Feng Shui Chapter 116: The New Dynasty is Established

After Tang Ru joined the group, Xi Yunqing could no longer afford to take things slow. What had previously felt like a leisurely outing now shifted to the pace of a proper training journey. Fortunately, after being tempered by the grueling forced marches earlier, Chen Xiao had adapted well.

Two days into their journey, a cold front suddenly swept through. The temperature plummeted, and snowflakes began to drift from the sky.

“It’s snowing?” Chen Xiao extended his hand in surprise, catching a few fine snowflakes.

Tong Nuonuo exhaled, a puff of white mist escaping his lips. “It’s really getting cold.”

Chen Xiao still found it hard to believe. “Winter already?” His physique had indeed improved significantly, this time last year, he’d already been bundled up in a lined coat with a wool jacket over it.

Xi Yunqing said, “Don’t worry, Brother Xiao. This snowfall won’t last long.” He had promised to complete this training journey before the mountain passes were sealed by snow, and he intended to keep that promise. Seeing Chen Xiao’s surprise, he thought the young man was worried about the cold weather ahead. After all, Xi Yunqing had learned during this journey that Chen Xiao was particularly sensitive to the cold.

Chen Xiao looked at him and smiled warmly. “I understand.”

Tong Nuonuo tried to join the conversation, but was ignored completely, as usual. He was used to it by now and often felt like a bit of a third wheel. Thankfully, with Tang Ru now part of the group, he had someone else to talk to whenever Chen Xiao and Xi Yunqing left him out.

“Arou, does it snow where you’re from too?” he asked.

Tang Ru remained calm and composed, a stark contrast to Chen Xiao’s wonder over the falling snow. That maturity and poise, paired with her slightly babyish face, made her look unintentionally endearing.

“Of course. In my hometown, the snow comes down hard every winter." she replied.

“Then it seems like our hometowns must be located within the same polar region." Tong Nuonuo mused.

“What’s a polar region?” Chen Xiao’s curiosity was finally piqued.

Tong Nuonuo was happy to explain. “Because the Heavenly Realms are spread out across different regions, their climates vary greatly. Some realms are perpetually hot, some have four distinct seasons, and others are locked in eternal cold. There are even some strange Heavenly Realms that remain in darkness year-round, without dawn or daylight, and others where it’s always daytime, never night. People believe that realms with similar climates belong to the same polar region, which is why their weather patterns are alike.”

Chen Xiao immediately thought it sounded a lot like the way his previous world was divided into temperate, tropical, subtropical, and polar zones. “If that’s the case." he asked, “the flora and fauna in these different polar regions must vary a lot too, right?”

Tong Nuonuo nodded. “They do. Unfortunately, in Gengsheng’s Minor Heavenly Realm, we don’t see much of the specialty fruits or local goods from other regions. Otherwise, I’d say you should give them a try.”

That was a tempting thought for a hidden foodie like Chen Xiao. Seeing the look on his face, Xi Yunqing, walking beside him, said, “If you’re interested, Brother Xiao, once we get to Hanshan City, you can post a bounty. Plenty of cultivators who’ve just returned from other polar regions can bring back local specialties for you to sample.”

Chen Xiao raised his eyebrows in surprise. “There are really cultivators like that?” It wasn’t as though they were just going on a vacation and casually bringing back souvenirs.

Xi Yunqing smiled. “Of course. Whenever cultivators travel to different Heavenly Realms, they often bring back regional specialties. Some share them with friends and fellow sect members, while others actually make a business out of it, buying and reselling for profit.”

Tong Nuonuo, once again pushed out of the conversation, sighed in frustration. Fine. He wasn’t going to compete with those two anymore. Feeling dejected, he wandered over to talk to Tang Ru again. Thankfully, while she didn’t seem like the talkative type on the surface, she always responds when spoken to.

“By the way, Arou, I’ve been really curious about something. Why were you always trailing other teams in secret before? You nearly scared Shi Ming and the others out of their wits, they thought some villain was stalking them.”

