Chapter 36 Divination

Li Dajiang requested a divination for his career, and Chen Hai naturally had no objections.

He stood up and walked to the bathroom, where he thoroughly washed his hands with soap.

Then he returned to the living room, sat down cross-legged on the carpet next to the coffee table, facing south.

With a solemn expression, he reached into his pocket and pulled out three copper coins he had prepared earlier.

Copper coins used for divination were usually Qianlong Tongbaos, or sometimes from the reigns of Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Daoguang.

Nowadays, most households still keep some copper coins lying around.

Chen Hai's three copper coins were all Qianlong Tongbaos, which he had consciously selected from home after learning that the broken turtle shell in his mind could be used for divination.

Some people believed that for divination with copper coins, the side with the inscription was yang, and the side with Manchu script was yin.

Others argued that the simpler side of the coin with only two Manchu characters represented yang.

In fact, there were no strict rules in this area, and everything depended on the personal interpretation of the diviner!

After all, the art of divination had been passed down from times much earlier than the advent of these copper coins.

Chen Hai's heritage defined the simpler side of the divination object as yang.

Holding the three copper coins in his palm, he clasped his hands together and silently recalled the matter he wanted to divine.

Then he moved his palms up and down, shaking them a few times.

With a resonant "clang"...

Chen Hai opened his palms, and the three copper coins fell onto the smooth surface of the coffee table.

Two yin and one yang—this was a Lesser Yang Gua.

"Hai, how does the Gua look?" Sun Jinzhong, who was intently watching this scene, seemed even more nervous than Chen Hai.

On the other hand, Li Dajiang, the querent, had a gentle smile on his face the entire time and seemed much calmer.

"Brother Zhong, a single Gua can't reveal anything!"

"The Six Yao Skill of divination requires divinations to be carried out six times, and only then, combining the results, can we deduce something!"

With a slight smile, Chen Hai explained a few words to his cousin and then picked up the copper coins on the coffee table to continue with the divination.

As an outsider, Sun Jinzhong remained silent.

He had no idea when his cousin picked up all these mystical methods, but it seemed quite plausible at a glance.

"I hope Hai can successfully deceive Boss Li. If he really manages to find Old Mrs. Li's tomb, my share of one thousand yuan will be secure," Sun Jinzhong thought eagerly.

At this moment, there was nothing he could assist with, so he silently prayed to Buddha, God, and Allah for his cousin.

Soon, Chen Hai had completed the Six Paths Gua.

He closed his eyes slightly and settled his spirits.

The divination-related patterns on the broken turtle shell in his mind started visibly fading from radiant to dim.

Simultaneously, massive amounts of information related to Li Dajiang's career flooded into Chen Hai's mind.

"Chen, now that you have completed the divination, I wonder, what does this Gua you've cast for me indicate?"

With a hint of amusement, Li Dajiang smiled as he began to inquire.

It seemed that, although he had given Chen Hai a chance to prove himself, deep down he still did not quite believe that Chen Hai could have any real skill in divination or could deduce anything substantial from it.

"The Gua indicates minor losses; not a favorable situation for a gentleman. Marriages and partnerships may encounter trivial issues, and efforts are bound to meet with hardship."

"Boss Li, this is a Mountain and Water Meng, a lower-middle Gua. It appears that your business has been facing some tricky situations recently and is not developing smoothly!"

Chen Hai responded with a light smile.

If before he had started the divination he had been slightly unsure, now, after so much information about Li Dajiang's business had flooded his mind, he was brimming with confidence.

Hearing Chen Hai say this, Li Dajiang's expression darkened instantly.

"Those who divinate and predict fate always like to babble about doom and gloom!"

"From what you've just said, I know what kind of tricks you'll play next."

"Get out before I lose my temper. Otherwise, I'll make a phone call to the police station, and you can imagine what will happen to you both!"

With a stern face, Li Dajiang pointed towards the door. Without another word, he issued a dismissal order to Chen Hai.

Chen Hai remained composed, his face still wearing a smile.

"Boss Li, we're all from the same village. Let's talk this over, and please don't call the police!"

"My cousin is still learning and might have misspoken, so please forgive him and don't take it to heart!"

At this point, Sun Jinzhong completely panicked. While bowing repeatedly to Li Dajiang in apology, he explained frantically,

"Brother Zhong, it's okay, Boss Li is just testing us!" Standing up, Chen Hai patted Sun Jinzhong on the shoulder, signaling him to sit down for the moment.

Then, turning his gaze to Li Dajiang, he continued, "Boss Li, in my opinion, you are definitely not someone who rejects medical advice out of arrogance."

"If you truly wanted to drive us away, it would be easy, but why wouldn't you let me finish speaking?"

"After all, in my view, while there are setbacks in your business in the south, it hasn't reached the point of no return, and there is still some hope for recovery."

Li Dafa remained silent, sitting back down and staring intently at Chen Hai, seemingly trying to discern something from his face.

As Li Dajiang looked at him, Chen Hai also looked back.

Their gazes met in the air, and Chen Hai showed no trace of fear; he maintained his calm composure throughout.

"Brother Chen, what exactly did you deduce? Can you explain it properly to me?"

After locking gazes for a while, it was Li Dajiang who finally backed down first. He sighed deeply and asked.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. If I'm not wrong, Boss Li, you must have recently come to the south of the Yanhuang Empire to expand."

"The business you are preparing to enter seems to be somewhat related to shoes!"

Chen Hai said with a soft smile, pausing briefly before continuing, "In the Gua, there is an implication of disaster originating from within, which suggests issues if it were a marriage, likely concerning marital relations."

"However, since you asked about business, I can only say that there seems to be a significant conflict between you and your business partner!"

"Perhaps, you and your business partner might end up dissolving your partnership, and all your previous efforts could be in vain."

"With these predictions I've made, Boss Li, I wonder if they are accurate?"

At this point, Chen Hai stopped speaking, his gaze fixed directly on Li Dajiang's face.