After all, there's a long road ahead—Mr. Xin didn't want to leave Liou Yuan with the impression that he was too opportunistic.
He seemed to catch the scent of food wafting from the back hall.
Seeing it was about time, the uninvited Mr. Xin and Mr. Ge rose and took their leave.
Showing up at mealtime is already a bit rude. Both men were respectable types; they knew when it was time to go.
"Why don't you two stay for a drink? The cook whipped up a few meat dishes, and we've got wine in the clinic," Liou Yuan said, getting up to see them off and offering as he walked with them.
"No, the day of Star Shifts is near, patrol duties are complex—we won't hold you up," Mr. Ge said.
"We'll be sure to visit again when there's time."
Mr. Ge waved his hand dismissively, and the reason he gave made it hard for Liou Yuan to push them to stay and drink.
Whenever this time rolls around, it's not just the Yanhe Government Office—the entire city's population is on edge.
One slip and a disaster pops up; if the government office blames you, it's trouble you can't shake off.
"Then I won't see you out any further." Liou Yuan got up, his smile warm as he escorted them to the door.
Once the two men had gone far, Liou Yuan finally took his time closing the clinic's doors.
Whatever Mr. Xin and Mr. Ge were thinking, how could Liou Yuan not know?
Mr. Xin wanted to make use of his abilities, but Liou Yuan had always intended to borrow the power of the government office.
"I'm just starting on the path of cultivation; I'm nowhere near the level where I can handle things on my own."
"In a critical moment, relying on the authorities is still the way to go."
Liou Yuan muttered to himself.
He wasn't about to get arrogant just because he'd reached the First Mansion.
Even cultivators as experienced as Mr. Ge have slipped up against Star Evil; he wouldn't even bother claiming he'd fare better.
So this interaction with Mr. Xin was bound to have follow-ups.
No doubt that's exactly what Mr. Ge was thinking, which is probably why he dropped by tonight.
"Looks like I'm still getting the better deal. If Mr. Xin really needs me, I'll just do what I can. If things get too dangerous—time to bail!"
"After all, I'm not obliged to risk my life for anyone."
"But as for Mr. Xin and Mr. Ge, they're both with the Yanhe Government Office. If something happens, they've got to stick their necks out."
Liou Yuan's mind was clear as glass.
Closing the door, Liou Yuan returned to the main hall and looked around. Not a single shadow in sight.
"Kong Yi, you guys are eating already? Didn't even wait for me—at least save me a bit!" Liou Yuan suddenly realized, yelled out, and strode quickly toward the back hall.
Don't be fooled—Kong Yi might look like a delicate little girl, but her appetite is terrifying.
She eats enough for two adults; if he lags, Liou Yuan's dinner will be just veggie soup.
Liou Yuan broke into a jog toward the back hall.
He kept shouting, warning Kong Yi to go easy on the food.
But just as he stepped into the back hall, his stride suddenly froze in mid-air.
His eyes widened slightly, his face tense as he stared at the scene before him.
Beside the dining table, Kong Yi, the two assistants at the clinic, and the cook were sprawled limply on the floor.
Clearly, everything was fine before Mr. Ge and Mr. Xin arrived.
Liou Yuan chatted with them, saw them off; not even a stick of incense's time had passed.
"What the hell!" Liou Yuan's expression turned grim instantly.
Having gone through the Ms. Qiao incident, Liou Yuan was jumpy—every abnormality felt somehow tied to Star Evil.
His body immediately tensed up.
"No, it's not time for the Evil Star Shift yet; there shouldn't be any Star Evil out right now."
Liou Yuan had seen how starlight suppressed Star Evil—virtually no Star Evil dared strike when the Auspicious Star was on duty.
Calming down a bit, Liou Yuan carefully examined Kong Yi and the other two's bodies.
No external injuries; the only thing worth noting was the bits of food still lingering around their mouths.
"Poisoned?" That was the most reasonable explanation Liou Yuan could come up with.
Even so, Liou Yuan didn't relax for a second. He stayed alert, scanning his surroundings for danger.
Only then did he slowly approach the three.
Along the way, his hand went to the chopper at his waist.
It was the clinic's medicine-cutting knife—besides mixing herbs, Liou Yuan also chopped them, so he carried it everywhere.
