Chapter 111
When dawn broke, Yu Sui placed the Fusang wood carved with cipher text on the forging table. The furnace below had been burning for a long time. When she placed the wood pieces covered in cipher text on the forging table, they quickly began to curl.
The wood pieces became sticky, adhering together piece by piece. Yu Sui watched over them, allowing the cipher-carved wood pieces to fuse, then performed more detailed carving on them.
The final product was a dewdrop-sized, concealed earpiece that could be placed in the ear, capable of connecting to Wind-Listening Rulers. Under Yu Sui's carved cipher text, it could ignore the Communication Courtyard's voice transmission time limits.
Yu Sui made six in total, all shaped like dewdrops. The transparent dewdrop exterior contained several streams of dark red light and shadow flowing within.
During her recovery, Shi Yuezhen worried she would be bored and asked what she wanted to do. Yu Sui said she wanted to read books, so Shi Yuezhen and Mei Liangyu found many books for her.
Both were Class A Students who could access Taiyi's advanced book pavilions, borrowing many strange and wonderful books for Yu Sui to read.
Yu Sui gained inspiration from the books and heard Mei Liangyu talk about mechanism construction. After her injuries healed, she came to the Outer City and had Blackbeard help prepare the necessary materials.
With everything made, it was time to test how well they worked.
Yu Sui collected the six Fusang dewdrops and looked outside at the sky. The morning light was dazzling.
She looked down at her Wind-Listening Ruler and found that Senior Brother was still in the same position as before. Mei Liangyu had waited there all night.
Yu Sui walked outside, using her Wind-Listening Ruler to message Mei Liangyu: "Senior Brother, did you eat breakfast when you came?"
Mei Liangyu replied: "No."
"Then let's eat breakfast before going back." Yu Sui asked him to come into the tavern. After a pause, she smiled and asked him: "Have you arrived yet?"
Mei Liangyu: "Just arrived."
Yu Sui raised an eyebrow and told Blackbeard about this. Blackbeard delayed the tavern's opening and reserved the first floor space for the two of them.
Mei Liangyu slowly walked out of the alley and entered through the main door, just in time to encounter Yu Sui coming out.
Yu Sui stood on the stairs, heading upward. She pointed to her collar and said: "I'll go wash up first. Senior Brother, wait downstairs for a bit."
Mei Liangyu's expression indicated she should hurry up.
He found a place to sit down, noticing the traces on Yu Sui's fingers: scorch marks from fire lacquer, wood shavings remaining on her sleeve cuffs, red marks left from gripping carving tools for long periods, and the faint scent of Fusang wood in the air.
It seemed Junior Sister had worked through the night.
Mei Liangyu leaned back in his chair with a lazy expression, didn't think much about it, and just looked down at his Wind-Listening Ruler.
The tavern staff quietly served dishes, and soon the table was full of food.
Yu Sui came down quickly, her black hair still half-wet. She smoothed the hair draped over her shoulder with one hand and sat down across from Mei Liangyu.
Mei Liangyu looked her over and said: "No rush."
"I'm hungry." Yu Sui pointed to the breakfast on the table and began filling her stomach.
Mei Liangyu ate methodically and asked her: "Do you want to know when Master cooperated with your father? I can ask around for you."
"It doesn't seem easy. If those two cooperated, it must have been something major that they wouldn't easily reveal to others." Yu Sui said: "I don't necessarily need to know. Senior Brother, focus on your memory matters first."
Mei Liangyu made a sound of acknowledgment and said: "Then Gu Qian is out of luck."
Yu Sui kept her head down eating: "Then Brother Gu is just out of luck!"
The matter of Gu Qian exposing his Divine Mechanism Arts had received high attention. Recently, academy disciples were almost all discussing matters related to Gu Qian.
Though the academy and Outer City were somewhat separate, they were connected in invisible ways.
News from the academy would inevitably flow to the Outer City. Gu Qian's greatest threat now wasn't Taiyi's disciples, but the scattered practitioners in the Outer City.
Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu returned to the academy without incident. Yu Sui first went to the Ghost Way Saint Hall to relay Nangong Ming's message to Saint Chang Gen.
After hearing it, Saint Chang Gen only said he understood.
Yu Sui asked with feigned curiosity: "Master, what matter was Father referring to?"
Saint Chang Gen said: "Matters that cannot be spoken of."
