stonecrandall Chapter 809 The never-ending Flower Goddess Festival (1)
Chapter 809 The never-ending Flower Goddess Festival (1)
Dina Zedai led Ying and her group through the bustling crowd to a brand new stall area.
As soon as they arrived, they were surrounded by enthusiastic stall owners and received a warm and cheerful welcome.
After finally getting out of the layers of enthusiasm, Paimon patted his chest, took a long breath, and said with emotion:
"Wow—the vendors around here are so welcoming! It's like they're welcoming us into their homes."
Dina Zedai chuckled and explained, "Maybe it's because they are waiting to see who is better."
She gently swept her eyes across the bustling area, "This is the divination area. Everyone setting up a stall here is an expert in the art of divination."
She continued to tell the story: The Little Auspicious Grass King once developed an unprecedented divination skill - alchemical divination.
This unique technique allows one to glimpse the trajectory of fate by interpreting the strange products produced after failed alchemical experiments.
It sounds absurd and unbelievable, but the amazing thing is that it works time and time again and is astonishingly accurate.
Since then, every time the Flower Goddess’ birthday comes, people come to set up stalls and use alchemical divination to help people clear up the fog of the future.
Later, a mysterious witch named Barbiros passed by Xumi and challenged her to "make friends through divination".
Caesar, the sage of the Order of the Lords, responded to the challenge, and the two men each used divination to try to discern the other's fate. After a contest, the two were evenly matched, with each winning and losing.
This news quietly spread to the public at some point, causing a huge uproar.
Some people began to question: alchemical divination is nothing more than a side door. Even an unknown witch needs the help of a sage to win. It shows that its foundation is shallow.
Only the traditional divination technique that has been passed down for a long time is the true orthodoxy and the royal way.
Supporters of alchemical divination naturally refused to accept this and responded with venomous remarks, and the dispute became increasingly intense.
There were quarrels and heated debates, and fortune tellers from other schools also joined the battle.
For a time, various fortune-telling masters gathered together. Although they all enjoyed a high reputation in Xumi, they argued endlessly due to their different ideas, and the situation was once tense.
In the end, they agreed to compete at the Flower God's Birthday Festival to determine the winner based on their strength.
As a result, that year's Flower Goddess Birthday Festival was exceptionally different. The Order of the Gods established a dedicated area for alchemical divination, where diviners from all schools gathered to unleash their diverse skills and mysteries.
The way to determine the winner is extremely direct - divination is conducted on the same group of visitors, and whoever's prediction is closer to reality and has a higher accuracy rate will be the winner.
Since then, this peak showdown between wisdom and intuition has continued year after year and has become one of the most fascinating traditions of the Flower Goddess Festival.
"...Today, the way fortune tellers distinguish themselves remains unchanged, but it has quietly evolved into a silent competition of skills—they attract customers by showcasing the unique advantages and subtleties of their respective fortune-telling techniques. And the constant flow of customers and guests becomes a silent declaration of victory."
After saying this, Dina Zedai chuckled, a cunning glint in her eyes: "This is why those stall owners are so attentive and enthusiastic towards us."
"After all," she leaned forward slightly, her tone carrying a hint of playful certainty, "we are directly related to whether they can take first place in this year's Flower God's Birthday Festival."
"Want to give it a try?" She winked and made an invitation.
"It sounds really interesting! Especially the alchemical divination, it feels very novel and interesting!" Paimon's eyes lit up and he jumped up excitedly.
Ying, standing beside her, nodded slightly, a hint of interest flickering across her brows. However, she dropped her eyes in a flash, lost in thought.
Barbiros... I seem to have heard this name somewhere before.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed through Ying's mind - wait! Isn't this the name of the mentor Mona once mentioned?
If I remember correctly, Mona is currently the most famous astrologer in Teyvat... Then, as for the mysterious and great Barbiros she mentioned...
And she wasn't the only one who noticed that something was wrong.
[Babylos... Does this name sound familiar? I seem to have heard it somewhere before.]
[He is said to be Mona's master. According to in-depth research by various astrologists, this person's astrological attainments far surpass Mona's, truly unfathomable.]
