Chapter 103
Grandmother Situ had given the Wenyang Family time to receive the news, and had also timed the removal of the barrier blocking Saint Chang Gen. Now that Saint Chang Gen had personally come to demand people, they had to give an explanation.
First Head Wenyang still didn't know what had happened. He was having a great time playing with a beauty in his room when suddenly this consciousness invading his mind startled him, and only then did he roll out of bed to get dressed.
The beauty shrank in the corner of the bed timidly: "First Head, nothing bad will happen, right?"
"What could happen? They can't be asking me to hand you over." First Head looked at her with annoyance, patted her back to tell her not to worry, but his expression darkened as he turned around.
As soon as he walked out the door, someone silently followed and reported to him.
Learning that Wenyang Hui wanted to kill Mei Liangyu, had taken the mechanism nine-sided die, and trapped people in the second layer of Mechanism Island, First Head Wenyang couldn't help but press his hand to his forehead.
"Did he use the Golden Crow Red Arrow?" First Head asked.
His subordinate answered: "He did."
First Head couldn't help but curse, quickening his pace with anxiety and fury in his eyes. That little bastard better pray Mei Liangyu wasn't dead, otherwise no one could protect him today.
……
Within the second layer of Mechanism Island, cut off from everything outside, even Saint Chang Gen couldn't invade this place.
Mei Liangyu returned to the Wind Thunder Column array and saw the dead Lord Sui lying on the ground, his gray eyes still showing shock, unable to believe even in death that he would die under the sword souls he had created.
He silently watched for a while, then woke Yu Sui who was sleeping in his arms.
Mei Liangyu said: "Junior Sister, help me with something."
Yu Sui opened her eyes, still somewhat confused.
Since Mei Liangyu couldn't free his hands while holding Yu Sui, he lowered his head and touched her forehead. A golden curse mark was transferred to Yu Sui, flashing briefly on her forehead.
"Remember to return it to me in two days," Mei Liangyu said.
Yu Sui withdrew her hands from around his neck and gently touched her forehead. Memory fragments that came with it flashed through her mind. She saw paper windmills on both sides of paths, a boy walking under eaves, a purple-clothed woman in the city, and so on, making Yu Sui's eyes widen slightly.
"Is this from when you were little, Senior Brother?" she asked.
Mei Liangyu: "......"
He looked back at Yu Sui with a strange expression: "You saw it?"
Yu Sui blinked in confusion: "The memories hidden in the curse mark you transferred? I saw them."
"Why can you see them?" Mei Liangyu was even more puzzled. "Logically, I only stored the curse mark with you. You shouldn't be able to see the memories inside."
Yu Sui softly made an "ah" sound and shrank further into his embrace: "Maybe I'm naturally gifted."
"What I gave you is the Yin-Yang School's Star Source Curse, which can record my deepest memory points with a three-day time limit. This kind of Yin-Yang curse that stores memories can only be seen by the curse's owner." Mei Liangyu was amused by Yu Sui's response. He said: "Study well at Taiyi. When you return to Qingyang, let's see who dares look down on you."
Yu Sui didn't smile but continued asking: "Why preserve memories?"
"Because Master won't let me remember." Mei Liangyu looked back at Wenyang Hui for the first time. "When I came to Taiyi, I forgot about the past. If I say Wenyang Hui made me remember, Master will definitely kill him while also resealing my memories."
Yu Sui was stunned hearing this.
She wasn't sleepy anymore either. Her hands wrapped around Mei Liangyu's neck again to straighten herself up. At such close distance, she stared at him intently.
"Brother Gu's Divine Mechanism Arts: Heavenly Official can affect the seal in my body, making me remember some fragments, but it's still too little. I don't know what specifically happened in the past, so I can't be sure if I'll be able to remember these memories after Master reseals them."
Mei Liangyu turned to look back at Yu Sui, his eyes calm: "Didn't you want to know my secrets? Then you have to remember them for me. These memories that will be erased are my secrets."
Yu Sui asked: "Do you want to recover your memories?"
Mei Liangyu hummed in agreement.
Yu Sui looked at him for a while, then again closed the distance between them, leaning close to Mei Liangyu's ear to say: "Senior Brother, I like your secrets."
It would be very interesting.
Mei Liangyu raised his eyebrows slightly: "I hope what you like is me."
Yu Sui held him, leaning on his shoulder. Neither could see the other's face, only hearing each other's voices. She spoke very lightly but clearly: "I won't actively like others."
