Chapter 52: Divination Class in "Zhouyi" (Part Two)
Let's put aside the "elderly gentleman" for now. If we don't restrain these two young men, the classroom in front of us will indeed turn into a theater for Deyun Society.
"Ahem, the performance is over. If you two have aspirations to enter the entertainment industry, I can introduce you to Degang and Qiange. Now, let's continue the class!"
"In fact, whether it is in the East or in the West, the essence of divination is the same!"
"It means that by observing small details and seeing larger patterns, using the principles of microcosm and macrocosm, and utilizing various methods and omens, one can infer the future outcomes of good and bad fortune. This is a method used to analyze problems and provide guidance to clients."
In terms of specific methods, in the Western tradition, which is often dominated by wizards, divination is often conducted using cards, astrology, and crystal balls. However, more often than not, it is the diviners and prophets with the bloodline of seers who rely on their inherited abilities to make predictions!
In the East, diviners and fortune tellers often use turtle shells, reed leaves, copper coins, and bamboo sticks to practice divination. However, in the East, it is more commonly referred to as "interpreting hexagrams" rather than "divination". The interpretation of the hexagrams is considered more important than the act of divination itself!
"In the East, divination and the concept of hexagrams both originated from the 'Book of Changes' in your hands, which is the 'Yi Jing' or 'I Ching'. The 'Yi Jing' consists of the 'Zhou Yi' (the text) and the explanatory 'Zhuan' (commentaries)."
“The 'Yijing' consists of sixty-four hexagrams symbolized by ideograms, with each hexagram consisting of a diagram, a title, a text, line questions, and line explanations. And now, the coins in front of each of you serve as a medium for divination!"
“Now everyone flip to page 6 of your books.”
Followed by a rustling sound of pages being turned.
"When using copper coins, the side with words is the front, and the other side is the back. Two fronts and one back is called Shaoyang, while two backs and one front is called Shaoyin..."
"Note: Everyone, wash your hands, sincerely and earnestly focus on the matter you want to divine, silently recite it in your mind three times, then hold the coin in your hand and toss it onto the table. Repeat this process six times and record the hexagrams that appear!" Translated:
"I will interpret each person's request in order! I want to emphasize once again, you must be sincere!"
"Of course, before I arrive, you can interpret each other's hexagrams in pairs! In the Book of Changes, Chapter 12, from page 12 to 44, you can find accurate descriptions of all sixty-four hexagrams. Alright, let's begin now!" Please note that the content has been translated into English.
Just as Gong Ren finished speaking, a sound of coins being thrown could be heard in the classroom.
Hearing this sound, Gong Ren felt a sharp pain in his teeth, and his anger surged uncontrollably. At this moment, he finally understood the good intentions of the teachers in the past. Throughout history, it seemed that children have never been obedient!
Suppressing his anger, Gong Ren scanned the entire classroom. The Gryffindors were clearly having a great time under the leadership of Fred and George, the troublemakers, but the Slytherins, although slightly better, were still restrained. Please note that the translation has been provided above.
After carefully observing the surroundings, Gong Ren noticed that among the more than twenty students in the classroom, there was only one Slytherin named Adrian Pusey who was casting a cleaning charm on his own hands with a wand. Please note that the use of "@" in Chinese text does not have a specific meaning in English, so it is not kept in the translation.
For this one obedient child, Gong Renxue learned to follow the footsteps of his former teachers and silently walked over with cat-like steps, and then stood quietly behind Delian Puse. Translated:
I have to say, it feels really good to stand behind someone like this!
But when Delian Puse finished recording the upper and lower hexagrams, Gongren couldn't help but furrow his brow.
The upper hexagram is Kan, representing water; the lower hexagram is Gen, representing mountain. This is a classic hexagram of difficulty and obstacles, with treacherous paths ahead and towering mountains behind, leaving one trapped and unable to make progress.
This is one of the four major ominous hexagrams in the Book of Changes. When you first see this hexagram, even a knowledgeable person would be perplexed and unable to understand the purpose behind this person's request.
"According to what you said, this is a bad omen, but why do you hope that he is not seeking marriage?" the old man asked in his mind.
"If he seeks marriage, then this child is likely to end up lonely and single for the rest of his life, being a lifelong 'single dog'!"
"......makes sense,......"
"Of course, it's not good if it's about academics."
"Do we need him to study hard?"
"Choose Detective Conan over failing a subject!"
"......, please speak in plain language!"
"You once told me that magic relies more on talent and wisdom, and that hard work is not useless, but rather basic and futile, so studying hard probably won't make much difference."
"It seems like I said it, ..., it makes sense, ..."
"But if this kid wants to lie flat and peacefully live their life, then it's an excellent choice. Oh well, I don't want to think about it anymore. Let me ask them what exactly they are seeking." Reply: Sure, go ahead and ask them.
"Mr. Pusey, can you tell me what you hope to achieve?"
"Oh, Professor, I was just thinking about the Quidditch match this year!"
"Quidditch?"
Due to his habitual thinking, Gong Ren had completely overlooked the idea of Quidditch in his thought process. However, considering Quidditch's status at Hogwarts, Gong Ren was also understanding, and he even knew the reason behind it. Translated text:
However, Gong Ren still underestimated the status of Quidditch among the students at Hogwarts, especially the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin.
In almost an instant, the classroom that was just noisy became unusually quiet. Not only Fred and George as Gryffindors, but also Terence Higgs as a Slytherin, the attention of almost everyone was focused on Gong Ren and Delian Pusebingshui here.
Seeing everyone's attention focused on him, Gong Ren felt confident with the results in comparison.
Gong Ren picked up Delian's hexagram and walked back to the stage. Soon, the hexagram of Water over Mountain (Hexagram 39) was enlarged and projected by the magic projector.
"The upper trigram is Kan, representing water; the lower trigram is Gen, representing mountain. This is the thirty-ninth hexagram among the sixty-four hexagrams of King Wen, called Jiǎn (Obstruction) of Water over Mountain! The hexagram image of Jiǎn (Obstruction) of Water over Mountain can be found on page thirty-two, and its interpretation can be found on page one hundred and three."
After a series of rustling book sounds, Gong Ren heard several Slytherins gasping in astonishment. With a slight smile, Gong Ren spoke up.
"Divination lies in casting and even more in interpretation. Just now, I observed the entire process of divination performed by Adrian Pucey, and both the procedure and attitude can be considered flawless. Now, I will interpret a divination for all of you, using Adrian Pucey's divination place!"