Chapter 110
When Yu Sui came to the Outer City, she had Blackbeard find many things for her. While Blackbeard was preparing them, she also waited for Sheng Hao.
After Sheng Hao entered, he walked around the screen and saw Yu Sui sitting at the table. He frowned and looked her up and down.
"Third Brother." Yu Sui put down her chopsticks and obediently let him look. Under Sheng Hao's deep, scrutinizing gaze, she even stood up and opened her arms, turning in a circle: "I'm really fine now."
Sheng Hao said with a stern face: "Are you happy about being fine? You'd better have something wrong, then make a fuss to Father and let him see what good deeds Gu Qian has been doing at Taiyi."
Yu Sui just stood there obediently without speaking.
But Sheng Hao realized he had mentioned Gu Qian again and frowned deeply.
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment due to their mutual silence.
Yu Sui sat back down as if nothing had happened, glanced at the unopened letter on the table, and said: "That's from Father to you."
Only then did Sheng Hao sit down and open the envelope with an indifferent expression. Like Yu Sui, he used blood to illuminate the information on the letter paper and heard Nangong Ming's message.
Yu Sui picked up her chopsticks again and asked curiously: "What did Father say?"
Her proactive question softened Sheng Hao's expression slightly. He crushed the letter paper in his five fingers, crumpling it into a ball, then said quietly: "He wants me to go back and take a look."
It sounded like casual family talk.
Sheng Hao added: "He also wants me to keep a closer eye on you at Taiyi."
He looked up at Yu Sui and asked about her recovery period in a gentler tone. Yu Sui answered every question, the image of an obedient younger sister.
Sheng Hao asked: "Did Mei Liangyu hide you away?"
Yu Sui said: "I asked Senior Brother not to tell you. If you had seen me injured like that, you would definitely have scolded me again."
Hearing this, Sheng Hao's temple twitched slightly. His rationality told him to hold back and think carefully about what to say before speaking.
But before he could say anything, Yu Sui asked again: "Third Brother, what about when you and Brother Gu fought earlier? Were you docked points and demoted?"
"No deduction." Sheng Hao crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair with a cold expression: "The night patrol that came was a School of Names instructor who knows me well, and Gu Qian struck first, so the responsibility wasn't mine."
Yu Sui nodded and smiled: "That's really good. You don't have to be docked points like Senior Brother."
Sheng Hao watched Yu Sui eat. He didn't want to discuss topics related to Gu Qian with Yu Sui anymore, but apart from these, he suddenly couldn't think of what to say.
If they were discussing Gu Qian, he could naturally say many things.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward in the silence.
Sheng Hao knitted his brows, with both annoyance and awkwardness written on his handsome face. His gaze toward Yu Sui held some complexity and sudden realization.
Yu Sui pretended not to notice anything and continued eating her fresh meat pie as if nothing had happened.
"Did you hear what Gu Qian and I argued about?" Sheng Hao asked.
Yu Sui looked up while biting the pie: "I only heard that you and Brother Gu fought. Did you argue about something?"
Sheng Hao was used to her bewildered expression. Looking at her now, he felt she was no different from when she was little.
Little Yu Sui was like this too. No matter what others said, whether praise or curses, those bright black pupils of hers only showed some timidity and bewildered confusion as she looked at you.
Always expressing her surprise and puzzlement, seeming to have difficulty understanding everything in this world, struggling and confused, yet obediently enduring it all.
Sheng Hao always said Yu Sui wasn't hopelessly stupid.
Because in his eyes, Yu Sui wasn't foolish, but weak.
Vulnerably weak, not worth putting in his eyes at all, posing no threat to him whatsoever.
Sheng Hao used to compare himself with Elder Brother Han Bing or Second Brother Su Feng, but he considered himself superior to both brothers.
Having powerful strength makes one confident, and when facing the weak, one can respond with even more composure.
What Gu Qian said that night wasn't wrong.
It was because Sheng Hao realized this that he became even more displeased.
Having his embarrassing thoughts pointed out by the person he hated most, Sheng Hao was so angry he didn't speak for several days, keeping a cold face the entire time. Even Mu Mengbai didn't dare approach him to joke around, only daring to send Wind-Listening Ruler messages to inquire about news.
Looking at Yu Sui now, Sheng Hao felt complicated emotions.
Sheng Hao was arrogant. People he considered weak wouldn't be bullied by him, they would simply be ignored by him.
