Chapter Forty-Eight: Peach Blossoms Concealing Blades

As expected, the young man slowly pried off Qiuno’s grasping hand and declared in a loud, self-important voice, “One hundred thousand!”

Wei Youcheng was clearly a man of refinement. Even when the young man, who had been contending with him at every turn, named an astronomical price of one hundred thousand, Wei Youcheng surprisingly took the lead in applauding him. The auction hall, which had been silent as a grave, erupted into thunderous applause at his prompting.

The young man’s lips curled in a victor’s smile as he watched Wei Youcheng refrain from raising his hand again. Feeling triumphant, he settled back into his seat.

“One hundred and two thousand,” Wei Youcheng said, unhurriedly, just as the young man sat down, raising his bid by only two thousand.

An uproar swept through the hall! People whispered incessantly to one another. The fierce duel between two formidable contenders brought unprecedented excitement to what had been a rather dull auction.

The young man's face finally betrayed his embarrassment. Even I began to suspect that, with Wei Youcheng’s calm yet persistent bidding, the silver cup might not end up in the young man’s hands after all.

“Twelve hundred thousand,” the young man said coldly from his chair.

I waited for a long time, but there was no further sound from behind me. Curious, I turned to see that Wei Youcheng—who had previously seemed determined—was not raising his hand, nor did he show any intention of bidding further. His expression was rather odd.

“The man sitting next to him is up to something,” Xiao Lianshan whispered.

Only then did I notice the person sitting very close to Wei Youcheng, holding his coat in front of him, his hands obscured. But this man shouldn’t have been sitting here; the last time I saw him, he was next to the young man.

I frowned, took a deep breath, and said quietly, “His intentions are not pure.”

Xiao Lianshan was about to stand up, but I pulled him back down, shaking my head to urge restraint. “No doubt, that man has a weapon in his hand, keeping Wei Youcheng from bidding. This is supposed to be fair competition, but that kid is playing dirty—this is outright robbery.”

“Let it go. It’s just a material possession. If you rush over and the man panics and harms Wei Youcheng, it will be a disaster,” I said in a low voice.

Yue Qianling, apparently unaware of the developments beside Wei Youcheng, said a bit regretfully, “Shen Xiang really does come from money—he didn’t even blink at spending one hundred and twenty thousand for a silver cup.”

“Who is Shen Xiang?” Xiao Lianshan asked, looking up.

Yue Qianling glanced dismissively at the young man next to Qiuno. “That’s Shen Xiang. His father is in the import-export business and has some dealings with my dad. I hear their background is not entirely clean. My dad once mentioned privately to Uncle Huo that Shen Jiangchuan is a big name in the underworld, respected by all sorts of people, whether black or white.”

“I thought he was someone impressive, but it turns out he’s just a spoiled rich kid,” Xiao Lianshan scoffed.

“How did Qiuno end up with someone like that?” I murmured quietly to myself.

“Oh? Why do you sound so sour?” Yue Qianling teased, half-smiling. “Who she’s with is none of your business. Besides, a man willing to spend a fortune for her must really care—who wouldn’t like that? Did you really think she was some fairy untouched by the world?”

I glanced at Shen Xiang in the front row and said calmly, “Just look at his face—there’s a greenish pallor, greedy and lonely, a pronounced red tinge at the tip, indicating a life of scheming and wandering. Such a face, with its overlapping shadows, points to hardship and lack. The green tint is stagnation—greed without achievement, avarice without surplus, ending in poverty. The nose signifies earth, and as the saying goes, ‘within earth is fire,’ meaning nothing grows. He’ll run around all his life, and if the tip is red from drink, he’s full of tricks.”

“But Qianling said his family is wealthy—how does that square with what you’re saying?” Xiao Lianshan asked, puzzled.

“His face shows inherited wealth from his father, so he grew up comfortable. But in physiognomy, it’s like drinking poison to quench one’s thirst—he lacks both the fortune and the fate to hold onto wealth. His current extravagance is eating away at his own lifespan,” I explained calmly.

“You’re just stating the obvious. Everyone knows he’s a notorious playboy, living off his father. Shen Jiangchuan only has one son—if he doesn’t spend the money on him, who else?” Yue Qianling said, unimpressed.

“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained, and you’d think I was making it up. Shen Xiang’s forehead isn’t properly aligned—he’s lewd inside though outwardly it’s not apparent. The forehead is the leader of all yang features and should be balanced. If not, the person is frivolous and unstable, which you can see in his every move today,” I said earnestly.

“To each their own—maybe Qiuno likes men like that,” Yue Qianling pressed.

“His gait is uneven and ill-intentioned, which signals a treacherous heart. Qiuno is a wise woman, being with someone like him is just a waste,” I said regretfully, frowning.

“Exactly. I can’t see anything good in Shen Xiang—it’s like a flower stuck in a cow pat,” Xiao Lianshan grumbled.

“So, all along you’re worried about Qiuno,” Yue Qianling said with sarcasm.

