Only after Yi Beidou's figure had completely disappeared from the doorway did Meng Qianyuan finally come to his senses.
'He had actually lived with those seven needles in him for a full twenty years!'
He couldn't imagine how Yi Beidou had managed to get by all these years.
Born with the talent of a Celestial Demon, he had somehow managed to restrain himself. For twenty years, he had lived in obscurity, severing all worldly ties and subduing his inner demons. He had spent every moment as if treading on thin ice, surviving one ordeal after another. It was hard to imagine how he had endured it all.
He had endured what ordinary people could not endure and achieved what they could not achieve.
Before he knew the full story, he had thought the man's Ascension was a matter of pure luck. Now that he understood, he was filled with nothing but admiration.
If it had been him, forced to suppress his talent for twenty years and live as an ordinary person, he doubted he could have done it.
'It seems Mr. Yi saw the weakness in my character.'
Meng Qianyuan was no ordinary man, and he immediately understood the intention behind Yi Beidou's actions.
'Why is it that the exceptionally talented often face deeper inner demons and find it harder to achieve a breakthrough?'
'It's because they're accustomed to relying on their own talent, so they lack the kinds of insights that ordinary people develop.'
'It's like the heir to a family fortune; they can hardly be expected to have the same understanding of hardship and human nature—or the corresponding finesse and boldness—as a self-made tycoon who started from scratch.'
Now, Yi Beidou had used the Demon-Suppressing Seven-Star Needle to seal his qi and blood, precisely so he could temper his character as an ordinary person and thereby gain control of his own talent.
Meng Qianyuan took a deep breath. After adjusting to the immense change in his body, he stood up and dutifully went downstairs to move bricks and repair the grounds.
「Meanwhile.」
After returning to Kyoto, Wei Cheng took out a satellite phone and dialed a number.
The line rang unanswered several times before the call finally connected. The signal seemed exceptionally poor; even through the state-of-the-art satellite phone, a crackle of static could be heard. After a long moment, it subsided, and a steady voice came through.
"Hello, Old Wei? I'm out in the wilderness where the magnetic fields are a mess, so the signal is terrible. I had to set up a small formation just to take your call. Is something important up?"
A slightly raspy man's voice came from the other end of the line, carrying an edge that felt like a sharp blade scraping one's heart.
"A chaotic magnetic field? It seems you've found the Dragon's Reverse Scale. Looks like the great dragon of Cloud Prison Mountain isn't long for this world," Wei Cheng said with a laugh.
"It's not that simple. This is a hidden dragon, its ley line connecting directly to the Kunlun Twelve Veins. Disturbing one part affects the whole. That's why the area is subject to surging ley lines and a chaotic magnetic field. To slay it would be tantamount to confronting the Kunlun Twelve Veins, which is beyond my power alone."
"I've already enlisted the help of Maoshan Shangqing Celestial Master Tao. He will be coming to Cloud Prison Mountain soon to join me in slaying this great dragon," the voice said.
"Oh? Is that so? Then this is perfect. I recently met someone who might be able to lend you a hand. In Wen City, a young man who isn't even thirty has achieved Body Ascension. He's a Celestial Demon incarnate, and the Evil Qi bound to his fate is no less than yours. If the three of you were to join forces, you might even be able to slay the Ancestral Dragon of the Kunlun Twelve Veins."
"However, he has a request of his own. He wishes to see that Evil Sword you carry," Wei Cheng added with a laugh.
"To think such a person exists in the world? I'm quite interested in meeting him. If he can truly help me, what's the harm in letting him take a look at the Jixin?" the man's voice sounded somewhat surprised.
"Excellent. I'll pass on the message. He should seek you out soon."
With that, Wei Cheng hung up the phone.
「North Suburb of Wen City.」
"Sir, Headquarters sent over a file. They say it's related to what you're looking for. Please take a look."
After receiving the message, Zhou Baiwei took out the specialized laptop she carried and downloaded the intel from Special Security Bureau Headquarters.
Outside, Meng Qianyuan, who was drenched in sweat from moving bricks and working on the grounds under the blazing sun, put down his tools and came over, his curiosity piqued.
