Chapter 35
Yu Sui truly stared at Mei Liangyu for a long time, and Mei Liangyu neither avoided nor dodged, just letting her look.
The two seemed to be silently competing: one thinking, "I'd like to see how long you can keep looking."
The other thinking, "I'm going to keep looking."
Saint Chang Gen didn't concern himself with such childish stubbornness.
For a moment, the great hall was filled only with the sound of torrential rain outside.
Yu Sui carefully examined Mei Liangyu's features, realizing that Master's words weren't a joke. He was seriously warning her not to discuss such topics with Mei Liangyu.
Because Mei Liangyu would truly dare to act on them.
In Yu Sui's eyes, the motionless Mei Liangyu was like a black and white painting, just like the portraits of the various founding masters hanging in the great hall. With just a few sparse black lines, a vivid phantom was sketched.
However, the founding masters in the portraits were all benevolent, caring for the world and humanity.
The Senior Brother outlined in black lines was cold, frozen motionless in time, and the attitude of disregarding the mortal world in the depths of his eyes could never be changed.
But if he blinked, moved his eyes, or raised his eyebrows, he would instantly become vivid, stepping out from the dark and cold portrait.
The hall door wasn't completely closed. Violent winds carrying torrential rain struck the door. Mei Liangyu's position faced the main entrance directly. The night wind blew several strands of his hair, which flew up for an instant in the line of sight where his gaze met Yu Sui's.
The wind and rain were fierce, but the heart was very quiet.
Yu Sui was still looking at him.
Seriously and carefully observing.
Mei Liangyu was also looking at her, suddenly saying: "Aren't you going to change your medicine?"
Yu Sui blinked. After hearing this, she reached up to touch the medicinal cloth on her neck, only then remembering she should remove it.
"I need to change it, but I can't do it alone." Yu Sui lifted her sleeve and touched the medicinal cloth wrapped around her arm. "Going to the Outer City is too far, and it's late at night with a storm."
Mei Liangyu said: "Then go to the Medical School."
The Medical School was quite close to the Ghost Way School.
Every Medical School disciple had their own herb garden. Upon entering the Medical School, one could smell various strange medicinal scents, sometimes fragrant and pleasant, sometimes bitter.
The terraced fields wound spirally upward to heights that could reach the clouds. Each field was planted with various flowers, herbs, fruits, and medicines. Now with torrential rain pouring down, by the faint starlight at night, one could vaguely see water rushing through the distant terraced fields.
The Class A disciple on duty at the medical clinic tonight was Shi Yuezhen.
She had just returned from completing trials on a neighboring island two days ago. Right after returning, she encountered her duty day. She was now sitting behind a desk flipping through medical texts, occasionally picking up her brush to write key points on paper.
Cang Shu stood beside her, helping to count medicinal materials and pack them into boxes.
The lantern at the door swayed with the night wind, its shadow dancing on the ground. Cang Shu kept glancing outside from time to time. When he saw Mei Liangyu bringing Yu Sui over, his expression remained mild, showing no particular surprise.
Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu each held umbrellas. At the doorway, they closed them and placed the umbrellas against the wall outside the door.
Shi Yuezhen propped her face with one hand, her expression gentle, looking at the two with smiling eyes and brows.
"How rare," Shi Yuezhen's voice was soft, asking warmly: "Treatment or medicine?"
Mei Liangyu indicated with his eyes for her to look at Yu Sui behind him: "Change her medicine."
Yu Sui peeked out from behind Senior Brother, her gaze sweeping past the familiar Cang Shu and settling on the white-robed woman sitting behind the desk.
The woman had beautiful features and an elegant demeanor. When she saw Yu Sui looking over, she met her gaze with a gentle smile, like a warm spring breeze, inspiring goodwill.
However, her eyes were somewhat peculiar.
Her left eye was almond-shaped, gentle and lively, but her right eye had only the white, no pupil, looking rather frightening.
Surprisingly, the peaceful aura surrounding her entire being would minimize the strangeness and peculiarity of her right eye.
Even making people overlook it.
Shi Yuezhen stood up and said to Yu Sui: "Come this way."
She led Yu Sui into the partition across from them, pulling the curtain closed for privacy.
Yu Sui sat by the small bed in the partition, following Shi Yuezhen's instructions to remove her clothing and let her help remove the medicinal cloth.
