But he seemed to have found the feel of it; it appeared to be about permutation and combination, each combination corresponding to a brief text explanation, extremely concise.
The general idea was, due to limited space, much was omitted, and the readers should understand on their own.
Li Zhiyuan rubbed his eyes. So, this is what Face Reading is about?
It’s not the kind of fortune teller coming up to you saying: "Your forehead is darkening, a disaster might be looming."
According to the logic of this book, it should be: Do you know how many permutation and combination options there are in interpreting the forehead?
Li Zhiyuan couldn’t understand - this was clearly a book on feudal superstition related to Face Reading, so why did it have an air of scientific rigor?
How energetic was the author of this book, to have observed so many people’s faces meticulously?
No, it wouldn’t be possible for a single person, not even a Sect could manage it.
If this book wasn’t written blindly, then the author must have collected and researched countless notes from predecessors to compile and summarize the findings.
Li Zhiyuan opened the sixth book, reading the first page carefully.
His forehead broke out in sweat, and his earlobes turned red, typically indicating rapid thinking when solving difficult problems.
After finishing the first page, he didn’t understand the content, but he understood the rules.
If the fifth book was about permutations and combinations based on the basic elements of eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, then the sixth book was a permutation and combination of those permutations and combinations.
If, up to the fifth book, one could manage by rote memorization, by the sixth book, it had reached the level of mathematical calculations, and the amount of calculation was enormous.
Li Zhiyuan took a deep breath and opened the seventh book.
He read through the first page quickly because he was just confirming a guess.
Indeed, the seventh book further intensified the basis of the sixth book, the understanding and computational difficulty were not just simply multiplied.
Li Zhiyuan felt the urge to wash his face, but hesitated and instead opened the eighth book.
After finishing the first page of the eighth book, Li Zhiyuan closed the book.
He leaned back in his chair.
He realized he was wrong; previously he wondered why a book on feudal superstition could exude an air of scientific rigor.
Upon reaching the eighth book,
He saw the mysticism.
The classification of eyes, ears, mouth, and nose in the first four books seemed like raw data or say, primitive numbers, and the fifth to the seventh books were the application of these primitive numbers.
Using a more sensory metaphor, it’s akin to painting; you start from the most basic dots, lines, and shapes, progress to creating a complete object, to designing a layout and structure, to the combination of light and shadow for three-dimensional perception...
When you can perfectly copy masterpieces and produce outstanding works yourself, that’s roughly the level of the seventh book.
The eighth book... requires you to perceive your own style, create a Sect, and become a grandmaster.
Therefore, even if this book is real, ordinary people can just look at it; they really can’t learn it, let alone reach the eighth book; you’d need to memorize more than a thousand types of eyebrows first.
Li Zhiyuan’s gaze shifted to the "Life Chart Calculation Theory" next to him, thinking, might as well break the jar if it’s going to break.
He sat upright, opened the first volume, and, oh, there was a foreword.
Indeed, the two sets of books were written by the same author because the first line of the first sentence was: "Having read the previous work Yin Yang Face Reading."
Is this a necessary prerequisite?
Continuing to read, Li Zhiyuan found it wasn’t, but Life Chart reasoning required several conditions, one being Face Reading, one being Star Study, and one being Qi Fortune Study.
"Could it be, there are two more sets by the same author in the box that I haven’t found?"
Soon, Li Zhiyuan realized his mistake, because in the preface, the author expressed regret that he only mastered Face Reading and no longer had the energy to delve into Star Study and Qi Fortune.
Or rather, Star Study and Qi Fortune are inherently inclusive, not distinctly categorized; Face Reading and fate chart also discuss Star Study and Qi Fortune.
According to the author, he believes that the true method of Life Chart Calculation should integrate these four disciplines to truly achieve excellence.
"That means, even after learning these four subjects, it only improves accuracy, and still can’t guarantee one hundred percent."
And the previous work on Face Reading was just one way to help improve the accuracy of Life Chart Calculation.
The foreword ended, and Li Zhiyuan officially turned to the first page of the content.
Firstly, a corner of a diagram appeared, precisely, it was just a corner of the diagram on this page, and the text was written inside the diagram.
Li Zhiyuan quickly flipped through the pages, memorizing each page’s diagram in his mind. After flipping through the entire book, he started piecing together the puzzle in his mind; though incomplete, he could discern what it was.
It was the Eight Diagram.
Thus, piecing together all eight books, it formed a complete Eight Diagram.
And this set of books was actually... a complete new algorithm.
In that moment, Li Zhiyuan had an illusion that he wasn’t living in Grandmaster’s rural house, but had returned to a classroom in Beijing.
The old professors and their group of young students after mutually tormenting each other, revealed those grim smiles.
"It really feels like being back in class learning."
Li Zhiyuan checked the time, realizing it was already one o’clock in the morning. He got up to leave the room, scooped water from the washbasin, and washed his face.
After freshening up, his fighting spirit reignited:
"Learn, really learn!"
Early morning, as day was just dawning, Li Zhiyuan opened his eyes, turned his head, and saw a light entering his bedroom before the sunlight.
Qin Li was sitting on a chair, facing sideways towards him.
This was likely to avoid startling him like last time by facing him directly when he woke up.