Hearing that their destination was nearby, Wang Guan was naturally delighted.

"Didn't I just say it? Where the Dragon Qi gathers, the contours and topography of the mountains must be quite suitable," Elder Duan chuckled. "As we walked along, didn't you notice that the sheer cliffs and steep precipices became fewer and fewer?"

"It seems they have thinned out considerably." Wang Guan looked around, nodding his agreement while feeling a touch of awe in his heart. Setting aside the veneer of superstition, Feng Shui study was indeed the ultimate synthesis of geographical science.

After hundreds of years of research and summation by the ancients, never mind foreign lands, but in the soil of China, whatever the mountain forms or land features, they could all be found within Feng Shui texts.

"Let's go, up the mountain to take a look."

At the same time, under Elder Duan's summons, the others followed him toward the nearby high peak. Fortunately, there was a small path cleared by woodcutters in the mountains, making the ascent easier. Before long, they reached the summit. Looking out from the vantage point, standing against the wind on the peak and breathing the exceptionally fresh air, everyone felt a sense of exhilarating satisfaction.

"No wonder there are so many 'donkey-travelers' in the world."

Lu Chongming stretched his limbs and laughed, "Climbing in the wilderness truly offers a different kind of feeling."

"It's inevitable," Wang Guan concurred. "It must be beneficial to both body and mind to be so appealing. Otherwise, why would some people, with nothing better to do, enjoy running around in desolate mountains and wilderness?"

"I should climb more mountains when I have free time in the future..."

Lu Chongming sighed, "I only fear lacking the resolve; it's not about being busy, but about being lazy."

That statement was remarkably astute, piercing the greatest flaw of modern people. It wasn't a lack of time, but a lack of willingness. Ultimately, it was insufficient willpower—the heart was moved, yet there was no determination to act.

While the two were sighing, Elder Duan was looking all around. After observing for a moment, a look of joy surfaced on his face: "Yes, this must be the place."

"Is that so?"

Wang Guan followed suit, observing closely, but could discern no clues. Don't blame him; the main issue was the inevitable disparity between the map and reality. Topographical maps, in particular, used only simple lines to delineate shapes, making it hard for ordinary people to visualize the landscape.

Unlike Elder Duan, who was an expert in this field, he understood the Feng Shui patterns. Observing the mountain forms allowed him to see everything clearly, his mind enlightened.

"If I'm not mistaken, we are currently standing on the Ancestor Mountain," Elder Duan gestured. "Then, in a sequence, we have the Great Ancestor Mountain, the Lesser Ancestor Mountain, the Parent Mountains, and further on, the Facing Mountain, the Desk Mountain..."

A string of mountain names left the others utterly confused; they understood nothing.

But it didn't matter; they just needed to follow Elder Duan. Under his guidance, they traversed ridges and crossed valleys, walking for about another hour before finally stopping.

"This is it, precisely."

Elder Duan was extremely pleased: "Look here, not only are the Four Symbols present, the Bright Hall is expansive, but there is also a meandering stream flowing past—a veritable blessed land of Feng Shui."

Wang Guan also observed. He certainly couldn't grasp the technical Feng Shui terminology, but he had to admit the environment here was indeed excellent. The mountain body was broad and solid, the vegetation lush, and there was no shortage of exposed stone, exuding an aura of thriving vitality and refinement.

"The backing mountain is sufficiently stable, the Left and Right Dragon and Tiger Sands are balanced, and the Vermilion Bird in front dances gracefully. The Four Spirits are fundamental, no issues there. Furthermore, the surrounding mountain forms create a layered embrace, as if civil and military officials are paying homage..."

Elder Duan praised it profusely: "Excellent Feng Shui. If someone were buried here, they would surely enjoy prosperity for three generations."

"Only three generations?"

At this point, the others were somewhat surprised. After all, Elder Duan had just declared the Feng Shui excellent, so concluding that the fortune wouldn't last beyond three generations was slightly perplexing.

"Three generations is not short; it's nearly a century," Elder Duan explained. "I mentioned before that the Dragon Vein changes every hundred years. When the time comes, it naturally shifts. Besides, after three generations, the descendants will have their own fortunes; I can't worry about that much longer."

"That makes sense."

Everyone nodded in agreement, showing understanding.

"Of course, the most important thing is that while the Feng Shui here is good, it's not the absolute best," Elder Duan smiled. "Look at how the stream flows east, winding around the mountain; how many bends does it make?"

"Hmm?"

Instantly, Wang Guan and the others quickly counted.

"Three bends," Elder Duan answered directly. "It barely qualifies as three and a half curves, which is why it promises prosperity for three generations. This is Heaven's will, and it's the pattern set by the local Feng Shui, dictating that only three generations of wealth can be enjoyed."

"They often say that the breadth of one's mind determines the height of their achievement. Put plainly, it's about the pattern or '' (géjú). The Dragon Vein gathered here to form this pattern; it cannot be altered by human effort, much less something to be greedily sought."

Elder Duan stated calmly, "Three generations of prosperity—how many people only dream of that..."

"Indeed, one shouldn't be too greedy in life."

Just then, Lu Chongming's uncle stepped forward, adopting a righteous expression, which instantly morphed into a smile: "Elder Duan, since you say the Feng Shui here is superb, where exactly is the spiritual nexus, the 'Lingxue'?"

