Chapter 117
Yu Sui watched Mei Liangyu for quite a while. Seeing he showed no signs of waking, she turned back to look at the map on the table, carefully considering the hundreds of years before Strange Fire's arrival:
At that time, World Destroyers wouldn't be burned to death by Strange Fire and could use Strange Fire's power without burden.
This meant Strange Fire was controllable before.
Yu Sui recalled again the scene from her childhood of holding that small flame in her palm, then looked at the later records. After Strange Fire went dormant and reappeared, the ability to release Strange Fire varied from person to person.
Some World Destroyers could only release it once.
Some World Destroyers would be burned along with Strange Fire after releasing it three times.
Strange Fire was changing, but too few World Destroyers had participated in Water Vessel plan experiments, and nothing had been publicly announced, so people's understanding of Strange Fire was very limited.
Yu Sui also hadn't discovered any records of death resonance among the five World Destroyers in the text and images. Was it unknown, or had it never happened before?
This time the six kingdoms and Taiyi decided to restart the Water Vessel plan. Did they learn about death resonance from Yu Xian?
Did they want to control World Destroyers first rather than spend great effort opposing them?
From Yu Xian's identity exposure to death hadn't taken very long, and he himself had little combat ability. Compared to other World Destroyers, killing him required almost no effort.
Yu Sui carefully examined the distribution on the map. Each of the six kingdoms had their own schemes. Perhaps because of the Floating Pagoda matter, the world would soon be in chaos, so they didn't want World Destroyers causing trouble at this time to disrupt their planning rhythm.
She looked at the Water Vessel's position in the southwestern seas, lightly tapping the boat symbol with her finger, making it sway left and right.
Water Vessel.
Going to the Water Vessel meant losing freedom even if one didn't die.
Yu Sui didn't give much consideration to Water Vessel matters. She wouldn't go.
If Xue Mushi wanted to be with Tu Miaoyi, he wouldn't go either. The remaining three World Destroyers, judging from previous communications, didn't seem like the type to obediently go to the Water Vessel as test subjects.
As for what Gao Tianhao said about heavenly character text hiding secrets that could strip away Strange Fire, Yu Sui still had some doubts.
After all, Gao Tianhao hadn't succeeded in doing it.
Tomorrow was month's end, the night of the full moon. Yu Sui had sent all the cipher text to Gu Qian. After Li Jin Shuang talked with Xun Zhiya, Xun Zhiya still decided to invite her to help together.
Yu Sui thought about the two troubles of Strange Fire and Breath Soil and couldn't help pressing her temple. For now, learning more Nine Schools Arts was more useful.
Strange Fire was changing.
This point made Yu Sui thoughtful. Her gaze unconsciously moved upward, and when she swept over Mei Liangyu, she paused, feeling somewhat calmer.
There was someone even more clueless than her.
If Senior Brother never left Taiyi for his whole life, with Saint Chang Gen's protection, he wouldn't have too hard a time.
But people all yearned for freedom and the unknown, especially someone with Senior Brother's rebellious temperament. But he must have thought it through carefully, knowing that if he recovered his memories, he would definitely face some difficult choice.
If Gu Qian hadn't coincidentally made Mei Liangyu remember some memory fragments, Senior Brother wouldn't have made this decision.
Yu Sui speculated about Gu Qian and Mei Liangyu's backgrounds. When dawn broke and the burning pain from Strange Fire weakened, she curled up in her chair and fell asleep.
When Mei Liangyu woke up, Yu Sui had just fallen asleep not long ago.
Waking up in an unfamiliar strange environment, Mei Liangyu was initially wary. When his dark pupils swept over the person across from him, he paused and gradually restrained the cold aura around him.
The text and images on the table were still there. Yu Sui didn't know how to put them away and didn't want to wake Mei Liangyu, as he looked quite tired too.
Mei Liangyu glanced at the door and could sense the time change. It was already the next morning, and he had fallen asleep, but Junior Sister hadn't woken him.
The high-backed chair enveloped Yu Sui completely. She curled up her feet, pressed close to the chair back, rested her hands on the armrests, making herself into a small ball. Her long hair and dress hem draped to the floor, her sleeping face peaceful and obedient.
Mei Liangyu just watched quietly like this, making no movement or sound to wake her.
The closed indoor environment shut out all the outside clamor. In the silence, he gazed at the person across from him, some indescribable emotions growing in his heart.
