Master Huang’s Private Banquet was one of the most expensive restaurants in Jin Ye City, with an average cost of 3,500 per person.
Ye Xiu had chosen to dine here because it was hidden in the deepest part of Hengshan Square, occupying an entire villa. The two-story dining space had only one private room per floor. The second floor had a separate staircase leading outdoors, so one did not need to pass through the first floor, providing excellent privacy.
"This restaurant is really nice!" Kuroki Suzu also liked the privacy and said impatiently, "The dishes have been ordered. Why don’t you do my reading while we wait for the food?"
"Sure!" Ye Xiu agreed cheerfully and asked, "Do you want to know about your marriage, career, or the fortunes of your family?"
"Just use all your skills and read my entire fortune," Kuroki Suzu said.
"Okay, give me your right hand," Ye Xiu said.
Kuroki Suzu obediently stretched out her right hand.
Ye Xiu took her hand with his left. Then, with a serious air, he caressed and observed the palm of her right hand, tickling her in the process.
"Oh my, you’re a foreigner!" Ye Xiu exclaimed dramatically.
"You could tell that just from a reading?" Kuroki Suzu was flabbergasted.
"Piece of cake," Ye Xiu boasted arrogantly. "Tsk, tsk. According to your palm, you are destined for great wealth and honor."
Kuroki Suzu’s eyes sparkled. She was born into a wealthy family, was a disciple of Yagyu Uemon, and was also a War God. Wasn’t she indeed destined for great wealth and honor?
Good heavens! This driver... no, this master is so accurate!
She no longer cared that Ye Xiu was just making things up and asked eagerly, "Master, can you tell me if I’ll succeed in my current mission in Jin Ye City? What will my fortune be on this trip, good or bad?"
"Alright, I’ll take a look for you." Stroking Kuroki Suzu’s small hand, Ye Xiu closed his eyes and began to put on a show of counting on his fingers. A moment later, he opened his eyes, his expression changing drastically. "Miss, did you come to Jin Ye City to kill someone?"
"This..." Kuroki Suzu’s slender body trembled. "Master, you’re simply divine."
"This is not good, not good at all..." Ye Xiu shook his head.
"What’s not good?" Kuroki Suzu grew tense.
"The man you intend to kill has a very powerful fate. Moreover, he is your future husband. You must not kill him, and you won’t be able to anyway. If you insist on trying, not only will you fail, but you will die as well," Ye Xiu bluffed convincingly.
"What?" Kuroki Suzu looked dumbfounded. "He’s my future husband? How is that possible? There’s no way that could happen between us."
"When fate wills it, anything is possible," Ye Xiu said mystically. "This man is your lucky star, but if you make an enemy of him, he will become your nemesis—the kind that can bring about your death."
A wave of panic washed over Kuroki Suzu. She had been sent here to deal with Ye Xiu, but the master was saying that her target was her nemesis. Didn’t that mean Jin Ye City was destined to be her graveyard?
"Master, how can I kill him without being thwarted by his fate?" Kuroki Suzu asked humbly.
"That’s impossible," Ye Xiu said. "Based on your palm and face readings, if I’m not mistaken, many people have already been dragged into this and died because of the conflict between you two."
"Master, your reading is so accurate," Kuroki Suzu said, beginning to revere him.
"Miss, listen to my advice. Do not make an enemy of him, or you will regret it for the rest of your life," Ye Xiu said with an air of profound wisdom.
"Actually, I have no grudge against him, and there’s no reason to be his enemy. But my hands are tied," Kuroki Suzu said with a bitter, helpless smile.
PFFT! Ye Xiu nearly burst out laughing. Forcing his face into a serious mask, he said solemnly, "My reading shows that you are acting on orders. Miss, I must remind you of something. All those accompanying you on this trip are doomed to die. You are the only one with a sliver of a chance at survival, but it all depends on whether you can grasp it."
"You can even tell that I have companions?" Kuroki Suzu asked in surprise.
Ye Xiu pretended to calculate on his fingers. "If I’m not mistaken, you have 101 companions on this trip, correct?"
"This..." Kuroki Suzu’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "You can even determine the exact number?"
"For me, that’s simple," Ye Xiu nodded.
Kuroki Suzu stood up and began pacing the room. The more accurate Ye Xiu’s readings were, the more nervous she grew, and the more she believed that the man she was sent to kill was her future husband, destined to be her nemesis.
"Master, please give me some advice!" Kuroki Suzu suddenly crouched in front of Ye Xiu, clutching his hand and pleading, "I’m here on orders and I must obey them. How can I save my own life?"
"Alright, let me see what I can find!"
Ye Xiu pulled his hands free from Kuroki Suzu’s grasp. He pressed his fingers together and began muttering incantations. To make the act more convincing, he released a faint, nearly imperceptible aura that caused the lights in the private room to flicker, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Kuroki Suzu tensed up, her heart leaping into her throat. As she watched the lights dim and brighten and saw the tableware on the table begin to tremble as if frightened, her own heartbeat fell into a chaotic rhythm.
"I’ve found it!" Ye Xiu’s eyes snapped open. In that instant, the eerie feeling in the room vanished completely.
"Master, please tell me quickly," Kuroki Suzu urged.
"First, you must not tell anyone about our meeting today. If you leak this heavenly secret, you will face a bloody calamity," Ye Xiu said.
"Yes, yes!" Kuroki Suzu nodded vigorously.
Ye Xiu continued, "Second, you can accept your orders, but you don’t necessarily have to execute them. For instance, if your superior orders you to kill your fated one, or to deal with people associated with him, you can accept the mission but then intentionally botch it during the execution."
Kuroki Suzu’s eyes lit up. "That’s a brilliant idea!"
"Third..." Ye Xiu paused for three seconds. "Go find some paper and a pen."
"Oh, of course!" Kuroki Suzu hurriedly ran out to ask a waiter for paper and a pen.
Ye Xiu scribbled a long passage on the paper and said, "Go buy some ceremonial items for mourning the dead, like Paper Money and incense. At dawn, go to the roof of your hotel. Kneel down and pay your respects with sincere devotion. Then, with a clear mind, you must read what I have written on this paper three times, without missing a single word. As long as you can accomplish these three things, I guarantee you will live a long life and enjoy great wealth and honor in your later years."
Kuroki Suzu reverently took the paper and pen from Ye Xiu’s hands. "Don’t worry, Master. I will follow your three instructions without the slightest deviation."
Looking at her watch, she added, "It’s getting late, and I still have to go buy the Paper Money and incense. I can’t stay for dinner with you, Master. Please don’t be offended."
"Go on," Ye Xiu nodded. "Remember to pay the bill."
"Thank you for your guidance, Master." Kuroki Suzu gave Ye Xiu a deep ninety-degree bow, then scurried out of the private room with quick, small steps.
Watching the door to the private room close, Ye Xiu sighed.
Sigh... That girl is so gullible!
In truth, one couldn’t blame Kuroki Suzu for being so gullible. Anyone in her position, upon meeting a stranger who could reveal all their secrets, would have believed them without question.
Moreover, both Kuroki Suzu and Mutou Bingyuan believed they had infiltrated Jin Ye City in secret, unknown to anyone. Yet this master not only knew about their mission but had also stated the exact number of people accompanying her.
In Kuroki Suzu’s eyes, the master was practically an omniscient, living deity.