I paused, realizing I’d fallen into Yue Qianling’s trap again, and shook my head. “On the contrary, I’m worried about Shen Xiang.”

“Worried about Shen Xiang?” Xiao Lianshan asked, baffled. “What’s there to worry about with that kid?”

“One’s appearance reflects the heart, and the purpose of face reading is to help people seek fortune and avoid disaster. I can’t judge his character, but if he stays with Qiuno, trouble will surely follow.”

“From the way you talk, is there anyone who’d be safe with Qiuno?” Yue Qianling rolled her eyes at me.

I smiled helplessly. “I’m just speaking from a physiognomist’s perspective—don’t get me wrong. I’ve only met Qiuno twice, and we’ve spoken less than ten words in total… Wait, why is it that whenever I talk to a woman for more than two sentences, you get so annoyed? What’s that about?”

Yue Qianling blushed and turned away in silence.

“Why would being with Shen Xiang bring disaster for Qiuno?”

“The last time I saw her at Qingyang Temple, Qiuno’s features were refined, with large, drooping ears—a sign of good fortune. But her ears are asymmetrical. For a woman, reversed ears often signify harm to men. The left ear represents Venus, the right Jupiter; when these two stars are out of harmony, it’s bad for the husband’s palace. When the wife’s palace prospers, the husband’s weakens. She also has the ‘nine souls’—her spirit is calm, not destined for a cold, lonely life,” I said quietly.

“Oh, you say you’re not interested in Qiuno, yet you noticed the size of her ears after just one meeting?” Yue Qianling’s voice was icy.

“What are you getting at? Face reading is a habit for me—it’s not what you think.”

“I don’t understand any of this, can you put it simply?”

“All right, in plain terms: Qiuno’s Venus and Jupiter are at odds. Venus dominates, so her wife’s palace is strong. If the man beside her can’t suppress her aura, he’ll be harmed. Shen Xiang already has a peach blossom face, which is bad enough, but Qiuno’s strong Venus element generates water, which will further intensify Shen Xiang’s peach blossom luck. If they stay together long, disaster will be inevitable.”

“What do you mean by ‘peach blossom’? I’ve heard elders in my village talk about having a ‘peach blossom face’ meaning romance is near, but what does it really mean?”

“Peach blossom, also known as the ‘salty pool,’ mainly affects a person’s emotions, charisma, romantic relationships, and marriage. It also influences hidden matters, darkness, and things like alcohol. If a person’s birth chart has a strong peach blossom, they’re often charming and attractive. For men, it means generosity and a love of socializing and beauty; for women, it means allure and attractiveness, intelligence, and a natural affinity with the opposite sex.”

“So peach blossom luck isn’t bad, then. If Qiuno can enhance Shen Xiang’s peach blossom, why would disaster follow?”

“Qiuno’s Venus is dominant, producing water, and peach blossom most fears water. When water is present, it leads to promiscuity. Shen Xiang’s peach blossom is already water-tinged, and since he can’t contain Qiuno, his peach blossom luck turns into ‘raging wolf peach blossom’—that is, peach blossom with a blade.”

“Peach blossom with a blade? What’s the difference from normal peach blossom luck?”

I smiled leisurely. “If the day or hour branch contains peach blossom and also meets the ‘Yang Blade,’ it means the person, if they don’t cultivate themselves, is likely to suffer ruin, injury, or worse. If both the blade and the seven kills are present, they’re destined for a premature end.”

Yue Qianling suddenly tilted her head and looked at me coldly. “With all this, you make it sound like no one in the world could be with Qiuno—anyone would be doomed. Are you cursing her to be an old maid for life? Your mouth is really venomous.”

“When did I ever say that no one could be with Qiuno? It’s just that Shen Xiang is absolutely unsuitable, and most people aren’t a good match. It won’t be easy for her to find someone whose features complement hers.”

“You talk such a good game—so who, in your esteemed opinion, is a match for Qiuno?” Yue Qianling pressed relentlessly.

I hesitated, then smiled quietly. “If Yan Six-Finger was right, I might know someone whose face matches Qiuno’s quite well.”

“Yan Six-Finger? Why are you bringing him up now?” Yue Qianling asked, puzzled.

“Yan Six-Finger said my chart has a clash between noon and midnight, making me an ‘officer meeting the hurting officer.’ My bone structure is rare—Sun-Moon Dragon-Tiger bones. Qiuno’s features require an emperor’s fate, because she’s too strong. If her match can’t contain her, he’ll be harmed. If Yan Six-Finger is right and I’m fated to be an emperor, my features could not only suppress hers, but complement her as well,” I said with a wry smile.

“So that’s what this is about—you’re trying to say that, apart from you, no one else can be with Qiuno?”

“That’s your interpretation, not mine. I’m just going by facial analysis. Yan Six-Finger said I have an emperor’s fate—I never admitted it. Besides, Qiuno and I barely know each other, so I’m not thinking along those lines.”

Yue Qianling gave a cold smile and said nothing more, her silence making me uneasy enough to quickly close my mouth.