Rongcheng's West Lake Park, located in the heart of the city, boasts a history of over 1,700 years. Originally excavated in the third year of the Jin Dynasty's Taikang era by Prefect Yan Gao, it had already become a popular tourist spot by the late Tang Dynasty. During the Five Dynasties period, West Lake in Rongcheng even served as the imperial garden for Wang Yanjun, the second son of King Wang Shenzhi of Min.
Later, as times changed, West Lake fell into the hands of the Li family. This garden, with its 1,700-year history, was a rare treasure trove of geomantic energy, capturing nearly half of Rongcheng's fortune.
Therefore, the Li family always cherished West Lake. Although it was open to the public now, the Li family still paid great attention to it, regarding it as their family's emblem.
And now, under the broad daylight, the water of West Lake was drying up at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The silt, aquatic plants, and fish at the bottom of the lake were all exposed to the sun.
Where did all that water go?
Yan Shouyi leaned against the windowsill of West Lake Yaju, as if taking a leisurely stroll, feeling quite relaxed. With a touch of alcohol in him, he couldn't help but hum a little tune.
He had grown tired of Rongcheng's West Lake long ago, but he had never seen West Lake without water in his life. Therefore, he wanted to properly admire this "scenery," as it was all his masterpiece.
Behind him, Lü Jing's eyes were filled with disbelief.
He knew the power of the Luban Scroll and had heard of the mysteries of Qimen Dunjia. However, he never imagined that Yan Shouyi could use Qimen Dunjia techniques to directly cause West Lake to stop flowing and dry up.
How much strength did this require?!
Legends said only immortal beings could move mountains and fill seas!
Was the Luban Scroll truly so powerful?!
Tong Jiahua's only thought at the moment was to wake up the sect leader quickly so he could witness Yan Shouyi's power.
It was a pity that Lü Jingsheng was truly drunk and unconscious, making it impossible for him to witness such a spectacle.
"Lü Jing, are you sure you want to be my enemy?" Yan Shouyi asked, his back to them.
Lü Jing's face was flushed red, his words seemingly stuck in his throat, unable to come out.
Recalling his arrogant and overbearing attitude just moments ago, and then contrasting it with his current astonishment after witnessing Yan Shouyi's power, Lü Jing felt unbearable shame and wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
Tong Jiahua had no intention of antagonizing Yan Shouyi in the first place, and after witnessing Yan Shouyi's strength, this resolve only strengthened.
So, he quickly stepped forward to mediate, "Young friend, our Grand Elder was impulsive. We had a pleasant conversation earlier, and you know we bear you no ill will. How about I have the Grand Elder apologize to you, and we can let this matter pass?"
"Heh, if I didn't have this kind of power, would today's matter be so easily resolved with just an apology?" Yan Shouyi sneered.
Tong Jiahua and Lü Jingsheng meant no harm, but Lü Jing did. Yan Shouyi would not let this matter be brushed aside so quickly; he wanted to teach Lü Jing a profound lesson.
Lü Jing felt his face burning with humiliation and asked, "What do you want?"
"First, an apology," Yan Shouyi said calmly. "Second, for the next seven days, you are to go to Room 304 of the girls' dormitory at Shanghang Art School, burn incense, and pray for the souls of the departed!"
Upon hearing this, Lü Jing instantly understood that Yan Shouyi knew about the things he had been doing in secret.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, but to prevent his secrets from being exposed and his reputation from being ruined, he could only concede, "Alright, I agree!"
Tong Jiahua had no idea what Yan Shouyi was up to. He thought Yan Shouyi wanted to use Lü Jing to resolve the malevolent energy at Shanghang Art School, so he didn't think too much of it.
Lü Jing suppressed his anger, lowered his head, and said to Yan Shouyi in a conciliatory tone, "I'm sorry."
"Sorry to whom?"
"Mr. Yan, I'm sorry."
"Sorry to whom?"
"Mr. Yan, I was wrong today, Lü Jing. Please forgive me!"
Lü Jing hadn't expected that this young man, Yan Shouyi, who looked so young, could be so ruthless in bullying others.
Facing Yan Shouyi's relentless pressure, he retreated step by step, ultimately engraving this humiliation in his heart forever.
Yan Shouyi finally turned around, cast a faint glance at Lü Jing and the others, and then said, "The Luban Scroll contains the ultimate techniques of the Lü Shan Sect. I can give them to you, but you cannot snatch them if I don't give them. Today I only caused West Lake to dry up; tomorrow, I dare to make the Min River stop flowing! If you don't believe me, feel free to try!"
Lü Jing, in his humiliation, did not respond. Tong Jiahua also wore an embarrassed expression, seemingly intimidated by Yan Shouyi.
The Lü Shan Sect originated from Min River culture, and their fortune was tied to the Min River. If Yan Shouyi truly caused the Min River to stop flowing, it would mean the end of the Lü Shan Sect!
Such destructive power was far greater than the impact of West Lake drying up on the Li family.
Seeing that his objective was achieved, Yan Shouyi had no intention of staying for dinner.
As he left, he said to Tong Jiahua, "Please convey my farewell to Sect Leader Lü. We will meet again."
Tong Jiahua quickly replied, "I will certainly pass on your message."
Yan Shouyi nodded and left the private room, heading downstairs.
