Chapter 172
Chapter 172
The Golden Crow illuminated the water curtain, and the sea and sky reversed in a single color. The Mechanism practitioners guarding behind the Heaven-Bathing Water Wall saw the Spirit Bird returning from beneath the sea in the blink of an eye.
It was already nighttime. The chaotic energy above the Abyss Sea was much farther from the sea surface, but there were still many sea whirlpools on the sea threatening Mechanism Island.
After returning to the sea, Li Jin Shuang woke Yu Sui. Seeing her sit up sleepily with drowsy eyes, sitting motionless in a daze, she began speaking to her in gentle whispers.
Only after Yu Sui rubbed her face with her hands and gradually became alert did she get out of bed.
There were people everywhere outside, on shore and at sea, almost all practitioners from the four great Mechanism families. Anyone not wearing Mechanism family clothing was extremely conspicuous upon leaving the Spirit Bird.
The Saints were still deliberating on the steering platform. After Yu Sui and the others came out, they learned they couldn't return to the academy for the time being because there were also sea whirlpools appearing on the route back to the academy. They needed to wait for the Water Vessel Saints to resolve the sea whirlpool problem first.
The Taiyi Academy students standing at the ship's rail all fell silent upon hearing this.
They didn't want to stay on Mechanism Island with certain people for even a moment longer.
Yu Sui asked with a bewildered expression: "How will they resolve it?"
Baili Mo, who had come to deliver the message, smiled and answered: "I don't know either."
However, another Situ steward passing by said to Li Jin Shuang: "Our young master has instructed that if you all cannot find lodging on Mechanism Island, you may temporarily stay at the Situ family residence."
As his words fell, Yu Sui and the others all followed the Situ steward's gaze to look at Li Jin Shuang.
Yu Sui thought to herself that Situ Jin had known early on that they wouldn't be able to leave after coming ashore.
Zhang Xiangyun sneered inwardly, this kid was being too obvious.
Li Jin Shuang was confused, not understanding why everyone was suddenly looking at her. But she was accustomed to silence and only knew how to follow orders, not make decisions herself, so the Situ steward was destined not to get a response from her.
During the silence, the cry of a sea eagle came from above. A white-headed, black-feathered sea eagle flew directly toward Mei Liangyu, who was leaning against the ship's rail. Its sharp talons scratched against his shoulder, circled around him once, then landed on his other shoulder, spreading its wings and flapping twice, looking very excited.
"Brother Liangyu!"
Before seeing the person, her voice was heard first. The girl's crisp, sweet voice made everyone turn to look. A young lady emerged from among a group of Situ family practitioners with a joyful expression, waving at Mei Liangyu. As she ran, two golden hair ribbons fluttered with her movement.
Situ Ling saw Mei Liangyu and cheered with delight: "Brother Liangyu, I've come to take you to see Grandmother!"
The Situ steward, seeing her, respectfully said "Miss Ling" and felt relieved in his heart, grateful that she had come to resolve the situation.
Situ Ling completely ignored everyone else, chattering around Mei Liangyu like a little sparrow, unable to stop once she started talking: "Where's my brother? Didn't he come up with you all?"
"There are really so many sea whirlpools here! If they break through the Heaven-Bathing Water Wall, won't our Mechanism Island be finished?"
"If Mechanism Island is finished, then all of Taiyi Academy will be finished too!"
"Is the underwater Mechanism city fun? What's there? Is there also a super huge Golden Crow? I heard the first-generation Golden Crow is down there!"
"......"
The little girl alone could liven up the atmosphere while making it impossible for others to get a word in. Mei Liangyu was already accustomed to Situ Ling's chatter and didn't interrupt to let her talk her fill first.
The Situ steward tried to speak several times but was forced to hold back because of Situ Ling's monologue. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand, waiting with a bitter expression for a long time before finally finding an opportunity to tell Situ Ling about the young master's invitation for these Taiyi Academy students to temporarily stay at the Situ family residence.
"Really? Did my brother really say that?" Situ Ling turned and generously invited Yu Sui and the others: "Then come along! My house is big enough, there's room for everyone."
With one sentence from Miss Ling, she took away this group of homeless academy disciples.
