Chapter 983: Divination

“You should be my master!”

Princess Qingyun gazed at Wang Chen with eager anticipation, her large eyes brimming with innocent naivety.

She likely hadn’t given it much thought, much like a hungry child instinctively reaching for sweet food.

But Wang Chen was not one to agree so easily!

Princess Qingyun was the younger sister of the Emperor of the Great Liang, born with privilege and a noble destiny. Every word and action of hers affected the honor of the royalty. It was already quite audacious for her to leave the palace on her own to seek out Wang Chen.

This princess enjoyed the favor of Emperor Shaowu and had the privilege to act willfully.

Yet Wang Chen could not afford to be reckless.

He had come to Cangqing Realm to obtain the world’s essence and had embarked on the path of destiny based on his own insights.

As of now, Wang Chen had tied his fate to that of the Great Liang; their fortunes were intertwined—if one prospered, the other would, and vice versa.

However, he needed to remain cautious, retaining the possibility of jumping ship if necessary.

Being the teacher of Princess Qingyun was no simple task; the resulting changes in fate were utterly unpredictable.

He had just felt a strong sense of alertness.

Wang Chen was currently treading carefully on his path of destiny, and there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

In fact, he had already crossed a line by helping Princess Qingyun unblock her meridians.

To take this princess as his disciple…

“Your Highness, born of noble blood, and I, a humble servant with little virtue, can never dare to take on such a heavy responsibility.”

Wang Chen replied, “Please understand, Your Highness.”

In response to Wang Chen’s refusal, Princess Qingyun puffed out her cheeks and said, “You are more capable than those old Taoists; what’s the problem with being my teacher? Do you need silver? I can provide it!”

“It is not a matter of silver.”

Wang Chen smiled wryly, “How about this, Your Highness? If His Majesty agrees, then I am willing to guide you on the path of entry.”

The consequences of privately taking Princess Qingyun as a disciple were unpredictable. However, if Emperor Shaowu were to decree it, the situation would be entirely different.

One was a private teaching, the other a legitimate path, and the benefits and drawbacks needed no further discussion!

“Really?”

Princess Qingyun’s eyes lit up at once: “You must not be lying to me, right?”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

Wang Chen smiled and said, “I can first teach you the technique of guiding energy. After that, you can ask His Majesty to make a decision.”

Although he had opened all of Princess Qingyun’s meridians, the pathways of the needles were narrow, and if the blockages in her meridians were not addressed in time, they would inevitably become blocked again over time.

If he needed to unblock them later, Princess Qingyun would endure even more pain.

Guiding her meridians required patience and effort on her part, so it would be inconvenient for Wang Chen to intervene further.

Princess Qingyun eagerly agreed, “Okay!”

Thus, Wang Chen began to teach the technique of guiding energy to the princess.

The technique of guiding energy is not an advanced method, but for someone who has never encountered Dao methods, mastering it is no easy feat.

However, Princess Qingyun’s extraordinary comprehension left Wang Chen utterly amazed.

She nearly grasped the essence of the technique of guiding energy in a single attempt, and after Wang Chen’s guidance, she was able to independently guide a strand of Innate Energy within her body to circulate through her meridians.

With continuous practice, this strand of Innate Energy would grow stronger, dissolving all blockages in her meridians, and eventually, she would be able to open her Upper Dantian.

Once her Upper Dantian was successfully opened, her starting point on the path of entry would surpass that of the vast majority of people in the world.

This was what it meant to be born with a Dao seed—it was simply extraordinary!

To be honest, if it weren’t for the concern over changes in fate, Wang Chen would not have let such a genius in cultivation slip away so easily.

When Princess Qingyun fully mastered the technique of guiding energy and enthusiastically continued her practice, Uncle Sun finally couldn’t hold back: “Your Highness, if you do not return to the palace soon, something serious will happen!”

While a brief private departure from the palace was manageable for Princess Qingyun, if it dragged on and the stern Empress Dowager found out, heads might roll—this was no laughing matter!

“I understand.”

Though Princess Qingyun was naive and willful, she knew the gravity of the situation. She ducked her head slightly and said, “Then let’s go back now.”

She then bowed to Wang Chen and said, “Wang Qiandu, thank you for helping me unblock my meridians. After I return to the palace, I will have Uncle Sun send you some silver.”

Wang Chen smiled and replied, “Alright.”

As for the phoenix hairpin that Princess Qingyun wanted to leave as a keepsake, he declined—there was no need for it.

After seeing off Princess Qingyun and her entourage, Wang Chen sat in the hall, lost in thought for a long time.

The princess’s sudden visit made him feel the presence of fate’s power, which had also influenced his own energy flow. Whether this was a blessing or a curse, he could not yet tell.

His intuition told Wang Chen that any decision he made regarding this matter would have a profound impact on his future!

It could either propel him to great heights or lead to the complete ruin of all his previous efforts.

After some contemplation, Wang Chen retrieved three copper coins from his storage space.

These were coins he had specifically acquired from the founding era of Emperor Taizu of the Great Liang, all in pristine condition and imbued with a trace of dynastic fortune, making them ideal for divination using the Six Yarrow Stalks method.

Drawing the lots, posing the question, and shaking the coins, Wang Chen tossed the three copper coins onto the table.

An astonishing sight unfolded—the three coins all stood upright!

【Fortune -1】

Wang Chen was speechless.

The Six Yarrow Stalks method had failed, and he had lost 1 point of fortune. This divination had turned out to be a significant loss.

Wang Chen quickly put the coins away, deciding not to attempt another divination.

He suspected that if he tried again, the cost might exceed just 1 point of fortune; he might even suffer a backlash to his foundational cultivation!

Meanwhile, as Wang Chen was performing the divination, Princess Qingyun quietly returned to the palace.

In truth, this was not the first time Princess Qingyun had left the palace without permission, but this was the longest she had been away.

Fortunately, with help both inside and outside the palace, no major incidents had occurred.

Princess Qingyun eagerly sought out Emperor Shaowu.

As she was deeply favored by the emperor, she could move freely within the palace, with almost no place off-limits to her.

She rushed excitedly to the imperial study, bursting in and calling out, “Brother Emperor!”

Emperor Shaowu was reviewing official documents. Upon seeing his sister barge into the study, he did not grow angry but instead smiled warmly: “Qingyun, you’ve been out playing again, haven’t you?”

Though not a saintly ruler, this Daye Emperor had maintained firm control over the palace for many years.

While Princess Qingyun might evade the notice of the Empress Dowager, who spent her days in prayer and meditation, it was impossible to deceive him.

In fact, without Emperor Shaowu’s tacit approval, Princess Qingyun would not have been able to step foot outside the forbidden palace.

But while one or two excursions were tolerable, frequent escapades were absolutely out of the question.

Emperor Shaowu would have to admonish her.

Princess Qingyun stuck out her tongue, ran over, and hugged his arm, whispering softly, “Brother, I have a favor to ask of you.”