Liou Yuan was more than a little lacking in knowledge about Star Evil, and when he saw Mr. Ge's grave face, he hurriedly asked, "Is there a difference between possessing living and non-living things?"
Mr. Ge pointed at the mouth of the dried well, his face full of worry as he explained, "A Star Evil attached to a living being is the easiest to handle—there's a physical body. If you kill the host, the Star Evil can't escape."
"What we fear is the kind that attaches itself to dead things."
"A brick, a tile, a lump of earth, even a patch of water could be its host."
"In such a case, even if it's right in front of you, you might not be able to find it."
Liou Yuan understood what was troubling Mr. Ge, and his brows furrowed as well.
A Star Evil parasitizing a living creature was already troublesome enough.
Take Ping'an for example—before his evil nature revealed itself, no one could see the slightest sign of anything off.
This kind that hides in non-living things, the difficulty of identifying it directly multiplies several times over.
After all, you don't even know where the Star Evil's true body is—talking about destroying it is futile.
But Liou Yuan was quick-witted, and after a brief silence, he lowered his voice and said, "Yanhe Government Office has eliminated so many Star Evils—don't you have a way to deal with this kind?"
"Yes." Mr. Xin, the Chief Constable, replied firmly.
But his expression then became even more serious, making his already stern face even more forbidding.
"Lure and slay!"
"When the Auspicious Star is in the sky, it won't come out. We can only wait for the Evil Star Shift, then the Star Evil will reveal itself by its own accord."
"Then, bait it with a living thing, and it will definitely be hooked."
"Evil Star Shift time…" Liou Yuan turned Mr. Xin's words over and over in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the less right it seemed.
He murmured in a low voice, "Without the Auspicious Star suppressing the Star Evil, doesn't that mean it can use its full strength? Can we really deal with that?"
The savagery of Ping'an was still fresh in his mind.
And that was still with the celestial power suppressing him.
Liou Yuan dared not even imagine, for a Star Evil like Ping'an, once the celestial power no longer held it back—just how savage could it become?
It wasn't something cultivators of his or Mr. Ge's level could possibly handle.
No wonder Mr. Xin was so grim-faced.
"Is there no other way?" Liou Yuan still wanted to ask if there was anything safer.
All he got was Mr. Ge's careful shake of the head.
"No other way."
Liou Yuan gave a bitter laugh and replied, "With the celestial power gone, just the few of us…"
His meaning couldn't be clearer.
Even with the celestial suppression on Ping'an, they'd almost failed last time.
Without that, who knows how vicious the Star Evil might become.
Liou Yuan worried that even if all of them worked together, it wouldn't be enough to fill the Star Evil's teeth.
"We can only call for reinforcements." Mr. Ge said as much.
"Reinforcements?" Liou Yuan had almost forgotten; the two before him were from the Yanhe Government Office.
A big office like that couldn't possibly have just one cultivator—Mr. Ge—on staff.
"Mr. Ge, I'll head back and report this to Mr. Wei, and call in extra help." Mr. Xin thought so as well.
With Mr. Ge's agreement, Mr. Xin, always decisive, turned and left right after saying that sentence.
Only Mr. Ge and Liou Yuan were left standing in the courtyard by the well.
"Mr. Liou, now that you've entered the threshold of cultivation, I hope you'll be able to lend a hand when the time comes. With one more cultivator on our side, we'll have that much better odds."
Originally, Mr. Ge had wanted to wait a while before saying these words.
But with things at this point, he didn't have so many qualms—he asked for Liou Yuan's help outright.
Liou Yuan certainly couldn't refuse. Forcing himself, he said, "This is a matter that concerns my mother's safety—how could I stand by and do nothing?"
Without the suppression of celestial power, the danger of dealing with this Star Evil could be imagined.
Luckily, he had generated Spiritual Power and could barely count as a cultivator now.
Plus, having just gotten a Defensive Magical Artifact, he figured self-preservation shouldn't be a problem.
"My cultivation is low. At best I'll just be running errands—it won't be up to me to face it head-on."
