The expert advisory team was now down to just two people, but the work had to go on. The desert wind howled, and the harsh environment made railway construction even more challenging. Supply stations still needed to be built, and selecting the right locations for them was crucial.
Not long ago, the three of them had been engaged in “dragon seeking”; now, they had moved on to “acupoint selection.”
As the ancient saying goes: “Three years to seek the dragon, ten years to pinpoint the acupoint.” In feng shui, mountain ranges are collectively referred to as “dragons,” while “acupoints” are places where wind and energy converge. The methods of acupoint selection vary, and if one is not an experienced master, they may often choose incorrectly. Therefore, after selecting an acupoint, verification is necessary.
After conducting preliminary research, Chu Qianli decided to use the “water method” to determine the acupoint. First, because the uninhabited zone was perilous, some acupoint selection techniques were not applicable. Second, the desert region had an extreme lack of water, and the workstations along the railway relied on supply vehicles to transport water. If the station could be built near a water source, there would at least be an emergency backup in case of an unexpected water shortage.
Out in the wilderness, the construction team leader listened to the experts’ proposal and responded helplessly, “We’d love to find water too, but when we send the machines out to scan, we don’t see any water sources in the surface images.”
The project team frequently deployed drones to inspect the railway line and explore the unknown terrain, collecting various images to aid construction.
Chu Qianli stared at the images on the screen. As she flipped through the previous data, she traced the map with her fingers and asked in confusion, “There’s no water in this area?”
“None. I can zoom in for you to see,” the construction team leader replied, enlarging the images. “As you can see, it’s all desert.”
On the screen, the cracked earth was clearly visible, and there was indeed no trace of water.
Chu Qianli scratched her head. “Strange.”
“Did we misidentify the dragon—” Yu Yi glanced at the construction team leader and quickly corrected himself, “Did we make a mistake in our preliminary survey?”
“That shouldn’t be the case. That area should be Lu Storage Water,” Chu Qianli said as she quickly flipped through the map book, checking the expert team’s research records.
The construction team leader was puzzled. “What is Lu Storage Water?”
“Oh, it’s our professional term,” Yu Yi explained. “Lu Storage Water means water that gathers like wealth being stored.”
The construction team leader was even more astonished. “Your professional terms can even be explained in classical Chinese?”
Yu Yi was momentarily embarrassed, unsure how to provide a scientific explanation. He hesitated. “Uh…”
Chu Qianli, however, remained calm. “It refers to underground water sources that surface in deserts or barren lands, forming an oasis. The lakes in such oases are called Lu Storage Water.”
Yu Yi quickly followed up, “Exactly! I was just showing off with some classical references.”
The construction team leader nodded. “I see. That’s actually a pretty interesting term. Sounds quite impressive at first.”
“But there shouldn’t be an oasis in this area—at least, the images show nothing.”
Although the drone had not captured any images of an oasis, the construction team still decided to head to the location Chu Qianli had pointed out to search for the so-called Lu Storage Water.
A lone plume of smoke rose over the vast desert.
Standing atop the barren land, the team scanned the surroundings, yet there was not a trace of greenery. The drone circled the area repeatedly for a long time but still found no sign of water.
Chu Qianli had been having bad luck lately. She avoided dangerous mountains out of fear of accidents, but since the machines were returning no data, a field survey seemed like the best option. After much deliberation, she and Yu Yi agreed to conduct another compass reading in the area.
The team split up and prepared to search for water.
As Yu Yi adjusted his gear, he suddenly asked, “Do you have a special constitution? I wanted to ask when we encountered the vulture that day, but we were too busy, so I never brought it up.”
Chu Qianli was startled.
Yu Yi recalled Tan Muxing’s hesitation before he left, which led him to suspect that something was going on with Chu Qianli. He quickly added, “I’m just guessing! When I was a kid, I was always unlucky—constantly getting hurt or sick. After I joined my master, it got better. They say people with special constitutions tend to be like that. So when the vulture attacked you first, I was pretty surprised—someone is actually unluckier than me…”
Chu Qianli deadpanned, “Yu Yi, that sounded like an insult.”
