Chapter 4
Yu Sui looked back with a bewildered and ignorant expression.
Nangong Ming also knew how difficult it would be to explain to the child before him, so he didn't say much, only saying: "He'll live at the manor for a while. In a few days, he'll go to the National Academy to study with you."
Yu Sui lowered her head, flipped through the book pages in her hands, and said: "Then can I recite tomorrow instead?"
Nangong Ming said: "Yes."
The child then grabbed his sleeve and stood up, supported by the mute woman and others as she went back.
……
Yu Sui returned to her room and lay down, sighing in her heart. Living again, yet she still couldn't escape reading, memorizing, and copying.
She had barely closed her eyes when the Strange Fire became active. Yu Sui was covered in sweat, her palms damp. Helplessly, she crawled out of bed and went to the bathing tub behind the screen.
The water in the tub was still warm. Yu Sui stepped on a stool, leaning against the tub's edge, looking at her reflection in the water. Sweat slid down her chin, dripping into the water surface.
Yu Sui felt this couldn't continue. If the mute woman saw this one day, she would definitely tell Lady Su, and that would be trouble.
After the water completely cooled, Yu Sui dove headfirst in. When her entire body was submerged, she opened her eyes. In the rippling water, she saw swaying light and shadow. Her separated consciousness viewed her from another angle, a wisp of flame appearing in her extremely dark pupils.
Yu Sui hardened her heart and angrily shouted at the Strange Fire to come out.
The sound of splashing water rang through the room. Yu Sui, nearly out of breath, emerged from the water. Her soaked long hair stuck to her skin, water droplets continuously falling.
The heat remained.
Yu Sui raised her hand. At her pale fingertips, a small flame was burning.
She opened her five fingers then closed them, the flame disappeared. Opening them again, the flame appeared.
Yu Sui gradually mastered the trick of summoning the Strange Fire. The entire night passed in this repeated practice. That flame, about the size of a fingernail, evaporated the water vapor from the floor and dried her soaked hair and clothes.
The next day, Yu Sui boarded the carriage to the National Academy drowsily. After arriving at the Academy, she lay on her desk and slept. The teacher on the platform saw this and sighed repeatedly in his heart.
Princess Shangyang propped her head up with one hand and asked her: "Why do you sleep every day?"
Yu Sui changed positions, burying her head in her arms, saying in a muffled voice: "Because I have to recite books at night."
Princess Shangyang couldn't stop laughing after hearing this.
Compared to the listless Yu Sui, the equally six-year-old Princess Shangyang was full of energy every day, leading her little companions in dominating the National Academy.
At sunset, Yu Sui returned to the manor with her three elder brothers.
She was so tired she could barely walk straight, nearly falling when getting off the carriage.
The three elder brothers beside her looked over with various expressions. Yu Sui rubbed her eyes, limping as she walked inside.
Recently, Yu Sui would kneel for two hours at a time. After returning, she had to massage for another hour before she could walk normally the next day.
Lady Su's meaning was that whenever she could finish reciting all the books the teachers taught, then she could stop kneeling.
Today Yu Sui knelt in front of Lady Su's door in a daze. The door wasn't open, and no one was watching around. She wondered if she could slack off and was about to stand up when the door opened from inside, startling her into kneeling back down.
The person who came out was the boy Nangong Ming had brought back last night.
He had changed into clean clothes: black long pants, white upper garment, and a black belt tied tight. Though simple, the fabric was as precious as what the manor's princes wore.
The boy seemed not to expect Yu Sui kneeling outside either. He paused and said in a low voice: "Only I'm here."
Meaning Lady Su wasn't inside.
Yu Sui then stood up.
She looked at the unfamiliar boy before her. He should be an important person to Nangong Ming.
Yu Sui bent down to rub her knees, asking the boy in confusion: "Who are you, why are you here?"
The boy didn't answer. He walked outside, saying with his back to Yu Sui: "I won't stay here. Please thank your mother for me."
His departing figure was very determined and carefree.
Yu Sui tilted her head to watch until he disappeared from her view.
She thought, this poor kid definitely won't be able to leave.
……
The next day, Yu Sui slowly came to the manor's front gate and saw Nangong Ming returning from outside with the boy, who looked completely unwilling.
The three elder brothers beside her all obediently greeted their father.
Nangong Ming hummed in response, casually pulling over the boy beside him and saying: "His name is Gu Qian. Tomorrow he'll go to the National Academy with you."
At this moment, Yu Sui seemed to read a sentence in her three elder brothers' eyes: Dad brought home another illegitimate son from outside.
Yu Sui didn't think Gu Qian was Nangong Ming's illegitimate son. According to this man's style of doing things, if he were his child, he would openly acknowledge it.
Seven-year-old Gu Qian was somewhat rebellious, mainly opposing Nangong Ming. When Nangong Ming told him to go west, Gu Qian would insist on going east.
