Feng Shui Chapter 142: The Ground Collapse

Once again, Chen Xiao received a message from his assistant, and he couldn’t hide his disappointment. He had planned to leave the city today and hoped his older brother could come along. Yesterday, Chen Xiao had been too distracted to think clearly, but now he was curious. What was his brother up to? Why hadn’t he been invited? After all, Chen Xiao was already a practitioner at the Body Refining stage, he could at least be of some help.

With this on his mind, Chen Xiao stepped out of the inn. At the entrance stood three tall horses, each with long flowing manes and blue-green skin covered in fish scale-like patterns.

“Did you bring these?” Chen Xiao asked in surprise.

Shen Yanxing handed him the reins of one horse. “Yes. The journey today is a bit far. Taking a carriage would be a waste of time. These three scaled horses are prized steeds, they’re fast.”

Being a man, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but admire fine horses and vehicles. In his previous life, he had been a member of a riding club, paying six-figure annual fees.

He smoothly mounted the horse, though controlling the scaled horse felt a little unfamiliar. Still, he had no trouble. Seeing this, Shen Yanxing breathed a sigh of relief, if their teacher couldn’t ride, they’d have to rely on Zhou Zheng.

After getting used to the horse’s movements, Chen Xiao grew more confident. The three set off from the city, spurring their horses to gallop. After more than an hour of fast riding, they reached the foot of a mountain.

The horses couldn’t go up the mountain, so the three left their mounts with a local family and rested briefly before climbing. Chen Xiao was agile and had strong endurance; he reached the summit with only light painting. Shen Yanxing, although usually active, couldn’t match a cultivator’s physical condition.

Zhou Zheng stayed behind to watch over Shen Yanxing as Chen Xiao rested, drank some water, then walked toward the mountain’s edge. Though this wasn’t a cliff, the slope on the opposite side was steep. Chen Xiao stood at the edge, bathed in bright sunlight, and looked far out over the capital city below.

From here, the city looked like a miniature sand table model, houses no larger than a fingernail arranged neatly, five main streets running vertically and horizontally, and thin, winding alleys all clearly visible.

But Chen Xiao wasn’t looking at these details.

His gaze fixed on the sky above the city, where a faint, lingering purple aura shimmered. This was the city’s qi aura, the spiritual atmosphere of the capital. Though it lacked grandeur and brilliance, the presence of purple qi itself signified that the new dynasty had rightful destiny. Over time, as the nation stabilized and the people recovered, the purple qi would grow denser, blessing the city below with prosperity.

But now, beneath the purple qi, an obscure, ominous killing aura was rising from the northern part of the city like sharp spikes, repeatedly piercing holes in the purple aura above. Although the purple qi quickly flowed to fill these voids, it gradually became thinner and more diluted.

Chen Xiao’s face changed drastically, this situation was far worse than he had imagined.

“Teacher, what do you think?” Shen Yanxing asked, his breath uneven as he struggled up the uneven slope to Chen Xiao’s side.

Brother Chen Xiaod not answer directly. Instead, he pointed in the direction of the city’s north and slowly traced his finger southwestward in the air. Then he turned and asked, “Was there once a river in the southwest? Now it’s completely dry, isn’t it?”

Shen Yanxing was surprised. “How do you know that? Yes, there used to be a canal there. But three years ago, when my father and the former king dueled with magic, the canal was severely affected. In just one day, the water flow was greatly reduced, and shortly after, due to changes in the terrain, it dried up entirely. My father said he couldn’t spare the effort to repair it for now, after all, the city’s fortunes relied mainly on land routes. The plan was to rebuild the canal once the city’s treasury was more stable in a few years.”

Chen Xiao’s mind sharpened. He quickly asked, “Can you tell me in detail what happened during that duel?”

Shen Yanxing hesitated. “I have no cultivation, so my father kept me behind the lines.” He glanced at Zhou Zheng. “But Guard Zhou was with the army that day. He should know the specifics.”

Zhou Zheng nodded. “That’s right. I accompanied the lord into battle and witnessed firsthand how the former king’s rebellious actions brought suffering to the people, and how our lord’s brilliance and might ultimately prevailed.”

Chen Xiao grimaced and raised a hand. “Spare me the flowery words. Just tell me what elemental magic they each used, and what areas were affected.”

