Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 43 Good luck
"Son."

Nongyu sat at the table, wanting to ask more questions, but Chen Xiuyuan didn't intend to continue.

Nongyu had only met him twice. When dealing with people, it is best to avoid speaking too much to someone you don't know well, even though the girl in front of her was a nice girl.

The answer you're looking for isn't with me.

Upon hearing Chen Xiuyuan's words, Nongyu's eyelids drooped again.

She sighed softly to herself. What the other person said was right. Judging from their age, they were even younger than her. She had no memory of what happened back then, let alone the other person. At that time, this little customer in front of her might not even have been born yet!
"Nongyu has lost her composure."

Chen Xiuyuan nodded slightly.

The sound of reading aloud filled the room again, but compared to yesterday, today's reading carried a hint of melancholy.

Chen Xiuyuan's expression remained unchanged; his gaze moved steadily across the bamboo slips.

"Stop, you've mispronounced that word!"

The bamboo slips were laid out on the table, so Nongyu could see them, and Chen Xiuyuan could see them as well.

Looking at the hand touching the bamboo slip, Nongyu immediately fell silent, a ripple appearing in her calm gaze.

Now she seemed certain that Chen Xiuyuan's words earlier were not empty boasts; the unassuming young master in front of her had indeed memorized the words on the bamboo slip.

"Please forgive me, young master~~"

"Today, Nongyu's mind is not settled, so it is really not suitable for her to study."

Chen Xiuyuan sat opposite Nongyu, and he took in the girl's reactions.

"Is it because of the Fire Rain Agate?"

Nongyu nodded.

“These are my father’s belongings.”

Chen Xiuyuan narrowed his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his depths. Come to think of it, the girl's parents were still alive.

If fate allows, I might as well lend a hand and save him.

"Seeing an object reminds me of someone; I can understand that."

"If that's the case, then..."

Upon hearing Chen Xiuyuan's words, a hint of apology flashed in Nongyu's eyes, but she was in a restless state of mind today and couldn't concentrate on reading. Since the other party had spoken, she understood the unspoken meaning behind his words.

“I’ll read it myself. If there are any unfamiliar characters, I’ll ask you.”

Nongyu was taken aback. She hadn't expected that the other party wasn't trying to get rid of her, but rather to read it herself. She sat back down, her bottom already lifted up.

Then the voice rang out again. Unlike her gentle voice, Chen Xiuyuan's voice carried a hint of softness, like sweet rain falling from the mountains onto the earth.

After listening for a while, Nongyu suddenly found that her heart had unexpectedly calmed down.

Looking at the young man in front of her, Nongyu couldn't help but feel a desire to investigate. Just who was he?

Even if she were slow to react, she would have noticed Chen Xiuyuan's unusual nature by now. Such subtle and pervasive methods were not something an ordinary person could do.

"This word"

Just as Nongyu was lost in thought, the voice suddenly stopped, and then Chen Xiuyuan's finger pointed to a spot on the bamboo slip again.

Nongyu subconsciously looked over, and then said, "Those who bring peace should be embraced, and those who bring harm should be avoided."

Chen Xiuyuan nodded and continued reading.

Time always seems to fly by when you're fully engaged in something.

When Nongyu got up to say goodbye, she realized it was already noon.

As she was leaving, her long, clear eyes lingered on Chen Xiuyuan for a moment. This morning, the young guest had read the book much faster than she had when she read it herself, and he hadn't missed a single word on the bamboo slips that followed.

"The time is not yet right for what the young lady is asking for, but the night will eventually come to an end. In the Book of Changes, there are hexagrams eleven and twelve, which can be described as the turning point from adversity to prosperity."

Nongyu paused slightly as she was about to close the door. "The Book of Changes"—she seemed to have heard of this classic text somewhere before; it appeared to be a book for divination.

Seeing the young man pick up another bamboo scroll, Nongyu bowed gracefully.

"Thank you for your kind words, sir."

"What's wrong with my sister?"

Just as Zi Nu was about to go downstairs, she bumped into Nong Yu, who was heading back to her room. Seeing that the girl looked preoccupied, she couldn't help but ask her what was wrong.

