Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

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"Looking up at the stars for eight hundred years, looking down at the human world for fifty eons. The universe is hidden in my sleeve, and the sun and moon turn the seasons at my fingertips."

"This humble Taoist has been traveling around and happened to pass by this blessed land. I saw that the pure air here was rising and that a noble aura was gathering. So I set up a stall here, not for gold or silver, but to build good karma."

Only five people will be accepted; those who miss out will not be waited for, and those who are not destined for it should not apply.

The group looked in the direction of the sound.

A wooden table had been set up under the eaves of a house on the street corner, which had been empty just moments before.

A slightly worn cloth banner hangs in front of the table, with the words "Ironclad Predictions" written on it.

On the table was a coarse cloth painted with yin and yang symbols, with a tortoise shell and a few copper coins pressed down by the corner of the cloth.

Behind the table sat a middle-aged Taoist priest, wearing a turban and a blue Taoist robe, with three long strands of beard hanging down his chest, giving him a somewhat otherworldly air.

He was now slightly closed, tapping lightly on the tortoise shell on the table, seemingly glancing at passersby without actually looking at them. The shout he had just given was indeed from his mouth.

At this moment, five or six figures had gathered in twos and threes in front of the stall, mostly curious demon and ghost cultivators.

They pointed and whispered among themselves at the Taoist priest, mocking his arrogant tone.

Of course, I was also quite curious that there were fortune tellers in this ghost market, which was quite a sight.

Song An was young and very curious, so he couldn't help but peek a few more times and mutter to himself:

"Are there fortune-telling Taoist priests in this netherworld?"

Those who frequent this place generally possess some level of cultivation and knowledge, and are not easily deceived by charlatans like ordinary people.

But the middle-aged Taoist priest dared to set up a stall here, and his words were calm and composed, which showed that he had something to rely on.

The crowd couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity.

At that moment, it was the turn of a rat demon with a pointed snout and shrunken cheeks to stand in front of the table.

The middle-aged Taoist priest didn't ask any further questions. He simply squinted at the rat demon, scrutinizing it from head to toe and observing its complexion, before slowly speaking:

"Fellow Daoist, I observe that there is a hidden red vein between your eyebrows and at the root of your nose, indicating stagnant Qi."

It seems to have the image of "an old sword lying in the sand", indicating that there are lingering old matters or that a powerful weapon has been secretly damaged, hindering one's future.

The key lies in this; let me, this humble Taoist priest, cast a divination for you and analyze it in detail.

The rat demon, its secret exposed, gleamed with a sharp light in its eyes. It looked around, hesitated for a moment, then sat down and said:

"Then... I'll have to trouble you, Daoist Master."

The Taoist priest didn't say much. He took three copper coins, had the rat demon hold them in his palm and shake them, silently recited the question in his mind, and then threw them onto the table.

This was repeated six times. The Taoist priest lowered his eyes to carefully observe the divination results, then calculated with his fingers for a moment before raising his eyes to look at the rat demon and slowly saying:

"Is your question related to a long-forgotten object or a long-abandoned karmic connection?"

The rat demon trembled and whispered, "Please enlighten me, Daoist Master."

"The hexagram shows 'Ze Shan Xian', which indicates a connection and communication. However, the upper trigram is Dui and the lower trigram is Gen. Dui represents deficiency, and Gen represents obstruction."

"The red vein between your eyebrows indicates a conflict between fire and metal, a sign of war."

This matter or thing must have been forced to stop back then due to strong external obstruction or its own inadequacy, leaving a regret that persists to this day.

Now... there seems to be a glimmer of hope.

However, this turning point is hidden within the imperfections, meaning that the opportunity may be incomplete or accompanied by trade-offs and losses.

The rat demon listened intently, holding its breath, and asked urgently, "May I ask what the opportunity is? What losses have been incurred?"

The Taoist priest gently shook his head and collected the copper coins one by one.

"The secret revealed by Heaven is nothing more than this. The opportunity may lie in the northeast direction, and is related to metals, stones, and tokens."

Those who suffer losses may be due to old friendships or acquired gains. You, my fellow practitioner, must carefully consider which to accept.

That's all I have to say.

The rat demon seemed to be deep in thought. Although he had not fully understood, the Taoist's words had clearly hit some key points.

He left in a hurry.

The middle-aged Taoist priest remained calm, swept his whisk across the table, and announced loudly, "Next."

This time, a swaying, alluring snake demon woman stepped forward and asked something in a very soft voice.

The Taoist priest also instructed him to cast a divination stick. After observing the celestial phenomena and making calculations, he only whispered a few words.

Upon hearing this, the snake demon's face drained of all color, her former seductive charm vanished, and she turned deathly pale. She hurriedly turned and left, disappearing into the crowd.

