Chapter 32: The Master of Astrology

Page 1/3

Inwardly, Xingyun Shen mused that the imposing, shaman-like figure in the image must be beseeching the heavens and earth. Although today’s astronomical work environment is far less severe than in ancient times, the weighty responsibility of protecting Earth remains a duty modern scientists cannot afford to neglect for a moment. Yet, discerning anything valuable from such subtle changes is no easy task.

He planned to reach out to colleagues at other research institutions to share his discoveries and concerns, hoping to collaboratively explore ways to counter the threat posed by near-Earth asteroids. After all, such a complex and significant issue was beyond the scope of any one individual’s efforts.

Lost in thought, he paced over to a Schmidt telescope, fully aware that to observe near-Earth bodies, one must rely on such instruments capable of wide-field sky surveys.

Just as he began reviewing records of the NGC 6188 emission nebula they had discussed moments ago, a voice called from outside: “Professor Shen, someone is here to see you.”

Chairman Yao Kui of the Fukui Group entered, accompanied by his bodyguard Duan Jinhu and animal trainer Du Yanxiang. They placed gifts on the table and introduced themselves, expressing their desire for Master Shen to predict the future for both himself and the company.

Seeing Yao Kui’s disheveled appearance, Shen couldn’t help but laugh. “Chairman Yao, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. I’m neither a geomancer nor a doctor...”

“That’s right, that’s right, Master Shen. You’re not a doctor, but you can read the stars!” Yao Kui said eagerly, his mouth curled at the corners behind his dark tinted glasses.

Shen found it even more amusing. “We study stellar phenomena, not astrology.”

“Never mind that. I just want you to take a look. I’ve been having a streak of bad luck lately. Is there any way to break this curse?” Yao pleaded with a face full of hope.

Suddenly, Shen recalled how the government and medical institutions were taking the so-called “Disillusionment Plague” very seriously, having implemented measures to cut off transmission routes and ensure public safety. They also emphasized raising awareness, urging people to avoid contact with suspected carriers to protect themselves.

Shen had heard Professor Zhao Xinru from the Southwest Institute of Biological Research mention that this virus was transmitted only through direct experience or close contact and likely originated from the ancient world, particularly the glacial regions of the Tibetan Plateau.

In the past, those areas were nearly deserted due to isolation and were considered “human no-go zones.” But with economic development, improved infrastructure, and the rise of tourism, the glaciers had become less mysterious. Scientists had discovered many unusual things beneath the ice, including ancient viruses that could potentially wreak havoc on humanity.

Looking at the thin-figured Yao Kui, Shen spoke earnestly: “Chairman Yao, if you want a fortune reading, you really shouldn’t come to me. You ought to visit a Taoist master on Mount Wudang for divination.”

Duan Jinhu quickly chimed in, “No need to tell me. I know Mount Wudang like the back of my hand.”

Yao hurriedly silenced him, “Don’t be rude!” Then turning back to Shen, he said anxiously and helplessly, “Master, I can’t wait. Modern medicine is at a loss for my illness!”

Shen sighed with helplessness. “In that case, I think you must go to Mount Wudang and see the Taoist doctors. Their medical skills are profound, specializing in all kinds of difficult ailments. But it’s winter now; the journey up the mountain will be quite arduous.”

Yao Kui was resolute. “I’m not afraid of that.”

Page 2/3

Shen gently shook his head, his gaze settling meaningfully on Duan Jinhu. “Harmony is paramount. The way of Heaven benefits without harm; the way of the sage acts without contention. Right now, ‘the star governs the East, avoid approaching the white.’ Chairman, please take good care of yourself! This is all I can tell you. Think carefully about whether to go to Mount Wudang, and decide once you have.”

Seeing he could glean no more useful information, Yao politely took his leave.

Outside the Lijiang Astronomical Observatory, Yao Kui stood atop the mountain, gazing long and silently at the star-studded sky. None dared approach him.

Suddenly, a shooting star streaked rapidly across the night and vanished into the distant horizon. Du Yanxiang softly asked, “Chairman, do you think this is a good omen?”

“Yanxiang, what good omen? A comet overhead—I’d be thankful if it’s not a curse star!” Yao looked up anxiously.

Duan Jinhu stepped forward and asked, “Chairman, what did the Master mean by ‘the star governs the East, avoid approaching the white’?”