Last night's candlelight had burned out. The main room was dim without lit lamps. The glowing text and images on the table separated the two, with flowing clear water and burning flames entangled together, inseparable from each other, flowing through every part of Xuangu Continent.
Mei Liangyu judged whether he liked someone by the most obvious sign: when alone with that person, did his heart want to leave quickly, stay a bit longer, or feel indifferent.
Master wasn't always at the Ghost Way Saint Hall. Previously when he went to the Ghost Way Saint Hall and only Yu Sui was there, it counted as being alone together.
Initially Mei Liangyu would feel it wasn't very interesting and would leave after staying a while.
But gradually, even when only Yu Sui was at the Ghost Way Saint Hall, he stayed longer and longer.
Yu Sui was a humble, studious child. When encountering problems she didn't understand, she would actively ask Mei Liangyu. As long as Mei Liangyu ignored her once, she wouldn't ask a second time.
Mei Liangyu could feel the slight joy and satisfaction rising from deep within when alone with Yu Sui.
Even just watching her like this without doing anything, he surprisingly didn't find it tedious.
Mei Liangyu was still wondering when his patience had become so good when he heard knocking at the door outside.
The rhythm was neither hurried nor slow, and the voice was gentle: "Sui Sui, I brought you breakfast."
Mei Liangyu wanted to block out the voice from outside to prevent disturbing Yu Sui's rest. Junior Sister already didn't sleep well, so any time she could sleep should be treasured.
But Yu Sui was too sensitive and woke up after sensing someone else approaching.
She rubbed her eyes with her hand while straightening up, looking at Mei Liangyu with sleepy eyes, her expression somewhat wooden, showing no joy or anger.
"Let him call. Sleep a bit more." Mei Liangyu said.
Only then did Yu Sui turn her head toward the door, seeing a not-too-obvious shadow on the door.
Gu Qian outside called: "Sui Sui."
"Senior Brother." Yu Sui stood up. Without asking when Mei Liangyu had woken up, she pointed at the glowing text and images on the table, indicating for him to put them away.
Mei Liangyu lightly lifted his eyelids. Seeing she was still going to open the door, he waved his hand to erase the text and images from the table surface.
"Come here first." Mei Liangyu beckoned Yu Sui, having her come before him, then grabbed Yu Sui's hand: "Wipe your face, wake up more."
Going to open the door in such a dazed and cute state would make Gu Qian's eyes go straight, wouldn't it?
Yu Sui let Mei Liangyu grab her hand, then pull at her sleeve to roughly rub her face, which indeed made her completely alert.
She looked at the man before her and said calmly: "Senior Brother..."
Mei Liangyu pinched her face, speaking carelessly: "If you want me to hide, just hold it in and don't say it."
Yu Sui swallowed the words that had reached her lips and slowly walked to open the door.
Mei Liangyu watched her back and frowned with a silent cold smile. She really did want him to hide.
As soon as the door opened, Mei Liangyu also looked up. Not-too-harsh light shone in, and Gu Qian's smiling face also entered his cold, indifferent eyes.
"Sui Sui..." Gu Qian had just started to speak when he noticed Mei Liangyu behind her. He sat behind the main room's long table with a composed manner, yet it made Gu Qian freeze.
Why, is, Mei, Liangyu, here!
Gu Qian's mood had been quite good today. Yesterday, because of the dormitory change, he had talked with Yu Sui.
Yu Sui said that after not seeing each other for over two years, they had become distant, but becoming distant was also normal. Brother Gu had better friends around him now, and she was sincerely happy for Gu Qian.
The more Gu Qian listened, the more heartbroken he felt, thinking his care for Yu Sui during this period was truly insufficient. If he let them become distant like this, Gu Qian absolutely couldn't accept it.
If Yu Sui was unhappy living with Shu Chujun and wanted to change dormitories, then she should change.
Gu Qian would do better, but he couldn't possibly accept Mei Liangyu's existence.
"Why is he here?" Gu Qian asked directly, frowning deeply, no longer hiding his disgust.
Yesterday Gu Qian had also made things clear with Yu Sui. Mei Liangyu could be her Senior Brother, but only a Senior Brother.
He and Mei Liangyu were enemies. This wouldn't change because of Yu Sui.
Mei Liangyu coldly glanced at Gu Qian, then withdrew his gaze, very naturally picking up the cooled teapot from the table, standing up to place it on the stove, preparing to boil water for tea.
