Over the years, Lin Jie had chatted with all sorts of customers and grasped some basic observation and communication abilities.
The line 'you seem to have encountered some trouble' didn't carry any significance on its own. It was similar to how fortune-tellers would always start with, "There's an ominous aura looming around you."—it was a psychological suggestion.
It was somewhat like a flag in a game. Once the conditions are met, the next part of the conversation would follow suit.
Whenever people hear the word "trouble", they would subconsciously ponder over whether they had really encountered any recent trouble. It went without saying that the lives of most people wouldn't be smooth sailing all the way.
Troubles, whether big or small, were still troubles.
And once a customer began grumbling, it would be time for Teacher Lin to dole out chicken soup and close the distance.
However, there was also a chance of failure when resorting to these sorts of cold-reading tricks.
For example, the other party could be really blessed with extreme luck throughout their life, or perhaps, he might be guarded against strangers, making it difficult to communicate.
However, Lin Jie was very confident that he could make this person open up, for the drenched lady before him was indeed in an extremely terrible predicament.
Ji Zhixiu was wiping herself dry when she suddenly stopped in her tracks to raise her head and look at the smiling young man behind the counter. "Yes, I've encountered a vexing problem."
She was unable to determine whether this person was friend or foe, but even if he was a foe, it was unlikely for her to escape from this seemingly mystical entity in her current weakened state.
Since he was making things unnecessarily complicated, she would just play along with him. She would find out this fellow's objective and see how divine he was.
If he was a friend, this would be a pleasant surprise.
If he was an enemy, then she would seize more time for her to rest.
Meanwhile, Lin Jie noticed that her eyes weren't black but a shade of iron-gray. There were glittering specks in her pupils that resembled beautifully polished gems. At the top of her ear, there was a three-centimeter gash that was still glistening with blood.
No matter how he looked at her, this woman was someone with many stories to share.
Lin Jie asked, "Are you facing troubles in your interpersonal relationships?"
Since there hadn't been any complaints about this downpour thus far, the next most likely problem for women of her age would be relationship issues.
Of course, he couldn't limit it to just love, friendship or family, so he chose to use the words—interpersonal relationship.
A common technique that swindlers, mediums, and Teacher Lin employed was to throw out something vague to provide for some room of error.
On the other hand, Ji Zhixiu's heart suddenly grew heavy upon hearing those words.
It was just 20 minutes ago that she was betrayed by her hunter group in a secret venue. The ones who were hunting her down right now were none other than her ex-comrades.
Avarice had blinded their eyes.
In other words, Lin Jie wasn't wrong to say that she was facing troubles in her interpersonal relationship.
Ji Zhixiu was shocked. An outsider had learned of this matter in the short span of just 20 minutes. Such speed of dissemination definitely couldn't have been retrospect.
There could only be two possibilities.
One, he had planted informants within her hunter group, and those informants tipped him off right after the matter occurred.
Two, this young man before her had some kind of all-knowing ability.
Ji Zhixiu watched silently as the towel, which was now seeped in dark red blood, gradually evaporated into wisps of tart smoke before she finally took a seat by the counter. She tapped her fingers lightly against the teacup in front of her before speaking softly, "I was betrayed."
Oh? That's surprising.
Lin Jie raised his eyebrows.
This is more melodramatic than I thought. Did her boyfriend have an affair behind her back, or was she backstabbed by one of her close friends?
This was indubitably top-level gossip, but Teacher Lin was a life mentor and not some middle-aged auntie who talked behind others' back.
The melodrama only meant that there was more to unearth from her.
"There are two sides to everything in this world. You were betrayed, but it could have also been an opportunity for you to see what kind of people they truly are"
Lin Jie lifted the teapot and topped up her cup with more hot tea before continuing earnestly, "Those who choose to leave will eventually leave. Once they have made up their minds, they can come up with thousands of reasons to justify it."
Ji Zhixiu could deeply relate to those words.