But Mei Liangyu didn't mind: "I will."
"You just need to wait patiently," Mei Liangyu's palm pressed against the back of her head. Whether the strength of his arms holding her or the power of his words, both were steady enough to inspire deep trust. "Wait until the day I'll say all those words you want to hear."
Yu Sui was quiet for a moment, then said: "Senior Brother, I don't wait for people either."
Mei Liangyu frowned: "How is it you can't do anything?"
Yu Sui didn't even give a reason: "I just can't."
"Aren't you naturally gifted?" Mei Liangyu teased her. "This kind of thing should come naturally without a teacher."
Yu Sui said slowly: "Master doesn't even teach this kind of thing. Even if I learned it, it would be useless, so I simply won't learn."
Mei Liangyu was both angry and amused by her: "If you can't, then you can't. Anyway, you'll always hear me say it someday."
Yu Sui gently tightened her arms around his neck, staying quiet without speaking.
The two stood in the black Wind Thunder Column array with snow falling softly. Mei Liangyu tugged the iron chain in his hand, swinging it like a whip to wake up Wenyang Hui at the other end of the chains, while saying: "Master is here."
The East Wind barrier that could block Ghost Way School consciousness invasion covered the entire Mechanism Island, activated silently by someone and removed silently by someone.
When Wenyang Hui activated the East Wind barrier, he knew he would be discovered, but before discovery, he had enough time to kill Mei Liangyu multiple times with the Golden Crow Red Arrow.
At this moment, Wenyang Hui opened his eyes with difficulty. When his consciousness returned, pain from all directions surged over him, making his inner hatred grow.
Unable to get up from the ground, when he turned his gaze, Wenyang Hui saw Lord Sui lying dead on the ground, his gaze freezing.
Heaven and earth reversed, releasing them from the second layer of Mechanism Island and returning them to the seaside of the first layer.
……
The bright snowy scene instantly became dark clouds, thunder rumbling overhead. The wailing and roaring of fierce wind and rain sounded in everyone's ears. In the black night, they could see the brightly lit corridor ahead, where giant trees by the corridor were swaying wildly in the fierce wind.
Many people stood in the corridor, but most were from the Wenyang Family. Only two juniors had come from the Situ Family. Hidden in the unseen darkness were many mechanism insects gathering information.
Though the other two families hadn't sent people, they were also paying attention to tonight's events.
Mei Liangyu stood below the hillside, looking up at the people in the corridor one by one. They were all familiar faces, and he wasn't surprised they would appear here.
Only the silver-haired elderly woman standing at the entrance to the lower steps caught his attention.
The silver-haired woman had clear eyes and kind features, wearing indigo robes with lotus patterns. Her aura was gentle, making people feel warmth.
Two academy disciples were also beside her, both known to Mei Liangyu: Medical School Class A Students Qian Ying and Shi Yuezhen. That silver-haired elderly woman was Taiyi's only Medical School Saint, Jiang Shulan.
The appearance of the Medical School Saint made Mei Liangyu discreetly press Yu Sui further into his embrace. He deliberately ignored the people in the upper corridor and first turned toward Wenyang Hui, avoiding Medical School Saint Jiang Shulan's line of sight to prevent her from seeing through Yu Sui's injuries.
Shi Yuezhen and Qian Ying had been summoned by Jiang Shulan. The Saint had perceived the grudge between two beloved disciples and wanted to persuade them to reconcile, but unexpectedly encountered this incident upon coming to Mechanism Island.
Seeing the injured Mei Liangyu and Yu Sui, both Qian Ying and Shi Yuezhen silently frowned. Qian Ying looked at Yu Sui for a while, then at the severely injured Wenyang Hui, her brow furrowing deeper.
Yu Sui raised her face in Mei Liangyu's arms and asked quietly: "Is that the Medical School Saint?"
Mei Liangyu hummed in agreement, lowering his voice: "Even if someone offers to treat you later, don't speak. I'll have Shi Yuezhen come."
Yu Sui blinked silently, indicating she understood.
Invisible pressure spread across the seaside. Both sensed that Master had arrived.
On the sandy beach lay the already dead Lord Sui and the severely injured Wenyang Hui, but Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu weren't in much better shape either, both covered in blood.
At first glance, there were no winners.
The iron chains binding Wenyang Hui had already disappeared.
Wenyang Hui stared at Lord Sui's corpse, struggling to sit up from the ground with his broken hand, his body trembling slightly. But coming out meant opportunity. With so many Wenyang Family members here, all three heads present, and his mother too, surely these people wouldn't just watch him die?
