Chen Xiao could not hide his disappointment after receiving another message from his clerk. He was originally planning to ask his elder brother to go with him when he was leaving the city today. Chen Xiao was at a loss yesterday, but today he was thinking about it. What was going on with his elder brother? Why didn't he ask him to come along? He was a cultivator in the Body Refining Stage after all, so he could help a little.
With this in mind, Chen Xiao walked out of the inn. Standing at the door were three tall horses with long manes and fish-scale patterns on their green skin.
"Did you bring this?" Chen Xiao said in surprise.
Shen Yanxing handed him the reins of one of the horses and said, "Yes, the journey we have to go today is a bit far. It would take a bit of time to take a carriage. These three horses are all BMWs and they are very fast."
Chen Xiao is a man, so it is inevitable that he likes luxury cars. In his previous life, he was a member of a riding club, and the annual membership fee he paid was no less than six figures.
Stepping on the stirrups, Chen Xiao climbed onto the horse with a swift movement. The movements of controlling the scale horse were a little unfamiliar, but not bad at all. Seeing this, Shen Yanxing breathed a sigh of relief. If the teacher didn't know how to ride a horse, he would have to let Zhou Zheng lead him.
Chen Xiao got familiar with the horse and became more and more skilled after running. The three of them rode out of the capital at full speed, and it took more than an hour to reach the foot of a mountain.
The horses could not walk up the mountain, so the three of them found a family to deposit their horses, and after a short rest, they climbed up in one breath. Chen Xiao was now very skilled, agile, and had strong endurance, so he only panted slightly when he reached the top of the mountain. Although Shen Yanxing also exercised on weekdays, his physical fitness was not as good as that of a cultivator.
Zhou Zheng was watching over Shen Yanxing while he rested. Chen Xiao sat for a while, drank some water, and then walked towards the mountain. Although this place was not a cliff, the downhill slope on the opposite side was also very steep. Chen Xiao just stood at the edge and looked towards the capital city in the distance under the bright sunlight.
From here, the capital looks like a sandbox model, with houses the size of fingernails arranged in an orderly manner, and the five main roads and narrow winding alleys of the city can be seen at a glance.
But this is not what Chen Xiao wants to see.
He gazed at the sky above the city, and could see a faint but lingering purple aura. This was the atmosphere that dominated the capital of a country. Although it was not magnificent and auspicious, the purple aura contained in it was enough to prove that the establishment of the new dynasty was due to good fortune. The purple aura was still faint now, but when the country was stable and the people had a rest and recuperation, after ten or twenty years, the purple aura would become thicker and thicker, feeding back to the city below and making it more prosperous.
However, now below the purple air, the obscure and ominous evil spirits in the north of the city kept rushing upward like a sharp cone, constantly poking holes in the purple aura. Although the purple air would soon gather from around the holes to make up for it, it made the already faint purple air gradually become thinner.
Chen Xiao's face suddenly changed. This situation was even more sinister than he had imagined.
"Teacher, how is it?" Shen Yanxing asked with an unsteady breath. The hillside was uneven, and he took one deep step and one shallow step before he reached Chen Xiao's side.
Chen Xiao did not answer him. Instead, he started from the north of the city and moved his finger to the southwest. He pointed in the air and turned to Shen Yanxing and said, "Is there a river in the southwest that has dried up now?"
Shen Yanxing was surprised: "Teacher, how did you know? Yes, there used to be a canal there. But three years ago, my father was fighting with the previous king and the water flow in this canal became much smaller in just one day. Then, within a few days, the flow was completely cut off due to the change in terrain. My father said that he couldn't take care of the canal for the time being. Anyway, the transportation of the capital city is sufficient by land. He originally wanted to wait until the treasury of the capital city was full in a few years before rebuilding it."
Chen Xiao was shocked, and he asked quickly: "Can you tell me in detail about the fight that day?"
Shen Yanxing was a little embarrassed. He said, "I have no cultivation skills, and my father asked me to stay behind." He thought for a moment and turned to look at Zhou Zheng, "However, Guard Zhou went to the battle with the army that day. He was at the scene and should know the specific situation."
Zhou Zheng nodded and said, "That's right. I followed the king to the battle that day and witnessed with my own eyes how the former king, who had committed atrocities and made the people suffer, resisted stubbornly. And how our king was so wise and brave and won with great power."
