Chapter 1 The Start

The young woman, A Zhao, watched everything in front of her with great interest.

To be honest, after losing her memory, everything before her brought a sense of newness and joy. And, for some reason, although everything in the world was delightful, she found interacting with people to be dull.

She had a strange feeling, as if she could see through what others were thinking.

And the instinct to give them feedback accordingly.

It was interesting, so she did it.

However, even though she could vaguely see through Tai Qi, the dignified and tall man, she could never quite decipher the girl with the clear eyes and bright features. It was as if a ceaseless storm swirled within her, concealing another self.

"What are we going to do?"

The artist said, "First, let's start with a simple Four Elements spread?"

"Okay."

A Zhao's tone was soft and糯 (nuò, glutinous), of course, deliberately so.

Your language is your weapon.

Your words are the greatest poison.

Your actions are the most powerful bait in the world.

She certainly knew what to do and when, as if by instinct. Of course, she was genuinely interested in this spread because, in her vague perception, she had never encountered anything like this before.

She seemed interested in everything new.

The artist held up a book and began to explain the Four Elements method: "It only requires four cards. It's the most basic and widely used. Unlike the Gypsy spread, which is specifically for testing romance. I bet those Gypsy wanderers made money by being relationship gurus."

The Water Ghost said in surprise, "Then this is perfect for me."

The artist looked at him strangely. "Have you ever been in a relationship?"

"No!"

The Water Ghost was righteous and bold. "Isn't it those who have never been in a relationship who like to be relationship gurus the most?! You draw romance stories, have you ever been in a relationship?"

The artist was speechless.

"Exactly!"

"Die!"

The delicate and pretty girl kicked over the mouthy Water Ghost, straddled his back, pinned his arms behind him, gritted her teeth, and forcibly poured the second bottle of special-supply Life Water down his throat. While ranting, she sobbed with tears streaming down her face:

"Wuwuwu, do you know how many people had a crush on me back then? Would I be this miserable if I hadn't died so early?!"

"Who told you to get drunk and drink pesticide..."

"Shut up!"

"Gonna die, gonna die, glug glug glug..."

Ignoring the two who had habitually started fighting, Jue easily set up the spread for A Zhao.

"The first card represents your past."

The artist, while suppressing the Water Ghost, didn't forget to say that.

Even the mountain gods of Tai Qi and Qian Lai, and Chang Cheng, were interested and looked over. After all, they carried some kind of divine power that interfered with their divination, so of course, they were interested. A Zhao eagerly reached out and flipped over the first card.

The past—

The Empress, upright.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the museum seemed to freeze.

Until the artist stood up, the Water Ghost fell to the ground again, and the refreshed girl glanced at it and said:

"Oh, the Empress card. This represents abundance, meaning, uh, let me see, it represents that your past life was good, carefree, beautiful, artistic, and you came from a good family."

The atmosphere relaxed.

A Zhao flipped over the second card, which represented the meaning of that cousin to her.

Even the girl who had lost her memory held her breath at this moment.

She was really a little curious.

"The Star, upright."

The part-time fortune teller marveled, "This card means that in the darkness, the countless stars guide us, leading us to a bright future under the guidance of starlight, or rather, the light in the darkness, even directly representing salvation."

"Upright, it probably means full of hope, fulfilling wishes."

"As for salvation, with your family background, it shouldn't be salvation. It should be that this cousin fulfilled some of your wishes, such as being trapped at home versus being able to run around, since you're a young lady from a good family."

A Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "I feel relieved."

"Relieved? What were you worried about?"

The artist said casually and opened the third card, smiling and saying, "This is your relationship in the future. How should I say it? You come from a good family, beautiful, good artistic background, and you met a cousin who fulfilled your dreams, so your relationship should be very good..."

Her voice stopped abruptly.

The third card represented their future relationship.

Death, upright.

Meaning: separation, a deep chasm between the two, destruction.

The expression on the artist's face froze. When she looked up, she saw that the girl's eyes also seemed to freeze for a moment. Then the latter's left hand subconsciously lifted, pressed against her heart, and then subconsciously put it down, instinctively controlling such emotional expression.

