Eliza Doolittle sat in her dorm room, her heart racing as she awoke from yet another vivid dream. The dream had been haunting her for three consecutive days, each time feeling more real than the last. She had experienced this same dream when she was eighteen, and it had nearly cost her life. After a series of medical examinations turned up no answers, a wandering Taoist had performed a ritual that had set her on the path to recovery.
Shaking off the remnants of the dream, Eliza reached for the jade pendant the Taoist had given her years ago. In the dim light of her phone, she was horrified to see a crack running through the once flawless stone. She had worn it religiously, even through showers, and it had kept her safe for four years. But now, it was broken, and she feared the malevolent spirit had returned.
With no desire to return to sleep, Eliza quietly got up, freshened up, and left the dorm without disturbing her roommates. She made her way to the City God Temple in Jingyun City, known for its efficacy in warding off evil spirits.
Arriving early, she found the temple nearly deserted except for a few Taoist priests cleaning the courtyard. She entered the main hall, paid her respects to the City God and his attendant judges, and then approached the divination sticks. Though she didnt believe in ghosts and deities, she approached them with a reverent heart.
Closing her eyes, Eliza shook the stick tube, and a stick fell to the ground. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the three red characters indicating a sign of the worst kind. Looking around to make sure she was alone, she quickly returned the stick to the tube, deciding to try again.
This time, two sticks fell. Among them was one marked with a sign of the best kind. Eliza couldnt help but smile as she picked up the fortunate stick, ignoring the other one that had fallen, which was the same bad sign she had drawn initially.
A young man with short, neat hair, captivating peach blossom eyes, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses sat at the fortune-telling table. He had an air of sophistication that was slightly tainted by a hint of roguery.
Eliza handed him the fortunate stick, but after a glance, he returned it to the tube. "I believe this is the stick you drew," he said, picking out the same bad sign she had initially drawn.
Startled, Eliza watched as the man read the inscription: "The story of Jiang Nu seeking her husband. The perilous journey is indeed a cause for worry, and its hard to avoid sorrow. Thinking carefully about the thousands of miles away, the mountains and rivers are vast and distant." He looked at Eliza and smiled, "It speaks of the futility of Jiang Nus search for her husband, but in your case, it warns of the importance of chastity."
"Chastity?" Eliza was puzzled.
"Not in the conventional sense. I see your heart is stirred by romantic feelings, and I suspect youre involved in a love triangle. Have you been seeing two men at the same time?" The man, who introduced himself as Lance, raised an eyebrow, his eyes fixed on Elizas face with an intrigued expression.
Eliza stared at him, expecting some profound insight, but all she heard was nonsense. She had been with Jamie Fraser for two years, and she knew very well she wasnt seeing another man.
Lance merely smiled and said, "My name is Lance, and Im a renowned fortune teller here. Please add some oil money, and Ill help you remove this bad luck. Good things will naturally come to you."
"Forget it, youre just a fraud!" Eliza couldnt help but scold him and turned to leave.
Lance, upset at being called a fraud, hurriedly said, "Dont dismiss my words. The two boats youre standing on are significant, one a boat of the dead and one of the living. It wont be easy on you! Next time you come to me, it wont be at this price!"
Ignoring his prattle, Eliza left, her anger palpable. As she walked back, the summer sun was high, but she felt a chill. The path through the school was lined with locust trees, and as she walked under them, the coolness intensified, and her head felt dizzy. She looked up to see specks of light filtering through the leaves, and something dripped onto her face. She reached up to touch it and her hand came away covered in blood.