Feng Shui Chapter 178: Sudden Complications

Tong Nuonuo hadn’t been lost in shock for long before the competition on the high platform officially began.

The first event was the material showcase.

Two groups of women in distinctly styled outfits stepped up on either side of the platform, each carrying trays in their hands. Once the teams were in position, Ye Jinglan, whom Chen Xiao had seen once before, ascended the stage. There seemed to be an amplification spell cast over the platform, though her voice wasn’t loud, every word reached the audience with perfect clarity.

She announced, “Qianxiu Workshop will be using the refinement method today. First spinning, then dyeing, followed by weaving, and finally embroidery. The materials include spiritual silkworm silk, purple gardenia, multicolored dye agents…” As she introduced each item, a corresponding woman would step forward and display it to the surrounding audience.

Chen Xiao furrowed his brow. Turning his head slightly, as if afraid of disturbing others, he whispered in Xi Yunqing’s ear, “A public display like this, aren’t they worried about revealing their recipes to the other side?”

Xi Yunqing’s lashes trembled from the brush of Chen Xiao’s breath. He forced himself to ignore the slight ticklish sensation and replied in a low voice, “There are many types of spiritual silkworm silk. She didn’t specify which kind they’re using. As for purple gardenia, it’s a dye, but it can’t be used directly. The extraction and blending ratios won’t be disclosed.”

Chen Xiao gave a slight nod of understanding.

In addition to the fabric materials, the tools to be used later were also on display, spindles, spinning wheels, shuttles, and so on. Chen Xiao found this quite surprising.

He had always assumed that, due to the prevalence of spellcraft, the technological level of the cultivation world wasn’t inferior to his previous life. In some ways, it was even more advanced.

So seeing these exquisitely crafted yet primitive tools laid out was a bit of a revelation.

The answer would be revealed soon enough, so he didn’t ask further. Unbeknownst to him, Xi Yunqing kept glancing at him, ready to explain things at any moment.

After Ye Jinglan finished her presentation, another woman in a pale blue dress stepped onto the platform. From Hu Manniang’s earlier introduction, Chen Xiao knew her name was Zhen Ning.

Zhen Ning wasn’t quite as beautiful as Ye Jinglan, but she had a calm, composed demeanor, giving her an air of seasoned competence. Compared to the slightly tense Ye Jinglan, who was clearly nervous, Zhen Ning seemed far more experienced.

“It’s Zhen Ning again." Tong Nuonuo volunteered an explanation for her companions. “She’s Hu Manniang’s most outstanding disciple. If nothing goes wrong, she’ll be the one to succeed Wanjin Pavilion in the future. I heard she’s even won a past competition.”

Tang Ru commented, “A newcomer versus a veteran. Even if Wanjin Pavilion wins, it doesn’t feel like a fair fight.”

Tong Nuonuo shook her head. “Not necessarily. Though this is Ye Jinglan’s first time representing Qianxiu Workshop, she’s already well known for her weaving and dyeing skills. And status-wise, she’s not beneath Zhen Ning. Who knows, she might possess some unique techniques.”

While half-listening to the conversation between the two beside him, Chen Xiao kept his eyes on the displays atop the platform.

Ye Jinglan’s primary material was silk, while Zhen Ning’s was a particularly fine type of hair and snowy-white spiritual cotton. Ye Jinglan had said she would spin first, then dye, then weave. Zhen Ning, however, would dye first, then spin, then weave.

Different materials meant different techniques, how was this a fair comparison? Chen Xiao was puzzled. Were they just going to judge based on the rarity of materials?

The two teams divided the materials and tools into two clearly marked sections on the stage. Once everything was properly arranged, they left the platform, leaving only Ye Jinglan and Zhen Ning standing.

Chen Xiao rested his chin on his hand and looked toward Ye Jinglan. After all, they’d met once before, which gave him a natural inclination to root for her. Besides, he hoped Ye Jinglan would do well, if she succeeded, there might still be hope for Liu Lang.

His vantage point gave him a clear view of almost everything on the stage. As his gaze passed over the purple gardenia, a thought struck him, Zhen Ning hadn’t displayed any purple gardenia among her materials.

That meant the Wanjin Pavilion representatives who had tried to strong-arm Liu Lang for purple gardenia weren’t merely trying to secure a rare supply. It also suggested that Liu Lang getting caught in the middle of the confrontation between Wanjin Pavilion and Qianxiu Workshop wasn’t just a coincidence.

A flash of realization passed through Chen Xiao’s mind, and he sat up straighter, lowering his hand.

“What is it?” Xi Yunqing asked.

With a grave expression, Chen Xiao shared his discovery. Xi Yunqing was quick to catch on. “You mean someone from Qianxiu Workshop leaked information to Wanjin Pavilion? Not only about Ye Jinglan’s need for large amounts of purple gardenia, but also about Liu Lang’s delivery schedule and route?”

Chen Xiao nodded slowly. “That’s what I think.”

Tong Nuonuo and Tang Ru were stunned into silence, their attention drawn entirely away from the platform. After a moment of thought, Xi Yunqing murmured, “With something this suspicious going on, I imagine Qianxiu Workshop will be on alert.”