Watching Yan Shouyi's retreating back, Lü Jing gritted his teeth, clenching his fists so tightly that his fingers dug into his flesh.
Ever since he became the Grand Elder of the Lü Shan Sect, he had never suffered such humiliation as he did today!
Moreover, how did this brat know about the misdeeds Zhou Mingyuan committed back then?
...
A few minutes before Yan Shouyi left the private room.
In the adjacent private room labeled "Ya," the Li family was celebrating the birth of a newborn.
However, as they were happily drinking, a commotion suddenly erupted outside, disturbing their revelry.
Seeing her father, Li Peizong, frown, Li Qing'er took the initiative to get up and investigate.
She walked to the door, called a waiter, and asked about the situation.
To her surprise, the waiter, trembling and stuttering, said, "Miss Li, please open the window and take a look. The West Lake water... the West Lake water..."
The waiter's terrified expression made Li Qing'er suspect an ominous sign. She returned to the private room, pulled up the blinds, and looked out the window, then froze on the spot.
"Dad, Mom, Uncle, Aunt, please come and see..." Li Qing'er exclaimed in shock.
"What happened?" Li Qing'er's mother, Li Fen, asked curiously.
Everyone came to the window, and upon seeing the situation outside, they were all stunned.
"Why has West Lake dried up?!" Li Fen exclaimed in disbelief. "When we came in, it was perfectly fine!"
Li Peizong was also dumbfounded, "Did the downstream open the floodgates?"
Li Qing'er's second uncle, Li Peihua, said, "That's impossible. Even if the floodgates were opened, it wouldn't dry up so quickly!"
"Could it have all flowed into the underground river?" asked the second aunt, Dong Ting.
"It's still not right. Setting aside where the downstream water went, the upstream water shouldn't be gone either. Has the flow of West Lake been cut off?!"
The last person to speak was Li Qing'er's cousin, Li Wen.
As everyone was in doubt, Li Peizong's face darkened, "West Lake is our Li family's geomantic treasure. This situation will definitely affect our Li family. I'm going back to the ancestral home to ask the old ancestor what's going on!"
"Then what about today's meal..." Li Fen hesitated.
Li Peizong cursed, "At a time like this, you're still thinking about food? Qing'er, pack up and come with me!"
Li Wen asked, "Uncle, what about us?"
"You stay here and observe the situation. I'll contact you after I reach the ancestral home."
Li Peizong acted decisively, grabbing his bag and leaving. Li Fen and Li Qing'er had to run to keep up with him.
The three of them went downstairs, changed their shoes, and quickly walked across the bridge corridor. Along the way, they could only smell the fishy stench emanating from the lakebed, causing them to cover their noses and frown. The bridge corridor, which usually seemed scenic, now felt like a walk through an execution ground, making the journey unbearable.
After finally crossing the bridge corridor, the three got into the car and urged the driver to hurry to the ancestral home.
Just as Li Qing'er and the others left, Yan Shouyi came downstairs.
Huang Hai followed Yan Shouyi, his expression somewhat anxious.
He didn't know what had happened in the private room, but he knew there had been unpleasantness. He was also certain that the sudden drying up of West Lake was definitely Yan Shouyi's doing!
While he was shocked by the strength of the Luban successor, he also worried about Yan Shouyi's attitude towards the Lü Shan Sect, fearing that Yan Shouyi might refuse to return the sect's ultimate techniques.
However, when he realized that Yan Shouyi's temper seemed to be directed at the situation rather than the person, Huang Hai felt a little more at ease and stayed by Yan Shouyi's side.
The waiters at West Lake Yaju were still shaken and became flustered when they saw Yan Shouyi coming down.
Yan Shouyi walked to the door and said calmly, "I'm leaving. Bring me my shoes."
The waiter, meek and evasive, stammered, "Your shoes... are... are..."
"Where?"
Noticing the waiter's gaze drifting outside, Yan Shouyi went to the door and saw that his worn-out shoes were lying in the silt at the bottom of the lake.
Yan Shouyi, already in a bad mood, turned completely grim.
Huang Hai also knew things were not good.
Normally, if Yan Shouyi's shoes were thrown away, he might have backed down and let it pass. But today, Yan Shouyi had even dared to drain West Lake, and he was already angry. His reaction would surely be more severe than usual!
"Who did this?" Yan Shouyi asked coldly.
The waiter couldn't betray his employers and remained silent, though his face was full of apology.
Yan Shouyi also understood that it was meaningless to trouble a mere waiter.
So, he looked at the shoe rack.
On the shoe rack were seven pairs of clean, nearly new shoes. Four pairs were cloth shoes, clearly belonging to Lü Jingsheng and his companions.
The remaining three pairs consisted of a pair of high-end leather shoes, a pair of luxurious high heels, and a pair of flashy sports shoes.
"Call them down here," Yan Shouyi said, pointing at the shoes.
The waiter looked troubled, "Guest, please don't be angry. We'll compensate you for your shoes. Those upstairs are of noble status, and we can't afford to offend them!"
"If you can't afford to offend them, does that mean I can't afford to offend them either?" Yan Shouyi said coldly. "My shoes are priceless. Whoever threw them must pick them up. Today, whoever dares to say a word against me, I will make West Lake flood this West Lake Yaju!"