Chapter 8: The Six Ren Divination Technique
In the detention room of the police station, Yan Shouyi was locked up with a few other guys.
At first, everyone kept their heads down, but eventually, their eyes met by accident, and they exchanged awkward smiles.
Their unruffled demeanor made it clear they were all seasoned offenders—except for Yan Shouyi, who hadn’t even gotten his “driver’s license” before racking up enough demerit points to lose it.
A bald guy in his thirties patted Yan Shouyi on the shoulder and said meaningfully,
“Kid, you’re so young and not bad-looking. How’d you end up on this path? Do you have a job? Don’t tell me you’re still a student? Students shouldn’t be indulging in this kind of ‘early spending’!”
Yan Shouyi didn’t know how to respond and could only force a laugh. Just then, the female officer rapped the detention cell’s iron door with her handcuffs and said disdainfully,
“You all still have the nerve to laugh? Think this is something to be proud of?”
Everyone immediately shut their mouths, looking like elementary school kids scolded by their teacher—except these “kids” had a combined age of over 200.
The female officer pointed at Yan Shouyi. “You, come with me for questioning.”
Yan Shouyi hurriedly followed. He’d been wrongfully accused and was desperate to clear his name. Plus, that woman’s condition was serious and could flare up at any moment—he needed to warn her as soon as possible.
Guys like Yan Shouyi didn’t even rate an interrogation room. They were lined up at a table in the hallway to fill out forms.
As he passed through the corridor, Yan Shouyi deliberately glanced at the wall, where he spotted some information about the female officer. It wasn’t hard—there weren’t many female officers to begin with, and this one stood out even among the photos.
Her name was Xia Zhi—Zhi as in gardenia. She was a new trainee at this station but had already arrested plenty of criminals, earning her last month’s “Top Officer” title.
Xia Zhi handed Yan Shouyi a form to fill out with his basic information, then asked,
“So, tell me about tonight. How much did you pay, and what exactly did you do?”
Yan Shouyi took a deep breath, ready to vent his grievances. “Officer, I’m really not lying. I was just helping that woman—”
“With bone-reading!”
Yan Shouyi froze. Who had stolen his line?
Xia Zhi smirked and pointed behind him. Yan Shouyi turned to see a guy barely older than himself pouring his heart out to another officer:
“I’m serious! I’m the 18th-generation sole inheritor of the Maoshan lineage, sent by my master to train in the secular world. Tonight, I noticed that woman had a hidden illness and couldn’t bear to leave her untreated, so I offered to diagnose her through bone-reading. But as soon as she took her clothes off, you guys barged in—I’ve been wronged!”
The guy spoke rapidly, his words flowing like a river, leaving Yan Shouyi stunned.
No wonder Xia Zhi didn’t believe him—this jerk had stolen his entire script!
The guy was as skinny as a monkey that hadn’t eaten in weeks, looking like a stiff breeze could knock him over. His exhausted appearance screamed “overindulgence,” and even Yan Shouyi didn’t buy his story, let alone the sharp-eyed officers.
Xia Zhi figured Yan Shouyi and the scrawny guy were cut from the same cloth, so she called the latter over to question them together.
The moment the guy saw it was a beautiful woman taking his statement, he perked up, completely forgetting his predicament. He even tried flirting with Xia Zhi—until a passing officer smacked him on the head, forcing him to behave.
From his ramblings, Yan Shouyi learned the guy’s name was Long Feicheng—a name brimming with “dragon pride,” though his looks left much to be desired.
Long Feicheng insisted he was a Maoshan disciple and had only been bone-reading that night, nothing more.
Leaving Yan Shouyi with no lines left.
After his defense, Long Feicheng grinned at Yan Shouyi. “So, buddy, what’d they nab you for?”
Yan Shouyi sighed. “Also bone-reading.”
“Pfft—come on, man, that’s not cool. Look at you, all rustic and plain—nothing like a Taoist! Maoshan’s reputation spans the land. Don’t go dragging our name through the mud with your scams!”
Yan Shouyi stared wide-eyed at Long Feicheng. This guy was truly one of a kind, oozing delusional confidence.
Xia Zhi was equally exasperated by Long Feicheng’s antics. Finally, she had an idea and said to the two:
“You both claim to do bone-reading and be Taoists. Can you tell fortunes, then?”
They nodded immediately. Long Feicheng even boasted, “Officer, not to brag, but back on Maoshan, they called me the ‘Divine Calculator.’ I know the past 5,000 years, the next 5,000, and another 5,000 in between!”
Yan Shouyi hadn’t been sure if Long Feicheng was legit, but now he was certain—the guy was full of it.
Even Zhuge Liang, master of the Mysterious Gates, couldn’t predict that Wei Yan would disrupt his life-extending ritual. The Tang Dynasty’s Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang only dared project 2,000 years in their “Tui Bei Tu.” How could this barely-grown kid claim to know 15,000 years?
Total fraud.
Xia Zhi smiled. “Since you’re both fortune-tellers, I’ll give you a chance. Tell my fortune. If you make sense, I’ll let you go. But if you’re wrong, don’t blame me for what comes next.”
