Chapter 124
Everyone at Ethereal Hall was waiting for Yu Sui to arrive.
Yu Sui's previous words had aroused the others' curiosity, and they wanted to meet this legendary Little Princess of the Nangong family.
That Nangong family's Little Princess Nangong Sui had been an ordinary practitioner before entering Taiyi Academy was an established fact. It wasn't difficult to inquire about news from outside Taiyi Academy, and they knew that in Qingyang Imperial Capital, Nangong Sui couldn't compare to other children in any aspect.
Slow reactions, poor talent, no outstanding abilities, only that face was as beautiful as her father and mother.
She was truly too unremarkable, making it impossible to think of what noteworthy advantages she might have.
Qu Zhenghao stared at Blackbeard. Ever since hanging up the transmission, he had sat back down, appearing calm and composed, showing no panic or anxiety.
"You seem very confident in that little girl, the Little Princess," Qu Zhenghao probed.
Blackbeard said: "The Little Princess is Pearl House's owner. If I don't have confidence in the owner, who else can I have confidence in?"
Qu Zhenghao sneered: "You're not unaware of what price one pays for following the wrong master."
Blackbeard picked at the pile of sunflower seeds in front of him, saying unhurriedly: "At least I won't be like Gang Leader Qu, harboring dissatisfaction and replacing the master. Such people, whether at Taiyi Academy or outside it, won't live long."
Though he said this, he had no idea what tricks Yu Sui had to deal with Qu Zhenghao and the others. His own heart was panicking, but he definitely couldn't let others see it, as that would only boost others' morale.
The Ethereal Hall master said slowly: "The Little Princess, as an ordinary practitioner, entered Taiyi Academy. After being accepted as a disciple by Saint Chang Gen, she developed Five Elements Light Cores and could cultivate."
The young woman from Leaving Fire Sect said crisply: "Not everyone can be accepted as Saint Chang Gen's disciple. With so many geniuses at the academy, Saint Chang Gen has only taken two disciples."
The Star Moon Island person sneered: "It would be interesting if she calls Saint Chang Gen over too."
Qu Zhenghao continued staring at Blackbeard, saying gravely: "Even if Nangong Sui summons Saint Chang Gen, we must still follow the Outer City's rules."
Shortly after he finished speaking, Ethereal Hall's people came to report that Little Princess Nangong had arrived.
The Ethereal Hall master said: "Go invite her in."
Everyone looked toward the courtyard entrance in unison.
Yu Sui came alone, stepping on the scattered shadows of stone lanterns on the ground, passing through winding paths to secluded places. Under the guidance of Ethereal Hall's people, she strolled to the banquet venue.
Qu Zhenghao and others saw a young woman in a dark blue long dress emerge from the dim light and shadow. She walked with light steps, her eyes showing no timidity, her moist dark almond eyes reflecting the lights from the birthday banquet decorations, quiet and serene.
After entering, she even bowed her head respectfully toward the birthday celebrant sitting in the center, her etiquette extremely thoughtful.
Blackbeard stood up again, his expression respectful as he welcomed Yu Sui walking toward him.
Yu Sui sat down beside Blackbeard. When she raised her head with a curious expression, in Qu Zhenghao and others' eyes, she looked exactly like an unworldly young lady coming to join the excitement and see something new.
Blackbeard bent over, leaning close to Yu Sui to introduce the current people: "This is the Sky Crane Gang leader, Qu Zhenghao."
Yu Sui played with the Wind-Listening Ruler in her hands, her wandering gaze focusing on Qu Zhenghao, her tone carrying some curiosity: "So you're the one who sent people to cause trouble at Pearl House?"
This question was asked directly, not polite at all.
Qu Zhenghao wasn't intimidated either, meeting Yu Sui's gaze with a smile that didn't reach his eyes: "I don't have the ability to make your Senior Brother cheat at Pearl House."
Yu Sui's gaze casually indicated his covered left eye: "I heard the rule for being caught cheating is to have hands severed and eyes gouged. Could it be that you were also cheating, which is why my Senior Brother gouged out one of your eyes?"
Qu Zhenghao's tall figure took a step forward, looking down at the young woman sitting across from him, saying coldly: "Why don't you go ask Mei Liangyu personally?"
"After we settle this matter, I will go ask." Yu Sui said, placing the Wind-Listening Ruler on the table surface, letting them see the transmission interface. "Let's start by discussing your Sky Crane Gang bringing people to cause trouble at Pearl House."
How could he let a little girl take control of the conversation?
Qu Zhenghao slammed his palm on the table. Both table and chairs shook, and the Wind-Listening Ruler on the table surface was jolted high up before falling back down. How could Blackbeard and Wei Liu tolerate such provocation? Both of them ignited golden protective energy around their bodies and stepped forward.
