Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling. Shen Qi stepped out of the gate of the Observatory and glanced at the sun; it was still an hour or so before noon.

He took a couple of steps and began to ponder.

Although Jiang Xinyue's conclusion about Chen Wu's fate differed from her own, the fact that Chen Wu had been able to predict her own early death at a glance showed that this physiognomy technique had some merit.

If one can learn even a fraction of this art of physiognomy, it can be used to conceal one's ability to see through others' destinies when interacting with people in the future, and it can also be used to verify the truth of both, thus avoiding some detours.

I need to find a place to practice my eyesight.

To verify a person's facial features, you naturally need to find a crowded place. Although there are many people on the street, you can't get a clear look by just glancing at them, and it's easy to annoy others.

Where in the inner city are the most crowded places? Brothels and entertainment venues? Shen Qi is a respectable man, so naturally he can't go there. That would be teahouses and taverns.

People from all walks of life, high-ranking officials and dignitaries, came and went in a constant stream, drinking tea morning, noon and night.

Isn't a teahouse the perfect place?

Shen Qi looked up to determine the direction and walked straight towards the East Market.

Not far along, a three-story building with a wooden plaque that reads "Chunhe Teahouse" appeared on the street corner.

As soon as the curtain was lifted, the chill outside hadn't dissipated, and the bustling sounds of people inside, mixed with the aroma of tea and steam, rushed in.

The lobby was packed, with a platform about half a person's height in the center, and a long table covered with blue printed cloth on it.

Before anyone could even see the person on stage, a powerful voice cleaved through the cacophony of the hall.

The tea drinkers fell silent without prior arrangement, and even the waiters slowed their pace.

"Snapped!"

The storyteller closed his folding fan.

"Dear readers! Last time, we talked about how, at the end of the Great You Dynasty, a celestial dog ate the sun, and a demonic star caused chaos in the world!"

Shen Qi stopped and leaned against the pillar by the door to listen.

"What kind of world was that?" The storyteller spun his folding fan open again, waved it twice in front of his chest, and sneered repeatedly, "Corrupt officials were as numerous as carp crossing a river, levying exorbitant taxes and squeezing every last drop from the land! The common people could grow a year's worth of grain and not even pay half a month's taxes. The north was suffering from severe drought, and the south was flooded. It was truly a place where corpses of the starved were everywhere, and nine out of ten houses were empty!"

"Gentlemen! They're exchanging their own children to eat! The bones piled up at the base of the city wall are higher than the bricks, one layer on top of another, and when the wind blows, it's all howling like ghosts. Is that even human? It's practically a living hell!"

The tea drinkers in the lobby were so engrossed in listening that they didn't dare to breathe.

"But what about the Great You royal family? What are they doing?" The man's voice suddenly rose. "Those beasts are licentious and immoral, treating human life like dirt! To practice that damned evil art, they actually cut open pregnant women's bellies to remove the fetuses! They skinned people alive! They threw living people into the alchemy furnace, all for that elusive pursuit of immortality!"

Shen Qi stood by the door, his eyes slightly shifting.

Cannibalism for alchemy, taking lives while still alive—isn't that exactly the evil cultivation path of the Hidden Nether Sect, which strips others of their martial arts meridians?

"Heaven is enraged and the people resentful! It is fitting that the Great Netherworld be destroyed!" The storyteller slammed his gavel. "Just when all was silent, our Great Ancestor Emperor of Dayan, wielding his three-foot sword, slew the white serpent and started a rebellion! That was in accordance with Heaven's will and the people's will, saving the masses from suffering..."

"good!"

"Emperor Taizu was mighty!"

A thunderous roar of cheers suddenly erupted in the lobby.

In an instant, copper coins and silver fragments were thrown onto the high platform like raindrops by the tea drinkers.

Shen Qi regained his composure and prepared to go inside.

"Sir, would you like to stand or sit in a private room?" A waiter with a white towel draped over his shoulder approached cleverly.

"Second floor, a private booth by the railing." Shen Qi took out a piece of silver and tossed it over. "Bring a pot of good tea and two plates of tea snacks. A quiet spot, please."

"Alright! One private room on the second floor! Please come upstairs, sir!"

The waiter quickly collected the silver, draped a white towel over his shoulder, and bent down to lead Shen Qi toward the stairs.

He led Shen Qi to a seat overlooking the courtyard.

Looking down from here, you can see the entire first-floor lobby and the central platform.

"Please enjoy your tea, sir." The waiter placed the tea and snacks down and then withdrew.

Shen Qi picked up his teacup to moisten his throat, and casually took out the "Yuanming Sui" that Jiang Xinyue had given him, laying it flat on the table.

Turn the page and jump directly to the volume on physiognomy annotations.

While looking at the vernacular annotations in the book, he turned his gaze downstairs to "train his eyes."

