The Happy Farmer Wanderer-Chapter 313 You Are One of Us_1
The hall was crowded with a throng of people, many seeking divination.
Seeing the situation, Li Qing had already given up on the idea of asking for a fortune, but under the persuasion of Sister Hu and Qi Xuelan, he still lined up.
Especially Sister Hu, who kept saying that the fortunes at Nine Truth Palace were very accurate.
She had come to consult once before, and it all turned out to be right.
Li Qing had always been skeptical about these things; his agreement was purely out of curiosity.
After waiting for a long time, it was finally the turn of the three of them.
Li Qing let Sister Hu and Qi Xuelan go ahead, letting them ask first.
The one interpreting the fortunes was an old Taoist priest with white whiskers, who looked kind-hearted, giving off a bit of an otherworldly sage’s vibe.
Sister Hu and Qi Xuelan were both asking about marriage.
Clearly, this matter was of significant concern to both of them.
The old Taoist priest told Sister Hu that it was like dispelling clouds to see the sun; in short, quite good.
When it came to Qi Xuelan, the old Taoist priest stroked his beard and pondered, "You have a blooming peach blossom following you!"
"Ah? What does that mean, 大老?" Qi Xuelan was startled.
That sounded a bit ominous.
Just then, standing behind Qi Xuelan, Li Qing’s face darkened.
What the heck? Do I look like a peach blossom to you?
"There are some obstacles, but the destiny includes a path opened by a peach blossom, whether it’s a curse or a blessing depends on how the layperson chooses," said the old Taoist priest as he brushed his whiskers.
These words made Qi Xuelan immediately tense, and she pressed on, "Is there a way to resolve it, 大老?"
"You are the solution yourself. Act from the heart, and let things take their natural course, that is the best way," the old Taoist priest said with a nod and a smile.
Qi Xuelan scratched her neck, still somewhat confused.
But seeing that the old Taoist priest had no intention of saying more, she also stepped aside.
Li Qing, holding the fortune he had drawn, approached, and the old Taoist priest took a look, and suddenly uttered a light "eh."
"You must be one of us!"
At that, Li Qing suddenly felt unsettled, "大老, could you have made a mistake? I have a mortal heart!"
"Indeed, a mischievous stone from the heavens falling to the earth would indeed develop a mortal heart and take root. Look at those mythological tales; when celestials descend to the mortal world, most of them are too happy to think of returning home!"
Li Qing was utterly baffled.
This was getting more and more bizarre!
"大老, could you please speak in terms I can understand? This is really a bit too much for someone with only a high school education," Li Qing said with a wry smile, for although his knowledge was not lacking, he truly had yet to learn how to decipher such enigmatic speech.
"You are supposed to be one of us," the old Taoist priest, staring at Li Qing, repeated again.
His eyes gave Li Qing the feeling as if they were forged in Lao Jun’s Eight Trigrams Furnace, piercing to the point where Li Qing felt as if his whole being was transparent.
"大老, I still want to tumble through the mortal world; the serene life of retreat in the mountains really isn’t for me," Li Qing said helplessly.
"So be it. When the right moment comes, you will understand," the old Taoist priest pinched his fingers together and sighed, "Remaining in the secular world will only result in harm to oneself and others, for a mischievous stone is not the same as a warm and smooth jade."
"All arising and passing away is predestined; when you pick up that mischievous stone, everything will naturally become clear."
"可以讲详细一点吗, 大老?" Li Qing pressed.
He was not only confused but also getting anxious.
The conversation was drifting to ever stranger territory.
The old Taoist priest shook his head, "I am already not young. Let me live a few more years, go forth and comprehend on your own!"
Li Qing was stunned for a moment.
"大老, I can’t comprehend it on my own..." Li Qing said.
"Not another word, next person," the old Taoist priest promptly closed his eyes, waiting for the next in line.
Li Qing immediately felt infuriated.
During this cryptic back-and-forth, there wasn’t a single word he could understand.
After finishing, he seemed even more mundane than anyone else.
Li Qing felt that the old Daoist was somewhat not serious.
He exited the great hall uneasily, unable to make sense of it no matter how hard he tried.
Sister Hu and Qi Xuelan gathered around Li Qing, both sets of large eyes shining with excitement.
"Xiao Li, according to the Daoist’s meaning, are you a deity descended to the mortal world?" Qi Xuelan asked in surprise.
Li Qing shrugged and said with a wry smile, "Teacher Qi, stop teasing me. That old Daoist clearly said I was a stubborn stone."
"No, what the Daoist meant seemed to be that you should have an opportunity to enter the Dao." Sister Hu said thoughtfully, "You were supposed to directly enter the Dao, but by accident, you fell into the mortal realm. One day when that opportunity comes, you might suddenly understand and then begin your own cultivation."
Li Qing was immediately dumbfounded, "Sister Hu, by the sound of it, I feel like I’m the protagonist of a novel."
Sister Hu laughed, "They say that Daoist sects stress the importance of fate when taking disciples, and clearly, you truly have fate on your side."
Li Qing: ...
The bustling mortal world is so wonderful, he didn’t need any darn fate.
"I don’t really want this fate," Li Qing said, shaking his head.
He still wanted to earn a beautiful life for the women around him, not spend his days in a mountain monastery listening to scriptures under a lamp.
"Nine Truth Palace is really effective, maybe when the time comes, it could actually be true!" Sister Hu said with a laugh.
Li Qing shook his head.
Whatever about a stubborn stone falling to the mortal world or picking up a stubborn stone changing one’s fate, he simply didn’t believe it.
But because of these words, his mood had worsened.
Especially that line about hurting oneself and others, it truly hurt.
Li Qing could dismiss everything else, but that particular sentence left a mark on his heart.
This made him unable to stop wondering if he really would not be able to keep those women by his side in the future.
Li Qing was disinterested throughout the rest of the day’s outing, his mind haunted by the old Daoist’s maxims.
He suddenly remembered the Red Mansion he had never read.
Jia Baoyu seemed to be like a stubborn stone that had fallen to the mortal world.
It seemed... the ending was not very good.
That stone eventually became a monk.
Fuck!
This sudden thought that sprouted from his mind scared Li Qing, making him shiver.
Of all things, why did the old Daoist have to say he was a stubborn stone?
Damn it, when had he ever resembled a stone!
The less Li Qing cared, the deeper the old Daoist’s words seemed to be etched in his heart.
Even as he followed the group down the mountain, he was still pondering over this matter.
And the more he thought about it, the more irritable he became.
It wasn’t until dinnertime, when Li Qing stuffed a mouthful of rice into his mouth, that his thoughts finally straightened out.
He thought fiercely to himself that he ate the grains of the land and slept with the beauties of the world, what the hell did that have to do with being a stubborn stone.
In this world, there were no gods roaming the skies; even if there were, he firmly believed he could live out his days as a mortal to the fullest.
Like venting his frustration, Li Qing ate three large bowls of rice in one breath, shocking Sister Hu and Qi Xuelan who were sitting at the same table.
The two beauties were stunned, marveling at how a young man could have such energy and appetite.
After the dinner, the teachers started their evening activities in groups of threes and twos.
Qi Xuelan, who was also troubled by today’s divination, quietly sent Li Qing a message, inviting him to go shopping together.
Li Qing gladly accepted.
With this gesture, it was as if he had taken a significant step towards Qi Xuelan’s bed.
At some point, Li Qing had started harboring less than pure intentions towards this woman...
