Xiao Liu Ren Shen Shu, rather than being passed down from the *Lu Ban Shu*, was "private knowledge" that Grandpa taught Yan Shouyi.
The reason the Lu Ban teachings were called folk teachings, and the *Lu Ban Shu* was called short-form magic, was because the descendants of Lu Ban, while living in the world, preferred not to be too involved.
Wherever they went became their home. With a meal, they could wander through the four directions. For thousands of years, the footprints of Lu Ban's descendants had spread across the land, making many friends, and naturally absorbing all sorts of skills.
From Taoist magic, drawing talismans, and medical arts, to formations, feng shui, and dragon seeking, Lu Ban's descendants learned whatever was useful. Therefore, the content of the *Lu Ban Shu* could be said to be the culmination of various schools of thought. Even the most renowned sects would at best excel in only one or two aspects, whereas Lu Ban's descendants were proficient in everything.
In fact, the *Lu Ban Shu* also recorded methods of fortune-telling, including the famous *Qimen Dunjia* art, which was the "Qi Men" among the three arts, using tortoise shells for calculation. Yan Shouyi knew this as well, but he preferred the "Xiao Liu Ren Shen Shu" taught by his grandfather.
He didn't know where his grandfather learned the Xiao Liu Ren Shen Shu, only that it was exceptionally accurate in predicting human affairs, even better than Qimen.
When used in conjunction with the compass he had seized from a group of corpse drivers in Xiangxi back then, Yan Shouyi's Xiao Liu Ren Shen Shu could predict with uncanny accuracy.
Take, for instance, his current predicament of imprisonment…
Speaking of which.
Yan Shouyi slowly spun the compass, muttering calculations, and in a short while, he was full of confidence.
"Officer Xia has three major life-and-death tribulations in her life. The first occurred when you were seven years old, involving a conflict with water. Fortunately, a benefactor helped you escape disaster."
Xia Zhi was stunned upon hearing this.
The next second, her eyes began to redden slightly.
Long Feicheng patted Yan Shouyi's shoulder, "Bro, don't just talk nonsense. Look, you've made Officer Xia so upset that she's crying!"
"He is not speaking nonsense."
Xia Zhi took a deep breath and said, "In the winter when I was seven, I went ice skating with my friends and accidentally fell into the water. An uncle who happened to be passing by saved me. I was pulled ashore, but he never resurfaced… Later, I learned that uncle was a police officer. It was because of this that I resolved to become a police officer, to eliminate evil and protect the good, to repay the life debt I owed that uncle!"
Yan Shouyi nodded. He had also calculated that Xia Zhi had a prosperous destiny and a good family background. Normally, people wouldn't choose to become police officers, but there was such a reason behind it.
Cause and effect, all predetermined. In truth, Xia Zhi's fate was already set, but she was influenced by her destiny from the hidden realms, making her more determined on this path.
Long Feicheng's attention had now shifted to Yan Shouyi. He urged, "What about the other two tribulations?"
Xia Zhi also rubbed her eyes and listened intently to Yan Shouyi's next words. Because Yan Shouyi had accurately recounted her past, she had even forgotten that she was interrogating the two of them.
Yan Shouyi slowly said, "Jia Wu year, Gui You month, Bing Xu day."
Xia Zhi covered her forehead, "I don't understand."
Long Feicheng, standing beside her, quietly said, "Today is Yi You day. After midnight, it will be Bing Xu day. This means Officer Xia's second life-and-death tribulation is tomorrow!"
Tomorrow?!
There were only half an hour left until midnight!
Xia Zhi felt a pang of panic.
Normally, she didn't believe in ghosts or gods, but Yan Shouyi had accurately revealed her past. It was hard for Xia Zhi not to believe him.
"W-what should I do?" Xia Zhi asked.
Just as Yan Shouyi was about to reply, Long Feicheng placed a hand on him and asked solemnly, "Brother, a life-and-death tribulation is a matter of divulging heavenly secrets. Are you sure you want to say it?"