Wenyang Hui turned his neck to look at Lady Linxiang in the upper corridor, saying hoarsely: "Mother..."
He first sought help from Lady Linxiang, knowing his father was iron-hearted and only his mother would soften toward him.
Lady Linxiang stood beside Wenyang Zhi with tears covering her face, gripping the railings tightly with white knuckles. Her gaze swept over Wenyang Hui to look at the dead Lord Sui, her mind buzzing.
"Mother, Uncle is dead. He was killed by Mei Liangyu. We can't just watch Uncle die like this, can we?" Wenyang Hui tried to stand up with one hand supporting himself but failed and fell back. He was covered in sweat from pain, his eyes and nose askew. People couldn't see his face clearly but could hear the hatred in his words. "Mei Liangyu seized the mechanism nine-sided die, wanting to use the Golden Crow Red Arrow to kill Uncle and me. He..."
"Elder Chang!" First Head Wenyang interrupted Wenyang Hui with a stern voice, his glance signaling him to shut up. "Tonight's events have deaths and injuries, frightening the two disciples. We apologize deeply. Everyone is severely injured and needs immediate treatment. Afterward, my Wenyang Family will certainly give you a satisfactory explanation."
First Head was trying to protect Wenyang Hui first, confining him back to Heavenly Cloud Court. Whether apologizing and making amends afterward or preventing Wenyang Hui from leaving Cloud Court, they could keep him alive.
Besides, Lord Sui was already dead. Given Saint Chang Gen's relationship with the Mechanism Family, he wouldn't insist on a fight to the death with the remaining people.
"It's fine, I can still hold on," Mei Liangyu said coolly, his gaze also fixed on Wenyang Hui. "If I can't hear any explanation from the Wenyang Family, then I really can't hold on."
First Head Wenyang's eye twitched hearing this. Looking at Mei Liangyu, this kid really wasn't giving face.
Wenyang Zhi could actually predict Mei Liangyu's reaction. He knew this child's tolerance for Wenyang Hui had reached its limit.
Mei Liangyu had already shown restraint many times for Lady Linxiang's sake, but he wasn't someone who only knew how to endure. When he also developed killing intent, his enemies had only one path: death.
Hearing this, Wenyang Hui looked toward Mei Liangyu, his eyes gleaming strangely as he said hoarsely with cold resentment: "If you hadn't ignored the instructor's warning yesterday and insisted on breaking academy rules by injuring me with Golden Thunder, how would my uncle have trapped you in the second layer of Mechanism Island tonight wanting to kill you? My uncle wanted to avenge me by killing you, but now my uncle has been killed by you. What more do you want?"
Lord Sui was already dead. Dead men don't speak. All of tonight's events could be blamed on Lord Sui.
Mei Liangyu looked at him coldly without mentioning Yu Sui. Wenyang Hui seemed to think Yu Sui was already dead. Mentioning now that Yu Sui had been hit by the Golden Crow Red Arrow would be hard to explain later.
So he tried to hide Yu Sui's involvement, focusing on his conflict with Wenyang Hui: "Tonight's attempt to kill me, was it your uncle's idea or yours?"
Wenyang Hui still couldn't help mocking him: "I suppose you don't have loving relatives, so you wouldn't understand my uncle's desire to avenge me."
"I indeed don't, since I've forgotten everything." Mei Liangyu's lips curved slightly, his dark eyes deep as he stared at him. "But thanks to you this time, I did remember some parts."
This statement made the three Wenyang Family heads in the corridor show various expressions, and even a flash of disbelief appeared in Wenyang Zhi's cold, stern eyes.
Wenyang Hui didn't care what Mei Liangyu remembered. He didn't care at all. With anger bottled up inside, he turned to look at the Wenyang Family elders in the corridor: "Mother..."
Just as he spoke, a thunderbolt struck down from the sky. Light blue thunder snake curtains opened before Wenyang Hui, countless thunder snakes flickering, making his pupils constrict as survival instinct made his body shrink back.
"Elder Chang!" First Head Wenyang reacted first, breaking out in cold sweat: "Since tonight was Lord Sui's idea and he has now paid the price, please consider that Hui'er is still young..."
"Since the child is young, I'll give light punishment," Saint Chang Gen said. "My two disciples suffered unprovoked disaster and were severely injured. I will strike once, and today's matter will be settled."
