The Mystic Nine (2) Fortune-Teller Qi Tiezui

I can live through the years by telling people’s fortunes. When I ask for Heaven’s help, my predictions are accurate every time— the fortune-teller, Qi Tiezui.

The temple fair was drawing to a close, and people were scattered. With the exception of a few good shadow plays and Western painting stalls on the street, the other stalls were already being cleaned up and dismantled.

The old city temple in the middle of the street was still flourishing. There were fewer people going to the market and more worshipping Buddha. Now more than half of the stalls were devoted to fortune-telling, and only a few of them were still sticking to it. Previous business obviously hadn’t been very good, and they were hoping to make a last-minute profit at the end of this session.

There was a sudden buzz among those gathered on the street, and a large group of soldiers parted the crowd. A man dressed in casual clothes headed towards the old temple.

“Fo Ye, Fo Ye, will you still send rice this year? Our family hasn’t eaten your sweet rice for a long time.” A beggar on the side of the road shouted to the man in casual clothes.

Zhang Da Fo Ye took off his hat and said to the beggar, “Didn’t you recently go to work as an assistant in the clothes store? Why are you begging for rice again? Bad habits are really hard to change.”

“Hey, Fo Ye, don’t you know? Life as a beggar is more comfortable than being a shop assistant. I can sleep as much as I want, and get up whenever I want. It’s pretty great. Old Wang Huang Mao, who died a few years ago, lived to be a hundred and two. He lived more comfortably than the former emperor and lived longer than the president.” The beggar said. “Besides, doesn’t your family still send rice? When you send it this year, tell your cook to sauté it with sugar so we don’t have to light a cooking fire.”

Zhang Da Fo Ye smiled, shook his head, and then said to the people around him, “Sounds like he has the makings of a Manchurian Qing wandering hero. He really knows his stuff. With this kind of mindset, he won’t have to worry about food and drink.”

A scholar beside him said: “If this person is so talented, Fo Ye can employ him. When it comes to employing people now, we don’t care about their origins.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. It’s not yet time.” Zhang Da Fo Ye said. “These are all minor characters. This time I brought you to see a real giant among men.”

“What Qishan said is a little embarrassing.” The scholar smiled and pushed up his glasses. “I hope you’re not playing favorites, Qishan.”

“I’m not. Haven’t you heard? If I said it’s good, it must be good.” Zhang Da Fo Ye laughed. As they were talking in the middle of the crowd, they arrived at the area where the fortune-telling stalls at the temple entrance were. Zhang Da Fo Ye called out, “Smooth talker, smooth talker! Come out quickly and bring your good wine.”

The scholar looked at the fortune-telling stalls in confusion and said to Fo Ye, “These strange, chaotic…”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” When Zhang Da Fo Ye saw that no one responded, he asked a nearby fortune teller, “Brother, where’s that smooth talker?”

“You mean Qi Tiezui?” The fortune teller saw Zhang Da Fo Ye’s imposing manner and stuttered out, “He was still here just now. I don’t know where he went. Maybe he went to take a dump.”

“Which stall is his? We’ll wait for him there.” Zhang Qishan said. The fortune teller pointed to it, and Zhang Qishan led the scholar-like person over.

“Fo Ye, do we really have to rely on these fortune tellers when it comes to our affairs?” The scholar asked. “Who is this giant among men?”

Zhang Qishan was just about to speak, when he suddenly saw a piece of paper on Qi Tiezui’s stall table. It was held down with a paperweight, and seemed to have just been written.

Zhang Qishan lifted the paperweight and saw that something had been scribbled on the paper. It had obviously been done in a hurry.

“Fo Ye, thank you for the recommendation, but unfortunately, the Qi family’s ancestors stated we don’t calculate politics or military affairs. I can live through the years by telling people’s fortunes. When I ask for Heaven’s help, my predictions are accurate every time. I’m unwilling to discuss the matter further. If forced, I’ll leave Changsha and never return. Please give up. We can still drink together in the future.”

Zhang Qishan looked the scholar in the eye, and then smiled. “Sure enough, this guy already calculated this day.”

“Did he really?” The scholar looked at the note skeptically.

“It’s not fortune-telling, it’s just a timely calculation.” Zhang Da Fo Ye sighed and looked at the sky before saying, “Sure enough, we don’t have an easy path to walk. This road is dangerous, and the smart ones have already seen it clearly.”

The scholar glanced at the note and couldn’t help shaking his head. Zhang Qishan looked at the wine his entourage had brought, and then put it on the stall table. “Forget it, this wine has no taste. We’ll leave it here.”

The two men turned to leave. Several of the nearby fortune tellers looked at each other, but no one dared to go look at the bottle of wine. Moments later, the beggar from earlier walked up to the stall, picked up the bottle of wine, carried it to the temple’s outer wall, and then handed it to one of the four or five beggars over there. As the man took the wine and poured a mouthful into each of the beggars’ bowls, the fragrant scent of alcohol permeated the air.

“Ba Ye, you truly have incredible foresight. That Da Fo Ye has such good eyesight, but didn’t find you hiding here.”

The man took off his worn felt hat and gave it back to one of the beggars. “Who said he didn’t find me?” He shook the pot of wine and said, “He knows how I feel about it. He just doesn’t want to force the issue. Otherwise, how else would you get a drink?”

The few beggars were skeptical, but Qi Tiezui merely picked himself up, patted the dust from his body, and sighed in the direction Zhang Da Fo Ye had gone. “There’s no going back, Fo Ye. Although I know a little, it’s a pity I’m powerless to change things. Forgive me for not telling you. Good luck.”

<The Mystic Nine (1) A Story Related to Er Yuehong><Table of Contents><The Mystic Nine (3) Black Back the Sixth>