Chapter 1993 - No Other Alternatives

Before the crowd, Yun Zhong had kept his question to himself. With only the four of them present, he no longer intended to leave it unanswered.

Liu Wuxie's expression remained as calm as ever. He had known this moment would come.

"Your defensive array uses a nine-palace grid. Find the point where those nine palaces converge, and passing through becomes simple," he explained. A spiritual array grandmaster like him could discern flaws even in the work of an Immortal Regnant.

Disbelief tightened Yun Zhong's pupils.

Long Ying and Long Yuanxiong looked at each other, sharing the same shock. Recognizing a nine-palace grid hardly meant one could locate its convergence point.

Nothing within the nine palaces remained still; their positions shifted ceaselessly. For years, that ever-changing arrangement had defeated countless thieves drawn by the Cloud Mist Pearls.

"Aren't you worried I might kill you to protect that secret?" Yun Zhong asked angrily as murderous intent flooded the room, bearing down on them with suffocating pressure.

Long Ying possessed the strength of a fourth-level Great Golden Immortal. Yun Zhong, however, had reached the pinnacle of the Great Golden Immortal Realm and stood just one step from becoming an Immortal King. Here, on his own ground, he could easily kill all three.

The siblings shot upright, prepared for battle. Liu Wuxie stayed in his seat and leisurely filled two cups, one for himself and one for Yun Zhong. Not even a trace of murderous intent could reach him.

"If you really wanted me dead, Manor Lord Yun, you wouldn't have invited me here," he replied, lifting his wine in a toast.

For three full breaths, Yun Zhong scrutinized him. Then he sat, and the murderous intent disappeared as completely as though it had never existed.

"Very few people could remain so composed, Young Master Liu," he said, returning the toast. Both men emptied their cups.

"Besides, you could have let those people attack me earlier. Why stop them if you meant to kill me yourself?" Liu Wuxie added, a faint smile touching his lips.

Yun Zhong steadied himself with a deep breath. The young man's nerve alone would have merited admiration, but his intelligence impressed him just as much. What had looked like an impulsive rush into the sky had, in fact, prepared the way for everything that came afterward.

Their exchange left the siblings astonished. Gifted and intelligent though Long Yuanxiong was, he still could not untangle the meaning behind their words.

"You spared the Cloud Mist Manor a crisis. For that, let me thank you with another toast," Yun Zhong said, raising his cup with solemn sincerity. Whether Liu Wuxie could explain the vanishing pearls or not, the manor lord already owed him a debt of gratitude.

"Manor Lord Yun, would you explain what you mean?" Long Yuanxiong asked, finally voicing the curiosity he could no longer suppress.

"Forgive me. I've been a poor host to both of you," Yun Zhong replied, turning toward him. After what had just transpired, he could only hope the siblings would not take offense.

"They were trying to force the manor to lower its barrier," Long Ying explained. "Brother Liu flew up at exactly the right moment. He disrupted their plans by drawing their attention, and gave the manor room to breathe."

The confrontation on the training ground had baffled Long Yuanxiong, but his sister had understood it. Yun Zhong's invitation had reached them before she could share what she had realized.

Recognition dawned as Long Yuanxiong nodded, replaying the scene. Those visitors had tested the barrier again and again before demanding its removal, and nothing in their behavior suggested they would tolerate a refusal.

Removing it would have invited disaster. With so many cultivators surging into the sky to seize the pearls, the manor could never have stopped them all. Liu Wuxie had intervened before that danger could become reality.

"Now it makes sense," Long Yuanxiong exclaimed, turning toward Liu Wuxie.

Losing first place in the assessment to Liu Wuxie had once left him resentful. Now he saw the gulf between them in composure and judgment. His higher cultivation was the only advantage he still possessed.

"Tell me more about these Seven Sirius Stars, Young Master Liu," Yun Zhong requested.

He could deal with the barrier's flaw later by altering the array and sealing its convergence point. For now, the loss of the Cloud Mist Pearls overshadowed every other concern.

"Slaughter, desire, greed, wrath, resentment, asura, and death. Each of the Seven Sirius Stars represents one of those forces, and a single star can destroy an entire world," Liu Wuxie explained. His warning contained no exaggeration. The Slaughter Star alone could condemn a world to bloodshed without end.

The yellow stain on the pearl he had retrieved carried a trace of resentment.

"Can anything be done about it?" Yun Zhong asked.

Much of Liu Wuxie's account already rang true to him. He knew nothing of the Seven Sirius Stars themselves, but the seven forces were familiar. According to an old account, several hundred thousand years ago, a bizarre rain had descended from the heavens. Wisps of gas, not water, had fallen from the sky.

Those wisps had left everyone they touched irritable and easily enraged. What else could that have been but the force of wrath Liu Wuxie had described?

"Five have emerged. No human power can stop them now," Liu Wuxie answered, shaking his head. If only two had appeared, sealing off heaven and earth might still have delayed the arrival of the rest.

