Xiao Shan dipped his handkerchief in water and carefully wiped Ling Yao's fingers again, then brought them to his nose to sniff. "There's really only fragrance left, your natural scent."
Ling Yao finally withdrew her hand, blushing, and picked up a steamed bun to eat.
"It's not that I dislike it, I just find it strange," she explained softly.
"If I were like this on the street, would you feel disgusted or uncomfortable?" Xiao Shan asked earnestly. "Don't just go along with me and disregard your own feelings; tell me the truth."
"No, I just felt a little nervous, but I knew you would hear if someone approached."
Nervousness was just a human instinct.
She didn't dislike it; on the contrary, seeing him find relief gave her a sense of contentment.
Xiao Shan grinned.
After finishing the buns in the carriage, they parked it at the edge of the market and began to explore the morning market.
The morning market in the capital was nothing like the small place in Donglin. It was crowded. Xiao Shan held Ling Yao's waist protectively, especially when people approached from the front. He would feign a cough, afraid of bumping her belly. Most people, seeing his large frame, would quickly dodge out of the way.
"Sir, please wait a moment."
At a fortune-telling stall, a fortune teller with a handlebar mustache called out to Xiao Shan.
Xiao Shan had seen this kind of charade too many times and didn't intend to pay attention, but seeing Ling Yao's curious eyes, he stopped to humor her.
The fortune teller sized up the couple and began to ponder.
The man had a majestic bearing, tall and robust, with powerful strides. The woman possessed a noble aura, appearing delicate and dependent, her gaze steady and without any affectation.
They were dressed in the attire of a well-to-do family, unremarkable in the capital.
Hmm, this should be a military officer of some standing, and the woman beside him is his lawfully wedded wife. The age gap is significant; he must have married her because she came from a humbler background, and judging by his doting demeanor, his wife must be beautiful.
Yes, it all made sense.
"This gentleman possesses an awe-inspiring presence, truly radiating righteousness, making gods and ghosts alike keep their distance!"
Eight out of ten fortune tellers would say something similar. Xiao Shan remained noncommittal.
Seeing that the man was unfazed by praise or criticism and likely difficult to deceive, the fortune teller turned his attention to Ling Yao, who was listening intently.
"Your esteemed wife, though of humble origins, carries an elegant demeanor and beauty like Xi Shi. She complements you, and together you will soar to great heights, enjoying immense fortune in the future!"
No one dislikes hearing good things. Ling Yao chuckled, her laughter clear and pleasant, which invigorated the fortune teller.
"You are truly accurate. He is indeed my lucky star!"
The fortune teller stroked his mustache. "Precisely. Furthermore, this gentleman's forehead is full, and his jawline is round. If he encounters the right opportunity, he will rise like a dragon and roar like a tiger, ascending to the highest positions and receiving titles and promotions without difficulty."
This sounded so familiar.
Xiao Shan began to examine the fortune teller.
"Your accent isn't from the capital; it sounds like you're from the northern regions."
"This gentleman's observation is indeed meticulous and his insight extremely sharp. I have traveled far and wide, honing my cultivation, and have spent several years in the north."
"Oh, my hometown is Suiye. That's why your accent sounds so familiar! You must have stayed in Suiye, haven't you?"
Xiao Shan's sudden warmth surprised the fortune teller, who quickly nodded. "We can consider ourselves half-compatriots. At that time, the region was in distress. Helping people escape hardship was precisely the time for us cultivators to temper our minds and bodies. I stayed for three years. The people suffered so much!"
Damn it! It clicked. This was the same guy who had told his fortune before, and he hadn't even changed his words!
This was the first time Ling Yao had heard him speak of his hometown, and she listened intently.
"You said I would receive titles and promotions in the future?"
"With the right opportunity, it would be effortless. However, there is one issue. I mentioned your righteousness, making gods and ghosts keep their distance. But if this righteousness is applied to a martial man, it can also be considered malevolent energy. Excessive malevolent energy is not good. Sir, could you write down your name? I can help you neutralize it."
Damn it!
After all these years, he hadn't improved at all.
He had thought changing his name had suppressed some of his malevolent energy, but it was all in his mind.
Ling Yao blinked her eyes; she seemed to understand.
So this was where Xiao Shan's malevolent energy came from?
Seeing that he wasn't writing, the fortune teller continued to persuade him. "You are a man of great destiny; it won't be a problem if you don't neutralize it. However, it might affect your esteemed wife. After all, women are physically weaker and may not be able to withstand too much strong masculine energy. Over time..."
Xiao Shan's expression changed, and his gaze turned sharp as he looked at the fortune teller.
"Are you saying he will make me unwell?" Ling Yao asked innocently.
"That can indeed be understood that way." Facing Xiao Shan's sudden ferocity, the fortune teller's voice weakened.
Ling Yao tilted her head. "But after being with him, my health has been getting better! I used to be afraid of the cold, but now I'm not."
"Yes, this gentleman possesses strong yang energy, which naturally affects his wife. However, too much of a good thing..." The fortune teller wiped his forehead.
"Oh, so you're the one who's going to harm me?" Ling Yao said angrily to Xiao Shan. "Back then, people said I would bring misfortune to my husband, and no one dared to marry me. Only you came to propose, and only then did my father promote you. Otherwise, with my family background, why would it be your turn? It turns out I don't bring misfortune to my husband, but you bring misfortune to me?"
The fortune teller: "..."
Her background was that high?
"My dear, this is definitely a swindler. Believe me, I would never harm you."
Xiao Shan narrowed his eyes at the fortune teller.
"Yes, my skills are inadequate; I misread. You two are a perfect match, a perfect match."
"If your skills are inadequate, you still dare to come out and swindle people! Husband, have the Dali Temple officials come and take him away to investigate how many people he has defrauded!"
The woman, who had been as delicate as a wilting flower moments ago, suddenly became sharp, leaving the fortune teller stunned.
Upon hearing that the authorities were to be summoned, his legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground.
"Your excellencies, spare my life, madam, spare my life. This humble one has never harmed anyone, and I will never dare to do so again."
He hadn't harmed anyone; he had only swindled small amounts of money. Moreover, if he hadn't spoken such nonsense, he wouldn't have joined the army, so it could be considered a contribution.
Scaring him was enough.
"Remember, fortune-telling is acceptable, but you must not do anything that harms heaven and earth."
"This humble one remembers, remembers."
The fortune teller nodded like a pecking chick. After waiting for a long time with no response, he looked up and saw that the stern-faced man and his wife had already walked ahead.
Facing the strange glances of the surrounding people, he couldn't help but sigh, stood up dejectedly, and had to find another place.
"Look at how scared that guy was, haha! How did someone so timid manage to swindle people for so many years?"
Ling Yao was amused, and Xiao Shan was helpless.
He had been quite foolish in his childhood.
How many coins had he swindled? He had forgotten.
The key was that he had changed his name, and he had used it for so many years.
On the day he was honored as the General Who Conferred Divinity, as he ascended to the hall to receive his reward, he had thought the fortune teller's words were truly accurate!
In reality, it was all his wife's doing.