Yu Sui asked again: "Will you cooperate with my father again this time?"
Saint Chang Gen replied again: "It requires consideration."
Yu Sui revealed her uncertainty, asking timidly: "Master, you didn't take me as your disciple because of my father's influence, did you?"
Saint Chang Gen: "That is not the case."
Yu Sui blinked at the portrait, her expression both obedient and dejected, as if somewhat hurt.
Saint Chang Gen had to explain further: "Taking you as a disciple has nothing to do with your father."
Yu Sui wanted to learn about Nangong Ming from Saint Chang Gen, but no matter how pitiful or obedient she acted, Master was unwilling to say more.
......
After leaving the Ghost Way Saint Hall, Yu Sui finally returned to the dormitories.
Wei Ren and Li Jin Shuang had already received word and were waiting for her at Xue Mushi's place.
After Yu Sui arrived, she placed several Fusang pearls on the table, having them wear them in their ears.
"When connecting for voice transmission, the Five Elements energy in the pearls will change." Yu Sui held up a Fusang dewdrop as she spoke. She activated voice transmission, and the several streams of dark red light and shadow swirling in the dewdrop transformed into golden Five Elements energy.
After Wei Ren placed the Fusang pearl in his ear, he crossed his arms and sat upright, hearing sounds from Xue Mushi's side. He raised an eyebrow slightly: "Interesting. This is much more convenient. If any party has an emergency, we can know immediately."
"We need to test whether others can detect them." Yu Sui said: "Let's start with Thirteenth Realm instructors. If that passes without problems, we'll try with the academy Saints."
She looked around the room at everyone, her gaze finally settling on Wei Ren.
Wei Ren was still looking down at the Fusang pearl in his hand when he suddenly noticed everyone had stopped talking. He looked up and unexpectedly met Yu Sui's appraising eyes.
"......" Wei Ren stuffed the Fusang pearl back in his ear, stood up and said: "I'll go."
……
Wei Ren went to find an Agricultural School instructor, Gong Lesheng.
He was an instructor responsible for Agricultural School beast control.
Gong Lesheng was an instructor who took responsibility for his disciples, serious but not strict. Additionally, Wei Ren had high talent in the Agricultural School, so he treasured Wei Ren as promising material for the Agricultural School.
When Wei Ren's cultivation was destroyed, Gong Lesheng was undoubtedly the most heartbroken. Since then, he had continuously shown care for Wei Ren's wellbeing and provided spiritual encouragement, hoping he would pull himself together and not give up on himself.
Wei Ren certainly wouldn't give up on himself, but he had never been fussed over like this before and was very uncomfortable with it.
Gong Lesheng had finished today's classes and had no patrol duties. He was in his open-air courtyard interacting with the birds and beasts he kept.
First he groomed several civet cats, then fed the small birds perched on flower branches in the courtyard.
From a distance, Wei Ren could see the white-bearded old man standing by the flowering tree: he was slightly hunched, wearing white robes embroidered with cloud patterns that looked simple and plain. His hair was already gray-white, and even though he was alone, he could talk to himself for ages.
The three civet cats walking back and forth on the table were the first to spot Wei Ren. Seeing him approach, they panicked and scattered, fleeing at lightning speed like refugees, which drew Gong Lesheng's attention. He turned around, saw Wei Ren, and said with joy: "Good timing, good timing."
As soon as Wei Ren entered the courtyard, he could feel numerous venomous insects hidden in the shadows watching him. His expression didn't change as he approached humbly: "I've been thinking it over recently and still feel you were right, Instructor. I shouldn't neglect cultivation. Even if my cultivation base is gone, I shouldn't give up on myself, so I came specifically to find you and hear your supplementary lessons."
Gong Lesheng laughed heartily. Despite his thin frame, his laughter was vigorous and spirited.
He said: "For you to say such words, the sun must be rising in the west."
The old man clearly didn't believe him.
Wei Ren raised his eyebrows with a smile: "If you won't teach me, I'll go find another instructor."
"Hey, wait, since you're here, don't leave." Gong Lesheng beckoned him into the house: "You've missed many days at the practice hall and missed many classes. Today I'll explain them all to you."
Wei Ren followed behind him, his gaze sweeping over the venomous insects hidden under the eaves.
