Snow's Embrace: Chapter 6
— Covered Pavilion
Zayne: Tomorrow at noon, someone will come to extend you an invitation. Do not accept it, or else great misfortune will befall you.
Zayne: Congratulations to the two of you. In the middle of next month, your esteemed son will enjoy the happiness of
Zayne: Don’t worry, the so-called “southeast ghostly shadow” is only a dead tree blocking the path; it isn’t a malevolent spirit causing mischief.
Zayne: Is it enough?
MC: It’s enough. This is enough to buy the entire stall.
MC: But, you really didn’t bring anything with you and descended the mountain.
MC: And here I thought you had some kind of spell that could turn stone into gold, so you’d be able to create a huge amount of money whenever, wherever.
Zayne: If I were to turn stone into gold, they would still transform back into stone in the end. Then the vendor will have lost money. Then wouldn’t he end up going up to Heaven, coming back down to Earth, looking for help but finding no door to knock on?
MC: That’s true… But why did you use this visual concealment spell?
Zayne: It is the way of the mortal world—the older one is, the easier their words will convince people.
Zayne: Such is the case for physicians, and also for
MC: That’s so strange. If a young person is inexperienced, isn’t an older person likely to be muddle-headed?
MC: Ahem, may I trouble you sir, to perform a divination for me.
Zayne: …What kind of medicine are you selling in your this time?
MC: Shh… Just pretend to divine my fortune, then I’ll say a few words to help support you and attract a little more business for you, okay?
MC: At the corner of the street is a vendor selling sugar paintings. I want to…
Zayne: Glutton.
MC: Earlier I discovered that when you perform divinations for people, you only need to give them a glance. You don’t even ask more than you have to.
MC: From what I’ve seen of other fortune tellers, whether it’s interpreting divination sticks or divining stalks, or casting lots, they always have at least one method, and if that method doesn’t work, they’ll still pinch their fingers to calculate a few points.
Zayne: The essence of physiognomy is face reading. It doesn’t require the assistance of props.
MC: But doesn’t that seem a little unconvincing? Why don’t you also add a little something, dress it up a little?
Zayne: Aside from reading faces, one can also read palms.
Kindled
Zayne: Since you’re curious, then let’s take a look. Give me your hand.
Zayne: What do you want to ask?
Zayne: You’re asking about the wisdom of this lifetime? Then, naturally, it is…
Zayne: If you advance, you will astound the world with ; if you retreat—there’s an endless pile of books waiting for you to copy.
MC: Then I also want to look at yours.
Zayne: , what can you even see?
Zayne: I already said you can’t see anything. You mean to read this glove’s fortune instead?
MC: I can see that you are missing a bit of good fortune. How about I share some of my “” with you?
Zayne: Auspiciousness? How generous.
— form an image of a blooming
Zayne: There is no flower like this on the mountain. How do you know what it looks like?
MC: I heard about it from a passerby. I hear it’s very fragrant.
Zayne: “Flowers bloom, ”; using this as an auspicious sign, I suppose it’s fitting.
Zayne: However, I noticed that your spiritual energy was slightly sluggish while you were resonating. Looks like once we return, it’ll be necessary to assign you more coursework.
MC: Let me ask you, were the things you said just now just platitudes?
Zayne: Believe, and it’ll come true.
MC: This kind of child’s play… so you are just teasing me!
Zayne: Weren’t you the one who said, “pretend to divine my fortune,” “I’ll say a few words to help support you”?
Zayne: Since that is so, why regard a few empty words as truth?
MC: Then I’m really curious now… why don’t you just take a look for me then?
MC: What’s wrong… Are the divined results not good?
Zayne: … No.
MC: Then what did you see?
Zayne: …
Zayne: During this lifetime, you will face a single tribulation.
Plot-Critical Cultural Note: 劫数 jieshu, which literally translates to “portion of a kalpa,” refers to an inevitable cycle of calamities that can’t be escaped, often written as “tribulation” (劫 jie）in xianxia. In Buddhism, a “kalpa” describes a vast timespan that includes all four cosmic cycles of formation, existence, destruction, and annihilation. In later Daoism, which syncretized Buddhist ideas, it can refer to cosmic or karmic fate. Effectively, this describes a predetermined calamity that happens over a period of time which can’t be escaped until the kalpa or tribulation has come to its natural end. Passing a tribulation often grants a cultivator with additional power or transcendence, so it also functions as a cosmic test.
Zayne: As long as you can overcome it, you will be able to possess power that can .
MC: You gave me a fright. What’s so good about reaching Heaven and penetrating Earth? As long as I can continue like this right now—
MC: Anyway, everything is fine the way it is now!
Zayne: …
MC: But… what is that tribulation?
Zayne: … don’t eat the sugar painting.
MC: Huh?
Zayne: Don’t eat the sugar painting. Your teeth will hurt.
What can divine ?
Zayne: It’s you.
Old Man: Your power of sight is strong.
Old Man: She is that “variable” isn’t she? In the end, she still finally appeared.
Zayne: I’ve seen her fate chart. It is thoroughly bright and luminous, uncontaminated by even a speck of dust. There are truly no signs of her becoming a variable.
Old Man: What you’ve seen is only her present. Besides, even if she has a heart that does not wish to harm another, it is still difficult to ensure that others will not secretly give rise to evil thoughts because of her.
Old Man: I’ve heard, recently a small snake went into a frenzy on the mountain. You ought to understand the reason, shouldn’t you?
Zayne: …
Old Man: “The common man is without guilt, but ”. Since you have of Si Ming you should while it’s still early.
Old Man: Lest one day in the future, you yourself are dragged into turmoil.
Old Man: If you cannot bear to do so, why not hand it to me to take care of?
Zayne: That is not necessary.
Girl: Zayne! I just heard from the stall owner that at night, they’ll be putting on a ceremonial ritual! Shall we go watch it together?
Zayne: Alright.
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