The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Jizhou is an ancient prefecture with a long history, dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty. In the eighth year of the Taichang era of the Northern Wei Dynasty, which is 423 AD, Jizhou was established to govern Quqi City, which is near present-day Chiping, Shandong.

In the first year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, which is 742 AD, Jizhou was renamed Jiyang Prefecture. Thus, the territory under Jizhou's jurisdiction gradually expanded. Even in the Song Dynasty, Jizhou governed four counties: Juye, Jinxiang, Rencheng, and Yuncheng.

Before even entering the city, Wang Huanzhen saw a dozen or so men dressed as warriors chatting with the soldiers at the city gate. Whenever someone wanted to enter the city, they would stop them and ask them a few questions.

Wang Zhenhuan was puzzled, but since he was already there, it wouldn't be right not to go into the city and take a look. So he followed the crowd to the city gate. It seemed that they noticed his young age and travel-worn appearance.

The martial artists did not speak to him first, but Wang Zhenhuan still heard their questions.

They asked if anyone had seen a young Taoist priest in his twenties or thirties nearby. Anyone who answered no could enter the city. If they had seen him, they could receive a few copper coins as a reward.

Wang Zhen had naturally never seen it before, and gave a brief response. After paying a few copper coins, he followed the crowd into Jeju Island.

Jeju City is a vast city with a network of streets that stretch deep into the distance. It was early morning, and the first rays of dawn were just beginning to break through the darkness. A chill, like the first frost, filled the long, wide alleys. The cobblestones along the way were damp, and water droplets dripped from the eaves.

But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the townspeople. The shop doors lining the streets were glistening with moisture. The faint sound of the dawn bell drifted through the air. Shop assistants yawned, removing half of their doors as they went in and out.

The charcoal fire crackled in the stove, and steam billowed from the steamer. People came and went along the street, their cries of vendors and the sounds of bargaining filling the air. Every now and then, patrolling constables could be seen.

The entire city was bustling with activity, a scene of great prosperity. Unaffected by the Jurchen invasion, Wang Zhen walked among the crowd, looking at the scene before him, and suddenly felt as if he had been transported to another world.

It was as if the refugees he had met yesterday were nothing but a dream. Now that he had woken up, he had returned to reality. But for some reason, even though he was surrounded by people, he felt a strange loneliness.

He stopped and watched the mist turn into a fine rain, wetting his palms. A gust of autumn wind blew by, and wildflowers swayed and strayed from the path, scattering in the air.

The water droplets clinging to the wildflowers, illuminated by the morning sun, fell like pearls from mid-air. As the saying goes, "Free-flying blossoms are as light as a dream, endless drizzle is as fine as sorrow."

But even though the scene was breathtakingly beautiful, all that remained for him was loneliness. With a thousand charms to share, to whom could he speak? Wang Huanzhen withdrew his hand, wiped it on his clothes, and turned to leave.

"Since you were hesitant, why didn't you stop and rest for a moment?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind him. Wang Zhenhuan looked in the direction of the voice and saw a Taoist priest with a full head of white hair sitting in front of a stall, smiling at him.

After confirming that no one was around, Wang Zhenhuan pointed to himself and asked, "Is the Daoist Master referring to me?"

The Taoist priest nodded and said softly, "Indeed, I see you are hesitant to proceed, so you must be facing some difficult matter. Why don't you tell me?"

Wang Huanzhen then noticed that the Taoist priest was blind. Behind him lay a hemp flag that read: "Misfortune and fortune have no fixed gate; they are summoned by oneself. The retribution for good and evil follows like a shadow."

Curious, he approached the Taoist priest and asked, "May I ask, Taoist Master, are you skilled in fortune telling and face reading?"

Upon hearing his words, the Taoist priest chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Good sir, look at my appearance, how could I possibly read faces? I do know a little about divination, though. May I ask, good sir, what would you like to have told?"

Upon hearing the Taoist's words, Wang Zhenhuan smiled apologetically. Remembering that the Taoist was blind, he added, "I was just speaking offhand; please don't take it to heart, Taoist Master."

"Since you've asked, Master, please help me divine where I should go."

Upon hearing Wang Zhenhuan's words, the Taoist waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care. Then, he took out three copper coins from his sleeve, handed them to Wang Zhenhuan, and said to him, "Please, kind sir, cast a divination."

Wang Zhenhuan examined the copper coin in his hand, confirming it was just an ordinary coin. He wondered if he had been scammed. So he asked, "Master, how does one cast a divination?"

"Place the copper coin in your palm, put your hands together, and raise them above your head. Silently think about what you want, then toss the coin and tell me whether it lands heads or tails. Do this six times in a row," the Taoist priest explained to him.

Hearing his words, Wang Zhenhuan put away the copper coins with some skepticism. Then he raised them above his head, closed his eyes, and reflected on his journey with Lin Qingyan. Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind: Where is my opportunity to enter the Dao?

Thinking of this, he tossed the copper coin. After watching it land, he told the old Taoist priest the result. This was repeated six times in a row. The old Taoist priest kept calculating with his fingers.

About fifteen minutes later, just as Wang Huanzhen was starting to think he'd been tricked, the old Taoist priest spoke. He asked Wang Huanzhen, "Good sir, are you from the north?"

Wang Zhenhuan nodded in agreement. He was covered in dust and grime, and it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he had traveled a long way. Although the old Taoist priest was blind, he could deduce it from his accent, which was nothing unusual.

After hearing Wang Zhenhuan's answer, the old Taoist nodded and continued, "Did you get lost on the road, or separate from your companions? Don't worry, according to the divination, you will surely meet again in the future, and it won't be long."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenhuan was deeply shaken, but he remained outwardly calm and continued to ask, "May I ask, Daoist Master, whether my companion is male or female?"

Upon hearing his words, the Taoist priest looked up and explained, "The trigram Dui represents a young girl, a wife or concubine. According to the hexagram, the virtuous man's companion should be a woman, and her relationship with him should be unusual."

After hearing his explanation, Wang Huanzhen was completely convinced. He hurriedly stepped forward and asked the old Taoist priest again, "May I ask, Master, I am eager to enter the Taoist path and cultivate. Where should I go next to have the opportunity to enter the Taoist path?"

The old Taoist priest thought for a while, then suddenly frowned and tilted his head to face Wang Zhenhuan. Judging from his movements, it seemed he was sizing him up. But the old priest's eyes were indeed sunken.

"It seems this old Taoist hasn't been blind for long," Wang Zhen thought. "Otherwise, he wouldn't be subconsciously making observational gestures." The old Taoist seemed somewhat uncertain as he spoke to Wang Zhen.

"The divination indicates that what is far away is actually right before your eyes."

"Far away yet so close? What does this mean?" Wang Zhenhuan wondered. Could this divination mean something about the wooden plaque of the Shangqing Dharma Assembly? The wooden plaque was indeed on him.

"All things in the world have good and bad fortune, and divination is used to explain their principles. However, the principles of the world are also invisible, and illusions are used to reveal their meaning. The secrets of divination lie entirely in the two words 'Mindful Change'."

The heart is spirit, understanding. The I Ching is change, enlightenment. A hexagram can calm the mind, but it cannot defy fate. Therefore, a virtuous person only needs to clearly understand their own thoughts; that is the meaning of the hexagram.

The old Taoist's words were remarkably similar to those of Master Luo Puzi before his departure. Upon hearing them, Wang Zhenhuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He rose and bowed respectfully to the old Taoist.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I understand now!"