Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

Winter days are short.

After having breakfast, Shen Qi went out.

Zhao Youtian squatted under the eaves, teasing the black cat with a piece of straw rope.

The cat was very lazy. It only raised its paw and scratched twice before shrinking back to the base of the wall and covering its nose with its tail.

Seeing Shen Qi leave, Zhao Youtian quickly looked up and asked, "Seventh Brother, going to the inner city again?"

"Go to the Observatory to borrow a few books."

Upon hearing the words "borrowing books," Zhao Youtian immediately laughed and said, "Reading is good; reading nourishes people. Now that Seventh Brother has an official position and is willing to read, I'm afraid he will truly become a person who excels in both literature and martial arts in the future."

Shen Qi shook his head and smiled.

……

Before long, they arrived at the Observatory.

Eight guards, clad in armor and wielding halberds, stepped aside as he ascended the steps.

One of them whispered, "Envoy Shen, the Chief Minister is in his study."

Shen Qi thanked him and walked through the front courtyard.

The pines and cypresses in the Imperial Observatory courtyard were covered in snow, and the copper bells under the eaves jingled softly in the wind. Several clerks carrying files hurried past, and recognizing his face, they all bowed and gave way.

Shen Qi walked to the door of the study and knocked.

Two tapping sounds.

Jiang Xinyue's lazy voice came from inside the room.

"Enter."

Shen Qi pushed open the door and entered.

The charcoal fire was burning brightly inside, but the window was only half open. A cold breeze slipped in through the crack, causing the pages of paper on the table to turn slightly.

Jiang Xinyue sat behind her desk, holding an old book in her hands. Books were piled up on the desk, the couch, and the floor, at varying heights, creating a sense of order within the chaos.

He glanced at Shen Qi.

Shen Qi cupped his hands in greeting: "This humble servant would like to borrow a few books on fortune telling from the Master."

Jiang Xinyue closed the book, a half-smile playing on her lips.

"These books of mine are all treasures."

Shen Qi stood with his hands at his sides: "The copy of 'Yuanming Sui' that I have is ultimately incomplete. When I read to the turning points in a person's destiny, I often feel that the beginning and end are disconnected and difficult to understand. After much thought, I have no choice but to shamelessly ask the Chief Judge to borrow a few old copies for corroboration."

Jiang Xinyue raised her hand and pointed to the bookshelf on the right.

"Over there are old books on fortune telling. Some were brought by the gods, and some I've collected from various places over the years. Choose for yourself, but don't take the wrong one."

Shen Qi responded and walked to the bookshelf.

The books on the shelf were mostly wrapped in old cloth, with small labels pasted on their spines. The ink stains varied in freshness and age, clearly indicating that Jiang Xinyue frequently read them.

Shen Qi reached out and took a booklet; the cover read "A Brief Record of Bone Observation".

The paper is yellowed and the edges are worn, but it is very well preserved.

Jiang Xinyue sat behind the desk and said slowly, "That book on physical appearance and bone structure is a basic introduction. It uses bones to determine fate and form to predict destiny. The author's skills are mediocre, but his eyesight is sharp."

Shen Qi nodded and took down another book.

Miscellaneous Discussions on Destiny Charts

Jiang Xinyue glanced at it: "That book is different from 'Yuanming Sui'. It is mostly a mixture of folk tales about fate, martial arts phenomena, and official physiognomy compiled by later generations. Some things in it are false, but some things are not necessarily entirely false. It can be read, but it cannot be believed entirely."

Shen Qi then put the book aside.

Jiang Xinyue flipped through the old book in her hand and suddenly said, "When I was young in the capital, I also studied the art of divination under the supervision of the Imperial Observatory."

Shen Qi paused slightly.

Supervise.

The head of the Great Observatory.

He is also the master of Jiang Xinyue and Li Yaoguang.

Jiang Xinyue looked out the window.

"At that time, I was confident in my martial arts talent. Since I could improve my martial arts skills by leaps and bounds in a day, I figured that the path of destiny was just another one."

He smiled.

