Chapter 648: Chapter 295: Fated for Calamity
“Indeed handsome, I’ll have the tailor make me a suit later.”
Yu Zhengyuan sincerely praised.
At this moment, Yun Ziliang, who had been lazing around sipping tea, chimed in, “Xuanzi, I’ve realized that every member of your Zhou Family’s Troupe is quite good-looking.”
“Lao Yun, look at how you put it. Our Zhou Family’s Troupe is a theatrical troupe, the most famous Netherworld Play Troupe in Ping Shui Prefecture. Whether disciples, masters, or senior brothers, they all have to make appearances on stage. If they’re not presentable, how can we attract the audience?
In our Zhou Family’s Troupe, even someone ugly wouldn’t be hired to sweep the courtyard.”
Zhou Xuan said this, feeling quite cheerful,
Look at our shop, it’s full of handsome men and beautiful women…
Senior brother and sister-in-law were busy arranging “redecorations” for the shop, while Zhou Xuan and Zhao Wuya, the two “Dragon Seeking Taoists,” went out to do fortune-telling.
They followed the same pattern as before: at every intersection, Zhou Xuan used “Sifang Money” to divine which way to go at the crossroads.
Today’s Sifang Money brought good fortune, and they encountered three or four customers,
including an old lady from a shoe store and female students from a private school, but without exception, all of them sought out Zhao Wuya for divination.
Zhao Wuya held the Compass, busy beyond measure.
Zhou Xuan found it odd that although there were two Taoists, only Zhao Wuya was chosen for divination by the clients.
Zhao Wuya was equally curious and even asked the female student halfway, pointing at Zhou Xuan, “There’s a fortune-telling Taoist right there, why don’t you go to him?”
“Just by looking at his attire, he seems affluent, so his divination must be expensive. We’re afraid we can’t afford it, but you appear more affordable.”
The female student sincerely explained to Zhao Wuya.
Zhao Wuya nearly fumed,
all along thinking his business was booming because his Dragon Seeking Tao had reached new heights, only to find out it was because he was cheap?
Such an insult was akin to being spat on the face.
“We’re going back, we’re going back, my pride is hurt.” Zhao Wuya pretended to urge his black donkey homeward.
But Zhou Xuan laughed and stopped him, saying, “Don’t mind, Ya Zi, being cheap has its advantages too. Target the sinking market, and the customers are plenty.”
“Pah, I’m going back to make myself a good Daoist robe, so I can appear just like you—a Taoist whose divination surely costs a lot.”
Zhao Wuya counted on his fingers, saying, “Look at the kind of divinations I’ve done: the old lady from the shoe store, her dog ran away, looking to divine where it went;
the female student from the private school, secretly in love with her teacher, seeking to divine romance? What’s there to divine? Directly change her affections and fall in love with me, wouldn’t that solve it? No need for divination, guaranteed success.”
He was now as resentful as a grumbling wife,
but complaints aside, he and Zhou Xuan had to continue roaming the streets. Although clients thought him cheap, causing him some annoyance, the incense offerings gained through it were indeed real.
The two moved from East Market Street all the way to Li Garden Street.
The Bone Elder Association’s Li Yuan Building was erected on this street.
If Taiping Road was Ping Shui Prefecture’s most economically thriving area, then Li Garden Street was Mingjiang Prefecture’s Taiping Road.
The people here were either wealthy or noble,
engaging in various major transactions, all occurring here in an orderly fashion,
on the street, Zhou Xuan noticed many handing out flyers. He took one in hand and looked closely: it was distributed by Gu Ling—tonight at the Metropolitan, free entry, with snacks, refreshments, beer provided, Ping Shui Prefecture’s number one storyteller coming to narrate stories, inviting all customers to attend and listen.”
“Gu Gexing has spent great effort promoting my first storytelling session.”
Zhou Xuan finished reading the flyer and handed it to Zhao Wuya to see.
“Won’t the place be packed with listeners tonight?”
“Surely, free and inexpensive is the most significant competitive advantage.”
Zhou Xuanzheng commented on the event. He heard the sound of paper crumpling violently, raising his head, only to see Zhao Wuya sitting on the donkey, glaring,
“Sorry, Ya Zi, I just remembered ‘cheap’ is your taboo word right now. I accidentally let it slip.”
Zhou Xuanzheng said with a smile.
“Did you really slip, or was it intentional? Brother Xuan, I’ve come to see, your mouth is really wicked.”
As Zhao Wuya and Zhou Xuan quibbled, a sudden sound came from one of the shops along the street.
“King Yan requests a divination, please do not decline.”
Familiar words sent shivers down Zhou Xuan’s spine.
Yesterday’s King Yan divination was chosen by Zhao Wuya, and until now, the divination remained unsettled… To resolve Ya Zi’s earthly troubles from the ‘Seven Leaf Venerable,’ finding the Ancient Buddha was necessary; but where to find the Ancient Buddha?
Now another ‘King Yan divination’ appeared, undoubtedly an unsolvable worldly quandary, Zhou Xuan felt that this business was unworkable.
Despite having no confidence, the Gua Master cannot refuse; he followed the sound and saw inside a fur shop a bald-headed boss staring at him with hopeful eyes.
About to inquire, asking why the divination was sought,
but before he could speak, the bald-headed boss hurriedly stepped forward to Zhou Xuan, “Young Master, I’ve been praying to West Valley True Monarch for three consecutive days, and the True Monarch came to me in a dream, advising me to expect a Daoist who can resolve my troubles. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝓷𝓮𝓽
Upon waking, I waited in the shop, chilled by the morning’s cool weather as I wore too little.”
The burly bald-headed boss described the “cold weather” with a pitiful demeanor, quite contrasting.