The Charismatic Charlie Wade

George, noting Maria’s horrified expression and her unusual nervousness in speech, wasted no time in inquiring, “Miss Clark, what do you make of this sight?”

Maria responded, “This… The dark clouds appear chaotic and unruly, yet there’s an underlying complexity, a sense of… it feels akin to the Zen Gua image from the Book of Changes’ sixty-four hexagrams.”

“Zen Gua?” Geena exclaimed, clearly taken aback, “Could this cloud actually represent a hexagram?”

Maria nodded, murmuring, “Zen hexagrams are always intricate. Ancient wisdom tells us that when upheaval arrives, laughter turns bitter; a shocking event in the distant field, no mourning for the blade. When this hexagram appears, it’s a merging of the main hexagram and the guest hexagram, signifying an unforeseen, earth-shattering occurrence.”

George, now even more astounded, inquired, “Who possesses the ability to divine from the sky’s clouds?”

Maria appeared befuddled, “I’m not sure… But… This divination seems to have commenced precisely when we arrived. I don’t think it’s man-made.”

“Unnatural, then…” Geena questioned, “Could it be a natural occurrence?”

Maria shook her head, saying, “The secret eludes me…”

As they spoke, the sky’s dark clouds continued their rapid transformation. Thick clouds seemed to draw from an unending well in the heavens, covering the entire Heaven Lake valley in a relentless surge.

Maria frowned, gazing skyward with wide eyes, whispering to herself, “The hexagrams shift too swiftly… I… I cannot fathom it. What are you attempting to convey? Can you clarify? At all?”

The enigmatic clouds, of course, remained indifferent to her muttered queries, their transformation unabated.

variables, each demanding extensive comprehension. With their rapid changes, another hexagram emerges in the blink of an eye. I…

Geena swiftly retrieved his mobile phone, activating video recording. “Miss Clark, fret not. I’ll capture all these shifts. If need be, you

hexagram. It hints at a plea for aid, but it does not clarify who or what seeks it.

someone or something, then what

the ever-changing clouds, responded in a hushed tone, “I haven’t

her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, “Ah!

urgently asked, “What

to the barren ground beneath her feet,

the Mother of

years ago? Why would she seek our aid now? And…

I can sense

pondered, “Assuming you’re correct, and it is indeed the Mother of Pu’er appealing through the clouds, what does she require of us? How

she’s trapped within this tumultuous

the dark clouds had grown denser, coalescing into a sphere that descended slowly. The air now teemed with

“The hexagrams are becoming increasingly ominous, with the main hexagram gradually succumbing to Ke Gua’s influence. If I can’t devise a solution soon, I may not be

could only stand there, his worry

potent low-pressure system above Heaven Lake. Maria’s breathing grew

exclaimed, “The hexagrams are becoming more perilous, with the main hexagram losing ground to Ke Gua. If I can’t find a solution soon, I may not be able to rescue