Tang Ru’s brow furrowed sharply, and her expression darkened. “I came to Gengsheng this time to investigate something. I kept my presence hidden because I didn’t want the person I was tracking to catch wind and escape. He’s very likely a demon cultivator.”

Tong Nuonuo was stunned. “A demon cultivator?” After all this time training out in the world, he had never encountered one. According to his master, demon cultivators practiced twisted and sinister arts and were often steeped in bloodshed to further their cultivation. His master had drilled it into him, if he ever ran into such a person, he was to run as far and fast as possible. Staying alive came first.

He didn’t feel the least bit ashamed of that; in fact, he fully agreed with it. He and his master were rogue cultivators with humble roots. There was no need to compete with the noble sects over who got to play hero and uphold justice.

“Yes." Tang Ru said, her expression grim and her eyes like dark, turbulent pools. “There was once a demon cultivator who pretended to be from an Immortal Sect and came to our village, claiming to be recruiting disciples. The village chief and elders were thrilled and agreed without hesitation. He took more than ten of our children with him, and they vanished without a trace. When I was finally old enough to go out and train, I went to the Zhishi Hall and found out that the sect he claimed to be from didn’t even exist. Those children were likely deceived and taken away to practice demonic arts.”

Her voice trembled as she spoke. The weight of her story brought silence over the group, Chen Xiao and Xi Yunqing both stopped talking to listen.

“Our whole village was thrown into chaos when the truth came out." she continued. “The families of the missing children were devastated, some could barely function from the grief.”

She clenched her jaw. “I remembered what that demon cultivator looked like and had someone help me make a portrait. I sent it to the Zhishi Hall for identification. That’s when I learned he was a repeat offender, he’s been deceiving and abducting gifted children across various Heavenly Realms for years. I’ve been tracking him ever since, hoping to rescue my kin.”

As she spoke, Tang Ru pulled a small scroll from her storage pouch and unfurled it. It was a portrait. The group came to a halt, all three of them leaning in to take a closer look.

It depicted a man in his mid-thirties, with handsome features and a faint, almost bewitching smile. If Tang Ru hadn’t told them, one would never guess such a refined-looking man could be a demon cultivator.

“Have you seen this man?” she asked, her voice tinged with hope. “They say he uses false identity tokens, making it nearly impossible to track him. Someone spotted him leading a group of children through Gengsheng, which is how I knew he was here. I followed his trail to Hanshan City, where I heard rumors he has a base in a beast-infested region. I’ve been secretly watching the comings and goings, hoping to find out more.”

Tong Nuonuo shook his head regretfully. “Sorry, I haven’t seen him.”

Chen Xiao said softly, “We haven’t encountered any outsiders along the way.”

Tang Ru’s expression dimmed as she rolled up the scroll.

Xi Yunqing added, “That person’s appearance was likely disguised.”

Tang Ru nodded. “That’s what they said at Zhishi Hall. He has several appearances he commonly uses, this is just one of them. I don’t know what the others look like, so we can only search based on this one.”

In the end, the snowfall wasn’t heavy. It fluttered down for two or three hours before stopping. Afterward, the temperature dropped for a few days before warming slightly again. Just before the next cold snap hit, they finally left the region overrun with fierce beasts.

The terrain ahead gradually flattened, and they began to encounter more and more cultivators. Where once it might have taken ten or even fifteen days to see another person, now two or three groups pass by in a single day.

With another snowfall expected to seal the mountains soon, these cultivators were rushing in for one last venture, hoping to gather enough resources to tide them over for a while.

Two more days of travel brought them out of the beast-infested region and to the gates of a large city. The four of them entered and found an inn that catered specifically to cultivators.

This mortal kingdom had recently undergone a change of dynasty, and the new regime was still stabilizing. Fortunately, the new king was wise and implemented sound policies, allowing the people to survive the winter with at least enough food and warmth.

