Chapter 778: Divining Fate
Translator: Pika
Zu An couldn’t help but jump in fright when he saw the string of Rage points. What the hell had he done now that offended the crown princess? She’s angry at me all the way from the Eastern Palace? Is someone talking smack about me behind my back?
I’ll have to ask brothers Piao Duandiao and Jiao Sigun about it later. I don’t want to be stabbed in the back without even knowing who it is.
There was no way he could have known that the crown princess just happened to be here as well.
He suddenly heard a giggle from up ahead, and a voice said, “I was the one who made this road, I was the one who planted these trees. If you wish to pass, then leave behind the toll.”
Zu An was incredibly confused. This was the illustrious Royal Academy’s rear mountain. There was a bandit all the way here? He raised his head and looked toward the voice, seeing a young lady sitting on a branch. Her thin legs were dangling in the air, as if she were just a little girl next door playing on a swing. She really didn’t look like a bandit.
However, her outfit was quite strange. She was dressed in a dark blue top, and the skirt had all manner of white and light yellow star-shaped designs. The diagrams on her clothes looked mysteriously familiar, but he just couldn’t recall where he had seen them before. She was also wearing a tall and sharp hat that looked quite similar to the witch hats in the fiction of his old world.
But there wasn’t even a trace of wickedness coming from this young lady, and she instead looked extremely sweet. Her eyes were deep and clear like a starry sky. Her skin was incredibly pale, as if she had never walked under the sun.
However, her paleness wasn’t a sickly sort, but rather added a delicate air to her appearance. Two quick-witted eyes darted around under her long and graceful brows, and beneath that were two charming dimples.
She really was a cute little girl. But right now, there were two large black circles around her eyes. Furthermore, she was yawning, which affected her image somewhat.
However, Zu An didn’t lower his vigilance because of her appearance. Anyone who would stop them and try to rob them here couldn’t be a good sort. His entire body was on guard as he secretly prepared for battle.
“Junior sister, what are you doing here?” Just then, Jiang Luofu rushed over happily and excitedly.
“Junior sister?” Zu An remembered that there was a junior sister who researched fortune-telling and astronomical phenomena.
He had been expecting an old lady! After all, judging from the order of the disciples, it wasn’t based on age, but rather who had been taken in as a disciple first. There was a chance that those who were ranked later were much older than Jiang Luofu. But it was actually this pretty little girl.
He finally realized what the diagrams on her clothes were. They were a star atlas of the universe! They marked the positions of the stars in the sky at night. The positions of the stars in this world were different from those of his Earth. That was why he hadn’t immediately realized what they were.
Although… Even if they had been the same, a keyboard warrior like him still wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
Looking at the little girl’s appearance, it really was hard for Zu An to imagine her being capable of astronomical observations. Weren’t those who studied such things all grannies or old things like Zhuge Liang?
“Hi, eighth sister.” That little girl jumped down from the tree. A star diagram appeared beneath her feet to support her weight as she descended in a leisurely manner.
Jiang Luofu also smiled. She said to Zu An, “Ah Zu, I’ll introduce her. This is my junior sister Qi Yaoguang. Junior sister, this is my friend Zu An.”
“Qi Yaoguang?” Zu An thought that her name sounded nice, but there were actually people with the surname ‘seven’ in this world? This world really was quite bizarre.
Jiang Luofu said with a smile, “Do you feel this name is a bit familiar? The Ursae Dungeon in Brightmoon Mountain shares her name. I’ve always found it quite the coincidence.”[1]
Qi Yaoguang said, “I always wanted to take a look, but I’ve always barely missed the chance for all sorts of reasons.”
“By the way, why are you here?” Jiang Luofu asked out of curiosity.
Qi Yaoguang replied, “I was suddenly carried away by a whim and carried out a divination for myself. I learned that teacher would call me here to stop you guys, so I came ahead of time so I didn’t have to listen to his nagging.”
Zu An couldn’t help but smile. It looked like no matter where it was, the youngest would always be spoiled. He could tell from this junior sister’s tone that the libationer definitely doted on her greatly. Hm? Wait, she managed to divine that the libationer would call her over to stop us?