As if he were the master here.
This behavior made Gu Qian's temples twitch, feeling this person was really putting on an act, scheming everywhere.
Yu Sui stood at the doorway. The door wasn't even half open, barely enough for just her to stand: "I had some questions I wanted to ask Senior Brother, so I invited him over."
After speaking, she reached out to take the food box Gu Qian handed over: "Is this breakfast? Thank you, Brother Gu."
Gu Qian was still staring at Mei Liangyu: "Eat it yourself, don't give it to him."
Yu Sui nodded: "Mm!"
Only then did Gu Qian withdraw his gaze and look at Yu Sui: "What questions do you want to ask him? Why didn't you ask me first?"
"They're all related to Ghost Way School Nine Schools Arts. Brother Gu, you're not a Ghost Way School disciple." Yu Sui answered reasonably.
Gu Qian said: "I know them. Ask me first."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a light but not heavy scoffing sound from inside, not loud but clear enough for him to hear.
Full of mockery.
Gu Qian couldn't control himself from looking up at Mei Liangyu, the anger in his heart growing rapidly.
Yu Sui didn't want these two to have contact today. Gu Qian should focus on getting his Floating Pagoda fragment. So she blocked with one hand and lowered her voice: "Brother Gu, you haven't forgotten what I said yesterday, have you? I called Senior Brother here, and we're only discussing Nine Schools Arts matters. Master recently wants me to practice several curse techniques. I'm somewhat confused and want to hear Senior Brother continue explaining."
Gu Qian also understood and wouldn't destroy Yu Sui's opportunity to learn Nine Schools Arts. No matter how dissatisfied he was inside, he endured it, treating Mei Liangyu as if he didn't exist.
Moreover, yesterday Yu Sui had told him that the Prince wanted to invite Saint Chang Gen to cooperate, or rather wanted to persuade Saint Chang Gen to cooperate. If he fought Mei Liangyu to the death at this time, it might ruin the Prince's plan.
Gu Qian took a deep breath, treating Mei Liangyu as nonexistent, and glared down at Yu Sui: "Remember to come find me if anything happens."
"Mm!" Yu Sui nodded.
Gu Qian added: "Also remember to tell me if you still feel uncomfortable anywhere from your previous injuries."
Yu Sui smiled brightly: "I know."
Gu Qian gave her many instructions before leaving. Yu Sui watched Gu Qian walk away before closing the door. Just as she turned around, she saw Mei Liangyu standing by the stove, looking at her with an inscrutable expression.
Those slightly upturned eye corners outlined barely perceptible coldness, but his dark pupils just quietly looked at you, not much different from his usual cold, casual manner.
Making one unable to guess, unconsciously pondering.
Yu Sui extended her index finger to lightly touch her red lips, making a silencing gesture. After holding her breath and concentrating, she sensed the flow of Five Elements energy in the room and reached out to catch a tiny golden butterfly lurking in the void.
School of Names word command, an eavesdropping butterfly materialized. Gu Qian had secretly released it when leaving.
Yu Sui crushed the golden eavesdropping butterfly. Gu Qian, standing before the Dragon Stairs, sensed this and frowned, cursing in his heart: that bastard Mei Liangyu.
Gu Qian looked back toward Yu Sui's direction. He still wasn't completely at ease.
Yesterday Yu Sui had explained that she wanted to help the Prince persuade Saint Chang Gen to cooperate, so she was pretending to be close to Mei Liangyu. But for some reason, whenever he saw these two standing together, he felt annoyed.
Gu Qian took a deep breath, forcing himself to look away, his expression extremely calm.
Sui Sui absolutely wouldn't like Mei Liangyu.
He and Sui Sui had been together since childhood and would continue being together in the future, never separating.
......
At this moment in the room, seeing Yu Sui find and destroy the School of Names eavesdropping butterfly herself, Mei Liangyu raised an eyebrow slightly: "Junior Sister, your alertness has improved considerably."
"After all this time, it wouldn't make sense if I hadn't made some progress." Yu Sui walked toward the table and curled back into the chair, hugging her knees with both hands. She turned her head to look at Mei Liangyu: "I've been very sensitive to Five Elements energy flow lately, always afraid of suddenly being locked underground again."
It sounded like aftereffects from the Mechanism Island trip.
Mei Liangyu's expression paused slightly. His originally cold aura became gentler as he walked toward Yu Sui: "Really that afraid?"
