Chapter 1992 - Seven Sirius Stars

Yun Zhong understood how few of his guests had come with honest intentions. Most were waiting for disorder to snatch the Cloud Mist Pearls.

Yet the manor itself had invited them. He could hardly throw them out now. Opening the door to guests was simple, but persuading them to leave was another matter. For now, he could only suppress his displeasure.

His authority still counted within the Cloud Mist Manor. At his words, the advancing cultivators stopped.

"Explain yourself, Liu Wuxie! Unless you do, you won't leave this manor alive!" several Golden Immortals demanded.

Venom filled the voices condemning him. "Exactly! What gives him the right to call us irrelevant? If he fails to explain, we will cripple him before throwing him out!" Their purpose could scarcely have been clearer. They meant to stop Liu Wuxie from discovering why the pearls were vanishing.

"What the fuck makes you think I owe you an explanation?" Liu Wuxie snapped, surveying them with a mocking gaze. Many had sneered at his Profound Immortal cultivation when he had entered the hall with Long Yuanxiong. He returned courtesy with courtesy, and insults with insults.

They had insulted him first, and he was merely responding in kind. He had heard every sneer directed at him during his ascent.

"Kill the brat!" Several Golden Immortals lunged, enraged by his attitude. Their weapons descended toward him.

Even Yun Zhong had not anticipated such an uncompromising response.

"Stand down!" he roared. His Great Golden Immortal aura burst outward, driving the attackers back.

"What are you doing, Manor Lord Yun? He damaged your barrier, and you shield him instead of punishing him? Are you declaring yourself our enemy?" the repelled cultivators demanded.

"Allow Young Master Liu to speak," Yun Zhong replied. He recognized the help Liu Wuxie had given the manor. If the crowd had rushed into the sky, his people could not have stopped them. An intervention that appeared almost casual had spared them an enormous problem.

Everyone knew what many of the visitors really wanted, though no one had mentioned it openly. Their demands to lower the barrier had cornered Yun Zhong. Liu Wuxie had stepped in at precisely that moment.

The timing was impeccable, and Yun Zhong had not risen to his position without possessing the judgment to recognize it.

Liu Wuxie had wagered something, too. He had counted on the manor lord to act reasonably. So far, that gamble had succeeded.

Before arriving, he had looked into Yun Zhong's character and learned that the man had always dealt honorably with others.

Everyone's attention turned to Liu Wuxie from every direction. Removing the visitors was no longer a practical option. Now that they were inside, none intended to go willingly.

"Have you noticed unusually bright stars appearing recently, Manor Lord Yun?" Liu Wuxie asked, his expression calm once again.

"Yes, a few unfamiliar stars have appeared. They shine strongly enough to pierce the mist and light up the manor," Yun Zhong replied, surprise flickering in his gaze.

It was broad daylight, and Liu Wuxie had arrived only today. Where had he learned of those stars? Could they have something to do with the disappearing pearls?

"They're the Seven Sirius Stars. Unless I'm mistaken, five are already visible. Once all seven align, a phenomenon will begin that devours the surrounding energy of heaven and earth," Liu Wuxie said with a frown.

More than a hundred thousand years had passed since the last such occurrence. Did its return signal some momentous event within the Celestial Weave Domain? Across history, the Seven Sirius Stars had never appeared without upheaval following.

"You mean the Seven Sirius Stars?" Yun Zhong repeated, bewildered.

The name meant little to most of those listening. Even the oldest cultivators present had lived only a few hundred years. Knowledge of these stars survived only among ancient beings who had endured for countless years.

"Can you prevent it, Young Master Liu?" Yun Zhong asked earnestly after considering his words.

The Azure Jade Palace would not have admitted anyone at the Profound Immortal Realm unless they possessed extraordinary abilities.

"I can't prevent the Seven Sirius Stars from appearing. I can keep your Cloud Mist Pearls from vanishing," Liu Wuxie replied candidly. The stars corresponded to seven celestial positions. Even an Immortal Emperor lacked the power to halt their emergence.

Concealing the pearls from their detection was the only answer. Ordinarily, the stars lingered for several months, consuming the essence of heaven and earth before slowly fading.

"That's complete bullshit! Surely you don't believe him, Manor Lord Yun?" a Great Golden Immortal broke in. To him, Liu Wuxie had simply fabricated the Seven Sirius Stars to fool them.

