Karma, having achieved his goal, promptly exited the gambling hall. Stowing his new spatial pouch in a secure compartment inside his robes, he re-emerged amidst the crowded shopping district.

No longer ailed by the woes of poverty, Karma decided against transferring his remaining two and a half SSF into his spatial pouch, instead on the lookout for his first proper meal.

Despite neglecting sustenance, he had yet to experience any adverse effects. Karma attributed his lack of hunger to the two medicinal pills he'd consumed and his perks as a cultivator.

Nevertheless, the phrase 'not immediately fatal' is not synonymous with 'ideal.' Even with fragmented memory, he retained the importance of a healthy diet and its many benefits.

Drawn by a tantalizing fragrance, Karma's search led him to a quaint food cart.

Joining a short queue of two or three people, he glimpsed a departing customer biting into a plump steam bun, exposing an aromatic blend of sauce and meat. His mouth watered in eager anticipation until it was finally his turn to order.

"Morning, madam. Four buns to go, please."

Nodding, the vendor opened a bamboo steamer before bagging its contents.

Holding the bag in one hand, her other hand signed a one followed by a two.

Prices quoted in SSF are reserved for larger purchases. Routine transactions, like the one I'm participating in now, are via one-hundredths of SSF—or paper currency.

Karma passed over half of a spiritual stone fragment. In return, he received his food, three ten-denomination bills, one five, and three ones.

After expressing his thanks, Karma gave way to the next customer.

Crinkling one of the bills between his fingers, Karma noted, There's spiritual energy in the ink itself? Neat!

Karma pocketed his change before plopping down on a nearby bench.

Procuring a steam bun, he took a big bite, the resultant blast of flavor launching him into euphoria. Hot, salty sweetness coated his mouth, and every chew was met with a heavenly tenderness. Ignited by ravenous desire, he wolfed down the remaining buns until he stared into an empty bag.

Looking toward the food cart with intense temptation, Karma nearly bolted back before catching sight of the sun's position.

To his dismay, only an hour and a half remained until the afternoon, forcing him to choose between delaying his plan and those delicious, hot, juicy steam buns.

Karma, assaulted by immense heartache, forlornly chose the former. In his mind, he knew it was the correct choice, but his body disagreed vehemently …

Entering the crowded streets, several minutes of walking and winding turns later, he once again stood before the Divination Hut's inconspicuous storefront.

Brimming with resolve, he resolutely crossed the doorway and approached the counter.

"I would like to make a purchase," Karma intoned, staring into the shopkeeper's droopy eyes.

In response, the hairless elder slowly craned his neck upwards, meeting Karma's gaze impassively.

Following an extended silence, the shopkeeper sighed before replying, "Would you care to elaborate? I'm not in the habit of divining the end of sentences. As indicated by the prices above, such an endeavor would be quite costly."

Facepalming, the solemn air surrounding Karma immediately deflated. Adopting his usual tone, he replied, "That's … a good question, one I'm happy to answer!"

Clearing his throat, he continued, "As I was saying, I would like to purchase one General Divination, please."

"I see. I appreciate the … clarification."

Slowly reaching downwards, he withdrew a sheet of paper. Sliding it over, he explained, "This is a contract detailing our respective obligations during the upcoming transactions. Should you agree, simply inject your spiritual energy as indicated at the bottom."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Reading over the contract, everything seemed in order. Just as Karma was about to agree, the shopkeeper reminded, "I'd like to remind you about paragraph three, section A, regarding the exchange of illegitimately sourced goods—“

Glaring in displeasure, Karma decisively summoned his spiritual energy, causing the contract to flash a golden glow; simultaneously gathering fifty SSF onto the counter, he stepped back and waited quietly.

Looking over at the contract, the spirit stone fragments, and then back at the contract, the shopkeeper seemed somewhat surprised.

Lips pursed in mild disappointment, he eventually injected his spiritual energy into the contract, collecting the stones soon after.

The shopkeeper exited from behind his counter, gesturing for Karma to follow.

As they headed toward the back of the shop, a swoosh sounded. Karma swiveled toward the shop's entrance, finding its door shut.

**

In a dimly lit chamber sat two figures face-to-face.

One was young, dressed in a stylish green robe marked by an abyssal crow. The other was old, wearing a symbol-less gray robe.

Following a minute of protracted silence, the voice belonging to the more senior member of the pair echoed around the enclosure.

