Chapter 32
When Yu Sui saw Blackbeard and the others, her mind instantly cleared, all emotions suppressed. As she floated toward shore, she glanced at Wei Ren who was keeping his distance from her.
She had thought she was only tearing open a small crack, only using a tiny cluster of Strange Fire, but it was still like that year, difficult to control.
That year it was Zhongli Que who brought her back to her senses, and tonight if not for that thunder snake, her Strange Fire would have ignited this sea area, and everyone in the Outer City could have seen it.
As Yu Sui grew, the power of the Strange Fire's eruption also increased accordingly.
At this moment, there was still backflowing seawater constantly beating up waves and water sounds. Blackbeard and the others hurriedly came to pull Yu Sui ashore. Seeing the wounds and blood on her body, their faces turned white with shock, and they quickly took off their coats to drape over Yu Sui.
"This subordinate arrived late, allowing the Princess to be severely injured by those despicable villains from the Agricultural School. This subordinate deserves ten thousand deaths." Blackbeard and the other Nangong family practitioners were sweating profusely with shock.
Mei Liangyu looked back at Wei Ren who was still in the seawater.
He had come out of the city tonight to kill Wei Kun. Halfway through the chase, he encountered Blackbeard and the others in a panic, saying something about the Princess being missing, traces of the Agricultural School, what would happen if the Princess died, and so on.
Blackbeard knew he was Yu Sui's Senior Brother, so he asked if there was any way to find Yu Sui.
After all, she was his Master's precious disciple. If she really got killed by Agricultural School people, his Master might be sad and not talk to him for many days again.
Mei Liangyu used divination to find Yu Sui's location and brought people over using Wind-Riding Techniques. There were obvious traces of battle here, Five Elements energy had erupted in the seawater, and the seawater was heavy and dark. He couldn't see Yu Sui and Wei Ren because Yu Sui had pressed Wei Ren too deep underwater, and the moonlight at night couldn't penetrate the cold, deep seabed.
He could only sense the turbulent Five Elements energy and let thunder snakes repel the two forces in the sea before assessing the situation.
The seawater rolled the people from the seabed to the surface. Mei Liangyu had originally thought that the dominating force was the one trying to kill Yu Sui, but after seeing Wei Ren being rolled out by the seawater, then looking at Yu Sui, he was thoughtful.
Wei Ren was being rolled about by the seawater, bobbing up and down. Just as he approached the shore and wanted to come up, he heard a flash of lightning that made him retract his outstretched hand and look up at Mei Liangyu.
"Hey." Mei Liangyu greeted him, "Agricultural School's running dog."
Wei Ren heard this and smiled bitterly, raising both hands, "I really didn't attack her."
Mei Liangyu's peripheral vision swept toward the rear. Quite a few people had come, not only Nine Schools Arts practitioners from the Nangong family, but also those watching the Nangong family from various roads in the Outer City, or those coming to watch the excitement, all now hiding behind the rear cliff, secretly watching the seaside situation.
Among them were definitely Agricultural School people too.
Mei Liangyu roughly calculated that no fewer than thirty people had come.
Earlier, the Five Elements energy had gathered here and the seawater had shaken, making those who didn't know think some Saint was here stirring up the Five Elements energy.
So it would attract some people, and Blackbeard searching for Yu Sui would also alarm those watching the Nangong family.
Mei Liangyu's Wind-Listening Ruler made a buzzing sound, and he tapped it to check.
Nian Qiuyan: "He escaped."
Wei Kun had fled back to the academy.
Mei Liangyu clicked his tongue lightly, turned and walked toward Yu Sui who had come ashore. In these few short steps, his vision captured Lu Haiyu not far away, whose chest had a large hole and who had died from being pierced through the heart.
Yu Sui was draped in the black coat Blackbeard had given her. Her pale little face still had water traces, she hung her head down, with water still dripping from her hair ends. Blood mixed with seawater spread and stained, making her lip color deeper.
Mei Liangyu stared at her for a while and said, "If you can't win, call Master."
Yu Sui's eyelashes trembled lightly as she looked up: "...Is that okay?"
Wei Ren, who was still trapped in the seawater and not allowed to come up, had a subtle expression. She actually didn't know she could summon Saint Chang Gen?