First Head Wenyang's brow furrowed tightly. Elder, don't say one strike, even half a strike and Wenyang Hui couldn't withstand it.
As long as Saint Chang Gen acted, Wenyang Hui would certainly die.
First Head looked at his second brother, signaling him to think of something. It's your own son, won't you say anything?
Lady Linxiang was already unwilling to watch, turning to bury herself in Wenyang Zhi's embrace. Wenyang Zhi looked down at Wenyang Hui, his gaze calm, feeling only exhaustion in his heart.
He had also tried hard to guide his child back to the right path, but some children's nature was hard to change and couldn't be taught.
Wenyang Hui had shown killing intent toward Mei Liangyu when he was 16.
Wenyang Zhi had stopped him multiple times and had beaten Wenyang Hui severely that year. From then on, he didn't dare openly conflict with Mei Liangyu but learned to strike deadly blows in secret.
Wenyang Hui would only think that those who didn't stand on his side and didn't suit his wishes were opposing him. Everyone else was wrong, they were the ones who wronged him.
Seeing his mother directly turn away and his father say nothing, Wenyang Hui's heart grew half cold. Thunder snakes blocked his view, killing intent approaching, making him break out in sweat all over.
Why aren't any of you saying anything?
"Mother, are you going to watch me die in front of you like this? Father has favored Mei Liangyu since childhood. He sees Mei Liangyu as his own son, but I'm his biological son! I said it was Mei Liangyu who provoked me first, he injured me first. Why has it become my fault? Was Uncle wrong to avenge me? Must everyone favor Mei Liangyu like my father for it to be right?!"
Wenyang Hui's angry roars reached Lady Linxiang's ears, making her heart cold and sorrowful.
Her son had obviously forgotten his father's former love for him, only remembering Wenyang Zhi's cold side.
This time he wanted to kill Mei Liangyu. Who would it be next time?
Wenyang Hui couldn't believe his eyes and ears.
Why was no one stopping Saint Chang Gen?
Why weren't any of you coming over?
"Father, Mother..." Wenyang Hui shouted until his expression twisted. Qian Ying couldn't bear to watch and wanted to speak, but was stopped by Jiang Shulan's glance.
When Wenyang Hui's fear reached its peak and he was desperately roaring at his elders for help with a ferocious expression, the thunder snake pierced through his chest, striking him flying to fall by the seaside. The person who had been screaming desperately moments before now lay silently on the wet sand. Under the lapping waves, blood spread everywhere.
Wenyang Hui simply couldn't withstand this strike from the Ghost Way Saint, especially since Saint Chang Gen had acted with killing intent. Even if someone had intervened, they would have died along with Wenyang Hui.
Qian Ying's eyes widened in disbelief, unable to accept that Wenyang Hui had really died before her eyes.
She instinctively looked toward the Wenyang Family members in the corridor. In the black night and dim lamplight, she only saw Lady Linxiang's weeping face.
Why?
Anger rose in Qian Ying's heart. Was their own biological son actually less important than Mei Liangyu?
Jiang Shulan sighed softly: "Go call those two over. I'll examine them."
Shi Yuezhen acknowledged and first went toward Mei Liangyu and Yu Sui. Soon after she returned: "Master, Mei Liangyu says that although he was injured by the Golden Crow Red Arrow, he doesn't like being touched for examination and thanks you for your kindness."
Jiang Shulan said gently: "What about the other one?"
Shi Yuezhen lowered her head slightly: "She says it's Five Elements Energy chaos and some external injuries, no need for Master to act. This disciple will help treat them on the way back."
Jiang Shulan nodded: "Then go ahead."
"I'll go too," Qian Ying said. She wanted to ask Nangong Sui what had happened in the second layer of Mechanism Island.
But Shi Yuezhen glanced at her and smiled: "Senior Sister Qian had good relations with Wenyang Hui. Going over now might be unwelcome."
Qian Ying pressed her lips: "My relationship with Nangong Sui is also good."
Shi Yuezhen's smile deepened: "I didn't know this, but Sui Sui only called for me. Senior Sister Qian still needs to accompany Master to Wushan Pavilion to identify medicines. It's your first time going to Wushan Pavilion, a rare opportunity you should grasp well. I've been there many times and don't mind missing this one. I'll go back to the academy with them first."
After speaking, she bowed to Jiang Shulan before leaving.
Qian Ying watched Shi Yuezhen walk away with cold eyes. To insist on going now would make her seem to have ulterior motives.