"Yesterday the medical woman told me that tonight I could remove the medicinal cloth, and after applying medicine for a few more days, there won't be any scars," Yu Sui said softly.
Shi Yuezhen lightly sniffed the scent on the medicinal cloth, nodded and said: "She was right. You've used excellent medicinal materials, and the injured areas have also been treated with harmonized Five Elements energy. It should no longer hurt."
"Are you usually afraid of pain?" Shi Yuezhen asked.
Yu Sui thought for a moment and said: "Yes."
Shi Yuezhen smiled gently, her movements tender: "Then I'll remove it slowly."
Otherwise, pulling at the wounds would hurt more.
Shi Yuezhen occasionally asked Yu Sui questions to distract her attention, and Yu Sui was indeed drawn to her questions, turning her mind to think about how to answer.
She asked: "Looking at the wound marks on your face, they were caused by Ghost Armored Sky Spider's poison silk. Was the person fighting you from the Agricultural School?"
Yu Sui praised: "You're amazing, being able to guess just from looking at the wound marks."
Shi Yuezhen also praised: "An Agricultural School disciple who can refine a Ghost Armored Sky Spider shouldn't be underestimated. It looks like you won, so you're pretty amazing too."
"I didn't really win, otherwise I wouldn't be injured like this," Yu Sui said with an honest smile.
Shi Yuezhen cut the medicinal cloth she had already unwrapped for a long section and continued removing it, saying: "You've only just begun cultivating, and you have plenty of time. You'll definitely become more powerful in the future."
Cang Shu and Mei Liangyu were outside, vaguely able to hear the conversation between the two girls in the partition.
Cang Shu slowly picked medicinal materials and packed them into boxes. Mei Liangyu leaned half his body against the desk, watching Cang Shu sort medicine.
After watching for a while, Mei Liangyu asked Cang Shu: "Do Bitter Yellow Seeds go together with Triple Medicine Flowers?"
Cang Shu answered unhurriedly: "Put together to neutralize the cold nature of Triple Medicine Flowers."
Mei Liangyu reached over to pull the box closer, leaning in to smell: "Isn't that poisonous?"
"Mm," Cang Shu said. "I didn't say it was for saving people."
Mei Liangyu pushed the box back to him with an expressionless face: "Then what are you using it for?"
Cang Shu said: "For feeding Ghost Armored Sky Spiders."
Mei Liangyu made an "oh" sound, suddenly remembering his roommate, saying lazily: "Come to my place later and take away Wei Ren's scorpions, snakes, and spiders."
Cang Shu looked puzzled: "What happened to him?"
"His cultivation was destroyed. The little creatures he raised started not listening to him and crawling around everywhere," Mei Liangyu said. "Come take them away, otherwise it'd be a shame if I crush them all to death."
Cang Shu thought for a moment, then nodded: "Alright."
With power backlash, the master couldn't suppress his own poison creatures. If left unattended, these venomous little things might go crazy and bite people all over the dormitory, which would be even more troublesome.
Mei Liangyu said: "He also has Ghost Armored Sky Spiders."
Cang Shu glanced at the partition: "Wei Ren fought Nangong Sui?"
Mei Liangyu also glanced at the partition: "Seems backwards."
Yu Sui had now finished removing the medicinal cloth, lying face down on the bed with her back bare, while Shi Yuezhen bent over to apply ointment to the wounds on her back.
The woman's smooth, cool black hair gently fell, swaying with Shi Yuezhen's movements as she applied the medicine. Yu Sui's gaze followed those few strands of hair as they moved, until they brushed against her own cheek, causing a slight tickle that made her close one eye.
"Be careful when you go back, don't get it wet," Shi Yuezhen said gently, having Yu Sui sit up. With one hand gently cupping her face and having her tilt her head slightly, she carefully applied medicine to the wounds from her neck to her chin, then pressed and spread it with her fingers.
The two were very close. Yu Sui's eyes glanced down slightly and could see Shi Yuezhen's focused gaze. Looking closely at that white right eye, she discovered it was like a white jade bead, glowing softly.
"Are you listening to me?" Shi Yuezhen looked up at Yu Sui.
"No," Yu Sui said honestly. "I was just looking at your eye."