"Just a little bit." Yu Sui made a gesture, looking at Mei Liangyu with one eye open and one closed.
Mei Liangyu heard a hint of playfulness in her words and realized she was joking. He stood in front of the chair, looking down at her.
Yu Sui propped her head up with one hand, tilting her head back slightly to look back: "Senior Brother?"
Mei Liangyu said: "You're quite mischievous too."
Yu Sui lowered her eyes and smiled: "Senior Brother didn't look very happy just now. Is it because you didn't sleep well?"
"I slept very well." Mei Liangyu was still looking down at her: "It's you who seems to have made up with Gu Qian. How long was your cold war? Now you look like you've reconciled."
"We made up yesterday." Yu Sui opened the food box on the table and peered inside. Everything was what she liked to eat: "To apply for a dormitory change at the academy, the other people need to agree too. After I hit Shu Chujun at the dining hall that day, everyone agreed to let me change dormitories. When Brother Gu found out, he came to talk with me."
Mei Liangyu patiently asked: "Talk about what?"
"Brother Gu talked about many things from the past, our days studying at Qingyang National Academy. I'd almost forgotten some things, but hearing him mention them brought back memories." Yu Sui bit into a meat pie and looked up at Mei Liangyu with gentle eyes: "We really did spend a very long time together, seeing each other every day. Brother Gu's days in Qingyang were chaotic. Following him around, I could always see a lot of excitement."
Mei Liangyu had previously told Yu Sui about his childhood at Taiyi, but Yu Sui had never revealed her childhood life. This was the first time she mentioned it, yet it was full of Gu Qian. Mei Liangyu listened carelessly and even politely said: "When he's not around, you can call him Gu Qian."
Yu Sui looked back at him while biting the meat pie, surprise in her bright eyes. Mei Liangyu said with an unchanged expression: "He has a name. It's Gu Qian."
"Gu Qian." Yu Sui said.
Mei Liangyu nodded his chin slightly, indicating she hadn't said it wrong.
Yu Sui couldn't help but turn away and laugh quietly.
Mei Liangyu rested one hand on the chair back, lightly tapping the chair back with his knuckles. Yu Sui stood up to get a teacup from further away, then sat back down. As she settled, several strands of hair fell onto Mei Liangyu's hand.
The black hair lightly brushed against Mei Liangyu's hand as Yu Sui moved.
Mei Liangyu's gaze involuntarily swept over, his slender fingers lightly hooking a strand of hair, slowly winding it around.
"Compared to me, my mother likes Gu Qian more. Gu Qian said he wrote to Qingyang telling Lady Su not to send people to kill me for Breath Soil anymore. He's on my side." Yu Sui held her cup and sipped some clear water, continuing: "By saying this, he's torn his face with Lady Su. Gu Qian also said he'll treat me better in the future. We've been together since childhood and can't possibly separate."
Mei Liangyu stood by the chair, his fingers playing with several strands of hair, saying calmly: "If Gu Qian treats you well, will you like him?"
From his perspective, Yu Sui and Gu Qian had indeed spent many years together. Those real times that had existed couldn't be denied.
Yu Sui made a soft sound and turned to look at the person standing beside her: "Senior Brother, I'm not the type who will definitely like you just because you treat me well, very well, even unconditionally well."
Mei Liangyu nodded, his lips curving up for an instant as he said lightly: "I understand."
But he himself was somewhat like this type of person.
Unless you treat me very, very well first, I couldn't possibly like you.
Yet the result was the opposite. Yu Sui hadn't been particularly good to him anywhere, but Mei Liangyu couldn't help but show goodwill to Yu Sui first, always protecting her, wanting her to be well.
As Mei Liangyu reflected on himself, he heard Yu Sui say: "It's not that I like Gu Qian. It's that Gu Qian likes me."
He said: "You're quite clear about that."
"Gu Qian likes me, and he also likes Xun Zhiya." Yu Sui said very seriously: "He's attracted to both people. Maybe he hasn't realized it yet. He can risk danger for Xun Zhiya, protect her, not want her to get hurt, but he also can't accept separating from me, can't live unlike how we used to in Qingyang."
Gu Qian's attitude toward Qian Ying was sisterly, toward Xiang Feifei was companionship, but only toward Xun Zhiya and Nangong Sui was special.
Perhaps in the future, Gu Qian would have to choose only one.
No matter which one he gave up, he'd never forget for the rest of his life.
