Chapter 69
The river flowed with Five Elements energy, restricting disciples from using Eight Trigrams Life Arts. Crossing the river required individual skill, and after falling in, the mountain stones and forestland in Dragon Slaying Cave would change at night, so while the river water wouldn't harm them, it would carry them to different places.
Yu Sui was washed ashore by the river water and immediately ignited Surrounding Heaven Fire to examine the terrain while checking on Su Tong, who was injured and unconscious beside her.
Yan Xiaochuan shook his head, water droplets scattering. He had seen Su Tong and Yu Sui struck by golden thunder, so after getting out of the water he hurriedly asked: "Senior Sister Su, Little Princess, how are you two?"
He had originally been holding onto Su Tong. By the light of Yu Sui's Surrounding Heaven Fire, he could see they were in what seemed like a bottomless cave. The surroundings were pitch black but dry, with flames reflecting off smooth stone walls. The cave ceiling was quite high, and because of the spaciousness, they could even hear echoes of flowing water.
"Senior Sister's injuries are quite severe. She blocked most of the golden thunder for me." Yu Sui said quietly, brushing her wet black hair behind her ears, her eyes reflecting Su Tong's blood-stained half body.
Yan Xiaochuan quickly took medicine from his mechanism box: "Little Princess, do you take external Medical School classes? Can you do simple bandaging?"
"I can," Yu Sui said, though she hadn't learned very well.
"Excellent! Medical School is the one I most want to make friends with, but I don't know why, the Medical School disciples I know are all hopeless. Five out of five have switched to other practices." Yan Xiaochuan said while handing the medicine to Yu Sui, simultaneously placing one hand above Su Tong's injured shoulder to send Five Elements energy and temporarily stop the bleeding.
Yu Sui also said: "Medical School is harder to enter than other schools."
After she prepared the medicine, Yan Xiaochuan stood up and turned his back, since treating Su Tong's injuries required removing part of her clothing, which he couldn't watch.
Yan Xiaochuan stood guard in front, observing the surging river water, muttering: "I've seen that Qingyang princess a few times. She's quite famous in Yin-Yang School. I've also seen the mechanism family's young master a few times. Usually you can't tell much, but Senior Brother Liangyu doesn't have a good attitude toward him."
Yu Sui saw the black lightning mark traces on Su Tong's snow-white shoulders and back, applying the medicinal ointment with gentle force, afraid of hurting her. Listening to Yan Xiaochuan's muttering, she responded: "Why does Senior Brother have a bad attitude toward him?"
"Actually, the few times I saw the young master were also with Senior Brother Liangyu. I don't know why, but this young master calls Senior Brother Liangyu 'brother,' but Senior Brother Liangyu gets very impatient and always tells him not to call him that." While gossiping about academy matters, Yan Xiaochuan didn't forget the main issue, reaching into the river to feel the flow of Five Elements energy. "I heard that having him call Senior Brother Liangyu 'brother' was a requirement from the Wenyang family elders."
Wen Yanghui was unwilling in his heart too, but due to pressure from clan elders and unable to resist, he had to obediently call Mei Liangyu brother while helping Gu Qian with his killing plans.
Yan Xiaochuan said indignantly: "Before, I thought he looked pitiful, eagerly following Senior Brother Liangyu calling him brother only to get cold looks. Now I see he deserves it. I shouldn't have doubted Senior Brother Liangyu's judgment!"
Yu Sui looked up at him: "Are you and my Senior Brother on good terms?"
Yan Xiaochuan touched his chin: "I think we get along well."
He had many friends and good relationships with many Senior Brothers and Sisters. He also liked making friends, so he got along well everywhere.
Yu Sui thought to herself that it sounded like one-sided good relations.
When Wen Yanghui called Mei Liangyu "brother" at the dormitory door last time, it had left a deep impression on Yu Sui.
At first she just thought he was a mechanism family young master with nothing special except looking somewhat feminine and beautiful. But after that "brother" call and when he later told Gu Qian he could use his relationship with Senior Brother, Yu Sui remembered him.
