Chapter 150: A Match Made in Heaven

On the bustling streets.

Thanks to ample preparations, the outbreak of the Black Death had not dampened the spirits of the citizens in Haitian City. It was another weekend, and alleys and avenues alike bustled with crowds of pedestrians. Naturally, there was no shortage of young couples enjoying dates and interactions, among whom Qin Yang and Liu Yan were one pair. Dressed simply in clothes that looked like bargain finds from some online shopping site and carrying a terribly ordinary bag bought off the street, they seemed to have nothing on them worth more than five hundred yuan, excluding their mobile phones. Putting aside their looks, they were an utterly ordinary yet sweetly enviable couple.

"It has been a while since I last came out for a stroll. This is wonderful." Enjoying the April sunshine, Liu Yan held her bag in one hand while happily munching on a stick of candied haws in the other. "Qin Yang, thank you really for chasing those clients away, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to properly enjoy my weekend."

"Don't mention it." Qin Yang curled his lips.

Unfazed, Liu Yan naturally pulled at Qin Yang's arm, though she whispered softly, "Your performance on this date will directly determine my attitude. If I'm not happy, watch out—I might just reject your contract, and you can forget about getting the gemstone back either."

"Damn it, you really push your luck," Qin Yang said with dissatisfaction.

"Don't be ungrateful. You should be thrilled in your heart to have a great beauty like me accompanying you on a stroll," Liu Yan rolled her eyes.

Too lazy to continue the conversation, Qin Yang instructed the butler to locate the souls of the Three Divine Physicians of the Jian'an era. Among the three, the one he most wanted to find was naturally Hua Tuo. The globally renowned reputation of this divine physician was no exaggeration; even after thousands of years, he remained a household name. In comparison, Zhang Zhongjing was easily susceptible to being framed as a drug dealer—after all, Cold-Damp Powder was classified by many nowadays as poison, whereas it was actually a thorough medicinal formula, ruined only by healthy idiots who took it blindly and then blamed the medicine. As for Dong Feng, his name might not ring as loudly, but *Xinglin*, the synonym for traditional Chinese medicine, originated from him, and he was a grandmaster of his generation.

The positioning function proved effective.

"Currently, we have only detected the locations of Zhang Zhongjing and Dong Feng. As for Hua Tuo, he likely exceeds our detection range, or perhaps this fellow is hiding deep enough to evade our search," the butler said. "Generally, powerful spirits possess concealment skills that allow them to evade Hell's searches. As for Zhang Zhongjing, he is eight hundred kilometers north from here; as for Dong Feng, he is five hundred kilometers west. I would actually suggest you go find Dong Feng. Rumor has it that this fellow lived for three hundred years in the mortal realm. Although there are fictional elements, his longevity techniques are definitely the absolute best of the contemporary era."

"Indeed, I have also heard this rumor," Yuwen Rou nu said. "Dong Feng, courtesy name Junyi, has the kindest heart. Whenever commoners suffered from hardship or illness, he would certainly emerge from the mountains to treat them without charging a single coin, and he frequently relieved the impoverished. With the outbreak of the Black Death this time around, Dong Feng will not stand by idly. You can go find Dong Feng first, and then pay a visit to Physician Saint Zhang. Zhang Zhongjing, I believe, will also not sit idly by. As for the divine physician Hua Tuo, he has always loved to travel, and I fear that even after death and finding the method, he has not shaken off this habit."

"That stubborn old man," Qin Yang muttered under his breath.

"Also, I suggest that if you truly intend to open a traditional Chinese medicine company, you had best find a living and sufficiently prestigious master of traditional Chinese medicine. After all, if you suddenly pull out a stack of miraculous cures for terminal illnesses, it will easily arouse the suspicion of other agents. You are still too weak right now; having someone of stature stand as a front will at least ensure no one suspects you," the butler advised.

"That's easy to handle. Just summon old man Han," Qin Yang was unconcerned. "This old fellow is currently begging me to intercede with his granddaughter, and I haven't figured out how to fleece him yet. Since we've run into this issue, we might as well make use of him."

While the three of them held this discussion, it thoroughly annoyed Liu Yan, who was standing nearby. This fellow was still preoccupied even while out on a date; was he here for a date or to brood in deep thought? Snorting softly, she let go of Qin Yang's arm and walked off on her own. Startled by this action and patting his forehead in helplessness, Qin Yang hurried forward and smiled bitterly, "I just zoned out for a moment."

"Is that so?" Liu Yan no longer seemed to possess the aura of a tender young girl from moments before; instead, her entire being radiated a noble aura so imposing that people dared not approach her. Lao Qin cared least about auras and said, "Truly, I promise it won't happen again."

With all her imposing aura instantly retracted, Liu Yan flashed a satisfied smile, her speed of shifting expressions leaving Qin Yang quite helpless.

"Qin Yang, before your date with her, let me add one more thing. You must remember that regardless of which of the three divine physicians you choose, you will need a treasure sufficiently rich in spiritual energy to host their souls. While the spiritual energy within the Yin-Yang Jade Pendant is abundant, it is still insufficient to support the simultaneous existence of two spirits."

After the butler finished speaking, Qin Yang nodded helplessly.

Unaware of this exchange, Liu Yan asked instead, "You're the man. Where are you taking us to play?"

"Shall we go grab some dim sum first? Then hit the amusement park, watch a movie, and afterward head to a hotel?" Qin Yang said instinctively. No sooner had the words left his mouth than he felt a wave of icy-cold murderous intent, terrifying him into hastily correcting himself: "Not a hotel, an amusement park! And if there's enough time, we can make a trip to the antique street; I want to buy some trinkets."