"Fang Xiuyuan? The Silent Heart Sword? Cloud Prison Mountain?"
Yi Beidou frowned slightly as he looked at the file.
"So it's Mr. Fang!"
Meng Qianyuan exclaimed in surprise. Having followed Wei Cheng for many years, he was quite familiar with the country's secrets regarding Body Ascension.
"You know him?" Yi Beidou asked.
"He is a prodigy, the likes of which are seen only once in a generation. A great and virtuous master who achieved Body Ascension through the Fengshui Dao," Meng Qianyuan said.
"A Feng Shui Master? Isn't that just feudal superstition?" Zhou Baiwei asked, surprised.
"It's not entirely superstition. The theories of feng shui have their own logic," Yi Beidou said. He had never practiced it, but he had read related books. "The magnetic fields of ley lines, the surrounding environment... they may seem insignificant, but they're constantly influencing people and can regulate one's emotions. Certain feng shui layouts can even produce psychological suggestion."
"For instance, a mirror shouldn't face the bed; this is to prevent someone from waking in the night, seeing a sudden reflection, and being frightened into thinking it's a ghost. Likewise, a bed shouldn't have its back to the door; this is to prevent the feeling of unease that comes from being unable to see the entrance while you sleep."
"In fact, the concepts of feng shui are everywhere. Lofty banners, the logos atop corporate skyscrapers, the emblems on employee uniforms—over time, they can all create psychological suggestions that have a real impact on people."
"That's why malevolent entities sometimes use these principles to cause trouble, such as printing insidious patterns on children's clothing or hiding certain subliminal images in street advertisements."
"But those are all minor applications. The true Fengshui Dao is connected to mountains and great rivers, to the magnetic fields of ley lines, and its influence is far greater."
"Mr. Yi is correct," Meng Qianyuan said. "Years ago, during the development of Shanghai, a member of Japan's Nine Chrysanthemums Sect harbored malicious intent. They set up a 'Twin Blades Upholding the Sun' formation in an attempt to sever the city's feng shui. It was Mr. Fang who intervened, erecting a 'Heaven-Supporting Pillar' to break it. But even that isn't his true path. Have any of you heard the legends about Liu Bo Wen?"
Liu Bo Wen?
Yi Beidou's heart skipped a beat. Legend had it that after Ming Taizu conquered the land, he feared his dynasty would be threatened, so he dispatched Liu Bo Wen to sever the Dragon Veins of the world. In total, Liu Bo Wen was said to have severed ninety-nine.
Of course, it was only a legend. The Ming Dynasty fell in the end, so it couldn't be taken as fact.
"This man is completing the work Liu Bo Wen left unfinished. He is no Feng Shui Master. He is a Dragon Slayer, and his path is to sever every Dragon Vein and Phoenix Lair in the world," Meng Qianyuan said in a heavy tone.
"What?!"
Zhou Baiwei's eyes went wide, and even Yi Beidou's expression flickered for a moment.
Dragon Veins were formed from the coagulation of the earth's Qi. The path of feng shui placed heavy emphasis on heavenly secrets and karma. How could one sever a Dragon Vein so easily? The backlash of Evil Qi would alter one's destiny. Hadn't even Liu Bo Wen himself met a bleak and desolate end?
"Haven't you noticed how some major mountain ranges that form Dragon Veins have been abruptly cut off? How at their key points, a reservoir has been built, or power towers, or a power station?"
Meng Qianyuan took out his phone, did a quick search, and showed an image to the others.
It was an aerial view of the landscape. A continuous mountain range formed the distinct shape of a phoenix taking flight with wings spread wide. Its wings, head, and even its tail feathers were clearly visible.
However, at its tail, several power towers had been erected, like steel nails pinning the phoenix to the earth just as it seemed poised to transform and ascend. The most brutal part was its chest, which was now filled with a massive body of water.
The area had been hollowed out to build a reservoir.
Meng Qianyuan then found several more images, all of them aerial views. They showed mountain ranges winding like great dragons, but their bodies were severed or their heads had been hollowed out, later filled in by various construction projects.
"This is all the handiwork of that Mr. Fang," Meng Qianyuan said.