Chapter 100: The Fortune Teller Taoist

At the top of the pagoda, Zhao Yuan Kui's painful screams echoed, causing his loyal servant, Xiao Shunzi, to be so anxious that his mouth started foaming.

However, since he had been pressure-pointed by Yi Chen, he was powerless and could only stare helplessly.

Ning Wanjun and Xiao Cui had long returned to the inn to rest. Now, only Xiao Shunzi and Guan Shanyue remained at the base of the tower, standing guard.

The cries and howls continued well into the late hours before finally subsiding. Hearing that there was no more noise from above, Guan Shanyue unsealed Xiao Shunzi's pressure points.

Xiao Shunzi, his body weakening, collapsed to the ground, remaining in the same position for most of the night. His body had gone numb.

After a while, the pagoda door opened, and Zhao Yuan Kui emerged, bare-chested, his hair disheveled, clothes barely clinging to him, his body marked with patches of black and white as if he had just escaped a fire.

Seeing Zhao Yuan Kui in this state, Xiao Shunzi struggled to rise and staggered over to him, shouting, "Your Highness! What happened to you? How did you end up like this? Is everything alright?"

Before Xiao Shunzi could look behind Zhao Yuan Kui, he was slapped aside.

"Get lost! What are you looking at? This is from the abbot using his Pure Yang internal energy combined with a Pure Yang treasure to heal me. Though it hurt a bit, the effect is great. I can feel that I'm not as cold anymore. The abbot said that if I continue for ten more days or so, my cold poison will be gone!"

Though Huo Yuanzhen had not practiced the Nine Yang Manual, his Pure Boy Skill granted him innate Pure Yang energy, which had become even more powerful after learning the Wuxiang Divine Art. His internal energy was abundant, and with the help of Pure Yang techniques like the Wuxiang Jie Zhi and the Pure Yang Relics, healing Zhao Yuan Kui was now quite achievable.

However, Huo Yuanzhen wasn't an expert in medicine or healing. Despite his deep understanding of qi circulation after learning the Wuxiang Divine Art, using it for healing was his first attempt, so it was like crossing the river by feeling the stones. Occasionally, he made mistakes, causing Zhao Yuan Kui considerable discomfort.

Fortunately, Zhao Yuan Kui had been warned about the pain beforehand, otherwise, he might have thought that Huo Yuanzhen was deliberately harming him.

Just thinking about how Huo Yuanzhen had told him that he would need ten more days of treatment made Zhao Yuan Kui's tears fall. His body felt like it was on fire, and every part of him ached. Supported by Xiao Shunzi, he limped down the mountain, already dreading the next round of torment tomorrow.

After they left, Huo Yuanzhen also descended the pagoda, where Yi Chen was still waiting below.

"You're still here so late?" Huo Yuanzhen asked.

Yi Chen bowed, "The old monk is from Shaolin. Naturally, I must ensure the abbot's safety."

Huo Yuanzhen nodded, ready to head back when he suddenly stopped and turned to Yi Chen. "Do you know about the appearance of the Wokou pirates in Henan?"

Yi Chen's expression darkened slightly, and he nodded.

"I've killed over twenty Wokou pirates. They have retreated for now, but you can guess that these pirates are merely testing the waters. Sooner or later, they will invade our land. When that day comes, I fear there will be things happen that you would rather not see."

Yi Chen coldly replied, "If that day comes, I will personally slay these traitors to protect our land!"

Huo Yuanzhen did not speak further and went back to his quarters. Some things might not happen immediately, but as events unfold, they are bound to occur. It was best to warn Yi Chen ahead of time.

By early October, the weather had grown colder, and the golden leaves had covered the mountain steps leading to Shaoshi Mountain.

Henan, which had long been shrouded in the shadow of war, seemed to be showing signs of relief.

Both the imperial court and the military governors seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement, refraining from any provocative actions. The two sides quietly awaited each other's next move, causing those who had expected war to keep their mouths shut.

The common people no longer discussed the consequences of war. They simply knew that after October, winter would arrive, and the cold would make it impossible to fight a war.

Even if the war started now, it would be impossible to carry on past October unless it could be finished quickly.

For now, it seemed like the people would have a peaceful year.

Without the pressure of war, and with harvest season upon them, people were busy collecting their crops. They weren't in a hurry to leave for fear that the war might not come at all next year.

