Chapter 24: The Black-Haired Storyteller Of Chilgok County (3)

Chapter 24: The Black-Haired Storyteller Of Chilgok County (3)

A chill ran down my spine.

Why was he saying a dead person was walking among the living?

I had some guesses. Certainly, someone might have died. For example, Kang Yun-ho, who gave feedback on the visual novel and then fell asleep on the bed, or the prodigal Kang Yun-ho whose body I had taken over. However, I couldnt reveal my thoughts, so I decided to ask.

Haha. Grandfather, the person standing in front of you is alive. A dead person? Am I supposed to be a jiangshi or something?

Didnt he see me, standing here, still alive? It didnt seem appropriate to joke in this situation, so I forced a laugh.

Thats whats so strange. Its been 50 years since Ive been able to read the heavens, and Ive never seen a fate like yours,

The grandfather stroked his beard, deep in thought.

What kind of fate is it?

I was curious.

Clearly, you were supposed to die last year. Despite being a small and insignificant star, destined to become fuel for another star.

Ah! Was this about the prodigal Kang Yun-ho? That guy did die. I survived by a stroke of luck.

So, the other star wasnt as remarkable as expected?

Its not that. The dying star was meant to do great things in this world. That fate was too certain. You were meant to become fuel for that star. But now, youre alive in front of me, and the dying star is burning brighter than its original fate. How this came to be is beyond me

The fortune-teller grandfather looked at me with suspicion.

I was living hard. Moyong Sang-ah. How are you? I was not doing well.

The grandfather was more remarkable than I thought. Sitting in front of a shanty, reading fortunes, I had underestimated him. Such an old man could figure out that the star was Moyong Sang-ah, and I was the dead Kang Yun-ho.

In such a situation, it was better to make excuses and dispel the suspicion.

Im sorry. Actually, I told you the birthdate of a friend who died tragically last year. Seeing someone with a saintly and scholarly appearance like you, I wanted to know the reason behind my friends unjust death. I truly apologize.

I stood up from the chair and bowed to the grandfather in apology.

Hmm, I see. No wonder it wasnt a fate meant to live. A friend, huh That makes sense. A fate snatched away unknowingly. Tsk tsk.

The grandfather clicked his tongue and fiddled with his tools.

Grandfather, I was alive. I deceived you unknowingly. While he may not be an outright charlatan, he didnt seem to possess extraordinary abilities either.

But perhaps it was worth hearing my original birth chart. I quickly calculated my real birthdate in the sexagenary cycle.

I apologize. I was just troubled by my friends fate. Ill pay double the fee, and now Ill tell you my real birthdate.

I called out my real birthdate as Kang Yun-ho. The grandfather fiddled with his tools again and then smiled at me. Why was he smiling now?

You.

Yes?

Never think of entering officialdom.

Whys that?

Telling the harsh truth and giving advice without thinking could lead to death. Dying for speaking the truth is one thing, but dying for giving thoughtless advice is truly regrettable.

Suddenly, the feedback I provided for the visual novel came to mind. No, I had put a lot of thought into it, filling it with my anger. The grandfather was only half-right.

I asked about how my future endeavors would go, not about a fate of death.

Oh! My mind wandered. I was so fascinated by your earlier fate. Dont worry about work. As long as you dont pass the civil service exam, youll have a great life ahead. In fact, you should speak up more. Dont worry.

Thats reassuring.

Fortune-telling was about hearing good things, right? Being told I had a promising fate ahead by a more credible fortune-teller than most made me feel good.

Leave the fee in the box in front of you.

Okay. Thank you for the reading.

Despite some unsettling stories, the experience was quite fascinating, so I left feeling satisfied, paying the promised fee.

Oh heavens! We cant depart without enough travel expenses!

I had already spent a week in this place. The storytelling business was booming. Not to the point of buying silk clothes or houses after one story, but it was still significant.

Eating hearty soup three times a day, enjoying a drink in the evening, and even considering savings the days of eating mantou dipped in salt were long gone.

You. Ive heard rumors about your exceptional money-attracting skills, and indeed, they seem to be true.

I was visiting Mr. Wangs fabric store to exchange currency. It was late afternoon and, surprisingly, there were no customers.

With some free time on his hands, Mr. Wang started a conversation. Why so idle today? Usually, he would just do a quick calculation when I came to exchange money.

