I attained immortality in the real world.

Chapter 12 Fortune Telling
Side Quest: Gaining Some Fame.

[Note: Using his knowledge of physiognomy, he became a somewhat well-known physiognomist in Zhu Zicheng (his physiognomy skills were recognized by more than half of the city's residents).]

[Task Time Limit: ∞.]

[Reward: A cultivation manual.]

Chen Jing accepted the side quest but didn't rush to set up his fortune-telling stall.

He frequented teahouses, marketplaces, streets, and brothel entrances in Zhu Zicheng, his third eye between his eyebrows gleaming as he collected data and fed it to the physiognomy system.

In the Realm of No Form, few natives have received any education, and their living environment is relatively simple. They can read through all the trades and professions in half a day. The physiognomy system has adjusted the physical and aura models and made minor adjustments to the physiognomy books it generates. The accuracy of physiognomy is even better than in the real world.

The next morning, Chen Jing changed his clothes, putting on a dark blue long robe and dressing up as a wandering Taoist priest.

Instead of competing with Master Li at the western market, he set up his business stall in the eastern part of Zhu Zicheng.

The eastern part of the city has many large, secluded mansions, and the residents are relatively wealthier than those in the western part. There is also less population mobility, making it a good place to set up a fortune-telling stall.

Strangely, few fortune tellers set up stalls in the east of the city, because they are more likely to encounter sensible and idle scholars who are even rudimentary in physiognomy and will not be fooled by ambiguous rhetoric.

A fortune teller who makes a living by physiognomy would naturally not risk having his signboard smashed by setting up a stall in the east of the city.

Chen Jing ignored all of that. He found an inconspicuous alleyway in the busiest part of the market, set up a signboard, and that was his official business.

The signboard is inherited from Li Banxian's style, and it is a size larger than others. One side says "Three Signs a Day" and the other side says "Chen Banxian".

【Three different appearances in one day – Chen the Half-Immortal.】

Residents from the east of the city pass by the alleyway.

Whether it's a woman buying groceries, a passing merchant, or someone just casually glancing at the photo stall, everyone would do so.

But they weren't interested in fortune telling or physiognomy, nor did they need anyone to guide them; they all had a strange expression of watching a good show.

The news spread by word of mouth, and in less than half a day, half the city would know that a young fortune teller with high aloofness, who refused to make money, only read three fortunes a day, and dared to call himself a demigod, had arrived at the alley entrance of the market in the east of the city.

As they passed the alley entrance, small groups of people began to discuss among themselves: "Another one has arrived. I wonder how long this stall can last?"

A middle-aged vendor shook his head: "Everyone knows that Fuyu in the east of the city is a treasure trove, but do you even need to use your brain to think about why no one comes here to set up a fortune-telling stall?"

The well-dressed man pushing the wheelbarrow grinned and chimed in, "He's probably a fresh graduate. He hasn't heard of those spoiled brats and doesn't know that a fortune teller broke his leg earlier this year."

The woman with her child warned him, "Child, all the fortune tellers on the street are frauds. A true fortune teller who can guide people through their difficulties wouldn't be making a living in the marketplace!"

One of the two gamblers said, "I bet a tael of silver that this young man won't last three days before he slunk out of Zhu Zi City."

Another gambler said, "I bet I'll get slapped a hundred times and then get a good beating."

"……………………"

The stall had a lot of foot traffic, but not a single customer came in.

Unfortunately, fortune telling isn't like live-streaming e-commerce, where you can monetize your traffic through aggressive sales tactics.
When business is slow, his colleagues either cover their eyes with their hats and lean against the wall to sleep, or chat with people about crude things to pass the time.

Chen Jing was not sleepy, nor did he want to waste time waiting. He stared intently at the passersby, his third eye between his eyebrows gleaming as he began to tell fortunes and tell the stories of the people passing by.

Whether you come to the stall and pay, we'll give you a quote; whether you're just passing by, we'll still give you a quote. We won't miss out on anything we pass by.

Work is purely out of passion, of course; how could it be for money? "Hiss!"

A passerby who was peeking out happened to meet Chen Jing's gaze.

Spying on someone and discovering that they are being stared at is a startling experience for anyone.

The passerby couldn't help but shrink back and quicken his pace to get out of Chen Jing's sight before muttering, "That fortune teller's eyes are really creepy. He looks at me, a grown man, like I'm staring at Widow Li's full breasts. He's a complete pervert."

One has two.

The same scene kept playing out at the alleyway entrance.

Chen Jing was openly watching, and they were the ones who were peeping, yet they were the ones who ended up being frightened.

Then, not only did the stalls lose business, but even the number of onlookers dwindled!
However, this did not prevent Chen Jing from telling fortunes and palmistry. The alley entrance was right at the market entrance, so even if he wanted to take a detour, he couldn't avoid it.

"........."

It was almost noon by then.

A middle-aged woman dressed in a plain gray-blue dress and with a slightly plump figure walked straight to the stall.

He slammed his hand on the small wooden table: "Fortune teller! Do you still want your fortune told?"

Chen Jing turned his gaze away from a passerby and said calmly, "Of course I'm looking. Ma'am, are you looking for a marriage partner or a future prospect?"

The plump aunt rolled her eyes at Chen Jing and said irritably, "At my age, what right do you have to tell my fortune? First, give me a reading. If it's not accurate, then it's over and I won't pay you."

Chen Jing glanced at the face, feigning a moment of difficulty before frowning and saying, "To be honest, this face isn't very good! The face is long, positioned in the middle, the eyes are wide apart, and the nose is large and fleshy..."

The plump aunt quickly asked, "What's the saying? Don't people say that a fleshy nose signifies wealth and good fortune?"

Chen Jing explained unhurriedly, "Auntie, don't you think this face... resembles the features of an ox? If I'm not mistaken, you're not only destined for a life of toil, but you'll also be managed by others, working as a servant in someone else's household. However, your face isn't too bad. At least an ox will never have to worry about food and drink its whole life, and it can even enjoy a good meal during festivals."

Accurate, incredibly accurate!
The plump woman's expression changed, and her gaze towards Chen Jing became much more respectful.

She glanced casually to her side, then whispered, "Young sir, I'd like to see my fortune."

A faint golden light flowed between Chen Jing's brows, and his physiognomy system operated naturally, capturing more subtle features and conducting more comprehensive information analysis.

Seeing that the system's predictions matched his own, he whispered in his ear, "If I'm not mistaken, this wealth isn't from legitimate sources, but rather from windfall gains."

The plump woman's eyes widened, and she nodded heavily.

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Chen Jing continued, "You have no luck with windfall gains. There's a saying that a horse won't get fat without night grass, but an ox works hard all its life. If it eats someone else's wheat seedlings, it will at least get a beating, and at worst end up being slaughtered and eaten. So it's best not to get any ideas and remember to stay away from people who try to make you money through windfall gains."

"Besides, you came to me for a fortune telling, it shouldn't have been a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather you were instructed by someone, right?"

"Bang!!"

The plump woman poured out all the dozens of copper coins.

After hesitating for a moment, he took out a small piece of silver.

Instead of directly answering Chen Jing's question, he exclaimed in utter admiration, "Sir, your calculations are truly accurate!!"

(End of this chapter)