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Lu Yin looked over at Zhao Ran and curiously asked her, “Aside from tea, does this place have any other special drinks?” He recalled the beverage that he had enjoyed when visiting Brightstar Corp. and Amethyst Exchange. It had tasted pretty good.
Zhao Ran thought about it, and then her eyes lit up. “There is! I’ll go look for it.”
Lu Yin shook his head. “There’s no need. You can do that next time.” He had suddenly thought of that small tavern.
When he had first arrived on Zenyu Star, the Second Prince, Duke Yushan, had invited Lu Yin out for a drink, Ever since then, he had occasionally enjoyed the small tavern they had visited back then. It was located in a secluded corner of a noisy neighborhood, allowing one to watch the clamor of the nearby bars and observe the bustle of the capital. However, it was also not disturbed by it all. It was as if it was located in a separate area, and Lu Yin could always find a temporary solace in that place.
Although he had not gone to that pub very many times, Lu Yin always remembered it.
That pub represented Lu Yin’s ignorance when he first came to Zenyu Star, which was a time in his life that he reminisced about.
It had been more than eight years since he had first arrived on Zenyu Star.
“Boss, a pot of wine and a few appetizers.” Lu Yin stepped into the tavern and inhaled the fragrance of the cheap alcohol. Although it was inexpensive, it was also quite comfortable.
Under the dusky lighting, the boss could not clearly see Lu Yin’s face even though Lu Yin had not bothered to change his appearance. He sat down in the tavern with his normal appearance and drank some wine while feeling quite refreshed by the appetizers.
Before long, a group of people came out of a nearby bar and moved into the tavern, seeming like they had not yet drunk to their hearts’ content.
It was completely different to drink in the small pub compared to a bar.
Some felt that the tavern was beneath them, but others quite liked it.
With a mouthful of alcohol in their belly, they all felt warm.
Not too far away, there was a flag illuminated by the lights, and the flag’s shadow even stretched far enough to fall across Lu Yin’s table. He turned around, and his eyes lit up. It was Xuan Jiu; Lu Yin had not expected this old man to still be on Zenyu Star.
This old man shot his off mouth, but he was actually from Starsibyl Sect, and he was a senior as well. Lu Yin really wanted to see this old man meet Starsibyl face to face; he was curious if Starsibyl would actually call the old man Grandpa or beat him up instead!
Xuan Jiu placed his wooden pole on a table next to Lu Yin’s and sat down. “Boss, the same old, same old.”
The boss immediately served the old man a pot of wine and two small dishes. “Enjoy, master.”
Xuan Jiu laughed and stroked his beard before responding with satisfaction, “Boss’s wine is really good. Come, Master will help by giving you a free divination once again.”
The boss smiled warmly. “There’s no need. I opened this tavern so that I could provide an education for my kids and live a peaceful life. There’s nothing that I need to know in advance.”
Xuan Jiu exclaimed, “How many can reach the same realm of comprehension as you in their entire lives?”
“Haha, these are just an ordinary person’s thoughts. Master, enjoy a good meal.” The boss smiled and then left.
Who believed in divination in the current age? The few youths who had just arrived from the nearby bar sniggered at the nearby table, clearly laughing in disdain. One even started mocking the old man. “Boss, be careful! Someone wants to get a free meal.”
The boss smiled, but he did not bother with the youths.
Xuan Jiu started fuming. “You little baby! When this Master was fortune-telling, your ancestors were still sucking from teats!”
“What did you say?” The few young people were immediately enraged, and they wanted to beat up Xuan Jiu.
Xuan Jiu frowned. “What? You dare to act up here? Just try me!”
The few youths wanted to beat the old man up, but they apprehensively looked up, as King Zishan's palace was right above them, and they did not dare act up in such a place. “Old man, you’d better be careful! Don’t let us catch you somewhere else, or else we’ll tear up your big flag.”
Xuan Jiu just rolled his eyes at them. “Bunch of trash.’
The few of them spat in contempt. They did not drink anymore wine and simply left after settling their bill.
The boss reminded the old man out of kindness, “Master, it’s best to try to not offend them. Those kids each have a bit of background.”
