Chapter 23: A Gathering Place for Malevolent Spirits

Xiang Peng smiled and respectfully extended his hand in a gesture of invitation.

“Then, Master Li, please follow me to the construction site.”

After speaking, he turned to the bodyguards beside him with a serious expression.

“Clear the way for Master Li!”

“Yes, sir!”

The bodyguards responded in unison with fierce resolve. Then, in perfect coordination, they turned sharply and arranged themselves to pave the way for Li Moxuan.

Accompanied respectfully by Xiang Peng, Li Moxuan left the private room without once glancing back at Lin Yitong, who remained seated on the ground. Lin Yitong sat there, stunned, staring after Li Moxuan’s departing figure, her regret gnawing at her like poison.

Xiang Peng and Li Moxuan rode in a lengthened Bentley, forming a grand convoy of dozens of Bentleys, heading toward Yunwu Mountain on the outskirts of Wu City. Along the way, all other vehicles made way automatically, ensuring a smooth journey.

In less than an hour, Li Moxuan and his party arrived once more at the construction site halfway up Yunwu Mountain. It was already afternoon. The sun was setting behind the western hills, and the sky was ablaze with vibrant clouds that seemed to blot out the heavens. The red glow bathed the mist-covered mountain in fiery hues, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

A long procession of cars climbed slowly along the winding mountain road, majestic as if a great dignitary had arrived.

The construction site remained as it had been when Li Moxuan and Zhou Li came before: a large camp still standing on the mountainside not far away; scattered building materials everywhere; the site empty and desolate without a single worker.

The only difference was a large sinkhole suddenly appearing near the forested edge of the site. It was as large as a football field and more than ten meters deep, resembling the gaping maw of an abyssal beast, ever ready to greedily swallow all life.

Xiang Peng personally opened the car door for Li Moxuan and spoke kindly.

“Master Li, we’ve arrived. It’s right here.”

Pointing toward the distant sinkhole, he said, “Master Li, the sinkhole is over there. Please take a look and see if you notice anything.”

Led by Xiang Peng, Li Moxuan stood at the very edge of the sinkhole, scanning its depths. Inside, traces of blood remained—likely left behind by the unfortunate workers who had perished.

Xiang Peng noticed that nearly half of Li Moxuan’s foot was suspended over the void and, somewhat worried, cautioned him.

“Master Li, please be careful. The soil around the sinkhole is loose. If it collapses, you could fall in.”

Even if he did fall, given Li Moxuan’s strength, it wouldn’t cause him the slightest harm.

Li Moxuan then asked,

“Tell me what happened at the time.”

“All right!” Xiang Peng replied and proceeded to recount the scene in detail.

“The workers present said that about two or three minutes before the incident, they suddenly heard a muffled rumble from Yunwu Mountain, accompanied by a faint tremor—like the mountain was being blasted apart.”

“On the open ground, there were various noises, and sometimes explosives were used on hard rock, so no one paid much attention. Then suddenly, the ground here started to cave in. In the blink of an eye, the entire surface collapsed, forming this sinkhole.”

“At that moment, more than a dozen workers standing within this area didn’t have time to escape; they all fell in and tragically lost their lives.”

“Master Li, do you think the sinkhole is connected to the reanimated corpses?”

Li Moxuan nodded.

“Indeed. There is a presence of yin energy within the sinkhole. Clearly, someone deliberately wanted to kill them.”

“Controlling their bodies to walk away was also part of the scheme.”

Upon confirmation, Xiang Peng’s expression darkened, his eyes cold and ruthless.

“It seems someone is deliberately targeting me.”

“Very well. Whether it’s a person or a ghost, I will make them pay.”

Xiang Peng looked toward Li Moxuan.

“Master Li, could that fellow also be some kind of feng shui sorcerer?”

“Can he be completely eliminated?”

Li Moxuan pondered briefly.

“We first need to ascertain that person’s true identity and power.”

He then looked up toward the southern slope of Yunwu Mountain.

“Although these events are clearly orchestrated by someone, there is indeed a problem with the feng shui here.”

“This is not someone else’s fault; it’s your own.”

“You’ve been too focused on dealing with those immortals. Since you’re here, I’ll tell you—on this southern slope, the locust and willow trees grow so thick and lush that they block out the sky.”

“Especially the forest, which is like a deep, ancient wilderness. The feng shui here is utterly outrageous. Choosing this place to build a villa district—it’s courting death.”

Xiang Peng was immediately taken aback.

“That can’t be. Master Li, I previously consulted a very famous feng shui master about this place. It’s definitely prime land—you see, it’s nestled against the mountain and beside water, with a river in front and forested mists behind. They called it the ‘Rising Dragon’ formation.”

Li Moxuan rolled his eyes in exasperation.

“Mr. Xiang, that feng shui master must have a grudge against you.”

“Either that, or he’s a layman.”

He pointed at the willow and locust trees.

“This place is higher in the east than the west, lower in the south than the north, with water in the front and mountains behind, shrouded in mist so thick that the sun rarely shines through. This feng shui formation is a prime gathering of yin energy. Although it seems to face the righteous qi, the cloud and mist here scatter all the positive energy, leaving only darkness and gloom.”

“Moreover, both willow and locust trees are yin trees—they absorb yin energy as they grow and easily attract yin spirits and ghosts. If this were a burial ground for the dead, it would indeed be excellent, providing protection for descendants for generations.”

“But for living people to reside here… hmph…”

“If this truly were a good feng shui site for the living, why would so many strange occurrences happen? Even if some incidents are rigged by people, the wandering spirits on Yunwu Mountain have existed here since ancient times.”

“If I hadn’t intervened earlier to guide them into reincarnation, this place could have become notorious as a haunted site.”

Hearing this, Xiang Peng broke into a cold sweat, his forehead drenched and soaking his suit.

“I… never expected the feng shui here to really be problematic.”

“That guy… actually uncovered such a place for me.”

Xiang Peng ground his teeth and quickly tugged on Li Moxuan’s sleeve.

“Master Li, since you understand this, how can this feng shui be resolved?”

Li Moxuan raised two fingers, his expression calm.

“You have only two choices: either cut down all the trees on Yunwu Mountain and completely blow up the mountain to forcibly alter its terrain—at least to the level of an ordinary mountain peak—thereby changing its harmful energy gathering.”

Xiang Peng’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Yunwu Mountain’s forest is a protected natural area, after all. Even if there were ways to intervene, the mountain is vast and forested extensively. To alter the terrain like that…”

“It would cost billions, and more importantly, if the mountain’s shape changes, the villas here would lose all their value. No, no, the cost is too great. Is there any other solution?”

“The second option is to relocate. I can help you find another location with good feng shui and start anew, ensuring smooth and successful completion.”

Xiang Peng smiled bitterly.

“Master Li, the project is already halfway done. If we abandon it now, we’d lose at least billions. That’s not a loss we can easily bear. Is there really no way to resolve this?”

Li Moxuan snorted coldly.

“If you want to make money and stay alive, Mr. Xiang, not all the good fortune in this world can be yours alone.”

“You insisted on picking a fight with a tough obstacle.”