Feng Shui Chapter 140: Unusual

The blunder was far too serious for the steward to cover up. Unable to manage the situation, he had no choice but to summon the owner of Treasure Gathering Pavilion. The owner came personally, offered a sincere apology to the buyer who had purchased the faulty mechanism, and solemnly declared that not only would all the spirit pearls be refunded, but the customer would also receive a magical artifact as compensation. The artifact, like the first item that had gone on auction, was a decorative piece meant for female cultivators.

By this point, the middle-aged man’s pride and face had been salvaged. He was no longer as angry. He accepted the apology and the compensation, stating that the matter was now settled. After all, the batch of auction goods had been provided by the Shen royal clan; if he pushed things further, he’d only end up hurting himself.

A crowd of disappointed guests quietly took their leave. Meanwhile, the owner scolded the steward harshly, berating him for failing to properly inspect the item before putting it up for auction. The steward wiped sweat from his brow while admitting his mistake, though there was a hint of grievance in his expression. With so many materials delivered at once, how could there possibly be enough manpower to inspect every item individually? But now that such a thing had happened, he dared not be careless again. While materials and pills might be less troublesome, all magical equipment, weapons, and mechanisms would have to be inspected thoroughly going forward.

Once the crowd had dispersed and the owner had left, Chen Xiao approached the steward and asked, “Will Treasure Gathering Pavilion still sell this damaged mechanism?”

The steward was surprised by his interest. “This mechanism is broken. There’s no use in buying it. If you’re interested in mechanisms, there will be other high-quality pieces in tomorrow’s auction.”

Chen Xiao replied casually, “I happen to collect mechanisms as a hobby. It's better that it’s broken, I couldn’t afford a pristine one anyway. Since this Dragon-Subduing Bone is just taking up space here, why not let me take it off your hands?”

The steward mulled it over. Recovering some spirit pearls wouldn’t hurt, and it was rare to meet someone genuinely interested in such items. Stroking his goatee thoughtfully, he tentatively named a price. “Since you’re fond of it, you can have it for five thousand spirit pearls.”

Chen Xiao narrowed his eyes and stared at the man. “That’s not very kind of you, Steward. This thing is already scrap. Five thousand is far too high, I’ll give you two hundred at most.”

One demanded five thousand, the other offered two hundred. Tong Nuonuo stood to the side, struggling not to show a strange expression that might disrupt Chen Xiao’s bargaining. In his view, spending five thousand spirit pearls for a chance to study a mechanism crafted by a master was more than worth it.

Tong Nuonuo could only watch as Chen Xiao and the steward entered into a tug-of-war over the price. His heart rose and fell like he was riding a roller coaster.

After nearly half an hour of haggling, Chen Xiao finally purchased the Dragon-Subduing Bone for 1,200 spirit pearls. To avoid revealing anything, he didn’t let Tong Nuonuo step forward, instead, he personally paid the pearls and packed the Dragon-Subduing Bone into a storage box.

By the time the three of them stepped out of Treasure Gathering Pavilion, night had already fallen. After they left, the Dragon-Subduing Bone was transferred into Tong Nuonuo’s mechanism case. Hugging the box, he beamed with joy. Chen Xiao, on the other hand, was still a little dissatisfied. “We could’ve gotten it cheaper. That steward was too stubborn.”

Xi Yunqing glanced at Chen Xiao without comment. If you asked the steward, he probably wouldn’t say he was the stubborn one. After being relentlessly haggled by Chen Xiao, the man had nearly collapsed. The fact that the price got pushed down to 1,200 spirit pearls might’ve had more to do with the steward being hungry and wanting to end the ordeal quickly.

In fairness, Xi Yunqing remarked, “It’s a reasonable price, considering the cost involved.” The Dragon-Subduing Bone had been a top-tier defensive mechanism, and the mechanism master who designed it had clearly invested considerable effort and resources. If it hadn’t been damaged, just the materials used in its construction would’ve cost more than that.

Chen Xiao said, “I only paid that much out of respect for the cost. Otherwise, given that they got it for free, even one hundred spirit pearls would’ve been a good deal.” After all, these were spoils seized by the Shen royal clan; they hadn’t spent a single coin acquiring them.

Xi Yunqing was at a rare loss for words. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to speak, he just didn’t know what to say. What Chen Xiao said sounded wrong… and yet strangely reasonable.

Tong Nuonuo was entirely absorbed in the Dragon-Subduing Bone. If Chen Xiao hadn’t been watching him closely, the boy would’ve wandered off on his own again. Now that he had the mechanism, Tong Nuonuo entered his usual closed-door mode, locked up in his room all day, refusing to come out, and needing meals delivered to his door.

With him out of the picture, Chen Xiao had originally wanted to invite Xi Yunqing to continue their culinary tour of the capital. But Xi Yunqing had left early, leaving only a brief message: he had something to attend to.

Suddenly alone, Chen Xiao felt strangely out of sorts. Wandering the streets of the capital by himself, he looked around, but felt aimless. Without Xi Yunqing, even the appeal of fine food failed to stir his interest.

When did it become so natural to do everything alongside Big Brother? To have someone there for every joy and sorrow, someone to share every step of the way? Not even his master had given him this kind of companionship, something no one else could provide. Without realizing it, Xi Yunqing had become someone so important to him, not second even to Fang Gu.

