The ancient divination text states: "Heaven reveals its signs, and the sage follows them."
Great Yin Dynasty, Tianqi Year, Spring. Imperial Capital, Zhongyu.
The slanting rain of early spring swept across the bluestone alley in the southwestern corner of the imperial city.
Beneath a black oil-paper umbrella, a middle-aged man in a blue robe—Liu Xuanji—traced his gaunt fingers over the bronze divination plate before him.
"Master Liu, what do you see?"
The speaker was a young man in brocade robes, standing under the umbrella as he watched the blue-robed diviner. Behind him, barely visible through the rain, stood a retinue of sturdy attendants.
Liu Xuanji did not look up. His gaze remained fixed on the divination plate, where the needle trembled incessantly over the Kan[1] trigram. His eyes narrowed in contemplation.
This was his third reading today.
