Ch. 169
Chapter 169
When Nian Qiuyan's hand gripped the Divine Wood Signs, Mei Liangyu made no movement either. He heard Nian Qiuyan say: "You guys can encounter all these messy things just by going underwater. Don't tell me you've offended some unlucky star. Do you want me to do a divination to change your luck?"
Mei Liangyu said: "Your divination isn't cheap."
Nian Qiuyan nodded: "Indeed."
Mei Liangyu chuckled, sat down at the table, leaned back against the chair in an extremely relaxed posture, and tapped his knuckles beside the Six Mysterious Wood: "This thing isn't cheap either. I'll trade it with you for one divination."
"Alright." Nian Qiuyan also sat down with him, looking as if he hadn't thought much about it, agreeing casually, his gaze sweeping over the Six Mysterious Wood as he placed the Divine Wood Signs on the table.
Mei Liangyu patiently watched him perform the divination. Nian Qiuyan answered whatever he asked, telling him about his underwater encounters and also about Xing Chun wanting to buy Situ family Spirit Puppets.
While Nian Qiuyan was divining, the tea water on the stove behind them boiled, making sharp sounds. Mei Liangyu got up to extinguish the fire and returned carrying the teapot.
Mei Liangyu sat back down. While pouring water into the cups, he suddenly asked: "I just remembered, you're from Yan Kingdom?"
Nian Qiuyan manipulated the divination array with one hand, not looking up: "Yes."
Mei Liangyu joked: "Yan Kingdom is weak now. Your Military Divination Arts are so impressive, haven't you thought about returning to Yan Kingdom in the future to become a general or something?"
Nian Qiuyan also smiled: "Even if I become a Saint, the position of Yan Kingdom's general wouldn't be mine."
Mei Liangyu said: "If you become a Saint, you wouldn't need to be a general anymore."
"Mei Mei, you're far away in Taiyi Academy and don't understand Yan Kingdom's situation. Yan Kingdom has constant internal strife, perpetual warfare. The other five kingdoms bloodlessly divide Yan Kingdom's power, and Yan Kingdom's nobles have been mostly killed off." Nian Qiuyan stared intently at the divination array beneath his hands, his tone remaining gentle. "Yan Kingdom's noble families have fallen, and more than half the court ministers are controlled and supported by other kingdoms. To become a general in Yan Kingdom, Qingyang people can, Nanjing people can too, but Yan Kingdom people cannot."
Mei Liangyu poured water into his cup: "Is this why you came to Taiyi Academy?"
"In Yan Kingdom, there's fighting every day, poor food and sleep. The friends you make today will die on the battlefield tomorrow." Nian Qiuyan said. "Nine Schools Arts practitioners with some ability, if they don't choose sides, won't have opportunities to advance. If you want to become a Saint in Yan Kingdom but don't have reliable backing, you'll very likely become a wanted criminal with countless crimes in Yan Kingdom."
Mei Liangyu picked up his cup with one hand, his expression cold and indifferent, showing no joy or sorrow: "Such a Yan Kingdom is indeed disappointing."
Nian Qiuyan sighed almost inaudibly: "That's why I came to Taiyi Academy. It would be best if I could stay at Taiyi Academy for life."
"If you can't stay in Yan Kingdom, you could also go to Qingyang, Nanjing, or Taiyuan." Mei Liangyu said casually. "Why think of staying at Taiyi Academy?"
Nian Qiuyan seemed to think of something, squinting his eyes with a smile: "Because everyone at Taiyi Academy is equal, and there's no war."
"Those three kingdoms you just mentioned are also at war."
Mei Liangyu took a sip of tea. It was too hot, so he put the cup back down: "Those three kingdoms are their own people fighting their own people, just some minor skirmishes. It's much better than Yan Kingdom's situation."
Nian Qiuyan didn't answer. He waved his hand and flipped the Divine Wood Signs from the divination array, picking them up face-down. After staring at the divination signs for a moment, he slowly said: "Mei Mei."
Mei Liangyu looked down.
Nian Qiuyan pointed at a fire-red star in the divination signs: "Your love life is rough."
Mei Liangyu's eye corner twitched: "I asked you to help change my luck, who told you to divine my romantic fortune?"
"They're all types of 'luck,' no difference." Nian Qiuyan looked at the divination signs thoughtfully and explained: "Your relationship isn't favored by people. If you're together, you'll lose more than you gain. You've also hit the blood calamity star, there's danger of losing your life, you might be burned to death."
Mei Liangyu leaned back in his chair and sneered: "As long as I like it, I don't care whether others approve or not."
