The Divine Arbiter appeared out of nowhere and ripped the bandage over Ye Zichen’s left eye clean off. The fragments of cloth scattered on the ground, revealing a hideously scarred and wounded left eye.
Ye Zichen instinctively covered it up. Although the motion only lasted a second, everyone present saw it; there was nothing special about his left eye.
They then looked at the other great emperors in Ye Zichen’s camp. They’d all frowned when they saw the Divine Arbiter take action.
However, although they frowned, they didn’t seem nervous. It seemed they just thought her behavior was over the line.
“It really isn’t him?” The newly arrived experts couldn’t help but knit their brows. The Divine Arbiter froze, looking completely at a loss.
“Divine Arbiter!” the Lord of Seven Stars roared, and Xuan Ji, Pu Jingwan, and Xiao Yumei glared at her.
“What are you looking at me like that for? I only did what I must, and at the God Emperor’s orders. I see that Young Master Ye’s wounds are serious indeed, so here is the saint-level medicine His Majesty asked me to deliver. I hope it’s of use to you, Young Master Ye.”
As she spoke, the Divine Arbiter tossed Ye Rong a bottle of pills. Ye Rong slapped it out of the air, shattering into dust. Both the bottle itself and the incomparably expensive medicine within diffused into the air and disappeared. “I, Ye Rong, will remember what you did today.”
Xiao Yumei summoned a strip of gauze and put it over Ye Zichen’s eye. Ye Rong and Xuan Ji glared at the Divine Arbiter, then supported Ye Zichen and led him away from this dangerous place.
This time, no one tried to stop Ye Zichen from leaving. His left eye wasn’t a celestial eye. That, combined with the way the other great emperors were acting, suggested… that he wasn’t the Master of the Stars after all.
Of the youths, there was one who particularly drew their attention. This was because, when the visiting experts examined him, they realized that Xue Yang and his allies were locked onto him, but trying not to make it look obvious.
They all glanced at him.
Sensing their gazes and the changes in demeanor, the youth started. He’d just been chatting with the other youths, but he stopped to look at the visiting experts. Before long, Xue Yang and his allies blocked him from view.
“Might I ask who that youth….” someone started to ask.
“He’s just an ordinary Xue clansman. He’s off the main branch, but he’s otherwise an ordinary cultivator. I doubt there’s anything about him worthy of your attention,” frowned Xue Yang.
“If he’s nothing but an ordinary main-branch descendant, why do you and your allies seem so fl.u.s.tered?” As they spoke, all the visiting experts’ auras rose up.
Xue Yang and his allies froze, but this only increased their guests’ suspicion.
Xue Yang’s expression turned cold. “Didn’t I tell you before we got here? My daughter is severely injured!”
He waved his hands and placed a seal around Xue Mo’s room. His aura expanded outward, as did his allies’, and an air of solemn authority bore down on all of their guests. “Take this opportunity, before I truly lose my temper, to get the hell out! The Xue Family doesn’t welcome you!”
The new arrivals couldn’t take so much as another step forward.
Even though they couldn’t verify it in person, they had roughly eighty or ninety percent confidence in their guess: that youth just now was the real Emperor Star.
They never would have guessed that the Master of the Stars would be born to the Xue Family. No wonder all these lords of other Divine Mountains had gathered under the Sea of Innocence’s banner.
“Hmph, Ocean Emperor…. We’ll be on our way.” The visiting experts narrowed their eyes and left. Before long, only the Divine Arbiter remained behind.
Xue Yang turned to her and growled darkly, “Why haven’t you left? Are you waiting for me to see you out?”
“The God Emperor still…”
“There’s no need. Go back and tell Zhou Wu not to interfere in the Sea of Innocence’s affairs. If we can maintain the illusion of harmony, great. If not, I’m not afraid to break the peace. Hurry up and get out. Scram!” Xue Yang pointed out of the estate, over at the sea.
Lips quivering, the Divine Arbiter took out another bottle of pills and set it on the table. “Ocean Emperor, regardless of what you say, the God Emperor entrusted me with a mission, and I must complete it. I’ll leave the pills here. Since I’m not welcome here, I’ll not trouble you any further. Farewell.”
With that, she pressed off the ground and took to the skies.
Afterward, they gathered around the youth who’d caught the visiting experts’ attention and checked to make sure he was right. Then, they entrusted him to the Xue clansmen’s care and ordered them to be careful.
“Is it really him?” Although the Divine Arbiter took to the skies, she didn’t leave right away. Instead, she created a separate space above the Xue Family Estate, a spatial tunnel, and lingered inside it.
Based on how Xue Yang and his allies treated that youth after she left, it really didn’t seem like he was just an ordinary Xue Family clansman. If he were, he wouldn’t warrant this level of concern.
But even so, it was necessary to consider other possibilities. What if they were just putting on a show in case she were watching?
But the Divine Arbiter gave it no further thought. She waited for another hour, and when she saw none of the great emperors visit Ye Zichen, she left. This time, she left for real.
As for which of them was truly the Master of the Stars, she’d share her information with Zhou Wu, then trust his judgment.
Late and night, shortly before dawn, there were a series of knocks at Ye Zichen’s door. The door swung open, and the great emperors remaining in the Xue Family Estate rushed over. Their gazes contained unprecedented seriousness.
“The Master of the Stars is alright, right?” asked Zhao Qianhe. “The Divine Arbiter’s sudden move really startled us.”
“It was nothing. We’re just lucky the Fox Empress placed a ‘guarantee’ over Zichen’s left eye.” Ye Rong gently patted her already fast-asleep son, then glanced at his left eye. It was still shining with faint hints of starlight. “Otherwise, the Divine Arbiter really would have discovered us.”
“Don’t relax too much, even if it seems we’ve pulled the wool over their eyes. You should be able to see this too, but Zhou Wu is already wary of Zichen,” said Xuan Ji.
All of them nodded. From the way the Divine Arbiter had reacted, it was clear that the God Emperor was indeed wary of Ye Zichen.
However, they still didn’t know how long the show they’d put on could keep the wool over their enemies’ eyes. Zhou Wu would find out sooner or later.
“The God Emperor is crafty and suspicious by nature. If the Divine Arbiter goes back and describes everything that happened in detail, he’ll definitely suspect and investigate both Zixhen and Xue Tie,” said Xue Yang. “But so long as it’s just suspicion, the Master of the Stars will be safe.”
“So you’re saying that boy you had impersonate the Master of the Stars to divert attention from ye ZIchen won’t be able to make any more appearances,” said Xuan Ji.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Xue Yang. “Xue Tie was prepared for this.”
“In any event, you handled this well. But whatever you do, don’t let the God Emperor see the boy ever again. If he discovers that Xue Tie is a fake, we’re all in trouble!”
