Chapter 78: An Unworthy Victory

Yue Leiting collapsed into the chair, utterly spent, and let out a long sigh of relief. Yue Qianling and Gu Anqi stared with wide eyes, speechless for a long moment, while Lan Qing stood with her mouth slightly agape in astonishment.

After a brief silence in the courtyard, a wave of startled murmurs erupted.

Mapo Tofu, a renowned dish from Sichuan cuisine—one of the eight great culinary traditions—was famed for its main ingredient, tofu. Its unique qualities were summed up by eight words: numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, crisp, tender, fresh, and lively—a culinary mantra.

And now, beneath the silver cloche, there appeared a plate of tender, pale tofu, lightly golden in hue: Mapo Tofu.

Gu Xiaotian looked up at me, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on his lips.
“Truly, the younger generation surpasses the old. Who would have thought that at your age, your skill in divination would be so remarkable?”

Kong Guan, usually expressionless, also offered a rare, faint smile and remarked in admiration,
“Your seventh divination was not only swift but accurate. At your age, with time, your future will be limitless. I, the blind Kong, must admit you put me to shame!”

My grandfather had truly amazed everyone. The others who had already taken their seats all stood to offer their congratulations, save for Ouyang Cuo, whose expression remained grave. From his performance, it was clear his mastery of the Dao far surpassed the rest, and in terms of sheer strength, I doubted he viewed any of these people as his match.

Yet even so, he dared not attempt the seventh divination, for the variables were too great and he lacked absolute confidence. That was why he had rushed to take the sixth spot before me. But he had not expected that I would divine the answer so quickly and accurately. His expression, beyond astonishment, now held a trace of wariness toward me.

Xiao Lianshan, beaming with pride, turned to Yue Qianling and boasted,
“I told you not to worry so much. My brother is the type who lies low only to stun the world when he finally acts. Did you see that? What a commanding presence! Compared to the previous six, he’s a landslide winner!”

“How… how did he do it?” Yue Qianling pouted, still unable to believe her eyes. “Mom, what method did he use for his divination?”

“I… I don’t know either,” Lan Qing said with a regretful shake of her head. “Yan Hui is truly an enigma. I won’t claim to know everything, but when it comes to divination, I have some experience. I’m familiar with countless methods, yet I couldn’t see through what he did at all. Even Ouyang Cuo needs time to break a hex, but Yan Hui spoke his answer the instant he sat down, just as quickly as Ouyang. His level of divination is truly otherworldly. I’m left in the dust—how could I possibly understand!”

The happiest people in the courtyard now, aside from Xiao Lianshan, were Yue Leiting and myself.

“What does it matter how it’s done, as long as Yan Hui wins? Still, I never expected him to win so easily. Really, with skills like that, why not just sit down early and get it over with—had to keep us all on edge until the last moment. My heart nearly gave out just now!” Yue Leiting exclaimed.

Almost everyone in the courtyard was discussing my final divination. Gu Xiaotian slowly raised his hand, and the courtyard fell silent once again.

“I set out seven seats. If you have the ability, you may sit; if not, you must stand. Now that all the seats are filled, the rest of you may enjoy the feast I’ve arranged. Set your minds at ease and watch the remaining contests.”

I thought to myself that with the first round over, those who were seated were the victors. There were now seven of us, but Gu Xiaotian’s plans for the next challenge remained a mystery. Judging by the first round, it was clear that each subsequent stage would only grow more difficult. As the chaff was winnowed away, only gold would remain. The seven who had taken their seats were all outstanding, each with unique strengths—especially Ouyang Cuo. Though I had won the first round, I felt no sense of ease.

After the banquet, Gu Xiaotian arranged for everyone to stay at his villa. Yue Leiting returned in high spirits, telling me that betting pools had opened outside on who would win the contest, and that, thanks to my dazzling performance, I was currently the favorite.

When I emerged from my bath, I found Yue Qianling waiting at my door, her head held high and fixed on me in silence. Her stare made my skin crawl, and I asked nervously,

“I haven’t done anything to upset you today. There’s another contest tomorrow. If I’ve offended you in any way, save it till after we’re home.”

“You’re not getting away that easily—you have to explain yourself today!” Yue Qianling insisted relentlessly.

“Explain what?” I asked, bewildered.

She dragged me out onto the balcony, glanced around to make sure we were alone, then smiled mysteriously.