That chance had passed. The sixth star would rise that night, bringing light to six corners of the sky, while the seventh remained a mystery even to him.

"How are we supposed to deal with this, then?" Yun Zhong asked helplessly. For days, the manor had been swarming with visitors searching for a breach in its defenses.

"The Cloud Mist Pearls don't have to keep disappearing. I can put an end to that, provided you agree to one condition," Liu Wuxie said.

The Cloud Mist Pearl King was not his only objective. He also meant to sever the Mountain Guardian Sect's supply of Crimson Cloudstone. Those mines represented another of the manor's valuable holdings and brought in considerable income every year.

"Name your condition," Yun Zhong said immediately. If Liu Wuxie could preserve the pearls, he would agree to anything.

"First, let me solve the problem. We can discuss the condition in private afterward," Liu Wuxie replied with a shake of his head. Yun Zhong's complete trust would come from results, not promises. Until he delivered them, further negotiations would mean little.

"Tell me what you need us to do," Yun Zhong said.

Without anyone noticing, Liu Wuxie had gradually taken complete control of the conversation. Yun Zhong found the shift unsettling, though he could not quite explain why.

"I need three sheets of high-grade talisman paper. Plant seven Glazed Trees around the manor, matching the positions of the seven stars, and water them with immortal beast blood. Have everything ready before nightfall," Liu Wuxie instructed after briefly considering the matter. He pressed Yun Zhong to start at once. Securing all seven trees would be particularly difficult.

"I'll see to it immediately," Yun Zhong replied. "Please excuse me. Someone will show you around this afternoon." Yu Zhong had lost his appetite and hurried out.

The room fell silent in his wake. Neither sibling felt much inclination to eat and turned their attention to Liu Wuxie.

"Brother Liu, how did you get Manor Lord Yun to trust you?" Long Yuanxiong asked freely. Being roughly the same age as Liu Wuxie, he saw no reason to hold back.

"What alternative did he have? If he had turned me down, those people would've spent the afternoon pressuring him until tearing the manor down. He knows that better than anyone else," Liu Wuxie answered with unruffled calm.

The siblings nodded, looking at Liu Wuxie with open admiration. Once the three had eaten their fill, they left the room.

That afternoon, Yun Zhong informed his guests that they were free to wander the manor. Everyone would gather again on the training ground that night.

"Our Manor Lord has asked me to help you with anything you need," said a young man waiting outside. He appeared to be a disciple of the manor.

"We can find our own way, thank you," Long Ying replied. Unwilling to have someone trailing after her, she set off toward the more picturesque grounds at the rear.

"Care to join us, Brother Liu?" Long Yuanxiong asked, eager to get to know him better.

"All right, let's go," Liu Wuxie agreed. Nothing about Long Yuanxiong struck him as treacherous or malicious. The young man had also stepped in to stop Ji Heng's group at the gates, a favor Liu Wuxie had yet to repay.

Their brief conversation had allowed Long Ying to put some distance between them. They lengthened their strides to catch up with her.

Several gardens later, they emerged onto an immense platform where nothing obstructed the view. Beneath their feet, clouds and mist drifted across a scene beautiful enough to belong to a celestial paradise.

Far behind them, three men followed them in secret.

"He humiliated us in front of everyone. We have to find a way to kill him!" Ji Heng said, venom thick in his words as he rubbed his swollen left cheek.

"And how do you expect us to get near him with Long Ying and Long Yuanxiong at his side?" his companion asked, frowning.

"Leave that to Senior Brother Qi Sitong. He'll keep them busy," Ji Heng replied, a sly smile forming on his face. Sitting together at the banquet had allowed them to become acquainted.

On the platform, Long Ying stood with her robes fluttering in the wind. From the side, the fabric clung to her body, outlining the graceful curves of her figure.

Farther along, Liu Wuxie and Long Yuanxiong surveyed the sea of clouds.

Liu Wuxie watched the clouds draw together and drift apart before closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. Little by little, the frustration lodged in his heart loosened and dissolved.

"Enjoying the scenery, Junior Sister Long?" Qi Sitong asked as he sauntered up behind her.

"What do you want?" Long Ying asked, irritated, slowly turning around. His voice had spoiled the peaceful moment.

She had refused him time and again, yet he persisted. His relentless attention left her at a loss over how to deal with him.

"Do I need a reason to have a conversation with you?" Qi Sitong asked with a smile.

Even without her beauty, Long Ying's divine dragon bloodline would have drawn countless suitors. Through dual cultivation with her, a partner could absorb the Dragon Clan essence from her body and gain tremendous benefits.

"I have no interest in talking to you," she replied, starting down the mountain.

At that same moment, Ji Heng and his companions stepped out and barred Liu Wuxie's way.

"You're dead, Liu Wuxie!" they shouted, launching their attacks without a moment's hesitation.