Zhongli Shan looked up at Yu Sui as she stepped onto the Judgment Platform, a little surprised. After a moment, he lowered his head and sent a message: "Nangong Sui, Qingyang County Princess. My sister says she and Gu Gan grew up together, so they should be quite close."
Yu Sui handed the Black Box containing Di Su Tiancheng to Elder Zhu of the School of Names and said properly, "My father, Nangong Ming, asked me to bring this here."
Legalist Saint Yu said slowly, "One of the Three Yama of the School of Names—the daughter of Nangong Ming?"
Yu Sui looked up and smiled. "My name is Nangong Sui."
The girl spoke in a crisp, sweet voice, brisk and generous.
The Listening Wind Ruler in Mei Chengyu's hand glimmered faintly. He lowered his head, his long, distinct-jointed fingers rapidly tapping the character grid.
Yu Sui glanced sidelong at those long, handsome fingers, then stepped back to stand beside Elder Zhu, waiting to see how the judgment would proceed.
Sha Qian hadn't expected the Qingyang County Princess to suddenly appear out of nowhere. Hearing Gu Gan's low chuckle, he looked back unwillingly. Gu Gan met his eyes with a provocative look.
"It's over, it's all over. His little sister came plummeting from the sky with Di Su Tiancheng and rescued Gu Gan from the flames. This hero-saves-the-beauty move caught Sha Qian completely off guard." Mu Mengbai patted Sheng Fei on the shoulder, shaking his head with a pained sigh. "You should've told me you had such a pretty little sister. If I'd known, I would've tried harder to kick Gu Gan out of Taiyi."
Sheng Fei turned and glared at him. "What hero saving a beauty?"
Mu Mengbai covered his mouth and fell silent.
Princess Shangyang puffed out her cheeks in the First Floor stands, staring at Yu Sui on the Judgment Platform for a long while. At last, she tilted her head and whispered to the sisters beside her, "What does Di Su Tiancheng do? How does she have one? Why don't my mother and the others have one?"
Her companions looked at each other, at a loss.
Seeing that none of them could answer, Princess Shangyang widened her eyes, then turned and called to Xun Zhiya not far away. "Xun Zhiya, what kind of trick are you trying to pull this time, bringing the Legalists' Treasured Item to the trial?"
The young woman beside Xun Zhiya looked displeased by her attitude and was about to retort, but Xun Zhiya stopped her. In a calm voice, she explained, "As a Legalist Treasured Item, Di Su Tiancheng can detect a suspect's Five Elements Qi and the circulation of their light core during interrogation. By measuring the flow of their Five Elements Qi, it can determine whether they're lying and distinguish truth from falsehood."
"If Gu Gan had nothing to do with the theft of the Milky Way Water, Di Su Tiancheng would be the evidence, and today's trial would have its answer."
There were plenty of suspicious points in this case, but as long as Di Su Tiancheng answered no to the question "Did you steal the Milky Way Water?", Gu Gan would be in the clear.
Di Su Tiancheng's purpose was to ensure absolute fairness and impartiality. In the eyes of the world, its authority as a judge could not be challenged.
As Elder Zhu of the School of Names opened the box, Mei Chengyu sent a message: "I was wondering why the Legalists suddenly gave in. So they traded for Di Su Tiancheng."
Zhongli Shan replied, "I never expected the Nangong Family to trade Di Su Tiancheng to the Legalists in exchange for Gu Gan."
Mei Chengyu's lips curved slightly. "If this thing fell into outsiders' hands, the Legalists would lose face. Yu Sheng couldn't ask for a better deal than getting it back in exchange for him."
Zhongli Shan glanced at the Judgment Platform, then lowered his head. "What do you mean?"
Mei Chengyu sent his reply, then put away the Listening Wind Ruler. His gaze drifted carelessly toward Di Su Tiancheng.
Zhongli Shan received the message: "The truth or falsehood can be manipulated behind the scenes. How could the Legalists let people know Di Su Tiancheng has this kind of flaw?"
Elder Zhu opened the box. Inside lay a golden balance.
He took it out and placed it upright on the table.
The balance's bamboo beam was very slender, with a small bronze pan suspended from each end by golden threads. One pan was black and the other white, and both sides of each were covered in tiny golden Legalist statutes.
