Chapter 40
After Shi Yuezhen entered, Yu Sui quietly reminded her: "Li Jin Shuang woke up, but her mind isn't quite clear."
Li Jin Shuang waking up so quickly surprised Shi Yuezhen a little. She went forward to look, then heard Li Jin Shuang softly calling for Mother.
"I'm here," Shi Yuezhen soothed gently. "You're injured now and need to rest well, or Mother will be sad."
Yu Sui: "..."
She looked up, gazing at Shi Yuezhen with admiration.
Shi Yuezhen patiently and tenderly coaxed the confused Li Jin Shuang. After seeing her close her eyes and quiet down again, she turned to Yu Sui and said: "She really needs to rest well. Chaotic Five Elements energy isn't a minor injury. I used pupil techniques to forcibly suppress her mental strength, but she's unwilling to rest and has strong willpower, so she appears confused when struggling."
Yu Sui nodded innocently: "So she sees her mother?"
"That's perhaps the person she misses most deeply in her consciousness," Shi Yuezhen applied medicine to Yu Sui's back. "Sorry to keep you waiting so long. If your Senior Brother hadn't reminded me, I almost forgot again."
"Senior Sister, you're already working so hard being this busy. Besides, I just need medicine applied. I'm the one troubling you," Yu Sui obediently lay by the bedside.
Shi Yuezhen's gaze softened upon hearing this, her fondness for Yu Sui growing even more.
"Several more injured disciples came just now. Although I've called for help, I still need to trouble you to watch Li Jin Shuang and not let her wake up," Shi Yuezhen said. "She needs to sleep through tonight to recover properly."
"When the person I called arrives, they'll take over watching her. Just need to trouble you a little while longer."
Yu Sui said: "Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll watch her. But what if she wakes up?"
Shi Yuezhen: "Just like I did earlier, coax her and that's enough."
Yu Sui: "..."
That's a tiny bit difficult.
After Shi Yuezhen finished applying medicine, Yu Sui had to wait for the ointment to take effect before getting dressed. While she and Li Jin Shuang stared at each other, Xing Chun and Cang Shu arrived at the medical clinic with dinner.
Cang Shu went to relieve Shi Yuezhen, letting her eat first.
Shi Yuezhen sat at the small table and opened the food box. Cang Shu asked: "Why have you been on duty for several consecutive days?"
"They're all busy lately," Shi Yuezhen just smiled slightly.
Xing Chun opened his food box and said: "Every time the Military School opens formations, the Medical School is busiest. Don't they know which day the Military School opens formations? Getting busy beforehand?"
Shi Yuezhen just smiled without speaking.
Mei Liangyu signaled Xing Chun to look at Cang Shu and stop talking.
Xing Chun made a zipping gesture.
After distributing the food, Mei Liangyu carried a food box and knocked on partition one's door: "Eat."
Yu Sui tilted her head to look toward the door, then glanced at the not-yet-dried ointment on her shoulder. Supporting her head with one hand, she looked at the curtain with a bright smile: "Senior Brother, pass it to me from below. I can't put my clothes on yet."
Mei Liangyu passed it through from under the curtain.
"What's there to eat?" Yu Sui asked.
Mei Liangyu replied irritably: "See for yourself."
"If there's nothing I want to eat, could I trouble Senior Brother to buy more?" Yu Sui said. "I'll pay."
Mei Liangyu asked: "What do you want to eat?"
Yu Sui listed a string of dishes, all meat buns or meat sandwiches. Just listening made her sound very hungry.
After Mei Liangyu patiently listened, he refused outright: "No."
Yu Sui dragged her dress slowly to the curtain and opened the food box. With only a curtain between them, Mei Liangyu could even hear the rustling sound of fabric inside.
Then came the sound of her opening the food box, and the aroma of food immediately overcame the bitter medicinal smell.
Yu Sui's happy voice came from inside: "Senior Brother, no need to buy anything. These are all things I like to eat."
Mei Liangyu glanced toward the partition. What's she so happy about? I already said I wouldn't buy you anything.
After Yu Sui ate just a few bites, she heard Li Jin Shuang murmuring softly again, so she returned to the bedside to patiently coax her, responding each time Li Jin Shuang called for Mother.
But Li Jin Shuang didn't just call for Mother, she also called for Grandmother.
Yu Sui stared at Li Jin Shuang for a moment, slowly responding, and Li Jin Shuang trembled as if frightened.
"Li Jin Shuang, calling for Mother is one thing, but calling for Grandmother is a bit much," Yu Sui softly protested.
When she finished soothing Li Jin Shuang and returned to the partition door, she heard Mei Liangyu say unhurriedly: "You have quite high seniority."
