Chapter 30
Part 1
Lian Wushang had long grown accustomed to Wen Heng’s occasional jinxes. Just as Old Wen had said, it was sheer luck Wen Heng hadn’t been beaten to death yet. How could anyone speak like that? One moment he’d be praising someone’s smooth sailing, the next he’d be telling them, “You’re going to die in the Nascent Soul tribulation lightning strike.”
Shen Liang’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. This Wen Heng really had some nerve. Noticing Shen Liang’s changing expression, Wen Heng hastily waved his hands. “I was just saying! It might not be accurate.”
Shen Liang, ever the gentleman, smiled. “Fellow Daoist Wen, your fortune-telling is truly unconventional and unconventional. Please, do me the honor of reading the destinies of my three younger brothers.”
Under normal circumstances, a fortune-teller speaking like this would likely get beaten up without receiving a single coin. Shen Liang’s composure stemmed from one reason alone: he had already found the Infant Transformation Pill. After taking it, many cultivators could successfully undergo infant transformation.
Wasn’t Wen Heng just as innocent? He realized that whenever he stared at someone, he could only see the times when that person faced misfortune. Even Shen Liang, a cultivator, would suffer misfortune. Everyone had their calamities; what Wen Heng saw were likely the calamities of their lives. Come to think of it, Wen Heng, were you some kind of grim reaper? Couldn’t you see anything good?
Wen Heng stared at Shen Gong again. Shen Gong himself seemed free of disasters and hardships, but Shen Gong had a grandson. Scenes flashed before Wen Heng’s eyes: Shen Gong’s grandson grew from a tender child into a graceful young man. Brilliant and gifted, the youth fell for a beauty at a brothel. While fighting another noble’s son over her, he was struck from behind and left for dead in the alley behind the establishment.
This time, Wen Heng watched for a longer while. He lifted his teacup and took a sip. “Mr. Shen, you are destined for wealth and honor, enjoying a life of lasting joy and freedom from worry. However, you have a grandson who, upon reaching adulthood, will vie with another young master for a beauty. In the end, he will be struck down with a club and die behind the brothel.”
Hearing this, all four members of the Shen family burst into laughter. Shen Gong laughed until tears streamed down his face. “Oh, Master Wen, you’re mistaken! My son married just over a month ago—no child yet!”
Wen Heng showed no annoyance, scratching his head with a smile. “If I’m wrong, just treat it as a funny story.” The Shen brothers seemed to have found something amusing, laughing even harder.
When it came to Shen Jian, Wen Heng grew visibly uncomfortable. He lifted his teacup. “Enough, enough, alright?” This one truly deserved a beating…
Shen Jian protested, “Master Wen, you wouldn’t dare look down on me? You’ve read my brothers’ fortunes, yet refuse to tell mine?” Wen Heng flushed, stammering, “I can’t say it. I really can’t.”
The Shen brothers egged him on, insisting there was nothing forbidden. Wen Heng glanced at Lian Wushang, who nodded. “Go ahead.”
Wen Heng cleared his throat. “Mr. Shen Jian will enjoy wealth and honor throughout his life, though his karmic connection with children is weak. You will play the field, encountering countless women, yet in the end, no one will be by your side when you pass.” Damn it, he really couldn’t bring himself to say it—Shen Jian’s only surviving daughter had been snatched away by him.
The Shen brothers roared with laughter, tears streaming from Shen Rang’s eyes. “Master Wen, your divination skills are truly lacking,” Shen Rang declared. “Of our four brothers, only Third Brother has the most children—ten in total.”
Wen Heng laughed apologetically. “I’m not skilled with words. Please forgive me. Let me offer tea in place of wine to honor you all. Don’t be angry, don’t be angry.”
Shen Rang retorted, “Hold on—you haven’t read mine yet! Tell me my future! Skip the rest—just reveal how I’ll die!”
Wen Heng sighed in resignation, turning back to Shen Rang. His fortune indeed promised a life of wealth and honor… but his death… well, it wouldn’t be exactly glorious.
Wen Heng’s face flushed crimson. “A sudden stroke…” The words barely left his lips before the Shen brothers doubled over in laughter. “Good heavens, Master Wen! Of the four of us, only Shen Rang fits your prediction. He does love frequenting such places, ha ha ha…”
Wen Heng could bear it no longer. Rising, he bowed his hands: “Honored heads of the family, a laugh is all it takes. Please don’t hold it against me. I’ll drink three cups of tea in my own punishment.”
Lian Wushang rose and drank three cups with Wen Heng. “Shen Daoyou, we’ll retire for the night. Should anything arise, just give us a shout.”
As Lian Wushang pulled Wen Heng out of the main hall, laughter echoed from within. Shen Rang laughed until tears streamed down his face. “Brother, where did you find these two? They’re hilarious! Hahahaha!”
Wen Heng’s face flushed crimson. He asked Lian Wushang, “Did I embarrass you?”
Lian Wushang didn’t mind in the slightest: “It wasn’t your fault. You merely spoke what you saw. This was their fate all along.” Wen Heng felt a little better. Being questioned like that had been unpleasant.
Lian Wushang walked beside Wen Heng, his faint smile appearing hazy and elegant in the moonlight. “Let’s go,” Lian Wushang said. “Don’t overthink it. Go back and rest. We might be affected within the barrier. I feel a bit tired.”
Wen Heng instantly cast aside the unease of being questioned. Leaning on his beggar’s staff with one hand while holding Lian Wushang’s with the other, he felt as though he were holding the entire world.
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