“It’s just my honest opinion!” Yu Yi said earnestly. “I know you don’t believe in spiritual stuff, but if you do have a special constitution, I suggest you stay here. Feng shui surveys can clash with the practitioner, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Let me go instead.”
Chu Qianli hadn’t expected Yu Yi to be concerned for her safety. She quickly thanked him, and in the end, they agreed that she would conduct the reading from above while Yu Yi would go down.
As Yu Yi slowly descended, he said, “Alright, I’ll give you a break for now. I’ll argue with you again when your guardian gets back. I don’t bully kids without a chaperone!”
Chu Qianli and Yu Yi usually bickered every day, but with Tan Muxing’s unexpected injury, the team’s atmosphere had changed.
Both she and Tan Muxing had fallen at the same time—she was completely unharmed, while Tan Muxing had to be hospitalized. Lately, she hadn’t been in good spirits, barely speaking, and Yu Yi had noticed.
Chu Qianli held her compass, watching Yu Yi descend. She hadn’t realized how observant he was and was momentarily at a loss for words.
Beside her, the construction team leader confirmed, “Are the safety ropes secured?”
“Oh, yeah, yeah,” Yu Yi patted the rope to make sure everything was in order.
Geomantic surveying was repetitive and tedious work.
Chu Qianli and Yu Yi not only possessed feng shui knowledge but also made use of modern technology. Each carried equipment to maintain communication even in the signal-weak Gobi Desert.
Yu Yi’s voice came through the device, “No good. I’ve reached the end, but this rope is limiting me…”
Moments later, despite his efforts, Yu Yi still hadn’t found a water source.
At this point, Chu Qianli realized she couldn’t avoid her fate. In the end, she secured her safety rope and descended as well. Some things could be avoided, but others had to be faced head-on.
Her luck had been bad ever since the trip began, and it was clear that simply avoiding danger wasn’t resolving anything. She might as well confront it directly.
Yu Yi, still below, hesitated upon hearing this. “Are you sure you want to come down? I can keep looking.”
“I’ll be careful. Besides, I have the safety rope,” Chu Qianli replied. With the team’s help, she slowly descended and met up with Yu Yi to conduct an on-site survey.
“Let’s split up—it’ll be faster that way.”
Surrounded by rocky cliffs, the area was dimly lit, and there was no sign of water.
Chu Qianli and Yu Yi separated to search, while the construction team assisted in scouting for a suitable location.
More members of the construction team gradually joined them underground, following their lead in the exploration.
“You all be careful down there. The rock around here seems pretty fragile,” came the construction team leader’s warning through the device.
“Fragile?”
“Yeah, someone just took a fall. Some areas are as thin as paper.”
Chu Qianli scanned the barren rock formations, and suddenly, something occurred to her. She pulled out her Sanqing Bell from her bag and decided to ring it.
Logically, in an enclosed space with soil and rock, the bell should produce a crisp, jingling sound. However, the ringing here was deep and resonant, carrying far into the distance.
The Sanqing Bell sounded just as it did in the open desert. This indicated that, from the bell’s perspective, this place was no different from an open-air environment—it wasn’t being obstructed or enclosed.
She and Tan Muxing had conducted experiments before. The Sanqing Bell only produced jingling sounds in enclosed spaces, and its tone varied slightly depending on the type of building—whether a simple hut or a reinforced concrete structure.
“What’s that sound? Are you ringing a bell?” Yu Yi, searching separately, could hear it clearly and looked around in surprise.
The bell’s sound was strikingly clear, even louder than it was in the open desert.
Chu Qianli continued ringing it, murmuring to herself, “…So this is how it works?”
She carefully listened to the changes in sound and gradually realized that the Sanqing Bell wasn’t just a musical instrument—it had practical applications!
Just like a compass, the bell had real functionality. Since its sound varied with the environment, it could actually assist in geomantic surveying!
Thinking about it now, the legends of zombies emerging from the ground made sense—the bell would be much more effective underground.
“Xingxing, listen—” Chu Qianli turned around, eager to share her discovery, but the familiar figure she expected wasn’t there. Instead, only unfamiliar construction workers stood behind her.
They looked puzzled. “Listen to what?”
Chu Qianli froze. “…Ah, sorry, never mind.”
The team continued searching for water.
