Chapter Twenty-Two: Discovering the Treasure's Location

He Zhi Xing didn't dare to resist, afraid that if she got truly angry, things would spiral out of control. She grabbed his wrist and yanked him in front of her, then twisted at his waist with her secret weapon—five sharp fingers. He Zhi Xing yelped in pain.

The girl half-laughed, half-scolded him, "Serves you right! That'll teach you to talk nonsense!"

He Zhi Xing could do nothing but grit his teeth and endure. After a while, he asked, "By the way, why did you come looking for me?" He lay back down on the bed, and the girl finally pulled over a chair and sat by his side. "Of course I have something to discuss. I wanted to ask how much you understand about those two lines of poetry."

"Which two? Do you mean 'At the foot of the endless hills, a temple for Buddha is built; officials bestow a lucky seal as they depart?'"

The beauty leaned in eagerly. "Exactly! Those two!"

He Zhi Xing turned his head slightly and said, "Those lines are clearly related to the feng shui of burial sites, specifically, the shape known as the Black Tortoise. There are many such formations around Meixian. But the second line is harder to interpret. 'Officials bestow a lucky seal as they depart'—could that mean it's within the old city, or perhaps the former county government office? Otherwise, it's hard to explain."

"Yes, I hope so too. Tomorrow, let's check out the old county towns and see if we find anything." After chatting a while longer, the girl left to get some sleep.

The next day, everyone split up into two groups, heading out from the north of the city, westward, and then south, but found no clues. They visited many places and considered various interpretations, but none held up. Nowhere seemed an ideal spot for hiding treasure. They began to doubt whether the treasure still existed, or if perhaps it had been taken away long before liberation, maybe even earlier. Otherwise, how could they come up empty-handed?

They searched for two more days. In the end, He Zhi Xing told Old Chen he wanted to give up, and Old Chen agreed there was little hope left. He told the others that he and Old Chen would no longer be participating. The others didn't make things difficult for them—the treasure would only go to those destined for it.

The next day, the girl's group continued their search for the treasure. He Zhi Xing and Old Chen, finally free of obligation, decided to make the most of their time. He Zhi Xing said, "Since we're here, and I hear there are many tourist spots, why not take this chance to travel a bit and make some memories? We'll capture it all with our cameras."

Old Chen thought for a moment. "That's a good idea." So they toured all kinds of scenic spots: parks, amusement grounds, famous mountains, rivers, and picturesque villages. They visited local museums, memorial halls, pagodas, and explored towns and counties—Lingguang Temple, Yin Na Mountain, Yanming Lake, Huae Building, and countless other places.

One day, they arrived at a place called Hhua Village, reputed to be a "village of professors" that had produced many distinguished scholars. Was it as legendary as people said? Even before entering, they saw the village's grand archway inscribed with its name. Passing through, they found a straight road into the village, flanked by mountains and trees, with the settlement nestled at the foot of the hills. Looking up at the distant peaks, He Zhi Xing remarked, "Hmm, the Black Tortoise formation—and a double at that! What an auspicious site!"

Old Chen replied offhandedly, "What do you mean, double Black Tortoise?"

He Zhi Xing pointed to the mountains behind the village. "Look, Old Chen—see how the shapes on both sides form a double Black Tortoise?"

Old Chen saw it too. The village entrance was deserted, so he pulled He Zhi Xing aside, and they discreetly climbed the mountain from a side path. As they made their way up, Old Chen whispered, "Xiao He, are you certain you've pinpointed the two dragon veins of the double Black Tortoise?"

He Zhi Xing smiled. "I'm sure. In a moment, I'll use the compass to confirm the exact orientation." The two of them moved swiftly and cautiously, wary of being noticed by villagers. Once they found the dragon vein, they took compass readings at several spots, finally confirming that the larger Black Tortoise mountain was the true site. Acting quickly, afraid of drawing attention, Old Chen pulled He Zhi Xing into the shadow of a tree. "Let's go down for now—we'll come back at night..."