"You're his disciple. When a disciple is being hunted, calling the master to save the disciple, why wouldn't that be okay? He just can't come out on his own initiative. In the Outer City, someone must actively summon him. In all of Taiyi, only you and I can summon him." Mei Liangyu said to Yu Sui, "Call when you should call."
These words seemed to be reminding her, right now.
Yu Sui opened her mouth, struggling to make sound from her throat, calling out softly: "Master."
The instant the torrential seawater backflow ended, the wind was calm and waves were still, yet people felt a silent oppressive force descending from above, an irrefutable invasion of consciousness. Everyone by the seaside and on the cliff received Saint Chang Gen's response:
"I am here."
Yu Sui's gaze was slightly stunned, instinctively lifting her eyes to search for that ink-colored trace, finding nothing, yet feeling Master's presence with incomparable reality.
The feeling of being able to receive a response just by praying was surprisingly wonderful.
Mei Liangyu swept his gaze toward those people watching the show on the distant cliff.
After being invaded by Saint Chang Gen's consciousness, one by one they ran faster than rabbits, leaving this area without stopping.
Blackbeard and the other Nine Schools Arts practitioners from the Nangong family all lowered their heads respectfully, not daring to have any different thoughts or ideas at this moment.
Yu Sui looked at the dark night sky for a while, seeing the bright moon, and suddenly smiled.
Mei Liangyu looked back at Wei Ren who wanted to come ashore, and another lightning strike sent him back. Wei Ren surfaced from the water and glared at him.
"Outside Taiyi Academy, the academy just doesn't interfere with others' grudges and life-and-death struggles. If academy disciples are killed, the academy isn't completely unaware either. Everything that happens on this island can be known by the academy, so points will still be deducted when you return." Mei Liangyu looked at Wei Ren, his peripheral vision sweeping toward Yu Sui, "So, are you going to kill him, or let him go?"
Wei Ren wiped the seawater from his face and emphasized again: "I really didn't attack her!"
Mei Liangyu said with a half-smile, "Aren't you in cahoots with that dead old man behind us?"
Wei Ren's expression paused, not immediately answering. Mei Liangyu lightly lifted his chin, "It's no use telling me. See if my Junior Sister believes you."
Yu Sui stood on the shore looking at Wei Ren bobbing in the seawater, just as she had looked at Lu Haiyu before. Her dark pupils stared directly, making Wei Ren's heart turn cold. When the first trace of fear arose in his heart, he had already lost the strength to resist Yu Sui.
Wei Ren took a deep breath. Although his whole body was soaked, you could still see that he was now sweating profusely. Making a gesture of giving up, he solemnly said to Yu Sui: "I did indeed keep the agreement with you, and didn't tell anyone about your knowing Nine Schools Arts. I only told him about the Breath Soil problem and your whereabouts. I thought you would summon Saint Chang Gen."
"Tonight's matter was my fault. I..."
Yu Sui interrupted him: "Do you know Lady Su?"
Wei Ren reacted quickly: "Yes."
Yu Sui asked again: "Do you know many things about her?"
Although Wei Ren felt these words were somewhat cruel, at this time he should indeed say this to prevent Yu Sui from killing him, so he answered: "I should know more than you do."
"I see," Yu Sui reached up to wipe the seawater from her face, and when she looked at Wei Ren again, she smiled slightly, "I won't kill you, but could you please destroy your own Five Elements Light Core?"
She seemed to have returned to being that elegant, polite little Princess.
Even such cruel words were spoken so politely.
Wei Ren was stunned upon hearing this.
Blackbeard and the others said nothing. In their view, even if Yu Sui really wanted to kill Wei Ren, they would have to act immediately.
However, Blackbeard had an extra thought. The Agricultural School disciple before them seemed to have a close relationship with Lady Su, perhaps they should keep him alive to take back for the Prince to interrogate.
"Princess..." Wei Ren had just started to speak when Yu Sui interrupted again. She also said very seriously, "Just thinking that you're a Fifth Realm practitioner, that I could see you every day at the academy, that someone so much more powerful than me might kill me, makes me afraid."