A Zhao took a deep breath and said, "Then, what about the fourth card?"

The artist actively forgot what had just happened and said awkwardly, "The fourth card, this represents the development of future events, representing your future, that is, the method to solve the problem."

Opened, Wheel of Fortune.

Reversed.

Vicious cycle, and reincarnation.

Damn it!

The delicate and pretty girl's face almost turned as green as an angler who came back empty-handed.

Four cards.

This beginning and ending were outrageous.

She could directly write a short story that would kill people with angst.

And send out a hundred knives with it, a hundred!

Although she would most likely receive a four-piece knife maintenance kit or something.

But, sending knives, who could resist the temptation to send knives?! Impossible!

However, the protagonist who was most likely knifed by history was right in front of her. A Zhao closed her eyes, and when she opened them, a kind of regret appeared in her eyes, as well as a pitiful weakness, but the words she spoke were quite direct: "I hope I can have another reading."

"Uh, um, okay, okay."

"What should we read?"

"Why did we get to that point..."

A Zhao's tone was gentle.

Of course, both emotions and expression were still under self-control.

Not a single flaw could be revealed.

And naturally gain favor with her own miserable experience. People always pity the weak, even if it's just the weakness that is shown. Her eyes were big and soft, but the calculations in her heart were loud and clear, step by step.

Of course, the emotions and expressions were all from the heart, but they were controlled.

In a place where every step is a killing move, what is the best deception?

Honesty.

As for that cousin?

Who cares?

She didn't even remember him now, okay? Only a little bit of impression remained. It was curiosity, but this curiosity was just an icebreaker to break the cold atmosphere here, and it was also something that could be used. Even her own emotions could be used, or rather, precisely because of its authenticity, it was the best thing to use.

The focus was on surviving well in this unfamiliar environment.

A Zhao's heart twinged slightly.

Wait, why were every step a killing move?

She raised her eyes and looked around. This place seemed to be like the place of killing intent from her instinct, can’t say that they’re completely the same, only to say that they have nothing to do with each other. According to her subconscious judgment, like what the Water Ghost had just done, he would have been long gone, how come it seemed like nothing had happened?

Just as she noticed the sense of disharmony, Jue pondered. She was also very interested in this thing.

The artist keenly saw that the girl seemed to have cat ears perked up on her head.

Like a cat that was obviously interested but had to maintain a dignified and aloof appearance.

Pretending to be nonchalant, she said, "Jue, would you like to try?"

"It's very interesting."

Jue only pretended to decline twice before quickly accepting.

"Ahem, this time, let's use the Zodiac spread!"

The artist happily decided, regretting, "What a pity, if Miss Kua Lin was here, plus the three fox sisters next door, and Xiao Qing, if you came over too, we would be a great and harmonious, and a pleasant girls' gathering that I've always dreamed of!"

"Like in manga."

Vodka Niangniang fantasized about that scene.

Then Jue and A Zhao did spreads for each other. Jue restrained her divine aura, and coupled with the strangeness A Zhao carried, it was possible to complete the combination of spreads. The artist's eyes lit up and she leaned over, saying, "Oh, oh, come on, let me interpret the spreads. Whose should I open first?"

Jue said gently, "Open A Zhao's first."

For some reason, A Zhao didn't want to open her own spread, but at this time, her instincts and nature chose to agree. The artist said happily, "The first house spread represents the essence of things, that is, the reason for your eventual separation."

"Huh? Still the Star card?"

"Let me see..."

She flipped through the book, saying, "This, it shouldn't be the meaning of the light of salvation, right? I think, in terms of feelings, you are very confident in yourself and optimistic about the relationship between the two of you, maybe that's it."

A Zhao frowned.

Second house: people's values.

Appeared the Chariot representing victory, representing action, independence, self.

Third house: in communication, it was actually the Moon in the upright position.

The artist looked at the thick book and said, "Uh, this represents in terms of feelings, you are very sensitive and afraid of being hurt. Despite the promise, you are still hesitant, even choosing to escape?"

