Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Mei Liangyu withdrew his gaze without changing expression. Good, no need to rescue them.
"What are you standing around for? Come up," Mei Liangyu said to the two soaking in the water.
Xing Chun asked him with a melancholy tone: "Is our timing for coming up right?"
Mei Liangyu said: "Then wait in the water to die."
Only then did Xing Chun and Zhongli Shan swim toward shore, climbing onto the Buddha statue. During this, they asked Yu Sui: "How did you get here? Your timing is perfect! Your Senior Brother is poisoned, and we're short-handed to take care of him."
"Senior Brother hadn't returned for a long time, so I came to find him. On the way, I encountered Sea Whirlpool anomalies that alarmed Mechanism Island and the academy Saints. I secretly followed the Mechanism School families' ship here." Yu Sui pointed upward. "When I heard the sound of breaking ice, I rushed this way and discovered the fires in this area had all gone out, so I could enter smoothly."
"Gone out?" Xing Chun perked up and looked around after reaching the Buddha statue.
The circles of sea fire that had previously clung to the stone walls had indeed disappeared.
Zhongli Shan said strangely: "This underground river water can extinguish those sea fires?"
The sea fire had been extinguished by Yu Sui, but saying it was doused by ice water was more convincing and understandable, and avoided suspicion.
Mei Liangyu was the last to come up. Yu Sui's gaze had been fixed on him, her eyes following his movements. When Mei Liangyu walked to her side, she asked: "Senior Brother, where are your clothes?"
This question stumped all three men.
Yu Sui looked up at the bare-chested Mei Liangyu, then turned to look at the two behind him, but Mei Liangyu hooked her neck with his hand and turned her back around: "You know they're not wearing clothes but still look back. How impolite."
Yu Sui, who had been called impolite, widened her eyes.
Mei Liangyu stared at her: "You followed the Mechanism School families' ship down here?"
Yu Sui nodded and briefly recounted her journey, hiding her relationship with Zhang Xiangyun and others, not mentioning that Nian Qiuyan was also there, only saying she came with Li Jin Shuang.
Though Mei Liangyu felt she was lying, with Xing Chun and Zhongli Shan present, he didn't expose or press her, quietly explaining to Yu Sui why their clothes were missing.
"It's so lively up there?" Xing Chun and Zhongli Shan decided to go up and take a look first, and bring some clothes while they were at it. Before leaving, they instructed Mei Liangyu: "Just wait here. Junior Sister Nangong, watch over him and don't let him use Five Elements Energy again. If the poison spreads to his internal organs, it'll be over."
Yu Sui said seriously: "Yes! I'll watch over Senior Brother properly."
Xing Chun and Zhongli Shan used Wind-Riding Techniques to go up, leaving the Coiling Dragon Stone Cave and arriving at the entrance to the stone passage destroyed by the Sea Whirlpool. Xing Chun turned to look down, seeing nothing but darkness.
Zhongli Shan said: "Why are you scaring Nangong Sui like that?"
There was no such thing as poison spreading to internal organs.
Xing Chun said: "Look how cooperative Mei Mei is, not even half an explanation. Plus I always feel he's too strict with Nangong Sui."
Zhongli Shan thought about it and nodded: "True."
Xing Chun said decisively: "He definitely has feelings for Nangong Sui!"
Zhongli Shan continued nodding: "True."
Xing Chun walked into the cave entrance, adding: "Let him stay shirtless in front of Nangong Sui and lose face for a while."
Zhongli Shan thought to himself that with Mei Liangyu's temperament, he probably didn't consider that losing face.
……
In the stone cave, water waves swayed, and broken ice continuously rose from the deep water below with crisp sounds.
Yu Sui grabbed Mei Liangyu's hand to examine it, asking: "Senior Brother, what poison did you get?"
Mei Liangyu said: "Chun was deceiving you. It's not that serious."
Yu Sui frowned and asked: "Then what poison is it?"
Mei Liangyu said: "Six Mysterious Wood or Silver River Water."
"Did you get the Silver River Water?" Yu Sui asked in surprise.
Mei Liangyu raised an eyebrow slightly: "Originally I was just trying my luck, but I actually found it."
"What does it look like?" Yu Sui was full of curiosity, wanting to see it.
Mei Liangyu took out the Six Mysterious Wood wrapped around the Silver River Water from his Mechanism Box and showed it to her. Yu Sui didn't reach out her hand, only leaned her head over to examine it. Her cool black hair fell on Mei Liangyu's wrist, her head resting against his shoulder, making Mei Liangyu look down at her.
"So amazing." Yu Sui stared at the small fuzzy hairs on the Six Mysterious Wood branch. "Senior Brother, now that you've found the Silver River Water, what do you plan to do with it?"