If Wei Ren wanted to survive at this moment, he should find a way to make Yu Sui trust him and eliminate her wariness toward him.
Even at this moment, Yu Sui didn't mention that Wei Ren practiced Agricultural School forbidden techniques, and Wei Ren didn't mention that Yu Sui had unleashed Military Formation: Asura Hell.
They mutually kept their agreement, but they still had other conflicts that needed resolving.
Before, it was Yu Sui facing a life-and-death choice. Now it was Wei Ren's turn.
Wei Ren's back grew cold. Under everyone's gaze, he dared not make any unusual moves. He had been severely injured by Yu Sui's sudden outburst, and after the Nangong family's Nine Schools Arts practitioners arrived, he had absolutely no chance of escape.
Not to mention there was also Mei Liangyu.
Although Mei Liangyu was a strange person who might not necessarily intervene, it was said that previously when Zhongli Shan was beaten up by others in front of him, Mei Liangyu had just watched from the side without acting.
But Nangong Sui was his Junior Sister, sharing the same lineage, both disciples of Saint Chang Gen. Wei Ren didn't think Mei Liangyu would remain indifferent and not act.
And Saint Chang Gen, perhaps with just one word from Yu Sui, the old man would also help.
"I can't destroy my Five Elements Light Core. For me, that's no different from death." Wei Ren was equally serious and solemn, his nerves taut as he said in a deep voice, "But I can destroy my own cultivation and drop to First Realm."
Mei Liangyu glanced at him sideways. Not shattering the Five Elements Light Core meant not wanting to lose the Nine Schools Arts he possessed. For a Nine Schools Arts practitioner, losing the Five Elements Light Core was indeed equivalent to death.
This self-destruction of cultivation would also cause irreversible damage to the Five Elements Light Core. Although he could still cultivate again, it would be much more difficult than before. He could never hope to surpass Ninth Realm in this lifetime, and would have no chance with Divine Soul Light Core realm.
Yu Sui also knew these things, but she still looked at Wei Ren for a long time.
She also wanted to see what other people looked like when forced to a desperate situation.
Would they be as miserable as her?
Yu Sui had used the power borrowed from Strange Fire, enhancing her Eight Trigrams Life Technique. When she killed Lu Haiyu instantly, lightning flashed brilliantly, and Wei Ren couldn't see what had happened at all before being whipped into the sea by thunder snakes.
In the seawater, Strange Fire floated up from the deep seabed. It had already awakened the destructive desire in Yu Sui's heart. Just when she was about to completely fall into killing intent, she was repelled by another thunder snake.
So Yu Sui was certain Wei Ren hadn't discovered the Strange Fire.
He hadn't had time to discover it.
Because the timing was too coincidental.
Yu Sui had only used Strange Fire's power twice so far.
At thirteen years old by the pond, when she used Strange Fire to burn that careless Nine Schools Arts practitioner to death, her gaze had been attracted by the black flames. That power that disregarded all Nine Schools Arts was too strong, too wonderful, and could be addictive.
From that day on, Yu Sui knew that Strange Fire's power couldn't be used because she couldn't control it.
If her consciousness lost control, Strange Fire would kill Yu Sui first.
She had endured so much just to stay alive.
If Strange Fire devoured and burned the entire Xuangu Continent, such a world would be no different from her dying.
Yu Sui didn't want to be devoured by Strange Fire and lose her rationality, to be controlled by Strange Fire, completely losing herself and becoming just a ball of fire that only knew anger and burned everything in heaven and earth.
And killing intent always made her angry.
Yu Sui stared at Wei Ren, watching him forced into a desperate situation, sweat pouring down his head like rain, teeth clenched, the veins on his neck faintly visible. His gaze trembled lightly, and his hands underwater were perhaps already tightly clenched and afraid to let go, but Wei Ren met Yu Sui's gaze without dodging or avoiding.
All equally miserable.
Yu Sui raised her hand to cover her face and coughed lightly, saying: "Do it."
The breath Wei Ren had been holding quietly dissipated with Yu Sui's words.
He gathered Five Elements energy and said hoarsely: "Alright."
……
Wei Ren destroyed his own cultivation, falling from Fifth Realm to First Realm. Combined with his severe injuries this time, he had no strength to return to the academy.
