The ancient divination texts say: The sages must react to great signs in heaven.[1]0

It was spring in the year Heavenly Restoration in the imperial palace of the capital city of the Great Posterity Dynasty.[2]1

A spring rain fell in a cobblestone alley in the southwestern part of the imperial capital.[3]0

A middle-aged man named Liu Xuanji sat underneath a dark canopy just outside the alley, running his finger along the bronze divination plate in front of him.[4][5]0

“Well, what’s it say, Mr. Liu?” The person who had just spoken was a young man in fancy embroidered clothing, also standing under the dark canopy, flanked by some burly attendants. He was looking eagerly at the middle-aged man in the green jerkin in front of him.1

Liu Xuanji didn’t look up. His eyes were fixed on the divination needle, which was vibrating a bit but pointing directly at the Kan trigram.0

This was his third divination job today. The first was for a commoner seeking real estate advice. The second was an old man whose grandson had gone missing. And now he was dealing with a young nobleman who had a jade pendant hanging from his waist, covered in dragon designs. As one...0