“Teacher called you over to stop us?” Jiang Luofu was also shocked. “Why?”
“Oh.” Qi Yaoguang nodded. “Teacher has an important guest to meet with first.”
Zu An smiled and said, “I can wait.” He had too many questions to ask the libationer, so he didn’t mind waiting a bit. Though, who was this important guest that was worth a personal audience with the libationer?
Qi Yaoguang sighed. “Senior sister, you guys always say that my emotional intelligence is low, but this guy’s seems to be lower than mine? Teacher only said that he has an important guest as an excuse so you guys wouldn’t look bad, but it’s actually because he doesn’t want to see you at all. Yet you just insist on staying.”
Zu An was speechless. What the hell? Those words freaking hurt, man.
…
The crown princess was shocked. She gave the mysterious figure a look. “Sir Libationer, why aren’t you meeting him?” She had thought that it was because Zu An’s status was too low at first, and that was why the libationer wasn’t willing to meet him. However, she suddenly remembered that his direct disciple had brought Zu An here. There should have been no reason for him to be this way.
“It is not yet time,” the libationer said in a long and drawn-out voice.
The crown princess was stunned. What do you mean, not yet time?! She wanted to ask more, but the libationer didn’t pay her any more attention. He only continued to stand in front of that wall painting in a daze.
…
Outside, Jiang Luofu was also puzzled. “Why is the teacher unwilling to meet with him? I brought him here because I have something to report to teacher.”
Qi Yaoguang scratched her hair, and then tilted her head before looking at Zu An. “I don’t know why teacher would give me such a weird order either. Normally, he could just choose not to meet you if he doesn’t want to; why would he call me over here to stop you? How is this fella any different from anyone else?”
“Maybe I’m a bit more handsome?” Zu An asked probingly.
Qi Yaoguang gave Jiang Luofu a look. “Senior sister, don’t tell me this is what a higher emotional intelligence is like?”
Jiang Luofu’s face darkened. “Don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s also a model example of someone with low emotional intelligence.”
Qi Yaoguang’s eyes lit up. She immediately felt a more intimate connection when she looked at Zu An. “So it was a kindred spirit!”
Zu An thought to himself, There are places I can enter, but you can’t. Stop trying to act all close.
Qi Yaoguang then said, “Wait, teacher really is acting strange. Let me take a look at your fate.”
Even as she spoke, an array of stars had already formed in her hands. She fiddled with the star diagram, and then she twisted something that seemed like a dial. Her eyes began to shine as she looked at Zu An.
Zu An jumped in fright. “What is she doing?” He had experienced Devil’s Eye and Jia Sili’s illusions before. He was worried that it was something similar and immediately became vigilant.
Jiang Luofu consoled, “Don’t worry, this is her ability. She can see a person’s future to a certain extent. When I was hesitating about whether I should become the crown princess, she helped me take a look. She told me that my life would be much better if I didn’t become the crown princess. Furthermore, I didn’t want to become the crown princess anyway. Reality has proven that what she said back then was correct.”
…
Bi Linglong was upset as she waited inside the room. Everyone outside thought that she was doing great as the crown princess, but only she alone knew how difficult it was. It looked like an amazing position, but it was actually full of dangers.
Can it be that it’s my fate to be ruined… No, as long as the crown prince becomes the emperor, then I’ll be the empress! I can change my fate! Her blank expression immediately became firm when she had those thoughts. She didn’t see the libationer secretly shake his head behind her.
…
Zu An eased up when he heard what Jiang Luofu said. However, he was still a bit worried. She wouldn’t be able to see through his identity as a transmigrator, right?
“Why are you staring at him for so long? What’s the result?” Jiang Luofu walked over to Qi Yaoguang. She was also quite curious.
“How can this be?” Qi Yaoguang was puzzled. “I actually can’t see through his fate path. I can only see peach blossoms everywhere.”[2]
1. Ursae = Yaoguang.
2. ’Peach blossom’ is a figure of speech for ‘love affair’.