The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a soft glow over a quiet, remote village.

As the stars dotted the evening sky, their brilliance reflected on the grassy field below, where two small figures sat. The air buzzed with the soft hum of crickets and the distant chirping of birds.

"Taoist brother, what's the name of the brightest star up there?" a young girl asked, her voice full of wonder.

"That one?" The boy tilted his head, gazing at the brightest star. "It's called Venus. But we also call it Tai Bai. When it appears at dawn, it's called the Morning Star, or Qi Ming. In the evening, we call it Chang Geng. The saying 'East has Qi Ming, West has Chang Geng' refers to it."

"All these fancy names—too hard to remember! I'll just call it the Taoist Star," the girl said, giggling. "Taoist Star, Taoist Star—it's as pretty as you, Taoist brother!"

The boy pursed his lips, watching the girl's radiant, innocent smile. Some words lingered in his heart but went unsaid.

Because, in truth, he wasn't a Taoist.

Shanghai

The sweltering heat of July scorched the city, and the subway, as usual, was packed. Yet for many men, the crowded cars offered a peculiar delight—they could admire the brightly dressed, minimally clad women around them. For some, even the thrill of accidental physical contact was a guilty pleasure.

Most men stole a glance or two, trying not to attract attention. But one man was different.

Amid a sea of short-sleeved shirts, a young man in a long robe stood out like a sore thumb. His attire made him conspicuous, but it wasn't his outfit that drew the admiration of the other men in the car—it was his audacity.

His gaze was fixed on the most striking woman in the car, unabashed and unwavering.

The woman, in her early twenties, was stunning. She wore a black, low-cut strap dress, her fair, flawless skin exposed to the air, drawing the attention of countless wandering eyes. Her exquisite face was the icing on the cake.

Jiang Yingying frowned, regretting her earlier decision. If she had known better, she wouldn't have made a bet with her best friend. Now, because she'd lost, she had to endure wearing this revealing outfit, subjected to the leering stares of subway passengers.

What irritated her the most was the man in front of her. Ever since she boarded the train, his eyes had been shamelessly locked on certain parts of her body.

"Have you stared long enough?!" she snapped, glaring at him.

The man's unperturbed expression didn't falter. Fang Ming realized she must have mistaken him for a pervert.

"Miss, I've observed your face carefully, and today…"

"Let me guess," she interrupted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "You're going to say my forehead is dark, and I'm destined for a bloody disaster today, right?"

Fang Ming remained calm. "You're absolutely correct."

"And I suppose you have a way to resolve it? Should I stretch out my hand for you to examine?"

"That won't be necessary," Fang Ming replied earnestly, shaking his head. "Your face already reveals everything. Just remember one thing—avoid water, and you'll escape this misfortune."

Ding-ding.

The subway arrived at the station. Jiang Yingying shot Fang Ming a glare filled with disdain. "Psycho," she muttered before storming out of the car in her high heels.

Watching her leave, Fang Ming let out a wry smile. He knew she wouldn't believe him. But he had done his duty—anything more would be a violation of his master's teachings, an act of revealing the heavens' secrets.

Outside the Subway Station

Jiang Yingying spotted her best friend waiting for her. She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"How was it, Yingying? Did dressing like that feel liberating? Did every man in the subway sneak glances at you?"

"Save it," Jiang Yingying muttered, playfully hitting her friend on the shoulder as they left the station.

Her friend continued to tease her as they walked out onto the plaza. Suddenly, Jiang Yingying froze in her tracks.

"What's wrong, Yingying?" her friend asked, puzzled by her sudden halt.

"Nothing, just…"

Her words were cut off by a sharp scream as a streetlamp crashed onto the fountain mere meters in front of her. Jiang Yingying stared, trembling, at the scene. Had she not paused, she would have been standing in that very spot.

Her friend, equally shaken, tried to comfort her, but Jiang Yingying's mind was elsewhere. The man's words echoed in her mind:

"Just remember—avoid water, and you'll escape this misfortune."

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she muttered, "He was right. It was true."

Longhua One Villa Complex

An upscale neighborhood where every villa was worth over 30 million yuan, home to the wealthy and influential.

Standing at the entrance, Fang Ming took a moment to gaze at the community. "This is the place Master mentioned," he murmured.

Approaching the guards, he said, "Please inform the owner of Villa 16 that an old acquaintance from Miaohe Village is here to visit."

Inside Villa 16, a sophisticated woman named Liang Qiong studied Fang Ming carefully. Though her face wore a polite smile, it failed to hide the worry in her eyes.

"So, you're the young Taoist Fang Ming from all those years ago. I've seen your photo. I can't believe how much you've grown."

Liang Qiong's thoughts, however, betrayed her pleasant demeanor. She silently cursed her husband for making that long-ago promise. Was she truly expected to marry her daughter off to this man now?

"Being a Taoist must be hard," she said with a forced smile. "Living on vegetarian meals and chanting scriptures—it's a tough life, especially for someone young like you. My daughter, for example, couldn't survive a single meal without meat."

Fang Ming chuckled. "Auntie, not all Taoists are vegetarians. You're thinking of the Quanzhen sect. There's also the Huoju sect, which doesn't have such restrictions."

His response caught Liang Qiong off guard, blocking her attempt to steer the conversation toward discouraging his interest in her daughter.

The conversation continued, layered with unspoken tension. Fang Ming eventually presented Liang Qiong with a protective charm for her husband, fulfilling his master's request. Despite her skepticism, she reluctantly accepted it.

As Fang Ming left the villa, Liang Qiong sighed. "I hope he doesn't hold this against me. After all, what mother doesn't want her daughter to be happy?"