Missing Thoughts

Chapter 12

Yu Sui only told Zhongli Que about her immediate departure for Taiyi Academy.

Zhongli Que saw the message late at night and quickly replied, "Why so sudden?"

"Have you already left?"

"Ahhh, I didn't even get to see you one last time!"

Sitting in the carriage, already outside the Imperial Capital, Yu Sui scratched her head upon seeing the message.

"I'm going to Taiyi Academy to cultivate, not dying."

Zhongli Que replied, "Be careful when you're out alone. Taiyi Academy has people from the Six Kingdoms, a mixed crowd, and many who are hostile towards the Nangong Family. The academy seems to not interfere with these matters."

Just as Yu Sui was about to reply, "Don't worry," the carriage stopped.

The one escorting Yu Sui was one of Nangong Ming's confidantes, Cao Yan, the captain of the King's Mansion's Imperial Guard.

Cao Yan's respectful voice came from outside the carriage, "County Princess, the Dragon Car has arrived."

Yu Sui put away her Listening Wind Ruler, lifted the carriage curtain, and looked out.

Ahead was the Si River, on the border of Qingyang. The river was wide and required a ferry to cross.

The riverbanks were lush green, interspersed with small white and purple flowers. Night mist hovered over the river. In the darkness, besides the torches carried by the escorting party, there were also glowing fireflies dancing on the water's surface.

Taiyi Academy possessed the Cloud Vehicle Dragon, built with the world's strongest mechanical arts. Besides being jointly constructed by the Four Great Mechanical Clans, it was also bestowed with words by the Seven Saints of the School of Names, allowing it to fly in the sky and never fall.

The academy had Dragon Car stations in all Six Kingdoms. As long as one registered with the academy, the Dragon Car would arrive punctually at the pickup point to transport students.

To go to Taiyi Academy, taking the Cloud Vehicle Dragon was the only way.

Yu Sui alighted from the carriage and looked up at the clouds and mist in the sky. In the distance, a golden hue flickered, approaching from afar.

From a distance, the Flying Dragon appeared ethereal, like a long, thin golden thread.

Cao Yan instructed by her side, "When you reach Taiyi, Nangong clansmen in the Outer City will guide you. Young Master Gu is currently held up by the Legalism School and requires a ruling from Di Su Tiancheng of the School of Names. The Prince has already made preparations."

Yu Sui withdrew her gaze from the sky and turned around. Cao Yan handed her a long black box.

Nangong Ming sending her to Taiyi Academy was not without reason. If Gu Gan hadn't been in trouble, he wouldn't have rushed Yu Sui to save the day.

After all, his third son, Sheng Fei, who was far away in Taiyi, completely ignored Gu Gan's predicament. He was practically wishing for Gu Gan to run into trouble and be expelled from the academy.

Because of the distance, Nangong Ming could only wait for Sheng Fei to return before dealing with him.

As Yu Sui took the black box, a deep dragon roar echoed from above. A golden dragon descended from the high clouds and mist. The light from its eyes pierced through the thick clouds, illuminating the ferry landing on the bank.

From afar, it looked like a golden line, but up close, it was revealed to be a "line" formed by connected segments of its body.

Although it was an artificial construct, it was exquisitely crafted, as if a true dragon had descended to roam the world.

The Dragon Car lowered a ramp to the ferry landing. Yu Sui could hear the clicking sound of gears turning. She gazed at the colossal creature, half of its body hidden in the clouds, and felt the same sense of wonder as when she first saw the Imperial Academy's Communication Array, amazed once again by the marvels of this world.

"County Princess," Cao Yan and the others bowed their heads, "Safe travels."

Yu Sui waved to them, "Then I'm off."

She hugged the long black box and walked towards the Dragon Car. Someone was waiting at the entrance, their robes fluttering in the night wind. Seeing the small figure approaching below, the man smiled and said, "Please wait. I am Mo Yun, the driver of this Cloud Vehicle Dragon. May I ask the young lady to confirm your identity on the school roster?"

