"Yue'er, did you manage to cultivate today?"
Caught off guard by the question, Du Guqing stuck out her tongue, said nothing, and lowered her head as she walked out the door to return to the City Lord's residence.
The others present exchanged knowing smiles upon witnessing her reaction.
Du Guqing's father then gestured to Ming Shifei and Xie Bao, who immediately understood, quickly putting away the five spirit treasures and stepping outside to stand by the door.
Once only the three of them were left in the room, Qin Xiaofeng cast a spell to create a soundproof barrier around them.
"Elders, do you need something important?"
Jiang Bai immediately guessed that they had come to him regarding something significant since they were being so cautious.
Sure enough.
"Mr. Jiang, both Qin and I would like to ask for your divination on a matter," he said.
"Please, City Lord, feel free to ask. You both have treated me well, and I will certainly do my best!" Jiang Bai replied confidently, thumping his chest.
After all, these were his benefactors adding to his luck points.
Du Guqing's father exchanged glances with Qin Xiaofeng and said, "We want you to calculate the chances of Ascending Immortal City becoming the top city among the thirty-six cities in the Southern Region."
Jiang Bai was taken aback by this request.
The Tianling Continent was divided into five regions: Southern, Northern, Western, Eastern, and Central.
The Southern Region, as mentioned by Du Guqing's father, was notably the weakest in military power but held the highest financial resources, comprising thirty-six cities.
The Northern Region was home to formidable tribes and was known for its harsh climate and fierce fighting cultivators.
The Western Region was predominantly a land of Buddhism, where most mortals practiced the faith.
The Eastern Region consisted of three dynasties divided into countries.
Finally, the Central Region was the most unique, housing the three strongest forces in the Tianling world: the Dao Sect, the Academy, and the Demon Sect, which even had a teleportation array leading directly to the immortal realm.
Moreover, Jiang Bai knew that the thirty-six cities in the Southern Region rarely acknowledged one another and were constantly at odds.
While they appeared peaceful externally, there were undercurrents of tension.
Ascending Immortal City occupied a mediocre position among these cities, and Jiang Bai couldn't fathom what gave Du Guqing's father the courage to aim for the top.
A flurry of thoughts crossed Jiang Bai's mind, leaving him a bit confused.
"Mr. Jiang?" Du Guqing's father gently called, bringing him back to reality.
Looking at both Du Guqing's father and Qin Xiaofeng, Jiang Bai replied, "I can perform the calculation, but I must ask for your understanding regarding my rules."
"Of course."
Jiang Bai nodded and asked the system directly.
"System, what's the fee?"
[System: The cost for this divination is one thousand spirit stones or equivalent items, my dear.]
Jiang Bai was stunned again, surprised at how cheap it was.
A calculation concerning the dynamics of the Southern Region was just one thousand spirit stones?
But the system wouldn't make errors.
He decided not to raise the price this time and told Du Guqing's father directly, "Gentlemen, it will only require one thousand spirit stones or equivalent items."
Both Du Guqing's father and Qin Xiaofeng were taken aback.
Exchanging glances, Du Guqing's father quickly produced one thousand spirit stones and handed them to Jiang Bai.
However, both of them retained their full powers, locking onto Jiang Bai with their divine senses.
Being cunning individuals, they wouldn't fully trust Jiang Bai's claims and thought he might just be an average fortune teller.
But no matter how they probed, Jiang Bai continued to appear as a mere mortal in their perception.
Moreover, the moment the system deducted the one thousand spirit stones, neither received any significant insights.
They silently communicated, "Could he really be just a uniquely cursed fortune teller?"
"Let's observe a little longer; no one can maintain the act without exposing their true self."
[System: The probability of Ascending Immortal City becoming the top city among the thirty-six cities in the Southern Region is three percent, my dear!]
Upon receiving the system's response, Jiang Bai finally understood why.
This was nearly an impossible task; anyone with a bit of common sense could see that.
He stopped pretending to calculate with a flourish and announced, "Gentlemen, there is only a three percent chance!"
The two men remained composed, almost as if they had anticipated this outcome.
"Three percent; it seems there's still a glimmer of hope, don't you think, Qin?"
"I'm an old man with not many years left to live. None of my descendants show any promise, so three percent isn't bad!"
Jiang Bai's eyes widened in surprise; it sounded like they were actually willing to chase their dreams!
But were these notions something he could afford to hear?
These two shrewd old men were trying to pull him into their grand aspirations, weren't they?
"Gentlemen, should I take a step back?" Jiang Bai asked, feeling anxious.
He had just adjusted his mindset to settle comfortably in Ascending Immortal City, and now these two wanted to chase something so monumental—this felt like harassment!
"It's fine; you are one of us!"
"Damn it, who said I'm one of you? We've only known each other for a couple of days, you fools!" Jiang Bai silently fumed, struggling to maintain a grateful expression.
"Let me be clear, gentlemen. I am an ordinary person with no ambitions. Until yesterday, my highest aspiration was to tell fortunes, secure a bride price, marry a wife, and see if I could carry on the Jiang family lineage with my fortune-telling ability."
"With your lofty plans, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up with your pace!" he feigned a sorrowful expression.
"Mr. Jiang, you are being overly humble. You're clearly not an ordinary individual; your fortune-telling skills are unrivaled in the Tianling world," Qin Xiaofeng remarked with a smile.
"There's only a three percent chance, elder! How can that even work? With only thirty-six cities in the Southern Region, that probability seems almost impossible!"
"Is there not still you?" Du Guqing's father shot back, his already shadowy face darkening further.
"System, calculate for me; based on my current strength, what are the chances I can escape from these two old geezers?"
[System: Please confirm whether the host wants to consume today's fortune-telling opportunity?]
"Calculate!" Jiang Bai gritted his teeth in frustration.
[System: The probability of the host escaping this time is zero point zero zero zero… one.]
Staring at the familiar ellipsis, Jiang Bai felt a chill run down his spine.
In the puzzled gazes of Du Guqing's father and Qin Xiaofeng, he slapped his cheeks, straightened up, and spoke with renewed determination in his eyes, "Elders, please issue your command!"
"Does this mean, Mr. Jiang, that you agree to assist us?" Du Guqing's father asked, a smile on his face that was difficult to read!
"Do I have a choice? But let me be clear: you're only seeking my divination, and I won't accept a single spirit stone less!"
"Ha ha ha, there's no need to say more; we will surely make you satisfied!" The two laughed heartily.
Jiang Bai still couldn't comprehend how, in just one night, these two old foxes had suddenly formed an alliance.
Just the night before, they had been at each other's throats!
"Gentlemen, is there anything else? If not, I would like to take a short rest. To be honest, my legs are still cramping!"
"Then please, Mr. Jiang, do another divination for us."
Jiang Bai looked at the two in resignation and nodded.
"Please calculate for us the weakness of the City Lord of Phoenix City, Liu Qingfeng."
Without hesitation, Jiang Bai asked the system for the fee.
[System: The cost for this divination is one hundred thousand spirit stones or equivalent items!]
Jiang Bai was taken aback, realizing it was priced the same as calculating the lifespan of an immortal!