Chapter Fourteen: The Girl with the Compass

The next day, Xiao Lianshan and I hurried toward the ancient tomb that Yue Leiting had mentioned. Liu Hao, covered in dirt, emerged from the robbers’ tunnel and smiled as soon as he saw me.

“At last, you two have come. For months now, I’ve been crawling through this damned rat hole every day. It’s all water down there—not a thing to be seen. But Qian insists it’s an ancient tomb.”

Xiao Lianshan couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Liu Hao’s soiled, bedraggled appearance.

I crouched down, scooped up a handful of earth, and examined it before turning back.

“All this was dug out?” I asked.

Liu Hao nodded, pointing to a mound of earth as tall as a small hill.

“Every bit of it came from underground. We piled it all here.”

I walked over and studied the mound for a long while, then picked up another handful and smelled it. This really was an ancient tomb, but there were some odd features. Noticing the look on my face, Xiao Lianshan and Liu Hao asked what was wrong.

I brushed the dirt from my hands and told them, “There’s cinnabar mixed in with the rammed earth. Only emperors and nobles would have a layer of cinnabar laid in the earth for their tombs. This truly is a burial site of ancient times, but the feng shui of this place is peculiar.”

“It really is an ancient tomb?!” Liu Hao was energized by my certainty.

I nodded and climbed atop the mound to survey the surroundings.

“Brother, I don’t know much about feng shui,” Xiao Lianshan called up to me, head tilted back. “But if you say this is where nobles or emperors are buried, the feng shui must be excellent.”

“Quite the opposite,” I replied, frowning in surprise. “The feng shui here isn’t just bad—it’s downright sinister.”

“Brother, teach me—how do you judge feng shui?” Xiao Lianshan asked with curiosity.

I smiled and shook my head. “To judge the feng shui of a burial site, you have to see the full landscape. It’s too low here; we can’t see the whole layout. We need to go up the mountain.”

“We’re short on time, gentlemen! Ting said we have to find the entrance within ten days, and you’re still thinking of climbing mountains?” Liu Hao was anxious.

I told Liu Hao that Xiao Lianshan and I wouldn’t return tonight, and asked him to inform Ting that, since this really was an ancient tomb, there must be an entrance. I promised to help him find it and assured him not to worry.

Seeing my confidence, Liu Hao finally relaxed and pointed to the mountain opposite.

“That’s Wangguya—the tallest mountain here. If you climb up, you’ll see the whole area.”

I nodded and set off with Xiao Lianshan toward Wangguya. By the time we reached the summit, night had fallen.

A full moon hung in the sky, illuminating the valley below. Standing at the peak, with the night breeze gently brushing past, I felt utterly at peace. The tomb was nestled among undulating mountains, the slopes thick with verdant trees. As far as the eye could see, there was a sea of green. In the southwest corner of the tomb, a small pond caught the moonlight, its reflection especially striking.

Xiao Lianshan stood beside me, gazing down for a long while, wiping sweat from his brow.

“Brother, tell me about the feng shui here,” he said.

“For good burial feng shui, you need to hide the wind and gather energy. Only then is it considered auspicious. True feng shui is shaped by nature—every blade of grass, every tree must be as it was originally. If it’s all man-made, it loses its spirit. Also…”

“Also, altering the landscape arbitrarily brings harm to others and oneself,” a voice suddenly interjected from behind us.

We both had been so absorbed in the view below that the sudden voice startled us. We spun around quickly.

Standing before me was a young woman in red, about twenty years old. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. To have a woman appear suddenly on a desolate mountaintop at night, and in red of all things—Xiao Lianshan whispered in my ear that he’d heard from the elders that vengeful spirits always wore red.

“Hello, I’m Gu Anqi!” the girl greeted us cheerfully, extending her hand.

I studied her. She had strikingly beautiful eyes—calm and deep as the sea in the moonlight—paired with a delicate nose and petite mouth. She was a natural beauty.

But my attention was drawn to her hand—a finely crafted, antique compass.

“You…you’re here to study the feng shui too?” I asked, intrigued.

Gu Anqi still had her hand out to Xiao Lianshan, smiling kindly.

“Yes, I’ve been here a while, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Xiao Lianshan finally recovered. I noticed beads of sweat on his forehead and found it amusing; the man who was never afraid, even with a knife to his throat, was actually scared by ghost stories.

Pointing at Gu Anqi, Xiao Lianshan shouted, “What are you doing up here at night? And in red, no less—you’re not afraid some ghost will drag you away?”

Gu Anqi rolled her eyes and pouted, “Does your family own this mountain? If you can come here, why can’t I? What I wear is my business. And you, a grown man, are you afraid of ghosts? Ha!”

Flustered, Xiao Lianshan had nothing to say.

“At least make some noise when you walk. You nearly scared us to death.”

“I have a clear conscience, so what’s there to fear? Or is it you who’s done something you’re afraid of?” she retorted, refusing to yield.