"Who would have thought that I would spend twenty years reading just one book, 'Yuanming Sui'."

Jiang Xinyue reached out and picked up a cup of tea from the table. The tea had gone cold, but he didn't mind and took a small sip.

"Twenty years of reading has left me dizzy and disoriented. At first, everything seemed to make sense, but later I realized that nothing made sense. Only later did I understand that it wasn't the books that were incomprehensible, but rather that I didn't understand them."

He pointed to the room full of old books.

"Over the years, I've collected books on fortune telling, mostly not to understand them, but simply thinking that if I don't understand them today, I might understand them tomorrow. If I don't understand them tomorrow, perhaps I will in ten years."

He spoke casually.

Shen Qi could tell that there was a hint of self-deprecation in those words, as well as a refusal to admit defeat.

Indeed, things in this world are unreasonable.

Jiang Xinyue put down her teacup and spoke more formally.

"My master once said that the most dangerous thing in the art of destiny analysis is not that you can't see it, but that after you see it, you think you can determine fate on behalf of heaven."

Shen Qi looked up.

Jiang Xinyue looked at him.

"The more you see, the easier it is to develop delusions. Today you decide people's life and death, tomorrow you change people's fortune and misfortune, and in the future, you will use the lives of all people as pawns."

His voice trailed off as he finished speaking.

"That would be dangerous."

Shen Qi cupped his hands in thanks: "This humble servant has noted it down."

Jiang Xinyue waved her hand, reverting to her lazy demeanor.

"Just write it down. Whether you listen or not is your business."

Shen Qi continued selecting books.

Before long, he took five books down from the bookshelf.

Miscellaneous Discussions on Destiny Charts

"A Brief Record of Bone Observation"

"A Study of the Line Between Disaster and Fortune"

The Remnants of Xuanwei's Commentary

"Yuanming's Essence: A Side Evidence"

The five books, of varying thicknesses, were placed together and all had an old look.

Jiang Xinyue glanced over and raised an eyebrow.

"A toxic eye."

He got up and walked over, picking them up one by one and examining them.

"The 'Fragmentary Commentary on the Mysterious Subtle Meaning' is the most incomplete of all, passed down from the old archives of the previous dynasty, and is almost impossible to find outside. When my master saw it, he only said one thing: 'It's a pity it's so incomplete.'"

Jiang Xinyue picked up "Yuanming's Essence: A Side Note" again.

"This book was written three hundred years ago by an old man from the Bureau of Astronomy, and it is full of annotations. There are many errors, but occasionally there are brilliant insights. My master once said that this book should not be read as a serious teaching, but it is suitable to see how later generations have misunderstood Master Xuanwei."

After he finished speaking, he picked up "A Study of the Line of Fortune and Disaster" again.

He flipped through a few pages, his gaze lingering on the yellowed paper for a moment before he sighed, "This one is even smaller. It's about the turning points of fortune and misfortune, when they begin, when they end, and where opportunities lie."

He shook his head gently.

"It was just that the words were cryptic. I read it three times back then and felt utterly disgusted; I almost threw it into the charcoal brazier."

Shen Qi said, "The Master is reluctant to part with it."

Jiang Xinyue glanced at him and smiled.

"Of course I can't bear to part with it. If I throw one away, there will be one less copy in the world."

He put the book back down and said sternly, "You may borrow it. Return it to your study after you're done reading. No folding, no annotations, and no water. If even one page is missing, I'll hang you out to dry by the door for a day."

Shen Qi bowed: "I wouldn't dare."

Jiang Xinyue thought for a moment, then pulled out an old piece of cloth from beside the table and threw it to him.

"Wrap it up carefully. Don't take it out and flaunt it. There aren't many near the Observatory, but there are plenty of poor slackers who covet old books."

Shen Qi took the old cloth, stacked the five books neatly, wrapped them carefully, and tied a knot.

Jiang Xinyue sat back down behind her desk and waved her hand.

"Go now. If you encounter any difficulties, come and ask me again."

After saying that, he coughed twice and added a sentence.

