Chapter 76: An Unexpected Encounter with Zhou Qin and a Showdown

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Chapter 76: An Unexpected Encounter with Zhou Qin and a Showdown

In the end, Chen Yuan had to admit that he and people like Yu Shenliu were simply destined to be at odds. Even when dealing with Lan Jingwei, who resembled Yu Shenliu in many ways, none of the methods Chen Yuan could use seemed to have much effect on him.

Even Chen Yuan found that a little disheartening.

Still, the matter at the academy was put to rest for the time being. What happened afterward, naturally, would no longer be confined to the academy.

Just as Chen Yuan had expected, his involvement in the matter with Kong Quanlu brought the fate-analyst he’d heard so much about but had never met face-to-face, Zhou Qin, to his door.

Everyone who practiced metaphysics was capable of things ordinary people couldn’t do. For instance, Chen Yuan had clearly only stopped by his shop outside business hours to pick up a few things, yet at that very moment, someone knocked on the door.

Chen Yuan stepped out from behind the screen and looked toward the entrance. A middle-aged man in a dark-gray changshan stood outside. When he saw Chen Yuan approach, he cupped his hands and said, “Mr. Chen, greetings.”

There was a strange pause in his words that gave him an oddly detached air.

In that instant, some inexplicable intuition told Chen Yuan exactly who this stranger was. He smiled and returned the greeting with a cupped-hand salute. “Mr. Zhou, likewise.”

The two exchanged smiles, but the atmosphere was hardly cordial.

Chen Yuan led Zhou Qin behind the screen, even personally brewing him a cup of tea and bringing it over before sitting down opposite him. He picked up his own cup, blew away the tea foam, and tested the temperature with his lips before setting it back on the table.

Zhou Qin, on the other hand, simply held his cup. He neither seemed bothered by its heat nor made any attempt to drink it or put it down. He just sat there, utterly motionless.

“Mr. Zhou, did you come here because of your disciple?” Chen Yuan figured that after dealing with the younger one, the senior one had come to settle the score. He knew that nothing he had done went against his principles, so even with Zhou Qin coming to his door, he remained perfectly composed.

At Chen Yuan’s question, Zhou Qin merely curled his lips and calmly answered with a single word.

“No.”

As Kong Quanlu’s master, he might have been expected to stand up for his disciple and restore his reputation. But what did Kong Quanlu really mean to Zhou Qin? This wasn’t ancient times, when a master was treated like a father and “master” and “father” were practically interchangeable. These days, even a person’s own father might not step in over something like this.

“If it isn’t that, then what brings you here?” Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked again.

Zhou Qin set down the teacup he had been holding. Ripples spread across the surface of the tea.

“Of course, I came to determine who is superior, you or I.”

Chen Yuan lightly clapped his hands, the crisp sound echoing through the room. His expression was no longer as mild as usual. Instead, it was bold and proud, almost radiant. It was exactly the expression Yu Shenliu most loved and wanted to see on him, full of confidence and glory.

He gave a crisp, decisive answer.

“Fine!”

And with that single word, the entire room fell silent again.

If there had been anyone else sitting beside the two of them at that moment, they would probably have found fate-analysts impossible to understand. They had been talking just moments ago, so how had they suddenly fallen completely silent?

Chen Yuan and Zhou Qin simply stared at each other. After a long while, Chen Yuan slowly lifted his teacup and brought it to his lips.

“Forehead,” Zhou Qin said.

Chen Yuan lowered the cup slightly. “A full and rounded Heavenly Court, a sign of good fortune. The hairline is slightly disordered, suggesting that outside influences are easily disruptive. The center of the forehead is somewhat dull, indicating possible worries or troubles. A mole indicates wealth. The skin is bright without being oily, suggesting a calm state of mind.”

He was describing the features of Zhou Qin’s forehead that he had observed while the two of them were sizing each other up. In truth, because a person’s state of mind could affect how they perceived themselves, it was difficult for most people to notice such subtle details in their own features. As Chen Yuan had mentioned, things like a dull center of the forehead or changes in skin tone were difficult to notice in everyday life unless they had become pronounced. Yet it was precisely these subtle details that could reveal information beyond what an ordinary person could discern from the usual principles of physiognomy.

The other observations were fairly straightforward, but Chen Yuan suspected Zhou Qin would pay little attention to the comment about the center of his forehead being dull. After all, it implied something unfavorable, and few people were willing to believe that anything was wrong with them.

Sure enough, Zhou Qin gave no indication of how he felt. Instead, he described what he had observed moments earlier.

