Capítulo 34: Chapter 34 The Swan and the Toad
After Geng Bo finished speaking, he looked at Chen Yi smugly, as if awaiting his humiliation.
However, contrary to his expectations, Chen Yi didn't show the slightest embarrassment or anger. Instead, he gazed at Geng Bo with an expression that seemed to say, What an idiot.
Luo Yan and the burly Zhang Fei also looked at Geng Bo with mocking eyes, as if they found nothing amusing in his words.
"What? Was I wrong? Do you all suddenly understand divination now?"
Geng Bo, baffled by their synchronized reactions, checked himself from head to toe, finding nothing unusual about his appearance. Unable to comprehend their attitude, he voiced his confusion.
Luo Yan and Zhang Fei didn't understand divination at all, but they trusted Chen Yi. After all, Chen Yi's skills had helped them solve two cold cases before. Even during the incident when Wang Wu attacked Luo Yan, Chen Yi had managed to arrive at the critical moment—an act that surely wasn't unrelated to his divination abilities.
Seeing that Chen Yi remained calm and unflustered, they knew the boastful young man must have been wrong. Luo Yan, already displeased with Geng Bo for targeting Chen Yi, had no intention of giving him any face. As for Zhang Fei, he had no personal stance to begin with—whatever Luo Yan said was law to him, and he was more than happy to kick someone while they were down.
Poor Geng Bo, unaware that his attempts to curry favor had completely backfired.
"Provincial Bureau comrade, your interpretation of the hexagram is completely wrong—so wrong, in fact, that you've reversed the key points," Chen Yi chuckled. This guy did know a bit about divination, which explained his arrogant demeanor. But his skills were clearly lacking.
"Fine then, explain it to me. I'd like to see where I went wrong," Geng Bo said, his tone defiant. He wasn't one to give up easily and certainly didn't believe Chen Yi could outshine him.
Having been raised in an organization that specialized in esoteric knowledge, Geng Bo had been exposed to mystical arts and techniques that ordinary people could never access. As such, he had never taken Chen Yi seriously. While divination wasn't his forte, he knew enough to win small prizes on scratch cards.
As for the saying "hidden masters exist among the common folk," he had always dismissed it as nonsense.
Chen Yi cleared his throat, adopting the demeanor of a sage as he spoke slowly: "The mysteries of heaven are profound and not to be taken lightly. If one lacks sufficient skill yet recklessly attempts to decipher them, it will only bring harm to oneself and others. Young man, you must not aim too high. Lay a solid foundation first, or one misstep could lead to irreversible consequences."
Geng Bo nearly choked on his own anger. This kid, clearly younger than him, was lecturing him with the air of an elder. Resisting the urge to cough up blood, he forced himself to remain calm. "Cut the nonsense and get to the point. I'd like to reflect on where I went wrong."
"Since the Provincial Bureau comrade is so eager to learn, I'll generously provide you with a free lesson," Chen Yi said, his tone dripping with mockery. After being provoked multiple times, it wasn't in his nature to let Geng Bo off the hook so easily.
Geng Bo clenched his fists, his teeth grinding audibly. He wanted nothing more than to smash a chair over Chen Yi's head.
This guy was infuriating!
All Geng Bo had done was show a little humility, and Chen Yi had taken full advantage, climbing higher and higher on his pedestal.
Seeing that the tension had reached its peak, Chen Yi decided not to push further. He straightened his posture and spoke seriously: "The hexagram indeed pertains to those girls, but their shared trait lies in their zodiac sign—the Tiger. Thus, the body trigram should be Xun, while the use trigram should be Dui. This results in mutual trigrams of Gen and Zhen, with three moving lines reducing nine to three. The transformed hexagram is Kan."
Geng Bo listened intently, pondering Chen Yi's words. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Gen represents earth, Zhen represents wood, and Kan represents water. They are still mutually generating and harmonious. Where in the hexagram do you see any indication of danger?"
"In ordinary circumstances, your interpretation would be acceptable. However, this case is based on the zodiac and cannot be treated as a standard hexagram," Chen Yi replied.
"Then how should it be interpreted?"
"When a hexagram is derived from the zodiac, it must also be deciphered through the zodiac. Zhen symbolizes thunder and lightning, which correspond to the dragon that commands wind and rain. When a tiger battles a dragon, one must inevitably fall. Add to this the presence of a dog assisting from the sidelines, and this beleaguered tiger stands no chance."
"A tiger oppressed by both a dragon and a dog? But where does the dog come from?"
By this point, Geng Bo had abandoned his earlier arrogance. Chen Yi's unique approach to interpreting the hexagram had completely overturned his assumptions, leaving him with newfound respect for the young man. His question was now one of genuine curiosity, not an attempt to challenge.
