Chapter Forty-Six: Fortune-Telling

“It’s like this—I inherited the shop, and then I…” Iron Calculation Immortal began to recount everything in detail.

As Iron Calculation Immortal spoke at length, Fang Mu’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

“So you’re saying the owner of the Ghost Market asked you to come here in order to find out who’s plotting against the market?” Fang Mu drew out the butcher’s knife. “Well now, you’ve even managed to make connections with the Ghost Market’s owner?”

“I had no choice… Hey, hey, brother, that knife of yours looks pretty nice.” Iron Calculation Immortal remained motionless, his voice stiff. “But my neck is particularly fragile; could you move it away first?”

“Isn’t there supposed to be some rule for the shops in the Ghost Market?” Fang Mu pressed the butcher’s knife closer. “So why are you working for the Ghost Market’s owner? You’re making things difficult for me.”

To appear at such a crucial moment—it was hard not to draw certain conclusions.

A gust of wind blew from afar, causing Fang Mu’s clothes to flutter. As his robe billowed, his killing intent grew ever stronger.

Iron Calculation Immortal sighed. “Brother, the rule I set for my shop is to do business with the market’s spirits—I sell bounties, not tangible items.”

“Go on,” Fang Mu said.

“Actually, for cultivators like us without any background, it’s the hardest.” Iron Calculation Immortal looked troubled. “Before I obtained my supernatural ability, I was just a fortune-teller. To put it bluntly, a fraud. My power is rather mysterious—it’s calculation.”

“I figured that I’m best at seeking things out, so I set the rule that bounties would be my business. Of course, I don’t take every job.”

“But I never expected the owner of the Ghost Market to send someone recently, asking me to find something for them.”

As he spoke, Iron Calculation Immortal seemed to wilt, his tone helpless. “I really didn’t want to take it, but the pay was just too much to refuse. And all they wanted was for me to investigate a few things—seemed harmless enough. But who could have known that as soon as I arrived, I’d run into you.”

What rotten luck—even drinking cold water would get stuck in his teeth.

He’d thought it was just a simple bounty, never expecting hell-level difficulty at the very start, with a knife now at his throat.

The more he thought about it, the more Iron Calculation Immortal felt his luck was abysmal. In the future, he’d have to cast a divination before taking on anything.

Suddenly, the pressure eased from his throat—Fang Mu had already withdrawn the butcher’s knife.

Fang Mu sheathed his blade and smiled. “So, what did they ask you to investigate?”

Calculation—sounded impressive, but what exactly was Iron Calculation Immortal supposed to find?

“The one plotting against the Ghost Market.” Iron Calculation Immortal glanced around, and, seeing no one else, spoke in a low voice.

Fang Mu mused, “Have you found anything?”

Back in Meng County, Magistrate Zhang had once said he set up fake merchants to harm that blue-robed woman with supernatural hair, his aim being to lure out the Ghost Market.

It seemed the owner of the Ghost Market had already sensed someone plotting against them, and now the suspicion was directed at the living world.

Iron Calculation Immortal drew out a bronze compass, whose needle now pointed directly at Fang Mu. “I used the Eight Trigrams compass to search and ended up here. I discovered there had been something uncanny here before, and now…the needle points to you, brother. I reckon you have something important here, perhaps related to this affair.”

Fang Mu stroked his chin. Something related to him… He had resolved the affair in Great Wilderness Village; it was certainly connected. But what important item was Iron Calculation Immortal talking about?

With a metallic ring, Fang Mu unsheathed the Ghostly Thorn. “Is it this?”

Iron Calculation Immortal waved the bronze compass over the Ghostly Thorn, but the needle didn’t so much as quiver.

“It’s not that.”

“Then what about this?” Fang Mu took out another item.

The look in Iron Calculation Immortal’s eyes changed—he stared in utter shock, as if he were looking at a madman.

It was none other than the bloodstained undergarment.

“Uh…Brother, your tastes are as…unique as ever. It’s fine, we’re both men, I understand. But aren’t you with the Peace Sect?”

Iron Calculation Immortal recalled that Fang Mu had claimed to be from the Peace Sect back in the Ghost Market. Yet now he’d pulled out a bloodstained undergarment—it seemed his tastes were rather broad.

And judging by the size of the garment, it wasn’t small.

Fang Mu grinned. “Would you like to try it on?”

A dangerous glint flashed in Fang Mu’s eyes. At that moment, he was sorely tempted to place the bloodstained undergarment over Iron Calculation Immortal’s head.

Iron Calculation Immortal hurriedly waved his hands, flustered. “No, no, I didn’t see anything.”

Fang Mu shook the undergarment; in the breeze, the embroidered mandarin ducks on it seemed particularly striking. “Is it this?”

Iron Calculation Immortal’s expression turned grave as he measured the garment with his bronze compass. After a moment, he nodded firmly. “There’s no doubt—this is it. It’s related to what I’m investigating.”

Fang Mu frowned. “How do you plan to investigate?”

Iron Calculation Immortal rummaged in his clothing and finally produced a tortoiseshell.

Fang Mu: “…”

This familiar scene—wasn’t he about to perform a divination?

Iron Calculation Immortal dropped three bloodstained copper coins into the tortoiseshell and began to shake it. “These bloodstained coins carry the Ghost Market’s power. With them as the foundation, I can divine the identity and location of the undergarment’s owner.”

Shaking the shell, Iron Calculation Immortal squatted down, his motions growing ever faster.

Fang Mu squatted down as well. It was his first time seeing a cultivator who seemed so much like a trickster.

With a clatter, Iron Calculation Immortal stopped.

The bloodstained coins spilled onto the ground, forming a pattern.

He gathered them up and repeated the process six times before finally saying, “It’s done.”

Fang Mu: “…”

Iron Calculation Immortal explained, “Tortoiseshell and copper coin divination requires six shakes in total. The first three results transform into the inner hexagram, corresponding to Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Thunder, Wind, Mountain, Marsh. The fourth, fifth, and sixth become the outer hexagram, corresponding to the same sequence. With my supernatural talent, I’ve already determined the identity and whereabouts of the undergarment’s owner.”

Fang Mu applauded with a look of sincere approval.

Iron Calculation Immortal was surprised. “So you understand divination as well, brother? It seems your knowledge is quite broad—more than just a hobby, it’s a specialty.”

Fang Mu shook his head. “I don’t understand a word. I just didn’t want you to feel embarrassed. But why did you have to ask so many details? Now we’re both awkward.”

Iron Calculation Immortal: “…”

Big brother, you saying it out loud is what’s embarrassing!

Fang Mu put the bloodstained undergarment away. “So, what did you learn?”

Iron Calculation Immortal shook off his embarrassment and his expression turned solemn. “The owner of this undergarment is from Well Dragon County. I already have a precise location.”

Fang Mu nodded. “Let’s go have a look.”

“You’re coming along too, brother?”

“Yes.”

This mastermind had been plotting against him since the Ghost Market. He had to catch this guy—and then slice him to pieces with the butcher’s knife.