Nian Qiuyan continued to stare intently at the divination signs, somewhat serious, as if something was unexpected. Mei Liangyu feared he would continue divining and discover Yu Sui's secrets, so he pretended to be angry, pointing at the table. The Five Elements Energy he released scattered the divination signs across from him.
"Divination is meant to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. Since you know it's not good, better to cut it off early." Nian Qiuyan wasn't annoyed either, looking up at Mei Liangyu.
"Divination has another interpretation." Mei Liangyu said instead. "Fortune and misfortune resolve themselves. Not all bad omens need to be avoided. Know your fate, change it. How to change it is up to me."
After saying this, his expression relaxed further, and he said lazily: "Besides, I don't believe in this stuff anyway."
Nian Qiuyan was amused by him.
He was used to it. Mei Liangyu was like Zhongli Shan: if it was a good divination, they'd believe it completely; if it was a bad omen, they'd say they didn't believe in this nonsense.
"Since you've already made your decision, I won't try to persuade you." Nian Qiuyan's gaze swept over the Six Mysterious Wood as he reached out: "I'll take this divination's payment then."
Mei Liangyu stared at him, his eyes slightly upturned, his phoenix eyes' dark pupils reflecting Nian Qiuyan's unchanged expression. Suddenly he smiled: "I'll divine for you too."
As soon as he finished speaking, he was already in motion. Standing up, he pressed one hand on the table, and a copper coin flipped along his slender fingers, finally pressed down by Mei Liangyu's index finger on the table surface. Pointing it backward, six copper coins appeared on the table, each appearing in different positions of the divination array.
Nian Qiuyan seemed quite interested. He put away the Six Mysterious Wood and asked: "Divine what?"
Mei Liangyu stared at him and said: "Divine where we'll meet again after leaving Taiyi Academy."
Nian Qiuyan paused, his hand in his sleeve curling up. He saw the divination array Mei Liangyu had created, with mountains and rivers like a painting. Each copper coin's location was extremely obvious, representing the six kingdoms of Xuangu Continent.
He slowly withdrew his gaze and looked up at Mei Liangyu. Mei Liangyu was also watching him, Five Elements Energy swirling around his fingertips. Six streams of golden Five Elements Energy flew toward the six copper coins, shattering illusions one by one.
The copper coins at Qingyang, Taiyuan, Nanjing and other positions were all shattered, leaving only Yan Kingdom.
Just as Mei Liangyu was about to look down at the result, the room door was opened from outside. Xing Chun shouted: "Mei Mei, there's no food to be found on this ship!"
Nian Qiuyan's fingertip moved slightly in his sleeve. When Mei Liangyu looked down, the copper coin at Yan Kingdom's position had also scattered.
"How can there be no food?" Nian Qiuyan looked toward Xing Chun who had entered. "Did you look in the wrong place?"
Both Xing Chun and Zhongli Shan were stunned: "How are you here?"
"Why can't I be here?" Nian Qiuyan smiled with squinted eyes. "You three suddenly disappeared for so many days, and in such a dangerous place as the Abyss Sea. How could I not come looking for you?"
He stepped forward and put his arm around Xing Chun's shoulder, very naturally leading him toward the door. Xing Chun also started chatting along with his words.
Zhongli Shan looked toward Mei Liangyu and found him looking down at the divination array on the table. After a long while, he expressionlessly destroyed the divination array.
"Did you two talk?" Zhongli Shan asked.
"No." Mei Liangyu said. "I gave him the thing, let's see what he does."
He still hadn't laid everything out clearly.
Perhaps it was because he knew Nian Qiuyan's character.
When things no longer developed in the direction he wanted, Nian Qiuyan would choose to cut ties decisively.
Zhongli Shan listened thoughtfully, slowly turning to look at the two people walking away outside the door.
Mei Liangyu suddenly covered his mouth and coughed twice. Zhongli Shan turned back to look and happened to see blood flowing from between his fingers. His expression changed slightly as he stepped forward.
"What's wrong?" Zhongli Shan asked.
"Didn't I tell you? I was poisoned." Mei Liangyu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Zhongli Shan was speechless.
He had acted too normal before, showing no signs of problems, even mentioning the poisoning so casually it seemed like a joke.
Now thinking about it, neither the Six Mysterious Wood nor the Silver River Water should be underestimated.
……
Zhang Xiangyun had originally wanted to find Nian Qiuyan and strongly demand that he figure out a way himself to get the Silver River Water back from Mei Liangyu. But he couldn't find Nian Qiuyan, and instead saw him go find Mei Liangyu himself.
Luo Fu and he waited outside for a long time, watching Nian Qiuyan and Xing Chun leave laughing and talking, not knowing how his conversation with Mei Liangyu had gone in the room.
