"Every pitiful person has a detestable side?"
When Wu Tian spoke, the crowd was stunned. What could that possibly mean?
"Could it be..." Master Li, the Fortune Teller, hazarded a guess, glancing strangely at the man seeking a divination.
"What do you mean? Are you saying my family’s death is my fault?" The seeker couldn’t believe it and cried out, "That’s impossible! I haven’t done anything wrong. I’ve never killed anyone, so I couldn’t have made any enemies."
Wu Tian looked at the man and said coldly, "Have you ever heard the saying, ’A kind word warms for three winters, while a harsh one wounds even in the heat of summer’? You think you’ve done nothing wrong. Heh. Do you remember when you were young, during your school days, how you used to verbally abuse others? You would punch someone for no reason, and when they got angry, you couldn’t care less. You thought you were protected by your backers outside, so you did whatever you pleased in the private school. That time was very free and happy for you, wasn’t it?"
"You... you mean..." The color drained from the seeker’s face. He gritted his teeth and said, "That was just childish joking."
Wu Tian chuckled. "A joke to you, but an insult to him. You slandered him without cause, gave him nicknames, and punched and kicked him for no reason." Wu Tian had already divined everything, and as he spoke, the seeker’s body trembled violently.
Wu Tian snorted and continued, "When you were young, with power at home and backing on the streets, you acted with impunity. The one you bullied was a good person, but did his kindness give you the right to torment him? He was good-natured at heart, but your constant bullying planted a nail in him—the nail of hatred. That nail took root, motivating him to strive for greatness. Now, he has achieved success and fame, serving as a great minister of the state.
"You, on the other hand, thought bullying was fun, just a joke that no one would take seriously! Your family was wealthy, making you the son of a local dignitary, so he didn’t dare to retaliate back then. But now that he is a minister, did you really think he wouldn’t seek revenge? For the deaths of your parents, your wife, and your son, he is half to blame, but you are the other half! The true culprit? He is merely an accomplice. The real murderer is you! You personally planted that nail called hatred in his heart. You thought your childhood bullying and jokes were no big deal! Heh, do you see the consequences now?"
BOOM!
At Wu Tian’s words, a complex expression fell over everyone’s face. The seeker was utterly dumbfounded. He had never imagined that the deaths of his parents, wife, and son were all because he was a mischievous child who loved to bully his classmates.
"Just... just because of that?" the seeker muttered.
"Just?" Hearing this, Wu Tian looked at him with disgust. "It was a joke in your eyes, but not in his. Did he agree to be part of your ’joke’? Did he agree to the nicknames you gave him? Did he agree to you hitting him for no reason?
"I will not tell you who the killer is. This is a feud between the two of you. Even now, you still have this attitude, believing you did nothing wrong back then? A person like you does not deserve to live." Wu Tian’s tone was chilling and completely unapologetic.
The man collapsed to the ground. In his childhood, his family was rich and influential, and he loved to fight. He went to the private school not to learn, but to find people to bully. Most of those he tormented were the children of the poor. Looking back, he used to recall that time with joy; after all, it was a carefree period in his life where he could do anything he wanted. But he never thought it would lead to such consequences!
He had bullied several people. Most of them endured it quietly and didn’t amount to much as they grew up. He never expected that one of them was exceptionally talented and would actually become a minister. "I was wrong... I was wrong." The man immediately bit his tongue and took his own life. Not a single person in the crowd pitied him.
Wu Tian turned to Master Li and said coldly, "As a Fortune Teller, there are people you should help and people you shouldn’t. Surely you know this?"
The onlookers exchanged glances, finding it hard to believe. This young man actually dared to lecture the esteemed Master Li? Wasn’t he afraid of his anger? Everyone expected Master Li to become furious. They watched as his face turned pale, then flushed red from the young man’s words, assuming he was about to erupt. But in the next moment, Master Li let out a long breath. He cupped his hands in a bow toward Wu Tian and said, "Sir, your teachings are sound."
This gesture startled everyone. No one had expected Master Li to show such deference instead of anger. How was this possible? Wu Tian sized up Master Li and gave a slight nod. The profession of Fortune Teller was something Wu Tian himself had introduced to the Immortal Emperor Realm. It was no exaggeration to call Wu Tian the ancestor of all Fortune Tellers. He was quite pleased to find someone like Master Li among their ranks.
Filled with remorse, Master Li said, "Upon careful reflection, sir, your words are indeed true. For years, I have told fortunes for certain people and always felt a heaviness in my heart. Now I understand why!"
Wu Tian stood with his hands behind his back and declared, "To know your faults and be able to correct them is the greatest of virtues."
Master Li nodded. A thought struck him, and he took a piece of paper and a brush from his stall. "’To know your faults and be able to correct them is the greatest of virtues.’ That phrase shall be the motto of my life! Sir, I implore you, please write it on this paper for me. I will have a plaque made of it, to remember for the rest of my days."
"Very well," Wu Tian said with a smile, taking the writing brush. The brush and paper were also things Wu Tian had invented when he first came to the Immortal Emperor Realm. Back in the era of the Creation Martial Emperor, during the Desolate Ancient period, it could be said that without Wu Tian, the glorious world of today would not exist.
Taking the brush, Wu Tian’s hand moved with fluid grace, his strokes dancing like dragons and snakes as he wrote upon the white paper. Though his original paper had been crude, he was delighted to see that after millennia, the people of the Immortal Emperor Realm had greatly refined it.
As Master Li watched Wu Tian write out the phrase "To know your faults and be able to correct them is the greatest of virtues," his initial happiness slowly gave way to shock. He realized something, and his eyes widened in utter disbelief.
"I take my leave," Wu Tian said, turning to depart with Qin Yuhan and the others.
After a long moment, Master Li returned to his senses. He saw Wu Tian’s back about to disappear from view. "May I ask, where can I find you?" Master Li shouted.
"Tianlong Domain." Wu Tian’s voice drifted back as his figure vanished.
"Tianlong Domain..." Master Li repeated in a whisper. Watching the spot where Wu Tian had disappeared, a fervent light began to burn in his eyes. My skill in Physiognomy must advance, and my opportunity lies with this man. Additionally, he picked up the white paper. His gaze then shifted to his stall’s sign and the four characters carved there—’Three Divinations a Day’—his expression growing excited as he murmured incessantly, "A clue... This is the clue."
His young attendant and the people nearby were completely baffled. Master Li seemed to have become possessed. What in the world was going on?