The Magic Ovum Mirror was merely the fuse that ignited their greed. Even if not for that, a day would eventually come where they would make the same decision as they had today.
It would still be the same outcome, just for a different reason.
Ji Zhixiu rubbed a cold hand on the cup, then said in a self-deprecating manner, "You are absolutely right, but I have already lost far too much from this betrayal. What use is it for me to see through them now?"
Lost far too much... She must have had her heart broken by a scumbag. Haa, how pitiful.
Lin Jie felt sympathy for her.
Wounds on the body can be easily treated, but wounds in the heart take a long time to heal. It was times like this that his exceptional counsel was most needed!
Lin Jie placed both hands on his chin as he scrutinized Ji Zhixiu closely. A moment later, he spoke with a resolute tone, "It'll be useful. You have learned to discern one's true face and false intentions. You wouldn't take pity on those who have once hurt you because of your past relationship anymore. The pain you are suffering now will make you wiser than before."
These words were strong and resonating!
Ji Zhixiu stared into Lin Jie's ink, blank eyes, and her breathing unknowingly grew heavier.
Under the dim, warm light, his eyes seemed to carry some sort of mysterious magic that drew her in. She could sense both sympathy and partiality from him as if he was a higher being who embraced all lives and guided humans toward the right direction.
It took a while before Ji Zhixiu snapped out of her daze, and she shook her head vigorously.
She felt that the young man before her had some goal in mind for approaching her here. At this point, the impression she got from him was that he wasn't an enemy but an ally who wanted to help her deal with the hunter group...
Hunters who utilized the sordid blood of dream beasts as their source of power were considered to be evil in the eyes of upright magicians. Ji Zhixiu deduced that this person wasn't in any of the three factions she had guessed earlier, but rather, he was a high-level magician that hated hunters.
Those thugs had an innate mastery of language and words.
"Then..."
Ji Zhixiu steeled her resolve and took a deep breath. "What should I do?"
"Since they have acted inhumanely, there's no need to uphold civility with them. You can deal with them the exact same way they dealt with you. A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye!" replied Lin Jie.
He didn't dish out the usual chicken soup that numbed one's soul. Otherwise, she would be led astray, making it difficult to retain her as a regular.
When faced with scumbags, one ought to retaliate with a heavy blow!
His customer appeared to be in a bewildered state at the moment, but as long as he pointed out a path for her, she would be able to free herself from confusion and take action.
The disposition of a magician indeed!
Ji Zhixiu opened up her other palm, which was hidden under the table. It was covered with blood. Her lips moved slightly.
… Casting aside my humanity?
She was neither prepared nor resolved to go that far yet.
"You need to ascertain your thoughts and intentions first. Only then can you prepare yourself properly."
Lin Jie calmly gazed at the now pensive lady with a smile.
"I think you might need this book."
The time was ripe for Lin Jie to show his hand, and he smoothly directed the conversation toward his wares.
Given the atmosphere, it didn't seem wise for him to pick out a book from the shelves behind him. That would make his intention too obvious.
So, he slid the book he was reading over, Confessions.
Ji Zhixiu received it over with a blank look on her face. There were three words written on the cover—Blood and Beast.
She had read a lot of books over the course of her life, but she had never seen this book before.
Was it written by an obscure writer? Furthermore, why had she been given this book?
With a slight frown, Ji Zhixiu flipped the book open hesitantly. A moment later, her pupils shrunk and her expression changed.
The page was filled with ancient characters densely packed together. These ancient characters warped, combined, and fluctuated all the time. No two lines of characters were the same, but they strung together to form meaningful sentences. Each and every one of these characters could form thousands of words!
This is… taboo knowledge!
The hunter's face was pale and her body trembled. The information contained within was terrifying and it made her nauseated.
She immediately closed the book, and it took her a great effort to regulate her breathing.
A message had already been etched inside her terrified mind.
"Beast Mutation!"