Chapter Seventy-Five: Divination

The first dishes to be served at the banquet were brought to Gu Xiaotian’s table. The plates were all identical, each covered with a silver dome, concealing their contents from view. Gu Xiaotian lifted his head and addressed the contestants in a steady tone.

“Today, I have specially invited the head chef of Huide Pavilion to prepare the dishes. I hope you will all be satisfied. Please, don’t just stand there—come, have a seat!”

I sat below, somewhat startled to realize that Gu Xiaotian’s table had only ten seats. With Gu Xiaotian, Wei Yu, and Kong Guan occupying three, just seven remained, yet there were seventeen contestants. That was nowhere near enough.

“Clearly, not everyone will get a seat. All of you are people of standing, and it would hardly do to scramble for a place. Since today is a joyous occasion, why not add some amusement? No one knows what dish lies beneath each dome, myself included. Let’s make a game of it: whoever guesses correctly may take a seat. But once the seven seats are filled, the chance is gone.”

Gu Xiaotian spoke lightly, but I understood the meaning behind his words. If you guess right, you may sit; guess wrong, and you must leave. Only seven seats—whoever solves the riddle first secures their place. Clearly, this was no game of luck; the competition had already begun with Gu Xiaotian’s first test.

“How are we supposed to guess with the dishes covered? Is it just luck?” complained Xiao Lianshan below. “This is ridiculous! We’re not clairvoyants. Who could possibly guess?”

I gave a faint smile, responding calmly to Xiao Lianshan. “Tonight’s contest is about the Five Arts of Daoism. While we can’t see what’s under the dome, divination can reveal it. This arrangement is rather interesting—it tests one’s skill in deducing the unknown within a short time. Luck won’t help here; the result is revealed as soon as the dome is lifted.”

I understood Gu Xiaotian’s intention. The first round was divination: seventeen contestants, seven seats. Only seven would advance. Divination may seem simple, but to accurately predict what dish lies hidden requires true mastery. Gu Xiaotian’s method was both severe and meticulous, revealing how much thought he had put into this competition.

The contestants all remained in their seats, no one eager to be the first to try. When I glanced up, I saw Ouyang Cuo watching me intently. Even Huo Qian had failed to uncover anything about this man. Somehow, I sensed that he might prove the strongest opponent.

“Since everyone is being so polite, let me go first and make a modest attempt,” announced a short, stout middle-aged man as he approached the table.

“Chang Leyuan!” Lan Qing muttered with a frown.

“You know him?” I asked curiously.

Lan Qing nodded calmly. “Chang Leyuan is exceptionally gifted. He studied the Daoist arts from childhood, mastering all five, but divination is his strongest. He only makes one divination each day, and his accuracy is uncanny. People call him ‘Chang the Single Hexagram.’ His door is crowded with carriages—dignitaries and the wealthy all treat him as an honored guest.”

Chang Leyuan took six smooth copper coins from his pouch—clearly well-used—and, joining his hands, placed them in his palm. Closing his eyes to focus, he cast the coins onto the table.

“What’s he doing?” Yue Qianling asked with interest.

“That’s called casting a hexagram,” Lan Qing explained. “He’s using six coins, so he’s employing the sixty-four hexagrams attributed to King Wen of Zhou, also known as the King Wen Bagua. When divining, one must compose oneself, use clean coins, hold them respectfully, silently focus on the question, shake and cast the coins several times, then arrange them in a line from bottom to top.”

After arranging the coins, Chang Leyuan studied them in silence, then murmured, “Thunder over the marsh—the Returning Maiden hexagram… Seeking fish among the trees?!”

“What’s he talking about? I don’t understand a word,” Xiao Lianshan grumbled.

“The Returning Maiden hexagram is the sixteenth in King Wen’s sixty-four hexagrams,” I explained. “Its meaning is ‘seeking fish among the trees.’ The interpretation is: if you seek fish, you must go to the water. To look for them in the trees is futile—one strives in vain and achieves nothing.”

Xiao Lianshan frowned even more deeply. “That still doesn’t say what dish it is. Those words have nothing to do with food!”