Both of them had expected Nian Qiuyan and Mei Liangyu to fight, and were already prepared to rush in and snatch things.
Luo Fu closed the window and turned to look at Zhang Xiangyun, frowning: "What's his situation now?"
"Let's wait and see." Zhang Xiangyun pondered. "Nian Qiuyan must be confident he can get the Silver River Water back."
But Luo Fu wasn't convinced: "He's been so close to Mei Liangyu's group these past years. Is he willing to break ties with them?"
Zhang Xiangyun sneered coldly: "They're not the same type of people. When he's had enough fun, he'll get bored."
Both he and Mei Liangyu knew this.
Nian Qiuyan was never confused and was very clear about what he really wanted. Although he was a Technical Arts School disciple, he never divined for himself.
Mei Liangyu even felt that Nian Qiuyan was the one who truly didn't believe in the world's divination arts.
"Nangong Sui hasn't come out of her room?" Zhang Xiangyun turned to look at another window, seeing the opposite room door tightly closed with no movement.
He had seen Mei Liangyu knock on the door, getting a response from Li Jin Shuang saying Yu Sui was asleep. Only then did Mei Liangyu leave and go find Xing Chun with Zhongli Shan.
Seeing Mei Liangyu had left, Zhang Xiangyun also went to knock on the door.
Li Jin Shuang didn't open the door, giving the same response: Nangong Sui was asleep.
Zhang Xiangyun felt both angry and amused. At a time like this, Nangong Sui could still sleep?
With her attitude and ability in handling affairs, she'd be sent back to Qingyang sooner or later. Who knows how badly Qing Kui would bully her in Qingyang.
Zhang Xiangyun was too lazy to deal with Yu Sui and went with Luo Fu to watch Nian Qiuyan's side.
The academy Saints still had many things to handle. The Spirit Bird couldn't leave for a while. Just investigating what those two outsiders had done in Northern Kun City wasn't easy.
Compared to the seriously investigating Leng Rouyin and Wei Xizheng, Wu Huaiwei was much more casual.
Hu Gui and Lin Chenghai were brought in by her, so what was there for her to investigate?
Wu Huaiwei, considering that her old friend Mu Yong'an was dying, could still help him with a small favor.
After all, when people died, there was nothing left.
She had always been very tolerant toward the dying.
Ou Rushuang and Leng Rouyin had both left Coiling Dragon Stone Cave, leaving only Wei Xizheng still trying to find something from the water. Wu Huaiwei sat on the Buddha statue, watching Wei Xizheng emerge from the underground river without a drop of water on him, and casually asked: "Find anything?"
Wei Xizheng shook his head.
"You won't tell me what exactly to look for, otherwise I could help you." Wu Huaiwei smiled at him. "Could there be something related to Strange Fire in here?"
Wei Xizheng used Wind-Riding Techniques to stand on the water surface, looking up at Wu Huaiwei sitting on the Buddha statue: "You're the most talented Saint of the Yin-Yang School. Why don't you join Water Vessel?"
Wu Huaiwei smiled: "I'm not interested in Strange Fire."
Wei Xizheng seemed to be asking her very seriously: "Don't you want to eliminate Strange Fire?"
Wu Huaiwei said: "If it could really destroy the world, Xuangu Continent would have been gone long ago. It's been hundreds of years, how many places has it burned?"
Wei Xizheng added: "Strange Fire is changing."
Wu Huaiwei covered her mouth and laughed: "Then I'll ask you this: why haven't the World Destroyers chosen by Strange Fire united to simply burn down all of Xuangu Continent?"
Wei Xizheng said: "Because they would die too."
"Since releasing Strange Fire would kill the World Destroyers themselves, why worry about it?" Wu Huaiwei smiled with curved eyes. "Everyone doesn't want to die, so naturally they won't release Strange Fire. Isn't that problem solved? Why do you all need to rack your brains studying Strange Fire and sea whirlpools, trying every means to find World Destroyers? It's too troublesome."
Wei Xizheng looked at her: "Because you're a Saint, the strongest Saint on Xuangu Continent. Those with power to protect themselves don't fear Strange Fire."
The smile in Wu Huaiwei's eyes diminished somewhat at his words.
"There are many people in the world without power." Wei Xizheng said. "They have no ability to resist Strange Fire."
Wu Huaiwei said carelessly: "I know, I know. The Legalist School Saint who cares about the safety of all living beings in the world, you work so hard for all living beings under heaven. This little woman deeply admires you."
Wei Xizheng's eyes showed some helplessness.
Wu Huaiwei wanted to change the subject, so she asked: "What did you mean earlier about Master Chang's little disciple's Five Elements Energy?"