Chapter 22
Yu Sui hadn't learned Wind-Riding Techniques, but she had memorized the sixty-four trigrams universal Nine Schools Arts that Master mentioned. She just needed to be able to extract Five Elements Light Core power to formally cultivate Nine Schools Arts.
She hesitated whether to tell Master about the Breath Soil problem, fearing that having Master help explore Breath Soil issues would inevitably involve Strange Fire's existence.
Yu Sui wasn't confident yet.
Though Master cared for her considerably, answering all questions and teaching patiently, Yu Sui hadn't reached the point of complete trust in Saint Chang Gen.
The risk was too great. Yu Sui would still ponder certain problems herself.
This was also the difficulty in her cultivation.
When encountering problems, she'd worry about Strange Fire and couldn't tell others about all the difficulties, not daring to let others guide her easily.
The month of basic instruction quickly came to an end.
After class this day, Yu Sui saw Gu Qian at the entrance. He'd given advance notice that he would come see her today.
Yu Sui didn't go to the Ghost Way Saint Hall today and went with Gu Qian to eat dinner at the dining hall.
Gu Qian said: "I've been quite busy recently and only had time to see you today. I heard you were scolded by Jing Yunkui before?"
Yu Sui focused on eating without looking up: "That was just at the beginning. He doesn't scold me now."
Gu Qian raised an eyebrow: "I was going to avenge you."
Yu Sui smiled and explained: "I didn't expect there was this kind of relationship. Apparently when Master was alive before, he taught many students at Taiyi. One of those students later took a personal disciple, and that disciple taught the current Teacher Jing."
"How old Saint Chang Gen of the Ghost Way School actually is counts as one of Taiyi Academy's unsolvable mysteries." Gu Qian had heard this before and now asked her: "Are the basic classes hard to learn?"
"Not bad," Yu Sui said. "Rote memorization works too."
Gu Qian nodded. For this kind of basic teaching, he wasn't worried about Yu Sui not learning it. Like Yu Sui told Nangong Ming before, she just learned slowly, not that she couldn't learn.
Nangong Ming also hadn't completely given up on her for this reason.
Yu Sui always remembered Nangong Ming's words from back then: being too stupid also comes with a price.
So what she showed Nangong Ming was always just right.
As for Yu Sui sleeping in class during the day, Gu Qian was used to it—she'd been like this since childhood.
Gu Qian had also asked Yu Sui why she lacked energy and wanted to sleep during the day. Yu Sui said she didn't know either, maybe because she didn't like listening to teachers lecture—when they talked, she'd feel drowsy.
"I didn't expect you'd still be like this after growing up," Gu Qian said with slight sentiment. "I remember before, I'd be talking to you, then turn around to find you'd already fallen asleep leaning against a pillar."
Yu Sui laughed with a "pfft."
Back then, Gu Qian was a prominent figure at the National Academy, dazzling wherever he went, surrounded by Ji Meng and others, while another group opposed Gu Qian. During archery and swordsmanship classes, these boys would always end up arguing.
Yu Sui had been beautiful since childhood. Many boys at the National Academy liked her. Seeing Yu Sui close to Gu Qian, they also looked unfavorably on Gu Qian.
Gu Qian was often targeted by these boys who liked Yu Sui.
Every time they quarreled desperately over Yu Sui, Yu Sui would be asleep leaning against Zhongli Que behind them. Zhongli Que sat upright and dignified, lending her shoulder for Yu Sui to sleep on, sometimes finding the boys in front too noisy.
"Still laughing?" Gu Qian said irritably. "That wasn't just once or twice. You should improve somewhat. How dangerous would it be if I wasn't there?"
"Much better than before," Yu Sui sniffled—it was a bit spicy. Just as she looked up, Gu Qian had already reached over to pour her tea.
Xun Zhiya and Shu Chujun, who had just reached the dining hall's second floor, immediately spotted Gu Qian and Yu Sui in the distance. Seeing them chatting and laughing, Xun Zhiya lowered her eyes slightly.