Mei Liangyu snorted coldly with disdain: "How does he manage to like two people simultaneously?"
"It doesn't have to be simultaneous." Yu Sui said: "I could also like Gu Qian when in Qingyang and like Senior Brother when at Taiyi."
Mei Liangyu looked down at her: "Are you looking for death?"
Yu Sui shrank her neck: "Senior Brother, I was just making an analogy."
She looked at Mei Liangyu timidly, while deep inside she observed the possessiveness the man unconsciously revealed at this moment. She could even feel the fingers behind the chair back that had wound around her hair were gradually pulling more black hair toward them.
Yu Sui successfully made the atmosphere dangerous but found it very interesting.
Mei Liangyu wanted to say that whoever he liked, he'd only like that one person for his whole life, but thinking it over, he felt these words were too sentimental. Saying them would only make Junior Sister laugh, so he decided not to say them.
But Junior Sister's thoughts were somewhat dangerous.
Mei Liangyu stared at her without moving his eyes, lowering his voice to ask: "How many people do you want to like?"
Yu Sui hesitated and didn't answer.
Mei Liangyu snorted coldly: "How many?"
Yu Sui tentatively raised her hand. Under Mei Liangyu's cold stare, her fingers trembled, but she finally held up one.
She said distressedly: "But Senior Brother, I can't guarantee I'll only like this one person for my whole life. What if I change my mind later and like someone else?"
Mei Liangyu pressed down the finger she held up, saying carelessly: "Don't be afraid. After you change your mind, I'll kill whoever you like."
Yu Sui stared at Mei Liangyu in a daze.
She thought she might be sick.
Hearing such spine-chilling words didn't give her a sense of crisis but instead made her secretly happy.
Mei Liangyu wasn't afraid of scaring her, but seeing Yu Sui freeze, he didn't want to see her show fear either. So he placed her hand back on the table surface and pointed to the food box: "Eat."
Yu Sui took another meat pie and bit into it.
Mei Liangyu very naturally changed the subject: "What I showed you last night, did you finish reading it?"
"I finished reading it." Yu Sui nodded: "Senior Brother, you disappeared these past days because you went to get this text and images?"
Mei Liangyu said: "No, I spent these days at the School of Names' Jueyun Peak challenging the Twelve Heavenly Steps."
"Oh." Yu Sui said: "My attraction to Senior Brother just decreased by a tiny bit."
Mei Liangyu: "......"
If he'd known, he would have lied despicably.
Mei Liangyu softened his voice: "Do you have any questions?"
"I was quite surprised when I first started reading. In hundreds of years, it changed so much." Yu Sui took small bites of the meat pie: "My Strange Fire, on the other hand..."
Halfway through speaking, she suddenly felt Mei Liangyu place his palm on her head. This action interrupted Yu Sui. Mei Liangyu said: "You don't need to tell me the specific secrets of your Strange Fire. I'm afraid my memories might be spied on in the future."
Yu Sui: "...Alright."
She rolled her eyes and looked at Mei Liangyu: "Who told you all this?"
Mei Liangyu withdrew his hand and paused: "Yan Xiaochuan's master, School of Names instructor, Mu Yong'an."
Yu Sui was somewhat surprised: "Instructor Mu knows about Senior Brother's situation?"
"He knows, but can't say." Mei Liangyu also reminded her: "If you learn anything, remember not to say it out loud. It's very likely Taiyi will notice."
Who at Taiyi could possess such power?
Yu Sui immediately thought of Taiyi's 24 Saints.
Mei Liangyu had originally wanted to find Gu Qian to secretly restore his memories using his Divine Mechanism Arts, but who knew this kid would directly expose his Divine Mechanism Arts when he fought with Sheng Hao that time.
Now everyone knew, and Saints would pay attention too. Those with sensitive and cautious minds, if they discovered Mei Liangyu was deliberately seeking out Gu Qian to use Divine Mechanism Arts, would somewhat notice.
The more capable ones would directly suspect Gu Qian's Divine Mechanism Arts could affect the seal within Mei Liangyu's body.
Yu Sui hooked her finger at Mei Liangyu, indicating for him to come closer.
Mei Liangyu rested one hand on the chair back and bent down toward Yu Sui sitting in the chair. Just as he bent down, Yu Sui raised her head and whispered in his ear: "Senior Brother, do you know about Taiyi having Floating Pagoda fragments?"