"Pearl House broke the rules first. We've already finished talking. We just need one word from you, Little Princess: will you protect Pearl House, or let Pearl House disappear tonight?"
Qu Zhenghao's momentum was fierce, his eyes sharp and cold like blade edges. With his aura from fighting through sword mountains and seas of fire in the Outer City pressing down, how could he fail to intimidate a little girl with no experience?
He looked at Yu Sui's dazed eyes, sneering inwardly, about to apply more pressure when the Wind-Listening Ruler on the table transmitted Little Earth's father's wailing voice. He said with hatred and resentment: "It was Sky Crane Gang people who found me, asking me to cooperate with them in cheating at Pearl House tonight, to put on this show, then frame Mei Liangyu!"
Pearl House's manager sternly demanded: "Which person from Sky Crane Gang? Speak clearly!"
"It was that woman, the Sky Crane Gang leader's woman!" Little Earth's father said. "They had my son go find Mei Liangyu, saying Mei Liangyu would definitely come to Pearl House looking for me!"
Yu Sui ignored Qu Zhenghao's gloomy gaze, reached out to lightly tap the Wind-Listening Ruler, and cut off the transmission.
The scene instantly fell silent.
Yu Sui glanced at the others. Before she could speak, Qu Zhenghao angrily said: "Complete nonsense!"
"When I came, I passed by Pearl House and took a look. My Senior Brother might be angry. If that young lady doesn't withdraw in time, I'm afraid it won't be as simple as losing just one eye like Gang Leader Qu." Yu Sui kindly reminded.
The others didn't speak because this matter involved Sky Crane Gang and had nothing to do with them. They were happy to watch the excitement.
"Are you threatening me?" The long blade in Qu Zhenghao's hand let out a clear, resonant hum, his tone ominous. "Pearl House has done plenty of forced confessions too."
Yu Sui nodded but smiled as she looked toward Dragon Martial Gang behind her: "When it comes to forced confessions, Pearl House definitely can't compare to Dragon Martial Gang. On the sixth of last month, Dragon Martial Gang arrested 12 people in Xiangyun Village, demanding they reveal the whereabouts of their husbands, brothers, and fathers, and also demanding they reveal where the property deeds were hidden..."
"Little Princess Nangong!" Dragon Martial Gang's people shot up from their seats, angrily shouting: "Don't make false accusations. When did our Dragon Martial Gang..."
"They say disasters don't affect families, but since those arrested were Ten Mountain Sect's family members, Dragon Martial Gang naturally didn't care." Yu Sui crisply interrupted his words, then looked toward Ten Mountain Sect members who already showed murderous intent.
Ten Mountain Sect's Wind-Listening Ruler was buzzing, with both written messages and voice transmissions arriving. The written messages contained the address where Dragon Martial Gang was holding people. After they looked down at the messages, they angrily slammed the table.
Dragon Martial Gang also received written messages on their Wind-Listening Ruler, saying the place where they hid people had been found by Nangong family's practitioners, who were bringing Ten Mountain Sect people over.
Dragon Martial Gang's people looked at Yu Sui in shock. How did the Nangong family's practitioners find the location?!
Qu Zhenghao sensed something was wrong and spoke up: "Everyone, don't panic. Don't believe her one-sided words..."
"Get lost!" Ten Mountain Sect drew their blades toward Dragon Martial Gang. "If this matter isn't explained today, you'll pay with your lives!"
Dragon Martial Gang didn't want to fight them now, shouted "Let's go," but were blocked by Ten Mountain Sect. The two sides started fighting, and tables and chairs between them exploded one after another under attacks from Five Elements energy.
The Ethereal Hall master frowned, about to intervene, but Yu Sui said: "Old sir, didn't you invite everyone today for peace talks? Only when everything is spoken openly can we have proper discussions. Like Dragon Martial and Sky Crane hiding things, how can the Outer City's chaos be settled?"
"Star Moon Island and Leaving Fire Sect have also been feuding over the poisoning incident for a long time." Yu Sui leaned forward on the table, supporting her cheek with one hand, turning her head to look at Star Moon Island people with some surprise: "Leaving Fire Sect lost six lives. To say Star Moon Island did the poisoning is indeed somewhat unfair."
The Leaving Fire Sect young woman said angrily: "Little Princess, you must be careful with your words..."
Yu Sui interrupted her: "Because it was Star Moon Island and Sky Crane Gang working together!"
The angry young woman's eyes widened, her gaze shifting back and forth between Star Moon Island and Sky Crane Gang.
Qu Zhenghao's temple twitched as he whipped around to stare at Yu Sui, his eyes fixed on her.
Star Moon Island people still looked extremely calm, even saying coolly: "The Little Princess wants to provoke conflict among our three parties to solve Pearl House's problem, but such an obvious divide-and-conquer tactic is too obvious."