“How did you know the dish was Mapo Tofu? Teach me, will you? My mom says you’re in a league of your own, your divination skills are unparalleled. I thought you were pretty impressive today too. Teach me, please! I’d love to learn so I can try divining for fun in the future.”

I was taken aback and forced a wry smile. “Did Aunt Lan really say that?”

“Not just my mom—everyone downstairs is saying it too. I never realized you could be so cool!” Yue Qianling sidled closer, grinning. “I never believed in any of this before, but after seeing the first contest, I’m starting to think fate and the mysteries of the universe are actually pretty interesting.”

“Cool?!” I stammered awkwardly, tense. “You may be complimenting me, but it sounds so strange coming from you. Could you please just act normal? I’m really not used to you like this!”

“What do you mean, ‘like this’?”

“You’re too gentle—not like yourself at all.”

“Qin Yanhui! Will you only be satisfied if I lose my temper?” Yue Qianling pursed her lips and glowered.

“Perfect! Just like that! I feel much better now.” Relieved, I chuckled. “Divination takes talent, a calm mind, and time—three things you happen to lack. Why bother learning?”

“I don’t care! Just tell me how you figured out that last dish was Mapo Tofu!”

“That didn’t have much to do with divination.” I laughed easily.

“It didn’t? Then how did you know?” Yue Qianling asked, amazed.

“When I lived in the mountains, there was never a chance to eat meat—there was nothing there except beans. So I ate tofu nearly every day. The old man’s one specialty was Mapo Tofu. From childhood, every meal was that dish. Now, I can’t even stand the smell of it—it makes me nauseous!” I said offhandedly.

“You… you recognized it by the smell?!” Yue Qianling pointed at me in shock.

“Of course! I was planning to grab the first seat—the first round is easier, after all. But the moment the dish was brought out, I caught a whiff of Mapo Tofu and felt dizzy and sick, but couldn’t say anything. I just had to hold myself back from vomiting.”

“So… you sat there in silence, not pondering how to divine the answer, but…” Yue Qianling hadn’t expected such an unexpected twist.

“Exactly! Once I started to feel a bit better, I saw that six people had already taken seats, and seven dishes had been served. Since the first six weren’t Mapo Tofu…” I shrugged, completely relaxed. “The last one had to be!”

“So you were just winging it! While everyone else used genuine skill, you took a shortcut. And to think my mom and everyone else have been singing your praises to the skies.” Yue Qianling didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“I don’t like that word—shortcut. Uncle Gu only said to name the dish; he didn’t specify how. Besides, it’s true that the smell of Mapo Tofu makes me want to vomit—whose fault is it for choosing that dish?” I replied with a dismissive laugh.

“That’s it! It’s over! How could my dad be foolish enough to pin his hopes on you?” Yue Qianling shook her head in despair, forcing a bitter smile. “You’re the hottest favorite in the betting pools right now. I even placed a secret bet on you to win! It’s over—looks like my money’s gone! Qin Yanhui, couldn’t you have told us sooner?”

“No one asked me! What was I supposed to say?” I replied, spreading my hands in innocence.

Yue Qianling turned away silently, shuffling back inside like a lost, soulless zombie.

I stood there, grinning foolishly, and said earnestly behind her, “Don’t go! Didn’t you want to learn divination? You may not have much talent, but if you want to learn, I’ll teach you. Don’t go—do you want to learn or not?”

“Get lost!” Yue Qianling shouted, fists clenched, not looking back. The weight of her resentment was palpable even from afar—I shivered involuntarily.

“Fine, don’t learn then.”

Just then, Xiao Lianshan came over, carrying a plate of fruit, and asked casually as he nibbled, “Bro, what did you do to Qianling this time? She looked furious.”

“Nothing much—I just told her I guessed the last dish by the smell. You have no idea, just a whiff of Mapo Tofu makes me want to vomit. I doubt I’ll ever forget that…”

Before I could finish, the plate fell from Xiao Lianshan’s hands. He stared at me in shock and alarm.

“Bro… you… you guessed it by the smell?!”

“What’s with the reaction?” I asked, confused, pointing at him. “Lianshan… don’t tell me you also bet on me to win?”

“Bro, my dear brother, why couldn’t you have said so sooner?” he cried, stomping his feet in anxiety.

I felt deeply wronged and spread my hands with a wry smile.
“None of you ever asked!”