If Yu Sui hadn't stopped him back then and asked him to help teach archery, he wouldn't have actively interacted with this sister.
Sheng Hao looked down at the crumpled letter paper in his hand.
These past few years he hadn't returned to Qingyang. Others thought it was because he was angry about Yu Sui and Gu Qian's affairs and refused to return, but actually it was because of Nangong Ming's attitude toward Gu Qian that he didn't want to return.
Thinking carefully, he and Gu Qian were the same, both unwilling to explain their true thoughts, yet letting Yu Sui bear others' pointing and gossiping.
Sheng Hao calmed down and said in a low voice: "At year's end, I'll return to Qingyang once."
Yu Sui nodded and said gently: "Good. Lady Sheng must miss you very much after not seeing you for so long."
"How did you get your Five Elements Light Cores?" Sheng Hao asked again.
Yu Sui thought to herself that you're asking a bit late, but smiled and said: "Master helped me. I don't know what method he used either."
Sheng Hao's brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again: "The Ghost Way School has such strange arts and abilities?"
"I don't know if it belongs to the Ghost Way School either." Yu Sui tapped the bowl rim lightly with her chopsticks, lowering her head: "Master said I have half of the Breath Soil in my body. Because it's only half, the Breath Soil also wants to repair itself, so it's been competing with me for Five Elements energy all these years, which is why I couldn't cultivate."
"So it was this half of Breath Soil that caused it." Sheng Hao pondered.
These were questions he should have asked long ago, but he had delayed until now to remember them.
"Have you found all the Agricultural School practitioners who tried to assassinate you in the Outer City before?" Sheng Hao asked again.
"Found them." Yu Sui nodded repeatedly: "Steward Black works very quickly. Those Agricultural School practitioners who wanted to assassinate me are all dead."
Sheng Hao watched her eat without touching his own chopsticks, only saying: "Even so, you still need to be more careful when coming to the Outer City."
Yu Sui: "Mm!"
Sheng Hao thought left and right, then remembered some other matters and asked her: "Did you tell Father about the Wenyang family affair?"
Yu Sui shook her head: "Not yet."
"You need to tell him, otherwise the Wenyang family will think we're easy to bully." Sheng Hao's fingers had just grabbed the wrinkled letter paper when he looked up at Yu Sui: "Will you write or should I write?"
Yu Sui was still looking at him, reacting slowly. Sheng Hao had already taken action: "Forget it, I'll write."
"Then Father will know about the relationship between Wen Yanghui and Brother Gu. If Father really wants to do something to the Wenyang family, Brother Gu will definitely be in a difficult position caught in the middle." Yu Sui said timidly.
Sheng Hao looked at her expressionlessly, anger rising in his heart, but he took a deep breath, lowered his head to avoid her eyes, and said while writing: "Father will handle it himself. How Gu Qian fares is none of our business."
Sheng Hao finished writing what he wanted to say in a few strokes, then called someone to give the letter to Blackbeard to send back to Qingyang.
The brother and sister chatted intermittently until Blackbeard knocked and entered. After bowing to both of them, he faced Yu Sui and said: "The kitchen has finished preparations. Is there anything else the Little Princess would like to eat?"
This was telling her that everything she wanted was ready.
"No need." Yu Sui said while biting her chopsticks: "This is enough."
Blackbeard bowed and withdrew outside the door.
Sheng Hao said: "After eating, return to the academy. I think you need to rest for a while longer before you're fully recovered."
"I want to stay in the Outer City a bit longer. Third Brother, you go back first." Yu Sui said.
Sheng Hao asked: "What else do you need to do in the Outer City?"
Yu Sui said quietly: "Buy clothes and jewelry."
Sheng Hao: "......"
This reminded Sheng Hao that Yu Sui used to love going out to personally select clothes and jewelry. Most of the time, it was Gu Qian who accompanied her, while he, as her brother, had never gone.
So Sheng Hao said: "I'll accompany you."
This caught Yu Sui somewhat off guard, but she didn't refuse, only nodding and saying okay.
Yu Sui could guess what Sheng Hao was thinking.
It was nothing more than feeling embarrassed after Gu Qian hit the mark about his feelings and wanting to save face.
……
Yu Sui and Sheng Hao walked together through the Outer City streets. During the day, there were quite a few people coming and going on these streets. The Outer City seemed lively at all times.
Sheng Hao used to come to the Outer City often, but after the novelty wore off, he rarely came anymore. Only when Mu Mengbai got cravings and clamored to eat specialty dishes from certain taverns in the Outer City would he come out.