“The crown of the head is like a dome, suggesting years of cultivation. The hairline is slightly low, indicating a lack of great ambition. The temples have a faint yellowish hue, suggesting something is weighing on your mind. Mr. Chen, have you been troubled by something lately?”

He was clearly returning Chen Yuan’s comment about the dullness in his forehead and the troubles it suggested. Yet even when responding in kind, genuine fate-analysts would never claim to see something they hadn’t actually observed. Anything they said had to be based on what was truly there.

And in fact, hadn’t Chen Yuan been troubled lately because of Yu Shenliu?

The first round ended in a draw. After Zhou Qin finished speaking, Chen Yuan took a sip of tea, which had cooled to exactly the right temperature. Zhou Qin merely smiled. Neither of them seemed bothered by the draw, and neither showed any impatience.

After swallowing the tea, Chen Yuan gave the topic for the second round.

“Brows and eyes. The brows are the ruler, while the eyes are the ministers. When reading this part of the face, the brows and eyes must be considered together. The shape and condition of the brows greatly influence what the eyes reveal, while the eyes can likewise limit what the brows signify. It is like an enlightened ruler who, without capable ministers, could never conquer the world alone. Isn’t that so?”

During the silence just now, Zhou Qin had already carefully studied Chen Yuan’s entire face. Now confident in his judgment, he didn’t even need another glance before saying, “Willow-leaf brows, long, clear, and elegant. Unfortunately, they’re a little too soft, suggesting a temperament that is overly mild and yielding.”

And it was true. If Chen Yuan hadn’t been so mild-tempered, would that scoundrel Yu Shenliu have needed to cling to him so shamelessly before finally winning him over?

“The brow ridge is well-defined without being too prominent, showing a man with firm convictions who will not waver once his mind is made up. The eyes are dark as ink, with a clear distinction between black and white, indicating a rational and composed nature, as well as intelligence and spirit.”

Zhou Qin’s remaining observations were all praise. After all, there was no need to find fault with every feature. Besides, with Chen Yuan’s physiognomy, there was hardly anything worth criticizing.

Chen Yuan, however, listened attentively as Zhou Qin read his features. After all, the person each of us knows best, and yet understands least, is ourselves. By listening to Zhou Qin’s observations, Chen Yuan could examine himself more deeply and gain a better understanding of his own nature. There was nothing wrong with that.

When Zhou Qin finished, Chen Yuan once again studied his brows and eyes before slowly speaking.

“Brows dark as ink, a sign of strong convictions and a mind of one’s own. Brow and bone in harmony, a promising future.”

“Eyes that hold stars, a stubborn nature. Black and white are not entirely distinct, the mortal world clouding the heart.”

Like Kong Quanlu’s, Zhou Qin’s eyes appeared clear and distinct, with a sharp contrast between black and white. Yet on closer inspection, there seemed to be something settled deep within them, making them less clear and pure than they appeared at first glance. To someone versed in metaphysics, eyes like these suggested that he had likely strayed from certain principles he was supposed to uphold. In other words, the dust of the mortal world had clouded his vision.

Zhou Qin merely waved a hand, completely unconcerned, and gave the next topic.

“Nose.”

Chen Yuan answered immediately. “From beneath the eyes downward, the nose is straight and strong, with its qi flowing smoothly from root to tip. The nostrils are full and rounded, like a dragon’s breath. The tip of the nose is slightly short, which means later-life fortune will be somewhat lacking.”

In truth, most people’s noses did not possess the ideal quality of being naturally restrained, with nothing excessive or exposed. Zhou Qin’s full, rounded nostrils, likened to a dragon’s breath, were themselves considered an excellent nose sign. What determined whether this physiognomy was truly exceptional, however, was the length of the nose tip. A sufficiently long tip would complete the otherwise excellent configuration.

As soon as Chen Yuan finished, Zhou Qin immediately replied, “Fine-featured and well-defined, straight and slender, long without being overly prominent. Unfortunately, the nose sits somewhat low, so if he encounters someone with exceptionally strong fortune, he may find himself suppressed by them.”

Chen Yuan remained outwardly composed, but inwardly he thought, Just as I thought. Whenever he encountered that fellow Yu Shenliu, it seemed that he was always the one being suppressed, unless Yu Shenliu deliberately chose to give way.

Still, having to admit that fact was rather depressing.

After sighing inwardly, Chen Yuan gave the next topic.

“Cheeks.”

The two fate-analysts continued their exchange behind the screen, taking turns assessing each other’s features. Unfortunately, this rare spectacle, one that might not be seen once in a hundred years, had not a single outsider there to witness it.

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