"The dog corresponds to earth, represented by the mutual trigram Gen, which signifies a mountain—yang earth. This naturally aligns with the zodiac sign of the dog. Thus, this tiger, already ensnared by the dragon, is further harassed by the dog," Chen Yi explained.
"Fine, I admit my divination skills are no match for yours. But I'm not a professional in this field, so losing isn't shameful," Geng Bo said, his casual tone masking his newfound humility.
His candid admission surprised Chen Yi. He hadn't expected this seemingly thuggish "Provincial Bureau comrade" to be so willing to acknowledge his shortcomings.
"What are you two talking about? What's the current situation with the girls?" Luo Yan interjected. Seeing the two men reconcile, she felt relieved. Though she was displeased with Geng Bo's earlier behavior toward Chen Yi, it was best not to offend someone sent by the Provincial Bureau. After all, they would need to collaborate for some time.
Prompted by Luo Yan's question, Chen Yi revealed the final interpretation of the hexagram: "To understand their current situation, we must look at the transformed hexagram. Kan represents water and the north. In this context, water signifies burial, suggesting that the missing girls are in grave danger and may have already met with misfortune."
As Chen Yi finished speaking, a heavy silence engulfed the room.
No one doubted his words. Instead, they were consumed by sorrow and anguish for the nine missing girls.
These young women, in the prime of their lives, had fallen victim to such a cruel fate. Luo Yan couldn't bear to imagine the devastation their families would feel upon hearing the news.
"Can you deduce where their bodies might be?" Luo Yan asked, her voice trembling.
Even if they couldn't save the girls, recovering their bodies would at least provide some solace to their grieving families.
Though Luo Yan had grown accustomed to life and death in her line of work, she had never before felt such profound sadness and fury.
"The transformed hexagram Kan points to water and the north. In Quancheng, where springs and small rivers abound but large lakes and rivers are scarce, there is only one place capable of concealing nine bodies without detection—the Yellow River," Chen Yi said, his voice heavy with emotion.
Luo Yan shot to her feet, issuing a firm command: "Zhang Fei, assemble the team. We're heading to the Yellow River!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Zhang Fei saluted sharply before sprinting out of the room. Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
The group split into four police cars, their sirens wailing as they raced toward the northernmost edge of Quancheng, where the Yellow River lay.
Chen Yi found himself alone in a car with Luo Yan. Throughout the journey, he noticed her tightly pursed lips, reddened eyes, and trembling hands gripping the steering wheel. Assuming she was distraught over the girls' plight, he tried to comfort her. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You've already done your best. At least we now have a lead on their whereabouts."
He had intended to console her, but his words seemed to pierce her heart. To his astonishment, the ever-composed Luo Yan began to cry. Tears, like pearls, rolled down her flawless cheeks and splashed onto her hands, which gripped the steering wheel.
Chen Yi panicked, unsure of what he had said to upset her so deeply.
"Did I say something wrong? Don't cry. Tell me what's bothering you, and I'll help you. Problems aren't scary; what's scary is not finding solutions," he said hastily.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong. It's my fault. I should have listened to Zhang Fei and sought your help as soon as I took on this case. If I had, the last girl might have been saved," Luo Yan choked out, her voice thick with guilt.
"Everyone has their destiny—some long, some short, some joyful, some sorrowful. There are times when human effort simply cannot alter fate," Chen Yi said gently.
In that moment, Luo Yan seemed fragile, helpless, and heartbreakingly beautiful.
Acting on impulse, Chen Yi reached out and lightly held her delicate hand.
For Luo Yan, who had never been touched by a man outside of combat training, the contact was electrifying. She instinctively pulled her hand away, returning it to the steering wheel. Her posture stiffened, her body tense as she sat upright.
"S-sorry!"
Chen Yi stammered, feeling deeply ashamed. He hadn't intended to take advantage of her vulnerability. He had merely wanted to offer her warmth and support, seeing her so overwhelmed with guilt.
To his relief, Luo Yan didn't react with anger. Apart from the faint blush on her cheeks, she showed no signs of being upset.
"I... I'm driving," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the roar of the engine.
Is she shy? Could she possibly have feelings for me?
Chen Yi shook his head, dismissing the thought. Luo Yan was a paragon of beauty and competence, admired even by wealthy and handsome real estate moguls. Why would someone like her take an interest in him, a mere fortune-teller?
But if that were the case, why had she been secretly angry when she saw him earlier? Why had she blushed instead of slapping him?
Though Chen Yi prided himself on his understanding of relationships, he found himself utterly baffled by Luo Yan's behavior.
Despite his confusion, one thing became increasingly clear: Luo Yan seemed to have developed feelings for him, and he found himself quietly anticipating what might come next.
Could this be the legendary tale of the swan falling for the toad?
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