"Ahh, that was a good sleep."
The martial artist had spent the night at an inn far from the one where they'd met, then stepped outside.
"There you are!"
"Ah."
As soon as I stepped out, the man from yesterday was waiting for me.
"So, was my divination any help?"
"It was. It helped a ton. Thanks."
"Glad to hear it. It's a relief to see you alive again. I hate hearing about acquaintances passing away."
Seeing him alive like this meant he'd safely passed the danger.
"Still, how did you..."
"Why don't we go inside instead of chatting out here?"
The man looked like he had a lot of questions.
And I had no intention of refusing.
"I was hoping to fill my empty stomach with some morning drinks anyway."
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"Kuh—now this is how you have a conversation. With drinks. You're really treating me, young hero?"
"Haha, what's so hard about buying a drink for the guy who saved my life? Drink up, no worries."
"Alright, so what do you want to know? You've got drinks on me, and it's been a while since we've seen each other. Ask away."
I said that, but I already had a pretty good idea what he wanted to ask.
"...How did you know?"
Not surprising at all, even without foresight.
"Attacked while you were washing up?"
"Spot on."
"Haha... Not sure if 'lucky' is the right word, but glad you're okay anyway. My divinations can go off-track sometimes."
According to what I'd seen, this guy was fated to turn his back while washing up that night and get killed by an assassin.
Not that "fated" sounds all that grand. It was something he could've easily avoided.
"I told you, I'm a fortune teller. A sorcerer who channels heaven's energy to glimpse its records. Is it that shocking for a fortune teller to see the future?"
"No... It's not that, but..."
"Just chalk it up to good luck. You ran into a sharp fortune teller and survived because of it."
From the divination yesterday, I'd noticed his misfortune was peaking right then—it was the tail end.
Life's full of twists, right? A blessing in disguise.
Misfortune's like a coward—it won't come back after a solid beating. Half-ass it, though, and it'll stick around.
"Speaking of which, after all this, shouldn't we at least exchange names?"
"Oh, right. We haven't. Name's Namgung Jin."
"Oh, from a prestigious family, I see."
I'd figured as much, but Namgung family? Higher status than expected.
Though the assassins suggested he wasn't exactly favored at home.
"What prestigious? I'm a bastard son. They give me the bare minimum support, but I'm not really seen as family."
"Your speech has gotten a lot more straightforward."
"Well, you were a shady stranger yesterday."
"Fair enough."
Namgung Jin seemed to have dropped his guard after yesterday.
Good for me—I needed a favor from him.
"That Leakage of Heavenly Secrets thing... is it really that scary? 'Watch out for water'? That's vague as hell."
"Hmm... How scary is Leakage of Heavenly Secrets..."
He was probably miffed about the vagueness.
"Let me give an example. Suppose I'd told you yesterday, 'Namgung Jin, an assassin will target you while you're washing up tonight—be careful.'"
"I'd lose the ability to see when or how the assassin would come after you."
"Even your divination couldn't handle that?"
"That's the least of it. You'd actually have a harder time surviving than if you'd followed the original fate. Call it punishment for leaking heavenly secrets. Say the assassin you faced was third-rate—next time, it'd be first-rate."
Try to dodge fate through heavenly leakage, and heaven prepares something harsher.
"I'd get heavenly punishment too, of course."
Heavenly Punishment Heaven's retribution. The penalty for daring to leak heavenly secrets is brutally harsh.
"And even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn't."
"That would be Leakage of Heavenly Secrets too."
Put nicely, it's spreading heaven's energy. Put harshly, it's peeking at heaven's records and defying them.
Straight-up sorcery.
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"Heading to Shaanxi?"
"Yeah. Seems safest, and good for business."
"Tough for an outsider with nothing to start from scratch there. I'll write you letters of introduction to a merchant I know on the way and a contact in Shaanxi. Take this money too."
Namgung Jin turned out to be a decent guy.