"Should we go over?" Shu Chujun said. "Let's go listen to what they're saying."
Xun Zhiya shook her head.
Shu Chujun looked at her with disappointment: "What are you afraid of? What can't be heard? This way you're actually......"
"Let's go," Xun Zhiya softly interrupted, heading toward the third floor.
She had just turned around when she caught sight of Sheng Hao and Mu Mengbai coming up from below.
Mu Mengbai walked while reciting dish names. Sheng Hao listened absently, but after going upstairs, he immediately spotted Yu Sui and Gu Qian among the crowd, his face instantly turning ugly.
"Hey? Where are you going?" Mu Mengbai had intended to continue to the third floor but suddenly saw Sheng Hao change direction, hurrying to follow.
Seeing this, Shu Chujun said gleefully: "Now it's getting interesting."
Xun Zhiya frowned.
When Sheng Hao strode over, both Yu Sui and Gu Qian noticed. Seeing him approach, Gu Qian raised an eyebrow slightly, unhurried.
Mu Mengbai enthusiastically greeted Yu Sui: "So little sister is here too. What does little sister want to eat? Your brothers will treat—let's go eat on the third floor together?"
"Senior Brother Mu, Third Brother."
Yu Sui, who had been focused on eating, looked up with a smiling face to greet them.
Sheng Hao sat down beside Yu Sui expressionlessly, staring coldly at Gu Qian across from him, opening with: "Why don't you get lost?"
Gu Qian didn't give Sheng Hao a pleasant expression either, equally cold: "I was here first. If anyone's getting lost, it's you."
Sheng Hao's status and position had accustomed him since childhood to looking down on everyone with a superior attitude of judgment, so in terms of arrogance, no one here could match him. At this moment, when Sheng Hao looked coldly at Gu Qian, it was like looking at the world's most filthy, most disgustingly base trash.
"When did it become your turn, you lowly wretch, to discuss precedence with me here?" Sheng Hao laughed coldly, his methodical words carrying a chill.
Mu Mengbai waved his hand to fan Sheng Hao, hoping he'd cool his anger, while lowering his voice to remind: "Two points, you only have two points left."
Gu Qian also laughed, leaning back with a mocking smile as he stared at Sheng Hao: "Every time I hear you say these things, I'm sick of it. Aren't you tired of saying it?"
The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point, with conflict ready to explode.
Yu Sui had never interfered in boys fighting and quarreling since childhood.
Yu Sui considered this none of her business—they were fighting and causing trouble for their own damned competitive spirit.
This was the peak time for students coming and going from the dining hall, as evening approached and everyone rushed to have a good meal before the dining hall raised prices.
With more people coming and going, more onlookers gathered.
Xun Zhiya and Shu Chujun hadn't left the second floor.
People who had finished eating on the third floor were gradually coming down.
Xing Chun came down carrying a food box, talking to Mei Liangyu beside him who was playing with his Wind-Listening Ruler. Neither paid attention to the second floor situation, but Zhongli Shan glanced over, stopped walking, and said: "They're about to fight over there."
"Who?" Xing Chun craned his neck over. "Oh, Little Mei, your Junior Sister's brother versus her little childhood sweetheart."
He quietly called to Mei Liangyu, who had already walked down the stairs.
Mei Liangyu came back up, looking in the direction the two indicated.
"The atmosphere looks pretty bad," Xing Chun said. "Sheng Hao is still two points short—he wouldn't dare make a move, would he?"
Zhongli Shan said: "He would."
After three exchanges, Sheng Hao was about to fight Gu Qian. Just as he stood up, he was quickly pressed back down by Mu Mengbai: "Two points!"
After Mu Mengbai spoke, he desperately made eye contact with Yu Sui, who was still buried in her food, signaling her to either persuade her brother or persuade Gu Qian.
Seeing them about to fight, Yu Sui pulled her unfinished food into her arms and turned sideways.
Mu Mengbai: "......"
He used all his life's strength not to cry.