……
Yu Sui hadn't expected Zhang Xiangyun and Luo Fu to follow along as well.
On the way, she rolled her eyes to glance at Zhang Xiangyun. Zhang Xiangyun raised an eyebrow at her with a leisurely, carefree manner, showing no signs of panic whatsoever.
It seemed he had resolved the Silver River Water trouble.
Had Senior Brother already given the Silver River Water to Nian Qiuyan?
Yu Sui blinked and withdrew her gaze.
The Situ family residence was above the Heavenly Palace of Mechanism Island. Everyone had to take the Dragon Stairs to reach it.
The Dragon Stairs here came in fully enclosed versions for transporting goods, and semi-transparent ones polished from sea jade. When ascending to higher places on the Dragon Stairs, one could see the entire Mechanism Island brilliantly lit, as well as the gathering storm clouds and lightning above the distant Abyss Sea.
Because Grandmother Situ wanted to see Mei Liangyu, he was escorted away as soon as he stepped off the Dragon Stairs. The Situ steward who had followed led Yu Sui and the others away to arrange their accommodations.
The Situ family residence had various green plants and flowers everywhere. Even the guest courtyards had several towering ancient trees, one with red leaves and one with green leaves complementing each other.
On both sides of the stone wall screen after entering the gate, several clusters of green bamboo provided decoration. Under the night lighting, bamboo shadows danced gently on the stone wall with the night breeze, while inside was an open-air stone table with seating for three to five people.
Walking further in, one could see rows of carved wooden lattice windows along the corridor, decorated with blooming magnolias and climbing trumpet vines.
The Situ steward arranged the best guest quarters for them, with each person having a separate courtyard, all connected in this area. There were also servants standing guard outside who could be informed if anything was needed.
Yu Sui stood under the eaves looking at this exquisite and wealthy courtyard, as if she had returned to the royal manor, with the same luxurious and noble atmosphere as the manor.
Opening the door led to the main hall with tables and chairs for receiving guests. Walking further in and passing through a screen brought one to the sleeping quarters. At the very back was a separate small bathing room with hot water already prepared. Yu Sui tested the water temperature with her hand, it was just right, and fresh clothes had been placed in advance on the clothing rack beside it.
Incense was burning in the room with a light fragrance that gave a warm feeling at night, just right for those who had just returned from the cold deep sea.
Initially following Situ Jin's instructions, the Situ steward had taken care to arrange the best guest quarters. Later, following Situ Ling's instructions, the treatment was upgraded, with servants attending to every detail.
Yu Sui had rested all the way and was in much better condition than before.
Seeing that hot water was already prepared, she simply undressed and bathed, rolling her eyes to examine everything in the room, from the screen frame to the wall paintings, to the tables, chairs, and curtains. Finally, she reached a conclusion: the Situ family was indeed very wealthy, truly worthy of being a great Mechanism family clan.
She wondered what kind of people bought their Spirit Puppets.
Or rather, the Spirit Puppet prices were set so high because they didn't want to sell them.
From what Senior Brother had said, creating a Spirit Puppet was very expensive and difficult. So someone like Situ Ling Kui, the Second Grandmother of the Situ family, would be even more difficult to create, wouldn't she?
Yu Sui propped her head with one hand in the bathtub, her peripheral vision catching sight of the Wind-Listening Ruler placed on her clothes, and her mind thought of Number Mountains.
Number Mountains.
Spirit Puppets.
If the operating rules of Number Mountains were applied to Spirit Puppets, wouldn't that create Spirit Puppets with intelligent learning capabilities? One could even set the Spirit Puppet's preferences and abilities.
Yu Sui's expression became strange. She remembered the small Number Mountain on the Spirit Bird. The Mechanism School had the ability to create Number Mountains, so her speculation wasn't unreasonable.
The mechanism gears she had seen in the depths of Situ Ling Kui's pupils had faint numerical runes carved on them.
That might be connected to Mechanism Island's Number Mountain, no, it should be said to be the Situ family's Number Mountain.
If the Situ family could control Spirit Puppets through Number Mountain operations, then Yu Sui had a bold idea.
