Chapter 5: Becoming a Disciple Isn’t Easy

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Chapter 5: Becoming a Disciple Isn’t Easy

Chen Yuan paid no attention to Huo Jian’s shock and continued studying his palm.

Many people judged the Head Line and Heart Line the same way they judged the Life Line, assuming that the longer they were, the better. But neither line necessarily benefited from being long. An overly long Head Line was often associated with someone who had trouble taking other people’s advice and tended to be stubborn and set in their ways. On the other hand, a Head Line that was too short could indicate limited ability.

Chen Yuan had thought about this before and felt that even such a small detail reflected a greater principle of the universe. As the saying went, “Great fullness seems empty; its usefulness is inexhaustible.” Everything had its proper measure. Approaching perfection was certainly good, but too much perfection was not necessarily a good thing.

Huo Jian’s Head Line was clear and well-defined, splitting into two toward the lower end, with a fairly pronounced fork. This was generally considered a sign of having two Head Lines, and people with this feature were said to have dual personalities.

That certainly matched Chen Yuan’s impression of Huo Jian. On one hand, he was cautious and sensible, like when he tried to reason with his sister and carried enough money to cover unexpected expenses. On the other, he could be remarkably carefree, trusting someone he’d only just met so readily.

Fortunately, there were no island-shaped or triangular markings on Huo Jian’s Head Line. Overall, it was in much better shape than his Life Line.

If the beginning of the Head Line had an island-shaped marking, it generally indicated a tendency toward headaches and a muddled state of mind. An island at the end of the line suggested a tendency toward nervous exhaustion. Triangular markings were even more detrimental to one’s intellect. So a clear, well-defined Head Line like Huo Jian’s was already an excellent sign.

But knowing all that wasn’t particularly useful, so Chen Yuan shifted his attention to the Heart Line.

The so-called Heart Line wasn’t limited to romantic relationships. It encompassed a person’s emotions, family ties, friendships, and romantic attachments. In other words, it could reveal things about their personality, family relationships, social life, and marriage.

Huo Jian’s Heart Line extended from just beneath his index finger. Combined with his well-defined Head Line, this suggested that he was straightforward, warm without being overbearing, and gentle toward others.

The line itself was somewhat faint at the beginning, suggesting that he might have been introverted or even somewhat nervous as a child. Looking at him now, though, there was little sign of that.

“You must have been very introverted as a child. Before you were six, you were probably quite timid, easily frightened by the slightest disturbance. Later, someone older than you must have had a major influence on you, and your personality changed.”

Chen Yuan tapped Huo Jian’s Heart Line and gave him a faint smile. He looked every bit the mystic.

Huo Jian stared at him, eyes wide. After a few moments, he suddenly grabbed Chen Yuan by the wrist and exclaimed, “Master! Take me as your disciple!”

Chen Yuan froze. He had only looked at the three major lines and mentioned two things. A person’s palm wasn’t limited to those three lines. There were also the Marriage Line, Sun Line, Setback Line, Health Line, and many other minor lines. He hadn’t even had a chance to examine them properly, and Huo Jian was already reacting like this.

“Huh?” Chen Yuan could only manage.

“Master, you’re so amazing! Teach me a thing or two!”

Huo Jian had a handsome, refined face, yet he was now wearing an unabashedly fawning expression. His eyes sparkled as he gazed at Chen Yuan, watery and bright like a puppy’s. For some reason, Chen Yuan could almost imagine a tail wagging behind him.

However, Chen Yuan wasn’t won over by Huo Jian’s enthusiasm. He quietly pulled his hand free from Huo Jian’s grasp, then shook his head with an utterly calm expression.

At that, Huo Jian went from full of energy to completely deflated in an instant. He looked at Chen Yuan and asked simply:

“Why not?”

“The fate isn’t here yet,” Chen Yuan replied.

Chen Yuan and Huo Jian had only known each other for a few hours. The fact that they had somehow crossed paths at all proved that there was fate between them, but who knew how deep that fate ran? Chen Yuan would never make such a rash decision and casually take some stranger off the street as his disciple.

To many people, metaphysics was little more than the equivalent of girls checking their horoscopes. In reality, however, there were far too many things one could do with metaphysics. What if someone with ill intentions used it to do things they shouldn’t? What then? Whoever taught that person metaphysics would have to bear part of the karma for the evil they committed.

As for master and disciple, there was a saying: “Once a teacher, forever a father.” It also implied that once such a relationship was established, the two would be like father and son, sharing each other’s blessings and karma.