Xuan Jiu was arrogant. “What’s there to be afraid of? Even that kid, Lu Yin, has to call me Grandpa Jiu when he sees this Master!”
The boss was stumped, but then his expression changed to a deathly shade of white, and he hurriedly said in a low voice, “Master had best not spout such nonsense! The Royal Regent’s name cannot be tossed around haphazardly like that, so you must be careful to not be taken away by the Thirteen Imperial Squadrons!”
Xuan Jiu shook his head and took a swig of wine, though he looked a little lonely.
Amused by the old man, Lu Yin looked at Xuan Jiu and said, “Master is really having a relaxed time.”
Xuan Jiu turned around. Although the tavern was rather dusky, he was also a cultivator, and so, he could naturally see quite clearly.
When he saw Lu Yin’s face, even if Xuan Jiu was extremely thick-skinned, he still coughed in embarrassment. “So it’s you, hahaha! The weather’s good today, hahaha.”
Lu Yin’s lips curled upwards, and he poured a cup of wine and set it in front of the chair next to himself before gesturing for the old man to join his table.
Xuan Jiu picked up his flag and walked over beside Lu Yin. He then sat down and casually drank the offered cup before letting out a relaxed sigh. He looked at Lu Yin and said, “Young fellow, why do you have the time to drink? And why in this little pub?”
Lu Yin smiled. “I have nothing to do right now, and the wine here’s pretty good.”
Xuan Jiu’s eyes lit up. “You know your stuff! The wine here is indeed quite good.”
The boss looked at the two men, completely lost. His wine was only average, so why were these two complimenting it so highly? Could they really be trying to get a free meal? As he thought about it, he became more vigilant towards them.
“Is Master from the Starsibyl Sect?” Lu Yin asked as he poured another cup for Xuan Jiu.
Xuan Jiu picked up a mouthful of vegetables, and munched on them with gusto as he mumbled, “That’s right. The name ‘Starsibyl’s Grandpa Jiu’ isn’t just for show.”
“I heard that you’re an abandoned disciple,” Lu Yin commented.
Xuan Jiu was instantly infuriated. “What abandoned disciple? Young man, don’t be as clueless as the others. It wasn’t the Starsibyl Sect that chased this Master away, but rather that they could not handle my ability! This Master learned Heaven's Enigma, and you can go and check into that! Don’t even mention Starsibyl—even the Starsibyl Sect Leader might not be able to learn this skill. Throughout history, nobody from the Starsibyl Sect has ever learned Heaven's Enigma.”
“Heaven's Enigma?” Lu Yin was puzzled.
"Since ancient times, I've been able to see the future by looking at the karmic seeds that you've sown in the present." Xuan Jiu gazed at Lu Yin. “A masterful pair of eyes like mine can see through all falsehoods, and nobody can conceal themselves before my eyes.”
Lu Yin exchanged glances with Xuan Jiu. “Then what does Master see when you look at me?”
Xuan Jiu hurriedly shifted his gaze. “I’m not looking, as you have looked into the eyes of the dead, and you will be found by them sooner or later. You can’t hide from them.”
Lu Yin was curious about this. “Who’s looking for me?”
In response, Xuan Jiu minded his own business and ate by himself, completely ignoring Lu Yin.
Lu Yin casually placed a cosmic ring on the table. “Ten star essence. I hope that Master will kindly accept it.”
Xuan Jiu laughed grimly. “Little kid, the things that Heaven's Enigma can see cannot be bought with money.”
“Then what does Master want?” Lu Yin asked.
Xuan Jiu moved in front of Lu Yin and beamed at the youth before speaking in a voice that was full of mystery. “Master wants to become the imperial advisor for the Great Yu Empire.”
Lu Yin blinked. “Then never mind.”
Xuan Jiu grew flustered. “Why not? This Master has comprehended Heaven's Enigma, and is Starsibyl’s Grandpa Jiu. Anyone from the Starsibyl Sect who sees me has to call me Grandpa Jiu. If you stand next to me, then Starsibyl will have to respectfully refer to you as Grandpa Lu. That’s invigorating, no?”
Lu Yin drank a mouthful of his wine. “I don’t want to die just yet.”
