Go all out

Chapter 48: Word Count

Tian Zhan paused for a moment. “Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I volunteered to go this time.” “Voluntary my ass! You know full well you’ll get hurt, and you’re still going?” I was livid. The day before yesterday, I’d asked Tian Zhan not to go, but he shook his head. I didn’t know why he was pushing himself so hard, but there are some things where you just have to know your limits. “There are some things you’ll find out about later… Okay, I’m sending you a photo right now. Take a look at it first, analyze it, and then give me a call.” “Okay.” The call ended, and soon Tian Zhan sent over a photo. It showed a man—I could tell at a glance that he was an official because he had the look of one: thick eyebrows, a high forehead, and a plump, well-fed face. But strangely, the “marriage palace” in his face indicated that his wife would die soon—and die a violent death. After examining it carefully, I called Tian Zhan back. He asked me what I thought, so I recounted my analysis to him word for word. “Do you think he might have killed his wife?” Tian Zhan asked. “No. His facial features indicate that, although he’s ruthless, he wouldn’t kill his own family,” I said, shaking my head. “Alright, I understand,” Tian Zhan nodded. “What’s going on exactly? Who is this man?” I asked curiously. “I’ll let you know the details after I meet with him tomorrow.” “Alright.” After hanging up, I was about to close the door when I noticed several shadows slowly approaching from the darkness in the distance. Curious, I looked over and saw them carrying a palanquin, moving slowly toward me. In the dim light by the shop entrance, I looked more closely and realized that these shadows were actually giant rats, each as big as a person. I froze. What were they here for? After the four rats approached, one of the larger ones bowed slightly toward me and said, “Master Li, are you free? Our Ancestor requests your presence!” “Oh? Did your Ancestor survive the Thunder Tribulation?” I was surprised, yet also relieved; instinctively, I wanted this rat spirit to survive. “We barely made it through, but our Ancestor still has a few questions she’d like to ask Master Li,” the large rat said, nodding respectfully. I hesitated for a moment before nodding. “All right, I’ll go with you to take a look.” I suppose this rat spirit must have been severely weakened after surviving the thunder tribulation, which is why she wanted me to come over and assess her condition. “Please, Master Li. There are some washed fruits inside; feel free to help yourself.” The giant rat made a gesture of invitation, and I climbed right in. The interior was surprisingly spacious, and on a small cabinet to one side was indeed a plate of emerald-green fruits. I picked one up and took a bite; it tasted refreshingly sweet. Though not as delicious as the fruit from last time, it was still quite good. I felt the palanquin being lifted, then carried steadily yet swiftly toward the mountains. The four giant rats ran the entire way—I didn’t know if they were taking a shortcut or what—but about an hour later, the palanquin came to a stop. The curtain was lifted. “Master Li, please come in. The Ancestor has been waiting for you for quite some time.” I nodded and stepped out. The cave was still filled with flowers, and the scent was quite pleasant. I walked in slowly, and before long, I saw the rat spirit lying on a grand armchair. Her face was deathly pale, and it was marked with spider-web-like patterns—apparently left by the lightning tribulation. She had managed to survive this tribulation, and her facial features indicated she wouldn’t face any misfortune in the near future. I couldn’t quite figure out why she had asked me to come here. “Have a seat.” The rat spirit opened her eyes wearily. With a wave of her small hand, a large rat beside her wriggled over and brought a chair. I didn’t hesitate and sat down right away. “First of all, congratulations on surviving this ordeal! From now on, everything will surely go smoothly for you,” I said with a smile. “You’re too kind.” The Rat Spirit slowly sat up. I was taken aback—only then did I notice she was missing one hand, and the foot peeking out from under her skirt was that of a white, furry rat. Had she actually lost the ability to maintain her human form? Seeing the look of astonishment on my face, the rat spirit let out a wry smile. “That lightning tribulation was too powerful. I thought I was as good as dead, but I made the decisive choice to sacrifice one hand—and somehow managed to survive.” There wasn’t much joy in the Rat Spirit’s tone; on the contrary, she sounded quite sorrowful. I assumed she, as a “woman,” valued her appearance so much that this was why she felt this way, but when I stared at her “Children Palace” for a few moments, I discovered that her original pregnancy