I attained immortality in the real world.

Chapter 16: Retaliation is inevitable
Zhu Zicheng, east of the city.

Across the alleyway stands a vermilion pavilion with two private rooms on the second floor.

Xu You and his two companions leaned against the wooden window, peering down through the cracks in the window. The crowd surged and the noise filled their ears.

There were many people: merchants who had traveled from afar and were staying in Zhu Zi City; scholars who had become bored with their studies and went out to relax; city dwellers who happened to have some free time; and playboys who, like them, did nothing all day and wandered around aimlessly.

The onlookers come from all walks of life and all industries in Zhu Zicheng. Whatever happens today, the information will be passed around among various circles and then quickly spread to every corner of Zhu Zicheng. It's as if everyone in the city is a witness, and no matter how eloquent one is, they can't distort the truth anymore.

"It hurts, it hurts so much!"

"Two hundred taels of gold were needed to create such a spectacle, enough to hire a courtesan for a night of pleasure in a brothel, and they did it all for a man?"

"And it was the two of you who were communicating with him. He didn't say more than three sentences to me, and I spent two hundred taels of gold for him."

"Now I see heads outside that look golden, and I wish I could cut them all off, put them in sacks, and take them back with me."

Wang Qi pulled out his empty money pouch and muttered to himself. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he slowly lowered his right hand, which was a little sore from holding the window, turned around and asked, "Does he really dare to come? Is he just trying to fool the blind?"

Xu You wasn't worried about wasting his efforts at all, and said with absolute certainty, "They deliberately set up a stall in the east of the city just to make a name for themselves by stepping on us. You've set up a stage for them to perform in front of the whole city, how could they not come?"

Wang Qi tapped his head with his finger, utterly perplexed: "Where does he get his confidence from? Could it be that he really has the ability to predict fate?"

Xu You sneered, “I once asked the National Preceptor’s disciple about fortune telling. He said that face reading is based on observation and is a genuine discipline, while fortune telling is essentially based on guessing.”

"Divination techniques such as burning tortoise shells, tossing copper coins, character divination, and fortune-telling are all the same, only their reasons for origin are different. The earliest form of fortune-telling, physiognomy, was to maintain a sense of mystery and to better utilize physiognomy under the guise of fortune-telling."

"The world is ever-changing, and no one can foresee the future, not even the current imperial advisor."

A ruthless glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, and he sneered, "Since the ability to tell fortunes doesn't exist in the world, what is there to worry about?"

"I think he was probably thinking that if he won the gamble, he could become famous and make a fortune, and if he lost, he could rely on his scholar's degree to protect himself. It was a sure-fire deal."

"As a commoner, it is unforgivable for him to abuse his family's power to beat up someone with merit. However, fulfilling the bet is another matter. As the price for cursing me to die young, I will pull out all his good teeth one by one. Do you two want to raise the stakes?"

Suddenly, the noisy commotion outside the window fell silent. Wang Qi quickly opened the window and peeked out. He saw a man walking slowly towards him from the corner of the main road, carrying a sign that read "Chen Banxian" in his hand. He couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement: "He really came! I wonder where he got the courage?"

"........."

As soon as Chen Jing appeared, he was watched by thousands of eyes.

The Secret Manual of Physiognomy - Volume 2, regards such scenes as the best environment for cultivating one's vital energy.

Even with weapons suspended by wires above, they do not lose their dignity; their inherent aura is like that of a pearl within a womb.

[Take a stroll!]

Chen Jing took a step forward, his body remaining perfectly still, each step covering an almost equal distance.

The Four Directions Step is a ritual for cultivating the "appearance" related to an official career, while the Wandering Step is a ritual for cultivating the "appearance of a reclusive sage." Although it takes ten or eight years of cultivation to develop the necessary aura, the knowledge within can still be applied to imitate some of the superficial aspects of a reclusive sage.

With impeccable posture and demeanor, and a steady, unhurried gait, he could command the attention of millions of people as if they were sharp pens or gentle breezes, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.

Wherever he went, the crowd spontaneously made way for him. From the corner to the alley entrance, the crowd remained silent, intimidated by his inexplicable aura. Only after Chen Jing set up his small table and started his stall did people begin to whisper among themselves.

"That's Chen Bansian, how come he looks so young?"

"Don't let her young age fool you, her face reading skills are top-notch. Yesterday, my third uncle read her face and decided to marry my cousin off."

“I also had my fortune told yesterday. He calculated my home and business perfectly. He even said that I would have better prospects in the capital of Tai Sui Kingdom. I just don’t know if it’s true or not.”

"There have been fortune tellers who were very accurate in the past, but it turned out to be just a clever scam. These few playboys still have some commendable qualities."

"…………"

Soon, Chen Jing set up the photo booth.

As far as the eye could see, there was a surging crowd, and he couldn't help but secretly admire Xu You and the other two.

There used to be a row of stone steps at the entrance to the market, but now every step was filled with people. There were also many people sticking their heads out of the windows of the surrounding buildings, teahouses, taverns and other public places.

A rough estimate suggests that about a thousand people came to join the fun. Compared to the tens or hundreds of thousands of people who attend modern concerts, a thousand people seem like nothing special.

But in this era where information is passed down by word of mouth, this is not a thousand spectators, but a thousand reporters. Zhu Zicheng only needs a few hundred idle people to saturate the entire city with the news.

With his reputation secured, as long as his face reading goes smoothly, he can use physiognomy to gain the trust of half of Zhu Zicheng's people and complete the side quest with ease.

Conversely, if you miscalculate and leave a bad first impression, it will be difficult to reverse that image!
Chen Jingqing cleared his throat and pointed to the signboard, saying, "Three fortune readings a day is a rule set by the 102nd generation patriarch of my Wuxiang Sect. However, since so many people are here today, we will make an exception for everyone. There will be no limit to the number of fortune readings today."

Upon hearing this, Xu You's expression changed.

If Chen Jingxian had predicted correctly a few times, even if he failed once, it would probably be within the acceptable range for most people.

However, before Xu You could speak, Zhou Qing stepped forward from the crowd and said coldly, "Yesterday, the fortune teller refused to tell our fortunes after the three fortunes were completed and took my brother's money, but he didn't tell our fortunes. Today, he has ignored our request to tell other people's fortunes. Isn't that too unreasonable?"

Chen Jing shrugged: "Yesterday? I don't remember taking any money from you. If you take money and don't do anything, and you three don't seem to have good tempers, why don't you smash up my fortune-telling stall?"

Zhou Qing knew he couldn't win in a verbal battle, and for some reason, the goods were selling better than yesterday, making his lies far more credible than his truths.

He decided to maintain his playboy persona and said coldly, "I don't care to argue with you. In short, if you want to tell fortunes for people in the east of the city, you'd better be able to tell my fortunes accurately first. Otherwise, if you say it's auspicious, I'll make it inauspicious; if you say it's inauspicious, I'll make it extremely inauspicious."

Upon hearing this, those around who were initially eager to try immediately fell silent.

Chen Jing seemed to have his weakness exploited, and sighed leisurely, "It's perfectly fine to tell your fortune, free of charge, not a single penny."

(End of this chapter)