A Zhao pursed her lips, and the feeling of having everything under control gradually disappeared from her heart.

"Fourth house, representing the root."

The artist said, "It's the real reason for your separation, let me see... hmm?"

Her voice stopped abruptly.

The card that was opened was the Devil.

Representing temptation, the fundamental symbol is a devil binding people with chains, representing the belief that as long as you have status and wealth, you have everything. As for feelings, it is mutual restraint and balance.

She hesitated. A Zhao closed her eyes and said softly, "Please, open the next card."

The fifth house represents the expression of self.

"Hermit reversed."

The artist said in a low voice, "Hating loneliness, inferiority, worry, and escape."

"Because you are afraid of feelings, you retreated at the crucial choice, making the other person feel cold..."

A Zhao subconsciously clenched her palm, and a dazed, fragmented picture appeared before her eyes.

It was a ranger reaching out to her, but she took half a step back.

She shook her head with an extremely perfect smile, denying the other party's proposal.

Then the memory shattered, flowing away from her fingers.

And after that, the sixth to tenth houses were all about career, cooperation, finance, goals, etc. What was shown was that A Zhao was very successful in the past. On the one hand, she was successful, as if she could do everything, and on the other hand, she was constantly climbing to absolute loneliness.

And only the seventh house, representing the relationship with that cousin.

Was the Tower.

A more cruel ending than Death.

Whether upright or reversed, it represents an ending, destruction.

And after the destruction, the ninth house is the Emperor card, representing spiritual loneliness. Reaching the tenth house is the Sun in the upright position, symbolizing the status and brilliance that shines on everything. It is the goal. And finally, in the eleventh house, the World card is reached, representing that she has finally completed her ideal. At this point, only the last card remained.

Representing hidden things, the hidden self, the most private card.

The artist didn't intend to open this one.

Over there, the girl A Zhao closed her eyes tightly. She suddenly breathed out, like a chess player with a plan in mind, and smiled, "It really is an interesting toy." She seemed to have completely recovered, not disturbed or affected in the slightest.

She said in a light tone, "Rather than divination, it's more like speculating with one's heart."

"It can't be compared with Yuan Tiangang's divination technique at all."

"Each card, each upright, reversed, has various intentions, even opposite ones. According to these intentions that represent certain things, arranging and combining them according to one's own heart can lead to the conclusion that one expects to get."

"So, the same card spread will have different endings depending on your expectations."

"It's almost like a trick."

The artist didn't know what to say, because that's how tarot cards seemed to be. A Zhao frowned, and after saying her judgment in a gentle tone, she pointed to these card spreads and smiled, "For example, these card spreads can almost lead to two completely different choices, for example..."

"First interpretation: that is my brother, my yearning for the outside world in my beautiful childhood, and eventually there was a conflict between us, most likely because of some temptation? And I also realized this."

"It's just that I am a weak and inferior Hermit, not confident enough, and eventually escaped, making him feel cold."

"In the end, clearly following the Chariot style dominated by the victor, when facing what I care about, I retreated, didn't communicate, and neither of us really faced this problem, and eventually the rift became bigger and bigger, and our relationship ended in destruction, unable to heal."

"And losing the restraint of feelings, I finally arrived at what I wanted."

The artist nodded repeatedly.

This was indeed an appropriate explanation, beginning with a wish and ending in success.

"But, there is also a second answer here."

A Zhao shook her finger and smiled, "Doesn't the Star, apart from fulfilling wishes, inherently represent the intention of the star in the night? This is more direct than the explanations added by later generations, so let's answer according to this."

The girl's eyes narrowed slightly: "He is my salvation, the last starlight in the darkness."

"My heart yearns for him, my spirit anticipates him, and my actions avoid him."

"Confident and inferior, weak and powerful."

"I long to get him, just like I get everything worldly, money, fame. I long to conquer everything with strength, dominate everything, get the Chariot of victory. I am the Sun that dominates everything, I am the Emperor that symbolizes the highest loneliness."

"A rift appeared between us, and he naturally moved away from me."

