Chapter 138
Luo Fu and Zhang Xiangyan didn't get into the carriage but stayed outside instead.
Yu Sui said sulkily inside: "What exactly do you want to do?"
Zhang Xiangyan laughed: "Princess, you don't need to be afraid. We're not bad people."
"You don't look like good people either." Yu Sui said, "My Senior Brother told me not to hang around with you."
"Why do you listen to him?" Zhang Xiangyan said, "Mei Liangyu is just your Senior Brother. Why do you listen to everything he says?"
Yu Sui pressed her lips together, not continuing the conversation along his lines, but asked instead: "What's your relationship with the Prince's manor?"
Zhang Xiangyan said playfully: "It should be a relationship that Mei Liangyu can't compare to."
Yu Sui frowned: "Why do you have to mention my Senior Brother in everything you say?"
Zhang Xiangyan was stopped by these words and found it somewhat amusing. Wasn't it you who mentioned him first?
Yu Sui wasn't acting as a Taiyi Academy disciple now. Facing Zhang Xiangyan and the other, she wasn't displaying the manner of fellow disciples but the bearing and attitude of a Princess from the Prince's manor.
When living as a Princess of the Prince's manor in Qingyang Imperial Capital, aside from being obedient and meek in front of people like Nangong Ming, Yu Sui also had the dignity of a Princess when outside.
Especially when helping Gu Qian, she could smile sweetly while borrowing the Prince's manor's influence, preventing those people in the Imperial Capital from daring to touch Gu Qian.
Though she would occasionally encounter some who didn't fear death or couldn't be provoked, it was useful most of the time.
"Fine, to avoid you knowing nothing later, I'll give you some information ahead of time." Zhang Xiangyan sat at the front of the carriage, playing with the carriage reins with one hand, his tone leisurely: "The messenger from the Prince's manor who came to Taiyi tonight came on the Prince's orders, also regarding Taiyi's recent investigation of Lan Poison."
It became quiet inside the carriage. Then Zhang Xiangyan and Luo Fu heard the young girl's hesitant voice from inside: "My father sent someone to help Taiyi investigate Lan Poison?"
Zhang Xiangyan burst into laughter.
Yu Sui asked: "What are you laughing at?"
The carriage traveled on night mountain roads at high speed. After rounding the mountain foot, they could see the Outer City and sea area lit with bright lights.
Luo Fu didn't speak but paid attention to the surroundings, alert to the road conditions.
Zhang Xiangyan suppressed his laughter and replied: "Quite the opposite. The Prince's manor is here to help the Lan Corpses."
Yu Sui scolded softly: "Nonsense! You're slandering the Prince's manor and throwing dirty water on the Nangong family with such words. Be careful, I'll have someone cut out your tongue later."
Zhang Xiangyan wasn't scared at all. He found Yu Sui very much in line with the intelligence reports, skilled at using her Princess status to intimidate others.
"The person coming later is someone you can't refute." Zhang Xiangyan seemed completely unhurried. "You still don't understand how extensive the Nangong family's business interests are. Some things they don't participate in openly, but privately they provide plenty of connections, money, and protection."
"They won't participate directly, but if you dig deeper, you'll find traces of the Nangong family everywhere."
Yu Sui said: "Don't try to deceive me. How could something like Lan Poison be related to our family?"
Zhang Xiangyan glanced back with a somewhat mocking smile: "The Princess has been protected too well and knows nothing about the dirty business outside."
Yu Sui said: "You also know Lan Poison is filthy?"
Zhang Xiangyan still smiled cheerfully: "I can't compare to the Princess with your clean hands. We were born dirty, so what does it matter if Lan Poison is filthy or not."
Yu Sui's words carried some disgust: "You don't also consume Lan Poison, do you? Aren't you afraid I'll tell Master? They're going to the Outer City tonight to catch those Lan Corpses making Lan Poison in Taiyi."
Zhang Xiangyan wasn't afraid to tell her: "Not one of the Lan Corpses found tonight will survive. They'll destroy everything related to Lan Poison before dying. When people are dead, nothing remains. This matter will come to an end with their deaths, but for us, future days will be harder and we'll need to be more careful, which is why we need your help, Princess."
