Chapter 448: Friends Beyond Age
Translator: End less Fantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ling Mozi had shed his typically mysterious and aloof demeanor. Now, he sat cross-legged, imitating Rong Qi’s casual posture, a stark contrast to his previous enigmatic air.
Rong Qi looked at him incredulously. “You do realize you’re Master Zenith now, right? Aren’t you worried about losing face if any of your disciples see you acting like this? Your temple’s reputation could suffer.”
Ling Mozi sipped his tea and shrugged. “Why worry? You’re here, ain’t ya? Loneliness is what scares me the most. It’s been years since we last met, young lady. How ’bout I read your fortune?”
Gone was the solemnity of a temple master; he was far more playful now.
“Why not? Let’s see how accurate you can be,” Rong Qi snickered.
“Hmph, doubting me, are you? Give me your hand; let’s take a look,” Ling Mozi beckoned.
Rong Qi offered her palm for him to read. Ling Mozi and Rong Qi were more than mere acquaintances; they shared a unique bond. As children in Jackdom, Ling Mozi had lived next door to Rong Qi. Though considered eccentric and always going on about G.o.ds and spirits—something no one else cared to understand—he was often mocked and considered mentally unstable. The only person who ever listened to him was a young Rong Qi, who would collect herbs as she heard him talk.
Over time, their friendship deepened. Ling Mozi had insisted on becoming friends beyond age with her, vowing their friendship in the presence of her grandfather. After all, he was nearly the same age as her grandfather if you subtracted eight years.
Then one day, Ling Mozi mysteriously vanished, leaving behind a hastily written note among her pile of herbs, stating that he was off to wander the world. Young and preoccupied with her ailing grandfather, Rong Qi hadn’t given it much thought and lost touch with him—until now. Who in their right mind would’ve guessed he’d end up running a temple.
Ling Mozi scrutinized Rong Qi’s palm, then examined the other, his brows furrowing deeper with each look. Just as she was about to make a sarcastic comment, he interrupted, “Young lady, how could you get married without telling me or even inviting me to the wedding?”
“What?” she was astounded. “How did you even…?”
Rong Qi swore there was nothing on her to suggest that she was married; she hadn’t even worn her wedding ring since the day they married.
‘Did he really predict it?’ Rong Qi pondered. She asked, “Did you just guess it?” “Guessing? Me?” Ling Mozi corrected her. “I might be many things, but a liar isn’t one of them. If I couldn’t read it, I wouldn’t say it.”
“Skepticism remains,” she retorted, “maybe you just got lucky.”
“Hmm, very well,” he sighed, pulling out an a.s.sortment of bizarre objects. “Write down your husband’s birth details, and I’ll read his fortune instead of yours. That way, you can’t accuse me of being a charlatan.”
“Fine,” she agreed, jotting it down.
After a long pause, Ling Mozi finally spoke, exhaling deeply, “Your man is from the capital, and holds a mysterious, high-ranking status. I got that right, didn’t I? Moreover, he survived a life-and-death calamity three years ago and came out reborn. His once-threatening sign is now dim, suggesting he’s overcome that challenge. And you, young lady, are the key to it all.”
Rong Qi studied him intently. She was the only one who knew she had treated Ye Nanshen’s illness; even Gu Ziye was in the dark about it.
‘He’s quite accurate about it.’ Rong Qi thought.
“Am I right? Will you believe me now?” Ling Mozi gloated. “So, what brings you here? I can help. Just don’t ask me to read your husband’s fortune; I haven’t reached that level of mastery yet..”