Faint sandalwood incense burned in the wing room, its green smoke curling up from the bronze censer and swirling in the afternoon sunlight.
Master Qingyun stood by the window, his back to the light.
His face, lined with the marks of time, held no expression, not even one of sternness. He simply stood there, his gaze falling upon Pei Cijing. In those cloudy old eyes, there was a bit of probing, a bit of amusement, and a bit of... something Pei Cijing could not quite put into words.
There was no oppressive aura.
No condescension.
Not even the feigned profundity typical of ordinary enlightened masters that seemed to say, I see right through you.
Yet Pei Cijing felt a chill run down his spine.
That gaze felt almost tangible as it slowly swept across his face, from his brows and eyes to the bridge of his nose, and from his jaw to his neck and shoulders. Inch by inch, it was as if he were examining a rare artifact.
Or as if he were looking at... someone who shouldn't be here in the first place.
Pei Cijing instinctively straightened his back.
Then, he realized he was already seated.
When had he sat down?
He clearly remembered standing just a moment ago. How did he end up sitting in this armchair in the blink of an eye?
Pei Cijing turned his head to glance at Shen Ninghuan. His wife was also sitting properly, her posture elegant, her hands placed obediently on her lap, and her eyes cast downward—the standard picture of a junior meeting an elder.
The two of them were uncharacteristically well-behaved.
Uncharacteristically quiet.
Pei Cijing silently made an excuse for himself in his heart: This wasn't cowardice; this was respecting the old and caring for the young. It was observing etiquette. It was... it was because this old man's gaze was just too damn creepy!
It reminded him of the dean of students from his high school in his previous life.
No, it was even more terrifying than the dean.
The dean could at most tell that you hadn't memorized your text last night, but this old man...
The way this old man looked at him was like he had turned his past and present lives completely upside down, knowing exactly at what age he wet the bed and at what age he stole offerings to eat.
Pei Cijing felt his hair stand on end.
Outwardly, however, he maintained a steady composure.
Shen Ninghuan was also sitting properly, her gaze falling on the lean figure by the window. Her heartbeat was half a beat faster than usual.
Not because she was nervous.
But because...
She couldn't hear!
She couldn't hear a single sound.
Master Qingyun stood there, clearly no more than twenty or thirty feet away, well within the range of her mind-reading ability. Yet, when she concentrated to listen, she heard absolutely nothing.
It wasn't a blank.
It wasn't silence.
It was... just nothing.
It was as if the man was standing there, yet not standing there; as if he didn't exist at all, or as if there was an invisible barrier around him that gently pushed back the feelers she sent out.
Shen Ninghuan lowered her eyes, feeling a slight shock in her heart.
Ever since she awakened this ability.
It had never failed.
Whether it was Marquis Weiyuan's calculations, the marchioness's regrets, Shen Ningyue's jealousy, or her husband's messy inner monologues—she could hear them all crystal clear.
But right now.
She couldn't hear Master Qingyun's inner voice.
Is his cultivation level too high... she murmured softly in her heart.
She wasn't panicked, though.
Just a bit intrigued.
It was like always believing she held a sword that could slice through iron as if it were mud, only to suddenly encounter a lump of iron she couldn't cut today, making her realize that there were actually people in this world she couldn't hear.
From beside her came Pei Cijing's inner voice, muttering and grumbling, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on but didn't dare to yowl.
What the hell is this old geezer looking at... Is there a flower on my face... What's with that look... Why do I feel like he knows everything... No way, right...
The corners of Shen Ninghuan's lips curled up slightly.
Thank goodness.
At least she could still hear her husband's inner voice.
Master Qingyun finally moved.
He walked slowly to the main seat, lifted his Daoist robe, and sat down. His movements were very slow, so slow that it seemed he was giving the two young people in front of him time to digest their emotions.
"I am Master Qingyun," he spoke, his voice old yet clear, like a morning bell in the mountains. "You two benefactors have waited a long time."
Pei Cijing hurriedly cupped his hands. "Not at all, not at all. I am Pei Cijing, and along with my wife, Lady Shen, we have taken the liberty to visit and disturb your peaceful cultivation."
Master Qingyun waved his hand.
The gesture was casual, yet it inexplicably made one not dare to be overly polite anymore.
His gaze swept back and forth across their faces, eventually settling on Pei Cijing, remaining there for a long time.