Reaching Kong Yi, Liou Yuan stretched out a hand to check her breathing.
Her breath was steady, but her small face was shrouded in a gray haze—classic signs of poisoning.
Liou Yuan's medical skills weren't great, so he couldn't tell what kind of poison it was.
His first thought was of his mother, Bai Xin.
"Where's Mom?"
Liou Yuan didn't see his mother anywhere—which clearly meant she hadn't eaten any of the food.
But with the situation this tense, worried for his mother's safety, Liou Yuan didn't bother with anything else. Holding the chopper, he headed to the backyard to search for her.
He finally found her in the clinic's study.
Just like Kong Yi, Bai Xin had also fallen unconscious, collapsed at her desk, and beside her was a cup of steaming tea.
Liou Yuan rushed over in a few strides, turned Bai Xin's face over, and saw that her cool, beautiful countenance had been covered by the same gray haze as Kong Yi and the others.
"Damn it!" Liou Yuan was genuinely anxious now—his mother Bai Xin was the only one who could salvage the situation.
Now she was out cold, and he couldn't help cursing.
As he spoke, Liou Yuan's eyes shifted to the steaming teapot beside her hand.
Bai Xin hadn't eaten any food, but had drunk tea—that meant the poison had gotten to her through the tea.
No need to mention Bai Xin's superb medical skills.
She could identify every medicine just by smell, let alone by taste.
Liou Yuan refused to believe his mother would be felled by poison.
"It can't be poison!" Liou Yuan thought firmly.
He trusted his mother completely, so he immediately ruled out poisoning.
Suddenly, Liou Yuan recalled what Bai Xin had mentioned earlier.
Kong Yi had said her dad had been unconscious for half a month.
Bai Xin told him his pulse was normal, no illness—and hinted to Liou Yuan, if things didn't improve soon, he should head to the Yanhe Government Office.
Why go to the office? Obviously, it's about Star Evil.
His mother and Kong Yi's current symptoms were almost identical to Mr. Kong's.
"Did Mom really guess it?" Liou Yuan's heart, just settled, leapt again.
But now wasn't the time for analysis. With what's right in front of him—even if Bai Xin hadn't said so—he had to go to Yanhe Government Office.
Liou Yuan made a snap decision, hefted Bai Xin onto his shoulder, and charged outside.
Passing through the back hall, he didn't forget to sling Kong Yi onto his other shoulder.
It's not that he didn't want to save more people—
—he just couldn't carry more than two. So of course he picked his family and his childhood friend.
The others Liou Yuan had to leave for now, hoping for their own luck.
He'd worried that, during his escape, the 'culprit' might block his way.
But the whole departure was unusually smooth.
Even when he kicked the front door open, no attack came.
Basking in the starlight, it seemed like the star's power gave Liou Yuan a sense of security.
Liou Yuan looked up at the crowded stars above Yanhe City, hesitated for a moment, then gently set both down, letting them bathe in the starlight too.
During Kuixu's shift, under starlight was a safety zone.
Liou Yuan wasn't worried about Star Evil showing up.
"If it really was Star Evil, Mr. Ge was here just now—he's a veteran cultivator. No way he wouldn't notice a thing." That was why Liou Yuan stopped.
If he went to Yanhe Government Office—even if he asked Mr. Ge back—they still wouldn't be able to find the cause immediately.
Rather than waste the time, Liou Yuan decided to first confirm if Star Evil was behind the trouble.
In terms of strength, Liou Yuan might not match Mr. Ge.
But as for tracking Star Evil, there's nobody in Yanhe City more suited than him.
He had the Fixed Star Compass at his disposal.
No one around now, so Liou Yuan didn't have to worry about exposing the Fixed Star Compass.
"If Mr. Ge and the others showed up, it'd be way harder for me to pull out the Fixed Star Compass."
Thinking that, Liou Yuan stopped hesitating and reached out with his left hand; the Fixed Star Compass appeared in his palm.
The starlight consumed for appraisal earlier had already been replenished these past two days.
The Fixed Star Compass was restored, and Liou Yuan could use it again.
"I was worried I might not get to use it again soon," Liou Yuan thought quietly, as his right hand started moving.
Left hand gripping the compass, right hand forming seals, chanting softly: "Between the Void and Danger, the needle's path is clear… Three degrees south, the Zhang Star rises…"