Feng Shui Chapter 152: Rift Valley

Xi Yunqing turned his head and said, “Mount Jing is a snow-capped mountain rich in water-attributed spiritual energy. It’s likely to contain an abundance of water-attribute wood and mineral resources. Beneath the centuries-old, unmelted snow lies a thick layer of solid ice. I’d wager there are high-grade ice-element treasures sealed within it.”

Hearing this, Tong Nuonuo’s eyes practically lit up. Although he already had a fair amount of quality materials stored in his mechanism box, who would ever complain about having more?

Xi Yunqing paused for a moment, his expression turning serious. “According to the intel from Zhishi Hall, Mount Jing is territory claimed by an ice-element Armored Beast. We’ll need to stay alert on this trip.”

Tong Nuonuo quickly reined in his excitement and nodded. “So it’s an Armored Beast. They usually burrow into mountain sides to build their nests. As long as we’re cautious, we shouldn’t provoke it.”

Chen Xiao asked curiously, “What kind of ferocious beast is an Armored Beast?”

Tong Nuonuo began reciting from memory, as if listing items from a treasured collection. “An Armored Beast’s body is entirely covered in thick scales. Its head is conical, its back arched, limbs short and sturdy, and its tail is long and flat. It has sharp claws and a long tongue it uses to attack. They’re tough opponents, but they’re also incredibly lazy. Once they’ve eaten, they curl up in their burrows and sleep. As long as you don’t go out of your way to provoke them, they won’t attack.”

Listening to the description, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but think the creature sounded suspiciously like a giant pangolin. He glanced at Tong Nuonuo, genuinely impressed. “I noticed it before too, how come you know so much about ferocious beasts, Nuonuo?”

The round-faced boy looked embarrassed. He rubbed the tip of his nose shyly and said, “It’s because many parts of these beasts can be harvested and used in mechanisms. I’ve been studying under my master since I was young. I wouldn’t dare claim to know every beast in existence, but I’ve memorized nearly all the ones that have documented properties known to cultivators.”

Chen Xiao marveled, “Nuonuo, you’re amazing.” He was like a walking encyclopedia of ferocious beasts, essential for any training expedition.

Tong Nuonuo chuckled. “You have no idea how strict my master is. Every time I wanted materials, he’d make me recite their origin and properties by heart before giving them to me. If I got even one part wrong, he wouldn’t hand anything over.” He sighed, “But thanks to that strictness, I managed to memorize it all. Since leaving, I’ve come to appreciate his efforts. It’s come in handy so many times already.”

Chen Xiao gave an awkward laugh but didn’t respond. He couldn’t help but wonder if Nuonuo’s master had been strict simply to save on materials. That obsessive attitude toward materials clearly ran deep in this master-disciple pair.

Tong Nuonuo started boiling water and setting up cookware, while Chen Xiao went to the river and caught two large fish. Xi Yunqing took a quick trip into the woods and returned with a plump rabbit. Everyone worked together, each doing their part, and soon a hearty lunch was ready.

The meal was quite lavish, fish soup, roasted rabbit, tossed wild greens, and crispy fried bee pupae. Last time, Tong Nuonuo had braved the fried winter cicadas, but the bee pupae were too much even for him. He refused to take a single bite. Chen Xiao asked once, but didn’t push him. After a moment’s thought, he offered some to Xi Yunqing instead.

Xi Yunqing remained silent for a beat before calmly picking up a piece with his chopsticks. After tasting it, he merely commented, “Too greasy." and didn’t touch a second bite. Honestly, the fact that he even tried it surprised Chen Xiao. He had been sure someone like Xi Yunqing would never go near such a strong-flavored snack.

With a faint grin that he couldn’t wipe off, Chen Xiao shared the golden, crispy bee pupae with Tang Ru. Seeing this, the oblivious Tong Nuonuo thought two fewer people meant less competition for food and was absolutely delighted.

Now that they had caught sight of Mount Jing, the group no longer followed the Jing River’s path. All four cultivators used their movement techniques to travel swiftly. Xi Yunqing was the fastest, followed by Tang Ru, with Chen Xiao in third, and Tong Nuonuo bringing up the rear.

Chen Xiao still remembered that back in Hanshan City, during their escape, Tong Nuonuo had been the one leading the charge. But after some rigorous training, and with the help of the Speed Talisman, Chen Xiao had easily surpassed him. It was a little depressing to see a Foundation Establishment cultivator outpaced by someone still in the Body Refining stage.

The round-faced boy, proud as ever, refused to be a burden to the team. He pushed himself to the limit, panting heavily with his cheeks flushed red. After two full days of hard travel, they finally arrived at the foot of Mount Jing.

The closer they got, the colder it became. It was already April, but snowflakes were drifting through the air.

Standing at the base of the mountain, Chen Xiao looked up. Mount Jing was towering and majestic, awe-inspiring in its scale. The entire mountain was made up of twenty-five peaks of varying heights. Viewed from the front, the eastern slope was steep and treacherous, while the western slope was more gradual. The tallest peak, fourth from the left on the eastern side, could be summed up in three words: towering, perilous, and grand. In his previous life, a peak like this would’ve been a paradise for rock-climbing enthusiasts. Unfortunately, it was covered in year-round snow, and the high-altitude weather was unpredictable, with blizzards and gale-force winds striking at any moment. Besides cultivators, no ordinary person would dare venture here.

So far, Chen Xiao hadn’t seen any signs of the rich resources Xi Yunqing had mentioned. All that lay before him was a vast expanse of withered brown, not a hint of greenery in sight. It didn’t seem like a place suited for farming or human habitation at all.