Gu Qian wasn't like the manor's children. He was wild grass that grew freely outside, completely unafraid of Nangong Ming. Even when pressed to the ground and beaten, he still wouldn't submit, and would dare to do it again next time.
Only those familiar with Nangong Ming knew how indulgent he was toward Gu Qian. Gu Qian almost never felt any pressure from Nangong Ming.
Yu Sui could see Nangong Ming's importance toward Gu Qian from the details. As for her elder brothers, they had developed considerable opinions about Gu Qian.
The eldest brother remained steady as always, still treating Gu Qian courteously.
The other two would roll their eyes when they saw Gu Qian. The two brothers would walk away arm in arm, ignoring this "adopted son" their father had picked up.
To avoid being punished by Lady Su to kneel and recite books, Yu Sui actively pulled Gu Qian to study together, telling Lady Su: "Big Brother Gu and I are reading books together. I can't be kneeling while he stands, right? Big Brother Gu says he'd feel embarrassed too."
Gu Qian stood nearby watching her talk nonsense without refuting. Lady Su tacitly accepted her explanation.
Nangong Ming was very satisfied with Yu Sui's initiative to get closer to Gu Qian. Subsequently, he would bring these two children along for whatever he did, creating more opportunities for them.
Though Gu Qian had a stubborn temper and wouldn't submit to heaven or earth, he was very smart.
When he first entered the National Academy, the teachers didn't know his background and gave him some difficulties. Who knew this child understood everything, could answer any question, and had an even stronger presence than you, completely impossible to suppress.
His sharp tongue made the teachers' faces turn various shades, and they left in shame and anger.
Gu Qian thus became famous and gained Princess Shangyang's favor. She chased after him constantly. The more Gu Qian ignored her, the more energetic Princess Shangyang became.
The teachers originally wanted to punish Gu Qian but received a warning from Prince Nangong's manor.
When Yu Sui returned home, she heard her second and third brothers muttering: "Usually when we have problems at the Academy, Dad doesn't care. But when this wild child has problems, Steward Xu personally goes to the Academy. It's really infuriating to compare people."
Third brother huffed: "Without name or status, why care about him."
The two walked around the corner and saw Yu Sui at the corridor corner.
Yu Sui hesitated and pressed against the wall to make way, saying: "I didn't hear anything."
The two elder brothers: "..."
You might as well not have said anything!
Given that she was Nangong Ming's designated heir, the two elder brothers' faces went through several changes before they closed their mouths and went their separate ways.
Yu Sui didn't think her status was particularly noble.
Even though the three princes couldn't get Nangong Ming's exclusive favor, he didn't completely neglect his sons either. The princes had all the status and prestige they should have, plus their own mothers as backing.
Yu Sui was different.
Her parents were bent on tormenting her, completely using her as a tool for their cooperation. Her mother's attitude was obvious: she would never be as important as her elder daughter Qing Kui.
She also bore the World Destroyer mark. If exposed, her unreliable parents couldn't stop the pursuit of practitioners from all Nine Schools across the world.
Not only couldn't they stop it, they might even strike first.
Yu Sui withdrew her gaze from watching her brothers walk away and rubbed her face, sighing in her heart: Fortunately, she was a mentally mature adult. If she truly had the mind of a six-year-old child, who knows how many times she would have died already.
……
As spring passed and summer arrived, Yu Sui found it increasingly unbearable to endure the Strange Fire's restlessness after nightfall. Fortunately, the mute woman and others would place cooling items in her room.
This was probably the benefit of being a princess of the manor.
What Steward Xu sent was "Liu Dan Jade Stone," about one meter high, sea-blue in color, crystal clear, carved into a fan shape. The cold air it released could keep her entire courtyard cool and comfortable even during summer's hottest times.
But it couldn't suppress the Strange Fire's heat.
Yu Sui secretly studied the Strange Fire in her room every night.
She looked at the small flame burning on her fingertip and sighed sadly: "What use are you really?"
At most, the function of warming by fire in winter.
She summoned the Strange Fire every day and would separate her consciousness to observe it. Tonight, Yu Sui couldn't sleep from the heat. She sat beside the Liu Dan Jade Stone, spread her palm to summon the Strange Fire, and suddenly noticed this flame seemed larger.
Yu Sui observed curiously for a moment, her dark eyes staring unblinkingly at the Strange Fire on her fingertip. It stood motionless, but she could see in the depths of the flame what seemed to be a glowing small round point.
The point was slowly pulsating, as if wanting to break free from the flame's prison.
Yu Sui reached out to grab it, clearly touching something ice-cold. She carefully extracted the round point from the flame.
When separating the point from the flame, Yu Sui had the feeling of peeling away flesh to extract her own heart, bizarre and eerie. She intuitively felt this wasn't good and immediately put it back.
