Great Xuan, Jiangnan, Hanguang City.
Recently, something peculiar had happened in this fabulously wealthy city.
An extraordinary individual known as the Divine Oracle had traveled through the region, setting up a stall to tell fortunes.
He only told three fortunes per day and charged no fees, choosing instead whom he would read for.
At first, the city's residents believed this Divine Oracle was nothing more than a fraud with an empty gimmick. After all, the accuracy of his predictions was inconsistent—sometimes right, sometimes wrong.
But as time passed, the success rate of the Divine Oracle's predictions grew higher and higher.
Whether it was the location of lost items, the whereabouts of missing children, matters of marriage, or the gender of an unborn child, his predictions were flawless.
Gradually, the reputation of this Divine Oracle began to spread.
In Hanguang City, regardless of age or gender, people regarded him with a mixture of awe and respect.
On this day, a noble arrived in Hanguang City for leisure. Upon hearing of the Divine Oracle, he grew intrigued.
Disguising himself in plain clothes and accompanied only by a trusted aide, he made his way to the Divine Oracle's stall.
There, he found the Divine Oracle reclining on a long chair, eyes closed as if dozing.
"Esteemed Daoist, are you already done with fortune-telling for today?" the nobleman asked, having already inquired about the rules beforehand.
Without even opening his eyes, the fortune-teller lazily replied, "You're asking what you already know. If I was done telling fortunes, I would have packed up and gone home. Would I still be here?"
The nobleman felt somewhat embarrassed by the retort.
The aide, however, was incensed at his master's humiliation. Ignoring the Divine Oracle's fearsome reputation, he moved to smash the stall.
The nobleman raised a hand to stop him and said, "In that case, I humbly request the Daoist to tell my fortune."
Still without opening his eyes, the Divine Oracle replied, "I already foresaw that the two of you would come and prepared your fortunes in advance.
"There is a slip of paper in the small wooden box at the upper left corner of the stall. You need only read it."
The aide sneered in disdain, muttering, "Just a charlatan using deception and trickery!"
The nobleman, however, wore a grave expression and thanked the Divine Oracle.
He then opened the wooden box, retrieved the slip of paper, and slowly unrolled it.
The moment he saw the writing, his face turned deathly pale.
Shock, fear, and elation warred within him. His hand went limp, and the slip fell to the ground.
Abandoning all decorum, the nobleman hastily crouched down to retrieve it. He clutched it tightly in his palm, terrified that someone else might see it.
His body trembled with excitement as he silently repeated the lines written on the slip:
Lie low for nine years, await the opportune moment. When your brother falls, the throne will be yours to ascend.
Seeing his master so unsettled, the aide grew puzzled. Since the tragedy of that day, few things had been able to ruffle this man's composure. Could it be that this Divine Oracle truly possessed some extraordinary ability? He wondered what exactly was written on that slip of paper.
The nobleman paid no heed to his subordinate's thoughts.
Taking a deep breath to calm his agitation, he prepared to offer the Divine Oracle a formal bow of respect.
Yet, to his astonishment, he discovered that the Divine Oracle, who had been there just moments before, had vanished without a trace!
Both the nobleman and his aide were horrified. Could there truly be ghosts and deities in this world?
Heavy with thought and disheartened, the two returned to their lodgings and retired to their respective rooms.
To his surprise, the aide discovered a slip of paper in his pocket, one that hadn't been there before.
Curious, he unfolded it. Upon reading the words, his expression grew blank with confusion.
Written upon it was the line:
Generals secure the peace, yet are not permitted to see that peace.
The aide silently repeated the line, then instinctively tore the slip to shreds and swallowed it.
***
High above Hanguang City, a faint, enigmatic smile touched Li Fan’s lips as he observed the aide's reaction.
Before, I attained enlightenment after listening to your dying words, and successfully established my Dao Foundation with Return to Truth.
Today, by telling your fortune, I have repaid the debt.
I hope you will have a different fate in this life.
The two people whose fortunes were told today were naturally the Prince of Langya and the Grand General Zhenwei, who would later lead troops to quell the rebellion.
Li Fan, having taken on the identity of the Divine Oracle, had wandered the land, contemplating the path of prognostication.
After settling in Hanguang City, his deduction skills improved day by day.
By chance, he encountered these two acquaintances, the Prince of Langya and his aide, and on a sudden whim, today's events unfolded.
Acting on impulse, he settled a karmic debt.
With his thoughts clear and his heart at ease, Li Fan felt pleased.
He no longer lingered in this place and returned to Jieli Mountain.