Chapter 10: The Mysterious Monk

Upon hearing this, Li Muqi appeared somewhat relieved and smiled as he said: "Master, to be honest, your calculations are very accurate, very accurate. I have strange dreams every day, and each dream feels so real. Just last night, I dreamed that ... ... "

The two agreed to go together in the evening, and it would be best to bring some tools with them. Of course, their tools were nothing more than peach wood swords and a few yellow talismans. Lin Tian returned to his seat in class, while Zhang Zhengdong was happily chatting with a girl. Upon seeing this, Lin Tian was filled with jealousy, wondering if he could develop something with Li Muqi, as he was not interested in the girls in his class.

Lin Tianshun indeed saw a person resembling a monk sitting cross-legged by the street, in the direction pointed out by Li Muqi. Beside him, three or two individuals were surrounding the monk, continuously asking questions. However, the monk merely smiled faintly and did not respond, presenting an air of a sage.

The monk watched the two depart, shook his head, and murmured: "The reincarnation of the heavenly calamity, is it a blessing or a curse? I can only hope to persuade him to take me as his disciple..."

Lin Tian furrowed his brow, wondering if there were still people who believed in the supernatural. However, whether this monk truly possessed skills or was merely a charlatan remained uncertain. Yet, as long as Li Muqi was fond of it, what did it matter?

Li Muqi's expression tightened, and her steps paused slightly. She cast a deep glance at the composed Lin Tian, then nervously tucked her phone into her pocket. She said, "Thank you," her eyes revealing emotions that were hard to articulate.

Lin Tian sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat off, though he could not discern the reason. The two of them arrived at the location where the monk had performed the divination in the morning, but the monk was nowhere to be seen. However, there was a piece of white paper on the ground, on which were written several characters resembling the words: "Turn around, walk a hundred steps, and enter the alley."

Lin Tian and Li Muqi were walking on the bustling street, when Lin Tian said: "What happened to you?"

Lin Tian bid farewell to Li Muqi at the school gate and returned to the dormitory. The dormitory was still empty, and he wondered where the chubby Dong Bin and the others had gone. Lin Tian sighed softly and made his way to the freshman gathering hall to attend the so-called freshman orientation. It was still not too late; Lin Tian glanced at his phone and sighed in relief, glad that he could make it in time

Lin Tian and Li Muqi quickly approached, and they saw the smiling monk glance at Li Muqi, frown slightly, and then look at Lin Tian before offering a faint smile.

However, Li Muqi forcefully pressed the money into the hands of the monk, but the monk replied, "I cannot accept this money. I am devoted to goodness; otherwise, it would tarnish my years of cultivation and hinder my attainment of the golden body"

The two turned around and indeed found a deep alley behind them, which seemed to the two as a gaping mouth ready to swallow them.

The two exchanged a glance, nodded in tacit understanding, and then walked towards the alley

Lin Tian reached into his pants pocket, and upon touching something, his expression tightened slightly. Li Muqi's phone was still with him; what should he do? He could only find a reason to return it, so he decided to say that he had found it.

The two walked two steps, and then Lin Tian informed Zhang Zhengdong about today's events as well as last night's incident involving Li Muqi. He even described in detail the matter regarding the monk today who was proficient in the innate Eight Trigrams. Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhengdong was taken aback and insisted on accompanying Lin Tian to meet that false monk tonight

Li Muqi, seeing that the monk did not want it, put the money back into his wallet, repeatedly expressing his gratitude, while the monk merely shook his head slightly

Li Muqi was taken aback, her face displaying a hint of fear and a trace of guilt

Zhang Zhengdong was happily chatting with that woman, but was inexplicably punched by someone. Just as he was about to explode in anger, he realized that the person was that rascal Lin Tian, and he had no choice but to bury his emotions deep inside, looking at Lin Tian with a face full of resentment, as if Lin Tian were a "third wheel".

The monk smiled and said, "I have already divined three fortunes for others today. If I were to divine again, it would result in excessive leakage of heavenly secrets, thereby shortening my lifespan, so..."

As their gazes met, the monk smiled again and then said to Li Muqi: "Hehe, according to this divination, you should have encountered some unclean things recently, and these unclean things have arisen because of you"

After listening to the conference, Lin Tian rubbed his temples. It was getting late, and since he had no classes in the afternoon, he planned to take a nap in his dormitory. He was too tired last night, and there was an important matter to attend to this evening, so he needed to rest well.

Lin Tian also ceased his inquiries, realizing that he would not obtain anything from Li Muqi today, and had no choice but to give up

Lin Tian was slightly taken aback, nodded, and said: "I will come."

The two of them strolled leisurely down the street in complete silence, resembling a pair of young lovers.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Muqi exclaimed excitedly, "Ah! I found it!"

Time flies swiftly, and the hazy Lin Tian is awakened by the jarring sound of the telephone ringing. After answering the call and glancing at the time, it is six o'clock. Zhang Zhengdong has just called to ask Lin Tian to meet him at the entrance for a meal, after which they will go together to see the monk

Upon mentioning this, Li Muqi's face flushed, and then she continued, "However, every time I wake up, I find myself still lying in bed, hehe. Yet, each time in my dreams, there are inexplicable gains or losses that manifest in reality. I wonder if you know the reason behind this? Why do these unclean things cling to me?"