"That's more like it." Liu Yan nodded in satisfaction.

The pairing of a handsome man and a striking woman was not uncommon, and on this street, there were plenty of men more handsome than Qin Yang. However, there truly wasn't a single woman more beautiful than Liu Yan. Consequently, in the eyes of many, this combination of a beauty and a crude beast drew frequent glances. After all, in the minds of most, the husband of such an exquisite beauty should be an overwhelmingly handsome hero, rather than this man who looked merely mildly handsome yet unremarkable. However, old men with discerning eyes or women with sharp intuition could sense that a dark, pure aura perpetually lingered around Qin Yang.

Even when Liu Yan curiously pulled Qin Yang over to a fortune-telling stall at the entrance of an antique street, the Daoist priest, who appeared to be in his fifties, turned pale green and trembled all over.

"Mister, are you alright?" Liu Yan asked, frowning slightly.

Swallowing hard, the fortune-telling Daoist priest trembled as he said, "I, I am quite well."

"Look at you and your lack of spine. With just that bit of skill, you still want to come out and scam people?" Qin Yang said with dissatisfaction.

Hearing this, the Daoist priest almost cursed aloud. He actually possessed some genuine skills, having studied various classics and living a peaceful life in a Daoist temple on a nearby mountain. He had a steady stream of incense-offering patrons daily. People consulted him for fortune-telling perhaps just to seek good luck, but his eloquence made sense, and his words often proved remarkably effective. Word of mouth had made locals quite fond of having him check feng shui or read physiognomy. In this corner of the city, he lived a carefree existence. Yet today, upon seeing Qin Yang and Liu Yan, he felt a twinge of fear. He could usually read a thing or two into the destiny-grid of ordinary people, determining with some basis whether their fate conflicted with the Five Elements. Even if people didn't believe it entirely, following his advice usually kept them safe. But today, looking at Qin Yang and Liu Yan, he had nearly been frightened out of his wits.

Liu Yan appeared to possess no destiny-grid whatsoever, resembling a blank sheet of paper. Even the most ordinary person possessed their own innate destiny-grid that dictated the trajectory of their life, yet on Liu Yan, he could truly discern nothing. When he looked at Qin Yang, it was even more terrifying. Was this fellow even human? Why, upon closer inspection, could he perceive countless possibilities of destiny-grids within him? Everything he had ever known was embodied within Qin Yang—the Separation Bright Grid, the Harmonious Palace Grid, and so on—like a grand hash-mash, yet simultaneously representing an entire world.

"A match made in heaven, a match made in heaven," the Daoist priest recovered his breath, stood up, and said excitedly, "Judging by the young lady's accent, she must be from the capital? And the young brother's accent sounds like someone from our southeastern regions. For two people separated by a thousand miles to come together like this, there must have been an expert guiding them. I wonder if you might introduce me? I am truly in awe."

"Huh?" Liu Yan's expression shifted.

Qin Yang, however, narrowed his eyes. Ah, so there was someone behind the scenes pulling the strings after all.

"Let's go." Looking somewhat displeased, Liu Yan tugged at Qin Yang, preparing to leave.

Qin Yang, however, said, "Hear him out. Old Daoist, are you saying the two of us are a match made in heaven?"

"Indeed," the Daoist priest completely missed Liu Yan's gesturing hand and said excitedly, "This young lady's astral fate is blank, resembling a blank sheet of paper. To put it bluntly, she would not live past the age of twenty-four. Yet unexpectedly, she met you—someone possessing myriads of structural grids, which coincidentally compensates for this young lady's severe deficiency. How can this not be a match made in heaven?"

"Oh?" Qin Yang smiled. "So you're saying someone foresaw that we were a match made in heaven and deliberately brought the two of us together?"

The Daoist priest nodded. "Precisely. I surmise that the two of you have known each other for less than half a year. Judging by your reserved demeanor, I can also tell that the two of you have been on fewer than three dates. Since you were separated by a thousand miles, someone must have perceived your special destiny-grid and thus arranged to bring you together."

"Many thanks." Qin Yang fished out a five-hundred-yuan note from his wallet and tossed it onto the stall.

The Daoist priest, however, hesitated slightly.

"What is it?" Qin Yang asked curiously, noticing the look of a petitioner on the man's face.

"Something abnormal has been happening in my Daoist temple recently—there may be some unclean things about. Therefore, I would like to invite you to come pay a visit," the Daoist priest hesitated before adding, "If you refuse, never mind."

"That's no problem. We can go right now if you like," Qin Yang raised no objections.

Upon hearing this, the Daoist priest immediately began packing up his stall.

Standing to the side, he glanced at Liu Yan, whose face had turned somewhat pale.

"What's wrong?" Qin Yang asked amusedly.

"Don't you doubt me?" Liu Yan glanced at the Daoist priest.

Qin Yang shrugged and smiled. "Come on now, when you brazenly threw yourself at my doorstep, I found it suspicious and kept refusing this marriage. Now it appears someone was worried about your safety and thus sent you to me. If I feel any disappointment, it's just a little—I had hoped you truly believed I wasn't some wastrel, but it turns out someone guided you through your doubts. You must realize that among those who know my past, aside from Qi Mengwei, no one would believe me."

As he spoke, a trace of bitterness and self-deprecation laced Qin Yang's laughter.

"I, I'm sorry," Liu Yan hesitated before murmuring softly. "However, I truly believe you now. You really aren't the wastrel the rumors make you out to be."

"Ha," Qin Yang chuckled. "Alright, let's go sit at his Daoist temple and see if there really are any unclean things about." He paused, then added, "Liu Yan, I, Qin Yang, will never fail anyone. Since you chose to come by my side, I will absolute not let you down."