Xuanqing Guard

Chapter 253: Chapter 253

The sacred land is mostly used for burying people, not for living. That’s pretty interesting.

Because the living might squander the family fortune—no matter how much wealth there is, it can all be lost, and no one can guarantee their descendants will be competent. But the dead are different—they won’t squander what they’ve left behind, and a sacred land can even bless the descendants, granting lasting luck and prosperity.

So just like Divination Skill, Earth Divination Skill is vague and elusive, full of hearsay and mysteries. No one can say for sure how useful it really is. Believers are everywhere, and so are skeptics.

But the higher up people are, the more seriously they take Earth Divination Skill. To sum it up in one phrase: Better to believe it than not.

Anyway, if you have the conditions, it’s just some extra effort; what’s the harm?

Especially the topmost Gated Clans and Noble Families—they chase after Earth Divination Skill relentlessly. Not only do they use it to repeatedly check their residences, but marriage and funerals are all tied to it as well. Who knows how many have made a living off it.

"Didn’t expect to find a sacred geomancy site here, when even elite families search everywhere and can’t find one. Tsk tsk, rare, really rare!"

The two guys who knew Earth Divination Skill shook their heads in amazement, eyes shining like they’d found a treasure. Shen Hao found it annoying and shooed them away.

"What do you make of this?" Shen Hao frowned, looking at the map on the table.

Only Wang Yiming was in the tent, so as soon as he heard, he hurriedly bowed and said, "Sir, I believe the theory of earth phases is too vague to be used as evidence."

"True, it has no basis. But since so many in the world believe, whether it’s actually effective doesn’t matter anymore. If someone thinks it works, then it works."

"But I still can’t see what the earth phase has to do with what happened in Caiyuan Village?" Wang Yiming knew this was the first time Shen Hao had asked him for advice, but the earth phase and that giant restriction array seemed completely unrelated, right? Other than speaking the truth, he could say nothing else—he was really frustrated inside.

Shen Hao looked up at Wang Yiming, thinking to himself that this was still an honest kid. If it were Wang Jian, he’d spin tales all night even if he didn’t know the answer.

"If there’s a connection, would it be written on paper or carved on your forehead?"

"I—I’m a dullard, sir."

"You read the first report sent to the Government Office in Tu Kui City by Yang Ming; what was the reason?"

Wang Yiming snapped to attention and replied, "The reason was someone died in Caiyuan Village—killed by people who jumped out of the fish pond. Then the Government Office sent officials to the scene and opened a case file."

"Right. The first piece of intelligence about Caiyuan Village was that there were deaths, more than one. The killers came out of the fish pond." Shen Hao spoke as he wrote this on paper. After finishing, he asked Wang Yiming, "Afterwards, what reason did the Government Office use to hand the case off to the Tu Kui City Xuanqing Guard?"

Wang Yiming replied, "The officials went missing in three batches. Suspecting the Caiyuan Village Chief wasn’t making things up, they guessed the ’people from the fish pond’ might be Evil, so they transferred the case to Xuanqing Guard citing ’suspected Evil gathering.’"

Shen Hao wrote down Wang Yiming’s words as another entry on the paper.

"Just now, it was mentioned that Caiyuan Village has a ’Superior Earth Phase,’ which is very rare—usually used for large burial grounds." Shen Hao didn’t ask Wang Yiming about this; he wrote it directly. Then he looked up at Wang Yiming and said, "Earth Divination sacred lands are best suited as burial grounds. Is it possible this land was noticed and actually used by someone before Caiyuan Village ever existed?"

"What!!" Wang Yiming nearly jumped up, eyes wide as copper bells, face full of horror. He never imagined such a simple connection could suddenly make things so different. The uncanny chill made his hair stand on end, goosebumps covering his skin.

The entries on the paper were stitched together, and Shen Hao spoke as he kept writing: "If Caiyuan Village was already someone’s burial ground before the village existed, then there must be hidden mysteries below. According to earth phase theory, living creatures on this kind of sacred land should be vigorous—grain yields shouldn’t drop.

In my opinion, lower yields suggest either poor soil, poor farming, or something is suppressing normal growth."

"What do you think?"

Wang Yiming opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn’t manage it. He felt it was best to keep quiet and listen for now.

This is amazing! Clues could be pieced together from such trivial bits? Even if it’s just deduction, it makes sense—it really could be true!

Shen Hao continued, "Combine that with the Evil mentioned by the Government Office, and the Caiyuan Village Chief’s original claim of ’people jumping out of the pond’—I think something like Evil was concealed in the burial ground. They survive by absorbing external vitality but can’t leave the burial site.

Once Caiyuan Village dug deep to create flooded fish ponds, the barrier sealing these things grew weaker. After that unusual earthquake, the barrier failed entirely, so they burst out of the fish pond to kill."

"What about the restriction array, then? How does that fit in?" Wang Yiming couldn’t help but ask.

"No idea. This is all I can deduce right now. The restriction array still doesn’t fit in. But I think it’s definitely related to the possible burial ground in Caiyuan Village. Of course, the existence of a burial ground is the premise for my deduction—still not confirmed yet."

"That’s easy to check. A burial ground—especially a large one—won’t have just one grave. There’ll be many subsidiary graves, sized and designed according to the owner’s status and meaning. Not every one will have a restriction shroud. Some artifacts are bound to be discovered.

Just ask the local people around Caiyuan Village if anyone’s ever dug up antiques and you’ll know if your theory stands." ƒгeewebnovёl.com

Wang Yiming reacted quickly—once he saw Shen Hao nod, he immediately left the tent. Among the two guides who’d left earlier, one was a peddler; if anyone dug up something valuable nearby, he’d hear about it, so asking him was sure to work.

Soon Wang Yiming caught up with the two guides not far from the camp.

Half an hour later, Wang Yiming returned, holding two copper artifacts showing clear signs of age, still with dirt clinging to them. freewebnoveℓ.com

"Sir, there really are antiques! Look!"

Wang Yiming’s heart was trembling—he was amazed Shen Hao could deduce the existence of a burial ground beneath Caiyuan Village from scattered clues. It was so impressive it was almost scary.