Chapter 152: Drawing Lots

Inside the White Horse Temple, incense smoke curled through the air. Qiu Shiyan, Bai Taoru, Yang Zhiwei, and the other young ladies were shaking bamboo fortune-stick cylinders to divine their futures.

Bai Taoru picked up the stick she had shaken out, glanced at the verse written upon it, and pouted deeply.

It was a middling-fair fortune, which read: Climbing mountains and fording rivers, the road is rugged and steep; clouds obscure the moonlight, and all is dim and hazy. In your heart you wish to ask of matters within your heart, yet you fear the fate within your destiny has not yet opened.

Judging by the meaning of the verse, matters of romance and marriage would likely not proceed smoothly.

At that moment, Qiu Shiyan also shook out a stick, picked it up from the floor, and held it in her hand.

Bai Taoru immediately craned her neck, secretly peering at the verse on Qiu Shiyan's stick.

"Oh?" Bai Taoru gasped in surprise.

Qiu Shiyan gave her a sidelong glance and asked, "What are you shouting about?"

Bai Taoru chuckled awkwardly, saying, "Nothing, it's just that Young Lady's stick seems a bit..."

Qiu Shiyan ignored her, turned back to look at the stick in her own hand, and couldn't help knitting her delicate brows.

For this was also a middling-fair fortune—not particularly bad, but certainly nothing to celebrate.

The verse inscribed upon it read: Climbing mountains and fording rivers, the road is rugged and steep; clouds obscure the moonlight, and all is dim and hazy. In your heart you wish to ask of matters within your heart, yet you fear the fate within your destiny has not yet opened.

It was identical word for word to Bai Taoru's fortune. No wonder Bai Taoru had cried out in astonishment.

Just then, Yang Zhiwei also obtained her fortune stick. Holding it in her hand, her face beamed with joy.

Once again, Bai Taoru craned her neck to peek at the stick in Yang Zhiwei's hand.

This was a supreme fortune. The verse read: The green willows are lush and verdant, right at the appointed time; let you go forth from here to shape heaven and earth. Flowers and fruits shall bear their harvest without decay or fading, and blessings and fortune shall naturally celebrate within your household.

Yang Zhiwei triumphantly waved the bamboo stick in her hand and smiled, "It's a supreme fortune! Shiyan, what did you get? Come, let's go to the entrance and find the temple keeper to interpret the lots."

Qiu Shiyan smiled indifferently and said, "I drew a middling-fair fortune. Neither good nor bad."

...

Outside the temple, the trees and vegetation grew lush and verdant.

Because the daughters of noble families had all gone inside to draw lots, and the White Horse Temple was not large, the young gentlemen felt it unseemly to crowd inside with them, choosing instead to wait outside the grounds.

Tao Wanbai was conversing with Niu Chuming nearby.

To be precise, Tao Wanbai was doing most of the talking, frequently asking probing questions in an attempt to glean the background and details of Song Ping'er.

Compared to other young gentlemen of high birth, Tao Wanbai spoke with considerable tact.

He brought up his own deep interest in martial arts, remarking that if the opportunity arose, he hoped to visit the Fengyang Martial Arts School to learn some skills.

From there, he smoothly steered the conversation to the current state of the Fengyang Martial Arts School, casually inquiring about Song Ping'er, who was a female disciple there.

...

Niu Chuming, unaware of the hidden motives behind the questions, heard that Tao Wanbai was interested in martial arts and seemed inclined to join the Fengyang school. Combined with Tao Wanbai's deliberate flattery, the two quickly struck up a lively conversation.

Niu Chuming saw the current plight of the Fengyang Martial Arts School clearly in his eyes and felt anxious in his heart, yet lacking any notable abilities of his own, he could offer no substantial help.

Now, a young gentleman of means wished to join the school, which would undoubtedly bring great benefits to them.

Therefore, even though he was somewhat clumsy with his words, Niu Chuming did his utmost to speak well of the martial arts school.

With each harboring their own hidden agenda, the two chatted back and forth.

Fang Yue, however, stood quietly to the side, staring blankly at the White Horse Temple as he pondered the mysteries of incense and karmic willpower.

...

After paying their respects to the Buddha and drawing their fortunes, the young ladies began to emerge from the temple one after another.

Some wore radiant smiles, evidently having drawn auspicious lots and feeling thoroughly satisfied.

Others knitted their brows slightly, clearly disappointed by their fortunes and anxious about their romantic prospects.

Still others wore conflicted expressions, their lots presumably neither good nor bad, leaving their hearts in a state of nervous suspense.

Qiu Shiyan, Bai Taoru, Yang Zhiwei, and Song Ping'er walked out of the temple at that moment.

Although Tao Wanbai was talking with Niu Chuming, his eyes had been constantly monitoring the temple entrance. Seeing the young ladies appear, he immediately abandoned Niu Chuming and hurried forward.