What wasn't mentioned was that they would point the clues toward outside Taiyi, turning the Saints' attention outward.
"How could I help Lan Corpses?" Yu Sui frowned inside the carriage, her voice muffled with audible unease. "Father wouldn't make me do such a thing."
Zhang Xiangyan just laughed ambiguously.
……
Nian Qiuyan arrived at the Outer City first.
The Outer City was still lively. The search for Lan Poison seemed to have no effect on them whatsoever.
The location Zhang Xiangyan mentioned was Nangong family property, which made Nian Qiuyan feel somewhat uneasy. Walking through the crowd, he played with his Wind-Listening Ruler and paused, still sending a message to Mei Liangyu asking where he was.
Mei Liangyu replied quickly and honestly: "Mechanism Island."
Nian Qiuyan frowned: "You're going to Mechanism Island now? Aren't you afraid of the Wenyang family's retaliation?"
Mei Liangyu: "What's there to fear? I brought two bodyguards."
Nian Qiuyan smiled reading this. He stood still without moving, his gaze fixed on the bright interface of the Wind-Listening Ruler. People came and went around him, all busy with their own affairs, not caring why this person had stopped walking.
Mei Liangyu had already brought his two bodyguards to the island, avoiding the Mechanism School's surveillance. He was now standing on a cliff surveying the sea area below.
Only the sea ahead was covered with dark clouds that wouldn't disperse, occasionally showing thunder and lightning flashing behind the clouds. The waves below were fierce and urgent, constantly crashing against the mountain walls, wave after wave, as if they would never cease.
Mei Liangyu held his Wind-Listening Ruler while Zhongli Shan beside him asked: "How does he reply?"
"He didn't ask anything." Mei Liangyu said coldly. "I told him I'm at Mechanism Island, but he can hold back. He didn't ask a single word."
Xing Chun crouched on the ground, leaning down to look below while raising his hand to block the rain mist blown up by the strong wind: "He really can endure it. Otherwise, we wouldn't have discovered nothing until now."
"That little bastard." Mei Liangyu put away his Wind-Listening Ruler and turned to walk downward. "He'd better not let me catch him."
He whistled loudly toward the sky, summoning a white-headed, black-winged sea eagle whose talons lightly touched Mei Liangyu's shoulder before flying away.
Mei Liangyu wanted it to help keep watch. The sea eagle responded once before flying higher.
The liveliness of the Outer City was always dazzling, but if one found oneself alone in it, one would feel a loneliness different from the crowd.
Nian Qiuyan went to the appointment alone, heading to the place Zhang Xiangyan mentioned. The streets and alleys around the destination had been cleared. The hundred household lights that would normally be lit were now completely dark.
Nangong family practitioners hid in the shadows, observing everyone who passed by.
Nian Qiuyan walked through the dark alley with a calm expression, heading toward the only brightly lit, exquisite small courtyard. As soon as he reached outside the courtyard, someone opened the door from inside to let him in.
Several red fish swam around in the open-air small pool. Walking past the water corridor beside it, the water pavilion at the end was hung with transparent, water-blue gauze curtains. In front of the pavilion stood two guards, both expressionless.
Nian Qiuyan could see through the gauze curtains the blurry figure of someone sitting by the stone platform pouring tea.
He vaguely felt it looked familiar.
It wasn't until he entered the water pavilion and met the man's sharp but restrained gaze as he looked up that his heart trembled.
Nian Qiuyan almost instantly lowered his head, averting his eyes to avoid meeting his gaze, saying quietly: "Uncle Cao."
……
Yu Sui arrived somewhat late.
She had stayed in the carriage the whole time. Only after entering the city did she lift the carriage curtain to look outside. Zhang Xiangyan and Luo Fu hadn't talked along the way, entering the city quietly and driving the carriage through winding small paths.
Seeing they were going to increasingly dark places, Yu Sui said dissatisfiedly: "Where exactly are you taking me?"
"Little Princess, don't be anxious." Zhang Xiangyan said carelessly. "Look carefully. There are Nangong family practitioners hidden everywhere around here watching over you. Rest assured, if we showed you the slightest disrespect, these people would pop out one after another like dumplings."