Mei Liangyu asked her: "What do you think I should do with it?"
"Isn't it to be given to the academy?" Yu Sui turned her head to look at him, gazing into Mei Liangyu's eyes. "Silver River Water is used to make Lan Corpse. It's useless to us."
Mei Liangyu said: "Then use it to make Lan Corpse. How is that useless?"
Yu Sui was shocked by these words, unable to figure out what Mei Liangyu meant for a moment. Looking at Mei Liangyu's face still bearing water traces, she couldn't see any hint of joking.
"Senior Brother." Yu Sui called out softly.
Mei Liangyu was looking at the Six Mysterious Wood in his hand and didn't hear.
Yu Sui grabbed Mei Liangyu's other hand and shook it. Mei Liangyu turned to look at her, then put away the Six Mysterious Wood, saying: "There are some things underwater that concern me. I'll go down again."
"What things?" Yu Sui asked.
Mei Liangyu couldn't say for now, only saying: "Let me take a look first, then I'll come back."
Yu Sui watched Mei Liangyu re-enter the water, couldn't help but rest her chin on her hands. Under the backdrop of countless flowing fires, her eyes were like dots of lacquer, thoughtfully gazing at the water.
Senior Brother's state was like when he was full of malevolent energy before fully waking up. Though she had long known Senior Brother wasn't benevolent and his behavior was hard to judge as good or evil, his words about Silver River Water were still somewhat unexpected.
Did he want to use Silver River Water to help Nian Qiuyan?
Between Silver River Water and Nian Qiuyan, Senior Brother would definitely choose Nian Qiuyan.
Yu Sui blinked as she thought, manipulating the flowing fire in the water with one hand to change directions, gathering toward dangerous current areas to illuminate Mei Liangyu in the water.
She sat on the Buddha statue thinking about who had come from the Water Vessel and how they would explain the Sea Whirlpools and sea fire. While concentrating, Strange Fire suddenly flickered, telling her someone was approaching.
This person approached like a ghost, silently appearing from behind Yu Sui, freezing the Five Elements Energy around her and giving her no chance to react.
Just as Yu Sui looked up, she saw a black-gold long staff placed across her neck, pressing against her throat. The sharp blade at the tip touched her skin, ready to cut through flesh and spill blood at the slightest movement.
Lin Chenghai, wearing Wenyang Xiu's face, stared at Yu Sui with a fake smile, somewhat gritting his teeth: "Little girl, you arrived quite quickly."
"Senior?" Yu Sui pretended to be surprised and delighted, slowly raising her hands: "I was just talking about you with Senior Brother, didn't expect we'd meet so soon."
"Your Senior Brother?" Lin Chenghai glanced back with the corner of his eye. "Where is your Senior Brother?"
"He went into the water, said he discovered something of interest." Yu Sui pointed at the staff pressed against her throat. "Senior, what's the meaning of this?"
Lin Chenghai's heart itched with anger as he glared at Yu Sui and asked: "What is Nangong Ming to you?"
Yu Sui's eyes widened slightly. Under Lin Chenghai's furious glare, her aura gradually weakened as she said innocently: "He's my father."
Lin Chenghai asked again: "Your name is Nangong Sui?"
Yu Sui, holding up her hands, nodded very lightly.
She wanted to see if this person dared to really kill their young master's Junior Sister.
"What virtue or ability do I have to encounter Princess Nangong here." Lin Chenghai said sarcastically, pointing the staff tip downward to strike Yu Sui back. "Today I want to see what good skills the legendary ordinary practitioner Princess Nangong has learned at Taiyi Academy."
Yu Sui had just steadied herself when Lin Chenghai had already used ferry steps and shadow techniques to approach. The staff in his hands moved with flexible and varied techniques, dense point formations. When one strike hit the Buddha statue, causing a brief rebound, the entire Buddha statue shook, creating waves on the water surface.
"Your father doesn't teach you School of Names Nine Schools Arts, does your master not teach you Ghost Way School Nine Schools Arts either?" Lin Chenghai held the staff horizontally with one hand, sweeping to block Yu Sui's escape route. "If you only know how to run when trouble comes, can you still sit firmly in the position of Nangong family heir?"
Yu Sui retreated from the Buddha statue's wrist to its shoulder. After steadying herself, she said: "Senior, you're Thirteenth Realm, I'm not even Third Realm. If I don't run when fighting you, that would be called overestimating myself."
"Stop talking nonsense, show me some real skills!" Lin Chenghai held the staff with both hands, his expression cold. "If you keep running like this, you'll die by my hand."
Saint Chang Gen couldn't have taught her nothing!
Yu Sui looked at him with a hurt expression: "Could it be that Senior, like those other people, wants to kill me and take Breath Soil after learning I'm Nangong Ming's daughter?"