Wait, you mean—our venerable Sage Caesar actually used a technique of alchemical divination whose accuracy is still questionable to face off against the master of the most advanced astrologers of our time, and the result was a close call, with both sides winning and losing?
On Caesar's authority in Sumeru.
Personally, I think this statement, like the rumor about the Shiba family that "the successor to the family head must defeat the general," is just an urban legend that has gradually become mythologized through word of mouth.
(For rumors about the successor to the Shiba family, please read the last sentence at the end of Chapter 234.)
After figuring this out, Ying took a deep breath, as if to calm down all the chaotic air around her.
How could Caesar rival Mona's master in divination? Indeed, every immortal on the continent of Teyvat should not be underestimated. The knowledge and wisdom they possessed were often as deep as the abyss, far more profound than what appeared on the surface.
Although the statement that "Caesar and Barbiros have won and lost against each other in the ability to peek into fate" is most likely just a rumor spread among the people, it indirectly confirms one thing - alchemical divination is by no means groundless talk, and it must have its own unique and subtle aspects.
Otherwise, how could those scholars who truly understand the mysteries of numerology remain silent about such rumors?
If a sage who was only five hundred years old could really compete with the famous astrologers of Teyvat in predicting the future, it would probably have caused an uproar long ago.
While they were thinking, they had already stepped into a bustling market area and finally stopped in front of a stall with a simple cloth awning.
"Boss, let's do divination!" Paimon's clear voice broke the silence and greeted cheerfully.
"Come on..."
A lazy, tired, yet strangely familiar voice came from behind the stall.
Then, a young girl slowly raised her head—
She was wearing a blue bachelor's robe with a white skirt underneath. Her expression was slightly tired, and her voice was as light as whispers in the wind... These details quickly fell into place like pieces of a puzzle.
"Leila?" Paimon exclaimed, his eyes full of disbelief.
Hearing the familiar name, the girl was stunned at first, and then her eyes gradually focused, as if waking up from a deep dream.
After seeing who was coming, she raised a gentle and friendly smile at the corner of her lips and said softly: "It turns out to be Miss Ying, Miss Paimon, Miss Iya, and Miss Dina Zedai. Hello."
"Are you here for divination? Please sit down, please sit down." She quickly stood up and arranged seats for everyone a little awkwardly.
After everyone sat down, the same question came to their minds: Why was this girl, who was lying in the infirmary of the Ordination Institute recuperating from overwork yesterday, now setting up a fortune-telling stall here?
Leila seemed to have anticipated their confusion. She smiled slightly and explained, "This is a task the teacher assigned to me specifically. He said he wanted me to help share the burden of manpower in the divination area."
A hint of warmth flashed in her eyes. "But I guess he's using the mission as a disguised way of letting me relax."
"After all, alchemical divination isn't something that takes too much effort for me. It just requires interpreting the patterns of ash left after alchemical failure, which isn't too difficult for me."
"The ashes left after alchemy failure... can also be used for divination?" Paimon opened his eyes wide, his tone full of amazement.
Although I had heard about the mysterious art of "alchemical divination" before, I still found it incredible when I heard its principles with my own ears.
After all, divination is a sacred practice of peeping into the secrets of fate. How could it be linked to a failed alchemical experiment? Doesn't it seem too casual?
Leila chuckled and shook her head, her eyes gleaming with wisdom. "This is exactly what Master Little Auspicious Grass King believes in."
"She once said that everything is connected, and every fallen leaf, every wisp of smoke, is a drop of water in the long river of fate."
"As long as you interpret it with your heart, anything can become the key to your destiny—and this is the ancient wisdom of the gods."
She gently pointed to the dazzling array of alchemical instruments and materials on the table and said softly:
"If you wish to perform divination, please each take two items that can be used for alchemy. They can be anything you have on your desk or carry with you, as long as they can participate in the alchemical reaction."
"Then I will perform a simple alchemical operation. Once the reaction is complete and the ashes are formed, I will try to interpret the traces of fate from them."
The universality of the connection view.