Yao pondered silently. The star governing the East—could Shen mean that the current celestial power lies in the East? But what of ‘avoid approaching the white’? Was it a warning not to get too close to the West, or did it have a deeper meaning?

Unable to comprehend, he said, “Whatever it means, when we get to Mount Wudang, behave yourselves and follow the rules.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

After seeing Yao’s party off, Shen returned to the observation platform to continue reviewing the Schmidt telescope’s survey records. He thought about recent news from the Southwest Institute reporting active geological changes around the Himalayas and strange phenomena: at night, snow mountains would glow as bright as day, and yak and Tibetan mastiffs mysteriously vanished.

Shen pondered whether these anomalies were influenced by near-Earth asteroids. What secrets lay behind these seemingly unrelated strange happenings? He knew the answers might be hidden somewhere in the vast cosmos or within experiments conducted at the highland glacier research station.

After all, asteroids pose a grave threat to Earth. The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, which wiped out the dinosaurs, is irrefutable proof. But how exactly did such an asteroid cause those extinctions? That was a question for Professor Su’s experiments.

Shen firmly believed that with current Earth observation technology, any object approaching Earth from space could be detected early, and even alien UFOs would find it difficult to evade human observation.

At that moment, Donghua Yang approached to report that the data had been screened and organized over the past six months. Shen noticed some data lacked labels and asked, “Why are these unmarked?”

Yang explained that since they didn’t know what these represented and could find no prior records, they left them unmarked.

Shen mused that tonight’s sky was pitch black, the atmosphere thin, and the stars extraordinarily brilliant—an ideal moment to search for valuable information.

He approached the telescope, first excluding artificial satellites and internationally recognized space debris, before focusing on a blurry object near the NGC 6188 nebula.

Page 3/3

Shen adjusted the focus further, revealing an indescribable object before his eyes. He was stunned and muttered, “How can this be? Why is there a foreign object here?”

Previously, there had been no notable findings around NGC 6188, but now a shadow of an unknown star appeared, shocking and puzzling him. At first, he thought it was a shadow caused by light bending, but upon closer inspection, he nearly leapt from his seat.

“Quick, bring me all accumulated data on NGC 6188’s region from recent years—stellar movement records, velocity, and changes,” Professor Shen called out, summoning his assistants to help verify.

Soon, primary survey data was printed from the computer. Comparing with historical records and cross-checking information from other sources, Shen could hardly believe his discovery.

The documents clearly indicated that an uninvited visitor, an asteroid of unclear size, had appeared in the near-Earth sky.

Could this be true? If confirmed, it would be a major breakthrough for the Lijiang Observatory’s cosmic observations.

Suppressing his excitement, Shen immediately instructed Yuan Jie to activate the 30-million-pixel CCD camera on the telescope terminal, along with a dark-object spectrometer co-developed by China and Denmark. They also engaged the all-purpose CNC tracking device to lock the telescope’s angle onto the automatic tracking position.

With enhanced scanning, the images grew clearer, fully confirming that this was indeed a previously unseen asteroid, heading toward Earth.

Yuan Jie anxiously remarked, “Could it be another Adis incident?”

Everyone understood he referred to the dangerous asteroid Adis, which Shen had once predicted would narrowly miss Earth in 2036. That asteroid approached at over 7.2 kilometers per second with a complex, unstable rotation, causing widespread panic.

Eventually, it collided with the Moon at an altitude of 384,000 kilometers, producing a fiery spectacle lasting more than a minute—the most spectacular cosmic rock impact in history. The collision also triggered global floods, tsunamis, and flooding along the Yangtze River.

Shen’s expression turned grave. He knew this newly discovered group of asteroids could pose a tremendous threat. It was imperative to quickly determine their orbital paths and potential dangers to prepare defenses in advance.

He immediately organized his team to analyze the data and calculate the asteroids’ trajectories. A silent race against an unknown peril had begun.

He fell silent, thoughts swirling in his mind.

Why had this asteroid suddenly appeared in near-Earth orbit? For some reason, he recalled Yao Kui’s plan to visit Mount Wudang, stirring a subtle ripple within him: perhaps he, too, should make the journey to Mount Wudang and have a serious conversation with Taoist priest Li Xuanqing.