Chapter 120: The Feng Shui Master Who Refuses Payment

Shang Lu did not know the family of the local militia member Zhang Peng, but seeing the feng shui master sparked some suspicions. Just as he was about to step forward to inquire, a neighbor of the Zhang family called out loudly:

"Auntie Zhang, you have returned just in time! These officials are looking for you."

Zhang Peng’s mother was nearly sixty years old, her hair gray, and her spirit clearly flagging. Upon hearing the neighbor and seeing the intimidating, beast-like official horses, she appeared wary and bewildered, unsure of the trio's intentions. Zhang Peng’s two children were with her; they were equally anxious at the sight of the officers, yet they instinctively moved to support their aging mother.

Noticing the family's tension, Shang Lu dismounted and walked quickly toward Auntie Zhang, bowing respectfully as a junior would.

"Do not be afraid, ma’am. We are colleagues of Zhang Peng. We have come today to deliver his pension money."

Du Feng and Liu Zhi also dismounted and followed behind Shang Lu. The three warhorses remained well-behaved, grazing on the nearby grass without wandering off or causing a commotion. Liu Zhi held a bag of copper coins and introduced Shang Lu to the family: "This is our county’s Magistrate!"

Auntie Zhang did not know what a Magistrate was, but hearing Liu Zhi address him as "Lord," she realized he was a high-ranking official. Flustered, she prepared to kneel in greeting.

"Greetings, Lord. What virtue has our Zhang family shown to deserve you coming in person to deliver the pension?"

Her children, who had been supporting her, momentarily let go, intending to kneel along with their mother. Shang Lu quickly stopped her before she could touch the ground. Seeing this, Liu Zhi and Du Feng hurriedly helped the siblings up as well.

Listening to Auntie Zhang’s incessant expressions of gratitude, Shang Lu felt a heavy discomfort. He wanted to offer comforting words, but he did not know how to begin.

It was the feng shui master who spoke first, bowing to the three men before turning to Auntie Zhang: "Since you have distinguished guests, I shall take my leave now. I will return to assist when it is time for the burial."

Auntie Zhang agreed eagerly, thanking him repeatedly. The feng shui master waved off her gratitude and bid farewell to the three officials. Shang Lu narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the man carefully, but seeing nothing unusual about him, he did not stop him from leaving.

After the feng shui master departed, Shang Lu helped move the pension money into the house. Zhang Peng’s body lay in the main hall, and the three men each offered a stick of incense. After asking about the family’s situation, Shang Lu said, "Ma’am, if you ever face any hardships in the future, you may come to the county office to find me."

Hearing this, Auntie Zhang was so moved she nearly knelt again. Anticipating this, Shang Lu intercepted her and asked, "Ma’am, how much did you pay the feng shui master to select the burial site?" He intended to cover the cost for the family.

To his surprise, Auntie Zhang replied, "We did not pay anything."

"Nothing at all?" Shang Lu was astonished. Did the feng shui master offer his services for free?

Upon further questioning, it turned out to be true. "Master Miao is a kind soul. Lately, he has helped several families in the surrounding villages choose burial sites, never charging a single cent, claiming he does it for charity and merit. We heard of this and went to ask him to choose a site for Peng-er. Otherwise, we wouldn’t even have had the money for a coffin, let alone the ability to hire a feng shui master."

Hearing this, a seed of suspicion sprouted in Shang Lu’s heart. Past experience had taught him that anything offered for free usually had a hidden agenda. In this world, there was no such thing as a free lunch.

This feng shui master surnamed Miao definitely had ulterior motives!

Shang Lu kept his suspicions to himself, merely glancing at Liu Zhi and Du Feng. Du Feng was a straightforward man and failed to catch the cue. Liu Zhi, however, was much sharper; he instantly understood Shang Lu's meaning. He stood up and headed for the door, making an excuse: "I’m going to check on the horses to make sure they don’t wander off."

Once Liu Zhi was gone, Shang Lu withdrew his gaze and said, "Ma’am, could you take us to see the site Master Miao chose for Zhang Peng? We would like to pay our respects and offer incense if we pass by in the future."

The Zhang family found it difficult to refuse such a request, especially given Shang Lu’s status as a Magistrate. Auntie Zhang originally wanted to lead them up the mountain herself, but seeing her frailty, Shang Lu insisted she stay home and rest, having her younger son, Zhang Cheng, guide him and Du Feng instead.

As they left the village, Shang Lu scanned the area. He saw neither the feng shui master nor Liu Zhi. However, there were no signs of a struggle and he heard no unusual sounds, so he deduced that Liu Zhi must have tracked the man out of the village without yet engaging him.