"You may now state your query."

Taking a deep breath, Karma enunciated, "Please divine the viability, stability, and safety regarding information brokerage as an economic venture within the next decade."

The shopkeeper, after pausing momentarily, replied, "Given that you have requested the 'General Divination' option, I can offer a timespan no greater than half a decade. Anything more would incur additional service charges."

"Five years is sufficient," acknowledged Karma.

"Very well. I will now proceed with the divination, please refrain from making loud noises or sudden movements."

Punctuating his exhortation, intense white light bloomed out from his eye sockets. Concurrently, Karma felt like he'd been battered by invisible winds as the surrounding spiritual energy dropped to alarming sparsity.

Ignoring the physical sensations, Karma's eyes widened as far as they could, white-gold threads overtaking most of his vision.

Abruptly, his consciousness was overtaken by the spinning figure of a self-devouring snake. Every passing moment brought a considerable acceleration in its angular velocity, the area situated about its center repeatedly rupturing as it spewed out dense streams of information.

Karma, armed with prior experience, carefully diluted portions of his spiritual energy before willing them into his mind's eye. Subsequently, tiny motes of light manifested beneath the serpent, taking the initiative to fuze with the relentless cascade.

Happy his hypothesis had been validated, Karma did his best to maintain the status quo, replenishing the motes of light whenever necessary.

A quagmire of imagery, abstract symbols, and more gradually accumulated as minutes passed. In concert, mounting agony slammed into Karma's brain like a jackhammer, teetering at the edge of his tolerance.

Karma gritted his teeth, enduring as best he could. The pain bombarding his psyche far exceeded the previous occasion, likely due to his steady injection of spiritual energy instead of a single large burst.

However, his sacrifice did not go unrewarded, for he felt a constant infusion of new memories materialize adjacent to his own.

In actuality, the overall pain was roughly equivalent between the current and previous iteration; however, his crude approach last time delayed the process until he'd fallen asleep, instead causing further complications during the merge.

Outwardly, no changes took place, reminiscent of two lifelike statues forgotten in storage. The only peculiarity lay in realms invisible to the eye, unwilling or unable to trespass into reality's domain.

The sun overhead continued its journey, and the chamber's occupants remained oblivious to the marching of time.

Suddenly, the pale white illumination began to subside, restoring the spiritual energy to its natural equilibrium.

The white-gold threads receded in stride, causing the self-devouring serpent to dissipate.

Karma's eyes fluttered open, sensing the presence of a vast array of new knowledge. His mind buzzed with esoteric descriptions, mysterious runes, and an unprecedented understanding of the art of divination.

Fighting to contain his jubilance, Karma looked across at the shopkeeper, whose eyes had settled back into their lackadaisical state.

Exhaling deeply, the shopkeeper's aged voice then resounded.

"The divination is complete," he announced, revealing a faint sense of weakness.

"Prepare yourself, I will now impart its contents."

Clearing his throat, he continued, "Information brokerage comprises a broad spectrum of subgroups, rendering any universal trends partially inaccurate."

"However, as a means of reference, the value remains undeniable. That said, your requested projections within the upcoming five years are as follows: viability, constant moderate-high; stability, oscillates but remains in an acceptable range; safety, directly inverse to precaution, minor inverse relationship with opportunity."

Karma took a moment to digest the findings.

The foundational elements seemed solid, and the corresponding risk and reward will depend on my individual prowess.

After Karma mulled over the implications, he stood and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for your wisdom," he replied, voice tinged with genuine appreciation. "I have benefited greatly."

The shopkeeper waved dismissively.

"I have carried out my responsibilities as stipulated by the contract. Payment has been received, and services rendered. If there is nothing else, please see yourself out."

Heeding the shopkeeper's instructions, Karma found his way back to the shop proper, where he found the door open anew.

His lungs welcomed a burst of fresh air, mind enamored by an ocean of relief.

Yesterday's Karma was poor and bereft of direction, a meager raft adrift in tumultuous waters, soon to be swallowed.

Today, he stood atop a sturdy sailboat.

Gazing at the clear skies above, witnessing the sun inching closer to its zenith, his grandiose thoughts ground to a halt.

OH FUC-!

Hightailing his way through the crowd with reckless abandon, the words of Elder Li echoed ominously in his ears:

“You will take better care of your punctuality in the future.”