Mei Liangyu was amused by Yu Sui's action and didn't bother watching whether Sheng Hao and Gu Qian actually fought, withdrawing his gaze and heading downstairs.
"Not watching anymore?" Xing Chun asked.
"Busy," Mei Liangyu said, walking two steps before turning back. "You two are also quite busy—one has a star chart rotating, one has military formations to monitor."
Hearing this, Xing Chun and Zhongli Shan stopped watching the excitement and used Wind-Riding Techniques to rush downstairs.
Gu Qian wasn't afraid to fight Sheng Hao. Though he'd also lose points, he wasn't close to demotion level. If Sheng Hao dared make a move, he'd drop from Class A to Class B—a major loss.
Moreover, Gu Qian was confident that in such matters, Yu Sui would always help him in the end.
Mu Mengbai expended great effort to restrain Sheng Hao, almost binding him, dragging and pulling him up to the third floor.
Gu Qian watched them leave with a wooden expression, only snorting lightly after they disappeared from sight.
Yu Sui continued eating, biting her chopsticks as she looked up at Gu Qian: "Brother Gu, do you and Third Brother fight at the academy too?"
"I don't want to," Gu Qian shrugged. "But you know his temper—when he wants to fight, no one can stop him."
Yu Sui said: "Wasn't he just stopped?"
Gu Qian added: "Without Mu Mengbai there, just see if he could be stopped."
"Third Brother wasn't so hot-tempered before. When we were little, though he disliked you, he wouldn't necessarily fight to the death whenever he saw you," Yu Sui said.
Gu Qian said indifferently: "Has he? He's always been like this."
Yu Sui tucked fallen hair behind her ear, smiling as she looked at Gu Qian, ending this topic.
……
This past month, Yu Sui had barely returned to the residence, constantly running between the Yin-Yang School and Ghost Way Saint Hall.
Tonight Yu Sui planned to return to the residence to rest. Though she couldn't sleep well at night, lying in bed felt different.
Yu Sui took the Dragon Stairs up, encountering others entering along the way—both boys and girls. She stood in the corner, hearing the young people who entered laughing from the start.
"The Military School really has so many weirdos—they even have students who aren't quite male or female," a boy laughed heartily. "That guy looks soft and weak like a pretty boy, but turns out to actually be female!"
"Don't mention it, I'm almost sick of her," a girl said worriedly. "Before in the changing room, I had just undressed when I saw Li Jin Shuang come in. I thought some man had broken into the changing room and nearly attacked!"
"I was so scared I had nightmares for several days!"
Someone said in surprise: "Hey, Li Jin Shuang still dares go there? Wasn't she banned from going?"
The girl said: "She was only banned these past few days. Before that, wasn't it allowed? I'm really sick of her."
"Why does she insist on dressing like a man when she's perfectly fine? Isn't that sick?" The boys laughed, shoulders around each other. "She's not even embarrassed."
The girl said: "I heard from Senior Sister Shu that she's been like this since childhood—probably doesn't like being female, likes being like you stinky men."
"Hey, hey, don't drag us into this while you're talking! We men don't acknowledge freaks like Li Jin Shuang who are neither male nor female!" a boy exclaimed. "I wish she'd quit the Military School and stop disgracing our school!"
Just as the boy finished speaking, the Dragon Stairs suddenly stopped. A woman in yellow robes at the front turned around, frowning slightly with strong presence, sneering coldly at the boys and girls behind: "Who said the Military School has many weirdos?"
The lively Dragon Stairs suddenly fell silent.
Yu Sui, standing against the wall, tilted her head to look. Her gaze fell on the yellow-robed woman's waist, where three vermillion wooden divination sticks of varying lengths were tied. Generally, those carrying three divination sticks belonged to the Technical Arts School.
"I'm asking you a question—gone mute? You were quite talkative just now, speaking evil of others behind their backs without restraint. Why can't you say a word now?" The yellow-robed woman's cold gaze swept over them, locking onto the last boy. "Having a disciple like you is the Military School's real disgrace. I think you should switch schools early and stop shamelessly staying in the Military School, embarrassing all the other disciples."
