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墨書 Inktalez
Bing Tianyi glanced at the empty doorway and hurried outside, looking around but not seeing the old monk. With a bitter smile, he returned to his room, recalling that his teacher had assigned homework yesterday, and he hadn't looked at the two so-called books on the I Ching and Guanyin Divination.
Since he had returned to the past, he should reintegrate into his current life; perhaps that would allow him to secure a brand new future.
Thinking of this, Bing Tianyi obediently opened his backpack, took out his textbooks, and began to review his lessons.
However, the emptiness in his stomach made it difficult for him to focus on studying. Moreover, the conversation he had with the old monk earlier left him filled with doubts about this world.
Logically speaking, this was a brand new world where scientific development was exceptionally rapid. The talk of ghosts and gods had seemed like nonsense to him before. Initially, he thought that his return to the present life was likely due to encountering some time machine or similar artifact that scientists had yet to discover.
But after hearing the old monk's words, he felt somewhat unsettled.
If it wasn't a time machine, then according to the old monk, it was a cycle of cause and effect. Perhaps he had taken a wrong turn, just as an airplane might occasionally stray off course. He had deviated from his path, resulting in time reversing.
With his mind in a chaotic state, he pulled a steamed bun from the cupboard at home, poured himself a glass of water, and began to eat ravenously.
As his stomach gradually filled up, his complicated emotions began to calm down. He set aside his textbooks and opened the Guanyin Divination book. Upon opening it, he saw five ancient coins.
Holding them in his hand, he noticed that there were no signs of rust on the coins. Bing Tianyi took a quick look; they didn't seem particularly valuable—he had seen many such coins before.
He then turned his gaze to the somewhat aged pages of the book; the first page detailed the methods of divination. After reading through it, he noticed a prominent line written in vermilion: "This Hexagram is for single-day divination; only three hexagrams are permitted each day."
Bing Tianyi scoffed and muttered to himself, "Who knows if it's accurate? What a joke."
However, despite his words, he still got up and prepared three incense sticks as instructed. After lighting them and bowing, he picked up five ancient coins, raised them above his head with both hands, and murmured, "Namo Great Compassionate Avalokiteshvara, please reveal the hexagram. Golden Boy casts the hexagram, Jade Girl in the void. All past deities, on this day, August 27, 2011, I, disciple Bing with the surname Tianyi from Liangzhou Province, Lan City, Huating County, Bing Residence, am confused about my fortune for the coming year. I sincerely request guidance from the thirty-two hexagrams; do not follow human sentiment or ghostly intentions..."
After finishing his incantation, Bing Tianyi bowed again and then tossed the five ancient coins onto the table.
Upon closer inspection, all five coins landed with their backs facing up. Seeing this, Bing Tianyi quickly flipped open a book and began searching diligently for a matching pattern among the dozens of hexagrams listed. Not finding anything relevant, he turned directly to the last page.
When he saw the illustration there, he was taken aback. He hurriedly read the annotation that stated: "A fierce tiger emerges at the child’s path; at Qilin Slope meets a woodcutter. Asking for name and profit brings both misfortune and fortune; under the blazing sun, frost disappears without a trace." It continued with: "Seeking an official position is difficult to secure; morning observations are inauspicious; exams are in vain..."
Upon reading those last three striking words, Bing Tianyi was utterly speechless. He stood up and threw the book onto the floor while exclaiming, "What a load of nonsense! I already know what will happen to me this year. Can it get any worse?"
Just then, as Bing Tianyi was cursing under his breath, the door suddenly swung open. Hearing this, he quickly extinguished the incense on the table and looked at his parents who had just walked in. "Mom and Dad, how did business go tonight?" he asked.
"You little rascal, you were right," Bing Tianyi's father said with a hint of exasperation but also excitement in his voice.
As soon as he heard this, Bing Tianyi asked in surprise, "Did our stall really get smashed?"
"Isn't that so? Just think about it; we rely on that little stall to make a living. How are we supposed to get by now?" Bing Tianyi's mother said as she plopped down on a small chair and began to sob.
Seeing this, Bing Tianyi quickly tore off some tissue from the table and handed it to his mother while cheerfully comforting her, "Mom, I'm in high school now. I can take on odd jobs over the weekend; soon you won't have to work so hard."
Seeing such a considerate son brought great comfort to Bing Tianyi's mother. However, looking at her son's still youthful face made her heart ache even more. She gently touched his face and whispered, "You're still so young; what kind of work can you do out there?"
Bing Tianyi listened and immediately laughed, "I can go tell fortunes."
Before he finished speaking, Bing Tianyi's Father stepped forward with a wry smile and said, "At your young age, this is all you aspire to? Telling fortunes? If you have the ability, you should first think of a way to bring home the first place in your class."
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