I pulled Xiao Lianshan back and couldn’t help laughing.

“What’s gotten into you, arguing with a girl? Weren’t you the one eager to learn about feng shui? Come, I’ll teach you.”

“Just stay out of my sight!” Xiao Lianshan grumbled, still shaken.

Gu Anqi bit her lip, took a step forward, and looked him straight in the eyes. “I’ll stand right here—what will you do about it?”

I pulled Xiao Lianshan behind me and smiled at Gu Anqi. “Hello, I’m Qin Yan Hui, and this is my friend Xiao Lianshan. Don’t mind him; he’s always like this, but he means no harm.”

Gu Anqi smiled sweetly and stepped aside, dropping her quarrel with Xiao Lianshan.

“Brother, you said good feng shui means hiding the wind and gathering energy—how do you tell if a place does that?” Xiao Lianshan asked, shooting a glare at Gu Anqi.

Gu Anqi replied, “It’s simple. The tomb should face south with a green mountain behind—not cliffs or sheer rock, but a gentle, verdant slope. That’s called having a backing mountain.”

“You’re getting carried away,” Xiao Lianshan snapped. “I was asking my brother, not you. Do you really understand feng shui?”

I smiled wryly and signaled Gu Anqi to continue, because she was absolutely right.

Proudly, Gu Anqi went on, “To the east of the tomb, there should be a mountain lower than the backing mountain—a gentle, green hill. That’s called the Azure Dragon.”

Xiao Lianshan, left with no choice, listened in silence.

“To the west, there should be another mountain, even lower than the others—this is the White Tiger. The White Tiger should also be a gentle, green hill. When these three mountains form a semi-circle, it’s called hiding the wind and gathering energy.”

“Bet you just memorized a few lines from some book,” Xiao Lianshan muttered scornfully.

I had to admit, for someone of Gu Anqi’s age, her knowledge of geomancy was impressive. I smiled, encouraging her to go on.

“To the south, there should be a river. That completes the auspicious feng shui pattern.”

“Brother, I get it now! We’re standing on Wangguya, which is to the west of the tomb and covered in trees—that’s the White Tiger. Over there to the east is the Azure Dragon, and behind the tomb is the backing mountain. This place has all the elements! Am I right?”

Gu Anqi covered her mouth, stifling a laugh, and said smugly, “You only understand part of it. The mountains need to be connected, forming an unbroken chain. What you see here are three isolated peaks, arranged in a pinwheel. That’s not the Azure Dragon and White Tiger—it’s the ‘Three Blades of Destruction!’”

“Oh, and you’re supposed to be an expert?” Xiao Lianshan scoffed. “Brother, is she making this up?”

The more Gu Anqi spoke, the more I admired her, so I nodded and told Xiao Lianshan she was right—this was not the classic Azure Dragon and White Tiger, but the ominous Three Blades of Destruction.

Gu Anqi ignored Xiao Lianshan’s embarrassment.

“There’s a saying in feng shui: The Azure Dragon should be higher than the White Tiger. But look—the mountain we’re standing on is the tallest in the area. In feng shui, the White Tiger to the west must never rise above the Azure Dragon to the east. There’s a proverb: ‘Better a towering Azure Dragon than a White Tiger that lifts its head.’”

“What does that mean, brother?” Xiao Lianshan was more and more intrigued.

“If the White Tiger overtakes the Azure Dragon, misfortune befalls the descendants—families will be in turmoil,” I explained. “If the White Tiger suppresses the Azure Dragon, the family will know no peace.”

“And for the pattern to be right, there has to be a river. Do you see a river below?” Gu Anqi asked, brimming with pride.

After looking for a long time, Xiao Lianshan admitted there wasn’t one and pointed to the pond. “But my brother said water brings wealth. There’s no river, but there’s a pond. Isn’t it the same?”

Gu Anqi burst out laughing, and I couldn’t help but laugh as well.

“What’s so funny? Water is water—what’s the difference?” Xiao Lianshan protested.

“The water in a river flows, bringing continuous fortune. The pond you see is stagnant—a pool of dead water. And look—it sits right in the center of the three mountains, like a mirror reflecting the moonlight. That’s called ‘Reflected Light Sha,’ a great taboo in the feng shui of graves.”

Confused, Xiao Lianshan was about to ask more when Gu Anqi cut him off.

“You’re so slow-witted; no point in explaining at length,” she said. “Simply put, the dead seek peace in burial—they don’t want to be disturbed. But this pond’s reflection shines directly on the tomb. Moonlight is the most yin of lights, and the tomb is already a gathering place of yin energy. With such heavy yin pressing down, the souls buried here will never find peace.”

Xiao Lianshan dared not speak further, and glanced at me. Gu Anqi, looking triumphant, said, “No need to look at him—I’m telling the truth.”

I just laughed and nodded helplessly at Xiao Lianshan.