After a long while.
He suddenly smiled. The smile was very faint, so faint it was almost imperceptible, but Pei Cijing just felt that the old man's smile was very... meaningful.
"Interesting," Master Qingyun said softly.
Pei Cijing's heart skipped a beat.
What was interesting?
Where was it interesting?
How was he interesting?
Master Qingyun, however, stopped looking at him and turned to Shen Ninghuan, his gaze softening considerably. "Miss Shen's destiny is pure and noble. I just heard from Daoist Xuanzhen that you drew the Phoenix Resting on the Parasol Tree lot, a supreme fortune. In the future, your blessings will be profound, and your nobility beyond words."
Shen Ninghuan bowed slightly. "Thank you, Daoist Master."
Master Qingyun nodded and added, "For Miss Shen to have such a destiny, it is a blessing cultivated from your past life. In this life, you only need to keep your heart upright and let nature take its course to achieve fulfillment."
Shen Ninghuan lowered her eyes. "This junior will remember."
Her heart, however, stirred slightly.
Cultivated from a past life?
Master Qingyun's words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
But Master Qingyun didn't explain. He simply looked at Pei Cijing again.
This time.
His gaze was even deeper.
"Young Master Pei's fortune lot..." He paused, taking the bamboo slip from his sleeve and gently twirling it between his fingers. "I have seen it."
Pei Cijing waited obediently for him to continue.
Master Qingyun didn't speak immediately. Instead, he placed the bamboo slip back on the table, looked up, and stared directly into his eyes. "Does Young Master Pei know that everyone's destiny is, in fact, predetermined?"
Pei Cijing was startled.
Master Qingyun continued, "A person's life in this world is like a boat sailing on the rivers and seas. There may be winds and waves, or hidden reefs; one might encounter favorable currents or face opposing tides. The journey is ever-changing, but the ultimate destination has long been written."
His tone was flat, as if he were stating the most ordinary fact.
"Take Miss Shen, for example." He glanced at Shen Ninghuan. "Destined for great wealth and honor, where the husband's glory brings nobility to the wife, with a later life full of children and grandchildren. No matter what twists and turns she experiences along the way, she will ultimately arrive at this outcome."
Shen Ninghuan nodded slightly, showing no surprise.
Master Qingyun looked back at Pei Cijing. "Or take Young Master Pei, for example—"
He paused.
"If there were no variables, Young Master Pei's destiny should have been a stable life. Neither great achievements nor grave faults, free from disasters and hardships, living out this life plainly under the protection of the marquis's mansion."
Pei Cijing: "...?"
Was this saying he was originally destined to be a freeloader?
Master Qingyun seemed to see through his thoughts, the corners of his lips curving up slightly. "Not a freeloader, but... leisurely. There are some people in this world who are born unwilling to fight or compete, only wanting to live their own little lives peacefully. There is nothing wrong with that."
He paused, changing the subject. "But that is 'if there were no variables.'"
Pei Cijing's heart skipped a beat.
Master Qingyun's gaze fell on him and Shen Ninghuan, looking back and forth between the two of them before finally settling back on Pei Cijing's face.
"If I am not mistaken, you two were never meant to be husband and wife."
As his voice faded.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Pei Cijing remained outwardly calm, but a stormy sea surged in his heart.
Never meant to be husband and wife?
What did he mean?
He and his wife had married through a swapped marriage. Although this wasn't exactly a secret, how could this old Daoist tell? He couldn't have just heard it from gossip, could he?
Shen Ninghuan also raised her eyes slightly, looking at Master Qingyun.
She didn't feel much turbulence in her heart.
Weren't supposed to be husband and wife?
True enough.
According to the original trajectory, she should have married the heir, Pei Ciling, and her husband should have married Shen Ningyue. It was only because of that accident that the fates of the two couples were completely reversed.
But how could this old Daoist priest see through it?
Could it be... this is the ability of someone with profound cultivation? Being able to see changes in fate?
She pondered secretly in her heart.
On the surface, however, she remained gentle and quiet.
Master Qingyun looked at the two of them, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
They were both smart people.
There was no panic, no endless questioning, and certainly no doubting or arguing. They just sat quietly, waiting for him to continue.
You two don't need to be nervous, he said gently. This thing called fate can be seen as mysterious, but it can also be seen as simple. It's just like...