Such were Liou Yuan's thoughts.
"Mr. Liou, you are truly filial." Having gotten Liou Yuan's firm reply, Mr. Ge's old face showed gladness.
"This isn't the right place to talk—let's go elsewhere."
As he spoke, Mr. Ge pointed toward the well—the meaning was clear.
"Alright." Liou Yuan nodded.
A short while later.
In the front courtyard of Xuanhu Clinic, gentle starlight and moonlight shone down.
Liou Yuan lowered the short and pudgy figure from his shoulder onto the ground.
This was Kong Yi's father, the owner of Xuanhu Clinic—Kong Dasheng.
Not only was he fat, he sported a handlebar mustache—not a bit like a doctor, but rather with a greasy merchant's air.
Not far from Kong Dasheng, three more figures were lying on the ground.
They were the two hired hands and the cook of the clinic.
When Liou Yuan left the back courtyard, he'd taken everyone out with him.
After all, it was confirmed there was a Star Evil here. When Star Rotation day came, Xuanhu Clinic would certainly become a danger zone.
"Just leave them here. Mr. Xin will bring more people later and take care of these unconscious folks."
While Liou Yuan was carrying people, Mr. Ge simply watched from the side, not helping at all.
Mainly, he was getting up in years—it wasn't right to let him strain his old arms and legs.
In fact, it was only during their recent conversation that Liou Yuan learned Mr. Ge's age: he was already seventy-five—far past seventy.
All thanks to cultivation, his appearance stayed around fifty or so.
Mr. Ge sat on a stone stool in the front courtyard, smiling as he watched Liou Yuan. He said, "Back at the Qiao Family's courtyard, I saw how strong you were, Mr. Liou."
"Now you're carrying four people and your breathing isn't even the slightest bit upset. I suppose the Breathing Skill you've been practicing must be in the Body Refining path?"
"Sort of." Liou Yuan didn't deny it.
Actually, Mr. Ge was only half right—the Five Mansions Star Gazing Breathing Skill focused on both Body Refining and Qi Refining together.
But since this concerned his own background, Liou Yuan was definitely not going to tell the truth.
"Just as I thought." Hearing Liou Yuan's vague answer, Mr. Ge was already sure of his guess.
With some regret, he said, "At Early-stage Qi Cultivation, a cultivator's Spiritual Power is quite limited. Just two or three spells and it's empty. Body cultivators really have the advantage."
"Early-stage Qi Cultivation means what layer?"
"Are you only Early-stage yourself, Mr. Ge?"
These were somewhat impolite questions, but since Mr. Ge had brought it up himself, Liou Yuan didn't bother with such decorum.
Everything he knew about cultivation came from the Breathing Skill Liou Zhen left him.
He didn't know much common knowledge.
With an old cultivator right in front of him, how could Liou Yuan let the chance slip by?
"Qi Cultivation Third Layer and below is all Early-stage." Mr. Ge replied, stroking his goatee as he mockingly said:
"As for myself, I don't count as any expert. Just Qi Cultivation Second Layer, that's all."
"Most likely this is as far as I'll ever get in this life."
Liou Yuan nodded slightly to himself, thinking, "This old man's cultivation is about what I expected."
Judging from Mr. Ge's fighting before—just a few moves and all his Spiritual Power was spent—Liou Yuan had figured this old man's skill wasn't too high.
After all, who among real experts would be content working in a government office?
"Unlike you, my One-Star Wood Acupoint aptitude is too low—I can barely cultivate at all."
"On top of that, I didn't have any destiny with the immortals when I was young. When I got the Breathing Skill, I was already thirty, which made it even tougher."
"In this life, this is about it."
As Mr. Ge spoke, the bitterness on his face deepened.
He was a man who'd made peace with things. Soon enough, he was smiling again: "Still, better than ordinary folks. To survive to this age in these troubled times is already uncommon."
Liou Yuan didn't know how to comfort the old man in front of him.
Having just a One-Star Star Acupoint was truly the lowest aptitude possible.