Chen Xiao frowned, and raised his hand and said, "Don't bother with these clichés. Just tell me what kind of spells they used, and what places were affected."
Zhou Zheng was stunned for a moment, thought for a moment, and then replied: "The king used earth and wood magic at the time, while the former king used water and metal magic. The fight between the two affected a wide area. They were originally fighting outside the city, but later they moved while fighting, passing through the city gate and destroying many houses."
Seeing Chen Xiao frowning, Shen Yanxing said, "But please rest assured, teacher. Before the fight that day, most of the people in the city were evacuated, and there were not many casualties. Only the city walls and buildings were damaged, and later they were quickly rebuilt."
Chen Xiao nodded slowly: "I think this is where the problem lies." He looked at Zhou Zheng sharply, "The battle that day started from the canal bank and ended in the northern part of the capital."
Zhou Zheng saw that he was so sure about what he said as if he had seen it with his own eyes, and he couldn't help but admire him: "Master Chen is right, it starts from the canal and ends in the north of the city."
Chen Xiao crossed his arms and paced along the mountainside while thinking. Shen Yanxing was trembling with fear, fearing that the teacher would fall down without paying attention. If an accident really happened, the master uncle would definitely not forgive him when he returned. Shen Yanxing was slightly stunned when he thought of this, why would he have such an idea. After thinking about it, Shen Yanxing could only conclude that Xi Yunting had too strong aura of a patriarch.
Chen Xiao stopped and turned his head to say, "I once heard from my elder brother that when a large-scale spell is used in a fight, in addition to consuming one's own essence, it will also draw elements of the same attribute from the surrounding area. Excessive consumption may even lead to irreversible consequences. For example, if the wood attribute is used up on a piece of land, all the green plants there will wither. If the earth attribute is completely consumed, it may even cause the land to become desertified and no plants will be able to grow anymore."
Shen Yanxing's face changed, and he said in surprise: "But the magic used by my father and the former king is not that powerful. Moreover, when the city wall was repaired afterwards, it was reinforced again, and there was no desertification."
Chen Xiao shook his head: "Your father only had the city walls and urban areas repaired at the time, and I think he certainly didn't think about repairing the underground soil. This is only one of the reasons for the current situation. Another reason is that the previous king drew water-attributed spiritual energy, which consumed too much of the groundwater layer. The canal was affected and cut off, leaving the groundwater layer without a place to replenish. If it were just that, it would be simple. Snow and rain would eventually replenish the groundwater layer. Now the water level is getting lower every year, which can only mean that there is a problem underground."
Shen Yanxing's face had turned pale because of what Chen Xiao said. He was frightened and asked hurriedly: "What's the problem?"
Chen Xiao said categorically: "The underground waters beneath the capital have been diverted due to geological changes caused by the battle!"
Shen Yanxing's mind suddenly buzzed. He quickly thought of the consequences and said in shock, "Could it be possible that the ground in Chengdu will sink?!"
Chen Xiao nodded: "That's right. The loose soil can hardly support a huge city. In addition, the water layer below lacks replenishment and is becoming increasingly thin. I'm afraid that a landslide will occur sooner or later. The changes in the soil and water veins are brewing a huge disaster, and the continuous growth of evil spirits is a sign!"
Shen Yanxing was still young after all, and no matter how smart he was, he was still panicked in the face of such a disaster. Zhou Zheng, who was listening to this, was also shocked. He didn't want to believe it, but when he thought about what Chen Xiao said, he compared it one by one.
Zhou Zheng was panicking. Less than three years after the establishment of the Xin Dynasty, such a huge disaster had occurred, which could directly destroy an entire royal family. This was not a common disaster like earthquakes, droughts, and floods, but the collapse of the entire capital. This disaster, like a punishment from heaven, would surely cause chaos throughout the country, and people would think that the royal family was immoral.
He said to Chen Xiao in a pleading tone: "Master Chen, since you can find the problem, you must have a way to deal with it, right?"
Shen Yanxing also said: "Teacher, please save the capital! Save the Shen royal family! We can't let such a disaster happen."
The two people came up to him and asked. Chen Xiao didn't want to see this thousand-year-old city destroyed. But he didn't have any clues yet, and he didn't dare to give them any guarantees. Chen Xiao said, "Don't worry, the purple air above the city is still full, and it hasn't reached that point. We still have time to slowly think of a solution." He looked up at the sky and said to the two people, "It's getting late now, let's go back to the city first."