The mountain behind the village was not very high. Before long, Zhang Cheng led them to the burial site. It was located halfway up the hillside, backed by the mountain and overlooking a flat plain. Even though Shang Lu was no expert in feng shui, he felt it was an excellent location.

However, he quickly noticed something: "Why has the soil here been disturbed?"

"Master Miao took some soil to examine it," Zhang Cheng replied. "He explained why, but I didn't quite understand. It seemed to be about checking if the soil was suitable for burial."

"And is it suitable?" Du Feng asked.

Zhang Cheng looked at him, remaining silent.

"What a stupid question. He’s already chosen the site, hasn't he?" Shang Lu chided him. He walked over to the disturbed soil, knelt down, and used his body to block Zhang Cheng’s view. He pulled out a pair of deerskin gloves he had received from the armory.

Du Feng noticed this and, though he didn't know what Shang Lu was doing, he immediately stepped in to block Zhang Cheng's line of sight, distracting him with conversation.

Shang Lu narrowed his eyes, staring at the patch of disturbed earth. With the enhancement of his "Liver Spirit," he perceived a wisp of dark red aura within the soil. This place was definitely sinister!

Donning the deerskin gloves, he pulled out a dagger and pried at the dirt. The dark red aura hidden beneath the soil sensed the intrusion and immediately tried to flee. But Shang Lu was faster; infusing his blood energy into the dagger, he struck deep into the soil, pinning the dark red aura down. He then channeled his blood energy to retrieve the dagger from the depths of the earth using telekinesis. After activating his inner spirit and filling himself with blood energy, Shang Lu could not only coat his weapons in energy but also manipulate objects remotely, though his range and capacity were still limited.

As the dagger returned to his hand, he saw the source of the dark red aura—a red-headed centipede. This creature had undoubtedly been planted by the feng shui master while he was "surveying" the site. He didn't take money, but he did take corpses. Once buried here, the centipede would crawl into the body, either consuming the flesh or causing the corpse to undergo a grotesque transformation. It was even possible the master’s intentions went beyond just the corpse itself.

The centipede struggled violently, its carapace pierced by the dagger. Sensing Shang Lu’s grip, it twisted its body, attempting to bite him. Shang Lu’s left hand shot out, a short blade appearing from his sleeve, and he swiftly severed the centipede’s head.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Cheng asked, hearing the movement.

"Nothing, just caught a centipede," Shang Lu replied.

Finding insects on the mountain was normal, so Zhang Cheng thought nothing of it. With Du Feng distracting him, he did not come over to investigate. Once the centipede stopped moving, Shang Lu picked up its severed head and body, placing them into a leather pouch he carried.

When they returned to the village, Liu Zhi was waiting at Zhang Peng’s house, but there was no sign of the feng shui master. Shang Lu did not ask immediately. It was only after they bid farewell to the Zhang family and rode out of the village that he spoke: "Where is he?"

Liu Zhi whispered, "I followed him for a while. I could see him at first, but then he suddenly vanished!"

Du Feng was baffled. "Who are you chasing? Who vanished?"

Shang Lu raised an eyebrow and ordered, "Liu Zhi, return to the county seat. Tell Chief Constable Niu and his men to immediately investigate this matter. Find out where this feng shui master has appeared and which burial sites he has chosen. If anyone encounters him, apprehend him on sight!"

"Is there something wrong with that feng shui master?" Du Feng asked in surprise.

Shang Lu and Liu Zhi ignored him. Liu Zhi frowned and asked, "Lord, do you suspect the feng shui master is targeting the corpses to raise them into zombies?"

Shang Lu replied, "That is only one aspect. I also suspect he is targeting Mount Yunhua."

Du Feng was shocked. "Targeting Mount Yunhua? That seems unlikely, doesn't it? Is he planning to tunnel all the way there from the burial sites? That’s too far; how long would that take? Besides, if he wanted to do that, why not just dig in a secluded spot? Why go through the trouble of posing as a feng shui master and drawing so much attention?"

This time, Shang Lu finally responded to him.

"Bold assumptions must be verified with caution. The methods of these sorcerers cannot be judged by common sense. Perhaps they are using the corpses and the corpse energy to do something to the secret realm."

Liu Zhi nodded, agreeing with Shang Lu. Lately, the demons, ghosts, and sorcerers appearing in Luoshui County were almost all drawn by the secret realm. Any strange occurrence had to be considered in relation to it.

"I will return to the county seat to deliver the orders now. Where shall we meet afterward?"

"Wait for me in the county seat. After I report this to the Wind Shaman, I will bring my parents to the county city."

Shang Lu pulled the reins, turned his horse around, and headed back toward Mount Yunhua. Liu Zhi acknowledged with a "Yes," took a different path, and galloped back to the county seat.