The founding of a new dynasty was always a time ripe with opportunity. Mortals weren’t the only ones stirred into action, even cultivators found themselves swept up in the tide. The inn bustled with people coming and going.

Even from across the courtyard, the noise could be heard clearly, much to Xi Yunqing’s dissatisfaction. He said, “It’s far too chaotic here. Xiao, you shouldn’t have to endure this.” He was already considering whether to purchase a quiet courtyard residence nearby for them to stay in temporarily.

Chen Xiao smiled. “A little noise doesn’t bother me. Back when I lived in the county city, my house was much livelier. If the neighbors raised their voices, we could hear every word. You’re the one who prefers peace and quiet, suddenly living with others, I imagine you’re the one who’s not used to it.”

This was the largest inn for cultivators in the city, and guest rooms were in high demand. Xi Yunqing managed to secure a courtyard suite with two separate adjoining rooms. He and Chen Xiao shared one suite, while Tong Nuonuo and Tang Ru shared another. Although each person had a separate bedroom, this was the first time Xi Yunqing had stayed so close to a friend, and he couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous.

Perhaps noticing his discomfort, Chen Xiao took the initiative to strike up a conversation. “This is the first time I’ve seen so many cultivators in a mortal city. It’s as if none of them need to cultivate anymore, they’ve all come out and gathered here.”

Xi Yunqing nodded. “Exactly. Most of the cultivators in the city right now aren’t cultivating at all. Even the solitary practitioners who usually live in rural villages or remote mountains have flocked here.”

Chen Xiao asked curiously, “Why is that?”

Xi Yunqing explained, “It has to do with the new dynasty. With the rise of the new regime, the balance of power between the cities is being reshuffled. The royal court needs to consolidate its authority, and the newly appointed city lords are eager to recruit capable talents. For rogue cultivators, this is a golden opportunity to gain status. That’s why they’re all rushing here, no one wants to arrive too late and miss their chance.”

Chen Xiao fell into thought. The founding of a new dynasty was often the perfect moment for feng shui masters to shine. That he happened to arrive at this time could be considered a fortunate opportunity, it would be much easier to establish a name for himself here than it had been in Hanshan City. Not to mention… He glanced at Xi Yunqing beside him. With his elder brother here to protect him, he didn’t need to hold back at all!

Having made up his mind, Chen Xiao decided to settle in this city for a while and begin reaching out to the upper-class families.

He moved quickly. Over the next few days, he and Xi Yunqing wandered the city, acting rather secretively. Tong Nuonuo was quite frustrated, he’d been holed up researching mechanical arts for so long that when he finally came out, Chen Xiao and Xi Yunqing still left him out. Bored out of his mind, he was about to go stir-crazy.

Thankfully, Tang Ru was looking to sell a batch of White Spirit Fruits, and Tong Nuonuo used the opportunity to get rid of his extra Blacktail Bat Monkey hides, keeping her company in the process.

Four or five days later, Chen Xiao announced that they were moving out. The inn was simply too noisy, which would hinder his upcoming plans. Xi Yunqing had already rented a large residence, and the group promptly moved in.

The spacious courtyard residence had once belonged to a cultivator clan. The family had fallen during the chaos of the regime change, and those who remained could no longer maintain such a large estate, so they temporarily leased it out.

Xi Yunqing had originally wanted to just buy the place outright and resell it later. But Chen Xiao stopped him. With the old clans fallen and the new ones not yet established, it would be hard to find a buyer later. They might end up stuck with it, turning it into a financial burden.

After a few more days of preparation, Chen Xiao dressed in the latest style of long robe popular in Hanshan City, tied his hair up into a proper topknot, and fixed it in place with a jade hairpin sponsored by Xi Yunqing. Taking a deep breath, he gave himself a bit of encouragement, then stepped out of the courtyard with Xi Yunqing by his side, headed straight for his goal.