Yu Sui knew very little about cultivation matters.
What the National Academy currently taught was all non-supernatural parts, seemingly considering the children still too young to be exposed to such things.
Yu Sui could only find her own way, but absolutely couldn't let other people notice.
……
Her elder brothers had an average relationship with Yu Sui, with little communication. If she went to cooperate with the three princes, Lady Su would definitely find out.
Yu Sui could only go to Gu Qian.
Gu Qian was very smart. Nangong Ming had tested his talent, which far exceeded his own children's. Even his most excellent third son couldn't compare to him.
So while Yu Sui was still learning music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, Gu Qian was already reading books on supernatural arts like divination and mystical techniques.
Gu Qian didn't live in the manor, but he had to come to the manor every day to go to the National Academy together with the princes and princess. Occasionally after arguing with the princes, Gu Qian wouldn't come to the manor and would go directly to the Academy.
Recently was one of those periods when Gu Qian had fallen out with the princes and wasn't coming to the manor.
Yu Sui could only look for him at the National Academy.
The little princess of the manor hadn't inherited her parents' talents but had inherited their beauty and looks. Though young, she was born delicate and exquisite.
Gu Qian had a good impression of Yu Sui, at least better than her elder brothers. Plus, having received treatment from Lady Su, when Yu Sui said she wanted to play at his house, Gu Qian didn't refuse.
……
Gu Qian lived alone.
The house was not far from the manor, with courtyards front and back. The surroundings were quite quiet, the home clean and tidy, with a separate study next to the bedroom.
The study was filled with books related to the Nine Schools' cultivation.
Even away from the manor, Yu Sui couldn't freely browse in the study because the Strange Fire's reaction told her there were still people monitoring nearby.
The target might be Gu Qian, or it might be her.
Whatever she played with and said at Gu Qian's house would be reported in detail to Nangong Ming by the following hidden guards.
Gu Qian stood on a stool, tiptoeing to get several books for her: "Can you finish reading these?"
"I can't finish them," Yu Sui accepted the books and hugged them. "Can I come continue reading tomorrow?"
Gu Qian was startled by her earnest gaze, turning his head away: "Come if you want."
Yu Sui would ask Gu Qian questions as she turned each page, not understanding anything. Gu Qian went from patiently explaining to losing patience, complaining while explaining.
"What were you doing when the teachers were lecturing?" Gu Qian was very puzzled.
Yu Sui put her hands together beside her face, making a sleeping gesture.
Gu Qian: "..."
He said: "If you come last in the monthly exam, Lady Su won't let you off."
"I'm already working very hard," Yu Sui drooped her head. "How about this, I'll read through it once first, save up all my questions, then ask you later?"
Gu Qian saw her pitiful appearance and softened: "Fine."
The first day, Yu Sui didn't touch books related to the Nine Schools' arts. She went back and forth to Gu Qian's house for over ten days. The monitors gradually relaxed their vigilance before Yu Sui slowly began reading what she wanted to see.
Occasionally when Gu Qian asked if she understood, she would shake her head and point to a character: "What does this character read? What does it mean?"
Gu Qian would sigh like a little adult.
This foolish princess, how would she manage the entire manor in the future?
……
Yu Sui learned quite a lot from the books in Gu Qian's study.
At least she understood what the round point in the Strange Fire was.
The point emitted a milky white lustrous glow. That was the "Five Elements Light Core" representing a cultivator's talent. All future cultivation and power would be given and stored by the Five Elements Light Core.
When Nine Schools practitioners reached the tenth realm Master level, the Five Elements Light Core would transform into a golden "Divine Soul Dual Core." The Divine Soul Dual Core had a clear power gap compared to the Five Elements Light Core. Yu Sui hadn't yet seen from books what the difference was.
As a cultivator, whether it was the Five Elements Light Core or the Divine Soul Dual Core, it was unique. Once destroyed, it couldn't be cultivated again.
Reading this point, Yu Sui felt it was strange.
That night, Yu Sui looked at the white small round point rotating in the flame on her fingertip. This should be what the book called the "Five Elements Light Core," the source of a cultivator's power.
Like last time, she separated this Five Elements Light Core from the flame and took it out.
The Five Elements Light Core was pinched between her fingers, ice-cold like a fragile glass ball that would shatter at a touch. After several breaths, Yu Sui made a bold decision, she crushed this fragile glass ball.
After a subtle cracking sound, the Five Elements Light Core turned into white fluorescent light and scattered.
Yu Sui touched her heart, no reaction. Looking at the flame in her hand again, in the orange-yellow flame, a new white Five Elements Light Core had re-condensed.
Only then did she let out a light sigh of relief. It seemed she hadn't gambled wrong.
Yu Sui finally discovered the Strange Fire's ability beyond winter warming.
It seemed capable of birthing "countless" Five Elements Light Cores for herself.