Yu Sui took the school roster handed to her by Mo Yun and flipped through several pages before finding her name. She filled in the required information below and handed it back.

After Mo Yun confirmed, he stepped aside and said, "Please."

Yu Sui stood before the dragon's mouth and looked inside. The lights were brilliant. She stepped forward, entering this magnificent and wondrous world.

The Dragon Car began to fly, re-entering the clouds and mist, heading towards the southernmost part of the Xuangu Continent.

Mo Yun led Yu Sui towards her room, saying gently, "The journey is long. You can rest in the guest room tonight. We will arrive at the academy at Chen hour (7-9 am) tomorrow. If you require a meal, you can go to the red room at the back and inform them. Dinner will be delivered to your room later."

Yu Sui looked down at the wooden floorboards. She could feel the Dragon Car flying, and it wasn't slow. However, it didn't affect people walking inside.

"This is where you will rest," Mo Yun stopped in front of a black door.

The corridor of this section of the Dragon Car had black doors on both sides, with numbers written on them. Yu Sui's guest room was 806.

"You are the last student. The Dragon Car will not stop from now on and will proceed directly to the academy," Mo Yun pushed open the door, gesturing for Yu Sui to enter, and bowed elegantly, "You will be notified when we arrive. I will not disturb your rest."

Yu Sui stood at the doorway, looking around the room. The furnishings were exquisite, with a small window, a small bed, a dressing table, chairs, and a table. On the table by the window was a vase with a bouquet of white flowers she couldn't name, in full bloom. It was a comfortable personal space.

It's too exquisite, Yu Sui marveled inwardly. She walked to the window and sat down, carefully pushing it open.

The wooden window was latched tightly, allowing her to open it only a little at a time. After slowly pushing open half of the window, she saw the floating clouds and mist outside. The golden Dragon Car, hundreds of meters long, bobbed gently within them.

Unsure of where they were flying over, Yu Sui looked down through the clouds and mist, seeing the myriad lights of human dwellings below, from the bustling capital to the quiet countryside, and then to the sparse lights of the mountains and forests.

Finally, she saw an endless expanse of sea. The moon rose and set over the sea, but she couldn't see the end of this world.

The southern Endless Sea was the greatest obstacle preventing people from reaching Taiyi Academy. It was boundless and unending, rumored to be larger than the Six Kingdoms combined, occupying half the area of the Xuangu Continent.

The sea was often foggy, which could confuse people's minds. Without precise navigation, it was very easy to get lost and die at sea.

Even by boat, one could not reach Taiyi Academy from the Endless Sea. The Endless Sea contained tens of thousands of magic formations, one nested within another. To this day, no one had managed to cross the Endless Sea by boat to reach Taiyi Academy.

To go to the academy, one can only take the Cloud Vehicle Dragon.

What Yu Sui saw next was an endless expanse of sea. Under the moonlight, it was either azure blue or dark and deep. Occasionally, clouds would obscure the view, leaving nothing visible.

She propped her chin in her hand and watched for a long time, as if lost in thought, until a knock sounded at the door.

The knocking was insistent, not the kind of thing the elegant driver Mo Yun would do.

Yu Sui walked over to open the door and saw a young man and a young woman standing outside, both around her age. The young man in the green robe drooped his head as if he hadn't woken up. The young woman in the white dress, with her hair in double ponytails, was full of excitement. Her eyes lit up even more when she saw Yu Sui.

"I'm Xue Jiayue from Taiyuan Country," the young woman said, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled at Yu Sui. She then pointed to the sleepy young man beside her, "This is my cousin, Xue Mushi."

Yu Sui blinked but said nothing.

Xue Jiayue, being naturally outgoing, opened the food box she was carrying on her arm and took out a stack of small food boxes, handing them to Yu Sui. "This is a welcome gift. We're all new students this year, let's get to know each other in advance!"

