Chapter 2
Strange Fire was definitely not any kind of golden finger.
When Yu Sui opened her eyes again, she found herself still alive. Because she had screamed for no apparent reason, Lady Su came and rarely stayed by her side for the entire night.
Lady Su sat on the long bench beside her, supporting her forehead with one hand in contemplation. Catching a glimpse that the child had awakened, she stood up and came over.
She seemed to hesitate for a moment before extending her hand to gently place it on Yu Sui's forehead, using the back of her hand to check her temperature.
A maid's voice sounded from outside the door: "Madam, Doctor Zhou has arrived."
Lady Su said: "Come in."
The man who entered was lame, only stepping half a pace inside the door before stopping, the candles covering the floor blocking his path forward.
Doctor Zhou had a face full of stubble and murky eyes. His disheveled appearance made it impossible to guess his true age.
"How is it?" Lady Su asked.
Doctor Zhou bowed his head and answered: "It should be the cold air of Mount Luo entering her body, accumulating and erupting, causing her unbearable pain."
Yu Sui opened her mouth, showing a foolish smile.
Doctor Zhou continued: "Madam is the master of the Agricultural School's Breath Soil. She was born with half of the Breath Soil. When mountain cold turns to water, it cannot resist the Breath Soil's absorption. If she is to stay on Mount Luo for long, she will inevitably accumulate a body full of mountain cold."
Lady Su looked down at Yu Sui, the back of her hand still against her forehead, watching Yu Sui giggle without any change in her expression.
After a moment of silence in the room, Lady Su said: "During this recent period, you watch over Kui'er."
Doctor Zhou nodded and withdrew.
Yu Sui was receiving more and more information.
From Lady Su being the master of Breath Soil to herself having half of the Breath Soil inside her body.
They attributed her previous screaming and wailing to the Breath Soil in her body and Mount Luo's cold air.
The only advantage of being a child was that adults wouldn't avoid her when talking, saying whatever they wanted without worrying about being overheard by this two-month-old infant.
Yu Sui wouldn't correct them either. Though she had no wounds on her body, she could feel the pain of the burned-to-death World Destroyer. When the fierce fire burned too intensely, she passed out from pain.
She had thought she would die.
So this was the World Destroyers' resonance.
Who wanted this kind of resonance?
Yu Sui was somewhat depressed, praying in her heart that the remaining World Destroyers wouldn't die before her.
The fire execution had already left her with deep psychological trauma.
But based on her previous experience, the World Destroyers weren't a fixed group of five people.
The number remained constant, but the "people" could change.
Yu Sui pondered this, her eyelids growing heavy as she fell asleep again.
Lady Su didn't leave, remaining by her side on guard.
……
Under circumstances of unknown paternity, unloved mother, bearing the identity of World Destroyer, and being hunted by the entire continent, Yu Sui became even more careful in playing the role of an infant who knew nothing.
She couldn't let Lady Su see the slightest abnormality suggesting "this child has extraordinary talent."
During this period, Yu Sui endured several more attacks. Those practitioners of the Nine Schools came under orders to kill Lady Su's children. Over the course of a year, many came, all repelled by Lady Su.
From the information Yu Sui gathered, cultivators on the Xuangu Continent were collectively called practitioners of the Nine Schools.
The Nine Schools was a general term, with countless sects within, each with their own ways. But among the prominent sects on the current continent, there happened to be nine major ones:
Medical School, Legalist School, School of Names, Military School, Taoist School, Agricultural School, Yin-Yang School, Ghost Way School, and Technical Arts School.[Translator's Note: The term "名家" (Míngjiā) is translated as the "School of Names" because it refers to a group of classical Chinese philosophers who focused intensely on the relationship between words (míng 名, "names") and reality (shí 实, "actualities"). They engaged in sophisticated debates about language, logic, and paradoxes, essentially questioning whether names truly correspond to the things they represent. ]
Everyone could draw stars into their fate, finding the most suitable school of the nine for themselves.
Everything depended on individual "talent."
Those with higher talent compatibility could enter the Nine Schools, with greater chances of cultivating to Sainthood.
These were still too distant for Yu Sui. She only knew that Lady Su came from the Agricultural School of the nine, her cultivation having reached the Thirteenth Realm, just one step away from the pinnacle Saint Realm.
Doctor Zhou came from the Medical School, his cultivation realm unknown.
The Breath Soil they spoke of was more like a treasure. Originally enjoyed solely by Lady Su, but due to giving birth to Yu Sui, half was inherited by the child.
During the months Lady Su guarded Yu Sui, she never once held this child, nor had she ever taken her out of this ancestral hall room.
The one caring for Yu Sui was a mute woman.
Her face bore the traces left by years, deep wrinkles making her look somewhat stern, yet she was gentle and caring toward Yu Sui, several times preventing her from falling out of the cradle.
Yu Sui rarely cried. Occasionally, due to physical uncoordination, after crawling up and falling down with bumps and bruises, she felt a child should cry, so she would wail a couple of times.