Fortunately, he retained a shred of sense, forcibly restraining himself from looking at Song Ping'er. Instead, he approached Yang Zhiwei and said gently, "Zhiwei, what fortune did you draw? You look so happy."

Although Yang Zhiwei had an outgoing personality, she could not help feeling a bit shy at this moment and replied, "I won't tell you."

Looking at the plump figure of Yang Zhiwei, Tao Wanbai felt an inexplicable surge of impatience rise within him.

Yet he dared not show it, nor could he let the slightest trace appear on his face.

The alliance through marriage between the Tao and Yang families favored the Yangs by far; their family background was vastly superior to that of the Taos. If Yang Zhiwei were to marry into his family, she would be marrying downward.

The Tao family would rely heavily on the Yangs in the future, and Tao Wanbai's official career rested entirely in the hands of his prospective father-in-law, Prefect Yang.

With honeyed words and a gentle demeanor, Tao Wanbai succeeded in coaxing Yang Zhiwei into a cheerful mood within just a few remarks.

Taking advantage of the moment when Yang Zhiwei lowered her head in bashful shyness, Tao Wanbai cast his gaze about, searching for that pale white figure.

Song Ping'er was currently talking with Niu Chuming, her face blooming with smiles, her autumn-clear eyes bright and radiant.

A flicker of displeasure stirred in Tao Wanbai's heart. Yet, reflecting on Song Ping'er's peerless beauty, he reasoned that although Niu Chuming was her distant cousin, the man was an unremarkable, unpolished fatty with neither wealth nor power, making it impossible for him to ever be a match for a celestial being like her.

...

Qiu Shiyan and Bai Taoru walked over to Fang Yue.

Noticing that Fang Yue was staring blankly toward the temple entrance, Bai Taoru extended her fair, delicate hand and waved it back and forth right in front of his face.

Finding that Fang Yue did not react at all, she felt a wave of annoyance.

Walking right up beside him, she stood on tiptoes and shouted loudly in his ear, "Hey, what are you looking at?"

Fang Yue snapped out of his trance, saw Qiu Shiyan and Bai Taoru standing before him, and asked, "Have you finished drawing your fortunes?"

Bai Taoru pouted. The mere mention of drawing fortunes put her in a foul mood, as she had failed to secure a good lot.

"Junior Brother, which family's young lady were you staring at so intently that even when Miss Qiu and I walked right past you, you didn't even notice us!"

Qiu Shiyan spoke up in Fang Yue's defense. "Taoru, what nonsense are you spouting? Junior Brother Fang was simply lost in thought."

Bai Taoru muttered under her breath, "Lost in what thoughts could make him completely ignore two living, breathing beauties..."

At that moment, Song Ping'er and Niu Chuming walked over. Song Ping'er said, "We've finished drawing our lots. Senior Brother Fang, why don't you and my cousin go inside and draw fortunes as well?"

For once, Bai Taoru refrained from contradicting Song Ping'er. She turned to Fang Yue and said, "That's right, Junior Brother. You should go draw a lot too. I want to see what kind of fortune you get."

She was still dwelling on the fact that she had drawn a middling-fair fortune rather than a supreme one.

Fang Yue had never cared much for divination, fortune-telling, or similar arts. However, seeing Bai Taoru tugging persistently at his sleeve and dragging him toward the temple, he could only yield and agree with a helpless sigh.

...

The group entered the temple once more. Aside from Fang Yue and Niu Chuming, Qiu Shiyan, Bai Taoru, and Song Ping'er followed them back inside.

Upon entering, Niu Chuming suddenly froze, staring blankly at the giant Buddha statue in the main hall.

Noticing the strange look in his eyes, Song Ping'er asked, "Cousin, what's wrong with you?"

Niu Chuming snapped out of it and replied, "I don't know, I just feel..."

He tried to describe the sensation, but the words failed him.

It was perhaps a feeling of profound familiarity, yet simultaneously unfamiliar—he simply could not put his finger on it.

Song Ping'er did not pay it too much mind. Handing him a fortune-stick cylinder, she urged, "Come on, Cousin, you should draw a marriage fortune too, and see when you can find me a cousin-in-law to bring home."

Niu Chuming glanced at Song Ping'er, his face flushing slightly. He took the cylinder and knelt down upon the prayer mat before the Buddha statue.

As he bowed his head before the divine image, that familiar sensation surged over him once again.

Cold sweat beaded on Niu Chuming's forehead, and a dull ache pierced his mind. After pausing to collect himself for a moment, the discomfort subsided slightly.

He picked up the cylinder and began to shake it gently.

Suddenly, with a sharp crack, the bamboo cylinder mysteriously split open, and all the sticks within spilled forth, scattering wildly across the floor in a cascade of rattling noise.