Zhang Chen watched the Fox Spirit’s excited figure disappear into the distance and couldn’t help but shake his head silently. He felt that the Fox Spirit would return disappointed.
Having spent seven or eight years with the scholar, they both knew each other very well; how could he not know the scholar’s character?
He feared the scholar had already brought the matter to the authorities!
Moreover, the scholar’s personality was quite stubborn, and even the Fox Spirit might find it hard to change his mind.
"Logically, since Zhang Chen was at the scene at the time, even if the officials noticed the explosion, they should consider Zhang Chen the prime suspect." Zhang Chen pondered in his heart.
As Zhang Chen walked halfway, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze shifting to see seven or eight figures wandering in the distant mountain forest.
It was the village chief and the Feng Shui Master, followed by Wang Gouzi, Chen Li, and a few other village ruffians, carrying flags and a few oddly shaped ornaments, wandering behind the Feng Shui Master.
Zhang Chen saw the Feng Shui Master, and of course, the Feng Shui Master also saw Zhang Chen. The Feng Shui Master met Zhang Chen’s gaze, waved from afar to greet him, which surprised Zhang Chen for a moment, but he responded with a wave as well.
"This Feng Shui Master is quite peculiar; I don’t even know him." Zhang Chen muttered and continued to walk forward, but after a few steps, he suddenly remembered the Feng Shui Grand Array of the Empress Tomb. He stopped abruptly, turned around to glance at the Feng Shui Master, and saw that the Feng Shui Master appeared to be in his forties, dressed as a literati, tall, and sturdy, looking nothing like an ordinary person.
Golden light flickered in Zhang Chen’s eyes, revealing that there was no ’Qi Mechanism’ surrounding the Feng Shui Master, clearly indicating that he was just an ordinary person.
"Strange! Perhaps I’m overthinking; the Feng Shui Master is but a common man, unqualified to disturb the Empress Tomb. Nonetheless, I must not be careless and should keep a secret watch. I mustn’t let anyone dig out the corner of my backyard wall." A thought flashed through Zhang Chen’s mind.
Zhang Chen walked away, and the Feng Shui Master said to the village chief beside him, "Is he really just an ordinary child from the village and not the offspring of some noble? Such fair skin and spirited demeanor are not something an ordinary family could cultivate."
"I watched him grow up; his family is indeed destitute. It’s curious how he turned out like this, but his family’s poverty is no facade. Just a few months ago, this kid wasn’t like this; in merely a month, he became so fair. If he were outside, I might not dare recognize him." The village chief said with an expression of curiosity. "But this kid recently got into trouble! The authorities have come to the village several times looking for him."
"Oh? What kind of trouble could a mountain boy encounter?" The Feng Shui Master replied with a hint of surprise.
"Those two houses at the village entrance were burned by Celestial Thunder and Earth Fire, didn’t you witness it yourself?" The village chief said.
The Feng Shui Master nodded: "That scene was quite bizarre. In past years, it wasn’t unheard of for Celestial Thunder and Earth Fire to strike, but causing such a terrifying scenario was truly unprecedented."
"That’s why there’s something strange going on! Plus, his neighbor, a poor scholar, went to the county office to drum and accuse him of murder. He’s in big trouble now! If it involves a human’s life, even if he doesn’t die, he will be skinned alive." The village chief chattered, his voice full of schadenfreude.
Upon hearing this, the Feng Shui Master was momentarily stunned: "What a pity!"
As they talked, the Feng Shui Master and the village chief walked through the forest. The village chief turned his eyes to the Feng Shui Master: "Mr. Chen, is there still any water vein around here? Can we still strike water?"
Mr. Chen pulled out a compass from his sleeve, fiddled with it absentmindedly, and then swept his gaze across the terrain, shaking his head: "The moisture in this area has already dried up, and there’s not much underground moisture either. Even if we dig a well, we probably won’t get much water; it would be a waste of effort. Having encountered this Transformed Dragon and Walking Flood Dragon stuff, we can only look for places where water veins converge. Only by finding such a place do we have a hope of striking water."
"Then, is there a water vein convergence nearby?" The village chief hurriedly asked.
"I don’t know! We have to search slowly; Dragon Seeking and Vein Exploration isn’t easy. Just make sure you follow me with your people, and if I find a water vein, I’ll let you know to dig a well! If we don’t find one, even if the Celestial King himself comes, there’s nothing to be done!" Mr. Chen admonished impatiently, causing the village chief to lower his head and agree, as meek as a grandson, without any trace of defiance or arrogance.
"That’s right, since I’m with you, of course, I’ll do my best to strike water. If we manage to strike water, I wouldn’t deceive you, would I?" Mr. Chen nodded approvingly and called to the others behind him, "Grab your gear, let’s move to the next place. I refuse to believe that in such a big village, there’s not a single water vein."
Meanwhile, Zhang Chen returned to the village as the sky was just getting light. The villagers were taking advantage of the early sun to dig for wild vegetables in the mountains.
Passersby who saw Zhang Chen had strange expressions on their faces, avoiding him from afar as if he were a plague god.
Zhang Chen understood that these people were afraid of being implicated, so he wasn’t surprised.
The nature of people is to seek benefit and avoid harm.
Zhang Chen arrived at the ruins of his home, intending to find the "West Ascension Scripture" scroll left by the Fox Spirit years ago, but there was no trace of any scrolls. Unperturbed, he decided to wait for the Fox Spirit to return and instruct it to handle the matter.