He thought for a moment and pointed out the window.
Outside the window was that thousand-year-old ginkgo tree, its branches and leaves lush, glowing golden in the sunlight.
It's just like that tree. If there is wind today, the branches and leaves will lean to the west; if there is no wind tomorrow, they will return to normal. But no matter how the wind changes, the tree will always stand there, not moving an inch.
Fate is the same. The minor details might change, but the ultimate destination has long been predetermined.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Pei Cijing.
But the situation between you two is different.
His voice grew a bit deeper.
Your being together is not a minor detail within fate—it is a change in fate itself.
Pei Cijing's heart tightened.
Master Qingyun continued, This humble Daoist just said that without variables, you two shouldn't have been husband and wife. But now you are, which means... a variable has occurred.
His gaze fell on Pei Cijing, deeply meaningful.
Pei Cijing: ...
Shen Ninghuan: ...
Both of them subconsciously thought of a person they had seen not long ago—Shen Ningyue!
Shen Ninghuan instantly understood that this variable was probably her foolish sister's rebirth. Although Pei Cijing didn't know about Shen Ningyue's rebirth, the swapped marriage was indeed caused by her.
Master Qingyun elaborated on what this variable was.
He simply continued, At the beginning of a variable, nothing can usually be seen. It's like throwing a stone into a calm lake—
He made a tossing gesture.
The moment the stone enters the water, it only stirs up a single ripple. But the ripples will spread, growing larger and larger, until they eventually affect the entire lake.
Hearing this made Pei Cijing's scalp tingle.
Ripples?
Affect the entire lake?
Was this saying that the fact he and his wife were together would affect many people? Or even change the fates of many people?
Master Qingyun looked at him, his gaze profound.
And how big a wave this stone will ultimately stir up, and how far it will spread, has nothing to do with the initial variable anymore—the key now lies with you.
He paused and continued, It lies in your intentions.
Pei Cijing was stunned.
Intentions?
What intentions?
Master Qingyun didn't keep them in suspense any longer, but slowly said, This humble Daoist has looked at Young Master Pei's fate. Where does the guest come from, and where does he return to—the meaning of this fortune slip is that your fate is different from others.
Other people's fates are written and fixed. But your fate...
He leaned forward slightly, looking straight into Pei Cijing's eyes.
Changes according to your will. It depends on what kind of path you truly want to take.
Pei Cijing's heart shook violently.
Changes according to my will?
Did this mean his future wasn't predetermined, but depended on what he wanted to do?
Master Qingyun seemed to see through his shock and nodded slightly. If you want to live a peaceful life, you can be peaceful for a lifetime; if you want to unleash your potential, you can achieve great things. Your fate is not decided by heaven, but by human effort.
He paused, his voice growing a bit softer.
Young Master Pei coming to this world... perhaps you don't need to be so cautious. You can also... unleash your full potential.
As soon as these words came out, Pei Cijing felt a chill shoot straight from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull.
Coming to this world?
Coming to this world?!
This old geezer... this old geezer actually saw through it?!
He tried hard to maintain a calm expression, but the hairs on his back were standing on end, and his heart felt like ten thousand horses were galloping through it, loud enough to tear the roof off.
Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!
What's the deal with this old geezer? What does he mean coming to this world? Did he figure out I'm a transmigrator?!
Impossible, right? I haven't even told my wife about this transmigration thing.
He's just a Daoist priest in an old temple deep in the mountains. This is our first time meeting, how could he know? By calculating? Fortune tellers can calculate transmigrators? Is that even scientific?
Oh right, transmigration itself isn't scientific...
But this is way too scary?!
Unleash my potential? Is this a hint for me to start building a career? To ordain conscience for Heaven and Earth, secure life and fortune for the people, continue lost teachings for past sages, and establish peace for all future generations? Is that even something a human can do?!
I'm just here to eat melons and watch the drama, how did I get targeted?
Establish peace for all future generations... easier said than done.
A nation needs reforms to become strong, and how can reform be that easy? It requires bloodshed! If it succeeds, it benefits the people and leaves a good name for a hundred generations. But if it fails? Confiscation of property, extermination of the clan, implicating nine generations, and the grass on my grave will grow three yards high!
Besides, I'm just a liberal arts student.
I transmigrated with a gossip system, what great career can I build? Make glass? Make guns and cannons? Make steam engines? The system can exchange for information, but those points... are ridiculously expensive!