Although he had never accompanied Yu Sui to buy girls' things, he had a good eye for quality. He could tell at a glance what was superior and what was inferior when it came to fabric and workmanship, as well as jewelry and jade carving.
The advantage of shopping with someone like Sheng Hao was that you didn't need to think for yourself. He picked everything out for you, had you try on each item, and if you liked it, you bought it. If not, you went to the next shop.
Yu Sui went into the room to change clothes. Just as she untied her sash, she noticed the window wasn't closed properly, so she walked over. Her finger pulled the curtain string, and from the corner of her eye, she glanced through the window crack toward the outside, spotting a familiar figure walking with their back to her into the opposite alley.
She closed the window and lowered the curtain, her expression thoughtful, but didn't think much of it.
After Yu Sui finished buying clothes and jewelry, Sheng Hao received a message from the academy saying he had business to attend to.
"Third Brother, you go back first. I arranged to meet someone in the Outer City to hang out." Yu Sui said.
Sheng Hao asked: "Who did you arrange to meet?"
"Li Jin Shuang." Yu Sui gestured with her hand: "The one from the Military School..."
Sheng Hao did have an impression of her, but thinking that Li Jin Shuang was from Nanjing Kingdom and often stayed close to Xun Zhiya, and everyone knew about Xun Zhiya and Gu Qian's relationship.
He was about to start nagging again, but when he turned and met Yu Sui's bright, moist eyes, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Sheng Hao finally only said: "Alright, let me know if anything happens."
Yu Sui nodded and stood at the entrance of their family's tavern, watching Sheng Hao leave in the distance.
Looking at Sheng Hao, Yu Sui couldn't help but marvel at life's wonders.
They were clearly both Nangong Ming's children, living in the same world, yet compared to her, Sheng Hao seemed to live in another world entirely.
Whether it was Nangong Ming, Gu Qian, or herself, what they saw, knew, and experienced was completely different from what Sheng Hao saw and felt.
After seeing Sheng Hao disappear from view, Yu Sui turned and went back inside. Blackbeard led the way beside her, bringing Yu Sui to the separate courtyard behind the tavern.
As they walked, Blackbeard said: "The wood types most commonly used by the Mechanism School, and of superior quality, include Fusang wood, Jialuo wood, Shatang wood, Tongtian wood, and Jian wood."
"These five types of wood are monopolized by the people of Mechanism Island, but Taiyi's climate isn't suitable for growing these five types of trees. Although Mechanism Island has planned cultivation, production can't keep up with consumption, so 50% of the wood Mechanism Island needs must be purchased and imported from the six outer kingdoms."
The Nangong family also had business dealings with Mechanism Island in this area.
As Yu Sui pushed open the door, she asked: "Which family do we cooperate with?"
Blackbeard said: "The Situ family."
This separate courtyard room was set up like a workshop, with an ironworking construction table inside, a stone carving table, various tools hanging all over the walls, and the five types of mechanism wood Blackbeard had just mentioned filling the tables.
Yu Sui walked to the table and looked down at the mechanism wood on it, asking slowly: "Why don't I see any Divine Wood from the Technical Arts School?"
Although Blackbeard wasn't from the Mechanism School, having done business here for so long, he understood something about it. He stepped forward to explain: "The wood types used by the Mechanism School for manufacturing all naturally contain Five Elements energy. Technical Arts School Divine Wood can also be used for mechanism construction, but the quantity is too scarce, and the Five Elements energy within is difficult to control. If consumed in large quantities, it could very likely face extinction."
Yu Sui walked toward the tool wall in the corner, selected what she needed from among them, then returned to the table and picked up some somewhat dark red Fusang wood to begin cutting.
"Tell me about all of Gu Qian's activities at Taiyi over the past two years." Yu Sui said.
Blackbeard was also perceptive. He took out his Wind-Listening Ruler to find some records and told Yu Sui everything he knew from the past two years.
What Yu Sui particularly wanted to hear about were the messages Nangong Ming had sent to Gu Qian and the messages Gu Qian had sent out.
……
Blackbeard's information would take a day or two to relate fully. Yu Sui didn't return to the academy that night but stayed in the separate courtyard.
When Mei Liangyu finished his own business and returned to the Ghost Way Saint Hall, he found Yu Sui wasn't there. Not seeing her all day, he asked where she was.