Gu Anqi rolled her eyes and whispered irritably, “Casting a hexagram is the simplest part. Anyone can do it—but interpreting the result, linking the meaning to the question, that’s where skill comes in. Just reading the lines won’t tell you; you have to understand, but you wouldn’t get it even if I explained.”

Chang Leyuan continued to study the hexagram, then said quietly, “The Returning Maiden hexagram… The maiden follows the eldest son, but yin and yang do not connect—thus, ‘seeking fish among the trees.’ It’s like someone wanting to catch a fish, but instead of going to the water, they search among the branches. How could they succeed? This hexagram portends failure.”

Kong Guan watched him coolly. “You’ve cast your hexagram—can you now say what dish is under the dome?”

Chang Leyuan seemed not to hear, still deep in thought. “Once, Su Qin traveled with his sword and cast this very hexagram. He met Lord Shang, whose jealousy thwarted him, just as predicted. As the verse goes: ‘To seek fish among the branches is folly; though you catch none, no harm will come. But should you try to force the outcome, your plans shall come to naught.’”

Seeing Chang Leyuan hesitate, Xiao Lianshan turned to Gu Anqi with a smirk. “See? It’s not so magical. Throwing a few coins won’t reveal the answer—he’s been standing there forever and still can’t say. Leyuan, Leyuan, looks more like he’ll end up in tears.”

A thought struck me. I dipped my finger in wine and wrote a few characters on the table, then covered them with my hand.

“What are you writing?” Gu Anqi leaned over.

“If my reasoning is correct, I know the name of the dish.”

“What is it?” Xiao Lianshan pressed eagerly.

Suddenly, Chang Leyuan’s eyes lit up. Nodding, he said to Kong Guan, “’Seeking fish among the trees’—the dish must involve fish, but fish live in water, not in trees. Since it’s ‘fish in a tree,’ and fish cannot climb, but squirrels can—this dish must be Squirrel Fish!”

“Reveal it,” Kong Guan commanded calmly.

The attendant removed the silver dome, unveiling a brilliantly colored, crisp, tender, sweet-and-sour Squirrel Fish. The dish is named for its appearance—after careful carving and frying, the fish resembles a squirrel, golden and succulent, finished with a glossy sauce.

A wave of exclamations swept through the courtyard, leaving even Xiao Lianshan speechless. He quickly brushed aside my hand, revealing the words “Squirrel Fish” written in wine.

“…You really can predict it?!”

“King Wen’s sixty-four hexagrams are indeed accurate for present matters, and Chang Leyuan’s reputation is well-earned. Interpreting this hexagram was not so difficult,” I replied.

Yue Qianling, always skeptical of the mystical arts, had grown half-convinced after seeing what I could do. Now, watching me deduce the unseen dish from the hexagram, she exclaimed in astonishment, “What game are you playing? If you knew, why didn’t you go up yourself?”

I forced a wry smile, rubbing my temples. I’d felt dizzy and nauseous since the banquet began. “I’m not feeling well—let’s see how things go. There are still six seats left.”

Gu Xiaotian, clearly pleased, gestured to the seat. “True skill—please, have a seat! Six seats remain. Now is the time to show your mettle. The seats will not wait—let your abilities speak.”

“May I borrow your coins for a moment?” The next to step forward was a broad-faced man.

Chang Leyuan politely pushed the coins toward him. The man tossed three coins back and forth six times, carefully recording each result.

“Zhou Fu is wading into the waters as well,” Lan Qing murmured thoughtfully.

“You know him?” Yue Qianling asked.

“He’s a senior in the field, and certainly not one to be underestimated.”

Xiao Lianshan, puzzled by the different methods, asked, “Brother, why did Chang Leyuan use six coins at once, but Zhou Fu only used three coins, tossing them six times?”

I smiled gently and explained, “The Six Lines Hexagram answers all worldly matters; the Eight Characters reveal all people. To divine about people, you use Eight Characters. For events, Six Lines are more precise. Zhou Fu is using the Six Lines method for divination.”