Chapter 80: Defying Fate and Changing Destiny

The two participants who had competed earlier were clearly of different value; in this regard, Song Huiyuan was far superior to Zhou Fu, so for the moment, Song Huiyuan held first place.

The third contestant to take the stage was Lu Yong. He chose his person much faster than the previous two, as if he had already made up his mind beforehand. He walked right up and selected the last person in the line.

Seeing whom Lu Yong picked, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration—Lu Yong truly lived up to his reputation. Setting aside the person’s birth date and time, just by observing their physiognomy, the signs were clear. This person’s palace of fate and glabella were suffused with purple energy, which surged upward to the root of the nose. It was certain that today this person would come into wealth. It seemed that Lu Yong was also a master of physiognomy!

The individual chosen by Lu Yong selected a stone of moderate size from the pile. When the stone-cutter sliced it open, a strip of translucent jade, as thick as a thumb, appeared inside. The crowd gasped in awe—such a large and high-quality piece of jade was simply priceless.

After the three had finished, the rankings were: Lu Yong in first, Song Huiyuan second, and Zhou Fu third.

The fourth contestant was Teng Guoyuan. Unlike the previous three, he didn’t bother with birth dates or times. Instead, he circled each person, finally choosing the thinnest among those remaining.

Gu Anqi had told me that Teng Guoyuan was renowned in Hong Kong’s metaphysics circles. Watching him select someone today, it was clear he was extraordinary—he observed the Five Forms.

To judge a person, one must first discern their Five Forms: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Metal grants resilience and fortitude; Wood signifies abundant wealth; Water confers literary distinction; Fire brings quick wit; Earth bestows generosity and prosperity. Those of Metal are fair-skinned and prefer white; Wood types are lean and favor green; Water types are plump and dark; Fire types are sharp and red; Earth types are broad and yellowish. When the forms are correct, one enjoys wealth, honor, longevity, and good fortune; when contrary, one faces poverty and misfortune.

A Wood type is slim but with sturdy bones, lean yet not withered, with a clear and upright spirit and a greenish hue—honest, upright, and incapable of cunning, earning respect. The person selected by Teng Guoyuan was precisely such a type.

Just as I had finished my thought, the person had already chosen a stone. In the world of stone gambling, there are no true experts, especially without any tools. Yet, when the plain, unremarkable stone was cut open, the crowd was left in utter shock. Compared to the stone revealed by Lu Yong earlier, this one was simply beyond words—even a layman could see that there was enough jade for at least two bracelets, with plenty left over.

After four had finished, the rankings changed once more: Teng Guoyuan moved into first place, with Zhou Fu still at the bottom.

The fifth contestant was Chang Leyuan. Only three people remained to choose from, so his options were limited.

His selection proved lackluster. When the stone-cutter sliced it open, the result was mediocre—slightly better than Zhou Fu’s, but not by much.

At last, only two were left on the field: Ouyang Cuo and myself.

Unlike the others, Ouyang Cuo kept his eyes fixed on the nose of the person in front of him.

“Put your hand down,” he said.

The person, suffering from a cold and sneezing incessantly, had been holding a tissue to his nose. When he lowered his hand, Ouyang Cuo smiled slowly.

As Ouyang Cuo smiled, my own expression dimmed.

The nose is the star of wealth, the earth’s abode, a sign of vast stores and abundant fortune—upright, full, and luminous, a life blessed with riches. This person’s nose was full and glowing, signifying ample wealth. Furthermore, due to the cold, the constant rubbing had turned the nose bright red—a crimson streak across it, indicating a windfall today. Added to this, the person’s birth chart showed an abundance of Metal, and Metal, when supported by robust Earth, yields treasures—whatever he attempted today would succeed.

Sure enough, when the stone was cut open, the entire crowd was moved. The jade inside, both in quality and size, far surpassed what the previous five contestants had revealed.

Ouyang Cuo deservedly took first place. The remaining rankings were Teng Guoyuan, Lu Yong, Song Huiyuan, Chang Leyuan, and Zhou Fu.