Yu Sui was also injured and was taken back to the inn by Blackbeard and the others. After she cleaned up, they brought medical practitioners to treat her. Mei Liangyu was eating downstairs. He said he hadn't eaten dinner before coming out to kill Wei Kun. Blackbeard said everything at the inn tonight was free for him, and Mei Liangyu felt this opportunity shouldn't be wasted.
After all, he couldn't watch the treatment and medicine application for Yu Sui anyway.
Static calming incense was lit in the room, smelling refreshing and pleasant. Yu Sui sat by the bedside, watching the medical woman bandage her wrist. Her upper body was undressed, almost entirely wrapped in white gauze with medicine.
The medical woman said gently: "The pain will stop in a moment. Remove the medicinal cloth tomorrow evening and apply the ointment I gave the Princess."
"Will it leave scars?" Yu Sui wrinkled her face looking in the mirror, pointing to the wound on her left cheek carved by spider silk, "That would disfigure me."
"Princess, don't worry. This Clear Face Cream will remove the scars completely for you, making them like new. It absolutely won't leave scars or disfigure you." The medical woman said gently, coaxing, "The Princess will still be the most beautiful Princess."
Yu Sui looked at herself in the mirror.
Tonight, only what the medical woman said wouldn't make her feel annoyed upon hearing it.
The medical woman gently pressed her waist and abdomen, warm Five Elements energy following the medical woman's movements to circulate within Yu Sui's body, repairing her fractured ribs.
"The Five Elements Light Core wasn't injured, and the toxins have been cleared. There's no major problem." The medical woman said to Blackbeard outside the door, "The pain has stopped now. Let the Princess rest for a while before talking to her about matters."
Blackbeard nodded and closed the door for Yu Sui.
Yu Sui felt very tired, her eyelids heavy, but the burning sensation brought by Strange Fire made her unable to sleep peacefully. Fine sweat appeared on her forehead. She reached up to wipe it, then sat up from the bed.
She had Blackbeard come in.
Blackbeard had mentally prepared to be scolded harshly by Yu Sui. After entering the room, he said respectfully: "Princess, what are your orders?"
"In Taiyi, do you listen to me, or to Third Brother, or to Brother Gu?" Yu Sui asked him softly.
Blackbeard's heart jumped with alarm, and he quickly expressed loyalty: "Of course I listen to Princess you. Princess, you are the future heir of the Prince's Manor. I am a person of the Nangong family and will only serve the master of the Nangong family."
Yu Sui had him lift his head to look at her. At this moment, Princess Nangong's gaze was clear, every word sincere: "I couldn't cultivate before, had a poor relationship with Mother, and Father often disliked me, but I also want to prove that I'm worthy of the name Father gave me. You are the first person I met when I came to Taiyi Academy, and also the person who has taken care of me in every way after I could cultivate."
"You're not like those people in the imperial capital who look down on me knowing I'm an Ordinary Practitioner. I like you very much and hope you can become my person, because you are the person I trust most now. In the future, when I inherit the throne, I will definitely bring you to leave Taiyi and return to the imperial capital together."
Blackbeard was bewitched by the girl's sincere bright eyes, and hearing her genuine words, he was already convinced and moved.
Leaving Taiyi and returning to the imperial capital was also his goal for years of effort.
What's more, the Princess even said, I am the person she trusts most now.
"Serving the Princess is a blessing I've cultivated over three lifetimes. With just one word from the Princess, this subordinate will do everything possible to accomplish it." Blackbeard said solemnly.
"I don't want Father to know about tonight's events." Yu Sui said worriedly, "First, I don't want Father to worry. Second, I've noticed some things related to Breath Soil and want to investigate myself, so I can impress Father when the time comes."
"I wonder if you're willing?"
Blackbeard quickly bowed with hands clasped: "If the Princess doesn't want the Prince to know, no one will pass tonight's events back to the imperial capital."
After Yu Sui heard this, the fingers gripping the blanket finally relaxed gently.
How she killed Lu Haiyu.
Nangong Ming would definitely think more after knowing.
Now wasn't the time. The news sent back to the imperial capital could be blocked if possible.