Without waiting to see if Yu Sui wanted it, she stuffed it into her hand and turned to knock on the opposite door.

It was clear this girl was in an excited state.

Yu Sui opened the food box in her hand, saw the pastries inside, and quietly closed it again.

"Is anyone home?" Xue Jiayue knocked on the door. After a long silence, she pressed her ear to the door just as someone opened it from inside. She almost fell in, but the person at the door sidestepped, making no move to help her.

"Whoa!" Xue Jiayue grabbed the doorframe to steady herself. "That was close, you..."

She looked up and froze when she saw the attire of the person inside.

Yu Sui and Xue Mushi also looked at the person who had opened the door. Xue Mushi seemed to have lost some of his sleepiness, but his eyes held a hint of confusion.

The young man standing at the door wore a white robe cinched at the waist, his hair tied up with a jade crown. A sword hung at his waist, and one hand rested on the hilt, exuding a cold aura. The dim light of the corridor cast a glow on his unusually fair skin. Beneath his thick black eyebrows, a pair of sharp yet silent eyes swept over Xue Jiayue.

His appearance was too handsome, and his demeanor was steady and mature, making Xue Jiayue's heart race.

She quickly took two steps back into the corridor, her voice softening, though her tone couldn't hide her cheerfulness. "Young hero, I'm Xue Jiayue from Taiyuan Country. We're all new students, let's get to know each other in advance!"

"Here, this is for you as a welcome gift." Xue Jiayue handed out the small food box.

The young man remained silent.

Yu Sui scratched her face, feeling a bit embarrassed for them.

Xue Mushi whispered, "They're a girl."

"Huh?" Xue Jiayue turned back. "Cousin, what did you say so quietly?"

"Not a young hero," Xue Mushi said with effort. "She's a girl."

Xue Jiayue looked back in shock.

The "young man" did not take the food box. He lowered his voice and said, "Nanjing, Li Jinshuang."

12 Chapter 12 (2/2)

"Oh... oh, okay." Xue Jiayue didn't know what to say for a moment, nodding incessantly. To avoid awkwardness, she quickly went to knock on the door next to Li Jinshuang's.

As Li Jinshuang closed her door, the door next to it opened.

The young man who came out was tall and thin. Compared to the others outside, he looked rather disheveled, wearing only a simple blue robe. It seemed his clothes only needed to cover the necessary parts.

The young man raised his hand to scratch his hair, and his sleeve slid down a considerable length, revealing his scarred arm.

"What are you knocking on people's doors for in the middle of the night?" The young man scratched his hair and yawned. His narrow, phoenix-like eyes casually swept over the people outside.

"Delivering a welcome gift." Xue Jiayue smiled broadly. "I'm..."

"I know, from Taiyuan Country." The young man took the food box Xue Jiayue handed him, but then glanced at Yu Sui opposite him and tilted his chin slightly. "And you?"

The other two also looked at Yu Sui.

Yu Sui couldn't remain silent any longer. She spoke, "Qingyang, Nangong Sui."

"Oh, County Princess Nangong." The young man raised an eyebrow at Yu Sui. "I've heard a lot about you."

His gaze, however, held a hint of knowing amusement.

"And you?" Xue Jiayue urged. "You asked about others, you can't not introduce yourself, can you?"

The young man said lazily, "Agricultural School, Wei Ren."

The three of them were taken aback.

Everyone else had stated their country of origin, but he immediately declared his school.

"This thing," Wei Ren said after taking a couple of bites of the pastry from the food box, then spitting it back out. He closed it unceremoniously and, before closing the door, commented, "Even dogs wouldn't eat this."

"Hey!" Xue Jiayue reacted. She wasn't angry for more than two seconds before lowering the hand she had raised. "It wasn't me who made it; it's food from this Dragon Car."

Xue Mushi suddenly said, "Don't move."

Xue Jiayue turned back. "What's wrong?"