The operating rules of Number Mountains were quite miraculous. Because Five Elements Energy could transform into all things, with Number Mountains as intermediaries, the Number Mountain's owner could set for themselves what form this Five Elements Energy should take when materialized and in what manner.
She should have used Divine Mechanism: Heavenly Eye to look at that time.
Yu Sui knocked her head with her hand, telling herself to remember next time.
When it came to researching Number Mountains, Yu Sui was confident.
She lost interest in bathing, got up and dressed, took the Wind-Listening Ruler and sat on the bedside. Her finger traced across the ruler's surface, the jade surface flashed with light, and a long string of black and gold interwoven numerical runes flew out, forming ribbon-like bands that circled around Yu Sui.
Yu Sui had had an idea before, but at that time she was still an ordinary practitioner unable to cultivate, only acting on her unconscious Heavenly Eye power. Her Five Elements Light Core didn't have its current realm either, so she had shelved the idea.
Now she stared at the inscription characters rapidly sliding across the Wind-Listening Ruler's surface, her fingers itching. She pointed out Fill-Character Formulas and began to continue writing the encrypted text she had previously interrupted.
Yu Sui's movements in touching the Fill-Character Formulas weren't fast, but more and more inscription character ribbons overflowed from the Wind-Listening Ruler's surface. When they reached a certain length, following Yu Sui's manual termination, they would fuse with each other to form a new runic ribbon.
The candlelight in the room was bright. The young lady sitting on the bedside had magnificent eyes. Looking carefully, one could glimpse rapidly flashing inscription characters in those clear, bright eyes, though even if one was lucky enough to see them, it would be difficult to understand their meaning.
Yu Sui had previously thought about creating her own Number Mountain, but the materials for Number Mountains were complex, couldn't be bought even with money, and might attract attention from various factions, so she had to give up.
Rather than exhausting herself mentally, physically, and financially to create a Number Mountain, it was better to steal someone else's and make it her own.
The Number Mountains of Qingyang Kingdom's National Academy and Taiyi Academy's Communication Courtyard were very beautiful existences in Yu Sui's eyes. She liked them very much.
Time passed unknowingly until she encountered a bottleneck. Only then did Yu Sui stop, contemplate for a moment, put away the Wind-Listening Ruler, got off the bed and stretched lazily, then stood at the door looking at the night scene for a while.
She wondered how Senior Brother's discussion with Grandmother Situ was going.
This time Yu Sui didn't place light cores to follow. She thought for a moment, then stepped into the night and quietly went to the guest quarters where Nian Qiuyan was staying.
Nian Qiuyan wasn't asleep yet.
His room had writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone. He was now calmly preparing ink, as if knowing someone would definitely come tonight, he hadn't even closed his door.
Yu Sui had climbed over the wall to get in.
She also had no intention of hiding. Nian Qiuyan heard the movement and looked up, his eyes reflecting a graceful figure in red.
Just as expected.
Nian Qiuyan picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and drew three stars on the paper.
Yu Sui didn't enter the room but walked around following the wall, coming to the window to look at Nian Qiuyan standing behind the desk by the window, and called out "Senior Brother Nian."
"I did guess you would come." Nian Qiuyan also looked up at her with a gentle expression.
Yu Sui got straight to the point: "Did Senior Brother give you the Silver River Water?"
Nian Qiuyan also answered generously: "He did."
"When we were at Coiling Dragon Stone Cave, I didn't mention that you had also come to Northern Kun City. Senior Brother guessed it himself and asked me to tell him whether you were really there or not." Yu Sui looked at Nian Qiuyan with a helpless expression. "Senior Brother seemed to have suspected you long ago, yet he actively gave you the Silver River Water. What exactly does he mean?"
Nian Qiuyan held his painting brush, continuing to perfect the divination array on the paper. Facing the helpless Yu Sui, he showed no signs of urgency: "Your Senior Brother is such a smart person, his thoughts aren't easy to guess."
Yu Sui asked: "Can't you guess either?"
Nian Qiuyan said: "When he doesn't want people to guess, it's indeed impossible to guess."
Yu Sui nodded in confusion and asked again: "Then Senior Brother Nian, what do you plan to do next?"