A bolt of lightning struck through Chen Xiao’s mind. In that instant of clarity, he realized what had been hidden in his heart all along. He gave a bitter smile. All this time, he had been suppressing his impulses, not knowing that Xi Yunqing had already carved out a place in his heart.

Thinking back on Xi Yunqing’s behavior, sometimes distant, sometimes close, Chen Xiao felt uncertain. That guarded demeanor made it hard to guess his feelings, leaving Chen Xiao too hesitant to act rashly. Given Xi Yunqing’s personality, if he came to dislike someone, there would never be a second chance. And with Chongxuan Sect far away in Luochen, if he stormed off, Chen Xiao would have no way to find him again.

“The future’s a complete mystery…” Chen Xiao muttered to himself.

"Teacher? What are you doing here? I had a hard time finding you." Shen Yanxing's surprised voice rang out from above.

He had finally managed to slip away from the palace today and had gone to the guest residence looking for his teacher, only to find it empty. After asking the staff there, he learned of their whereabouts. Then he went to the inn to inquire about Tong Nuonuo’s teacher and, still coming up short, began combing the streets.

It wasn’t until the fifth street that he finally spotted Chen Xiao crouched beneath a paifang archway, looking rather pitiful. If not for his well-dressed appearance and clean, tidy look, someone might have mistaken him for a down-on-his-luck beggar.

“Yanxing.” Chen Xiao blinked and stood up. His entire demeanor changed in an instant, calm and composed, as if the disheveled man from moments ago wasn’t him at all. “What brings you out here? Finished with palace business already?”

“No, I slipped away. There’s something I wanted to ask you." Shen Yanxing said.

Chen Xiao glanced at the guard following behind him, Zhou Zheng. “I’m not leaving the capital for now. What’s so urgent that you had to sneak out to find me? Aren’t you worried your father will be angry?”

Shen Yanxing replied indifferently, “They just make me sit around and keep people company, I don't even know most of them. I’m basically a background prop. I'd rather spend that time learning from you.”

Brother Chen Xiao don't press further. With his disciple being of royal blood, it wasn’t his place to interfere, and there were limits to what he could say. He let out a soft sigh. “You said you had something to ask. What is it?”

Shen Yanxing's expression turned serious. “I’ve been studying feng shui with you for some time now and have a decent grasp of the basics. Recently, I noticed something, though I’m not sure if I’m right. I wanted to ask if this could be a feng shui issue.”

“Oh?” Chen Xiao looked intrigued. “What did you find?”

Shen Yanxing glanced around. People were coming and going, but no one seemed to be paying them any mind. He lowered his voice and said, “I think there’s a serious feng shui problem in the capital, especially in the palace. Ever since we moved into the palace, things haven’t been going smoothly. My brothers were quickly granted their titles and sent off to their respective territories. That might not be a coincidence. After they left, life in the palace settled down for a bit, but now that more people have returned, all sorts of strange problems have started popping up again.”

Chen Xiao’s expression gradually turned solemn. “What kind of problems?”

“Some are minor conflicts and disputes, while others are accidents, bloodshed, injuries. One or two incidents could be coincidence, but it keeps happening. After noticing this, I specifically inquired with officials from the Capital Administration. It’s not just the palace, even the surrounding city has been experiencing strange occurrences. The old criminal elements in the capital had already been rooted out, so things should be peaceful now. But lately, tempers have been flaring. Groups are fighting over water, bricks, and other building materials. When I looked at the case files, I saw that three or four dozen people have already been injured or killed over this. Teacher, doesn’t that strike you as strange?”

Chen Xiao gave a quiet “Mm” and nodded. “That does sound like something triggered by feng shui. It seems your brothers being sent away only temporarily diffused the issue. Now that everyone is gathered again, the built-up tension is surfacing.”

Shen Yanxing was a little pleased to have his suspicions confirmed, but more than that, he was full of questions. “I’ve examined the palace thoroughly, just like you taught me. The layout is sound, the buildings are intact. The streets outside are clear, no clashing forces. The geography and positioning don’t seem problematic either. So where is the issue coming from?”

Chen Xiao shook his head. “I can’t say for sure just yet. I’ll need to take a look in person. If there’s nothing wrong with the palace itself, then we should go investigate the sites where the conflicts are breaking out.”

With a task at hand, Chen Xiao’s spirits lifted immediately. Under Zhou Zheng’s guidance, they headed toward the outskirts of the city, where the common folk lived. Because of the recent chaos and battles, many parts of the city had been damaged and were now under reconstruction. Although the Capital Administration had provided funding, the cost of materials had surged, and not everyone could afford immediate repairs. Some families had been forced to delay rebuilding until this year. With resources already stretched thin, competition was fierce, no wonder tempers flared and fights broke out frequently.

The area they arrived in clearly showed signs of poverty. The buildings were in poor condition, and construction was progressing slowly.

Shen Yanxing whispered, “The heavy snowfall this year collapsed several structures before they were even finished. That’s why people are so desperate to rebuild quickly, and also why fights keep breaking out.”

Several shirtless men came toward them, hauling timber despite the winter cold. When they saw the unfamiliar faces, their expressions immediately turned wary and guarded.

“What’s going on? Why are they so hostile?” Chen Xiao asked.

“They’re afraid we’re hired muscle from another group." Shen Yanxing explained.

They didn’t approach the workers and passed by from a distance. When they got close enough, Chen Xiao could faintly see a dark aura lingering around their faces, not just one or two, but all of them.

Something was definitely wrong.