"Don't move." Xue Mushi looked troubled, as if he didn't want to get involved but had to help.

He stepped forward, lifted the hair at the back of Xue Jiayue's neck, and pulled out a tiny red scorpion from the roots of her hair.

"The Agricultural School's Stone Scorpion. They often use it for stealing information," Xue Mushi said, throwing the little red scorpion to Xue Jiayue. He then took five steps back, as he was actually quite afraid of such small creatures.

Xue Jiayue's eyes widened, and she was furious. Holding the Stone Scorpion, she flung it towards Wei Ren's door, shouting, "You're too scheming!"

She wasn't satisfied and wanted to kick the door, but then she remembered they were on the Dragon Car. The other party was already a disciple of a recognized school; she hadn't even noticed one Stone Scorpion, so she couldn't risk there being anything else.

Xue Jiayue endured it. After stomping on and shattering the Stone Scorpion, she huffily left that section of the Dragon Car.

Yu Sui watched the Stone Scorpion shatter into pieces on the ground. A moment later, the fragments spontaneously repaired themselves, reassembling into a Stone Scorpion and crawling in through the door gap.

The room was dark, with no lights on. Wei Ren, lying on the bed, extended his hand, letting the Red Scorpion crawl onto his fingertip before he popped it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

Yu Sui closed the door and returned to sit by the window, gazing out at the dark sea in thought.

When Wei Ren mentioned the Agricultural School, she knew for sure that he knew the Primordial Soil was with her.

The Xue family's cousins, the sister was lively and good at dealing with people, while the older brother was like a socially awkward person, yet his observation skills were extraordinary, immediately spotting the Stone Scorpion Wei Ren had left on Xue Jiayue.

As for the "Young Hero" Li Jinshuang, who disguised herself as a man, she was rather interesting.

Yu Sui tapped her finger on the table. After a moment, she picked up the Listening Wind Ruler. Within the Endless Sea, there were no Communication Arrays, nor could any be established, making it impossible to send messages outward.

She looked at the silent Listening Wind Ruler for a while, then glanced at the black box beside it. Inside was the Di Su Tiancheng, a crucial item for rescuing Gu Gan from the Legalism School's grounds.

Yu Sui thought for a moment, opened the food box, and grabbed a piece of mung bean cake to eat. A moment later, she spat it all out.

Indeed.

Even a dog wouldn't eat this stuff.

*

Yu Sui didn't sleep all night.

She sat by the window all night, watching the moon slowly set, then the sun rise in the east. The orange-gold light broke through the clouds, gradually illuminating the sea and the path ahead.

As they could vaguely see massive islands and cities, a deep, resonant Dragon Roar sounded.

Taiyi Academy was as vast as a nation; the saying was not false.

Yu Sui looked down from the sky, feeling the vastness of the terrain below. As the daylight chased after them, the faintly lit lamps in the city gradually extinguished.

The Outer City was almost entirely filled with merchants.

Some had lived there since birth, while others came from the outside to do business with Taiyi Academy. They came from different parts of the Six Kingdoms, making it a mixed bag. There were those who purely did business, and those who engaged in double-crosses. There were also fugitives from other countries, living honest lives under assumed names, and those who were not so honest.

In Taiyi's Outer City, the academy did not interfere with the disciples' grudges, national disputes, or personal vendettas.

Only within the academy itself was there a restriction against killing.

In the current academy, there were twenty-four Saints.

The student population numbered in the tens of thousands, with people coming and going every year.

The Dragon Roar grew closer and then faded into the distance. The people on the carriage all stood up, preparing to disembark. The Dragon Car stopped at a ferry terminal in the Outer City. Along the coastline, there were dozens of landing ferry terminals.

As Yu Sui opened her door, she happened to see Li Jinshuang, who was in the opposite room, also coming out. The two met unexpectedly. Li Jinshuang glanced at her quickly before looking away and walking towards the exit alone.