Being able to call someone he disliked "brother" without changing expression, and remaining calm even after being exposed for his murderous assistance, even showing some regret, showed that Wen Yanghui was extremely self-centered and ruthless.
Such people were ruthless to others and could be ruthless to themselves.
That Gu Qian could recruit Wen Yanghui into his team and make himself the leader while having Wen Yanghui as his subordinate showed these two had experienced quite a lot together.
Yu Sui didn't know about Gu Qian's experiences outside Qingyang Imperial Capital, much less what had happened during his two years at Taiyi Academy.
Among the people around Gu Qian now, she was only somewhat familiar with Ji Meng and Qian Ying, having had some interaction.
Like Huo Xiao, Wen Yanghui, Xun Zhiya, and Xiang Feifei, these were Gu Qian's own network circle. Even if Yu Sui had childhood friend rumors with Gu Qian, it was Xun Zhiya who worked with them, and Xun Zhiya who could be called a partner.
As a newcomer who was also Mei Liangyu's Junior Sister, Wen Yanghui naturally had no consideration for her.
"Senior Sister Su was struck by Taoist School Heavenly Gang Five Thunder and will have lightning marks on her body. The thunder fire burning will be so painful. Oh no, Little Princess, you were also hit by golden thunder and have lightning marks too!"
While muttering, Yan Xiaochuan suddenly thought of this point and covered his mouth in horror: "Senior Brother Sheng will beat me to death!"
Yu Sui glanced at her faintly aching shoulder, feeling it was manageable. Since it was nighttime, the lightning mark's burning seemed to be calmed by the Strange Fire.
Strange Fire could be quite domineering sometimes, able to devour so many things, especially fire-attribute Nine Schools Arts. Like the lightning mark's burning, Strange Fire directly suppressed it.
No wonder Breath Soil hadn't dared approach Strange Fire by even a fraction in the 10-plus years it had been in her body. If it tried to invade toward Strange Fire, it might be directly devoured by Strange Fire.
Yu Sui's eyelid twitched, feeling momentarily that this wouldn't be bad either.
"My injury is light, mainly it's Senior Sister Su," Yu Sui said softly.
Wen Yanghui had obviously targeted Su Tong earlier, probably thinking Su Tong was allied with Mei Liangyu and thus a threatening competitor who needed to be eliminated first.
Yu Sui finished dressing Su Tong, the sound of fabric friction particularly clear in the spacious cave.
This golden thunder couldn't be taken in vain.
Even if Wen Yanghui was one of Gu Qian's people, Gu Qian's cooperation partner helping Gu Qian steal the Pagoda, what did that have to do with her?
Being excluded from the plan by Gu Qian, she knew nothing about these things.
Yu Sui always remembered what Nangong Ming had said: being too stupid would come with a price. She couldn't be too stupid or too weak.
Nangong Ming wanted Yu Sui to understand that she was the royal residence's princess, symbolizing the Nangong family. Even if Young Master Lin knelt crying pitifully that year, with however much grievance in his words, she had to stand on the same side as Nangong Ming, firmly supporting Nangong Ming's decision to imprison the Lin family, rather than showing weakness and letting Young Master Lin stand up first.
When it was time to be strong, she must not show weakness or timidity.
Yu Sui always remembered that slap from years ago.
She stood up: "You watch Senior Sister Su. I need to go back in the water to find something."
"Find what? I'll go, or go during the day. Right now at night the mountain stones and forestland will move, you might get washed away again if you go, and you can't use Eight Trigrams Life Arts in the water." Yan Xiaochuan didn't approve, and after finishing asked: "Can I turn around and look now?"
"Yes." Yu Sui thought about the Number Mountains in the water, gripping the divine wood sign in her hand. "I'll go myself. I can come back."
Having someone follow would be inconvenient instead.
Yan Xiaochuan crouched at the cave entrance. Seeing Yu Sui walk to his side, he couldn't help but look up at her, momentarily remembering how she had been the first to sense people approaching on the star river map earlier.
Sheng Hao had been busy with School of Names trials and Dragon Slaying Cave challenge preparations lately, only knowing that Yu Sui practiced diligently and focused, but was still First Realm.
