Chapter 386: Chess Piece (2)

“My lord, do you have any orders?” Guan Zhi was eager to do something for Fang Rui.

“As it happens, there is one thing. I need you to… do this, and then that…”

…

「The next day.」

Nanzhuo County, Hundred Flavors Building.

Fang Rui, still dressed as a middle-aged Daoist, was eating and drinking at a leisurely pace.

He possessed an extraordinary air that set him apart. Ordinary people felt a subconscious sense of inadequacy in his presence. Thus, despite the restaurant being packed, he alone sat at his table, completely undisturbed.

After finishing his meal, he ordered another pot of fine wine and waited with his eyes closed.

「A short while later.」

The moment Fang Rui opened his eyes, a figure appeared at the entrance—it was Cao Meng.

He scanned the room, seemingly spotted Fang Rui, and came over to join his table as if they were old friends.

“Daoist, what a coincidence! We meet again!”

“Indeed.”

Fang Rui smiled and gave him a deep, meaningful look.

‘I left a deep impression on Cao Meng yesterday. As a local power player, he was bound to have investigated me thoroughly. If my guess is right, he came looking for me on purpose.’

‘Perfect. It was like Jiang Taigong fishing—letting the willing take the bait. I had already performed a divination and was waiting here specifically for him.’

Under that gaze, Cao Meng felt as if he’d been seen through completely, his every little scheme laid bare. He couldn’t help but shiver, and he hastily raised the wine pot to hide his reaction. “I’ve heard that the Daoist calls himself ‘Celestial Secret’ and is an expert at divination. I wonder if you might perform a divination for me?”

“I perform three divinations a day, without exception. I have already completed my three for today.”

As Fang Rui said this, a look of disappointment appeared on Cao Meng’s face. But then Fang Rui changed his tune. “However, Mr. Cao is no ordinary man. I am willing to make an exception for you today.”

“Oh? In that case, my thanks, Daoist.”

Cao Meng looked over expectantly.

‘Just as I thought. People don’t cherish what they get too easily. All it took was a little verbal maneuvering to raise his expectations.’

Fang Rui had already sized up Cao Meng, so he was perfectly confident. He made a show of forming a few hand seals and then said something utterly astounding: “I see in you, Mr. Cao, the ambition of a conqueror and the destiny of a king!”

RUMBLE!

Coincidentally, at that very moment, a clap of thunder exploded outside the window.

CLATTER!

Cao Meng’s face paled, and his chopsticks dropped from his hand. His reaction was lightning-fast, however. He immediately bent down to pick them up, saying with a nervous laugh, “I’m a bit jumpy. That thunder was terrifying!”

He glanced around and discovered that the people around them were completely oblivious, seemingly unable to hear their conversation at all.

“Rest assured, Mr. Cao. I have sealed the space within three feet of us. These words leave my mouth and enter your ears, with no third person to hear them.”

Fang Rui smiled and continued, “In addition, your true strength, Mr. Cao, is at the Middle Grade: Fifth Grade Dark Force!”

While such strength meant little to Fang Rui, in a small county like this, it made one an absolute powerhouse!

Cao Meng’s wrist trembled again.

The strength he showed to the public was Sixth Grade. Not even his parents knew his true Realm. He never imagined that Fang Rui would see through him with a single glance.

“And finally… you are currently facing some kind of predicament, are you not, Mr. Cao?” Fang Rui added.

“Are you a Divine Being, Daoist?!” Cao Meng cried out in shock.

‘My father may be the County Captain, but he’s being suppressed by the County Magistrate and pushed out by the major families. He’s about to be saddled with the awful job of bandit suppression…’

‘Fang Rui had hit the mark again!’

At that moment, Cao Meng regarded Fang Rui with the awe one saves for a towering mountain. But at the same time, the feeling of being utterly exposed left him deeply unsettled, his heart swelling with suspicion and dread.

Fang Rui keenly perceived this shift in emotion. ‘Just as I’d expect from someone with the nature of a Flood Dragon,’ he thought. ‘Courteous to the wise and virtuous, but with a deeply suspicious side.’

‘If I were one of Cao Meng’s subordinates, showing off this much intelligence would be a death sentence—just look at what happened to Yang Xiu.’

‘But, regrettably, I am not. Not now, and not ever.’

Cao Meng suppressed the dread in his heart, his smile never wavering. “How can this predicament be resolved?” he asked sincerely. “Can you teach me, Daoist?”

“As I said before, Mr. Cao, you have the destiny of a king. You will naturally turn calamity into good fortune.”

Fang Rui wore a profound and inscrutable expression. “If I am not mistaken, loyal retainers and fierce generals will soon flock to your banner, Mr. Cao!”

“Oh?!”

Cao Meng was only half-convinced.

“I say they will come, so they will. Heaven helps those who are strong! And for those Heaven does not help, I will help them!”

With a sweep of his hand, Fang Rui produced a Dragon-shaped Jade Pendant from his robes. A wisp of Chaos Dragon Pearl Origin flowed within it, taking the form of a luminous, dragon-shaped silhouette.

“What a treasure!”

Cao Meng’s eyes widened. He felt an irresistible attraction to the jade pendant, even stronger than the one he’d felt for the saber he saw yesterday.

“This Jade Pendant is a gift for you, Mr. Cao.”

“This…”

Cao Meng felt a vague sense of unease. After a moment’s thought, he said, “How could I let the Daoist go to such expense? I am willing to pay a thousand gold to buy this Jade Pendant.”

“This Jade Pendant is a gift, not for sale,” Fang Rui said, shaking his head.

‘A joke. If I let him buy it, our karmic slate would be wiped clean. This investment of mine would be a total loss.’

“Do you want it, Mr. Cao? If not, then forget it!” Fang Rui made a motion as if to take it back.

“I’ll take it!”

Cao Meng gritted his teeth and snatched the jade pendant. “A promise from a Daoist is as good as gold! You said it was a gift, how can you take it back?!”

“Hm?!”

Using the motion of drinking wine as cover, Fang Rui activated his Divine Technique, ‘Emperor’s Gaze,’ and looked at Cao Meng.

The wisp of Chaos Dragon Pearl Origin within the Dragon-shaped Jade Pendant transformed into a golden light that shot into the space between Cao Meng’s eyebrows. As his Qi Fortune manifested, his external luck suddenly surged, flaring brilliantly. His natal Flood Dragon let out a roar, then soared through the clouds and mist, commanding the wind and thunder to shatter the cage of black qi that had been imprisoning his fortune.

“Ha!”

Cao Meng downed a bowl of wine and let out a long breath. He felt an incomparable sense of release and freedom, as if he could do anything at this moment and not fail.

It was a perfect example of the saying: when your time arrives, heaven and earth will work in your favor!

‘Hidden dragon in the abyss, dragon appearing in the field, dragon flying in the heavens… I have completely activated Cao Meng’s Flood Dragon Qi Fortune. My great plan is set in motion!’