table, froze in mid-air, like a flying insect with its wings pinched, motionless.

His smile was still on his face, but it no longer carried the same confident and composed air as before.

Shen Ye's reaction was even stronger.

He stood up abruptly, the chair legs scraping against the carpet with a dull thud, not loud, but it sounded particularly jarring in the extremely quiet hall.

His hands were on the table, his knuckles white from the force, and his eyes were fixed on Lu Changsheng, something churning violently deep in his pupils.

Chen Xu stood to the side, his brows furrowed. His gaze shifted back and forth between Lu Changsheng and Shen Ye, as if trying to decipher something. He had studied for ten years and witnessed his master perform countless divinations, but he had never seen anyone evoke such a strong reaction from the person being questioned with just a few words.

"Mr. Lu," the castle owner's voice finally rang out, lower and colder than before, "Isn't this topic a bit inappropriate? Doesn't this count as prying into someone else's secrets?"

Lu Changsheng turned to look at him.

The castle owner still wore a smile, but that smile had changed. The curve of his lips remained the same, but the warmth in his eyes had dropped several degrees, like a lamp in winter—the light was still there, but the warmth was gone.

"Inappropriate?" Lu Changsheng repeated the word, as if savoring its meaning. "The host said yesterday that today's guest is a 'friend from afar.' Since he's a friend, what's inappropriate about asking about his friend's purpose?"

He paused, shifting his gaze from the castle owner's face to Shen Ye.

"It was my rashness not to ask your consent beforehand," Lu Changsheng said with a smile. "Then, this guest from afar, would you be willing to let us perform a divination on this matter?"

"I do."

Shen Ye's voice rang out.

"Ah Shen." The castle owner's voice was still slow and leisurely, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, "Are you sure?"

Shen Ye didn't look at him.

"This question is quite suitable; neither of them knows the answer."

"good!"

Lu Changsheng nodded.

"Now that the guest has agreed, let's begin!"

The castle owner, leaning back in his chair, stiffened slightly. His fingers, clasped together on his abdomen, tightened for a moment, pressing his fingertips against the backs of his fingers, leaving several deep white marks.

"But what if one person gives the correct answer first, and the other person, even if they haven't figured it out, just imitates the first person's explanation?"

"The castle owner said slowly."

"That's easy," Lu Changsheng said with a smile, glancing at the castle owner. "After the two of us finish our divination, we can write the results on a piece of paper and give it to the guest. The final decision can then be made by the guest."

The castle owner glanced at Lu Changsheng, his smile unchanged, but he lightly tapped his finger on the table.

"Then let's do as Mr. Lu says."

Chen Xu had already walked to the table. He took out a neatly folded piece of yellow silk from his sleeve, unfolded it, and laid it on the table with meticulous movements. Each of the four corners of the yellow silk was embroidered with a rune, the stitches were fine, and the color was a deep vermilion, as if it had been dyed with cinnabar.

He took out three copper coins from his pocket.

The three copper coins were a size larger than usual, their edges worn smooth and rounded, the verdigris gleaming with a dull luster under the light. He placed the coins in the center of the yellow silk, clasped his hands together, and closed his eyes.

His lips moved, silently reciting something.

About half a minute later, Chen Xu opened his eyes.

He held the three copper coins in his hands and shook them gently. The coins clinked in his palms, making a clear, ringing sound that echoed in the hall, like the tolling of a bell from a very, very far place.

Once, twice, three times.

Chen Xu let go.

The copper coin landed on the yellow silk, bounced once, spun twice, and then came to rest.

Three copper coins, two facing up and one facing down.

Lu Changsheng watched Chen Xu's movements; his foundation in Six Lines Divination was indeed solid.

To Shen Ye's surprise, Lu Changsheng did nothing but quietly watch Chen Xu's every move.

The castle owner also noticed Lu Changsheng's behavior. A dark glint flashed in his eyes, and then he asked with a smile:

"Don't you need a divination?"

"I?"

Lu Changsheng was taken aback, then smiled and shook his head, "I've already finished the divination."

"Is the divination finished?"

The castle owner frowned slightly. He had been watching Lu Changsheng's every move. After Lu Changsheng started the divination, he did nothing but quietly watch Chen Xu, like a teacher checking a student's homework.

Lu Changsheng smiled without saying a word.

Chen Xu closed his eyes, chanted the incantation for a while, then picked up the copper coins again, shook them, and scattered them.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

Once, twice, three times, four times, five times, six times.

Each time, he studied it for a long time, and each time he wrote a stroke on the rice paper. It took him nearly twenty minutes to form a hexagram from the six lines. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead and nose, dripping onto the yellow silk and leaving a small, dark stain.

Chen Xu put down his brush and let out a long sigh.

He stared at the hexagram formed by six horizontal lines on the rice paper, his brows furrowed. His lips moved again, as if repeatedly confirming something.

"Is it done?" the castle owner asked.

Chen Xu nodded, but his expression didn't relax; instead, it became even more serious. He looked at the divination diagram on the Xuan paper, then at Shen Ye, hesitating to speak.

"Write it down," Lu Changsheng said.

Chen Xu glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, then picked up his brush and wrote a few lines on the blank space of the Xuan paper.

He wrote slowly, each stroke seemingly deliberate. After finishing, he folded the rice paper twice and handed it to Shen Ye with both hands.

Shen Ye took the Xuan paper but did not open it.

Instead, he looked at Lu Changsheng.

"Mr. Lu, what's your answer?"

Lu Changsheng stood up, picked up a pen, and quickly wrote a few words on a blank piece of paper. Then he folded the paper and handed it to Shen Ye.

"If one didn't know Mr. Lu's abilities, one might think he possessed clairvoyance or X-ray vision!"

The castle owner smiled from the side, but his words were sharp.

"Whether he can see through things or not, Mr. Shen will know at a glance."

Lu Changsheng was too lazy to argue with him, because he knew that in the face of absolute strength, any malice and slander would vanish once the answer was revealed.