Unusual Fate Records

Chapter 42, Section 014: Calculated Without Planning

Tea room, under the couch, between the screen, beside the low table.

"President, the Yang Relic has disappeared. The Asahi Swamp Demon has lost its target and returned empty-handed."

The man sat respectfully opposite, a small mustache adorning his chin, silver earrings tucked into his earlobes. He placed his hands on his knees, head bowed, and remained silent.

Wisps of white smoke swirled in the small room.

The man in the kimono opposite me held out a cup of hot tea, offering it to me with his hands outstretched, saying, "Try my tea first and see if my tea-making skills have improved."

The man hesitated for a moment, then took the tea and raised his hand to drink it.

"wrong."

The man in the kimono said slowly, "Turn around three times first."

The man with the earring paused for a moment, then continued holding the teacup, his fingers twirling it slowly three times.

"Are you calm now?"

"Yes, President."

"Tea should be sipped slowly and gently to fully appreciate its flavor," the man in the kimono said with a smile, as he inhaled the peony incense in the room.

The tea is sweet and mellow on the palate, slightly warm, with a refreshing taste that lingers for a long time, leaving a pleasant fragrance on the lips and teeth.

"The president's tea ceremony skills have improved again."

The man with the earring bent down and returned the teacup.

"Harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility—how much of that do you think I embody?" the man in the kimono asked.

"President, in my humble opinion, you have basically grasped the essence and reached a level that is beyond my reach."

"No, the way to enter the Tao through tea is to emphasize the unity of tea and Zen. Some Zen meanings are revealed unbidden during the tea drinking process."

"President, you are truly wise and insightful. We are foolish and ignorant. Please give us your guidance."

The man wearing earrings had sweat on his forehead.

"In the tea room, we do not discuss business or politics. You only need to know that restlessness is the greatest enemy of the tea ceremony. Tranquility leads to far-reaching goals, and detachment leads to lofty aspirations."

The man in the kimono spoke calmly.

"If you are using tea ceremony as a game, the guest only needs to calmly accept the bowl, taste the tea, and sip it, without saying too much."

He put away his teacup, examined the bubbling water in the pot, and said, "As the host, I must follow the four rules and seven regulations. If I am not careful, I will be stigmatized for my poor tea."

"Now that I am a guest, I will take it as it comes and enjoy the scenery before the host brews the tea. Once the tea is ready, I will savor it more carefully."

"I understand. I will keep the president's teachings in mind."

The man prostrated himself on the ground and then slowly left the tea room.

……

three days later.

The continuous rain subsided, and the long-awaited sunshine pierced through the clouds.

Amamiya Megumi was somewhat sullen.

Through Jin's message, she learned that the crew seemed to have taken a break recently and even invited a Taoist priest to exorcise evil spirits from the costumes, supposedly because an evil spirit had possessed them.

And the monsters in the Mithril Warrior series have been the subject of much discussion online.

On one hand, it was due to the upcoming 10th anniversary and the promotional activities for the theatrical version; on the other hand, many media outlets were also discussing the urban monster incident, which made its competitors feel that this was a publicity stunt.

The production team, which had garnered much attention, ultimately decided to continue filming.

The day's work kept Ichiro Amamiya so busy that he had no time to pay attention to the little girl.

In the days since Uncle Long Island's body was cremated, she hasn't dared to go to Yingzi's place.

I heard that Yingzi was sent to an orphanage, and she hasn't even come to school these past few days.

Days went on as usual, one after another, but Amamiya Megumi felt inexplicably depressed. It was as if, when she stood on tiptoe and looked out into the distance, she could not see the sun of the next day through the gaps between the steel and mirrored buildings of the city.

The journey home from school is boring.

When someone returns home alone, besides the laughter around them, they often hear some strange noises.

Passing by shop windows and looking directly at the glass, you can vaguely hear a headache-inducing shriek; at every corner, you can seem to see a swaying tail; occasionally, when passing through bushes, there are traces of being turned over; even when sitting on a bench to rest, you can hear the strange sound of the fountain next door suddenly blocking and then bursting open again.

The girl kicked a stone at her feet.

The pebbles clattered and rolled on the ground before coming to a stop on the brown leather boots.

Amamiya Megumi looked up, and Rei leaned down, pursed her lips, and waved to her with a smile.

The little girl frowned, turned around and left, leaving Ling with the scent of her braids.

Ling stood in front of her and said, "Don't be so serious, I'm not going to eat you."

Megumi Amamiya snorted.

Ling clicked her tongue and said, "Not very old, but quite the temper."

"Save your temper for good people; you don't need to be polite to bad people."

The little girl was about to leave with her schoolbag on her back.

"How about I take you to find your father?"

The moment this was mentioned, the little girl seemed to ignite a bomb: "The last person to say that was my uncle, and he's dead."

Ling was speechless for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Amamiya Megumi retorted.

"In this city, there's not a single person who can kill me," Ling said with a grin, waving her index finger.

"Are you really a hero?" Amamiya Megumi's eyes flickered, a hint of suspicion in them.

"No, that's not it." Ling blinked. "I'm the big boss."

"Go ahead and brag," the little girl said angrily.

"I'll buy you a marble soda!"

Megumi Amamiya glanced at her, her face clearly showing she was ignoring her: "Trying to fool me? Not so easy."

"To put it simply, your father is in danger."

Ling said solemnly.

"What happened to my dad!" Megumi Amamiya asked immediately.

Ling was somewhat helpless, thinking that it would be much harder to coax her. She glanced around and gestured for Amamiya Megumi to look.

"Did you see the commotion over there?"

"What is it?"

"you guess."

……

Douzi was fully prepared, her face resolute, and there was a hint of fearlessness in her eyes.

As per tradition, the third day after Brother Yan entered the detention center, when the center lowered its guard, was the best time for him to go and rescue the person, wearing his boots.

But after so many times, he still felt a little uncertain.

Calm down, calm down. Brother Xun is a Fate Master. Put on your boots, change into a combat-type Fate Word, and you can escape.

He comforted himself.

The boots were in his arms, sprawled out, as he yawned.

When a cat gets old, it will never walk on its own if it has a sedan chair to ride in, unless it is running away and the means of transportation is slower than it.

He skillfully took out the pre-printed translation and handed it to the guard at the detention center.

As a family member, I was able to enter the building very easily.

The plainclothes officers around him didn't pay much attention to him because he was a child. At most, they would tease him in a language he couldn't understand while leading the way.

Successfully infiltrated.

Amitabha.

Douzi breathed a sigh of relief. He remembered that most people in District 16 were Buddhists, since there were still many temples.

"Crack, crack."

"Douzi, you're here." Yan Wuxun still had a head of messy hair, a haggard look in his eyes, and slightly sunken eye sockets.

But I've gained weight.

"Brother Xun, I brought the boots."

"Well done!" Yan Wuxun's expression brightened. "Let's see which divination phrase we can use to escape danger and teach these illiterate bastards a lesson, otherwise they won't know who's in charge."

He took the boots, and the orange cat lazily glanced at him, as if it knew what he was going to do. It squinted, slumped to the ground, and turned into a puddle of liquid.

Yan Wuxun grinned maliciously, reached out with his claws, and slipped through the iron bars of the window.

Surprise attack! Thanks for all the votes today~ The recommendation period is almost over, so here's a sneaky burst of votes!

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(End of this chapter)