The carriage passed around a corner, and they could see the small courtyard lit with lanterns ahead.
Yu Sui recognized this place as the Nangong family's residence in the Outer City.
Previously, Blackbeard had been concerned about her staying at Xide Tavern, feeling the tavern didn't match her status, and wanted her to stay at a better residence.
The carriage stopped at the door. Zhang Xiangyan nimbly jumped down: "Princess, you can get out now."
The door was still open, as if they knew more people were coming and didn't dare close it.
After getting out of the carriage, Yu Sui didn't look inside first but extended her hand toward Luo Fu: "Give it back to me."
Her tone carried a commanding quality, not hiding the anger in her words at all.
Zhang Xiangyan watched from the side with amusement: "We're already here, just give it back to her."
Luo Fu placed the Wind-Listening Ruler in her outstretched palm.
Yu Sui glanced at both of them, turned and walked inside. Someone led the way in front, so she wasn't afraid of taking a wrong turn.
Zhang Xiangyan and Luo Fu followed behind, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on Yu Sui ahead, looking thoughtful.
Perhaps being pampered from childhood, never suffering grievances or having things stolen from her, this Princess had quite a temper. They seemed to have successfully offended and angered this Princess Nangong.
Yu Sui followed the person to the water corridor, seeing there were already people waiting in the water pavilion at the end, but not just one person.
Until she could clearly see the person sitting behind the gauze curtains of the water pavilion, Yu Sui had been guessing who had come.
The person who had been sitting and talking with Nian Qiuyan only stood up to greet her when he saw Yu Sui approaching. Looking at the young girl who had grown from a toddling child to a graceful young woman, Cao Yan, Captain of the Prince's manor Forbidden Army, bowed his head and said in a deep voice: "Princess."
The man who stood wore a black robe with python patterns, his presence imposing. Under his striking brows were eyes that commanded respect without anger, but they softened when looking at Yu Sui, becoming like the solid shield that usually lowered his presence, seeming not to exist when silent, always guarding behind the Nangong family.
Yu Sui stopped one step outside the water pavilion, her gaze slightly stunned as she looked at Cao Yan ahead, even ignoring Nian Qiuyan beside him.
Memories flashed through her mind, from the first time atop Luo Mountain when she was held in Nangong Ming's arms, she saw Cao Yan holding a sword and guarding beside Nangong Ming.
After being brought back to Qingyang, almost every time Yu Sui saw Nangong Ming, Cao Yan was there. He spoke little but was silently reliable. Whatever Nangong Ming entrusted to him, he could always handle perfectly.
When Yu Sui was still a baby, Cao Yan and Nangong Ming together brought her back to Qingyang from Luo Mountain. And in her eighteenth year, he escorted her away from Qingyang, boarding the Cloud Carriage Flying Dragon to Taiyi.
He was undoubtedly one of Nangong Ming's trusted confidants.
Sometimes, Cao Yan himself represented the symbol of Nangong Ming's power.
Zhang Xiangyan was right. The person who came from the Prince's manor was indeed someone Yu Sui couldn't refute.
"Uncle Cao." Yu Sui softened her tone, half surprised and half amazed. "So it's you who came. Why didn't they tell me directly? Brother Zhang and Brother Luo intercepted my carriage halfway and said all sorts of nonsense, slandering the Prince's manor and Father..."
She walked inside with light steps. Before she could finish speaking, she heard Cao Yan say in a steady tone: "If it's related to Lan Poison, what they said is true."
Yu Sui's steps stopped. She widened her eyes, staring at Cao Yan in disbelief, as if greatly shocked, slowly covering her mouth with both hands.
Cao Yan moved his eyes, glancing at the three people standing to the side. The three of them sensibly withdrew, leaving the water pavilion to the two of them.
Yu Sui sat on the stone stool, looking at Cao Yan with disbelief, appearing full of confusion and bewilderment.
After Cao Yan waited for her to calm down a bit, he took out an envelope from his sleeve and handed it to Yu Sui, explaining his purpose: "The Nangong family has a certain cooperative relationship with Xuankui, the Lan Corpse organization. They also help each other in certain matters."
Just a cooperative relationship?