Zhou Zheng paused, then replied, “Our lord used earth and wood elemental magic, while the former king relied mainly on water and metal. Their duel spanned a wide area, starting outside the city, moving while fighting, and even passing through the city gates, damaging many houses.”

Shen Yanxing noticed Chen Xiao frowning and said, “But rest assured, before the duel, most civilians evacuated, so casualties were low. The damage was mainly to the city walls and buildings, which were quickly repaired afterward.”

Chen Xiao nodded slowly. “I think that’s where the problem lies.” He fixed a sharp gaze on Zhou Zheng. “The duel started from the canal’s banks and ended in the northern city district.”

Zhou Zheng looked impressed by Chen Xiao’s certainty. “That’s exactly right, from the canal all the way to the north.”

Chen Xiao folded his arms and paced along the edge of the mountain, deep in thought. Shen Yanxing watched anxiously, afraid his teacher might lose his footing and fall. If something happened, Shen Yanxing knew his seniors would never forgive him. This thought made him pause, wondering why he cared so much. Eventually, he decided it was because of the strong patriarchal aura around Xi Yunqing, the senior master.

Chen Xiao stopped and turned. “I once heard my older brother say that when using large-scale magic duels, besides consuming one’s own true energy, the magic also drains the same elemental energy from the surroundings. Excessive consumption can cause irreversible damage, for example, using wood magic can drain the wood qi from the area, causing all plants to wither. If earth qi is depleted, the soil can turn to desert, unable to support plant life.”

Shen Yanxing’s face changed, surprised. “But my father and the former king’s spells weren’t that powerful. Besides, when the city walls were repaired, they reinforced them, there was no sign of desertification.”

Chen Xiao shook his head. “Your father only had the walls and buildings patched up. He probably never thought about restoring the underground soil quality. That’s only part of the cause. Another problem is that the former king drained the water elemental qi, heavily depleting the underground water layer. The canal’s drying cut off a major source of groundwater replenishment. Normally, snowfall and rainfall would gradually restore the underground water, but since the water table keeps dropping year by year, that means something else underground is wrong.”

Shen Yanxing had already turned pale from Chen Xiao’s words. Alarmed, he quickly asked, “What’s the problem?”

Chen Xiao replied firmly, “The underground waterway beneath the capital was diverted due to a battle of spells, it’s changed course because of a geological shift!”

Shen Yanxing’s mind buzzed. He immediately grasped the implications and cried out in shock, “Are you saying the capital might collapse into a sinkhole?!”

Chen Xiao nodded. “Exactly. The soil is already too loose to bear the weight of such a massive city. Without the underground water replenishing the layers below, it’s drying up. A collapse is only a matter of time. The shifts in the soil and water veins are brewing a major disaster, and the growing miasma is the warning sign!”

Though Shen Yanxing was clever, he was still young. Faced with the prospect of such a catastrophic event, he couldn’t help but panic. Zhou Zheng, listening nearby, was equally shaken. He didn’t want to believe it, but everything Chen Xiao said lined up with what he’d observed.

Zhou Zheng felt a wave of unease wash over him. The dynasty had only been established for less than three years, and already it faced a disaster so great it could wipe out a royal bloodline. This wasn’t a typical calamity like an earthquake, drought, or flood, this was the collapse of the entire capital. It would seem like divine punishment, causing chaos across the land and fueling claims that the royal family had lost Heaven’s mandate.

In a pleading tone, Zhou Zheng turned to Chen Xiao. “Master Chen, since you’ve discovered the problem, surely you have a way to resolve it?”

Shen Yanxing added, “Teacher, I beg you, please save the capital! Save the Shen royal family! We can’t let such a catastrophe come to pass!”

The two of them stepped close, earnestly appealing to him. Chen Xiao couldn’t bear the thought of watching this thousand-year-old capital be destroyed either. But at the moment, he had no clear solution and didn’t dare make any promises.

He said, “Don’t worry. The auspicious purple qi above the city is still strong. Things haven’t reached the point of no return. We still have time to figure something out.” He glanced up at the sky and said to the two of them, “It’s getting late. Let’s head back to the city first.”

The three of them descended the mountain, each lost in thought as they returned to the capital. Winter days were short, and by the time they arrived back at the inn, night had already fallen completely.