Yu Sui: "..."
She lowered her head to eat, saying sullenly: "I'm not going back tonight."
Mei Liangyu: "Hm?"
Yu Sui said: "I want to wait for Li Jin Shuang to wake up and tell her everything she did tonight."
Mei Liangyu was amused by the malicious revenge in her words.
Later, the Medical School disciples Shi Yuezhen called for help arrived, but Yu Sui didn't let them watch Li Jin Shuang. Instead, she stayed by the bedside, keeping an eye on Li Jin Shuang herself.
Zhongli Shan and the others had intended to leave after eating, but because too many injured disciples came to the medical clinic, Cang Shu kept them to help.
Mei Liangyu's eyes clearly wrote "I'm also an injured disciple" as he looked at Cang Shu, who slowly turned away, not looking.
Yu Sui waited until the ointment completely absorbed into her skin before getting dressed. She lifted the curtain to look outside and found everyone rushing around busily. To avoid being called to help, she shrank back into the partition and continued watching Li Jin Shuang.
Only when dawn was approaching did the outside of the partition quiet down, with no more sounds.
Yu Sui quietly left the bedside and lifted the curtain, immediately seeing Mei Liangyu sitting across from her playing with his Wind-Listening Ruler. After noticing something unusual, he looked up at Yu Sui.
Mei Liangyu slightly raised his chin, silently asking what she wanted to do.
Yu Sui said softly: "Senior Brother, I need to go back to the dormitory to get her clean clothes."
Li Jin Shuang's clothes couldn't be worn anymore. Shi Yuezhen had cut them up quite a bit while cleaning her wounds. If she were a man, she could make do wearing them.
Mei Liangyu didn't speak, just tilted his head toward the door.
Yu Sui used Wind-Riding Techniques to rush to the dormitory. Although she knew no one was in the room, she still politely knocked on Li Jin Shuang's door before going in to get her clothing.
When she came out, she encountered Shu Chujun.
Shu Chujun had woken up to get herself water to drink. Seeing Yu Sui coming out of Li Jin Shuang's room carrying Li Jin Shuang's clothes, she said warily: "What were you doing in Li Jin Shuang's room?"
Yu Sui explained: "She's injured at the medical clinic. I'm getting her clean clothes."
Shu Chujun said suspiciously: "Let me see them."
Yu Sui stood in place, looking at her.
Shu Chujun was the future High Priestess of Nanjing Kingdom and the Saint's companion, having grown up with the Saint. Her status in Nanjing Kingdom was higher than princes and princesses. From the perspective of identity and status, she naturally didn't fear a princess from Qingyang's Prince Manor.
Similarly, Yu Sui also wasn't afraid of Nanjing Kingdom's future High Priestess.
What does Nanjing Kingdom's High Priestess have to do with me, a princess of Qingyang Kingdom?
So Yu Sui just smiled slightly and walked directly past Shu Chujun.
"Stop right there!" Shu Chujun tried to block her, but Yu Sui had already run away using Wind-Riding Techniques.
Shu Chujun stood at the doorway grinding her teeth in frustration. They all said she was an Ordinary Practitioner, but after being taken as a disciple by Saint Chang Gen, someone who used to take Dragon Stairs everywhere was now using Wind-Riding Techniques more and more smoothly.
Li Jin Shuang was from her Nanjing Kingdom. Why did it have to be someone from Qingyang getting her things?
And it had to be Nangong Sui specifically.
Couldn't Li Jin Shuang see that the Saint was at odds with this Nangong Sui?
Hmph, she definitely wasn't as considerate of the Saint as herself.
The more Shu Chujun thought about it, the more wrong it seemed. She was convinced Yu Sui had bad intentions, so she strode forward and pushed open Yu Sui's room door.
As soon as the door opened, she saw brilliant light inside, with the bed head and foot, even the wood grain decorations, glowing with noble dark gold light.
Ornaments by the bedside came in all sizes, precious pearls and rare jade stones piled on the table as if they cost nothing, arranged in order. But what drew even more attention was the open jewelry box:
The box overflowed with flowing light, containing hairpins and earrings, jade bracelets and waist ornaments, everything you could want, all made from the most precious materials.
Behind the screen, you could see dozens of dress sets in non-repeating styles, each different in color and pattern, made from different fabrics, all precious materials that ordinary families could rarely afford, even once in a lifetime.
Just standing at the doorway, Shu Chujun was dazzled by the wealth and luxury inside, her temples twitching violently for a moment before she slammed the door shut with a bang.