That was why, in traditional Chinese culture, taking a disciple was an extremely solemn matter. One would pay respects to the founding master and announce the relationship to Heaven and Earth. From then on, master and disciple would be like father and son. How could Chen Yuan take Huo Jian as his disciple simply because he found the boy interesting?

“Master, aren’t we fated already?” Huo Jian immediately protested. “How strong does our fate have to be for me to just happen to grab you off the street?”

Just the fate of two people passing each other by, Chen Yuan thought.

“And how strong does our fate have to be for my sister to leave me right next to you?”

That was merely the fate of accompanying each other for a brief while. It could hardly be called deep. How many people in this world walked from one end of the same street to the other, just as he had?

“Then I ended up coming with you to a place I’ve never been before. If that isn’t fate, then what is?”

Chen Yuan only smiled without saying a word.

Huo Jian had thought he could convince Chen Yuan, but the look on his face told him otherwise. Just as he couldn’t convince his stubborn sister to change her mind, Chen Yuan’s mind wasn’t so easily changed either.

“Fine.” Huo Jian’s shoulders slumped, and he looked dejected. “If you don’t want to take me as your disciple, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“But I’ll prove that I’d make a really good disciple!” He immediately perked up again, full of energy. “Uh, but there’s something more important now. Master, what am I supposed to do? Just wait for that man to show his true colors?”

Chen Yuan couldn’t be bothered to correct Huo Jian’s way of addressing him. He had encountered plenty of people like Huo Jian before, people who became interested on a whim and then pestered him to take them as disciples. Because he was young, many assumed he would be easier to persuade and shamelessly begged to become his disciple. If they were girls, they would pull out every trick in the book, from acting spoiled to playing cute. But someone like Chen Yuan had always focused on cultivating the mind. His convictions weren’t easily swayed. He knew exactly what he should do and how he should do it.

Chen Yuan gave Huo Jian a brief answer. “You won’t have to wait long.” The mole near the man’s hairline was large and obvious. If someone with that kind of personality could keep it suppressed indefinitely, Chen Yuan wouldn’t dare tell fortunes and read faces for a living. His reputation would have been ruined long ago. Besides, from what Huo Jian had said, Huo Shu had already been with that man for a month. A month was probably about the limit.

Huo Jian knew there was no point in asking the same questions over and over. He was a little worried that his incessant questions might annoy Chen Yuan, especially since Chen Yuan had already answered him so many times. But when he looked at Chen Yuan, his expression was still calm and patient, instantly putting people at ease. Was he really some kind of master? There was just something extraordinary about him.

Still, Huo Jian couldn’t help feeling restless. Or rather—

“I’m so bored!”

He flopped backward onto the bed, looking completely undignified. There was no computer or television, and being stuck in a little room like this while worrying about his sister was bound to make him restless and bored.

“If you’re bored, wash up and get some rest,” Chen Yuan replied. This was what he always did.

Huo Jian rolled over, going from lying on his back to lying on his stomach, then buried his head in the blankets and muttered, “But it’s still so early.”

Suddenly, he thought of something. He scrambled up and looked at Chen Yuan. “Master, what do you do for fun?”

“Reflect on myself three times a day,” Chen Yuan answered calmly.

Every day, he reflected on his gains and losses and his own actions, keeping his mind clear and undisturbed by outside influences. Those who practiced metaphysics could come into contact with all kinds of supernatural phenomena that ordinary people couldn’t explain, which made it all the easier to lose their way and become confused. That was precisely how one went down the wrong path.

The answer clearly startled Huo Jian. A look of confusion crossed his face, along with a hint of shame. Reflect on myself three times a day? Hearing Chen Yuan put it that way, he suddenly felt that his own state of mind was far beneath Chen Yuan’s, nowhere near his level. The subtle pressure made him shrink back uneasily, so he changed the subject.

“I mean, what about tomorrow?”

“Set up a stall.” Chen Yuan had already planned everything out: save some money, rent a place, and settle down.

A stall? Huo Jian was confused by the answer. What kind of stall? Then it immediately clicked.

A fortune-telling stall!

He grabbed Chen Yuan again. “Master! Take me with you!” He had seen Chen Yuan read people’s palms and faces that day. If Chen Yuan set up a fortune-telling stall, would he get to see even more amazing things? He was very interested.

“Go to bed early. I’ll be getting up very early,” Chen Yuan replied. Bringing Huo Jian along wasn’t a problem. He could handle him easily enough.

“Okay! I’m going to wash up right now!” Huo Jian sprang up and dashed into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

What a character.

Watching Huo Jian’s back, Chen Yuan smiled faintly and shook his head.

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