The boy's face turned blue and red from being scolded, angrily saying: "Who are you? What right do you have to......"
Before he could finish, the yellow-robed woman's presence intensified as she shot him a fierce glare, then looked at the remaining boys and girls: "Tell me, which school are you from? Let me see if you're qualified!"
"I-I didn't say anything wrong!" the girl said stubbornly. "And what business is it of yours anyway?"
"Forget it, Su Tong, why argue with them." The blue-robed woman beside her held back laughter, pulling the yellow-robed woman out of the Dragon Stairs.
Su Tong was being pulled away but didn't forget to turn back, harshly telling the boys and girls in the Dragon Stairs: "You all better be careful these next few days—watch out for disasters falling from the sky!"
The Dragon Stairs door closed and continued upward. Inside was deathly quiet, no longer lively as before.
The boys seemed to recover, cursing: "Who does she think she is?"
"She-she seems to be from the Technical Arts School," someone said fearfully. "What did her last words mean? Did she just perform divination?"
"Don't scare yourself!" the girl said angrily. "We were talking about Li Jin Shuang, not her! She has nothing to do with Li Jin Shuang!"
The Dragon Stairs stopped again. Yu Sui walked out from the corner. When the others saw her, they were startled again. Several new academy students who studied together in Study Hall Number Three looked uncomfortable.
As Yu Sui walked out, she said slowly: "Right, you were badmouthing Li Jin Shuang. Why did you let me, Li Jin Shuang's roommate, hear it too?"
"You......" Before the person inside could finish, the Dragon Stairs door closed again.
……
Yu Sui returned to the dormitory. Flowers by the window had bloomed in full clusters, elegant purple covering the windowsill. Li Jin Shuang stood alone in a corner, arms crossed against the wall, quietly appreciating the flowers with such focus that she paused before noticing someone had entered.
Tonight only the two of them were in the dormitory—Xun Zhiya and Shu Chujun hadn't returned yet.
If Yu Sui also hadn't come back, Li Jin Shuang would be alone, which was why she came from her room to the main room, standing in shadows to peacefully appreciate flowers.
When Yu Sui pushed the door open, Li Jin Shuang became alert, immediately hiding the gentleness she showed when alone, becoming cold again.
Yu Sui carried a small food box—snacks she'd packed from the dining hall when leaving. She asked Li Jin Shuang: "Do you want some?"
Li Jin Shuang lowered her eyes without answering.
"I can't finish it alone, and it would be wasteful not to eat it all." Yu Sui waved the food box at her.
Li Jin Shuang still didn't move.
Yu Sui put the food box on the table and opened it, taking out small dishes to arrange on the surface. She went to get teacups but found no tea water, placing the teapot on the stove.
She looked around, staring at the fire stove: "How do you light this?"
Yu Sui's gaze turned toward Li Jin Shuang.
Li Jin Shuang seemed unable to believe anyone couldn't even light a fire.
Their gazes met. Yu Sui blinked, her innocence carrying a plea for help.
Before Li Jin Shuang could indicate her position, Yu Sui kept looking at her with obvious meaning. After they stared at each other for a while, Li Jin Shuang clearly couldn't stand it, silently walking forward to help Yu Sui light the stove and boil tea.
Yu Sui brought over a small stool to sit by the stove, supporting her chin with one hand while holding her Wind-Listening Ruler with the other: "Li Jin Shuang, let's add each other's Wind-Listening Ruler inscriptions."
Li Jin Shuang stood by the stove looking at flowers.
Yu Sui continued: "Okay?"
In the room's dim yellow light falling on Yu Sui, Li Jin Shuang stood in shadow, her white robes like moonlight. Her hair was bound high in masculine style, with thick eyebrows and a high nose bridge. She always kept her face stern, appearing cold.
Yu Sui supported her face while looking up, her gaze stopping on Li Jin Shuang's eyebrows—they were probably drawn to look like masculine, heroic thick brows, making her overall image tend toward resolute and cold.
At first glance, she was a refined young gentleman.
