I

Ming was born into a family with a long-standing tradition. Families like hers were once common in Qian, but now they find themselves in an awkward position.
In today's Qian, an ideal state without the need for noble families, anything associated with these old families—rules, customs, and even the families themselves—has been largely abandoned, often labeled as "feudal superstitions". Ming's family traditionally provided a wide range of services, such as I Ching divination, feng shui, and funeral rites, all of which are now linked to these discarded "old things". Though they may seem outdated and are no longer understood by many, Ming firmly believes that not all old things are meaningless. If we completely abandon the past, how can we move steadily forward?
"We may no longer need them, but that doesn't mean we should forget their existence," she often says.
The responsibilities of her family's business, tasks from WeiShi, and her advisory role to the Department of Governmental Affairs all consume a significant amount of Ming's energy. Amidst these heavy responsibilities, she devotes whatever strength she has left to recovering those ancient items that have been carelessly lost over the ages.

II

To address the frequent anomalies in QingYu City and gather relevant intelligence, WeiShi and the Bureau of Oversight & Integrity have teamed up, offering various forms of assistance, with Ming being a key contributor. Dispatched by WeiShi, Ming serves as a special Folk Affairs Advisor to the Bureau in QingYu City. In addition to her primary duties for WeiShi, she also creates folklore-related educational materials for the Bureau's publicity department to prevent criminals from exploiting anomalies for fraudulent purposes.
A citizen who was nearly swindled presented this banner. He explained that he was on the verge of handing over his entire fortune to fraudsters, but the daily science updates from the Bureau's publicity department saved him just in time. Grateful, he had this exquisite banner made and personally delivered it to the Bureau of Oversight & Integrity in QingYu City to express his thanks.
"Based on the information from the Bureau of Oversight & Integrity, the expert might look like a 'mystic', but everything she says is grounded in scientific principles! It was incredibly convincing! I owe the safety of my wealth to this 'mystic', I mean, expert! Thank you, Bureau of Oversight & Integrity! Thank you to the 'mystic' expert from the Bureau!" the grateful citizen told reporters.
Ming later declined interviews and photo requests from both reporters and the grateful citizen, citing her busy work schedule.

III

Ming knows how to tie many types of knots, but if you ask her to demonstrate, the result might not be very impressive. In traditional Qian culture, it was common for elders to give handmade knots to children as a symbol of protection and well-wishes for their growth. Growing up with her grandparents, Ming was always well cared for by the elderly neighbors who treated her like their own granddaughter. They gave her numerous handmade knots, each beautifully crafted and filled with heartfelt meanings.
One day, after having given her various knots, the elders seemed to have collectively found a new hobby: teaching Ming how to tie these knots herself. While Ming excelled at gathering and organizing information, she struggled with the actual knot-tying, a rare setback for her. Perhaps it was due to the impatience of other young people, or maybe Ming's patience with the elders made them more eager to help. In any case, they would gather at Ming's home, teaching her knot-tying step by step.
The elders enjoyed seeing Ming's rare moments of clumsiness and cherished those warm afternoons spent guiding her. And Ming? She didn't mind those times either.

IV

Ming's family business originally covered a wide range of traditional practices, including I Ching divination, feng shui, and funeral rites. From a young age, Ming had been studying the ancient knowledge passed down in her family. In the realm of divination alone, there were dozens of methods. This wisdom, originating from ancient civilizations, is profound and complex, difficult to interpret through modern logic.
For contemporary Qian, these practices are seen as relics of the past that should have been discarded long ago. The only aspect that remains somewhat viable today is the practice of funeral rites.
Although Ming does not agree that these ancient practices should be abandoned, she has nonetheless placed them all out of sight overnight and rarely reveals them to others. Unless necessary, she avoids displaying these skills—whether this is due to the complexity and hassle of the procedures is unknown.
Even when she is willing to perform a divination, she rarely discloses the results to others.
"Knowing some omens of good or bad fortune in advance doesn't necessarily mean anything. Who can say if a setback won't turn into a blessing? But for you… no matter how hard I try to divine for you… I always can't determine the outcome."