Li Qingxian looked at Madam Wei’s Middle-Aged Life Land.
The Middle-Aged Life Land also had only one Destiny Star: the Human Destiny Star.
Within the Human Destiny Star stood a courtyard with a two-story building and an apricot tree growing by the wall. The tree was laden with green fruit, hanging heavy, with only two apricots ripe and bright red.
Of these two red apricots, one was inside the wall, and one was outside.
Destiny Star: Red Apricot Over the Wall.
Li Qingxian took another careful look, withdrew from the Life Mansion, and then performed Observing Qi.
Seven Destiny Images floated above Madam Wei’s head.
In the dead of night, a nearly thirty-year-old Madam Wei, powdered and rouged, her charm still intact, leaned against the doorframe, craning her neck to look toward the main gate. She waited until the sky grew pale with dawn, sighed softly, closed the door alone, and returned to her room.
Late at night, Madam Wei, now over thirty, sat under the candlelight, her face expressionless. Tears streaked through the makeup on her face, drying into lines that resembled scratch marks.
In the early hours of the morning, Madam Wei, her face bare of makeup and her complexion sallow, pointed at a drunken Wei Yong whose face was covered in lipstick marks and unleashed a torrent of curses. Wei Yong slapped her across the face, gave her a kick, and turned to leave.
Madam Wei sat on the floor, her hair in disarray. The candle had gone out. Moonlight struck her red, swollen face, creating a desolate and grim scene. Her gaze was vacant.
At dusk, in the back garden by a well, Madam Wei stared coldly at a young maidservant with a swollen belly. As if deaf to the girl’s desperate pleas, she waved her hand, and brawny house servants pushed the maidservant into the well.
SPLASH!
In the afternoon, inside her bedroom, a heavily powdered Madam Wei blushed as she gazed at a shy, red-faced young house servant. The bed curtains fell, and a gust of wind seemed to shake the room.
At twilight, a Junior Ninth-Grade Official presented a wooden box to Madam Wei with both hands. She opened it to find a golden phoenix hairpin that radiated a treasured light. A satisfied smile spread across her face, and she gave a firm nod.
In the middle of the night, Madam Wei and Tao Zhi were locked in an embrace, speaking intensely. Outside the window, Wei Yong’s fists were clenched.
The seventh Destiny Image was similar to the one seen above Wei Yong’s head, but it was from a different day.
Li Qingxian stopped Observing Fate and Qi.
Inside the restaurant, the six families were a picture of harmony and happiness.
Li Qingxian didn’t want to look anymore. If he kept watching, who knew what sort of tapestry of romance and tragedy, of slapping sounds and nightly cries, these twelve people from six families would weave together.
Seeing Li Qingxian’s dark expression, Yur Ping didn’t dare to ask any questions and just silently munched on his dried fish.
After a long while, he offered one to Li Qingxian.
Li Qingxian shook his head. "Brother Han, let’s pull into shore."
The black-canopied boat pulled to the shore. Han Anbo instructed someone to investigate Ye Han, after which the three of them boarded a carriage under the cover of night.
"How did it go?" Han Anbo asked enthusiastically.
"It’s very complicated. I need to think it over carefully," Li Qingxian said.
Han Anbo said, seemingly offhand, "I used to follow a Fate Master. When those Fate Masters chatted, they didn’t mind me listening, and they’d often talk about the problems they faced. The thing they mentioned most was that Fate Skills are too complex. One small change can affect everything, and it’s impossible to grasp the right balance."
"How did they solve it?"
"They couldn’t. They said that once a fated cause is planted, a fated fruit is bound to fall. The only thing they can do is weaken or strengthen the fated fruit. Only a tiny minority, through efforts unimaginable to ordinary people, can change the fated cause. Some Fate Masters also believe it’s hard to change the karma of others, but easy to change your own."
Li Qingxian nodded but said nothing.
That night, Li Qingxian slept restlessly.
When he opened his eyes, it was already bright daylight.
Li Qingxian groggily got up and sat there in a daze.
’Zheng Hui is gone, so there’s no one to wake me up anymore.’
’Is that my job from now on?’
’I can barely get up myself, how am I supposed to wake anyone else?’
A moment later, Han Anbo and Yur Ping walked in. Han Anbo was carrying a bowl of porridge, while Yur Ping held another bowl with cornmeal cakes and pickled vegetables.
"You’re up? Eat first," Han Anbo said with a chuckle.
"Thanks." Li Qingxian got up.
"We’re all brothers here, no need for thanks," Han Anbo said with a smile.