She cursed inwardly: the Qingyang Princess had reached such a degree of extravagance and luxury!
Simply a disgrace to practitioners!
When Yu Sui's emotions were suppressed to the extreme, she liked spending the Prince Manor's money, buying the most expensive things, wearing the most beautiful clothes, and wearing the prettiest jewelry. When she couldn't sleep at night due to discomfort, she would search the communication arrays for various useful intelligence and give it to Old Yan, having him extort a hefty sum.
Thus her money increased year by year.
On the day she came to Taiyi, Blackbeard's impression and attitude toward Yu Sui had changed dramatically, from "the Prince misjudged" to "this is the future master of our Nangong family, must maintain good relations."
So when arranging Yu Sui's quarters, Blackbeard followed the standard of Yu Sui's life in the imperial capital, throwing all the best things into her room. The Nangong family wasn't short of money anyway, and Blackbeard strived to make Yu Sui comfortable at Taiyi's dormitory.
This way, she'd remember his loyalty.
Yu Sui didn't remember Blackbeard, but Shu Chujun certainly remembered his extravagance.
……
When Yu Sui returned to the medical clinic, dawn had broken, and the Strange Fire restless within her gradually weakened.
Yu Sui wiped the fine sweat from her forehead. Mei Liangyu still sat in his original position, casually glancing at the returning Yu Sui before looking back at his Wind-Listening Ruler. After a moment, as if sensing something wrong, he looked back thoughtfully.
Mei Liangyu asked: "Why were you running so fast?"
Running until she was covered in sweat.
Yu Sui just smiled foolishly without answering, lifting the curtain to go inside.
Li Jin Shuang was still confused, murmuring "Mother." Yu Sui placed the clean clothes beside her and soothed her: "Mm mm, Mother is here."
"Yes yes, you're Mother's good child, always will be."
"You're so cute and lovable, how could Grandmother bear to hit you?"
"Mother won't leave you... Li Jin Shuang, it's your mother saying this, not me."
Outside, Mei Liangyu heard this and shook his head with a smile.
Only when the sun rose high and the candles in the partition were about to go out, with sunlight streaming into the room, did Li Jin Shuang gradually open her eyes and stop talking nonsense.
Yu Sui had moved a small stool to sit by the bedside, supporting her head with one hand while looking at her Wind-Listening Ruler. From the corner of her eye, she saw Li Jin Shuang open her eyes and tilted her head to look over.
This time was different from before.
Li Jin Shuang had completely awakened. When she woke up with moderate lighting in the room, she saw Yu Sui waiting by the bedside watching over her, her gaze slightly stunned.
Yu Sui had waited all night for this moment.
Seeing Li Jin Shuang's clear gaze, completely awake now, Yu Sui tilted her head and looked at her with a bright smile, her tone gentle: "My good daughter, you're awake?"
Li Jin Shuang: "..."
Yu Sui said with light surprise: "Or my good granddaughter?"
Li Jin Shuang slowly closed her eyes. Memories from her confused state last night came flooding back. Seeing Yu Sui's curved eyes and bewitching smile, those repeated "good daughter" calls made Li Jin Shuang's mentality collapse. After closing her eyes, she turned away, facing away from Yu Sui.
Playing dead.
I'm still not awake.
My mind is still unclear.
Yu Sui just watched her, wondering how long she could pretend: "Clean clothes have been brought for you, right beside you. Do you want Mother to help you dress?"
Li Jin Shuang: "..."
"No need," Li Jin Shuang still faced away from Yu Sui, saying hoarsely, "I'll dress myself."
She actually responded.
Yu Sui suppressed her laughter and nodded: "My good granddaughter has grown up and can dress herself."
Li Jin Shuang's whole body went rigid, her lips moving but not daring to say a word. From Yu Sui's angle, she could even see her originally snow-white earlobes turn crimson.
"Alright then, Mother will go out first. You dress yourself," Yu Sui stood up, being incredibly considerate. "If you need help, just call Mother. I'll be right outside the door."
Li Jin Shuang: "..."
Yu Sui slowly walked out of the partition. As soon as she dropped the curtain, she couldn't hold back anymore, covering her mouth and laughing as she crouched against the wall, even laughing to tears.
Mei Liangyu sat across from her, slightly raising his eyebrows as he watched Yu Sui laugh to tears.
The person in the partition probably wanted to cry too right now.
Li Jin Shuang took a deep breath. Every time she tried to use her hands to get up, she would remember the crazy things she did last night in her confused state, her mind echoing with Yu Sui's joking words from when she left, and her hands would instantly lose strength and she'd fall back down.