energy had completely vanished. In other words, this lightning tribulation had struck down all the children in her womb. I fell silent for a moment, then offered an apology. As spirits who had cultivated for hundreds of years, they could regrow severed limbs on their own. However, in cases of disability caused by specific injuries—such as being struck by lightning or wounded by a century-old peachwood sword—it was virtually impossible for a new hand to grow back. The rat spirit gently stroked her belly, her face filled with bitterness. I could understand how she felt. She had been looking forward to this pregnancy so much, but things didn’t go as planned. It was likely that this lightning tribulation was simply too powerful—she couldn’t withstand it, and it ended up claiming the lives of her unborn children as well. “So you called me here to see if there’s any chance you’ll be able to get pregnant in the future?” I sighed as I spoke, unsure how to break the news to her. The Rat Demon’s womb was already “empty,” meaning she would likely never be able to conceive in this lifetime. It was cruel, but that was the reality. The Rat Spirit shook her head, her expression filled with an indescribable sense of loss. “I know my own situation. Those five lightning tribulations effectively wiped out three hundred years of my cultivation—they even scattered the Yin Essence within my body…” As she spoke, the Rat Spirit’s eyes reddened. I was deeply moved; such is the Way of Heaven—no one can escape these trials. Seeing the Rat Spirit so heartbroken, her mouse maidservant beside her offered a few soft words of comfort. As a man, I truly didn’t know what to say—this kind of pain is impossible for anyone who hasn’t experienced it to understand. After a few minutes of silence, the sorrow faded from the Rat Spirit’s face. She looked at me and said, “I did indeed ask you to come here this time so you could read my fortune again—not regarding my children, but my own life!” “Lifespan?” I was taken aback. The Rat Spirit nodded. “I’ve lost three hundred years of cultivation this time. Unless I can regain my previous level of cultivation within ten years—in which case I’ll have no problem living another few hundred years—but if I can’t, I’ll die within fifty years at most!” Hearing this, I stared at her Life Palace for a few moments. A distinct vertical line had appeared there—it looked as if it were splitting her brow apart, effectively shattering her fate. Judging by her current complexion and condition, it was indeed true, as she’d said: she wouldn’t be able to regain her former cultivation level. She’d likely have another forty or fifty years at most. “Is that so?” the Rat Demon asked me. I nodded. The Rat Demon let out a bitter laugh. “Then show me a way forward.” I fell silent. I could no longer divine her current fate merely by reading her face, because bone divination, palm reading, and even qi divination were all ineffective for her. In other words, the higher powers wanted her to die, but they weren’t quite that heartless—they had left her a path to survival. However, she would have to “seek” that path herself. This “pleading,” of course, wasn’t directed at me—she had already gone to plead with Fate itself. After a moment’s thought, I looked at her and said, “Write a character—the one that comes to mind.” Character divination is a method that only a second-level fortune-teller can barely master. Unlike the “Four Divinations”—which focus on the “person”—character divination focuses on the “heart.” I didn’t know if I could use character divination, but I had no choice but to try. The Rat Spirit nodded. With a wave of her hand, the maidservants nearby immediately brought out a table from inside and set out paper and a brush. The Rat Spirit picked up the brush and wrote the character “活” on the paper, then gazed quietly at me. After glancing at it, I fell deep in thought. About three minutes later, I offered a faint smile and said, “Rest assured, your lifespan is definitely longer than fifty years.” The Rat Spirit asked me why I said that. I pointed to the character on the paper and explained, “This character ‘活’ may seem simple, but it perfectly captures both your current state and the state you’re about to enter.” The Rat Spirit was taken aback and looked at me with curiosity. I continued, “The character ‘活’ has ‘water’ on the left and ‘snake’ on the right. It’s quite straightforward, and taken literally, your current state is much like that of a ‘water snake.’ Water snakes live only in water, occasionally making it to the shore, and they move by writhing. You could say this ‘writhing state’ resembles struggling—it indicates that your current fate is trapped in a situation you don’t want, and you’re struggling desperately to break free. As for your path ahead…” “What should I do from now on?” the Rat Spirit asked eagerly.