"Right, no need for thanks. Just make sure you bring us snacks often," Yur Ping said earnestly.
Li Qingxian couldn’t be bothered with Yur Ping. He took a few bites of his breakfast and then set it down.
"When do we make our move?" Han Anbo asked.
Li Qingxian didn’t answer. ’I forgot yesterday,’ he thought. ’When I have time, I must remember to take a good look at his Fate Grid.’
Li Qingxian washed his face, took a shower, and returned to Room A9. He took out a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone, and arranged them on the table.
"Yur Ping, you can help me buy some things. Brother Han, I have a more important job for you."
"Okay!" Han Anbo’s eyes lit up as he stood and walked over.
Yur Ping followed, looking on with curiosity.
As he scrawled out the characters in a messy hand, Li Qingxian said, "Two large bowls of sheep’s blood, six large sheets of Talisman Paper, two taels of Cinnabar, three feet of cyan cloth, two new wolf-hair brushes, a bit of wood ash..."
When he finished writing, Li Qingxian handed the paper to Yur Ping, whose brow furrowed into a knot as he carefully tried to decipher the script.
Li Qingxian added, "Brother Han, there are a few other things that I reckon you’ll be able to get."
"What are they?"
"A hair from Madam Wei, dirt from the sole of Tao Zhi’s shoe, over a hundred dead ants, and dirt from beneath the hoof of a white horse—preferably one that one of the two has ridden," Li Qingxian said, staring into Han Anbo’s eyes.
Yur Ping looked curious, but Han Anbo’s expression remained calm.
Han Anbo thought for a moment before saying, "The hoof dirt and the ants are easy to get. As for the dirt from his shoe, I can have someone dirty Tao Zhi’s shoes. He’ll certainly have them cleaned, which will be our chance to collect the dirt. Madam Wei’s hair would normally be difficult, but today is her birthday, so she’s bound to go out shopping. I’ve had people tailing her since yesterday. We can just brush past her in a crowded place and pluck a strand of hair."
"Good. I’ll leave it to you," Li Qingxian said.
Yur Ping asked with a smile, "Captain Li, what Fate Skill are you planning to use? I’ve never seen a real Fate Skill before."
Li Qingxian thought for a moment. ’Fate Skills aren’t exactly a secret, and besides, I’ll need these two to help me in the future,’ he considered, then said, "The Life Acceleration Skill, one of the most basic Fate Skills."
"Should we go now?" Han Anbo asked.
"Go on."
The two turned to leave. They had only taken two steps when Li Qingxian called out, "Yur Ping, add a small cyan snake to the list. About two feet long."
"Okay!"
After the two left, Li Qingxian first recalled the Life Acceleration Skill Rhymes he had memorized, then borrowed several books from the Night Guard’s library.
All texts containing specific Fate Skills had been confiscated by the Astronomical Bureau. The Life Books available now were mostly miscellaneous collections and common, officially sanctioned versions that contained theory, but no actual Skills.
Around noon, Yur Ping was the first to return. He carried a bundle in his left hand and a cyan snake, bound with a grass rope, in his right.
"Get a large, clean bowl. I’m going to prepare the ritual ink. From this moment on, you are not to speak," Li Qingxian instructed.
Yur Ping eagerly fetched a clean bowl, then retreated a few steps and watched Li Qingxian, his lips sealed tight.
It was Li Qingxian’s first time using the Life Acceleration Skill, so he dared not be careless and made sure to perform the full ritual.
First, he faced east and recited the Fate Measuring Sect’s *Supreme Fate Decree Book*.
Then, he recited, in order, the Fate Measuring Sect’s Heart Purification Curse, Body Purification Curse, Mouth Purification Curse, and Hand Purification Curse.
Yur Ping watched closely. He saw that Li Qingxian’s aura had not only become otherworldly and ethereal, but his skin even seemed to glow with a jade-like luster. Currents of air swirled around his body, causing his hair to float.
Once all this was done, Li Qingxian poured half a bowl of sheep’s blood into the empty bowl. He added half a tael of Cinnabar, then added well water, stirring continuously and occasionally sprinkling in a little wood ash.
When it reached the right consistency, he dipped his index, middle, and ring fingers into the mixture and slowly infused it with Magical Power.
The blood-red ritual ink around his fingers began to bubble, the effect spreading outward.
Once the entire bowl of ritual ink was bubbling vigorously, he slowly withdrew his three fingers.
Yur Ping’s eyes went wide. He saw that the three fingers were perfectly clean, without a single trace of blood on them.