The ferry terminals on the shore corresponded to each section of the Dragon Car. Yu Sui and the others didn't have to walk far to see the exit. Outside the door was a new world, with birdsong and fragrant flowers. High cliffs were covered with plants, and seabirds chirped melodiously in the early morning, carrying food and perching on the Dragon Car's back to watch the new students.

The Nangong family had been waiting for a long time.

"County Princess." Black Beard, standing at the ferry terminal, waved at Yu Sui. "This way!"

Black Beard walked towards Yu Sui, with the grown Ji Meng following behind him.

Grown Ji Meng still looked like a skinny monkey, but his skin was darker than when he was in the Imperial Capital of Qingyang. He had been extremely worried about Gu Gan's matter and was anxious, but upon seeing Yu Sui descend from the Dragon Car, Ji Meng couldn't help but stare, momentarily forgetting his anxiety.

It had only been two or three years, how could there be such a big change?

Ji Meng's impression of Yu Sui was still that of a somewhat childish and dazed girl. Especially that night he climbed over the wall and saw it was Yu Sui, he had doubted if he had gone to the wrong place, to the Nangong King's mansion.

He remembered that night vividly.

Because Yu Sui, holding a broom, stood under a tree. The moment she discovered him landing, her startled reaction was exactly like a cat's, its pupils dilating and turning black.

Now, the young girl walking under the orange-gold morning sun had a graceful willow waist, skin as white as porcelain. A gauze skirt draped over her lessened the redness of her dress. As she walked in the sunlight, the light revived the vibrant red, making it bright and dazzling.

Her autumn water eyes held a natural smile. Her dark pupils still reminded Ji Meng of a cat.

She had grown taller. Her face, which was delicate and beautiful when she was young, had matured, becoming more charming and lively.

A sentence inexplicably popped into Ji Meng's mind: I was right.

He remembered a few months ago when he and Gu Gan and others were discussing which girl was the prettiest among those from the Imperial Academy back then and the girls from Taiyi, and he had said Yu Sui.

Gu Gan had said they each had their merits, but the other two said it was Xun Zhiya from Taiyi.

Now, seeing Yu Sui, Ji Meng affirmed, I was right.

Black Beard took the box containing the Di Su Tiancheng from Yu Sui. As they walked, he said, "It's a bit far from the Outer City to the Legalism School's Trial Ground. Since the County Princess doesn't know the Wind Riding Technique yet, we'll take a carriage first."

Yu Sui hummed in agreement. Her peripheral vision swept over Ji Meng, who stood motionlessly to the side. She proactively greeted him, "Long time no see."

Ji Meng reacted and quickly replied, "County Princess, long time no see."

"Do you still call me that here?" Yu Sui stopped and looked at him. "Didn't they say that within Taiyi Academy, class distinctions are ignored, and honorifics are unnecessary?"

Ji Meng awkwardly rubbed his nose. "This is the Outer City, not yet within the academy. Besides, I'm used to it, and it's fine if I don't change."

Yu Sui said "Oh" and, with the help of an attendant, got into the carriage. Black Beard and Ji Meng also got in, explaining the current situation to her on the way.

Students continued to disembark from the Dragon Car, marveling at the vast and majestic world before them. They chattered noisily, their voices even drowning out the cries of the seabirds.

Li Jinshuang walked alone on the shaded path, silent amidst the clamor.

Wei Ren felt the sunlight was dazzling. He rubbed his eyes and slowly squeezed out of the crowd, scanning them aimlessly. A few companions walked towards him, side by side.

Xue Jiayue ran forward with a cheer. Xue Mushi opened his mouth, but in the end, he decided against it, saying nothing. He walked slowly with his head drooping.

"Cousin, why are you walking so slowly? Run!"

Xue Jiayue turned around and pulled Xue Mushi, dragging him along to run.

The seabird on the Dragon Car seemed startled by the newcomers. It swallowed its food in one gulp and took flight.