Searching for the Dragon was difficult; pinpointing the nexus was even harder. In Elder Duan's words, it took three years to find the Dragon, and a lifetime to find the nexus. This wasn't hyperbole; it was a real, substantial difficulty.

Even a Feng Shui master like Elder Duan couldn't guarantee pinpointing the exact spot 100% of the time. Moreover, precision in locating the nexus was paramount; if the location was wrong, even excellent Feng Shui could turn into bad luck. In short, finding the place where the Dragon Vein settled its energy was definitely not something explainable in a few words.

Furthermore, Elder Duan seemed to have no intention of explaining; instead, he took out his compass and began observing and comparing slowly... Seeing this, the others dared not interrupt, falling silent and watching quietly. Then, they followed Elder Duan's footsteps, moving aimlessly through the mountains—up, down, left, and right—with seemingly no pattern whatsoever.

After about half an hour of this wandering, Elder Duan suddenly stopped, a hint of delight showing on his face: "I think I'm close. If I'm not mistaken, the Dragon Vein should be settling its energy nearby."

"Why?" Wang Guan couldn't help but ask.

"Didn't I already explain? This is the 'Returning Dragon' posture."

Elder Duan was in good spirits and continued: "From a Feng Shui perspective, Kunlun Mountain is the Ancestor Dragon of China's Dragon Veins, flowing from west to east into the sea—that is the major trend. There are no exceptions across the country, especially since the Taicang region is already near the coast; it must follow the pattern of entering the sea."

"However, if it just flowed directly into the sea, it wouldn't be considered a truly excellent blessed land of Feng Shui."

Elder Duan smiled and offered a key insight: "But the terrain here is different. If you look closely, you'll notice the mountain formations here lean slightly toward the west. This situation is like a divine dragon, just as it enters the sea, suddenly turning its head to look back, showing a reluctance to leave, filled with lingering affection."

"This pattern is truly the best Feng Shui," Elder Duan exclaimed with admiration. "I'll explain exactly how good it is later. For now, the nexus point is nearby. Everyone, help me search."

"Uh..."

Wang Guan was taken aback, hesitating slightly: "Elder Duan, we don't understand anything. How are we supposed to search?"

"It's simple."

Elder Duan said seriously at this moment, "Wherever the energy settles, there must be a certain peculiarity. Observe and compare carefully. If you spot anything unusual, call me immediately."

Hearing this, Wang Guan and the others became somewhat interested and immediately scurried around in all directions. However, without a specific standard for 'unusual,' it was genuinely hard to judge.

For example, Wang Guan found a flat patch of land where the left side was dense brush and the right side was green grass—perhaps this qualified as unusual. But when Elder Duan was called over, he dismissed it instantly.

Or take Lu Chongming's uncle. Not far away, he discovered a small depression and became ecstatic, rushing to call Elder Duan over. After Elder Duan calculated carefully, he first offered a word of praise, then denied it. The praise was due to the uncle's intuition being quite accurate; although he hadn't found the true nexus, he had found a false one.

This so-called false nexus was formed by the residual energy of the Dragon Vein, specifically designed to mislead people. Most Feng Shui masters, upon discovering a false nexus, would mistakenly take it for the real one, thus missing the true opportunity. It is precisely because of the existence of false nexuses that Feng Shui practitioners feel the Dragon Veins possess true sentience, knowing how to protect themselves.

Curiously, Wang Guan asked for clarification: "What happens if someone is buried in a false nexus?"

"If buried in a false nexus, because of the stimulation from the Dragon Vein's residual energy, the descendants will also easily gain wealth and status."

Hearing this, the uncle’s eyes brightened, but then he heard Elder Duan continue: "But haste makes waste. Since the wealth is externally stimulated, it cannot last. At most, it lasts a dozen years; at shortest, three to five years, before it starts to decline from its peak. If one cannot accept such a blow, bad things are likely to happen..."

In an instant, the uncle's eyes visibly narrowed. He naturally understood the principle that it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go from extravagance to frugality. Imagine the immense mental drop for someone who was a millionaire yesterday only to become destitute today. This was why, during stock market volatility, people often jumped off buildings.

"The saying that wealth and honor are like passing clouds means exactly this," Elder Duan cautioned. "In any case, from our perspective as Feng Shui masters, we would rather bury someone in an ordinary place than in a false nexus of a Dragon Vein. After all, such massive ups and downs are something most people cannot tolerate."

"Then where..."

Just as the few were speaking, Lu Chongming suddenly called out from around a corner: "Everyone, hurry over here! There's something happening here."

"What's going on?"

The others were startled and rushed over.

Upon approaching, following Lu Chongming's signal, everyone looked down into a small hollow surrounded by taller trees, where a grave mound sat in the center.

"Ah!"

Elder Duan was instantly moved by the sight. After comparing and observing with his compass for a moment, a wry smile appeared on his face: "I was wondering why such an excellent blessed Feng Shui site would remain unknown until now."

"Elder Duan, you mean..." Wang Guan immediately understood. "The true nexus of the Dragon Vein is down there?"

"Correct."

Elder Duan nodded, showing a hint of melancholy, but he quickly composed himself and gestured, "Everyone, let's go down and take a look."