Just as they entered the house, Wei Ren heard Yu Sui's cool, indifferent voice in his ear: "This instructor seems quite fond of you."
The voice was incredibly clear. Wei Ren looked up at Gong Lesheng ahead of him. He noticed nothing, just taking out several instructor's books and placing them on the table, gesturing for Wei Ren to sit down.
While Wei Ren listened to Gong Lesheng's lecture, his ears also filled with the harsh clashing of sword fights from Li Jin Shuang at the Martial Path Arena, the clanging of blade against blade. Xue Mushi had gone to the Taoist School's thunder field, where many Taoist disciples practiced thunder techniques, creating an endless cacophony of crackling sounds.
His own head was splitting from all the noise, yet Gong Lesheng was completely unaware, hearing no other sounds at all.
Yu Sui was adjusting her Wind-Listening Ruler in the dormitory, explaining to them: "The Fusang pearls connect to your Wind-Listening Rulers, and the Wind-Listening Rulers connect to the Communication Array Number Mountains. As long as no one decodes the Number Mountains' Five Elements energy, they can't hear the sounds from the Fusang pearls."
Xue Mushi walked to a corner and whispered: "If that's the case, I think even Saints can't hear them."
"But in certain places, certain special Nine Schools Arts might trigger Five Elements resonance." Yu Sui said: "For example, the thunder field where you are. If someone successfully calls down golden lightning of that caliber—"
Just as she finished speaking, Xue Mushi saw golden lightning strike ahead. The Five Elements energy flowing in the Fusang pearl was stimulated and suddenly flashed, producing a crackling noise. Invisible stabbing pain attacked all three wearing Fusang pearls, and their brains were also struck by lightning.
Yu Sui frowned and turned her head away, immediately cutting the voice transmission connection.
Xue Mushi covered his ears and crouched on the ground. Li Jin Shuang, who was fighting with swords, furrowed her brow tightly. Her form wavered, giving her opponent an opportunity to strike her back.
Wei Ren was the most unlucky. His body hadn't fully healed, and suddenly being struck by lightning, he fell directly from his chair, startling the lecturing Gong Lesheng, who asked what happened.
"Nothing, didn't rest well last night." Wei Ren shook his head, propped himself up with one hand, and got back up as if nothing had happened: "Please continue."
Xue Mushi crawled away from the thunder field and only breathed a sigh of relief when he got outside, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.
Yu Sui reconnected the voice transmission, rubbing her ears: "Due to Breath Soil restrictions, I can't use Kun-Gen power, so the Fusang pearls I made can't resist lightning strikes."
Though there was a small flaw, the overall effect was still very good.
……
The three of them wore Fusang pearls and wandered around outside all day, helping test what would cause Five Elements resonance. After confirming there were no major problems, they prepared to go steal Dustless Soil from the Agricultural Knowledge Hall the next evening.
The time until month's end was also approaching.
The Agricultural Knowledge Hall was situated in a reed marsh, with black walls forming a circle in the center of the reeds. Looking down from Five Elements Light Cores flying overhead, Yu Sui could see five pavilions within the black walls.
She released more light cores, infiltrating the five pavilions to search for the location of the Dustless Soil.
After confirming the Dustless Soil's position, Yu Sui said: "Western side, third floor, rightmost."
The others didn't question how Yu Sui could do this.
Wei Ren handed two pills to Xue Mushi and Li Jin Shuang: "These are Breath-Holding Pills, good for one quarter-hour. Once you climb over the courtyard wall and enter the Agricultural Knowledge Hall's range, you cannot breathe the air inside, not even a wisp."
"It's all poisonous gas inside. If you accidentally breathe even once, when you wake up, you'll be waiting for instructors to mock you and dock your points."
Xue Mushi looked at the reed marsh ahead, taller than a person, and scratched his head: "There are trigram formations on the road that might cause ghost walls. Give me some time."
Wei Ren turned to look at him: "You can solve trigram formations now?"
"I can recognize them, not solve them." Xue Mushi asked: "Can I just destroy them directly?"
Wei Ren's expression was inscrutable: "You can if you're able to escape before the instructors arrive and are willing to give up getting Dustless Soil tonight."
Xue Mushi: "......"
That probably wouldn't work then.
Li Jin Shuang, who had been silently holding her sword, asked: "What trigram formations?"
"Abundance Trigram, which can make small things large and large things even larger." Xue Mushi explained simply and clearly: "An ant inside would be bigger than me."