Looking closer, she should be a beautiful young lady.
"If you don't speak, I'll take it as agreement." Yu Sui brought up her Wind-Listening Ruler's inscription interface, extending it toward Li Jin Shuang: "Here."
Li Jin Shuang still maintained her stern expression, her whole body radiating heavy coldness.
Yu Sui's extended hand waited for quite a while without withdrawing, still looking at Li Jin Shuang.
Li Jin Shuang seemed to want her to give up, but Yu Sui carefully examined every contour of her features with pure, harmless observation. This made Li Jin Shuang unable to maintain composure. She quickly touched Yu Sui's Wind-Listening Ruler and immediately turned back to her room.
Yu Sui made a sound of surprise, looking at her Wind-Listening Ruler, then at Li Jin Shuang's closed door, somehow amused by her reaction.
That speed—as if I was going to eat her.
Yu Sui looked back at her Wind-Listening Ruler with a leisurely expression, calling through the door to Li Jin Shuang: "Do you still want the tea and snacks?"
She sent the same message to Li Jin Shuang through the Wind-Listening Ruler.
After a moment, Li Jin Shuang replied: "No."
Yu Sui ate alone for a while but indeed couldn't finish everything. She put the remainder back in the food box, leaving a message for Li Jin Shuang that she could come out and take some if she wanted, then returned to her own room.
Not having returned for many days, dust had settled on the bedside table. Yu Sui looked at the dust and couldn't help but clean the room first before lying back on bed.
She opened her Wind-Listening Ruler to check the status of cipher text infiltrating the communication array. After over twenty days of contamination, she had finally completely polluted the super-giant communication array covering all of Taiyi.
Every Number Mountain contained her cipher text continuously growing and infiltrating. To avoid leaving traces that could be discovered, the cipher text Yu Sui planted in the Number Mountains was constantly being reborn and dying daily.
Through this cipher text, Yu Sui expanded the communication array's range, enabling message transmission to distant Qingyang's imperial capital.
She sent a message to Zhongli Que: "I finally cracked Taiyi's communication array!"
The response was almost instant.
Zhongli Que said: "I've been waiting for you so long!"
She sat up excitedly from bed, then lay back down, curling up under the covers to reply:
"I knew that once you went to Taiyi, you'd definitely crack the communication array first."
"But with so many Thirteenth Realm experts and Saints at Taiyi, you must be careful."
"The Nangong family received news from Taiyi ten days ago saying you were accepted as personal disciple by Ghost Way Saint Chang Gen. Prince Nangong was very happy to hear this."
Yu Sui replied: "He's celebrating too early."
Zhongli Que carefully typed in the character grid, asking how Yu Sui was doing there—whether she was eating and dressing well, how the study atmosphere was, whether anyone was bullying her, and so on.
Yu Sui patiently answered each question and asked about her situation in return.
The two exchanged updates on their circumstances, occasionally inserting amusing stories, both reading with laughter.
Zhongli Que was amazed by Saint Chang Gen's existence and felt troubled about Yu Sui's current cultivation problems.
"By the way, didn't you mention Su Tong before? You said your brother would inadvertently bring her up every time he came home. I happened to meet her today," Yu Sui said. "She's a very beautiful sister."
She told Zhongli Que about what happened in the Dragon Stairs tonight.
"She's so impressive," Zhongli Que said sincerely. "No wonder my brother likes her."
But they didn't discuss this topic long, as both knew that Zhongli family men couldn't marry Nine Schools practitioners.
They talked about Gu Qian. Zhongli Que was surprised by Gu Qian's changes: "Many girls liked him when we were little, and apparently it's the same now that we've grown up."
"This is the first time I've heard about the Pagoda Tower. I have heard my father and brother discuss the Non-War Pact before. The Six Kingdoms are no longer balanced now—some strong, some weak. Even with the Non-War Pact, the Six Kingdoms haven't restricted interaction. As long as they don't use Nine Schools Arts for war, they won't trigger the pact's power."
Yu Sui also knew the general situation of Xuangu Continent.