Lin Chenghai saw her sad appearance and felt a moment of pity, but quickly remembered she was Nangong Ming's daughter and firmly renewed his resolve. Without answering, he directly attacked.
Though Buddhist School ferry steps were non-combat techniques, Lin Chenghai now used them for offense, combined with his staff techniques, making Yu Sui dodge quite awkwardly.
Yu Sui knew there was another person watching from the shadows. Hu Gui was steady-natured and much harder to deal with than Lin Chenghai.
Hu Gui was a Ghost Way School practitioner. Even if she used Soul Capture, it would be blocked.
Lin Chenghai caught up to Yu Sui and struck down with his staff at close range. Underwater, giant waves rose simultaneously, masking the sound of bell chimes, but Lin Chenghai still caught that faint sound. He was surprised that Yu Sui, not even Third Realm, knew Heavenly Mechanism Arts, and quickly sealed his seven consciousnesses to avoid her control.
During Lin Chenghai's brief pause, Yu Sui grabbed the staff with one hand, trying to seize his weapon. Lin Chenghai raised his hand, released and threw the staff with a shake. The staff vibrated with a humming sound, its force so great it flung Yu Sui's hand away.
"Ghost Way Heavenly Mechanism, Soul Capture. Little girl, you do have some skills." Lin Chenghai chuckled, competing with Yu Sui in single-handed staff grabbing, then struck her side.
Yu Sui was knocked down, hanging from the Buddha statue's finger with one hand, her toes nearly touching the water. She looked up: "Senior, do you really want to kill me for Breath Soil?"
Lin Chenghai pointed the staff at her hand gripping the Buddha statue and snorted coldly: "So what if I want to kill you for Breath Soil?"
Yu Sui said half-angrily: "Then I really misjudged you, Senior."
"Your parents schemed against Yan Manfeng, took Breath Soil from him, caused Yan Manfeng serious injury, and made Yan Kingdom become prey for the other kingdoms. I want to reclaim Breath Soil, and you little girl are quite indignant." Lin Chenghai crouched down, his eyes black as ink, containing gloom and killing intent, staring at Yu Sui: "If you're really indignant, have your parents snatch it back."
"Hey!" Yu Sui saw him about to act and spoke to stop him. "My Senior Brother is still here. If you kill me, my Senior Brother will immediately avenge me."
Lin Chenghai saw her angry yet pitiful appearance and became more determined to scare Yu Sui, sneering: "Don't worry, I'll explain this matter properly to your Senior Brother. Your Senior Brother will definitely understand my..."
"Senior Brother!" Yu Sui didn't wait for him to finish and called out: "Someone wants to kill me for Breath Soil! I can't beat him!"
Lin Chenghai was alert for a moment, looking around but seeing nothing unusual. He turned to glare at Yu Sui: "You little girl..."
"Get out of the way!" Hu Gui in the shadows warned when the anomaly appeared, but it was still a step too late.
Purple lightning flashed along the underwater flowing fire connections, gathering toward Yu Sui's Five Elements Energy, arriving in front of Yu Sui with lightning speed. Lin Chenghai could only manage to draw a half-screen with his staff in the urgent moment before meeting the Taoist School's Heavenly Gang Earth Fiend Thunder. When the two collided, the purple lightning bent the staff and sent Lin Chenghai flying.
Attacking with a killing move right away, how anxious!
Lin Chenghai gripped the staff with his backhand and thrust it into the ground. The staff scraped a long mark on the Buddha statue's body. The purple lightning leaped like a dragon, overturning seas and heavens. Lin Chenghai applied force again, and the Buddha's body shook once more from the impact, causing Yu Sui, who was hanging from the Buddha statue with one hand, to fall into the water.
The water was ice-cold. Caught off guard by the fall, Yu Sui shivered from the cold.
The flowing fire in the water stood still, dispelling darkness. Yu Sui opened her eyes to see water waves swaying. Just as she was about to move, she heard subtle water sounds by her ear.
Like the startling sound of a swimming fish's momentary movement, or the cry of heavenly rain falling for an instant.
Yu Sui was immersed in this sound, her gaze staring blankly at the glowing water screen. In her eyes, water waves swayed, black and white flowed, fish tails crossed, finally forming a huge black shadow.
Looking at that black shadow, Yu Sui felt an indescribable familiarity spreading from her heart. It seemed that in countless days and nights of being burned by Strange Fire, her consciousness had continuously fled to deeper darkness, seeking a place of peaceful rest. That water sound had been the guidance tempting her all these years.
This huge black sword shadow covered all the light and shadow above the water screen. From the corner of her eye, Yu Sui glimpsed a black skeletal hand reaching out from behind her, grasping the black sword shadow.