Fortune-telling was a way of prying into heavenly secrets. Once revealed, it would inevitably affect the future, which was against the natural order.
Violating heaven's will naturally invited divine retribution. This was also why most fortune tellers were disabled.
The only way to lessen the divine retribution was to deliberately speak in riddles, uttering a nonsensical verse that the recipient had to decipher. If they figured it out themselves, it had little bearing on the fortune teller, and even if there was retribution, it wouldn't be as severe.
This was also why fortune tellers were often mysterious and spoke in oblique ways.
Long Feicheng stopping Yan Shouyi indicated he likely knew this secret and wanted Yan Shouyi to reconsider.
Yan Shouyi smiled slightly, knowing Long Feicheng was looking out for him. He replied:
"My destiny is different from others. If I do good deeds, I might die, but if I don't, I certainly will. No matter how severe the divine retribution, it's still better than dying. So you don't need to worry about me; I know what I'm doing."
Long Feicheng was perplexed. On one hand, he admired Yan Shouyi's flair for dramatics, and on the other, he was curious about his destiny and why he would die.
It was a pity that although Long Feicheng knew some knowledge of the three arts of fortune-telling, he genuinely couldn't divine. Otherwise, he would have loved to calculate what kind of destiny Yan Shouyi possessed.
Xia Zhi seemed to sense Yan Shouyi's sacrifice. She hesitated and said,
"Thank you for offering to help me, but I can't release you directly. It's against discipline and regulations. However, after this, if you need any help, you can always find me."
Long Feicheng quickly chimed in, "I need a girlfriend..."
A passing police officer gave Long Feicheng a flick on the forehead.
Yan Shouyi waved his hand, "Our meeting is destiny. I don't have any other requests from you, only one: I'll tell you how to resolve your life-and-death tribulation, and you help me send the elder sister in my room tonight to the hospital. Arrange for doctors to examine her heart and lungs; there must be a problem, and it cannot be delayed."
"Alright, I promise!" Xia Zhi nodded.
"Tomorrow, during the Chou hour, which is from one to three in the morning, will be your life-and-death tribulation, and it will be a bloody disaster. This means you are bound to experience a bleeding event. Try to avoid sharp objects, do not go to dangerous places, and do not interact with desperate criminals. You should be able to pass safely. If there is an unavoidable situation..."
Yan Shouyi paused for a long time, seemingly making a difficult decision.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and took out the wooden bird he always carried from his satchel, saying,
"If you absolutely have to go to a dangerous place, take this wooden bird of mine with you. In critical moments, it can save your life."
It was evident that Yan Shouyi valued this wooden bird greatly. Even after speaking, he was still somewhat reluctant to hand it over to Xia Zhi.
Xia Zhi took the wooden bird and examined it closely. The carving was exquisite and lifelike. Especially its black eyes, which seemed to be inlaid with black gemstones, crystal clear. Xia Zhi even felt as if the wooden bird were staring back at her.
Yan Shouyi couldn't help but remind her, "It means a lot to me, so please don't lose it."
Just as Xia Zhi was about to thank Yan Shouyi, a commotion suddenly erupted from the police station. Xia Zhi stopped a senior officer to inquire and learned that a woman in the detention room had suddenly vomited blood and fainted, her condition critical.
Xia Zhi immediately thought of the elder sister Yan Shouyi had mentioned.
Could he really be that accurate? Yan Shouyi said she was sick, and she was indeed sick, collapsing so suddenly?
"It will take some time for the ambulance to arrive. Can you tell what her illness is, and do you know how to treat her?" Xia Zhi asked anxiously.
Yan Shouyi sighed, "It's hard to say. Take me to see her first."
Long Feicheng looked around and indicated that he knew a bit about medicine and could help.
Xia Zhi was initially reluctant to bring Long Feicheng along, but Yan Shouyi spoke up for him, so Xia Zhi agreed.
In Yan Shouyi's view, although Long Feicheng didn't have much real skill, he understood some of the secrets of their profession better than ordinary people, so having him around might be useful.
