As Jiang Bai pondered the situation, he snapped back to reality and noticed that Ming Shifei and Xie Bao, who had been loud moments ago, were now silently enjoying their breakfast.
He looked at them in disbelief, realizing that Miss Du Guqing must possess quite an impressive aura!
Even though cultivators could typically get by without eating, they still had appetites, especially because they consumed substantial amounts due to their nature.
The breakfast table was laden with food, and Jiang Bai had barely eaten anything; most of it had been consumed by the two men.
Having practiced all night and left his stomach empty, Jiang Bai had no choice but to confront this Miss Du Guqing, whom he had only met once.
With a resentful glance at Ming Shifei and Xie Bao for their ability to argue yet continue eating, he made his way to the front hall.
Upon entering, he found Du Guqing seated in the guest chair, sipping tea.
"Miss Du Guqing, what brings you here?" he greeted casually before settling into the main seat.
Du Guqing raised an eyebrow in response. As the revered daughter of Ascending Immortal City and one of the most gifted individuals in the Celestial Spirit World, she had never been met with such indifference before.
Usually, the youths who surrounded her or even older generations would greet her warmly and ask about her well-being. Having always lived in privilege, Du Guqing was unaccustomed to being looked down upon.
Moreover, she was aware that her recent capture was linked to Jiang Bai, the fortune-teller who had accurately predicted her father's death. This raised suspicion; Du Guqing, along with others, had kept this information from her.
She viewed Jiang Bai as merely a luck-driven con artist who had managed to win her father's favor and that of Qin Xiaofeng. She believed his actions were calculated due to his knowledge of her whereabouts and felt vengeful toward him for suggesting that she should give him a house yesterday.
As a mature Core Formation cultivator, she wouldn't confront Jiang Bai directly within the city lord's manor to avoid inciting trouble for her father.
Feeling a hint of disdain, she snorted at Jiang Bai. His puzzled expression revealed that he didn't comprehend her demeanor, as their prior encounter had involved little conversation.
"Did Miss Du Guqing have a specific reason for coming today?" he inquired, suppressing the urge to read her fortune. He didn't want to waste his only free opportunity on trivialities.
"Did you reveal my whereabouts to my father yesterday?" Du Guqing demanded, fury simmering beneath her calm exterior.
Having gone to considerable lengths to sneak out, she had just begun to enjoy her freedom when she was caught again. Typically, this would not be a major issue, as she had escaped numerous times before without consequence.
However, she had been bragging to her friends when a trusted agent dispatched by her had apprehended her in front of them, stripping her of her dignity. Unable to resist due to the captured agent being at the Transformation stage and having known her since childhood, she couldn't scold them without hurting feelings.
She understood that these were people her father had gathered with care, and upon realizing that Jiang Bai had predicted where she would be, he immediately became her target for revenge.
To her, Jiang Bai was simply a worthless fortune-teller.
Jiang Bai quickly grasped the situation and accurately surmised that Du Guqing was seeking revenge against him.
He felt no responsibility for the blame; he hadn't divulged her location and was merely the messenger used for fortune-telling by a system that operated independently.
"It was indeed me who calculated it," he acknowledged.
"Calculated? Do you think I'm a child?" Du Guqing responded skeptically.
Having encountered numerous fortune-tellers, she knew they often spoke in vague terms and never provided exact locations. The two individuals who had captured her had taken a direct route.
"Miss Du Guqing, I truly did calculate that," Jiang Bai shrugged, wanting to explain that it was the system doing the calculations, but he feared that would sound even more ridiculous.
Du Guqing crossed her arms and leaned back, unimpressed, clearly indicating her disbelief.
"I don't know what you told my father to make him trust you so much, but it's irrelevant. I see through your tricks!"
Jiang Bai noticed her stubborn stance and wanted to assert that her crossed arms wouldn't affect the truth, as some things couldn't be forced.
"Miss Du Guqing seems to have misunderstood me. I am genuinely a fortune-teller, and your whereabouts were indeed calculated by me!"
"Ha! You're quite adamant," she countered.
"Fine, I'll prove it to you. Just tell me who will be the first to walk through the door!" She gestured toward the large entrance.
"That's no problem, but I do have a rule. I wonder if you're aware of it?" Jiang Bai had some ideas in mind; cultivating her as a good client could be beneficial.
"Let's hear it," she replied with curiosity.
Jiang Bai rubbed his thumb and index finger together, feigning a greedy expression. "You need to pay the fee for my fortune-telling first. Don't worry, it's worth it, and I'm honest with all clients!"
"Hmph!" Without further discussion, Du Guqing tossed a bag of spirit stones at him.
He weighed the bag in his hand, noting that there were at least a thousand stones inside. Clearly, she was quite generous.
Reinforced by this, Jiang Bai felt even more motivated to foster a relationship with her as a quality client.
"I have plenty of money, but it won't be easy to earn. What if your calculations are wrong?" she challenged.
"You're free to deal with that as you see fit!" Jiang Bai replied confidently, internally thinking, "System, let's calculate. This should cover it, right?"
Without a response, the system promptly deducted a hundred spirit stones.
[System: Dear, the first to enter the hall will be Xie Bao!]
Even after a full night of hearing the system's voice, Jiang Bai felt a chill run down his spine, contemplating whether he could keep the system going.
Feigning concentration, he closed his eyes and began calculating with his fingers.
Seeing this, Du Guqing further convinced herself that he was merely a charlatan. Among the many fortune-tellers she had met, each had acted with flair, using dazzling props and dramatic flourishes.
Jiang Bai's demeanor, however, seemed lackluster in comparison.
"Just wait, the first to enter the front hall will be Senior Xie Bao," he stated with a smile.
Du Guqing's expression shifted to one of triumph.
Turning to a servant at the door, she commanded, "You! Come in!"
The servant was startled by the scene inside, feeling as though he were standing before an overwhelming inferno.
One was the cherished daughter of the city lord, while the other was a figure rumored to be favored by powerful leaders.
Either way, he couldn't afford to offend either of them!
"Hurry up and come in! Don't worry, with me here, no one can harm you!" After speaking, Du Guqing shot a challenging glance at Jiang Bai.