Fortunately, the talent she displayed and her identity as Saint Chang Gen's disciple filled Blackbeard with confidence in Yu Sui, believing she would turn things around in the future and return to the imperial capital to amaze everyone who had once looked down on her.
She was definitely the future heir of the Prince's Manor.
I must maintain a good relationship with the Princess.
Blackbeard was firmly convinced of this.
After Yu Sui finished talking with Blackbeard, she said some more words to reassure him, chatted about Agricultural School Nine Schools Arts related topics, and when the pain in her body had mostly dissipated, she got up and asked: "Where is Senior Brother?"
Blackbeard quickly said: "Downstairs. Does the Princess want to go down and see?"
Yu Sui reached up to touch her neck wrapped in medicinal cloth and asked curiously: "What is he doing downstairs?"
"He was eating earlier." Blackbeard said, "He said he hadn't eaten dinner, so I had the kitchen prepare a table for him, free of charge."
Yu Sui followed Blackbeard downstairs.
It was already late at night. The first floor no longer had the daytime bustle, and there were no customers now. Only Mei Liangyu, who had finished eating, sat by the window playing with his Wind-Listening Ruler.
Hearing someone coming downstairs, Mei Liangyu didn't pay attention.
It wasn't until Yu Sui walked toward him that he looked up, seeing Yu Sui with her neck and wrists wrapped in white medicinal cloth. He raised his eyebrows slightly, looking her up and down, thinking she looked both pitiful and cute like this.
"Senior Brother, are you going back?" Yu Sui asked.
Mei Liangyu tapped his Wind-Listening Ruler and answered: "Master told me to watch over you. I'll leave when you're fine."
"Then let's go." Yu Sui said, "I'm going back to the academy too."
Only then did Mei Liangyu look back at her: "Aren't you going to rest more?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore." Yu Sui raised her bandaged hand and waved it lightly.
Mei Liangyu smiled and put away his Wind-Listening Ruler, getting up: "Alright, let's go."
Yu Sui went outside and got in the carriage, lifting the curtain to look at Mei Liangyu who was still standing outside with an inscrutable expression.
"Senior Brother, are you going to rush back using Wind-Riding Techniques?" she asked.
The long street was quiet, with only the night wind blowing the lanterns on the pillars.
Mei Liangyu replied lazily: "I'm tired, don't really want to use Wind-Riding Techniques to travel."
Yu Sui looked left and right. There were no other tools for him to travel with, so she tilted her head to indicate he should come up.
But Mei Liangyu was made to pause by Yu Sui's small gesture.
……
The carriage speed was comparable to Wind-Riding Techniques. Blackbeard personally drove to escort Yu Sui back to Taiyi Academy, accompanied by three Nangong family Nine Schools Arts practitioners secretly protecting them, just in case.
Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu sat facing each other inside the carriage. Mei Liangyu wasn't playing with his Wind-Listening Ruler, just looking at Yu Sui with a calm expression.
She met Mei Liangyu's gaze and blinked, waiting a while. Finding that Mei Liangyu was still looking at her, Yu Sui couldn't help touching her own face: "Senior Brother, why do you keep looking at me?"
Mei Liangyu crossed his arms, leaning against the carriage wall in a lazy posture, and replied: "What else should I look at?"
Yu Sui rolled her eyes: "Look at something else?"
"Something else what?" Mei Liangyu's gaze swept back, his eyes indicating, "It's just this small in here. Asking me to look at something else to avoid you would seem even more affected. Besides, what's worth looking at in this carriage's decor?"
Yu Sui sometimes had to admire that he really dared to say anything.
Yu Sui asked again: "So what did Senior Brother see?"
Mei Liangyu answered: "I wasn't looking carefully. What do you want me to see?"
Yu Sui thought about it and asked him: "Senior Brother, how are your divination skills?"
Mei Liangyu lightly raised his eyelids: "Very good."
Yu Sui's eyes widened slightly with seemingly curious gaze: "Then Senior Brother, help me read my face and divine my romantic fortune."
Mei Liangyu very straightforwardly refused: "No."
Yu Sui lowered her head: "Oh."
Mei Liangyu asked her: "You don't ask about fortune and misfortune, wealth and status, but ask about romantic fortune?"