Xue Mushi said: "Besides the Abundance Trigram, there's also the Diminishing Breath Trigram. Once you enter the formation, it will gradually strip away your senses until you're deaf and blind."
Yu Sui could break the formations using her Heavenly Eye, but there was no need to handle everything herself. If she did everything, there would be no point in cooperating with these people.
When choosing team cooperation, each person must have their own significance to bind everyone more tightly together.
Moreover, besides Wei Ren, both Xue Mushi and Li Jin Shuang, like Yu Sui, were hiding certain powers.
Wei Ren wasn't limited to just that one Agricultural School forbidden technique either. He was quite active in displaying his abilities, just hadn't encountered the right opportunity.
"Do you have any Taoist School purple-grade talismans?" Li Jin Shuang asked: "Any of the six Taoist generals would work."
Xue Mushi was stunned: "No, not a single one."
Li Jin Shuang could tell he didn't have any. After pondering, she said: "The Diminishing Breath trigram formation carries fierce and malevolent intent. It can be suppressed by confronting it with fierce malevolence. My sword spirit should be able to do it."
As for the Abundance Trigram, they would just have to fight through it.
Before the two took action, Wei Ren threw his Ghost Armor Sky Spider to Li Jin Shuang: "Take this along. As long as it merges with the Abundance trigram formation, it can also be enlarged from small to large."
Li Jin Shuang caught the Ghost Armor Sky Spider and placed it on her shoulder, then rushed toward the Agricultural Knowledge Hall in the center of the reed marsh with Xue Mushi using wind-riding techniques.
With Wei Ren's injuries not fully healed and Yu Sui having recently recovered from injury and rest, the two waited outside as lookouts while the physical work was left to Xue Mushi and Li Jin Shuang.
Shortly after the two entered, Yu Sui and Wei Ren heard sharp sword cries. Then they saw Li Jin Shuang's sword spirit rise from the reeds that blocked their vision, its sword energy cutting through the reeds horizontally, causing them to fall toward the side with the strongest oppressive force.
Xue Mushi led the way ahead. The moment he pushed through the reeds, he saw a section of green python body, taller than him, so massive that Xue Mushi had to crane his neck to look up at this python body that loomed like a high city wall, intimidatingly.
Yu Sui saw this through the Five Elements Light Cores and warned: "Behind you."
Xue Mushi and Li Jin Shuang turned around to see the coiled python that had encircled them both, its head raised as it stared at them. As the two turned around, the green python suddenly lunged down with a hissing roar, its gaping maw blocking out the sky.
The two reacted extremely quickly, retreating and splitting left and right to create distance, but the green python was too large and fast. They couldn't escape its lunging mouth.
At the critical moment, the Ghost Armor Sky Spider merged with the Abundance formation and enlarged. Its massive red spider legs kicked the python's head away, while dense transparent spider silk pierced through the python's body, spattering black-red blood everywhere.
Under the severe pain, the green python writhed and rolled. Xue Mushi and Li Jin Shuang used the Ghost Armor Sky Spider's silk to move forward at full speed.
Xue Mushi looked back at the giant spider stepping on the green python with its legs and praised: "Your spider is really amazing."
Yu Sui glanced at Wei Ren. Wei Ren flicked nonexistent dust from his clothes and boasted: "Of course. It's not just any ordinary spider. It's called a Ghost Armor Sky Spider, the most difficult venomous creature for the Agricultural School to tame and refine."
"Checking whether an Agricultural School disciple's beast control abilities are excellent depends on whether they've tamed a Ghost Armor Sky Spider."
"When I was at the Fifth Realm, I could tame three Ghost Armor Sky Spiders, but two of them were turned by Cang Shu's phoenix song summoning, which was disappointing. But the one I'm lending you now is different. It's my most proud beast control work and the most powerful. It's superior to any other sky spider and will be the most formidable sky spider in the Agricultural School's future."
Wei Ren continued praising his Ghost Armor Sky Spider in various ways, but no one was listening.
Li Jin Shuang's sword spirit suppressed the Diminishing Breath trigram. With Yu Sui's assistance, Xue Mushi and Li Jin Shuang successfully passed through the reed marsh, reached the outer wall, swallowed their Breath-Holding Pills, and entered the Agricultural Knowledge Hall.