This time, Long Feicheng hesitated. His usual schtick might work on civilians, but trying to fool a police academy graduate like Xia Zhi was suicide.
After a brief pause, he switched tactics. Sometimes, fortune-telling didn’t need to be accurate—just flattering.
So, after getting Xia Zhi’s birth details, he theatrically counted on his fingers and soon declared:
“Wowza! Officer Xia, you’ve got a blessed face—a reincarnation of the Martial Star! Evil can’t touch you, misfortune stays clear, even ghosts avoid you. Stay in this line, and you’ll earn countless merits, leaving a legacy for ages!”
Credit where it’s due—Long Feicheng was smooth. Xia Zhi visibly preened at his words, though she kept a straight face. Her eyes, however, betrayed a hint of pride.
As a woman in a male-dominated field, Xia Zhi clearly had ideals and ambitions.
And because she was a woman, she’d likely faced plenty of opposition. Long Feicheng’s words gave her a rare sense of vindication, as if she truly could achieve greatness.
Just as Long Feicheng was basking in his success, Yan Shouyi frowned and said:
“The Killing Star in the Life Palace, aligned with Tiger, Monkey, Rat, and Horse… no, hers is a ‘Seven Killings Facing the Dipper’ fate. People with this destiny are solitary, prone to conflict, and wielders of life-and-death authority. This star in the Life Palace makes one impulsive, emotionally volatile, and prone to sudden misfortunes. Moreover, they must survive three life-or-death trials before finding peace…”
Yan Shouyi’s reading was the polar opposite of Long Feicheng’s.
“Holy—” Long Feicheng clapped a hand over Yan Shouyi’s mouth, hissing, “Dude, if you don’t know how to talk, just shut up! You’re gonna get us killed!”
Sure enough, Xia Zhi’s face darkened.
Strangely, though Long Feicheng’s words were what she wanted to hear, Yan Shouyi’s explanation felt more believable.
Against her better judgment, she asked, “What are these three life-or-death trials you mentioned?”
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it. She was a cop interrogating two offenders—why was she asking for a fortune?
But Yan Shouyi saw nothing odd about it. “I can’t do a detailed reading empty-handed. If you really want to know, give me back my bag. My tools are in there.”
The words were out, and Xia Zhi couldn’t take them back. Part of her genuinely wanted to understand these so-called “trials.”
Luckily, their offenses were minor—they hadn’t even had their phones confiscated—so Xia Zhi easily retrieved Yan Shouyi’s satchel, including the wooden bird he always carried.
Yan Shouyi pulled out an ancient-looking compass from the bag. Xia Zhi peeked inside and saw it was filled with coins, talisman paper, brushes, and the like.
“You’re really a Taoist?” she couldn’t help asking.
Long Feicheng, unusually quiet, stared intently at the compass, his thoughts unreadable.
But it was clear he recognized the real deal when he saw it—no more pretending.
Yan Shouyi shook his head. “I’m not a Taoist, but I can tell fortunes.”
Not a Taoist but a fortune-teller? Xia Zhi was baffled. In her mind, all fortune-tellers were Taoists.
Unless… he was a monk?
Yan Shouyi double-checked Xia Zhi’s birth details, did some quick calculations, and determined her elemental alignment was primarily fire and wood. Then he began adjusting the compass.
Suddenly, Long Feicheng muttered, “Taiyi, Qimen, and Liuren are the three great divination arts. Taiyi focuses on celestial matters, predicting state affairs; Qimen deals with earthly matters, like family fortunes; Liuren concerns human affairs, reading personal destinies. Taiyi, used for state predictions, was feared by emperors and faded from prominence. Qimen, for family matters, remains renowned. Liuren, for personal readings, became muddled with frauds, tarnishing its name…”
Yan Shouyi paused mid-calibration, eyeing Long Feicheng in surprise.
“Didn’t expect you to know a thing or two.”
For once, Long Feicheng showed no arrogance, humbly bowing his head.
“The Six Ren Technique uses stars, heavenly stems, earthly branches, and the Five Elements as its foundation, calculating on the compass to uncover connections between heaven, earth, people, events, and objects—reaching the realm of foreseeing the future. Many claim to practice it today, but most only know ‘Greater Liuren,’ which pales next to Taiyi and Qimen. The truly powerful form is ‘Lesser Liuren,’ said to have been lost for centuries…”
Yan Shouyi stayed silent, calmly watching Long Feicheng. Their eyes met briefly before Long Feicheng suddenly burst out laughing:
“No way, no way! You don’t look like some master of Lesser Liuren! Must be overthinking it!”
His acting was terrible, but it proved one thing—he wasn’t as simple as he seemed.
He’d recognized Yan Shouyi’s method at a glance.
Seems Grandpa was right: true masters hide in plain sight. While many experts retreat to the mountains, the real powerhouses don’t shy from the world.
This bustling city was where the true dragons lurked!
Seeing the two chat like she wasn’t even there, Xia Zhi angrily rapped the table. “Hurry up!”