"I was born wealthy and don't lack money, so there's no need to look at that." Yu Sui said with an honest face, "Fortune and misfortune are always mixed. It was before, and tonight too. No need to look at that either. The only thing left to look at is this."
Mei Liangyu heard this and narrowed his eyes slightly, his dark pupils reflecting Yu Sui sitting across from him. She alone filled his vision: "You were born wealthy and don't lack money, so naturally you also don't lack romantic fortune. This thing is the most useless to you."
Yu Sui seemed pleased by his words, smiling with her eyes curved.
"Senior Brother..." She was halfway through speaking when Mei Liangyu cut her off, "If you're tired, then sleep. If you don't want to talk, don't force yourself."
Yu Sui was stunned.
Fatigue appeared in her eyes and brows. She sighed softly, looking down with lowered eyes: "But I can't sleep well."
Not that she couldn't fall asleep, but that she couldn't sleep well.
Mei Liangyu didn't respond. If he asked, Yu Sui would answer, but he felt that even opening her mouth to speak was tiring for Yu Sui.
He didn't speak, and Yu Sui didn't speak again either.
Neither mentioned what had happened to Yu Sui tonight. The carriage was quiet and still, but Yu Sui felt more at ease than before.
After returning to the academy, Yu Sui bid farewell to Mei Liangyu and went to Ghost Way Saint Hall by herself.
Mei Liangyu didn't follow either. He watched the figure leaving with Wind-Riding Techniques, on the misty road at night, like a small flower that had been swept up to the sky by a hurricane and was about to fall back into the mud, just wanting to quietly land alone.
Ghost Way Saint Hall was very quiet.
In the deep night, there wasn't even a bit of wind, and the insect chirping had stopped. Yu Sui hung her head and walked up the steps step by step. She felt this place was good. There were too many people in the Outer City, too many people at the academy, and too many people in the dormitory halls.
There were people everywhere in this world.
She wanted to go to a place with no people, or a place people couldn't enter or reach.
After Yu Sui walked up the stone steps, she stopped moving. Her strength could only support her to walk here and could go no further.
She sat down on the stone steps, leaning against the stone pillar at the edge.
The empty ground outside the great hall was covered with green vines. Besides the green vines, there were also many flowering and fruit trees. Spring was coming to an end, many flowering trees had already withered, leaving only green branches and leaves. Some fruit trees, after their blossoms fell, showed small green fruits hanging from their branches.
Yu Sui's gaze wandered aimlessly from the flowering and fruit trees, finally looking toward the distant horizon, staring at some unknown far-off place.
She just looked quietly, and even heaven and earth didn't know what she was thinking.
Until the light of dawn fell upon this world, she gently closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Yu Sui fell asleep at Ghost Way Saint Hall without disturbance, so she slept until afternoon. The sunlight sometimes hid in clouds, casting shade, and sometimes broke through clouds to shine brightly, giving the earth warmth.
Too warm, making Yu Sui slowly wake up.
Mei Liangyu, who was playing with his Wind-Listening Ruler in the Saint Hall, looked up at the outside. The person who had slept there all day was awake, woken up by the too-bright sun.
Yu Sui grabbed her sleeve to wipe her face, raised her hand to shield from the sun, looked left and right, discovered someone behind her, and turned to look back.
Mei Liangyu saw Yu Sui crouching and turning back to look over, thinking she was fully revived, so he brought over a food box and set it down beside Yu Sui.
"Eat here or go inside?" He crouched down and asked Yu Sui.
Yu Sui wiped her face with her sleeve like a little cat washing its face, then looked up slightly at Mei Liangyu, her eyes bright and clear: "Thank you, Senior Brother. I'll eat here."
Mei Liangyu pushed the food box forward: "Remember to pay. Your Senior Brother isn't wealthy and is very short of money."
Yu Sui opened the food box, first pouring herself a drink, holding the cup and taking two sips to moisten her throat: "Mm!"
Mei Liangyu propped his head with one hand watching her: "Junior Sister, if you have too much money to spend, you can give it to me to spend."
Yu Sui held the cup, her gaze pausing slightly as she looked at Mei Liangyu and said: "Senior Brother, I don't spend money on men."