He quickly narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on a square table directly below. There sat a middle-aged, plump man in a silk robe. This man had been the loudest cheering earlier, throwing silver coins onto the table without even blinking.

Shen Qi carefully examined the man's face.

The forehead is full, the chin is square, and the most striking feature is the nose, with a straight bridge, a round and fleshy tip, and full sides.

Shen Qi glanced down at the annotations on "Yuanming Sui".

"A full and prominent nose tip, with a round and thick tip, is an auspicious sign for wealth. It indicates a life of abundant wealth and worry-free riches."

When Shen Qi looked up again, he stared intently at the top of the fat man's head.

Above the fat man's head, a strand of life thread, much thicker than that of an ordinary person, floated. It was white with a distinct silver sheen, like a solid silver line.

Destined for wealth, honor, and longevity.

Shen Qi's lips curled slightly. This physiognomy was indeed accurate.

He became interested and continued to search the lobby, soon landing on a small square table in the corner.

There sat a young scholar in his early twenties. Despite the freezing weather, the scholar wore only a thin blue robe, held a cup of the cheapest liquor, and shivered from the cold.

Shen Qi scrutinized the scholar's face.

Her cheeks were thin, her brows were furrowed, and nasolabial folds already etched around her mouth despite her young age. Although her almond-shaped eyes were charming and affectionate, a lingering air of poverty permeated them.

Commentary: "Thin cheeks and wrinkles between the eyebrows indicate a life of hardship and toil. It suggests a life of wandering and difficulty in accumulating wealth."

According to physiognomy, this scholar is definitely a penniless wretch and might starve to death on the streets any day.

But when Shen Qi's gaze moved upwards and landed on the top of the scholar's head, he couldn't help but pause in surprise.

The scholar's head was clearly adorned with a thick, white hair that shimmered with silver light! Although it wasn't as thick as the fat man's, the silver sheen was undeniable, clearly indicating a life of great wealth and honor.

Does a troubled appearance indicate a life of wealth and honor?

Just then, the waiter came up with a large copper kettle to refill the water.

Shen Qi casually pulled out a few copper coins and pushed them over, then gestured with his chin towards the scholar downstairs: "Waiter, is that scholar in the blue robe in the corner downstairs a regular customer?"

The waiter quickly collected the coins, glanced at Shen Qi's gaze, and immediately burst out laughing.

"Sir, you're talking about him. His name is Liu Qing. He's not very good at studying. He failed the imperial examinations three times and didn't even get a passing grade. He's also squandered all his family's wealth."

Shen Qi raised an eyebrow: "He's dirt poor, but he seems so calm and collected, like someone with a solid foundation."

"My goodness, you have an amazing eye!" The waiter leaned closer. "This Liu Qing may not have much else, but he's got a handsome face. Guess what? The other day, the daughter of Master Wang, who runs a cloth business in the east of the city, went to the temple to offer incense, and she just happened to fall for him!"

The waiter's tone was full of sourness: "That Miss Wang insisted on marrying him, making a scene and threatening suicide. Master Wang, feeling sorry for his daughter, reluctantly agreed to the marriage. This young man is going to become a live-in son-in-law next month; he's really hit the jackpot!"

After saying that, the waiter shook his head, picked up the copper kettle, and left.

Shen Qi sat there, and chuckled to himself.

It turned out to be the case.

Physiognomy reveals the scholar's impoverished background in the first half of his life. While his facial features cannot be changed, his destiny thread carries the ultimate trajectory of his life.

Being a kept man is also a form of wealth.

Shen Qi had a better understanding of the limitations of physiognomy. Physiognomy could see the established situation, but it couldn't see the predetermined twists and turns. To truly predict fate, one still had to rely on one's own eyes.

He closed "Yuanming Sui" with satisfaction and put the book back in his pocket.

Downstairs, the storyteller struck the gavel again, drawing everyone's attention back to the platform.

"Gentlemen! Our Great Ancestor of the Great Yan Dynasty overthrew tyranny and established his rule over the world! What divine might did that Great Ancestor Emperor possess? He was eight feet tall, and his arms could move with the force of ten thousand jin! When he threw a punch, mountains collapsed and rivers flowed backward! He also had countless fierce generals and strategists under his command!"

The storyteller spoke with great enthusiasm, gesturing wildly, exaggerating the abilities of the Emperor of the Dayan Dynasty to the heavens. The tea drinkers below listened with rapt attention, forgetting even to drink their tea, craning their necks to catch a single word.

"On the day of the decisive battle, the founding emperor charged into the enemy ranks alone. Facing the ten greatest experts of the Great You Dynasty, he uttered only one sentence..."

The man's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

The lobby was completely silent; everyone held their breath.

Right at this critical juncture.

The storyteller suddenly stopped. He slowly closed his folding fan, then reached for the purple clay teapot on the table and began to slowly fill the gaps in the teapot…