Shi Yuezhen smiled: "Scared?"
"Not really," Yu Sui shook her head. "It's beautiful, like a jade bead."
She took some time to think about how to describe it: "Very round, smooth, translucent, and beautiful too. It's the kind of jade bead with extremely good quality."
After hearing this, Shi Yuezhen's smile became more obvious. Only her normal eye could show emotion, while the white right eye revealed nothing.
"You're the second person to say that," Shi Yuezhen's tone was light, with a hint of teasing. "But the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it is. You must never stare at it too long. It's a Medical School pupil technique. Looking too long will make you fall in, which won't be good for your body's recovery."
Yu Sui closed her eyes: "Mm!"
Seeing her obediently close her eyes and allow herself to be handled, Shi Yuezhen found this child rather cute.
Removing the cloth and applying medicine took nearly half an hour. The cool ointment became hot from application, and with the Strange Fire's restlessness after nightfall, even on a stormy night, she felt hot and broke out in fine sweat on her forehead.
Shi Yuezhen washed her hands outside and said to Mei Liangyu: "Remember to watch her on the way back. Don't let her get rained on or wet, especially her face."
Mei Liangyu was looking at messages on his Wind-Listening Ruler and didn't look up: "Is this something I need to pay attention to?"
Shi Yuezhen glanced at Cang Shu, who said slowly: "How about having Sheng Hao come pick her up?"
Mei Liangyu still had no reaction, continuing to look at his Wind-Listening Ruler.
Shi Yuezhen asked with a smile: "What is Sheng Hao to her?"
Cang Shu said: "Biological brother."
Shi Yuezhen nodded: "Then he'd certainly be more caring and reliable than a Senior Brother."
Yu Sui came out after getting dressed. Mei Liangyu put away his Wind-Listening Ruler and said: "Let's go."
"Mm!" Yu Sui stepped forward to follow, while waving at Shi Yuezhen: "Thank you tonight, Senior Sister."
Shi Yuezhen smiled: "Remember to come change the medicine tomorrow too."
Yu Sui had just said "okay" when she turned around and was blocked by the person standing at the door. Just as she was about to look up, she saw a flash of black pass before her eyes, and clothing still carrying warmth was already draped over her.
Mei Liangyu, who had removed his outer coat, showed no emotion on his face. His slender fingers passed in front of Yu Sui's eyes, pulling the coat over Yu Sui's head, with the sleeves circling her face and tying in a knot.
"Your Medical School Senior Sister said you can't get rained on or wet, especially your face, otherwise she'll complain to your brother."
The unfamiliar warmth and scent came suddenly. Yu Sui was dazed for a moment before reacting, but Mei Liangyu had already withdrawn his hands, bending down to pick up an umbrella and open it.
The scent of rain and earth at night carried a fresh, clear quality, but what Yu Sui smelled most clearly was the black coat circling her face, carrying warmth.
It was a clean, soft breath like gentle sunlight.
"Senior Brother," Yu Sui called to the person walking ahead while holding her umbrella, "I'm going back to the dormitory."
All the way there was torrential rain and thunder, with startling thunderclaps from time to time, shaking the heavens. When they returned to the dormitory, rainwater flowed across the roads, carrying fallen flowers with it.
Yu Sui closed her umbrella and entered the dormitory. When Mei Liangyu looked back, she said: "I didn't get wet, Senior Brother, don't worry."
The two tacitly walked toward the Dragon Stairs, neither wanting to use Wind-Riding Techniques again.
Mei Liangyu's Wind-Listening Ruler was buzzing. He opened it to look for a while, then replied to messages.
Yu Sui was looking at the Dragon Stairs floor numbers.
She lived on the thirty-ninth floor, but when the Dragon Stairs door opened on the thirty-seventh floor, Yu Sui walked out carrying her umbrella.
Mei Liangyu looked up following her movement, watching Yu Sui walk outside the Dragon Stairs with an inscrutable expression.
"Goodbye, Senior Brother," Yu Sui smiled at him with curved eyes.
Mei Liangyu asked: "Aren't you going back to the dormitory?"
Yu Sui said: "I came back to find Brother Gu."
Oh.
Mei Liangyu blinked lightly. When the Dragon Stairs door closed, the two were still looking at each other until the Dragon Stairs resumed ascending.