Li Muqi said to the monk, "Master, could you please perform a divination for me?"

What Lin Tian desires is precisely this effect. Zhang Zhengdong is indeed a person with a natural keen insight. In terms of ability, Lin Tian believes he is much stronger than himself. If that false kindness is some sort of trickery, then having Zhang Zhengdong as a significant ally would be a great advantage!

Lin Tian took out Li Muqi's phone and handed it to Li Muqi, casually saying: "I found this on campus, here it is back to you"

Zhang Zhengdong, seeing Lin Tian's serious demeanor, could only apologize to the girl and moved closer to Lin Tian

While Lin Tian was lost in thought, Li Muqi noticed him staring blankly at her. She couldn't help but blush slightly and timidly waved her hand at Lin Tian.

Lin Tian was momentarily taken aback, wondering what this was all about, yet he felt an undeniable excitement within. Despite the lingering shadows of the previous night, Lin Tian couldn't help but quicken his pace

At this moment, Lin Tian was astonished as he looked at the monk before him. According to Lin Tian's understanding, the arithmetic used by this monk was not the Buddhist divination method, but rather the traditional Taoist technique of the Eight Diagrams of Pre-Heaven.

The monk smiled and said: "Dream is not a dream, truth is not truth, falsehood is not falsehood; all this calamity arises from a single word: love. I shall not say more, for I have already revealed too much of the heavenly secrets. You must unravel these yourself, or rather, let it take its natural course. Amitabha!"

Lin Tian approached, and Zhang Zhengdong was engrossed in conversation with a woman. Lin Tian punched Zhang Zhengdong on the back and then laughed heartily, saying: "Zhengdong! Is this your sister-in-law? You sure moved quickly! Haha..."

Lin Tian said blankly, "Alright!" He secretly thought to himself, could this be a roundabout way of inviting me to go shopping? The pace of this development seems rather fast

After the monk finished speaking, he entered a meditative state and closed his eyes. The monk's demeanor clearly indicated that he was unwilling to elaborate further, and Li Muqi also refrained from asking any more questions, saying softly, "Well, thank you, Master, hehe..."

There was silence between them, both individuals exhibiting such tacit understanding, or perhaps each was preoccupied with their own thoughts

The monk continued, "Although it is said so, this time you should turn misfortune into good fortune, for you have encountered a noble person. He is the reincarnation of a celestial being, a figure revered by gods and spirits."

Li Muqi's face turned slightly red, and she hurriedly took out her wallet to give to the monk. However, the monk waved his hand and said, "No need, no need, I do not accept anything for my services."

Li Muqi shyly said, "Today I heard from a classmate that there is a monk in the square who can read fortunes very accurately. Lin Tian, would you accompany me to take a look?"

Lin Tian frowned upon hearing this, his face displaying a look of disdain. In contrast, Li Muqi appeared very anxious upon hearing the monk's words, hurriedly saying: "Master, I am willing to pay you double the amount, please just give me a divination! This is my living expenses for a month! I beg you!"

Then Li Muqi shook his head and said nothing

Lin Tian, seeing Zhang Zhengdong's demeanor, had no choice but to put away his smile. He then glanced at the girl beside him who was stifling a laugh, cleared his throat a few times, and awkwardly said: "Zhengdong, may I have a word with you in private"

Lin Tian furrowed his brow upon seeing the words on the paper, realizing that this monk seemed to know a thing or two about the two of us. Zhang Zhengdong, upon witnessing this, was also secretly astonished; it appeared they had encountered a person of great skill.

As the two were about to leave, the monk said again: "Young man, do you have many questions? Haha—if you want answers, then come find me at this location tonight at 8 o'clock! I will explain it to you"

Lin Tian did not expect that as soon as he stepped out of the dormitory door, he would run into Li Muqi. Lin Tian felt that this fate was quite significant. Thinking about what happened last night, Lin Tian suddenly felt a severe headache. Could it be that Li Muqi knows about last night?

After the two had finished their meal, they hurried to the place where they had arranged to meet the monk. Upon arrival, the once bustling street had turned eerily quiet. It was unclear why it was so desolate at night, with only the occasional hurried passerby.

As soon as Lin Tian arrived at the gathering hall, he noticed many students wandering and chatting; they must all be freshmen! Lin Tian turned around and exclaimed, "Oh! Isn't that Zhang Zhengdong?"

Lin Tian approached Li Muqi, only to find that Li Muqi was holding a string of prayer beads. What could be the reason for this?

Before long, the conference began. The teachers and the principal on the podium were filled with complaints, which left Lin Tian feeling overwhelmed, so he could only fall into a deep sleep. It was not until the end, when someone next to him woke him up, that Lin Tian was still in a daze.

... ...

The monk smiled and pointed at Lin Tian, saying: "He and I are fated, and it is precisely because of this word 'fate' that I will draw an oracle for you, believing that your relationship will not be shallow in the future"

Li Muqi handed his birth date and time to the monk. After the monk finished examining it, he took a few copper coins and tossed them on the ground. Then he looked at Li Muqi again, finally fixing his gaze on Lin Tian.