But because her reactions were too slow, the mute woman gestured to Lady Su in sign language: "Little Miss's reactions are rather sluggish."
Lady Su looked at the child sitting up in the cradle, staring at her while drooling, remaining silent.
She walked to Yu Sui, put two fingers together, and lightly pressed around her meridians, making them flow smoothly and dispersing cold air not absorbed by the Breath Soil.
Because Lady Su believed Doctor Zhou's words about cold air entering the body and harming health, she helped Yu Sui dispel cold air every seven days.
Yu Sui smiled at Lady Su with curved eyes, extending the tiger cloth doll in her hand, inviting her to play together.
Lady Su didn't spare her another glance, turning and leaving.
The mute woman couldn't speak.
Lady Su wouldn't talk to her.
So Yu Sui was already one year old and still a child who couldn't speak.
……
Since Lady Su said Qing Kui would be watched by Doctor Zhou, Yu Sui hadn't seen this elder sister again.
Until tonight, when someone attacked the ancestral hall and was killed by Lady Su, Doctor Zhou brought crying Qing Kui over, saying she had been frightened and kept crying, demanding to see her mother.
Yu Sui crawled up from her little bed, poking her head out toward the outside, but was pushed back by the mute woman guarding beside her.
"Go back." Lady Su squatted down, wiping tears for the little girl.
Qing Kui sobbed: "I don't want to, I want to sleep with Mother."
She seemed to see Yu Sui inside and changed her words: "I want to sleep with Mother and little sister."
Lady Su frowned, seeming to have other matters, so she didn't concern herself with her, letting the mute woman bring Qing Kui inside.
Seeing Yu Sui, Qing Kui looked like she'd found something fresh and new. She stopped crying and came close to pinch Yu Sui's face. Yu Sui raised her head to smile at her, and Qing Kui smiled back.
"I haven't seen you for so long." Four-year-old Qing Kui sat down beside Yu Sui's bed. "I've grown taller, and you've gotten bigger too."
Yu Sui blinked.
"Why don't you talk?" Qing Kui turned to look at her. "You should call me Elder Sister."
Yu Sui: "El------"
Qing Kui seriously taught her: "El------der Sister!"
Yu Sui: "El------der."
"That's not how you call it!" Qing Kui pointed to herself. "Elder Sister!"
Yu Sui played with her, just refusing to call properly. Qing Kui taught until the end and sighed: "You're really stupid."
The two children played until finally Qing Kui lay down beside Yu Sui and fell asleep first. Yu Sui also pretended to sleep and closed her eyes.
Lady Su entered the room, lifting the bed curtain to look at the two sleeping children, bending down to cover Qing Kui with the blanket she had kicked off.
Doctor Zhou stood in the shadows by the door, saying in a deep voice: "Mount Luo's location has been discovered by them. The Rakshasa practitioners from the Yin-Yang School, Military School, and Taoist School have all been mobilized. Your old injuries haven't healed. If this continues, with more and more of them coming, stronger and stronger people coming here, it will be hard to protect Qing Kui."
Lady Su lowered the bed curtain, turned around, her dark bright eyes gleaming coldly.
She was quiet for a moment, then said softly: "You take Qing Kui away."
Doctor Zhou looked up at her.
Lady Su said: "Let Qing Kui go, let her grow up peacefully and safely, away from strife and danger."
"Doctor, I only ask this of you once."
Lady Su bowed to Doctor Zhou.
"Are you going back?" Doctor Zhou stared at her and asked.
Lady Su's eyelashes trembled lightly, then she raised her head and said: "I will return with the other child. Everyone's attention will be on this child, no one will pay attention to Qing Kui."
Doctor Zhou agreed to her request.
The next day, Qing Kui was awakened by the mute woman. She sat up rubbing her eyes, still looking half asleep.
"Kui'er." Lady Su extended her hand toward Qing Kui. "Let's go."
Qing Kui responded and took Lady Su's hand to leave.
After this day, Yu Sui never saw Elder Sister Qing Kui again.
……
Yu Sui didn't idle when she was conscious. She often separated her consciousness to observe the cluster of flames in the deepest part of her mind. Sometimes the flame was motionless, sometimes it swayed with flickering flames, burning.
She called the first moment of receiving Strange Fire knowledge the "inheritance baptism." In the inheritance baptism, the flames Yu Sui saw were the same as the flames in the depths of her consciousness now.
Was this the Strange Fire?
It could burn all things in the world, crack the earth, and devour all living beings.
Yu Sui's consciousness wanted to touch that small cluster of flames, and then she truly felt the temperature of the flames, which was ice cold.
When she fell asleep and her consciousness stayed beside the flames, she felt warmth spreading to her limbs and bones, blocking Mount Luo's cold air from her heart meridian, preventing her from feeling any pain.
When Yu Sui was alone, the flames stood still.
When someone approached her, the flames began to flicker.
When no one spoke to her this year, she would chat with the Strange Fire by herself. Though the Strange Fire wouldn't respond, at least she had someone to confide in.