At critical moments, he could use him like he had used Master Huang Hai before...
Xia Zhi led the two into the detention room. Several young women were sitting inside. Yan Shouyi immediately spotted the elder sister who had hosted him that evening. She was lying on the ground, her chest stained with blood, the crimson dark and black.
Several officers were surrounding the elder sister, but they didn't know the cause of her vomiting blood, so they dared not act rashly.
"Make way, I have a... doctor here. He can help take a look!" Xia Zhi shouted loudly.
The officers first stepped aside, then looked back and saw that Xia Zhi had brought Yan Shouyi and Long Feicheng, whom they had arrested that day. These two, from any angle, did not look like doctors!
"Xia Zhi, these two don't look like doctors. Don't mess around!"
"Exactly. If something goes wrong, we can't bear the responsibility."
"The public opinion is too strong right now. If those unscrupulous media outlets use this to sensationalize, we'll end up working hard for nothing!"
Facing the warnings from her seniors, Xia Zhi hesitated for a fraction of a second but still chose to believe Yan Shouyi:
"Let him try. It's better than standing here and doing nothing! We can't just watch someone lose their life because we're afraid of making a mistake!"
Everyone was stunned, astonished by Xia Zhi's courage.
While they were arguing, Yan Shouyi had already reached the elder sister's side and knelt down to feel her pulse.
When he had examined her bones earlier, he had already discovered that the elder sister had suffered internal injuries in her childhood. These injuries had developed into a latent illness. Although there were no visible problems in daily life, once the latent illness erupted, it could kill the elder sister within minutes.
"All irrelevant personnel, get out. Officer Xia, stay and help me!" Yan Shouyi commanded sternly.
"You brat, do you know your status right now? You're telling us to get out? Do you really think you're a doctor?!"
This was a police station, and lives were at stake. The other police officers were not as accommodating to Yan Shouyi as Xia Zhi was.
Xia Zhi was also in a difficult position. As a new officer, she couldn't order others out.
Yan Shouyi paid no mind to that. He took out a packet of silver needles from his satchel and began preparing to save the patient.
This scene was precisely what Long Feicheng noticed.
"Is that... the legendary Thirteen Needles of Ghost Gate?!" Long Feicheng's eyes widened in disbelief.
Legend had it that the Thirteen Needles of Ghost Gate were created by the divine physician Bian Que during the Warring States period and were a secret art of the medical Xuan family!
This Yan Shouyi not only knew Xiao Liu Ren Shen Shu but also the Thirteen Needles of Ghost Gate. What was his background?!
Since he knew the Thirteen Needles of Ghost Gate, he must be confident in saving the patient!
Long Feicheng pondered for a moment. When the situation was at an impasse, he suddenly shouted and pushed everyone back with his arms outstretched.
Despite his thin frame, he possessed considerable strength, managing to push everyone outside the detention room. Even the police officers couldn't do anything about him.
"Officer Xia, lock the door quickly! That's all I can do for you!" Long Feicheng shouted.
Xia Zhi came back to her senses, gritted her teeth, and quickly stepped forward to lock the door.
The next moment, Long Feicheng's screams could be heard from outside.
"You brat, if someone dies, you'll be held accountable!"
"Quick, restrain him, don't let him escape!"
"Xia Zhi, open the door quickly, don't be impulsive!"
Chaos ensued outside the door, but Xia Zhi, having made her decision, found herself in an unyielding position. She could only say to Yan Shouyi, "You'd better have a way to save her, otherwise, I'll be implicated too."
"I can diagnose her illness, and naturally, I can save her. If you people hadn't suddenly broken into my room and arrested me tonight, she wouldn't have fainted now."
Yan Shouyi spread out the rolled-up needle pack and took out a red candle from his satchel, lighting it. Then, turning his back to the elder sister, he said to Xia Zhi,
"Officer Xia, please help to unbutton the elder sister's top, covering her private parts. I need to administer acupuncture to treat her!"