Now, only I and a single unchosen person remained on the field.

Looking at the person before me, I was at a loss for words. In every respect, not only was this person’s fortune dire today, but his entire life seemed destined to be one of hardship, poverty, and loneliness, utterly devoid of good fortune.

His features were as poor as could be: a thin face with a heavy body foretold lifelong poverty; sparse hair and thin skin, both signs of penury; brows grown together, signifying a life of hardship; eyes large and floating like those of a sheep—a portent of misfortune; a solitary body with empty hands, a life without possessions; a nose with a high bridge like a carp, a narrow root, and a drooping tip—eyes showing too much white, all signs of a lonely existence.

In short, there was not a single redeeming feature in him. I caught a glimpse of Yue Leiting silently lowering his head; even Lan Qing at his side must have noticed and informed him of the man’s wretched fate.

According to the rules, I had to hand my own number plate to this person. Even so simple a task, I managed to draw attention—I stumbled on the perfectly flat courtyard, striking my forehead on a stone. The cut wasn’t deep, but blood streamed down my hand.

I passed the plate over, stained with my blood. The man accepted it with obvious distaste, but still got blood on his hand.

I knew very well that for the six contestants who had already competed, as well as Kong Guan and Wei Yu, the contest had effectively ended once Ouyang Cuo made his selection. I was merely going through the motions; the outcome was clear to all.

When the stone-cutter sliced open my chosen stone, it was completely barren—not a trace of jade, nothing but a mass of black grime.

This stone was probably the easiest to appraise today. Since it contained nothing, it was of no value, and the rankings were settled—I came in last.

Gu Xiaotian rose slowly from his chair, ready to announce the results, when suddenly the previously quiet courtyard grew noisy. Almost every eye turned in the same direction, and voices rose in a growing clamor.

Gu Xiaotian frowned and looked to the side. A flash of emerald, refracted by the sunlight, struck his eyes so brightly that he squinted.

I held the waste stone that had just been cut. Stripped of its black grime, there was a patch of unbelievable deep green.

“Imperial Green!” Gu Xiaotian, always so composed, was momentarily dumbstruck when he saw the jade in my stone.

In the sunlight, the raw stone in my hand revealed a heavy, lake-green hue, almost blue at first glance, shifting mysteriously with the light.

Not only was it Imperial Green, but it was of the glutinous variety—the finest among jades. The texture was silky, the translucence exquisite, the green filaments floating within, dense and sparkling. Imperial Green is renowned for its inner depth and is priceless.

Wei Yu was speechless, but his expression betrayed his astonishment. He came to my side, took my hand, and, seeing the wound on my brow, suddenly burst into laughter as if he’d found a treasure more precious than Imperial Green itself.

Kong Guan also came over and, after a long look, said in shock, “You… you can actually defy fate!”

I responded with a modest smile, saying it was just luck.

With the Imperial Green in my hand, it was clear I had won. Before Gu Xiaotian could declare the results, Yue Qianling and the others had already gathered around.

“Changing fate through blood!” Gu Anqi said joyfully. “Yan Hui, you’re incredible. I heard my father say that the highest level of physiognomy is not merely reading or predicting fate, but changing it. You hurt your forehead, and you have the fate of an emperor; your blood is the essence of your being, and dragon’s blood is the mark of great fortune. By giving your blood to that person, you changed his fate—meaning that any stone chosen from that pile would have been the best.”

“That’s too risky,” Xiao Lianshan said with lingering fear. “What if something worse had happened?”

“That’s what makes Yan Hui so kind-hearted,” Lan Qing said approvingly. “He could have changed that man’s fate, but destiny is fixed. If he were to alter his fate entirely, it would only invite disaster. Heaven’s will cannot be defied. By using his own blood, Yan Hui temporarily changed the man’s fate, but once the blood dried, the man’s destiny would revert to what it was—so there’s no real effect.”

I rubbed my forehead and smiled—not because I had won, but because, seeing Yue Qianling’s expression, I knew she wouldn’t make things difficult for me today.