usatvline Chapter 106 Enlightenment
Chapter 106 Enlightenment
The fifteen people were quickly assembled.
Some people guessed that the stall owner must have some tricks up his sleeve, but still wanted to take a gamble and try it out. Others were confident in their divination skills and were sure they could make a profit without any risk.
Zhu Wuyao kept his voice down to maintain the order. After arguing for a long time, they finally settled on the order based on cultivation level and the game of rock-paper-scissors.
This is a clandestine market, so there's not much formality or courtesy.
Fortunately, those who are truly powerful will not covet Qi Condensation Pills.
Tang Xin was at the fourth level of Qi Refining. If he hadn't signed up first, he might not have been able to compete with others.
My luck wasn't too good; I lost to someone of the same skill level in a rock-paper-scissors game and ended up in last place.
The stall owner in front of us didn't say much. Under everyone's gaze, she erected a barrier, allowing us to see her placing the items into the wooden box one by one, but not to observe the details of the box.
Ignoring everyone's view, he slipped inside the black cloth and fiddled with the boxes, arranging them in their proper positions.
Once everything was ready, the stall owner removed the barrier and made way for them.
No one was afraid that she would do something shady.
Once everyone has chosen their wooden boxes and handed over their spirit stones to open the blind boxes, it will be clear at a glance who got what, so there's no fear that the stall owner might take the opportunity to switch the contents of the boxes.
The total value of the items in this wooden box is about 150 spirit stones, but if they are converted into blind boxes, they can be sold for a total of 225 spirit stones.
Once everyone thinks about it, they can calculate the price difference.
This stall owner is certainly skilled and daring, actually gambling his luck in the Star-Picking Tower.
Yang Lao Er, who boasted about his accurate fortune telling, happened to catch this wave of excitement and even got the second spot in line to choose a wooden box.
He was eager to get started, just waiting for the fifteen spirit stones to double in value.
The first senior sister to choose a blind box started casting a divination. Although Yang Lao Er was nervous, he still had a bit of luck. Even if the Qi Condensation Pill was taken, the Water Demon Ash Grass and White Amber Stone were still pretty good.
Just as he was envisioning doubling his spirit stones through divination, he overheard the senior sister who had cast the divination muttering with some doubt:
"That's strange, I really can't figure it out..."
The onlookers immediately became interested; things were indeed getting interesting!
The stall owner is quite skilled; this time, what we'll draw will truly depend on luck.
As more and more people gathered around, Yang Lao Er saw that the senior sister hesitated for a moment and then casually picked a blind box, so he immediately stepped forward.
Although his cultivation level is not as high as that senior sister's, his divination is accurate!
Sure enough, it was my turn for good luck!
Zhu Wuyao watched with great curiosity as the guests performed their fortune-telling. The first senior sister used a straw rope knot, while Yang Lao Er, whom she had just eavesdropped on, lit incense and candles.
Wisps of white smoke rose up, and Old Yang made hand seals as he chanted a prayer he had composed.
It had the air of a charlatan.
A flurry of activity, as fierce as a tiger, was all it took for the incense and candles to struggle twice before going out in the wind!
Who would have thought of this.
Yang Lao Er stared at the incense and candles in disbelief, muttering like the previous senior sister, "This is impossible..."
Last night, when he cast a divination to predict Zhu Wuyao's ranking in the sect competition, the incense and candles went out. Today, the divination stall's treasure has also gone out!
Could it be that he is not close enough to the Great Dao...?
His divination skills are malfunctioning...?
"Yang Lao Er, why did your incense and candles go out?! Hahahahaha."
Seeing the incense and candles go out, Yang Lao Er refused to believe in superstitions and, despite the boos from his fellow disciples watching from the sidelines, cast another divination.
As things unfolded as always, another strange wind suddenly appeared.
Seeing the teasing looks from his friends, he explained, "It's because the incense and candles I bought were of poor quality that they went out."
He was also muttering something like, "What do you know about fortune tellers?" or "I've been studying divination for twenty-two years, and when I've mastered it, you're still playing in the mud!" Or he'd say, "I'm going to demand an explanation from the person who sells incense and candles."
Someone nearby shouted, "Your own divination skills are no good, yet you blame the incense and candle seller! I saw you haggling with them!"
Yang Lao Er blushed, hastily picked out a wooden box, and said:
"I can choose treasures without using divination techniques!"
Zhu Wuyao coughed twice as he watched this scene, managing not to laugh.
You should know that the reason she made everyone choose their wooden boxes before paying with spirit stones was so that she could have "ownership" of the items.
As long as no spirit stones are paid, these items will still belong to Zhu Wuyao.
To divine the contents of her possessions, which are completely unaffected by divination, requires considerable skill. Even Shen Anzhi couldn't discern them, let alone his fellow disciples.
Tang Xin, who was watching from the sidelines, almost burst out laughing as well. She took several deep breaths before she managed to suppress her laughter.
After everyone else had chosen, it was finally her turn.
Everyone watched Tang Xin with amusement, wanting to see what tricks she had up her sleeve.
Tang Xin was a little embarrassed and explained, "I'm a beginner and don't know how to tell fortunes yet, so just pick one randomly."
As he spoke, he stepped forward, and without much hesitation, took a wooden box and left without regret.
After everyone had made their choices and handed over their spirit stones, these people were generous and opened the wooden boxes one by one to satisfy everyone's curiosity.
The first senior sister to choose laughed heartily, took out the white amber stone from the wooden box, and said:
"I actually made a profit! I'm lucky today."
Then it was Yang Lao Er's turn.
He opened the wooden box, his expression darkening, while the people around him continued to jeer and ask him what he had gotten.
"It can't be an empty box, can it? I remember there were two empty boxes in here."
"I think you were right! This Yang Lao Er is really unlucky today."
Yang Lao Er snorted and slammed the wooden box shut. He wanted to see who was so lucky!
They opened several stalls in a row, but still couldn't find any Qi Condensation Pills. The crowd looked at the stall owner, and some people had already gone around to the back, fearing that she had swindled them out of spirit stones and would take the opportunity to run away.
Tang Xin watched as the wooden boxes in front of him were opened one by one, but none of them contained the Qi Condensation Pill, which made him extremely nervous.
She seemed to have a vague premonition that she had made the right choice.
Although he had mastered the "Starry Sky Myriad Phenomena Technique," Tang Xin had never experienced what fortune was.
Only today.
It seemed that every wooden box opened before her increased her chances of being chosen.
Tang Xin slowed her breathing, as if she could see all the "uncertainty" turning into "certainty".
One of her former classmates also opened the wooden box.
It is an ordinary medicinal herb.
Tang Xin's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly settled down. She felt as if she had seen a scale, which was clearly weighing two identical items, but gradually began to tilt.
She saw it—which one weighed more.
She smiled with relief, bowed to the stall owner, and said:
"Thank you for your enlightenment, senior sister."
Then, he opened the wooden box in his hand, and the Qi Condensation Pill fell into his palm.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Song Kezi, who was standing nearby, was watching the commotion from inside his hood.
Upon hearing the words "Thank you for your enlightenment," he was so anxious that he jumped up and down, because he also wanted to be enlightened!
Speaking of which, this young girl at the fourth level of Qi Refining has a similar approach to divination techniques to Ye Xiaozhou...
"Hmph, let Ye Xiaozhou be so smug. Now he has a rival!"
The next moment he suddenly froze and spat out three times.