Just as they dismounted, a man wearing a palace guard uniform and a weapon at his waist stepped out of the inn. “Your Highness." he said, “I’ve been waiting. His Majesty has ordered you to return to the palace immediately.”

Shen Yanxing scowled impatiently. “Go and tell my father that I’m occupied with urgent matters. I’ll go see him tomorrow and apologize in person.” It was probably about missing the banquet earlier, no doubt his father wanted to lecture him.

But the guard replied solemnly, “I’m afraid not. His Majesty’s orders are clear: the moment I see you, I’m to bring you back. Your Highness, please don’t make me offend you.”

Zhou Zheng furrowed his brow and leaned in to whisper in Shen Yanxing’s ear, “Your Highness, why not take this opportunity to inform His Majesty of the crisis facing the capital?”

Shen Yanxing hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and nodded. “Very well.” He turned to Chen Xiao and gave him a deep bow. “This is no small matter. I’m entrusting it to you, Teacher.”

Chen Xiao responded gravely, “Go ahead. I’ll do my best.”

Shen Yanxing’s formal salute surprised the palace guard, who looked confused but received no explanation. Shen Yanxing straightened and said coldly, “Let’s go.”

Without delay, the three of them mounted their scaled horses and galloped toward the palace.

Chen Xiao sighed, feeling a bone-deep exhaustion settle over him. It was time for dinner, but he had no appetite at all.

He trudged to the inn’s back courtyard and returned to his room. Lying down on the bed, he quickly drifted off. When he finally woke up, he was ravenous and forced himself to get up. Judging by the water clock, it was around the ninth hour, roughly nine o’clock at night.

He didn’t feel like making do with leftovers, so he decided to head to the front hall and ask the night cook to prepare a couple of dishes.

Just as he was about to open his door, the room next to his opened as well, Xi Yunqing had returned without him even noticing.

“Big Brother?” Chen Xiao greeted him in surprise and delight. “When did you get back? I must’ve been sleeping like the dead, I didn’t hear a thing!”

“Not long ago.” Xi Yunqing studied his face carefully. Chen Xiao looked fairly refreshed from his nap, but travel dust still clung to him, evidence that he’d spent the whole day outside. Even with his face streaked with dirt, Xi Yunqing didn’t mind one bit. He only said with concern, “Xiao, I heard you didn’t have dinner. Are you hungry? I had some food prepared. Why don’t you join me in my room?”

Chen Xiao couldn’t help swallowing at the thought. He immediately nodded. “I’d love to.”

Xi Yunqing had asked the kitchen to keep the food warm. Though not freshly made, it was ready to serve. Soon, a waiter brought in four dishes and a soup, along with a small wooden tub of rice.

Chen Xiao was truly starving. At first, he made some conversation, but before long, he was focused entirely on eating. When he was about seventy to eighty percent full, Xi Yunqing ladled him a bowl of soup. “It’s late." he said, “and eating too much will make it hard to rest. This soup is good for digestion.”

Chen Xiao finally set down his chopsticks and gave Xi Yunqing a warm smile. “Thanks, Big Brother.”

As he watched Chen Xiao slowly sip the soup, Xi Yunqing reached under the table and touched a gift hidden inside his sleeve, something he’d gone through great trouble to find over the past two days. The words he wanted to say hovered on the tip of his tongue, but in the end, he simply asked, “Xiao, did you go out of the city today?”

Chen Xiao let out a comfortable sigh, his forehead slightly damp from the hot soup. “Yes, I went with Yanxing. We climbed a mountain outside the city to observe the capital’s feng shui. The results were... not good.”

Xi Yunqing looked surprised. “How so?”

Chen Xiao proceeded to recount the entire incident in detail. After finishing, he took a sip of tea, then added, “If nothing is done, the capital will face disaster within two years. Either the water source will dry up, or the ground will collapse.”

Xi Yunqing’s gaze froze, Chen Xiao had grabbed the wrong cup. He was drinking from the one Xi Yunqing had used. Xi Yunqing’s ears began to flush, and just as he opened his mouth to speak, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside Chen Xiao’s room.

A voice shouted as it banged on the door, “Teacher! Something’s happened! A huge sinkhole just opened in the northern part of the city, many civilians are dead or injured!”