Xuan Jiu rolled his eyes. “What a little baby. You have both destiny and ability as well as extraordinarily strong talent, so why are you so timid? What are you afraid of? With your status and abilities, not even the Starsibyl Sect can do much to you. Moreover, this Master will be standing beside you, which means that even the Starsibyl Sect will be beneath you in terms of seniority.”
Lu Yin ate some vegetables, but he did not reply.
Xuan Jiu flashed a brilliant smile. Then, he moistened his fingers with some of the alcohol and wrote a word on the table.
Lu Yin looked over. Burial?
“The people who are searching for you come from this place, and I can only say that much. It’s alright if you don’t believe me at this time, but when you see those people, you’ll naturally believe me. At that time, whether or not I’ll be willing to become the imperial advisor will depend on my mood,” Xuan Jiu said lazily.
Lu Yin drank another mouthful of wine. “Master, do a divination for me once, but one that has nothing to do with this.”
Xuan Jiu was curious about this request. “What do you want me to divine?”
“Family.” Lu Yin’s voice was deep. He had come here to drink this night, and he had not been feeling any sort of loneliness. However, even though the wine had warmed his stomach, his heart had grown colder.
Xuan Jiu wiped away the word that he had written on the table. “This Master really didn’t want to conduct a divination for you, since you’ve already exchanged looks with the dead. It’s possible to see things that shouldn’t be seen. However, since you requested this so sincerely, this Master will reluctantly take this job for you.”
He then coughed twice and took several deep breaths before looking back at Lu Yin. “Come, look into this Master’s eyes.”
Lu Yin turned around and gazed deep into Xuan Jiu’s eyes.
A scene similar to what he had seen on Savage Ape Planet appeared before him, and Lu Yin saw a different heavens in Xuan Jiu’s eyes as well as a deep darkness. Xuan Jiu, on the other hand, also saw a scene that shocked him. In that split second, he saw a pair of elegant eyes with an all-encompassing presence that forced everyone to defer to them. When he saw that scene, Xuan Jiu’s pupils shrank, and he fiercely spat a mouthful of blood onto Lu Yin’s clothes, looking as if his entire body had been injured. His face turned pale as he trembled from head to toe.
Lu Yin was surprised, and he hurriedly moved over to support Xuan Jiu.
Xuan Jiu hastily backed away and looked at Lu Yin in fright, his eyes carrying a shock and an indescribable sorrow within them. “You- you-”
Lu Yin frowned. “Master, what did you see?’
Xuan Jiu stared at Lu Yin in disbelief before slowly standing up. He seemed to still be immersed in his shock.
“Master, what exactly was it that you saw?”  Lu Yin was getting anxious.
Xuan Jiu let out a slow breath, pulled out a pill that he then swallowed, and downed a mouthful of wine. He looked at Lu Yin and shook his head. “You… are very tragic.”
Lu Yin did not understand.
Xuan Jiu sighed. “I didn’t see anything, but I simply feel that you are very pitiable.”
Lu Yin had a strange expression on his face; could this old fart be trying to extort him? He had heard that reality would always be the opposite of what this old man predicted and that he had never accurately divined anything before. Considering this, it seemed as if this old man was putting on an act given what he had just done. After all, the man had spat out blood, which seemed to be going a bit too far.
“I have read people’s fortunes for a great deal of my life, but I have never met anyone like you. You had best look out for yourself, as I definitely will never divine your future again, definitely not.” After saying that, Xuan Jiu left, and he did not bring up anything else about becoming the imperial advisor. But before he left, he looked back at Lu Yin with a gaze that was filled with sympathy and sorrow.
Lu Yin blankly watched on as Xuan Jiu left; had this old fellow divined anything or not?
Nearby, the owner of the tavern looked over at the puddle of blood, but he did not dare approach until after Xuan Jiu left, at which point he recalled that that old fellow had not paid.
The next day, at King Zishan's palace, Ban Jiu requested an audience.
When Lu Yin saw Ban Jiu, the Twelfth Squadron captain looked extremely exhausted, particularly with the two black circles under his eyes.
“Your Highness, I have tested out the materials that you have given me, but they cannot be fused no matter what,” Ban Jiu reported with embarrassment in his voice.
Lu Yin was puzzled. “Unable to fuse?”