Chen Xiao thought for a moment and said, “It’s possible that Liu Lang never got the chance to tell Ye Jinglan about Wanjin Pavilion trying to strong-arm him. Back then, Qianxiu Workshop was in seclusion. And later, after Liu Lang was seriously injured, he was so devastated by the destruction of his spiritual root that he might not have realized that the duel was actually targeting the zi zhi in his possession.”

Xi Yunqing added, “There were likely two targets in that duel. If something had happened to Ye Jinglan, she wouldn’t have been able to represent Qianxiu Workshop in the competition. A last-minute replacement would’ve meant certain defeat for them. And if the zi zhi, Liu Lang was holding had been destroyed during the duel, Ye Jinglan would’ve been forced to switch materials for her design. In such a rushed situation, her chances of winning would’ve been slim.”

Tong Nuonuo was indignant. “Wanjin Pavilion is absolutely despicable!”

Tang Ru chimed in with her clear, crisp voice, “But this is all just speculation. We don’t have any solid proof. What if it was all just a coincidence?”

Chen Xiao said, “If we want to know whether it was really a coincidence, we just need to ask Liu Lang how he got so badly injured in the first place.”

Tang Ru immediately stood up. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go ask Li Yuzhou right now!”

The four of them all stood up. As they reached the door, Xi Yunqing said, “You three go to Li Yuzhou’s place and find out what happened. I’ll go to Shi Fengdu and inform him of our suspicions. If there really is a traitor in Qianxiu Workshop, we need to prevent any more sabotage.” He handed Chen Xiao a jade token. “Take this. With it, no one will stop you from coming or going.”

Chen Xiao put the jade token away, and the three of them sprinted out of the competition venue, racing toward Li Yuzhou’s residence. All three were in the Foundation Establishment stage, and by pushing their speed to the limit, they arrived in just a quarter of an hour. Without even bothering to knock, Chen Xiao led the way and burst through the door, heading straight for the west wing.

“Xiao! What are you doing here?” Li Yuzhou had just stepped out of the west wing and nearly ran into him.

Chen Xiao shoved past him, urgently saying, “I need to ask Liu Lang something!” He rushed inside, only to halt abruptly. The bed was empty. He turned around, grabbed Li Yuzhou, and demanded, “Where’s Liu Lang?! Wasn’t he too injured to even get out of bed? Where did he go?”

Li Yuzhou looked confused but still answered, “After you lent me those spirit pearls, I bought high-grade healing pills right away. Aside from the injury to his spiritual root, the rest of his body has mostly healed. He just needs to take nourishing pills every day for recovery. Liu Lang has many friends on Yingxian Island. This morning, when he heard they were planning to confront Qianxiu Workshop to demand an explanation, he rushed out to stop them.”

Chen Xiao stomped his foot anxiously. “Where is he now?”

“Near the Drunken Immortal Tavern.”

Without missing a beat, the trio bolted for the Drunken Immortal Tavern. Chen Xiao looked around below the private dining room where he had previously eaten with Xi Yunqing, and soon spotted Liu Lang. Most of the crowd had already dispersed, only a few people remained, sitting at an open-air tea stall with him, drinking tea and chatting.

“Liu Lang! There you are!” Chen Xiao called out, panting.

Liu Lang stood up in surprise. “Chen... Chen Daoyou, right? I haven’t even had a chance to thank you properly, ”

Chen Xiao cut him off. “I need to ask you something, it's important! It’s about Ye Jinglan’s competition. Please be completely honest.”

Liu Lang’s expression changed immediately. “Did something happen to her? Alright, ask! I’ll tell you everything.”

Chen Xiao asked, “What exactly happened that left you so seriously injured?”

Liu Lang gave a bitter smile. “So that’s what you’re here for. That day, I’d arranged to deliver the freshly picked zi zhi to Jinglan. But when I arrived, I found her surrounded by several people. I went forward to help her, and because I didn’t have a storage tool, I was afraid the box containing the zi zhi would be damaged, so I left it aside temporarily. Later, people from Wanjin Pavilion must’ve tried to vent their anger by targeting the box. The zi zhi was the key material for Jinglan’s entry. I couldn’t just stand by and watch them destroy it. But I couldn’t protect both her and the box at the same time, so I chose to defend them and sacrificed my own defense.”

And just like that, Wanjin Pavilion failed to achieve either of their goals. Instead, an innocent person like Liu Lang ended up gravely injured, with his spiritual root destroyed.

Tang Ru said, “So Xiao was right. There really is a traitor in Qianxiu Workshop trying to sabotage them.”

“What?!” Liu Lang’s expression darkened with shock and fury. “Someone wants to hurt Jinglan? Who?!”

Chen Xiao said, “We don’t know yet. But I need to get back to the competition venue immediately and report all this.”

“I’m coming with you!” Liu Lang said urgently.

“No, you can’t." Chen Xiao said firmly. “You’ve lost your cultivation. You wouldn’t be able to keep up with us.” The words were harsh, but Chen Xiao had no time to sugarcoat the truth.

Liu Lang’s expression dimmed, but Chen Xiao added, “However, you can ask one of your friends to take you there as fast as possible. I’ll let the guards know to let you in. Just remember, once you’re inside, don’t alert anyone. We still don’t know who the traitor is. If we’re not careful, they might do something desperate.”

Liu Lang looked at Chen Xiao with steely determination and nodded heavily. “Got it!”