Qingyang, Taiyuan, and Princess Shangyang were strong nations with comparable power, each having advantages the others couldn't match. Zhou, Dan, and Yan were weak nations with declining strength. Only Zhou among the three had one Saint.
Not all Nine Schools Arts were suitable for combat.
Nine Schools Arts also had various levels—strong, weak, suitable for battle, suitable for escape and survival, etc.
Weak nations couldn't be attacked but could be infiltrated.
Take Yan nation—within Yan's current royal court, there were no longer any Yan people, only "others" from the other kingdoms who had infiltrated Yan, yet they controlled Yan's present and future fate.
People disappointed with Yan gradually went to the other five kingdoms.
Yu Sui knew one person from Yan who had come to Qingyang.
He was the second person Yu Sui would actively contact through Wind-Listening Ruler.
Yu Sui called him Old Yan.
She didn't know Old Yan's background, age, or past—only that he was from Yan nation, wandering to Qingyang's capital. When first meeting him, he was skin and bones, wearing tattered black clothes, only his left hand holding a bowl while his right sleeve hung empty, walking unsteadily.
Just a street beggar.
Every time Yu Sui returned from the National Academy, she would drop a gold coin before him.
Old Yan would use her gold coin to buy food, then place the remainder on fresh leaves the next day, gesturing for Yu Sui to take it back.
After this back-and-forth for two or three months, Old Yan finally spoke his first words to Yu Sui.
The old man, seemingly with one foot in the coffin and full of death aura, stared at the finely dressed little girl in a pink dress before him, opening his mouth to produce a decayed voice: "Why?"
Yu Sui said: "I want to save you."
He was full of death aura, yet Yu Sui insisted on not letting him die.
After that day, Old Yan came alive.
He was taciturn but would fulfill any request from Yu Sui.
Except regarding cultivation matters.
However, Yu Sui hadn't told the truth. She cared about Old Yan because his existence couldn't be sensed by Strange Fire.
He was the only one she'd encountered.
Yu Sui also never asked Old Yan to do anything excessive. After all, what could a one-armed old man do? She just passed useful information obtained from communication arrays to Old Yan.
Old Yan would turn this information into money.
Yu Sui would help cover tracks, erasing all traces of his activities from the capital's communication arrays.
……
"Don't worry about the Pagoda Tower for now," Yu Sui told Zhongli Que. "I won't be in the capital this year. If you have any troubles and I don't reply promptly, be sure to tell Mr. Old Yan."
Zhongli Que nodded while replying: "Mm-hmm!"
Regarding the Pagoda Tower—a game between the Six Kingdoms—for Yu Sui to get involved now would be overestimating her abilities.
After thinking, Zhongli Que added: "Oh right, I've been monitoring Nangong Prince Manor's communications for you recently and discovered Lady Su has gotten a new physician to treat her old injuries. This new physician is a young woman named Chu Jin. She just arrived in the capital and is already called Little Medical Saint."
"She might help cure Lady Su's old injuries this time."
Seeing this message, memories flashed lightning-fast through Yu Sui's mind, finally echoing with a man's deep voice:
"Lady Su is master of Agricultural School's Breath Soil. She was born with half the Breath Soil. Mountain cold transforms to water, unable to refuse Breath Soil's absorption. If staying long at Luo Mountain, she will inevitably accumulate mountain cold throughout her body."
Mountain cold transforms to water, unable to refuse Breath Soil's absorption.
It was absorption, not blocking.
Yu Sui suddenly understood.
Her Five Elements Light Cores were indeed opposing Breath Soil. Breath Soil made arts endlessly regenerative but required absorbing sufficient Five Elements energy. Every time she mobilized Light Core Five Elements energy, she wasn't being blocked—Breath Soil was competing with her for it.
Lady Su also only had half the Breath Soil, so she had to feed this half with Five Elements energy. That's why her old injuries hadn't healed after more than ten years of treatment.
And Lady Su with unhealed old injuries posed no threat in Nangong Ming's eyes.