Yu Sui's impression on people over the past 10-plus years was too deeply ingrained. Sheng Hao only felt she wasn't hopelessly stupid, but wasn't particularly talented either. First Realm cultivation speed was normal.
Though she was accepted as a disciple by a Ghost Way School Saint, that just meant having a Saint's guidance. Cultivation still depended on the individual. After all, he also knew Yu Sui attended external classes at other schools daily and was still in a state of learning basics.
So he wouldn't think at all about how strong his sister's abilities were.
At this moment Yan Xiaochuan asked: "Little Princess, are you First Realm?"
He was afraid the information he received from Sheng Hao was wrong and wanted to confirm again.
"Yes," Yu Sui nodded.
Yan Xiaochuan said: "You can't use Eight Trigrams Life Arts in this water. How's your swimming?"
Yu Sui thought and said: "Very good."
Yan Xiaochuan continued: "What are you looking for? I'll go instead. You still have lightning marks. I can't let you get injured again."
Senior Brother Sheng was very scary when he got violent!
If he knew I brought Little Princess to dragon tail and she got struck by golden thunder one moment and thrown by river currents the next, wouldn't he throw my head into Xiaoyao Pool as a big named stone!
Yu Sui raised her hand to wipe water stains from her face, looking down at him: "I'm also learning from Senior Sister Su, to refuse when I should refuse, so I don't want you to go. I'll go myself."
Yan Xiaochuan: "...Alright then, but Little Princess, you must promise to come back safe and sound. Don't get washed away by the water."
Before going into the water, Yu Sui looked back at him once, her expression serious: "Listen to Senior Sister Su, say less of such things."
Yan Xiaochuan silently covered his mouth and nodded, watching her disappear into the water.
Little Princess looked soft and weak but had her own ideas, maybe even some backup plans.
Yan Xiaochuan didn't believe Yu Sui would jump back in without any assurance. After all, she was Senior Brother Liangyu's fellow Junior Sister. He had already misjudged Wen Yanghui once. This time he decided to trust Senior Brother Liangyu's judgment. His Junior Sister must be extraordinary!
After Yu Sui left, Yan Xiaochuan used Eight Trigrams Life Arts to ignite Surrounding Heaven Fire to illuminate the cave. He looked at Su Tong's injuries, frowning and sighing inwardly. Senior Sister Su and Little Princess's lightning marks had to be removed somehow.
……
Yu Sui went back to search for the underwater communication array.
She had left a Five Elements Light Core when she was in the water to determine the location. Even if the river changed, she could find that Five Elements Light Core.
Though the rules said Wind-Listening Rulers couldn't be used inside Dragon Slaying Cave, she had seen that all Thirteenth Realm instructors carried Wind-Listening Rulers. Perhaps the academy only blocked Number Mountain connections inside Dragon Slaying Cave.
Until she saw the underwater Number Mountain cluster.
Even from a distance, she could still clearly see the character curse patterns flowing around Number Mountains, indicating they were in operating state, receiving and outputting information materialized by heaven and earth's Five Elements energy.
Since disciples inside Dragon Slaying Cave couldn't use Wind-Listening Ruler functions, where did these messages received by Number Mountains come from?
The Number Mountains underwater in Dragon Slaying Cave were slightly different from outside Number Mountains. Yu Sui guessed that perhaps Number Mountain communication inside Dragon Slaying Cave was independent, unconnected to communication arrays outside Dragon Slaying Cave.
Yu Sui had brought the divine wood sign Su Tong gave her, because she had heard Su Tong say before that her divine wood signs would bring fortunate guidance in crises, transforming danger into opportunity and bringing favorable changes.
To be safe, Yu Sui still brought the divine wood sign underwater.
Whether it was related to nighttime or not, the underwater world was dim, the river water ice cold, and staying longer would bring cold energy into the body. But Yu Sui, heated by Strange Fire, wasn't afraid of these things. Divine Mechanism Heavenly Eye let her filter out the darkness, making the river water clear and transparent. She followed the direction of that Five Elements Light Core, arriving above the Number Mountain cluster.