Connections are universal (doge)
【Contact and development.】
[Here comes another boss who arranges work-related vacations.]
[Really, just looking at this connection, Ganyu and Layla really look alike. They're both ice-type, both like to work overtime, and both have a boss who likes to give them time off.]
[Their boss even shares the same vocal cords.]
【Another me in the world.jpg】
[Am I the only one wondering... about how Leila addressed Iya as "Miss" earlier?]
[We are not in the 1.0 phase yet, so we still don't know what will happen in the next two versions. After two versions, our Yiya's gender has been determined to be female.]
Ying casually took out two ingredients from her wishful thinking bag and gently placed them in Leila's palm. Leila took the ingredients, moved her fingertips slightly, and immediately began to refine the metal.
In a moment, her seemingly careless yet profound technique quietly burned and disintegrated, ultimately transforming into a wisp of smoke and fine ash. She gazed at the remaining embers in her palm, her expression focused, as if deciphering the secret whisper of fate.
"The result of the interpretation is 'the moon'."
Leila spoke with conviction, her voice like the night wind blowing through an ancient scroll.
"Let me take a look too..." Paimon approached curiously, tilting his head to look left and right, muttering in confusion, "But no matter how I look at it, it looks like a piece of cake with a bite taken out of it."
"If it weren't for such a concrete form, how could I have seen the symbol of the moon?" Leila explained with a smile.
She hesitated for a moment, then looked up at everyone, her tone gentle but unquestionable: "In alchemical divination, the 'moon' symbolizes 'illusion' and 'lies'—"
“It shrouds the truth in fog.”
"You must be extra careful these days and beware of being misled by appearances and falling into verbal traps set by others."
"'Illusions' and 'lies'?" Dina Zedai stroked her forehead, a hint of worry between her brows. "That doesn't sound good."
Laila nodded, her eyes deep. "Illusions cannot last forever, and lies cannot last forever. This is indeed not a peaceful sign."
Her voice rose, like the first rays of morning light breaking through the clouds: "But remember—true and false can never be reversed."
"As long as you trust your inner intuition and muster the courage to face your fears, then no matter how long the night is, the sun will eventually rise, dispel the illusory moonlight, and end all deception and disguise."
"Well said!" Paimon clapped his hands with a smile, his eyes flashing with sincere approval.
Leila scratched her head shyly, her cheeks slightly red: "I'm still a long way off..."
She was always like this, lacking confidence in everything she faced - even though her talent and hard work were beyond doubt, that look of humility mixed with uneasiness always stayed with her.
After personally experiencing the alchemical divination carefully prepared by Leila, everyone walked around the divination area with great interest, trying various different mysterious divination methods.
The tarot cards slowly unfolded, revealing the interpretation of "illusion, illusion, and torture";
The crystal ball is shrouded in mist, and the final meaning revealed is: "Like a bubble, the road ahead may fall into a deep darkness."
Perhaps it was really bad luck, and the results of every divination were unsatisfactory, as if some unknown shadow was quietly approaching in the dark.
After experiencing the entire divination process, everyone continued to move on to the next area with a somewhat thoughtful mood.
"It seems that our recent luck is indeed not very ideal." Paimon sighed lightly, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.
"Why don't we avoid dangerous things for the time being?" Ying suggested seriously, with concern between her brows.
"I, I totally, totally agree!" Iya nodded quickly, with a hint of nervousness in his voice.
As they walked and talked, they unknowingly came to a very busy stall, where they saw a group of innocent children gathered, their laughter and joyful chatter injecting a touch of warmth and brightness into the slightly gloomy atmosphere.
"Faris! Faris!"
The children gathered around the stall and cheered.
A young man dressed as a knight responded to the children's calls from behind the stall: "Hey, soldiers, you must form up properly to get the reward of Yalda candy!"
Seeing this lively scene, Iya and Paimon looked at Ying.
Ying smiled helplessly and looked at Dina Zedai.
Dina Zedai understood and led everyone towards the stall.
At this time, a familiar group approached the same stall with a familiar voice: "Look, Ninja, it's so lively here!"
"How about we go and take a look together?"