Yu Sui, under the gaze of all three parties, gently covered her mouth with her hand, saying in surprise: "You didn't know? The poison was provided by Sky Crane Gang, Star Moon Island's Young Master did the deed, and the person responsible for passing messages between both sides is being chased by Pearl House guards, having run around South Gate Street for quite a while."
These people's Wind-Listening Rulers buzzed as shocking news that suddenly erupted outside was sent to them, leaving people stunned.
Star Moon Island people were most bewildered. They had always firmly believed they were innocent, never imagining their own Young Master was black-hearted. After going in circles, this matter really was done by their own people.
The people who had been calm just moments ago all changed expressions.
Leaving Fire Sect was filled with rage. The young woman slammed the table, and all the soup bowls and porcelain on the table shattered completely. White porcelain fragments floated up, shooting toward Star Moon Island and Sky Crane Gang people.
The Leaving Fire Sect young woman angrily said: "You two families conspired together. These six lives must all be paid for with blood!"
Sky Crane Gang people stepped forward, deflecting the porcelain fragments flying toward Qu Zhenghao, while Qu Zhenghao gave another person a look, telling him to go eliminate the person being chased by Pearl House.
Leaving Fire Sect and Star Moon Island also started fighting. The scene descended into chaos with blades and swords flying everywhere.
The Ethereal Hall master had given up, raising his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, feeling that today was getting more and more chaotic.
Yu Sui stood up from the table. Qu Zhenghao stared at her and asked: "How did you know?"
Yu Sui only glanced at him briefly with her peripheral vision, didn't answer, and walked directly toward the lower level of the round platform.
Blackbeard followed her for a couple of steps before stopping, turning back to look at Qu Zhenghao with an indifferent expression: "This is the consequence of your underestimating the Nangong family."
They didn't need to tell Qu Zhenghao how they did it. This was something Qu Zhenghao needed to figure out himself. When he thought deeply about it, he could feel the sense of fear transmitted from the Nangong family.
Blackbeard muttered inwardly: I want to know how the Little Princess did it even more than you do.
However, today Blackbeard had witnessed Yu Sui's abilities and was delighted, knowing he had indeed followed the right person.
Qu Zhenghao couldn't swallow this humiliation and wanted to test Nangong Sui's strength, to see whether it was her doing or the Nangong family's doing.
He gripped his long blade tightly, striking down to repel Wei Liu who tried to block him. Blackbeard had anticipated this and spoke as he turned back: "Blade Control."
School of Names Word Command. Three long blades materialized from Nine Schools Arts appeared horizontally in front of Blackbeard. He reached out to grip one of them, blocking Qu Zhenghao's first strike.
The moment the blade edges collided, they separated and struck again. Both sides moved very quickly, fighting several exchanges of blades, neither giving way to the other.
But Qu Zhenghao came from Military School and was skilled with blades. When their blades met again, he gave Blackbeard no chance to resist, scraping along the blade edge with a grating sound as he pressed down. He instantly closed in on Blackbeard, the blade catching at his hilt and reversing the blade back toward Blackbeard's neck.
Blackbeard leaned back. Qu Zhenghao gripped the blade and shook it. Blackbeard immediately felt his hands go numb, forced by the blade energy to release his grip and retreat.
Qu Zhenghao's offensive didn't stop. He raised his blade with a clear target, killing toward Yu Sui who stood behind Blackbeard.
Blackbeard and Wei Liu attacked simultaneously. There was no way they would let Qu Zhenghao touch a single hair on Yu Sui's head.
Yu Sui stood below the round platform, golden flowing light flashing in the depths of her eyes. She raised her head to look into Qu Zhenghao's eyes, and both of them heard a clear bell sound ring out.
Ghost Way School Heavenly Mechanism Art: Soul Capture.
Qu Zhenghao's pupils dilated for an instant. He never imagined that this young woman, who had only been cultivating for a short time, had already learned Ghost Way School's Heavenly Mechanism Arts.
That invisible bell sound spread between the two of them, crashing within Qu Zhenghao's body, striking his internal organs and seven spiritual consciousnesses, making him unable to sense his own Five Elements energy. The moment blood and flesh were struck apart, residual waves of Five Elements energy swept between them, causing Blackbeard, Wei Liu, and others who wanted to approach to stop their movements.
Qu Zhenghao was as if struck by tremendous force and flew far away, landing with a bang that cracked the exquisite, heavy round platform with jagged fissures.
The members of Leaving Fire Sect and others who had been fighting in a group now looked toward Yu Sui in unison with strange expressions, secretly on guard.
Yu Sui looked at Qu Zhenghao who had been thrown back, blinking lightly.
This Heavenly Mechanism Art seemed to be more powerful than she had thought.