Did you see it today?

I saw it from a distance. It was astounding. Your stories have become quite the talk of the marketplace lately.

Haha. Thats good news.

The more the rumors spread, the better. I planned to stick with the same story for a while.

Being a storyteller didnt mean you always had to tell diverse stories.

Imagine someone heard my story yesterday and spread the word about its fun. If I told a different story every day, they might leave disappointed. It wouldnt be what they expected.

It was better to continue with the stories people want when word of mouth spreads. That was why I would keep telling stories about Prince Hamulin for now.

Ah.

On the way to Chilgok Countys shantytown.

Only widows, orphans, and the impoverished passed by this place, where an old man had been sitting with his stall for a week.

Anyone could easily tell he was a fortune teller, with a worn but powerfully written Divination () flag behind him. But in this place, there werent many who came to have their fortunes told.

In a place where people worried about their next meal, not many inquired about their future.

Only a successful storyteller from his first performance, a vendor who made more money than usual, and a few curious ones had asked the old man about their fortunes.

Ive met the esteemed guest (), and now its time to meet the ghostly guest (), but they havent come.

The old man wasnt sure who the important guest was. He only read fortunes as the heavens directed him here.

One will prosper through words and writing, two through business, and one will rise and fall by the sword.

These were the only interesting destinies he had encountered among the people he met in a week.

There was no one he could call an esteemed guest.

But the divination indicated he had already met the esteemed guest, so it must have been one of them.

How can Cheon Gija, the revealer of heavens secrets, not recognize the esteemed guest? Its a matter for spirits to lament.

Cheon Gija ()

The old man was known throughout the Central Plains as one who could glimpse the secrets of heaven. Many high-ranking officials and martial arts experts sought him out, bringing treasures in the hope of learning their fates from this elusive seer.

Ive seen someone with a unique destiny, yet they were already dead.

Born under an inauspicious star, destined to become fuel for a fading celestial body. A peculiar man once approached him, requesting a reading of the future for a man with such a destiny.

It was the first time I encountered a divination with such a fixed destiny.

In his fifty years of divining the secrets of heaven, Cheon Gija had never encountered anyone fated like this.

If a creator for this world existed, that man was meant to die last year. His fate was sealed as certain death.

Its burning fiercely.

As the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness enveloped the land, Cheon Gija gazed skyward. Invisible to the common eye, he saw a star ablaze with an extraordinary intensity.

Oddly, this star burned with a ferocity that surpassed its predetermined fate, threatening to engulf even the neighboring stars in its flames.

With it burning like that, it cant possibly still be alive.

The man who was supposed to have perished last year might indeed be the one standing before him. Yet Cheon Gija struggled to accept such a possibility when witnessing the stars intense blaze.

If that man was the esteemed guest ()

If,

Really if,

The man who was fated by the heavens to die.

The man destined to sacrifice his life as kindling for the star.

What if such a man were still among the living?

Have I, have I beheld the Defier of Heaven ()? Is it even possible?

A revelation struck Cheon Gija like a bolt of lightning.

Defier of Heaven ()

One who dared to resist and overrule the fate decreed by the heavens.

Such an individual was dubbed the Defier of Heaven ().

Facing not just a minor misfortune, but a destiny ordained by the heavens. Can one truly defy such a fate?

Cheon Gija sometimes offered advice on crises that would occur in someones future. However, his guidance was meant for personal adversities, not for methods to defy a destiny set by the heavens.

Acting against the will of the heavens usually led to heavenly retribution. ()

Thus, humans could not defy the principle of heaven (). This was the common sense Cheon Gija had understood for 50 years.

But what if,

What if one fulfills a calling that should only be achieved through death, while alive, and preserves their life?

Then the heavens might not rebuke but perhaps bless instead.

How could the heavens punish someone who accomplished a heavenly task in life, which was supposed to be resolved only in death?

He was the Defier of Heaven (). I witnessed a Defier of Heaven right before my eyes.

Cheon Gija looked up at the sky.

A very small star.

Straying from the orbit of the fiercely burning star, now it stood alone. Upon closer inspection, he discerned the star.

Its light was dim.

It might remain that small until its light fades out.

But if the star possessed a will. If it desired to shine brighter

Having broken free from the natural order of the heavens, it can now change personal fate, the fate of nations, and even the fate of the world.

It had the power to change the fate of the world.