“No wonder there aren’t any villages or towns around here." Chen Xiao exhaled, watching his breath condense into white mist before quickly vanishing. “It’s freezing. The temperature on the summit, can even cultivators survive that?”

Chen Xiao had asked Tong Nuonuo before and learned that cultivators, too, had their limits when it came to extreme temperatures. According to his calculations, they could endure up to 80°C heat and down to -40°C cold. Beyond those thresholds, without protective measures, even cultivators would suffer damage.

Even so, it was still quite impressive. Just imagine climbers on Mount Everest bundled up in thick sweaters and insulated jackets, trudging through the snow, while cultivators ascended the same peak wearing only a thin training robe as if it were nothing, that alone made the difference glaringly obvious.

Chen Xiao had already changed into a thickened version of the training robe, while Tang Ru was still wearing a knee-length skirt, her bare calves exposed, and delicate short boots woven from soft grass. Just looking at her made him feel cold, and he couldn't help but ask, “Arou, aren’t you cold? We're much higher up than we were in the last mountain range, and it's definitely colder here.”

That previous mountain area, while dense with forests and peaks, wasn’t all that elevated.

Though the snow had sealed off the mountains, the temperature hadn't been truly freezing. This range, however, was a different story, it was more than twice as high.

Tang Ru smiled nonchalantly. “It’s fine. Xiaoxiao, no need to worry. We're not heading any higher, and this bit of cold is nothing.” Her childish appearance saying something so mature made the moment oddly amusing.

Xi Yunqing glanced at Chen Xiao and frowned slightly. “We can take the eastern slope. It’s steep, but it gets plenty of sunlight and is relatively warmer. You won’t freeze there, Brother Xiao.”

Tong Nuonuo chimed in as well, “Our main goal is to catch a Snow Goose. Chen Xiao’s coming-of-age ceremony is the priority.”

With fine snow falling around them, the four made their way into the mountains. Instead of following the ridgelines, they intentionally sought out valleys and gentler slopes. Once they were deeper in, they started encountering a surprising number of animals. Most of the snowland creatures Xi Yunqing had mentioned, big and small, were there, but not a single trace of a Snow Goose.

By dusk, they caught a mountain goat for dinner and ate it around the fire. While resting, they discussed going deeper into the range to try and find a meadow. Small cave dwellers and herbivores like the mountain goat could hydrate by chewing on grasses, but Snow Geese couldn’t. Where they lived, there had to be both grasslands and a water source.

Searching on foot through a mountain this vast would take who knows how long. It made more sense to split up, Xi Yunqing could search from the sky while the other three continued on the ground.

The next day, the snow had stopped, but strong winds picked up. Thankfully, Xi Yunqing was highly skilled in aerial techniques and remained unaffected. While he flew off to search for a meadow, the others spent half the day climbing without finding anything. Tong Nuonuo grew distracted and began poking around for signs of wood or mineral deposits instead.

Chen Xiao noticed he had his head down and wasn’t watching the road. Worried he might wander off again, Chen called out, “Nuonuo, don’t just look at the ground. Watch where you’re going.”

Tong Nuonuo snapped out of it, realizing he was falling into his old habits. Embarrassed, he muttered, “I just got a little excited after hearing Daoist Xi say there might be treasure in these mountains.”

Tang Ru laughed brightly, “Nuonuo, I never realized you were this silly! We’re still so close to the outer edge, if there were anything valuable here, someone else would’ve taken it by now. If you’re talking about high-grade resources, they’re bound to be higher up, near the dangerous beasts.”

That made sense. Tong Nuonuo scratched his head and sidled up to Chen Xiao with a grin. “Chen Xiao, help me out. Use your feng shui techniques and see if anything’s nearby.” After all, Chen Xiao had discovered spiritual plants, artifacts, and even beast dens more than once before.

Brother Chen Xiao don't refuse. He stood at the peak and studied the mountain’s shape. “Hard to say about other places, but if we’re talking about the east slope, the area just below the highest peak is the most likely spot.”

Tong Nuonuo’s eyes lit up. “Most likely to have treasure?”

Chen Xiao chuckled. “Most likely to be a beast’s den.” Tong Nuonuo immediately slumped, and Chen Xiao patted him on the shoulder. “I only sensed some faint energy fluctuations over there. It might not even be a qi field, could just be spiritual energy interference. The climate here is too unpredictable to survey accurately.”

By evening, Xi Yunqing returned. Not only had he found a meadow, but he had also discovered a rift valley.

“It’s a newly formed fissure in the thick ice layer." Xi Yunqing reported. “Looks like it opened recently. The crack is about ten zhang wide and stretches for nearly a thousand zhang, deep into the eastern slope.”

Tong Nuonuo perked up. “Could the end of the rift lie beneath the highest peak?”

“Not quite." said Xi Yunqing, “but close.”

“Then chances are no one’s discovered it yet. We might be the first! If we explore it thoroughly, we’re bound to find something good.” First explorers of new terrain often struck it rich.

Xi Yunqing nodded. He agreed, opportunities like this were too rare to pass up.

Tang Ru frowned slightly. “If the rift just opened, the structure might be unstable. If it collapses, you and I might get out, but Nuonuo and Chen Xiao won’t.”

Xi Yunqing replied, “The ice walls on both sides are still solid. It won’t collapse anytime soon. The only thing to watch out for are the armor-piercing beasts that dwell within the mountain.”

Chen Xiao made the final call. “Then let’s check out the rift first. We’ll hunt for Snow Geese on the way back.”