Yu Sui was currently carving cipher text that connected with Wind-Listening Rulers on a wide, flat wooden surface. When she glimpsed the flashing message on her Wind-Listening Ruler, she lifted her hand to wipe the thin sweat from her forehead and stopped to reply to the message.
Her finger tapped open the fill-character grid, but she didn't know what to say.
Yu Sui stared blankly at the messaging interface, her fingertip gently rubbing the ruler's surface. While hesitating, she sensed someone approaching and put away the Wind-Listening Ruler.
Blackbeard spoke from outside: "Little Princess, I brought some thirst-quenching fruits from the kitchen. You should rest a while too."
It was already evening, and the stone lanterns in the courtyard lit up as the sky darkened.
Yu Sui opened the door and came out, sitting at the small table under the eaves.
Blackbeard placed the fruit plate he'd brought on the table surface and asked if she needed some clean water prepared.
Yu Sui nodded, so he left again to fetch water.
When Blackbeard returned with the water and placed it on the table, Yu Sui was peeling an orange. She looked up at Blackbeard and suddenly asked: "Do you stay in frequent contact with your wife?"
Blackbeard was caught off guard by the question and nodded repeatedly: "Although we're far apart, because of business needs, Taiyi's Cloud Carriage Flying Dragons actually travel outside frequently, and that's when we can communicate with the outside."
Yu Sui asked again: "About how often?"
Blackbeard stood outside the eaves, looking completely honest: "Once a month when not busy, but when busy, it's hard to say."
Yu Sui picked at the white pith on the fruit flesh, tilting her head to look at him: "How long have you been married?"
Blackbeard smiled at the question: "This is the 23rd year."
Yu Sui continued looking at him, and Blackbeard continued answering: "It's also been ten years since we separated."
These words carried some regret.
"Ten years?" Yu Sui said in surprise: "You haven't seen each other even once?"
Blackbeard shook his head, hesitating briefly in his heart. Seeing that Yu Sui was just making casual conversation, he continued: "Taiyi isn't a place just anyone can enter. Business matters sometimes cause disputes and bring many troubles. It's better for her to live well in Qingyang than to suffer the hardships of traveling to Taiyi."
"Only the Cloud Carriage Flying Dragons that transport academy disciples have good conditions. Those that transport goods don't have compartments for people to rest in, they're all filled with cargo."
Yu Sui stuffed the orange in her hand into her mouth and spoke unclearly: "Do you still remember what your wife looks like?"
"Of course I remember." Blackbeard said hurriedly: "This is something I must never forget."
Seeing his alarm, Yu Sui laughed: "Don't panic, don't panic. I won't speak ill of you to your wife."
Blackbeard touched his nose and said: "If it weren't for my wife never abandoning me back then, I wouldn't be who I am today. Serving the Nangong family is my honor, but in my heart, I also hope that someday I can return to Qingyang and reunite with my family."
There really are devoted couples in this world.
Married young, separated for ten years.
Without true affection, perhaps they would have given up long ago. One seeking divorce and remarriage, the other finding new love.
Yu Sui listened to Blackbeard tell about how he and his wife met and fell in love. Without realizing it, she finished all the fruit in the plate. As she got up to wash her hands, she smiled: "You two are truly devoted to each other. I'm sure if your wife ever faced danger in the future, you could sacrifice everything for her too."
Blackbeard's heart jumped at these words. The tenderness in his eyes when speaking of his wife instantly disappeared, cold sweat immediately appearing on his back. His first thought was that the Little Princess wanted to hold his wife's life as leverage.
But Yu Sui turned to look at him, smiling brightly: "I'll make another deal with you. No matter what happens in the future, I'll be the only one protecting your family."
Blackbeard said solemnly: "This subordinate understands."
"Go rest. I need to continue working." Yu Sui stood and went inside.
Blackbeard watched her enter and close the door before leaving.
On the way, he reflected on Yu Sui's words, lifting his hand to wipe away thin sweat, quickly calming down.
He had made many difficult choices in his life. One wrong step would lead to eternal damnation. Even in business, there were often sudden changes that forced him to choose between two options.
Blackbeard trusted his own judgment because he had good luck and always chose the winning side.
……
Yu Sui returned to the room and opened the windows for ventilation. The Nangong family's practitioners were guarding outside the separate courtyard, so there was no need to worry about anyone sneaking in.
She had cut the long pieces of Fusang wood into many portions, each square and regular, thin as paper, and carved cipher text on them that ordinary people couldn't understand.