Those among the onlookers with higher cultivation and more sensitive hearing vaguely caught fragments of phrases in the Taoist's whispers, such as "Mandarin ducks separated for the night," "Greedy Wolf swaying," and "Salt Pool water moving."

Judging from the snake demon's reaction, everyone had strange expressions and exchanged knowing glances.

In the blink of an eye, two of the five spots have been filled.

Master Shouyue looked at Chen Jiao and said softly:

"This person seems to possess genuine talent and learning, not a charlatan. Fellow Daoist, would you be interested in giving him a try? Perhaps you can gain some insights."

Song Yan also whispered:

"Although the Taoist priest's words were simple, they were all able to touch the hearts of those seeking divination, and he certainly had some skill in it."

At this moment, a ghost cultivator who had been lingering in Tongyou City stepped forward and asked:

"May I ask, Master, if you could divine my future, whether I have any hope of being reborn as a human in my next life?"

The Taoist priest glanced at him, gently shook his head, and spoke in a voice that was gentle yet undeniable:

"The netherworld has its order, and reincarnation has its constant course."

The causes of the past life, the effects of this life, and the predestined relationships for the next life are all determined by the judges of the underworld and Yama.

This humble Taoist only calculates opportunities and fortune, not destiny or reincarnation. I cannot answer this question, nor would I presume to presume. Next.

The ghost cultivator was stunned for a moment, and could only silently retreat.

The crowd of onlookers stirred slightly, but most remained on the sidelines.

After all, divination involves one's own destiny, and few people are willing to try it rashly before understanding the details.

The Taoist's gaze swept over again, this time landing directly on Chen Jiao. He smiled slightly and gestured for him to enter.

"Fellow Daoist, you possess a refined and elegant demeanor, and your inner brilliance is understated. Would you be willing to give it a try?"

Divination by character, drawing lots, or using coins are all acceptable.

All eyes immediately turned to Chen Jiao.

Master Shouyue glanced sideways, and Songyan and Song'an also showed expressions of curiosity.

Chen Jiao met the gaze of the middle-aged Taoist priest. The priest's eyes were clear and bright, without the mystique of an ordinary sorcerer or any sense of aggression.

A thought flickered in his mind, and he pondered for a moment.

Those who practice spiritual cultivation often have mixed feelings about fortune telling and divination.

More often, they hold an attitude of "respecting heaven and earth, fearing cause and effect, and being aware of opportunities and changes."

This Taoist priest is able to set up a stall in this ghost market without any problems, and his previous divinations all seemed to have come true. He is definitely not a charlatan.

It wouldn't hurt to take a test; it might serve as a reference.

Chen Jiao then stepped forward, walked to the wooden table, and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Greetings, Daoist Master. Since this is a matter of fate, please enlighten me."

The Taoist priest returned the greeting with a smile, without asking any further questions. He simply took out an old wooden box about the size of a palm from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and gently opened it.

Inside the box are nine jade plaques, each with a warm, lustrous texture and slightly different colors.

The jade pendant lay quietly on the velvet cloth, radiating a calming and serene light.

"This is the 'Nine Numbers Jade Mirror,' which secretly aligns with the ultimate principles of heaven and earth."

Fellow Daoist, there's no need to ponder. Since you've come here by chance, please randomly draw one of these nine jade tablets.

Numbers and geometry have their own omens.

The Taoist gestured, looking at Chen Jiao with a calm gaze.

Chen Jiao glanced at the nine jade tablets, but did not hesitate or use any divine sense to investigate. He simply followed his instincts and reached into the wooden box.

He casually pinched the edge of a jade pendant, took it out of the box, and placed it on the table.

Under the sunlight, the jade plaque shimmered with a lustrous sheen, and a number was clearly engraved on it in ancient seal script.

two.

The moment Chen Jiao saw the number, his heart skipped a beat.

This number seemed to carry a strange sense of destiny for him.

This body of Jiang Xiao is the second incarnation after Xuan Ling.

Within the sect, he was also the second disciple under his teacher.

Is it a coincidence, or is there some unspeakable connection in the dark?

Chen Jiao remained expressionless as he gently placed the jade pendant back into the empty space in the wooden box.

He looked up at the Taoist priest and waited for his explanation.

The Taoist priest's gaze fell on the jade tablet. His face showed no surprise. He simply nodded slightly, extended two fingers, and gently picked up the jade tablet, examining it carefully for a moment.

"two……"

The Taoist slowly put down the jade tablet, touched it, as if feeling its patterns, or perhaps pondering something.

He looked up at Chen Jiao, stroked his beard, and smiled:

"I never expected that the second to last person I would meet today would be a fellow Daoist."

"The second is a number, but the Great Dao has fifty, and the Heavenly Cycle has forty-nine. Within this second number, there may well be an opportunity."