The art of I Ching (
Steps
There are three steps to the ritual:
- Choose from one of the Five Elements and gather items relating to that element.
- Have the items ferment to create Tao-infused spirits.
- Use a talisman and have it soaked in the fermented fragrance to imbue it with Tao and write a person's name on it.
Overview
Once the talisman of the person's name has been written the I Ching will be complete. If the talisman starts to slowly burn away, it is a sign that the life force of the written person is beginning to diminish. Once the talisman has been completely burned away, it reveals to the practitioner that the written person has died or will die in the near future. If the talisman becomes entirely soaked with ink after writing a name, it signifies that the person was already dead. By slightly burning the talisman with a lit incense, a skilled Tao user can sense the written person's chi, elemental attribute, and even whether or not they are capable of using Tao. In terms of future prophecies, it is unclear as to how far into the future the I Ching can predict a person's fate.
For Tensens, the I Ching uses bottles of Tao-infused liquid. The cracking of the bottle reveals that the Tensen is on the verge of death. If the bottle breaks, it reveals that the Tensen's life has passed. If the bottle starts to overflow it signals that the Tensen has enter their Kishikai.
Flaws
Because the I Ching is mainly used for determining the fates in which a person will live or die in the future, it can be possible for the practitioner to be misled by what the ritual prophecies. Since the I Ching relies on the name a person is committed to (regardless of it not being their birth name), the I Ching will cancel out if the written person chooses to change their name in the future. If done, their talisman will burn away and cause the practitioner to perceive that the person will be fated to die.
History
Past
Lord Tensen would at times use the I Ching ritual to determine their own actions.
Present
After being informed by Aza Chōbei of the human survivors' attempt to infiltrate Hōrai, Rien decided on initiating the Rite of Just Consumption ritual and used the I Ching as a critical component. Using the names Chōbei provided, Rien was able to determine the fates and fortunes of the survivors. After writing Aza Tōma's name, Rien informed Chōbei that she detected that his brother had an "ill-omen".
In the Rentan Palace, while the survivors engaged in battle with Lord Tensen, Rien sits in the I Ching circle and reviews the situation. The I Ching then reveals to Rien that Ran has enter his Kishikai and that the Tensen should be cautious of Gabimaru. Gui Fa was then ordered by Rien to guard the I Ching circle while she made her way to the floodgates. By the time they were approached by Sagiri and Mei, the talisman of Yamada Asaemon Shion's starts to slowly burn down, revealing that he was on the verge of dying from his battle with Zhu Jin. Later, the I Ching reveals to Gui Fa that the Tensens have all been defeated and the humans managed to survive.
Shortly after, Gui Fa enters Rien's laboratory and discovered traces of burnt talismans that are presumably for those who invaded Hōrai, including Rien herself, and found only three that were barley intact. Though the names being burnt prevented Gui Fa from telling who was written, the Tensen sensed from the hint of Tao remaining on them that the only ones who will survive in the future will be two Yang and one Yin (two men and one woman). They would later reveal this information to Yuzuriha and Mei.
Following Rien's defeat at the hands of the survivors, Gabimaru, Yuzuriha, Nurugai, and Shion decided to go their separate ways while leaving Sagiri, Jikka, and Gantetsusai as the only three to return back to Edo. Prior to this, Yuzuriha came to realize that the I Ching's prediction referred to Sagiri, Jikka, and Gantetsusai as the only survivors due to the criminals and Shion resorting to change their names (as suggested by Jikka) in order to start their new lives.
Trivia
- According to Gui Fa, the prophecies of the I Ching always come to pass.
- To locate the Banko's tandens scattered in Hōrai, Mei used the items from Rien's I Ching for this task.