Forget it, forget it, I'll deal with the future later. Just lay low for now, lay low...
Listening to this long string of inner thoughts coming from beside her, the corners of Shen Ninghuan's lips curled up slightly.
Her husband's inner monologue was still as dramatic as ever.
She glanced at him gently.
She saw Pei Cijing sitting upright, his face calm and unruffled, even bearing a perfectly appropriate trace of respect like a junior listening to an elder's lecture.
But she knew.
His heart had already been turned upside down.
Shen Ninghuan withdrew her gaze, but in her heart, she was also pondering Master Qingyun's words.
Changes according to his will?
Coming to this world?
She had long known from Pei Cijing's inner thoughts that her husband came from another world, but she had never pointed it out, nor had she ever pressed him about it.
In her eyes, no matter where he came from, he was her husband.
That was enough.
But Master Qingyun's words made her think deeper.
Would her husband really bring massive changes to the Great Qian dynasty in the future?
She thought of those bizarre ideas that Pei Cijing occasionally blurted out, thought of the words she couldn't understand like glass, steam engine, and guns and cannons...
She wondered when she would be able to witness them.
Perhaps.
There really would be such a day in the future?
After Master Qingyun finished those words, he said no more.
He just sat quietly, looking at the young couple in front of him.
The man's face was a picture of calm, but the subtle fluctuations in his eyes could not escape his gaze. The woman was gentle and quiet, but within those clear eyes, there clearly hid a lucid understanding that saw through everything.
Interesting.
Truly interesting.
These two, one from beyond this world, the other possessing extraordinary abilities, somehow ended up as husband and wife, their destinies inextricably linked...
He suddenly felt a twinge of curiosity. Now that this pebble had been cast, how big of a wave would it ultimately create?
"Young Master Pei," he spoke.
Pei Cijing quickly looked up. "Please speak, Daoist."
Master Qingyun smiled faintly. "What this humble Daoist just said was merely the meaning of the fortune slip. As for what choice to make, that rests entirely with you, Young Master."
He paused, his tone softening a little.
"In this life, everyone has their own way of living. Some wish to be like the idle clouds and wild cranes, wandering free and unfettered; others wish to be like an eagle striking the vast sky, building a legacy and achieving greatness. There is no right or wrong, superior or inferior. It only depends on... whether it follows your heart."
He looked directly into Pei Cijing's eyes.
"Young Master Pei, you only need to remember this: no matter which path you choose, as long as you have a clear conscience, that is enough."
Pei Cijing stared blankly.
A clear conscience?
He chewed over these words, suddenly feeling the panic in his heart gradually subside.
Indeed.
No matter what he did, all he needed was a clear conscience.
If he wanted to lie flat and do nothing, he would lie flat. If he wanted to build a career, he would build a career. As long as he did not go against his own heart or commit atrocities, what was there to fear?
As for the future...
He would deal with it when the time came.
He took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed solemnly to Master Qingyun. "Thank you for your guidance, Daoist."
Shen Ninghuan also stood and bowed.
Master Qingyun waved his hand. "There is no need for such formalities. You two may go."
The two of them exited the room.
The door gently closed behind them.
...
Inside the room.
Master Qingyun stood by the window, watching those two figures gradually recede until they disappeared at the end of the stone steps.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze profound.
After a long time.
He let out a soft chuckle. "Fascinating."
Footsteps echoed from behind as Daoist Xuanzhen pushed the door open and entered. "Martial Uncle, have those two patrons left?"
"Yes."
Daoist Xuanzhen walked up beside him and followed his gaze out the window, but saw nothing.
He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Martial Uncle, Young Master Pei's fortune slip... is it truly harmless?"
Master Qingyun did not answer immediately.
He simply looked at the rosy clouds on the distant horizon and slowly said, "Daoist Xuanzhen, tell me... how many people's destinies can a single person change?"
Daoist Xuanzhen was taken aback. "Martial Uncle, do you mean..."
Master Qingyun withdrew his gaze and turned to walk toward the inner chamber. Upon reaching the doorway, he suddenly stopped.
His voice drifted back leisurely.
"Just wait and see."
"That pebble has already been cast. It is just unknown how large of a ripple it will create in the future, and what kind of storm it will bring to Great Qian!"