The three men went down the mountain and returned to the capital with their own thoughts. The days were short in winter, and by the time they returned to the inn, it was already completely dark.
As soon as he got off his horse, a man wearing the uniform of a royal guard with a weapon slung around his waist came out of the inn. "Your Highness, I have been waiting for a long time. The king has ordered that he must see you immediately."
Shen Yanxing said impatiently: "Go and report to my father for me. I have something important to attend to and cannot leave. Tomorrow, I will go to him in person to apologize." It must be because he did not attend the banquet today, so she wanted to call him over to scold him.
The guard said in a serious voice, "No, the king ordered that you return to the palace as soon as he sees you. Your Highness, I don't want to be disrespectful to you."
Zhou Zheng frowned, took a step forward and whispered in Shen Yanxing's ear: "Your Highness, why don't you take this opportunity to meet the king and explain to him the crisis facing the capital."
Shen Yanxing hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth and nodded, "Okay." He turned around and bowed to Chen Xiao, "This matter is of great importance. Yanxing asks the teacher to take care of it."
Chen Xiao said solemnly: "You go ahead. I will try my best."
Shen Yanxing's solemn salute surprised the guard. He looked puzzled, but no one explained. Shen Yanxing frowned and said, "Let's go."
The three men did not stop and got on their horses, galloping towards the palace.
Chen Xiao sighed, feeling mentally exhausted. It was time for dinner, but he had no appetite at all.
He walked slowly to the backyard of the inn, went back to his room, lay down on the bed, and fell asleep unconsciously. When he woke up, he was so hungry that he had to get up. He looked at the clock and it was almost nine o'clock. Chen Xiao didn't want to deal with it, so he planned to go to the front hall to ask the chef on duty to cook two dishes.
As soon as the door of his room opened, Xi Yunting, who had returned from the next room at some point in time, came out.
"Brother?" Chen Xiao looked at him in surprise. "When did you come back? I was sleeping so soundly that I didn't hear it."
"I just came back not long ago." Xi Yunting looked at his face carefully. Chen Xiao was in good spirits after sleeping for a while, but he was still covered in dust, and it was obvious that he had run a long way today. Even though Chen Xiao's face was covered in dust, Xi Yunting did not mind at all. He just said distressedly: "Brother Xiao, I heard that you didn't have dinner. Are you hungry? I asked someone to prepare some food, why don't you eat some in my room."
Chen Xiao couldn't help swallowing and nodded immediately: "I couldn't ask for more."
Xi Yunting had the kitchen keep the food warm. Although it wasn't as good as freshly cooked food, it was better because it could be served immediately. Soon the waiter brought four dishes, a soup, and a small wooden basin of rice.
Chen Xiao was really hungry. He only had time to talk to Xi Yunting at the beginning, but he was busy eating the rest of the time. Xi Yunting waited until he was about 70% full and served him a bowl of soup. He said, "It's too late, it's hard to rest if you eat too much. Xiao, drink some soup, it's good for digestion."
Chen Xiao then put down his chopsticks and smiled warmly at Xi Yunting: "Thank you, big brother."
Watching Chen Xiao slowly drinking his soup, Xi Yunting touched the gift he had finally gotten after two days of absence in his sleeve. The words he wanted to say lingered on his lips for a long time, but in the end he asked, "Brother Xiao, are you out of town today?"
Chen Xiao finished his soup, sweating slightly on his forehead, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded and said, "I went out of the city with Yan Xing and climbed to the top of the mountain to check the Feng Shui of the capital. The situation is not good."
Xi Yunting was a little surprised. He asked, "Why is it so bad?"
Next, Chen Xiao told Xi Yunting the details of the incident. After speaking, Chen Xiao felt thirsty again, so he took a sip of the teacup beside him and said, "If we leave it alone, something bad will happen to the capital within two years. Either the water source will dry up, or the ground will collapse and the city will be destroyed."
Xi Yunting's eyes froze. Xiaodi had brought the wrong cup, which was the one he had drunk. Just as Xi Yunting's ears began to heat up and he wanted to speak, he heard hurried footsteps in front of Chen Xiao's door next door, and then someone rushed to his door, knocking and shouting: "Teacher, something happened! A pit collapsed in the north of the city, and many people were killed and injured!"
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