"Of course, I might not understand."

Shen Qi said, "It is already a great favor that the Master is willing to lend me the book."

Jiang Xinyue waved her hand and laughed, "Stop trying to sweet-talk me. Go away."

Shen Qi took his books and left the study.

It was cold under the eaves.

He carried the book in his arms and walked along the corridor toward the front hall.

Just around the corner, a person came quickly from the main entrance.

The man was around thirty years old, dressed in a blue robe with a belt, his hair and beard neatly trimmed, and he held a letter in his hand. Though his steps were hurried, his sleeves remained undisturbed.

It was none other than Registrar Lin.

When Lin, the registrar, looked up and saw Shen Qi, he paused in his steps.

"Envoy Shen?"

Shen Qi cupped his hands in greeting: "Lord Lin."

Lin, the registrar, glanced at the books in his arms and then looked towards the study, and immediately understood.

"What a coincidence."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and said, "I would like to trouble Envoy Shen to accompany me to see the Chief Judge again."

Shen Qi didn't ask any further questions and followed him back.

The study door was not fully closed.

Lin, the registrar, bowed from outside the door.

"Master."

Jiang Xinyue's voice came from inside.

"What's wrong now?"

Lin, the registrar, pushed open the door and entered, with Shen Qi following behind.

Jiang Xinyue saw Shen Qi return and put down her book.

Registrar Lin presented the memorial.

"Last night, the Qi family found a corpse in a secluded courtyard in the back of their residence. That place was rarely visited. The deceased's face was contorted in a grimace, and his five fingers were gripping the ground, suggesting he had been dead for more than ten days."

Jiang Xinyue took the invitation and glanced at it.

"The Qi family?"

Lin, the registrar, said, "The Qi family is located in the south of the city. Their ancestors included a military officer in the patrol battalion, and there are still two martial artists in the family. One works in the prefectural government, and the other joined the army last year."

Jiang Xinyue gently stroked her chin.

"Was the deceased a martial artist?"

"The memorial stated that the deceased was Qi Huaiyi, thirty-seven years old. He had his martial arts meridian tested in his early years and was rated as Ding Shang. He only practiced martial arts at the Qi family home."

Lin, the registrar, paused for a moment.

"But the steward of the Qi family said that a chilling aura emanated from the body, injuring people. A servant boy vomited blood on the spot when he approached and has been unconscious ever since."

Jiang Xinyue turned her gaze to Shen Qi.

Shen Qi stood with his hands at his sides, his expression unchanged.

The first task assigned to the suppressing evil spirits came quickly.

Jiang Xinyue put the letter down.

"Shen Qi".

"exist."

"You are now the only suppressor of evil spirits in Chengping County, so you will be in charge of this matter."

Jiang Xinyue then looked at Registrar Lin.

"Two armored soldiers shall accompany the body. Before the body is identified, it shall not be moved, placed in the coffin, or cremated."

Registrar Lin responded, "Yes."

Jiang Xinyue then looked at Shen Qi.

"Only examine the corpses, don't be reckless. If it really involves evil practices, report it immediately."

Shen Qi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This subordinate understands."

Jiang Xinyue then pointed to the book in his arms.

"Take the book with you. Don't let it get tainted by the stench of a corpse."

"Yes."

Lin, the registrar, glanced at him, his lips twitching slightly, but he ultimately didn't laugh.

A moment later, in the front courtyard of the Astronomical Bureau.

Two armored guards led their horses in, one carrying a sword and the other a short halberd. Registrar Lin handed Shen Qi an official document stamped with a vermilion seal.

"The Qi family lives in the South Alley of the Inner City. When Envoy Shen brought this document to the government office, the Qi family dared not be negligent."

Shen Qi, carrying the book, led two armored soldiers out of the Observatory.

A winter wind blows in my face.

To the south of the city, the clouds hung low.

When they reached the end of the long street, a servant of the Qi family was already waiting there. The man was pale-faced, and when he saw the people from the Observatory of Astronomy, he hurriedly went to greet them.