Yu Sui still looked surprised as she took the envelope he handed her. It should be something Nangong Ming wrote to her.
"Is this from Father?" Yu Sui asked quietly.
Cao Yan stood beside her with the same silent, respectful expression as always. Even though his position in Nangong Ming's heart might be higher than these children, he had never used this trust to make things difficult for the Young Masters and mistresses. In his words and actions, he remained respectful to them.
In a sense, he was also someone who watched these children grow up.
While Yu Sui was opening the envelope, Cao Yan continued: "Xuankui lost their Divine Mechanism: False Beast in Taiyi this time and lacks people to transport Lan Poison and relay messages. The Xuankui organization made several suggestions to the Prince, and the Prince agreed."
Yu Sui rubbed the paper's edge with her fingertip, creating a cut that bled onto the white paper.
Cao Yan looked up slightly at Yu Sui and said: "The cooperation with Xuankui in Taiyi will be taken over by the Princess from now on."
The golden character "Ming" appeared on the paper and floated toward Yu Sui's ear. She heard Nangong Ming's voice with a smile: "Sui Sui, learn to seize opportunities."
Seize opportunities?
Nangong Ming understood her too well, knowing her stupidity. He wouldn't normally let her handle such troublesome matters, but this time he agreed.
He even had Cao Yan personally deliver the message, showing how seriously Nangong Ming took this.
But why?
Was this so important?
Or had he noticed something and felt this foolish, incompetent daughter could still be salvaged?
Nangong Ming's thoughts were different from Qingkui's.
Qingkui didn't understand Nangong Sui at all.
She simply thought her weak, stupid, and incapable of great things. The decision to have Yu Sui take over the cooperation was more to target Mei Liangyu and as an initial test of her.
But Nangong Ming was different.
Over the years, he had seen Nangong Sui's foolish side, but he also felt her clumsiness was always just right and not entirely useless. As long as he applied a little pressure and guidance, though this daughter learned slowly, she always gave satisfactory answers.
This youngest daughter just learned slowly, not that she couldn't learn.
And after coming to Taiyi, she had indeed learned quite a lot.
Nangong Ming gave Yu Sui a chance to prove herself.
Yu Sui pretended not to understand, blinking blankly and looking back at Cao Yan: "Uncle Cao, what does Father mean? How could I handle such things? It would be better for you to stay at Taiyi, Uncle Cao. I have to study Nine Schools Arts and deal with various point deductions from the academy. How would I have time to manage Xuankui matters?"
As she spoke, her brow furrowed with a troubled expression.
"And... that's Lan Poison. Do I really have to do this?" Yu Sui looked at Cao Yan with timid eyes.
Her current performance would undoubtedly disappoint Nangong Ming when Cao Yan reported back to him.
Cao Yan's expression remained calm, his gaze without any ripples, head lowered: "This is the Prince's order."
Hearing this, Yu Sui knew there was no room for negotiation.
She put away the letter and said after a moment of silence: "Alright, I understand. I'll work hard not to disappoint Father."
Then let all the Xuankui Lan Corpses in Taiyi die.
Yu Sui lowered her head, looking troubled and dejected, occasionally looking up to speak with Cao Yan.
Standing on the water corridor, Zhang Xiangyan saw this scene and said gleefully: "Look at her, like she's been handed a hot potato. Her face is all wrinkled from distress."
Luo Fu glanced over but didn't speak.
Nian Qiuyan remained silent throughout.
Zhang Xiangyan asked: "Why aren't you two talking? Isn't her expression funny?"
Luo Fu stood between the two of them, keeping them far apart as a precaution. Before Zhang Xiangyan's Love Parasite was completely removed, he wouldn't let them have unnecessary contact.
"You should hand over the Silver River Water now." Luo Fu glanced at Nian Qiuyan. "If you don't reveal the Silver River Water's location tonight, you might not leave this courtyard."
Nian Qiuyan looked up with a bland expression: "I already told Uncle Cao."
Zhang Xiangyan raised an eyebrow, looking at him past Luo Fu: "Where?"
Nian Qiuyan pressed his lips together: "In the sea."
In the sea where Six Mysterious Wood grows.