Yu Sui patiently studied the Strange Fire. After Doctor Zhou and Qing Kui left, Lady Su's visits became fewer and fewer. Only the mute woman remained by her side.
From previous conversations, she gathered that the assassins who would visit Mount Luo next would be increasingly powerful. Lady Su was injured and hadn't healed, lacking the strength to protect her children from these people.
So Lady Su planned to return with the other child.
Yu Sui thought, the other unlucky child was her, so where did "return" refer to?
……
One month later.
The Strange Fire in Yu Sui's consciousness depths flickered slightly. Someone stepped through starry moonlight to the child's bedside and extended their hand. Brown-colored sleeves fell beside the bed. Slender, well-defined fingers curved slightly as the man gently lifted the sleeping child.
A hurricane blew the door open with a bang from outside, extinguishing all the candles on the floor. Only moonlight shone in, falling on the man.
Yu Sui opened her eyes to see the man's face smiling with eyes and brows, handsome yet sinister.
Though he smiled, his entire being radiated intense pressure, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue around your neck, fangs already hooked at your throat, forcing you to obey orders.
The man looked toward Lady Su outside the door, smiling warmly: "Su Su, you made us father and daughter separated for over a year before meeting. Now don't be willful anymore, come back with me."
This year, at one year and two months old, Yu Sui met her father, the only non-royal surname king of Qingyang Kingdom, Nangong Ming.
Lady Su stood outside the door, expressionless. She said nothing, only lowering her head slightly.
The maids and mute woman were restrained by people Nangong Ming brought, unable to move. There were also many corpses on the ground.
Nangong Ming carried Yu Sui outside, completely ignoring others, walking naturally to Lady Su and bowing his head to touch foreheads with her: "If not for your soft heart, my daughters would all be dead. You kept one, and I will be grateful to you."
Yu Sui felt at this moment that her father was an even more difficult character than her mother.
Though Nangong Ming spoke in gentle, soft tones, the surrounding atmosphere grew increasingly sinister. The air seemed to be sucked away, invisible gravity pressed on her heart, making her uncomfortable. Fear arose from the bottom of her heart without reason. Yu Sui truly experienced what it meant to have an aura that "could scare children to tears."
She struggled in Nangong Ming's arms, making sounds, frowning to express her discomfort.
Nangong Ming and Lady Su separated, smiling as he looked at Yu Sui, touching her head soothingly: "Su Su, let's go, come home with me."
Lady Su had no choice but to follow Nangong Ming.
This was also Yu Sui's first time leaving that dark little room.
……
The outside world was more interesting than Yu Sui had imagined.
She only had time for a quick glance at Mount Luo's tip of the iceberg before being brought by Nangong Ming back to Qingyang Imperial Capital.
The mountains and seas along this journey, the scenery was breathtaking. Before Yu Sui could savor it enough, she had already stepped into the vermillion gates and red walls of the prince's manor.
Prince Nangong returned to his manor, bringing back the traveling Lady Su and the little princess born abroad.
From the main gate to the main hall, people lined the entire route. Servants bowed their heads submissively, serving according to instructions, holding in their hands clothing, food, and utensils for welcoming and cleansing the dust for the lady and little princess.
From beginning to end, Nangong Ming was only interested in the child in his arms, taking different things to amuse her. Whenever Yu Sui's gaze moved away from something in his hands, Nangong Ming would change to something else.
The main hall was already filled with people from the Nangong family.
Several young ladies held round fans, gently waving them, their gazes occasionally sweeping toward outside the hall. The elderly ladies rested with closed eyes in their seats. At the adjacent table, three boys didn't speak to each other, each playing their own games.
Men dressed in brocade either sat or stood. Those standing frowned tightly, pacing back and forth around the entrance.
Branch family members all stood to one side without speaking.
Nangong Ming had never married. The manor had no principal wife, but had three concubines. Including Lady Su who had now returned, that made four.
As the dark-colored figure approached, both seated men and women stood up.
"Everyone's here?" Nangong Ming carried Yu Sui into the main hall. The flower trees on both sides of the walkway swayed lightly in the morning breeze. He placed Yu Sui on the table, smiling at everyone:
"The prince's manor gains a new little princess. Her name is..."
Nangong Ming looked toward Lady Su: "Does she have a name?"
Lady Su looked back with cold indifference: "No."
Nangong Ming showed no anger, still smiling warmly.
Yu Sui wanted to quietly get down from the table while Nangong Ming wasn't watching her, but accidentally knocked over a bowl. The precious porcelain bowl fell to the ground with a crash.
This shattering sound made the hall's atmosphere strange and oppressive again.
Yu Sui didn't dare move either, sitting on the table edge playing dumb.
Nangong Ming bent down and picked up a piece of the porcelain bowl. He placed the shard in Yu Sui's hand, saying gently: "Broken brings peace. Since it's so fitting, you shall be called Nangong Sui."
When he pronounced the words "Nangong," everyone's gaze turned toward the two of them, with obvious disbelief.
Because they knew that only the future heir to the princely title could bear the surname Nangong.