To be honest, Liou Yuan himself also had just a One-Star Water Acupoint—fated the same as the old gentleman.
No wonder Liou Zhen had only sighed and left all those years ago.
"If I'd just been an ordinary person, that might have been better."
"To obviously have cultivation aptitude, to catch a glimpse of the cultivation path, but because of a limited aptitude can only yearn and sigh from afar."
"That's more frustrating than just being a commoner."
So thought Liou Yuan.
Of course, these things he wouldn't say aloud—no need to twist the knife in the man's heart.
Mr. Ge was past the age of regret; after a bit of sighing, he consoled Liou Yuan instead: "No need to worry too much, Mr. Liou."
"There are plenty in Yanhe Government Office stronger than I am. Once Mr. Xin reports this to Mr. Wei, reinforcements will be sent for sure."
"At the very least, someone of Qi Cultivation Third Layer."
Since he'd brought it up, Liou Yuan asked along, "Mr. Ge, how many cultivators are there at Yanhe Government Office?"
This time, Mr. Ge didn't answer directly. He looked deep at Liou Yuan, as if weighing the consequences.
After a moment, he said, "That is a secret—we can't reveal it to outsiders."
"I can only tell you, all our cultivators are in a separate department, unified under the command of Mr. Wei, called the Qinghe Division."
"Qinghe Division!" Liou Yuan repeated the name.
"If you have any interest, Mr. Liou, you can visit our Qinghe Division more often. Mr. Wei would surely welcome you." The old fox finally revealed his tail, his muddied eyes glinting slyly.
"No thanks, I'd rather stay at Xuanhu Clinic." Liou Yuan shook his head without hesitation.
He understood perfectly what Mr. Ge meant.
If he went, there'd no doubt be a round of hearty hospitality, followed by a "cordial invitation."
He didn't want to spend his days wrangling with Star Evils and such ghastly things. Once you enter a government office, an order comes and you have no say in refusing.
"That's a pity." Mr. Ge regretfully shook his head.
If he could help the Qinghe Division recruit a young man like Liou Yuan with such potential,
he would surely reap many benefits as the introducer.
But Liou Yuan's refusal was reasonable.
With the power backing the Liou Family and Liou Zhen, even Qinghe Division would have to step aside.
Liou Yuan then asked Mr. Ge about matters pertaining to Magic.
He'd realized only later that Luo Jie's blade could hurt the Star Evil only because Mr. Ge had cast a spell on it beforehand.
And Liou Yuan was very interested in that spell.
Although he hadn't asked about it directly, Mr. Ge was no fool—a shrewd one among cultivators.
He instantly gave a half-smiling look.
"Kid, you're too young—didn't Liou Zhen ever tell you? Asking about another cultivator's secrets is a major taboo."
"If it weren't for the fact I watched you grow up and know you mean no harm… someone else would have glared and cursed at you by now."
"Heh heh." Liou Yuan shamelessly smiled back.
"You know I mean no harm, Mr. Ge—I'm just curious."
"That shamelessness is exactly what I was like when I was young." Mr. Ge shook his head, but still responded, "All I'll say is, my Magic is no ordinary Magic."
"At the Yanhe Government Office, when it comes to cultivation, there may be those stronger than me."
"But when it comes to the proficiency and utility of Magic, few are better than I."
"What grade?" Liou Yuan retorted.
He now had a basic idea of Magic's grading system.
He knew that, like Breathing Skills, Magic was graded A, B, C, D, E.
Mr. Ge said with pride, "E-grade, but top quality."
Liou Yuan had expected him to say D-grade, or even C-grade, but just replied calmly with one word.
"Oh."
"You punk, do you know how many in Qinghe Division covet my Magic? What's with that attitude?" Mr. Ge was a little exasperated by Liou Yuan's reaction.
Of course, Liou Yuan wasn't about to tell him that one of his auxiliary cultivation methods in his Breathing Skill was already D-grade, lower quality.
Not to mention that inside his Imperial Jade Buddhist Beads there was a D-grade, middle quality Buddhist True Word.