The character symbols and curse runes densely occupied every space on the Fusang wood. Yu Sui still had much more to write.
She glanced at the Wind-Listening Ruler on the table. The surface lit up by itself, and the fill-character grid moved by itself, typing out a line to reply to Mei Liangyu: "I'm in the Outer City."
The power of the Heavenly Eye, combined with her ability to separate her observational consciousness of the Strange Fire, had allowed Yu Sui to control Wind-Listening Rulers without touching them since very early on.
Mei Liangyu asked: "When did you go?"
Yu Sui: "During the day."
Mei Liangyu: "Are you alone?"
Yu Sui: "Yes."
Mei Liangyu clicked his tongue softly. Too worrying.
He sat up from the reclining chair in the Ghost Way Saint Hall and asked Yu Sui: "When will you come back?"
He didn't ask what she was doing in the Outer City.
"Tomorrow." Yu Sui thought for a moment, then added: "Morning."
By then, she should have finished making what she needed.
Mei Liangyu wasn't very confident in the Nangong family practitioners' ability to protect her, so he asked: "Do you want me to come pick you up?"
After a moment, he received Yu Sui's reply: "Sure."
Mei Liangyu stood up, greeted Master, then went to the Outer City.
Yu Sui hadn't placed Five Elements Light Cores on Mei Liangyu. Since returning from Mechanism Island, Yu Sui had been monitoring his Wind-Listening Ruler, not just messages and voice transmissions, but also positioning.
Seeing Mei Liangyu start moving after receiving the message, Yu Sui thought Senior Brother was coming over right now, which troubled her somewhat because she didn't want to see him at the moment.
But Mei Liangyu didn't come to meet Yu Sui.
Though Mei Liangyu knew which tavern Yu Sui was at, he didn't go there. He just waited nearby, essentially coming early to wait until dawn to pick her up.
He knew Yu Sui was busy with her own affairs now, so he didn't disturb her or even ask, since Junior Sister never came to the Outer City just for simple relaxation and fun.
After Yu Sui noticed this, her movements stopped, and she stared quietly at the cipher symbols on the dark red wooden surface.
Cold wind blew in from outside, making Yu Sui look up toward the window. The wind had picked up at night, so she got up to open the door too, letting the cool breeze flow into the room.
The wind was cold, but her heart was burning hot.
Yu Sui looked down at the red dot's position on her Wind-Listening Ruler.
She always handled things she was confident about with composure, and when she wasn't confident, she would fight and gamble.
But Mei Liangyu always surprised her when she thought she was confident, and also surprised her when she wasn't confident.
Yu Sui returned to the table and continued carving the cipher text while replying to Mei Liangyu's messages.
She told Mei Liangyu that she came to the Outer City today because of a letter from her father far away in Qingyang.
Yu Sui: "My father wants me to give his regards to Master, saying he's grateful for Master's help back then. Senior Brother, have my father and Master cooperated before?"
If Mei Liangyu didn't know either, then the cooperation between these two probably happened before Senior Brother came to Taiyi.
"This is the first I've heard of it." Mei Liangyu thought carefully and indeed had never heard of Master cooperating with Qingyang's Nangong Ming.
Although he couldn't leave Taiyi, he had heard of Nangong Ming as a figure.
Not only had Gao Tianhao mentioned him, but School of Names instructors had also talked about this person, and some disciples from Yan Kingdom at the academy had brought him up too.
One of the Three Yama Kings of the School of Names, Mei Liangyu couldn't possibly not know about him.
Nangong Ming was famous, with a reputation both good and bad.
Naturally, he was praised throughout Qingyang Kingdom, while the other five kingdoms that had been harmed by Nangong Ming hated him to their core.
Different countries and people had different positions and interests, leading to different choices.
Mei Liangyu didn't judge Nangong Ming's actions in the six kingdoms' wars. He simply had strong opinions about what Nangong Ming did to his children as a father.
He stood in the side alley by the tavern's side door, looking down at his reply when he suddenly heard some people cursing as they came out the side door, all gamblers who had lost all their money in the gambling hall.
Mei Liangyu only gave them a cold glance before looking back at his Wind-Listening Ruler. When the last person came out, he frowned and looked back again.
The man in gray cloth clothes had bloodshot eyes, patted his sleeves, and after finding he couldn't produce even a penny, bit his teeth hard, walked forward two steps, then turned back.