When Nongyu saw Zinu, she first responded, and then subconsciously asked, "Sister, do you know that after the worst comes the best?" Zinu was taken aback when she heard Nongyu's words.

After the worst comes the best?

It sounded like a word, and she felt like she must have seen it somewhere before, but when she tried to recall, she couldn't find a specific place.

"Where did you hear that, little sister? It's a novel term. I wonder where it comes from?"

Seeing Zi Nu's reaction, Nong Yu knew that the other woman was also unaware. Originally, she did not want to say more, but then she thought that if she tried to hide it, it would only make people dislike her more. So she explained, "I overheard someone talking about the eleventh and twelfth hexagrams in the Book of Changes. I found them very interesting, so I wanted to ask if you knew them, sister."

Zi Nu nodded, pinched her chin, and a thoughtful look appeared in her eyes. However, she put the matter aside for the time being. It was just a word; no matter how eloquently it was spoken, it could not change the current situation.

"Oh, I see. I'll ask around for you when I have the chance."

At this point, Zi Nu continued, "By the way, did you go and see that young customer that Hong Dou mentioned yesterday?"

She had originally planned to ask Nongyu about the situation last night, but she was delayed by other things and didn't have a chance to ask. She just happened to run into her today, so she asked her about it.

"I've already been there."

"He is a gentleman with a good temperament, and he seems quite interested in the bamboo slips on the bookshelf in his room."

Zi Nu chuckled softly upon hearing this.

If she wasn't interested, she wouldn't have asked someone to read those things to her. What she cared about was whether the other person would cause any trouble for Zilan Pavilion. As for the rest, she didn't pay much attention to it, after all, Wei Zhuang was still in charge of Zilan Pavilion.

"Alright, you should go and rest now."

Zi Nu waved her hand and turned to walk into another room.

"Is something wrong?"

As soon as Zi Nu entered the room, she heard a voice coming from inside.

A white-haired man stood by the window, looking down at the entire city of Xinzheng.

"It seems that Lord Anping and Lord Longquan have already confessed. This Ninth Prince has given me a pleasant surprise."

Wei Zhuang's eyes were slightly closed, and a glint of cold light flashed silently across his face.

"He is a disciple of Xun Kuang and has a considerable understanding of human nature. With Zhang Kai's help, it's only a matter of time before he can get those two to talk."

"But more than that, I'm curious whether those two idiots will survive?"

Zi Nu's eyes twitched.

"You mean Ji Wuye is planning to make a move??"

A hint of sarcasm flashed across Wei Zhuang's lips.

"If it were me, I would have done the same. Only a dead body can guarantee that the secret won't be leaked."

Upon hearing this, Zi Nu couldn't help but sigh.

"So, that old fox Zhang Kaidi isn't going to keep his promise either?"

Wei Zhuang chuckled coldly twice and then fell silent.

Zi Nu seemed to remember something and asked, "What are the eleventh and twelfth hexagrams of the Book of Changes?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhuang became curious. Why was Zi Nu asking this?

Why are you asking this?

Zi Nu slowly walked to Wei Zhuang's side and stood beside him. She casually said, "I overheard a term that was related to these two hexagrams. I thought your Guigu School should know something about it, so I came to ask. If you don't know, you can ask Ninth Prince when he arrives."

Wei Zhuang glanced at Zi Nu out of the corner of his eye and saw the hint of mockery in her eyes, so he knew that her words were meant to provoke him.

The eleventh hexagram is named Pi (否), which means "the wicked are not worthy, it is not advantageous for the virtuous to be steadfast, the great go and the small come." It signifies that heaven and earth do not interact and all things are blocked.

The twelfth hexagram is named Tai. Tai signifies the departure of the small and the arrival of the great, bringing good fortune and prosperity. It means the harmony of heaven and earth and the smooth progress of all things.

Zi Nu stood to the side, and upon hearing Wei Zhuang's words, her heart stirred. She understood the meaning of the two divinations, and she also understood the word that Nong Yu had mentioned earlier.

"These are two opposite hexagrams, one indicating obstruction and the other symbolizing smoothness. I'm rather curious about what that word is?"

Zi Nu crossed her arms over her chest, a deep meaning flashing in her eyes.

"After the worst comes the best."

(End of this chapter)