Chapter 26: The Sacrilegious Divination Vessel

Lu Li arrived at the High Elder’s chambers to find the other four elders already present. "So, all the elders are here. That’s perfect; I only need to say it once and save myself some legwork."

She recounted what Qi Yue had told her after everyone else had left. A heavy, somber expression settled upon the faces of the five elders.

"There is one more thing, though I am not sure how to say it," Lu Li said, hesitating.

"Lu Li, just say what is on your mind. There is no harm in being wrong," urged the Second Elder, whose temper was the most volatile and who seemed anxious for an answer.

"It is just a feeling I have had ever since Chief Hu Wei took office. For years, the divinations I cast have all been peaceful, yet I personally feel an unsettling presence in the tribe. It is as if something is wrong, even though the omens remain unchanged." Though Lu Li spoke with ambiguity, the five elders understood her perfectly.

"Lu Li, we watched you grow up; we trust you. Bring out your divination set and cast a reading here. Let us see if we can uncover the reason for this," the High Elder suggested, unable to think of any other way to break the deadlock.

Lu Li cast a reading as she always did, but the result was identical to the ones from the past.

The Third Elder, Xiong Jiang, looked at the divination set and noticed it seemed different from the one his late partner had used. "Lu Li, this isn't the set your teacher left you, is it?"

"Oh, no," Lu Li explained. "Ten years ago, a little female accidentally broke that set, so I had another one fired."

"Ten years ago—wasn't that just before Hu Wei took office? Do you remember which little female broke it?" asked the Fourth Elder, Bao Si.

"Let me think. It has been a long time... I believe it was a little female wearing a red fox-fur skirt. Her aunt had brought her in for medical treatment, and she started playing with my divination set while I was preparing medicine. She was so frightened that she burst into tears," Lu Li recalled.

"Ten years ago, Hu Yi, the father of Hu Wei, hunted a fire fox. I remember seeing Hu Wei’s younger sister, Hu Qi'er, wearing clothes made from that red fur," said the Fifth Elder, Lang Qian.

"And isn't Hu Qi'er’s aunt Hu Jia?" Xiong Jiang exclaimed. The faces of the other four elders darkened instantly.

"I remember that when the chief was being chosen, the person with the most support wasn't Hu Wei, but the Qilin beastman, Qi Xiao," Lu Li recalled. "It seems it was because of the divination results and his status as an outsider that Hu Wei was ultimately chosen."

"Qi Xiao—isn't that Qi Yue's father? No wonder Hu Jia and her lot have been targeting that young female," the Fifth Elder muttered.

Xiong Jiang asked, "Lu Li, how does this set differ from your teacher's?"

"It is slightly heavier. At the time, the potter said it was because the quality of the clay had improved," Lu Li replied.

"Lu Li, would you mind if I broke one of these pieces open to take a look?" Xiong Jiang asked, picking up a ceramic fragment.

"Go ahead. If it means finding the truth, I would rather make a new set than live in this state of unease," Lu Li agreed, wanting to find the cause as much as they did.

Xiong Jiang picked up a stone from outside and struck each of the seven pieces. Five shattered easily, but the remaining two each contained a thin, hard, black object inside.

"What is this?" Lu Li cried out. The elders were equally baffled, but it was clear that the divination set had been tampered with.

"Perhaps the one called Feng Yu knows what this is. Having traveled so far, he may have seen such things before. Clean the clay off those black fragments, Lu Li, and find a time to ask him today," said the High Elder, Shi Yue.

"Lu Li, do you remember who the potter was that fired this set?" asked the Fourth Elder, Bao Si.

"It was Xiong Yan, but he passed away from illness just a year after finishing the set."

"Perhaps his son knows something?" Bao Si speculated.

The High Elder walked to the door and called out, "Shi Yang! Come here for a moment."

A young beastman entered shortly after. "Father, did you call for me?"

"Shi Yang, go to Xiong Shi's house and bring him here. Tell him I have something to ask him," the High Elder commanded.

"Understood, I will go at once."

A short while later, Shi Yang returned with a middle-aged beastman carrying a bundle. The man placed the bundle before the High Elder.

"Shi Yang, you may go back for now," the High Elder said, dismissing him.

"Xiong Shi, what is this?" Once Shi Yang was out of earshot, the High Elder opened the bundle to reveal a complete set of divination tools, crafted with much greater care and precision.

"Before my father died, he said he had offended the Beast God and was not worthy of returning to his embrace after death," Xiong Shi said, his face full of grief. "He told me that if Hu Wei ever stepped down as chief, I was to deliver this bundle to the Elder Arbitration Council and the tribal physician."

"Xiong Shi, try to remember," the Fourth Elder, Bao Si, asked. "Ten years ago, around the time the physician had your father fire the divination set, did any strange or unusual people visit him?"

"There were only people ordering pottery; I don't recall anyone special," Xiong Shi said, struggling to remember.

"Did anyone come to order pottery but end up not ordering anything, or perhaps request something you couldn't make?" Bao Si pressed.

"The Tribal Matron," Xiong Shi said firmly. "She wanted a ceramic water flask that was perfectly sealed, so it wouldn't leak even if turned upside down. My father couldn't meet such a high requirement at the time, so he didn't take the order. She was the only one in that situation."

"Xiong Shi, you may go. Not a word of what was said in this room today is to leave your lips, do you understand?" the High Elder warned.

"High Elder, I understand. I swear to the Beast God that without the permission of the Elder Arbitration Council, I will not reveal the contents of this conversation. May I be struck by illness if I break this oath." With that, Xiong Shi departed.

"Lu Li, quickly, cast another reading and see what happens!" urged the Second Elder, Hu Man.

Lu Li picked up the new set and cast three consecutive readings, each one different from the last.

"What does this mean?" the elders asked.

"The first omen: Human catastrophe. The second: Division. The third: Betrayal of the tribe." As Lu Li spoke, the elders' expressions grew ever darker.

"Cast again!" the High Elder commanded.

Lu Li cast three more distinct omens.

"The fourth: Crisis. The fifth: The Divine Maiden. The sixth: A turning point." The elders' faces were now grim.

"Cast again!"

Lu Li’s brow was slick with sweat, her energy rapidly depleting. She gritted her teeth, knowing this was a matter of life and death.

With trembling hands, she cast one final omen. "This one is sorrow. High Elder, I have exhausted my energy; I can go no further today," she said apologetically, as she usually never exceeded three readings.