Chapter 2973: For the Sake of an Inaccurate Divination

As the saying went, adapting to local customs was essential. Traditional culture still had to be respected.

Not to mention that when he first heard about Playing Cards "anchoring fate," Fu Qian had already taken a keen interest in the metaphysics involved.

Though as a diviner, Excellency Aike seemed to break the tradition of "never reading one's own fortune," which left a little to be desired regarding her professionalism.

"Are you serious?"

Even the person in question didn't seem too confident.

After hearing Professor Fu's request, Aike subconsciously walked back to her desk as instructed, still verifying it in disbelief.

"Though you really should get a reading..."

However, after her initial resistance faded, she seemed to finally realize just how incredibly busy the volunteer doctor standing before her actually was.

His appearance at the Birthday Party might indeed have stemmed from Excellency Stoss's warm invitation, but it would be far too naive to treat this as an all-expenses-paid vacation.

Professor Fu's courage to accept the invitation was genuinely impressive.

And in a situation where a single misstep could lead to eternal doom, he had still come to diagnose her illness, spending a considerable amount of time wasting his breath here—

"Though I doubt your accuracy, if I had the choice, I'd rather go to a second-rate diviner with a storefront the size of your desk," Fu Qian said.

Her momentary touch of emotion was ruthlessly choked back in the next instant.

Leaning back in his chair in a rather indolent posture, Professor Fu shook his head, instantly shooting down Aike's divination skills.

Oh... so she was worse than even a second-rate diviner?

Disparaging one to praise another was always a top-tier method for stoking the flames of anger, especially in a metaphysical profession where nothing could be easily proven or disproven.

"Then why are you asking me for a reading?"

Even with the bearing of a Demigod, Aike's face instantly turned cold as she countered expressionlessly.

"Isn't that simple? To prove your readings are inaccurate."

Immediately after, she learned the true meaning of asking for humiliation.

Professor Fu looked surprised, seemingly shocked that someone of her status could ask such a stupid question.

"Didn't you just say it yourself? You only did a casual reading that doesn't count, meaning there's actually nothing wrong with you, and Excellency Stoss is just overthinking things?"

...

When stoking a fire, the worst outcome was leaving the flames nowhere to spread. On that day, the young Excellency Aike once again experienced Professor Fu's methods—

He was asking her for a reading precisely because she was inaccurate. The logic was utterly flawless.

Wasn't she arguing that there was nothing wrong with her? Her reasoning was that her own reading had been inaccurate.

Therefore, if he personally verified and confirmed her readings were indeed inaccurate, wouldn't he be helping her prove her case to Excellency Stoss? Wouldn't it persuade him that she was perfectly fine?

So, she either had to display her clumsy divination skills and accept his contempt, or accept the concern that there really was something wrong with her...

In short, a single teasing suggestion had left her with absolutely no avenue of escape.

"That makes sense... but please wait a moment. The preparations will take a little time."

Aike took a deep breath to slightly calm her boiling blood pressure, finally accepting this task of debunking herself.

As for her suggestion... Fu Qian looked down at the "Guansi" in his hand.

Was it really fine to just throw the Playing Card away after drawing it? Excellency Aike looked like she didn't even need the thing for her divination.

As for the specific tools she did need... in his line of sight, Aike had already pulled out an exquisite copper pot and was earnestly getting to work.

Soon enough, a rich coffee aroma wafted from it. She looked exactly like a domineering CEO who had worked hard all morning and, without even having time to eat, was brewing a cup to relieve her fatigue.

...

Indeed, Excellency Aike's divination method seemed much more down-to-earth than the Playing Cards.

Using the patterns left inside the container by unfiltered coffee grounds to interpret one's fate was considered a time-honored tradition.

Even the aroma was excellent.

She was a Demigod, after all. From the ingredients to the equipment, everything was undoubtedly of the highest quality, whetting the appetite at a mere whiff.

Of course, as a fellow practitioner of the mystic arts, Fu Qian wasn't surprised by Aike's actions in the slightest.

Though he hadn't dabbled in it too deeply, the moment he noticed those familiar-looking tools earlier, he had already thought a cup after lunch wouldn't be a bad idea—bah, he had thought Excellency Aike might use similar methods for divination.

In short, on this temporarily quiet afternoon, Professor Fu's dining standards received another upgrade.

A dignified Demigod of the Night Watchers was intently brewing him a beverage—and she had even surrendered her own seat.

"Don't drink all of it."

It was hard to say whether Aike herself realized this, but when she handed the freshly brewed coffee to Fu Qian, her expression seemed a bit unnatural.

"Understood," he said.

Fortunately, Professor Fu appeared very cooperative.

"Tastes great."

After taking a sip, he even deliberately raised his cup to her in a toast.

...

It was obvious that Excellency Aike didn't actually appreciate the compliment.

In the weird atmosphere, afraid that he might actually leave a bill on the table as a tip, she didn't even respond to the praise.

"That's enough. Just hand me the cup," she said.

It wasn't until Professor Fu had nearly finished his coffee that Aike finally broke the silence to signal the official start of the divination.

"That's simpler than I imagined."

Fu Qian naturally complied. Seeing that Aike didn't even grab a small saucer to flip the cup over, he couldn't help but muse that the truly mysterious occult arts didn't require too many flashy gimmicks.

"Thank you."

Aike simply took it expressionlessly, then casually tapped the side of the cup.

Clink—smack!

Amidst the rather melodious ringing, an unusual movement suddenly occurred.

This... could it be even simpler?

From his position, Fu Qian naturally had a clear view. The commotion was coming from the coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup.

The powder clinging to the cup's sides rapidly curled and clumped together following her tap.

The final smacking sound happened because the clump had become too heavy to cling to the side. It tumbled down to the bottom of the cup, rolling to a stop to reveal different pips.

Indeed, it hadn't formed into a sphere, but a cube. It even had different numbers of pips on each face, clearly transforming into a six-sided die.

Smack, smack!

And there were two more of these eco-friendly, bio-material dice tumbling down right behind it.

As they finally settled at the bottom, the inside of the coffee cup was left completely pristine. He had almost forgotten that Excellency Aike excelled at transformation.

Logically speaking, this divination method relied on observing the texture and flow of the coffee grounds.

Yet her single tap had condensed the fate hidden within them into a much more intuitive and quantifiable form.

"Hmm... it's best if you don't head southwest today."

Aike was already interpreting the final result.