"And I bound him like a 'Devil', and I avoided him like a 'Hermit'. I long to possess him alone, like occupying the last light in the darkness. I bind him spiritually, I isolate him in action, and ultimately destroy him in my heart."

"Until the end of everything."

"The tilting Tower is destroyed at the end of the world."

"He is the most brilliant starlight, and I will be his only audience."

"He belongs to me, only to me."

A Zhao's answers, the Devil, the Emperor, are all tarot cards.

She was smart enough to directly master tarot cards.

But it was like an invisible hand pinching the throat in the room.

The artist subconsciously thought of the amnesiac girl's operation in that news, and at this time, A Zhao said softly:

"What do you think, who am I?"

The artist didn't know what to say, "This, this..."

"None of them!"

The girl raised her eyebrows, her sharpness aggressive, and said quietly:

"How can people be bound by such things?!"

"How can people be bound by the past?"

"My path will never be interfered with by these words. Am I not a living person? How can the wonderfulness of every day be attributed to fleeting words? And, if this is the past, then why can't I reverse it? Even the past me cannot bind the present me."

A voice came from outside, the other action team members had prepared the girl's daily necessities.

A Zhao picked up the last unopened card, thought for a while, and asked with a smile, "What does this one represent?"

The artist subconsciously replied, "The hidden self."

The girl A Zhao directly showed this card to the others, but she did not look at it herself.

This could never bind her.

She thought so.

The girl in white palace dress smiled and got up. At this moment, the Western court drama that Chang Cheng was watching reached an exciting part. The girl in palace dress saw the scene in it and said with a smile, "Thank you for letting me play with this Western thing once. It's very interesting."

"Then, see you next time."

She picked up the long palace dress with both hands and did a curtsy like in the court drama.

Even though she had never done such a movement, the skirt spread out like a flower. The sunlight shone on the girl's face, her eyes narrowed slightly. The unintentional elegance and grace had already suppressed the heroine in the court drama to the point of being黯然失色 (àn rán shī sè, overshadowed).

Then her black hair fell down, and the spread skirt was gathered up.

The girl A Zhao smiled and left.

The crowd looked at the table.

The twelfth house on the table - reversed, Emperor card.

Dictatorship.

And childishness, quietly acting spoiled, weakness, gentleness, lack of action, weak will.

There were two completely different intentions.

One of them represents a hidden side that is different from the expressed self. "Which one is it..."

"But, she's really a good-looking girl, I wonder if she can be my model, anyway, we're all girls..."

When the artist said this, she saw the gentle but sharp girl who had just walked out, staggering as if she was thinking about something, almost falling. Her hand pressed against the wall, and in the lurking shadows, A Zhao's palm was pressed hard against her heart.

Nothing, no flaws can be revealed.

It was just that her heart was a little bit, just a little bit painful.

She whispered.

It will be fine soon.

She raised her head, and under the sunlight, she was still impeccable.

And in the end, Kunlun Tiannv did not open her own card spread. The artist said embarrassedly, "I always feel like I did something wrong... Sigh, Jue, should I interpret it for you? Don't underestimate me, I am a tenth-level tarot card enthusiast!"

Jue shook her head and said with a smile, "It's nothing, it's good to be able to participate in it."

"I'm very happy just like this."

She stood up and was going to look for possible clues about the Queen Mother of the West.

After a while, the Water Ghost, who had been poured two bottles of Life Water, staggered to his feet.

Holding his head in a daze, he saw the card spread covered on the table.

He casually opened Jue's twelfth card.

Twelfth house, the hidden self.

On the screen, a dignified emperor was upside down, holding a scepter.

Reversed·Emperor.

Representing, childishness, quietly acting spoiled, weakness, gentleness, lack of action, weak will.

And…

Dictatorship!

The unknown self.

The alcohol hit him, and the Water Ghost covered his mouth and ran out. In the empty museum, sunlight flowed quietly on the table.

Two reversed Emperors.

ps: Because I felt it was more interesting and wanted to write it out, I finished writing the third update

In addition, three updates are really not human work, five thousand six hundred words, please subscribe.