I got a fat stack of cash, and the merchant he recommended was heading to Shaanxi anyway, so I rode with him.
After the long journey, I finally arrived in Shaanxi.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I headed to the Academy with Namgung Jin's letter of introduction.
Name was... what again?
"Ah, Dang Ayoung."
Tang surname—probably that Tang family I know.
'Guy's got broader connections than I thought.'
Makes sense—one of the Five Great Families, so ties to the Tang Clan aren't weird.
Still, someone from the Five Great Families at the Academy? A bit beyond expectations.
Jackpot for me, though.
'Gotta get her to spread the word.'
Brimming with excitement, I approached the Academy and saw buildings on a massive scale.
Definitely important stuff.
'Guards at the gate.'
Wondering how to approach, someone called out from there.
"What brings you here?"
"...Looking for someone."
"Ah, we can't let outsiders in freely. If you have a letter, I can pass it along."
...Surprisingly polite guards.
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Take back what I said earlier.
Namgung Jin was a total lunatic.
'Crazy bastard crazy bastard crazy bastard crazy bastard.'
"So... you're here on Namgung Jin's introduction, right?"
I was bowing my head in a teahouse, facing the woman who'd been summoned after receiving his letter.
They weren't total strangers or anything. They were friends. Friends, but...
"Never thought I'd hear that name again."
"..."
I only learned about their relationship after meeting her.
[He confessed to me back then, got rejected, and we decided to stay friends. We are friends, yeah.]
'What a crazy bastard...'
Back when Namgung Jin was at the Academy,
he confessed to Dang Ayoung and got shot down.
Then dropped out.
...That was their deal.
'Did I piss him off somehow?'
Not holding a grudge over not spilling more due to heavenly secrets, right?
No way this is...
"Well... I'm not that close to Namgung Jin."
"It's fine. The letter said you're the one who saved his life."
No, damn it. Rubbing it in like that?
'This is gonna mess things up...'
The merchant on the way said starting business around here without help was nearly impossible.
Land issues, plus the merchants had their own networks—hard to butt in.
Now, not getting help was one thing, but sabotage? Fingers crossed.
'What now? Beg on my knees?'
Time was tight—no wasting it. Maybe grovel? Then, unexpectedly:
"...Well, a connection's a connection."
"Pardon?"
"Separate from that idiot, you seem like a real fortune teller. I'll help."
An angel.
Total angel.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"Not jumping in blind. Can't fully trust Namgung Jin. From my side, can't rule out you two scheming."
"Of course. How can I prove it? Want a divination?"
"Can you do any kind?"
"Yeah, pretty much anything. Even love fortunes."
"No... not that... Ahem... well..."
Dang Ayoung blushed and cleared her throat awkwardly.
Something embarrassing?
"Exams soon... I've been focused on martial arts training, so written tests? Zero studying... Ahem..."
"...Ah."
Guess everyone's human.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Three days passed.
"Definitely a capable fortune teller."
"Glad you're satisfied."
Avoided direct leakage, spoke in circles, but it worked.
"I'll handle the land and turf issues. You plan your fortune shop."
"Got it!"
I sketched out a rough layout for the shop in my head based on her words.
Started with just a tent, but now maybe go bigger.
Lost in imagination, her voice came again.
"And I have a condition."
"Of course, name it."
"Don't do for other students what you did for me."
"......"
"Feels like eyes on me, even if no one's watching."
"No, of course I'll agree."
"I-I'm not saying this just for my gain or anything. If word spreads at the Academy, they might come looking for us?"
"...Ah!"
"Th-this is just to keep your shop safe. No ulterior motives."
Sounds like an excuse, but she's right.
Students swarming for exam answers? Academy wouldn't like it.
"Got it. Sounds risky."
"One more condition."
"What?"
"Show your face."
"...No."
She could've asked for half my profits—face is off-limits.
Absolutely.