Those who believed in Buddha saw the lack of war as a sign of divine intervention. Many of them who had prayed for peace returned to Shaolin Temple to offer thanks, and the incense at the temple grew even more vibrant.

At the temple gates, beneath the giant archway, a table had been set up. Two chairs were placed—one behind the table, the other in front. The chair behind was occupied by an elderly Taoist, wearing a Taoist crown and robes, with three long strands of beard. He looked ethereal, as though a true immortal. One hand held a watermelon, the other a fly whisk. He ate the watermelon while swatting away flies.

By all rights, this Taoist should not have been here. This was Shaolin Temple, home to monks, not a place for Taoists to set up a fortune-telling stall. His presence was undoubtedly provocative.

Passersby, puzzled by the sight of the Taoist, gave him curious glances, but the old Taoist didn't care. He even had a row of watermelons beside him, from which he grabbed another and smashed it open to eat the melon inside.

After some time, a pilgrim approached and asked, "I would like to inquire about my fortune."

"Come here, I'll check your pulse," the Taoist replied.

The pilgrim was taken aback, this was the first time he had heard of fortune-telling involving pulse-checking.

However, the old Taoist's appearance was quite impressive, so the pilgrim hesitated and extended his hand.

The Taoist put down his watermelon, scooted forward, and, after a brief check of the pilgrim's pulse, began patting his shoulder, pressing his chest, and fussing with him as if giving a medical exam. After a while, he said, "You're going to lose money today. Be careful. I won't charge you for this."

With that, the Taoist withdrew his hand and ignored the pilgrim, returning to his watermelon.

The pilgrim hesitated before standing up and walking a short distance. Suddenly, he shouted, "Ah! My wallet! Where's my wallet? Has anyone seen it?"

"Did you leave it at home?" someone asked.

"No, I definitely brought it up with me! I counted the money before I came, intending to buy some incense and candles at the temple... How can it be gone?"

As he shouted, others in the crowd began to look at the Taoist with reverence. It seemed like a divine prediction—he had said the pilgrim would lose money, and now the wallet was missing.

Some suggested that since the Taoist had predicted the loss, perhaps he could help find where the wallet had gone.

The pilgrim, desperate, returned to the Taoist's stall and asked if he could predict where the wallet was. The Taoist, eyes half-lidded, said, "I only give one prediction a day. I'm not doing more. Leave now!"

No matter how much the pilgrim begged, the Taoist wouldn't budge. Eventually, the pilgrim had to leave in frustration.

The amazing accuracy of the Taoist's predictions quickly gained him a reputation. Soon, word of his skills spread to the top of Shaoshi Mountain.

When Yi Chen came to report this to Huo Yuanzhen, the latter was pacing inside his room. Upon hearing the news, Huo Yuanzhen said, "I already know about what's happening down the mountain. This Taoist is here to cause trouble. We'll go down and meet him."

Yi Chen said, "Abbot, I have a suggestion."

"Go ahead," Huo Yuanzhen replied.

"If he's here to challenge us and create a scene, we can naturally respond with force. But right now, he's just setting up a stall outside our temple gates. Technically, this isn't within our jurisdiction, and if we force him out, it may give people a bad impression of Shaolin. Moreover, this Taoist is already gaining respect from the people down there. If we resort to force, it might hurt our reputation."

"What do you think we should do?" Huo Yuanzhen asked.

"I don't have a perfect solution," Yi Chen replied, "but I know that most fortune-tellers are good at reading people's expressions and understanding the art of fortune-telling. They might seem accurate, but often their predictions are based on educated guesses. If we can expose him for what he truly is, it would not only get rid of him but also demonstrate Shaolin's ability and generosity."

"Can you tell fortunes?" Huo Yuanzhen asked.

"I... don't know," Yi Chen hesitated. "But I'm certain that Abbot, you must be able to."

Huo Yuanzhen chuckled, "How do you know I can?"

"I don't know," Yi Chen shrugged, "but in my eyes, Abbot, you are capable of everything."

Huo Yuanzhen laughed, "Nonsense. At least I can't bear children."

Yi Chen laughed as well. "If you were to leave the monastic life, Abbot, you'd have a harem and children galore."

After chatting, Huo Yuanzhen grew serious again, "I don't know fortune-telling, but I know this Taoist is up to something. Let's go down and see what this so-called 'master' is all about. If he's not worth the trouble, we'll show him that he's no match for Shaolin!"