"Then how did he know the stars had appeared?" someone asked. Was coincidence really enough to explain it?

"He came earlier, of course. He's been lurking around the manor and only showed himself today," a Golden Immortal sneered. He felt certain Liu Wuxie had seen the stars well before claiming to have arrived.

"That explains it! There's nothing he won't do for the Cloud Mist Pearl King. He's probably spent days working out how to get past the barrier," someone declared. Accusations passed through the crowd, and Liu Wuxie's account found no believers.

Long Ying frowned as though a memory had stirred, but she said nothing.

"Don't fall for his bullshit, Manor Lord Yun! I've examined the matter. Turbulence in the surrounding essence is making the pearls flee by themselves," a peak Golden Immortal said.

"Senior Yu Yan is right. The pearls must have detected a disturbance in the essence of heaven and earth. Restore its proper flow, and the problem should end," others agreed.

"I don't accept that. Turbulence has nothing to do with it. Someone is taking the pearls," another peak Golden Immortal said, directing a pointed look at Liu Wuxie.

"Senior Pei Zhongyi makes a good point. If someone can cross the barrier that easily, stealing a few pearls would hardly trouble him," the cultivators beside him said, turning their attention toward Liu Wuxie.

One explanation followed another. Some cultivators even rose into the air to regulate the surrounding essence. The pearls visibly settled, but calmer movement offered no assurance that they would stop disappearing.

Each visitor pursued a method of their own, intent on winning the Cloud Mist Pearl King. Liu Wuxie's explanation soon slipped from the discussion.

Yun Zhong started getting a headache from all the clamoring. The manor had already explored these possibilities and acted upon them. Nothing had stopped the disappearances.

"Noon is upon us. A banquet awaits you. Please join us for a meal," he announced.

Many of the guests had been here for several days. Meeting their needs throughout that time had exhausted him.

The gathering gradually broke apart and made its way toward the dining hall.

Liu Wuxie stayed behind, his gaze fixed above. The Ghost Pupil pierced through space and time, bringing into view a crimson star too distant for ordinary sight to discern.

"So the stars were taking the pearls' places," he thought. "After tonight, the sixth will emerge," he murmured.

"Is it true, Brother Liu? About the Seven Sirius Stars?" Long Yuanxiong asked, coming over.

"I'd be happier if it weren't," Liu Wuxie said with a bitter smile. Their arrival promised no blessing. Sirius was infamous for its insatiable appetite. Whenever the seven stars appeared, devastation followed.

"I may have read something about the Seven Sirius Stars," Long Ying interjected.

"You know of them, Elder Sister? Tell me," Long Yuanxiong urged, taking her arm.

"Very little. An ancient book mentioned that the sun and moon would mourn when the Seven Sirius Stars appeared. That's all I know," Long Ying replied. The passage had been short, containing scarcely anything beyond that warning.

Disappointment crossed Long Yuanxiong's face. He turned to Liu Wuxie in the hope of hearing more.

"Our manor lord requests a word with you, Young Masters, Young Lady," an elder of the Cloud Mist Manor said, interrupting them with an inviting gesture.

The three looked at one another curiously.

"Please show us the way," Liu Wuxie replied.

Without a private invitation from Yun Zhong, their earlier exchange would have accomplished little.

Long Ying regarded Liu Wuxie thoughtfully. She was starting to understand how little she knew about him. Judging by his expression, events had followed the course he had expected. He had evidently foreseen this invitation. She and her brother had merely been included out of courtesy.

The elder guided them past the dining hall and down a corridor to a secluded room. No one else lingered nearby.

When the door opened, they found Yun Zhong waiting alone.

"Come, take a seat," he said, rising to greet them.

Liu Wuxie sat without hesitation, as comfortable as if nothing were unusual. Long Ying and Long Yuanxiong appeared rather more reserved beside him.

"Ask what you need to know, Manor Lord Yun," Liu Wuxie said, setting pleasantries aside. Time was something he could not afford to waste.

The Chai Clan's harvest drew close, and every delay increased its peril. A mishap could cost him the opportunity to recover the tribute and finish his mission. No tribute meant no reward. Everything he had done would then amount to wasted effort.

"You don't waste words. Very well, neither will I. How did you pass through the Cloud Mist Manor's defensive barrier?" Yun Zhong asked, surprised by his directness.

He needed that answer. The manor's security rested upon it.