As Chu Qianli became more familiar with the bell’s nuances, she adjusted its use, moving deliberately in a specific direction until she hit a dead end.
“Is this the spot? Should we head back?” The others saw the path was blocked and started looking for an alternative route.
“It should be here…” Chu Qianli said, still ringing the bell as she examined the surroundings. Suddenly, a sense of foreboding struck her. She furrowed her brows and said, “Wait, let me take a few steps back—this doesn’t feel right.”
The closer one got to a geomantic treasure site, the more likely a feng shui master was to experience disruptions. She hadn’t even performed a divination yet, but something already felt off.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have immediately retreated. But given recent events, she was being extra cautious—she didn’t dare stay even a second longer.
Chu Qianli reached out to steady herself against the wall and move back, but the moment her hand touched the earthen surface, she felt it crumble like paper.
A powerful gust of wind burst from the mountain wall, instantly shattering it!
A sudden disaster struck.
That familiar sensation of falling rushed over her.
The construction team members shouted, “Don’t panic! The safety rope will hold—just relax!”
Although Chu Qianli had received training on safety rope usage before, this was her first time actually relying on it. She wasn’t skilled enough to slow her descent.
The rope finally went taut. She felt the harsh pull against her body, leaving her sore and aching, as strong winds buffeted her midair. A wave of dizziness and nausea hit her.
The wind howled so fiercely that she couldn’t open her eyes. She endured the discomfort, waiting for the storm to pass. When she finally managed to open her eyes, she was greeted by a breathtaking sight.
In the dim light, water shimmered like a pearl—a tranquil pool, mesmerizing and beautiful.
Above ground, all was dry and barren. But hidden below, a source of life lay in wait.
Chu Qianli had been feeling terrible just moments ago, but the sheer beauty of the scene stunned her, making her forget the pain. She shouted, “There’s water down here!”
The construction team slowly pulled the rope, bringing her back up. Fortunately, it had only been a false alarm.
After confirming she was unharmed, the team descended to explore the water source—only to discover a vast underground lake!
“It’s a lake! There’s really a lake down here—and it’s huge!”
“Unbelievable! It was hidden underground—no wonder even the birds couldn’t find it…”
The construction team leader was utterly impressed by Chu Qianli and exclaimed in awe, “There really is water here? This is incredible!”
Drones could only capture images of the surface, and no one had expected a lake to be concealed below.
The team carefully leveled the fragile rock formations, fully exposing the underground lake to everyone’s view. Now that they had successfully found water, they could proceed with determining the ideal site for construction.
Stored water, known as lu chu shui in geomantic terms, typically exists around the entrance of a xue (a feng shui-ideal location). Once the construction team smoothed out the surrounding terrain, they would soon be able to identify the perfect spot for the new station.
Water was a rare treasure in the Gobi Desert.
As long as there was a water source beside the station, even the smallest touch of green could gradually spread outward, painting the barren land with a vibrant shade of life.
In the future, countless travelers and trains would pass through this place. Passengers would sit in their carriages, chatting and laughing as they gazed out at the vast Gobi wilderness, watching the scattered little stations along the route, admiring the stunning desert oasis scenery—until they finally reached the other side of the uninhabited zone.
This was a no-man’s land, yet even in such a place, people stood guard, maintaining an eternal lifeline.
At the hospital, Tan Muxing’s left arm was already in a cast.
He looked at his phone with concern, hesitating on whether he should contact Professor Pan to ask about the status of the frontline work station.
Lately, Chu Qianli had been checking in regularly to assure him of her safety, but now, she had suddenly stopped responding. That unexplained silence left him restless. The Gobi had no signal, and only the work station could send messages, but this time, the communication blackout was lasting a bit too long.
As Tan Muxing debated what to do, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. Instinctively, he replied, “Come in.”
He had assumed it was the medical staff. However, when no one entered right away, he raised his head in confusion.
The next second, he saw her.
Chu Qianli peeked her head inside, locking eyes with him. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she grinned like a child singing a nursery rhyme, playfully calling out:
“Xingxing, Xingxing, what time is it?”
I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.
![Dissatisfied [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4997572.jpg "Dissatisfied [e-sports]")