She considered herself strong, her heart already hammered and tempered, riddled with holes, unafraid of any blow. But Yu Sui's soft gentle words had struck her down to the point of having no face to see people.
Li Jin Shuang opened her eyes, filled with chagrin.
Yu Sui waited outside, chatting with Mei Liangyu about this Military School formation opening.
"Senior Brother, Black Wind City is open for seven days. Will you be attempting military formations all seven days?" Yu Sui asked.
Mei Liangyu hummed without looking up.
Yu Sui looked at him, blinking: "I want to go too."
Mei Liangyu said: "Then go."
Yu Sui said tactfully: "If I go alone, won't I end up like Li Jin Shuang, beaten until my Five Elements energy is chaotic and come to the medical clinic severely injured?"
Mei Liangyu thought about it and said: "No."
Yu Sui was a bit surprised: "Senior Brother, you have that much confidence in me?"
Mei Liangyu said slowly: "Her Five Elements energy was chaotic but she could still make it to the medical clinic before collapsing. You won't, you won't make it to the medical clinic."
Yu Sui crouched against the wall, hands supporting her face, slightly puffing her cheeks as she looked at him.
Seeing she'd gone quiet, Mei Liangyu lightly lifted his eyelids to glance at her and asked: "How is your introductory practice going?"
Yu Sui held up a jade-like finger, making a number: "First Level Soul Control."
"That's fine then," Mei Liangyu nodded.
But Yu Sui shook her head: "Master says it's not enough. He wants me to practice to Third Level Soul Control before I've successfully completed the introduction."
Mei Liangyu smiled: "The old man has quite high requirements for you."
Yu Sui supported her face with one hand: "Being Saint Chang Gen's disciple, the requirements are indeed higher."
Mei Liangyu felt this Junior Sister was very self-aware, so he relented: "Alright, I'll take you to attempt the Military School formation. Let me say upfront, that's a high-level Grade One Military Formation, the danger level is different from the low-level military formations you attempted at the Yin-Yang Five Elements Field. When in doubt, just retreat from the formation. Don't try to tough it out."
"Mm mm!" Yu Sui smiled happily with curved eyes. "I want to see what a high-level military formation is like too."
They agreed to go on the fourth day, to let Li Jin Shuang rest two more days.
Mei Liangyu asked: "Will she agree to go?"
Yu Sui said: "She'll agree to me."
Mei Liangyu had no objections.
Yu Sui went into the partition to tell Li Jin Shuang about this. Li Jin Shuang remained silent.
"How about it?" Yu Sui sat on the stool, looking up at her.
Li Jin Shuang was facing away from her, tidying her outer clothes. Not wanting to speak to Yu Sui right now, she silently took out her Wind-Listening Ruler and sent Yu Sui a message: "Fine."
Yu Sui saw the message on her Wind-Listening Ruler and burst out laughing.
Li Jin Shuang: "..."
She actually laughed!
From then on, Li Jin Shuang never spoke to Yu Sui again. When absolutely necessary, she'd send messages directly, just refusing to open her mouth.
Yu Sui let her be stubborn. It would get better after a while anyway. She patiently waited until the fourth day of the Military School formation opening, waking up her roommate and Senior Brother at dawn to head to the Military School.
The enthusiasm for the Military School formations hadn't diminished but was getting livelier. Even at midnight, people were still attempting formations.
Even if you failed, you could try again repeatedly with no limit on attempts.
Li Jin Shuang was silent, which Yu Sui was used to, but Mei Liangyu was also cold today, not even playing with his Wind-Listening Ruler, just walking beside them with a cold face, not saying a word.
Yu Sui secretly glanced several times, thinking maybe Senior Brother wasn't fully awake yet. After all, the last time she disturbed his rest and he reluctantly woke up to open the door, he'd also been this cold and even a bit fierce.
Although neither of them spoke, Yu Sui still chatted with them, asking things like whether to eat breakfast first, should they eat breakfast first or attempt the formation first.
Better attempt the formation first, or the breakfast might get knocked out of them.
She chattered on and on, while the two beside her remained silent.
When they reached the Military School and arrived at the military formation point, there were already quite a few people around, some who simply hadn't gone back at all.
A Thirteenth Realm instructor from the Military School sat behind a table, holding a cup of tea in one hand and pointing at the arriving disciples with the other: "Register."
"Me," Yu Sui blinked at the instructor behind the table, "and two mutes."
Instructor: "..."
Two mutes: "..."
The instructor was so amused he sprayed hot tea to the side. Mei Liangyu, one of the mutes, reached out and pulled Yu Sui, who was standing in front, away, letting Li Jin Shuang register instead.