Chapter Seventy-Nine: Reading Fate

The competition on the second day was scheduled for the afternoon. From morning until now, Yue Qianling had been listless and dispirited, so I sensibly kept my distance from her.

Compared to yesterday’s event, today’s competition was far more orderly. However, unlike yesterday, a heap of stones of assorted sizes had been added to the courtyard.

Without the banquet tables, the courtyard appeared especially spacious. In front of each seat was a cup of clear tea, and the participants in the competition sat in the front row.

“I wonder what today’s contest will be. Why did they bring in so many rocks?” Xiao Lianshan stared curiously at the pile.

“Those are jade stones, also called raw jadeite,” Yue Leiting, who was worldly and experienced, frowned as he explained. “Yesterday’s contest was divination by predicting the dishes. Could it be that Uncle Gu wants them to gamble on stones today?”

“Gambling on stones?” Xiao Lianshan was momentarily taken aback, asking with even greater curiosity, “Leiting, what’s there to gamble about a bunch of rocks?”

Gu Anqi explained, “So-called stone gambling is betting with uncut jade. To judge the quality of the stone just by its outer shell requires deep expertise in jade. Even with modern technology, there’s no instrument that can detect what’s inside. The rough jade is mined, still wrapped in a rocky skin, and no one can say for certain what lies within. That’s why the industry refers to judging jade as ‘gambling on stones.’”

Lan Qing shook her head, clearly convinced. “It can’t possibly be stone gambling. As the saying goes, ‘Even the gods can’t judge an inch of jade.’ No matter how advanced your metaphysical skills are, you can’t see through stone. Besides, there are five rounds in the competition. Yesterday was divination, so today can’t be the same.”

While the others continued to speculate, Gu Xiaotian, Kong Guan, and Wei Yu took their seats, and the courtyard fell silent.

“It’s said that fortune-telling and physiognomy can deceive for a decade or more, because they speak of things years or even decades away. By the time anyone realizes whether it was accurate, the fortune-teller is long gone,” Gu Xiaotian said with a subtle smile. “So I’ve thought of a way to see which of the seven present are real masters, and which are mere charlatans.”

Kong Guan stood up, walked over to the pile of stones, and announced without expression, “These are rough jadeite stones, brought here at random from a mine in Burma, not specially selected. Whether any of these contain jade or are worthless will depend on your abilities.”

“The rules are simple. There are seven of you now, but only five will advance to the next round, meaning two will be eliminated. The outcome will be decided by whose chosen stone is the most valuable. The two with the lowest rankings are out,” Gu Xiaotian stated calmly.

At a signal from Gu Xiaotian, seven men entered and stood in a row at the front.

“You probably know nothing about stone gambling, so having you choose for yourselves would be too difficult. Therefore, I’ve found seven experts for you. Standing before you are some of the most sought-after professionals in the field. What you must do is select one of these experts to gamble on your behalf.”

Upon hearing Gu Xiaotian’s explanation, realization dawned on me, and I smiled. “This arrangement is ingenious. The second round tests the ‘Fate’ discipline among the Five Arts of Daoism!”

Gu Xiaotian rose and walked slowly to the seven contestants, his tone unhurried. “It’s often said that fate is heaven’s decree, and the wealth each person carries is set from birth. Today, you are to judge by their faces who among these experts is most fortunate, who is most prosperous. Normally, you predict the distant future, and no one knows if you’re right. But today, I want to see who among you truly deserves the title of divine seer.”

Yue Leiting, still bewildered, shook his head. “Even with seven experts, there’s never certainty in stone gambling—it’s pure luck. Isn’t this competition a bit too formal?”

“There’s meaning behind this arrangement,” I explained with a smile. “Even the gods cannot judge an inch of jade; stone gambling is all about luck. But each person’s luck waxes and wanes, and those with abundant fortune are more likely to choose a stone with jade. Those whose fortune is low, even if given the finest jade, may end up with nothing.”

Kong Guan produced a sealed box and set it before the seven, solemnly declaring, “To keep things fair, the order of choosing will be decided by drawing lots. Inside are seven numbers. Draw one each; your number determines your turn. Leave it to fate!”

Song Hui drew number one.

Zhou Fu drew number two.

Lu Yong drew number three.

Teng Guoyuan drew number four.

Chang Leyuan drew number five.

Ouyang Cuo drew number six.

...

When the first six had drawn, I noticed Lan Qing looking quite anxious. I, on the other hand, maintained a nonchalant facade, holding up my own slip.

Number seven!

I knew exactly what Lan Qing was worried about. The six before me were all of considerable skill; the earlier your turn, the better your odds. Drawing seventh meant I’d have no choice at all, only the one left behind by the others—the one with the least promising face!

Gu Xiaotian allotted each person the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The incense on the table was already a third gone.

First to choose was Song Hui, whose display of effortless divination in yesterday’s contest still lingered in everyone’s memory.

Selecting from among the seven experts the one with the best fortune today seemed no challenge for Song Hui. He paced back and forth several times in front of the seven, studying each face closely, and finally paused before the third man, nodding meaningfully.

I was a bit disappointed by Song Hui’s choice. His divinatory skills had made a strong impression yesterday, and he was surely one of the best among us. But his mastery lay more in Qimen Dunjia than in physiognomy.

The man he chose was born in the Year of the Sheep, with a celestial fire destiny, strong in earth, weak in wood, and a day master of water. Water governs wisdom—clever, good-natured, thoughtful, resourceful, and learned. Born on a Gui day in the Bing Chen hour, with Gui taking Wu and Ji as officers and Chen being the treasury of these elements, it’s said his life sits atop an official’s vault. Gui takes Bing as wealth, but Chen is a water sign, leaving Bing fire without support, which portends high status. Yet today’s test was for luck on this very day, and in that respect, the man fell short. Water prefers the north, but he stood today in the northwest; his day master needed fire, liked water, but disliked too much metal, which is associated with the west and muddies the water. So, his luck today was not particularly good.

The expert Song Hui chose selected a stone from the pile. The cutting was done in full view of all. Within minutes, the stone was split.

I know a thing or two about jade. The cut revealed a green line stretching about three to four centimeters wide, but it wasn’t very thick—enough for a pendant at best. Still, the color was clear and lustrous, making it quite valuable.

The crowd marveled. Stone gambling is a mysterious and exciting trade, mostly technical, and rarely involves those from the underworld. Today, seeing it firsthand, everyone was impressed.

What amazed everyone even more was that Song Hui, who knew nothing about stone gambling, could, using face-reading alone, pick a man who chose a stone containing jade.

The second to choose was Zhou Fu. Like Song Hui, he paced back and forth before making his selection—choosing the first man on the left.

Lan Qing had told me about Zhou Fu; he was a senior in the field. But today his choice disappointed me. This man’s day master was water, born in autumn, needing metal, avoiding earth and water, favoring wood and fire. His day pillar was Renxu, sitting on wealth, producing power, power generating resource—signs of great fortune. Though today was not the most prosperous for him, his luck was still good.

Yet Zhou Fu seemed to forget what day it was: the seventh day of the lunar month, Gui Chou day—the Ox day, which opposes those born in the Year of the Sheep. For someone of the Sheep, an Ox day is inauspicious.

The stone was opened, and Zhou Fu’s expression turned pale, as if he couldn’t believe the outcome. Before the stone was cut, a deep green seam was visible—soft in color. But one slice revealed many fine cracks within; it couldn’t yield a single complete ornament, rendering it as worthless as any common stone.