Chapter 2, Nine Stars in Alignment
Oh? Please tell me more." Yang Tianwen's curiosity was piqued; he was indeed very interested in astrology.
Yang Tianwen rubbed his eyes, confirming that he was not mistaken; they were slowly moving. Yang Tianwen was mesmerized and did not pay attention to the stone plate in his hand. The originally calm stone compass, which had nothing on it, now flickered with nine different lights, albeit very subtly, flashing and disappearing. Yang Tianwen looked up at the sky; such a celestial phenomenon had deeply captivated him, leaving him with no time to spare for anything else.
By the time he reached the hillside, it was nearly 9 o'clock. He had walked a bit slowly, but it didn't matter much in terms of time. Looking down at the night view from the hillside offered a unique experience. Indeed, sitting here and overlooking the night scenery was one of Yang Tianwen's few interests. This place allowed him to feel more tranquil, which was conducive to broadening his thoughts.
Unknowingly, an entire afternoon had passed. Yang Tianwen raised his head to check the time, calculated for a moment, casually placed the stone plate in his pocket, grabbed some food from m. hetushu. comcom, and then took his phone and went out. He bought a pack of cigarettes and a few loaves of bread at a convenience store and headed towards the small hillside behind the school. Although this hillside was not high, it was indeed the highest point in the vicinity. Skillfully lighting the cigarette, he took a deep puff; this time, he had bought good cigarettes, no longer the cheap ones that cost only a few yuan per pack.
Half an hour had passed, the bread brought along was finished, and the sky was getting dark. Although there were no classes tomorrow morning, it was time to head back. As I stood up and picked up the stone plate, just as I was about to leave, I looked up at the sky and suddenly saw nine shining stars. I couldn't tell if it was an illusion or if it had always been this way. These nine stars twinkled in nine different colors, extraordinarily magical. They stood out among the many stars and were moving slowly.
1. Tianchi: Also known as the seabed, it refers to the compass. The Tianchi of the compass consists of a pivot, a magnetic needle, a seabed line, a cylindrical outer case, and a glass cover, all fixed at the center of the inner plate. The bottom surface of the round box is marked with a pointed pivot at the center, and the bottom surface of the magnetic needle has a concave hole, allowing the magnetic needle to be placed on the pivot. The end of the compass with the arrow points south, while the other end points north.
However, on this stone slab, the outer disc only features some peculiar shapes resembling both tadpoles and runes, which differ from the compasses sold outside
2. Inner Disk: This refers to the rotating disk located just outside the compass. The surface of the inner disk is printed with numerous concentric circles, with each circle referred to as a layer. The layers are divided into different equal parts; some layers have more divisions while others have fewer. The minimum number of divisions is eight, while the layer with the maximum divisions has three hundred eighty-four. Each division is marked with different characters. There are many types of compasses, with varying numbers of layers; the maximum is fifty-two layers, while the minimum is only five layers. The layers are divided into different equal parts; some layers have more divisions while others have fewer. The minimum number of divisions is eight, while the layer with the maximum divisions has three hundred eighty-four. Each division is marked with different characters. There are many types of compasses, with varying numbers of layers; the maximum is fifty-two layers, while the minimum is only five layers.
3. External Market
"I don't know what it is, the news didn't clarify, making it all very mysterious. Although I'm not interested, I know you like this sort of thing, so mhetushu.com specially informs you." replied the fat man
However, this palm-sized stone slab has only three layers, which is indeed peculiar. Yet, it subtly reveals the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, as well as the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams.
On the bottom surface of Tianchi (the bottom of the sea), there is a red line drawn, referred to as the seabed line. At both sides of the northern end, there are two red dots. When in use, the north end of the compass needle must align with the seabed line.
Oh, fine, I understand. Yang Tianwen sighed, hung up the phone, lost interest in reading, folded the page of the book carefully, placed it on the shelf, picked up the slate from beside the bed, took out a magnifying glass, and began to study it.
Upon careful examination, this compass does not appear to be a modern compass; rather, it resembles an ancient compass used by predecessors for feng shui purposes. Although there are some similarities in function between this ancient compass and the modern one, their constructions differ significantly
However, this stone slab's celestial pool lacks pointers and the like; it is merely a small circle for distinction, and there is nothing inside it
The compass consists of three main components
Yang Tianwen did not show any signs of anger or frustration; he merely paused for a moment and replied, "Oh, it's nothing. I just came up to enjoy the breeze. You should focus on finding a buyer. Once we sell that piece of jade, we won't have to worry for at least a year." After finishing the call, he took out the stone compass, adjusted it under the starry sky and the bright moonlight. He then placed it at his feet, set a piece of bread on top, and slowly began to eat.
"Brother, good news! A piece of news has been released online, stating that around 11 o'clock tonight, there will be a rare celestial phenomenon that occurs once in a millennium. You must be interested in it." The voice of the chubby man came through, clearly in a good mood
Unknowingly, over an hour had passed. At this moment, the fat man's phone rang: "Brother Wen, I forgot to mention, it seems we can't see this celestial phenomenon here, because the news came from the northeast. Our southeastern region is completely unreliable."
Nine stars shimmering with colorful light are slowly aligning with the moon. Yang Tianwen is unsure whether to call this celestial phenomenon "Nine Stars in a Row" or "Ten Stars in a Row". However, it is certain that this is an extraordinary spectacle that occurs once in a millennium. Yang Tianwen is reluctant to blink, fearing he might miss even the slightest detail.
At that moment, the changes in the compass became even more mysterious. Various markings and runes emerged from the compass, which had originally been a stone. Gradually, it transformed into a true compass with a light blue hue and a textured surface, although its appearance remained unchanged from before.
The outer disk is square and serves as the tray for the inner disk. There is a small hole at the midpoint of each side of the outer disk, through which a red thread is passed to form the Ten Paths of the Celestial Heart, used for reading the content on the surface of the inner disk
Naturally formed? Just now, I observed it from a distance at the market stall, but upon closer inspection, I was astonished to find that this palm-sized stone slab, approximately half an inch thick, bore a compass pattern with not a single trace of human intervention. This discovery left Yang Tianwen in awe of the greatness and craftsmanship of nature
In the stillness of the deep night, when Yang Tianwen is not immersed in his books, there is always a profound sense of solitude. It feels as though one is in disharmony with the entire universe, and one feels so out of place in the opulent city.