"Sir, would you like to have your fortune told?" Xia Liang said, pointing at the middle-aged man at the back of the crowd.

"Me?" The middle-aged man frowned and pointed to himself.

"That's right," Xia Liang nodded.

"Haha, I don't believe in any of that nonsense," the middle-aged man scoffed. He had clearly just arrived and hadn't witnessed Xia Liang summoning the rain.

"Then it seems we are not fated," Xia Liang said with a smile, shifting his gaze away.

"Hold on. I've got nothing better to do. I'd like to see just how you run your scams," the middle-aged man said, straightening the collar of his suit. He squeezed through the crowd and came to stand before Xia Liang.

Xia Liang didn't respond, only offering a mysterious smile as he gestured for the man to sit on the adjacent stool.

"May I have your esteemed surname, sir?" Xia Liang asked.

"Aren't you supposed to be able to divine things? Go on, you tell me," the middle-aged man sneered. He despised this kind of feudal superstition more than anything.

"Alright." Xia Liang tapped his own temple. "Your element is Fire, and your destiny is tied to the bow. A bow drawn long… Your surname is Zhang, is it not?"

Xia Liang's face was calm, but the middle-aged man's eyes widened. His surname was indeed Zhang. Was it just a lucky guess? But with so many surnames out there, how could he possibly have gotten it right on the first try?

"This master really has some skill."

"For real? Is it true?"

"He's a Living Immortal! He was just summoning the rain! I have to get a reading from the master today."

The crowd around the middle-aged man began to buzz with discussion again, making him feel rather uneasy.

"Your guess was lucky," Zhang Heng conceded, though he remained skeptical. "My surname is indeed Zhang. I'm Zhang Heng."

"And what would you like me to divine for you?" Xia Liang asked, still unruffled.

Zhang Heng lowered his head to think for a moment. "I want to know about my marriage."

"Let's have a look then." Xia Liang had already guessed Zhang Heng would ask about matters of romance. "Your peach blossom of romance is blooming bright red. It seems you've recently found a new girlfriend."

"Mm," Zhang Heng hummed, his mind drifting. What Xia Liang said was true.

"However, there is a black streak running through the center of this blossom. It has turned your romantic luck into a 'peach blossom calamity'," Xia Liang continued.

"A peach blossom calamity? What does that mean?" Zhang Heng asked in alarm.

"It means that because of this relationship, you will either suffer a great financial loss or lose your life," Xia Liang stated calmly.

"Bullshit! How could Lanlan ever betray me?" Zhang Heng shouted, incensed.

"Sometimes, you can know a person's face but not their heart," Xia Liang said.

As the saying goes, good advice is lost on those determined to court disaster, and great compassion cannot save those who refuse to save themselves. Xia Liang had said his piece; whether the man believed it was up to him.

Zhang Heng took several deep breaths. Suddenly, his face turned dark as he remembered something. Lanlan had recently asked him for a large sum of money. She had claimed her cousin was starting a real estate project and promised that his investment would double. He had felt something was amiss at the time, but he couldn't resist her pillow talk.

"Master… what you said is true," Zhang Heng said, his tone subdued and his form of address now respectful.

"Of course," Xia Liang nodded.

Zhang Heng then took out his phone and dialed a number. "Hello, Xiao Hua? Don't transfer that money to your sister-in-law yet. I need you to find some of your friends, the ones who run in certain circles."

He ended the call and took a shaky breath, clearly unsettled. Xia Liang watched him sit there in silence, feeling no need to rush.

But while Xia Liang wasn't in a hurry, the surrounding crowd certainly was.

"Hey, are you getting your fortune told or not?"

"If you're done, then move! Other people are waiting!"

"Don't squat on the pot if you're not going to shit!" the crowd shouted, seeing Zhang Heng sitting motionless at the stall.

Just then, Zhang Heng's phone rang. He snatched it up and pressed it to his ear. "Xiao Hua? So soon?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"One of my buddies happened to know about this," his brother, Zhang Hua, replied from the other end.

"And what's the verdict?" Zhang Heng asked, his expression tense as he gripped the phone.

"Well…" Zhang Hua hesitated.

"Spit it out!" Zhang Heng roared.

"I showed my buddy the picture of my sister-in-law's cousin," Zhang Hua said. "He confirmed such a person exists."

"Oh, thank goodness," Zhang Heng sighed in relief.

"But he's not in real estate. He's a security guard at a nightclub."

"What!" Upon hearing this, Zhang Heng's eyes instantly became bloodshot, and his voice was laced with fury.

"I also showed my buddy your sister-in-law's picture," Zhang Hua's voice grew somber. "He said she used to work as a hostess at that same nightclub."

"Fine..." Zhang Heng's hand trembled as he held the phone. He couldn't believe how thoroughly he'd been deceived.

That bitch Lanlan was after his money from the start. A bullshit cousin and a bullshit project—it was all lies. Zhang Heng powerlessly ended the call, his eyes burning with rage.

"Sometimes, managing to recover even a portion of your loss is quite fortunate," Xia Liang suddenly said.

Zhang Heng turned to look at Xia Liang, then his knees buckled and he fell to the ground.

"Master, I was blind to your greatness," he said, giving Xia Liang a heavy kowtow.

"It is my duty to perform good deeds and accumulate virtue," Xia Liang said indifferently. Zhang Heng stood up and took a banknote from his pocket.

"I don't usually carry cash," Zhang Heng said, placing the banknote on the stall. "This is for one-tenth of a currency unit. It's all I have since I just came from the bank."

I really want to say that we accept Alipay and WeChat Pay, Xia Liang thought. But considering my persona as a master, I'd better not.

"I'll offer you one more piece of advice," Xia Liang said, his tone suddenly profound. "Do not give in to great anger."

He could see that while Zhang Heng's 'peach blossom calamity' had vanished, a red aura now shrouded him. Red signified punishment and injury; if Zhang Heng remained in this state, he could face prison time.

Hearing Xia Liang's words, Zhang Heng calmed himself. He had indeed just been contemplating a murder-suicide with Lanlan.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master." Zhang Heng bowed deeply to Xia Liang once more.

"You're welcome." Xia Liang waved his hand, noticing that the red aura on Zhang Heng's head was gradually fading.

"Sir, this is my business card." Zhang Heng handed Xia Liang a pristine white card.

Xia Liang read the text. "Henghua Car Dealership, General Manager Zhang Heng."

So, this Zhang Heng is the owner of a car dealership. I wonder how big it is.

"If you have time tomorrow, please come by my dealership. I have a greater gift to offer you, sir," Zhang Heng said respectfully. Xia Liang waved his hand, indicating he would go if he had time.

"Until we meet again, sir." With that, Zhang Heng squeezed out of the crowd. No doubt he was on his way to enact his own form of justice on Lanlan and her "cousin."

"Master, it's my turn for a fortune telling!" a middle-aged woman called out.

"Nonsense, it's my turn!" declared the old man with the rosy nose.

"Master, I'm so cold. Won't you take a look for me?" the female anchor cooed, pulling the collar of her shirt even lower.

"And me…"

The massive crowd surged toward Xia Liang, giving him a start.

"All of you, get the hell out of the way! My boss is coming through!" a sharp voice suddenly yelled from the edge of the crowd, silencing them instantly.

A young man with bleached-blond hair pushed his way through.

"Boss, please," Blondie said, clearing a path. A bald, nouveau riche man with a thick gold chain walked through.

"Is there a problem?" Xia Liang asked calmly.

"Greetings, Master!" Blondie's face was a mask of sycophancy. "This is Boss Wan. He heard about your deeds and wanted to meet you," he said, bowing and scraping.

"Boss Wan?" Xia Liang squinted. He saw a vicious aura on the man's face. It wasn't directed at him, but was clearly cultivated over a long period of time. This Boss Wan doesn't seem like a good person. An ordinary man could never cultivate such a vicious aura.

"Haha, and what might your esteemed surname be, Master?" Boss Wan's face was wreathed in smiles.

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