Though it looked small and delicate, the moment you gazed at it, a forceful, imposing aura pressed down on you, filling you with awe.
Even those in the furthest stands could feel an invisible pressure spreading through the air.
"Since it's a Legalist Treasured Item, you should conduct the interrogation," Elder Zhu said to Yu Sheng.
Yu Sheng did not refuse.
Di Su Tiancheng was placed at the very center of the table, directly facing Mei Chengyu, who sat between the two Sages. He remained slouched back in his chair, looking utterly relaxed and untroubled.
Mei Chengyu wasn't playing with the Listening Wind Ruler now. He watched Di Su Tiancheng before him, one hand resting on the table, his fingers tapping the surface again and again.
Yu Sheng reached out toward Di Su Tiancheng and poured his Five Elements Qi into it. The balance did not move, but the golden threads suspending the bronze pans divided into countless fine strands, flying toward Gu Gan on the Questioning Platform. They wound around his hands and feet, then sank into his brow, ears, and eyes.
Countless Legalist statutes spun along the golden threads, their characters turning so swiftly they were almost impossible to see.
Yu Sui looked at Gu Gan and heard Yu Sheng ask, "Your name is Gu Gan?"
Gu Gan raised his head slightly from the chair and answered hoarsely, "Yes."
The balance tipped, and the white bronze pan dropped, giving a clear chime. A moment later, it returned to level.
White meant truth; black meant lies.
The Questioning Arena fell utterly silent. No one spoke. Everyone watched Di Su Tiancheng on the Judgment Platform with rapt attention.
Yu Sheng continued, "Gu Gan, recount what happened on the day the Milky Way Water was stolen, in your own words."
Gu Gan rolled his neck and stared at Di Su Tiancheng before him. In a measured voice, he said, "That night, I received a message inviting me to meet at the entrance to Hanging Moon Cave."
Yu Sheng asked, "Who sent it?"
"I don't know."
The balance tipped toward the white bronze pan with another clear chime.
Sha Qian sneered at him. "How could you not know? You can't send a message without exchanging Listening Wind Ruler inscriptions with someone. Or did you hide it in the Earthly Branch Star Sea, so it couldn't be found on your Listening Wind Ruler?"
Gu Gan sneered back. "I truly don't know. It was a message sent without an exchange of inscriptions. Out of curiosity, I went to meet them, wondering whether only someone from the Communication Institute could pull off something so strange."
"If I'd hidden the message in the Earthly Branch Star Sea, you could just have the Communication Institute check."
The balance tipped toward the white bronze pan again.
Mu Mengbai gaped in the stands. "No way. That explanation sounds like an obvious lie, but Di Su Tiancheng judged it true? Even the Communication Institute can't bypass Listening Wind Ruler inscriptions to send a message, can they?"
Xue Mushi sat up on the stone steps and scratched his head, looking a little slow on the uptake. Beside him, Xue Jiayue was completely absorbed by the trial and muttered, "If Di Su Tiancheng isn't wrong, and he's telling the truth, does that mean something's wrong with the Communication Institute here?"
Wei Ren nodded. "If there's something wrong with the Communication Institute, that's a huge problem."
Yu Sui heard this and blinked softly.
Interesting.
If Gu Gan wasn't lying, then someone had cracked Taiyi Academy's Communication Array.
If he was lying—Yu Sui glanced sidelong at the three judges behind the table—then someone here was helping Gu Gan put on a show. Just as Gu Gan said, even if he'd hidden the message in the Earthly Branch Star Sea, the people at the Communication Institute could find it among the three mountains of numbers.
Taiyi Academy had twenty-four Sages, and more than a few Thirteenth Realm experts. Half of them took part in maintaining the communication arrays of the Six Nations. Checking a junior disciple's Listening Wind Ruler messages would be no problem at all.
Mei Chengyu had been looking at Di Su Tiancheng, but suddenly he looked up and caught Yu Sui watching him.
Yu Sui didn't panic. She blinked at him in a friendly way.
Mei Chengyu showed no reaction. He lowered his head and resumed playing with the Listening Wind Ruler, seemingly bored now that the fun had run out.
Yu Sui silently looked away.
At Yu Sheng's signal, Gu Gan continued. "I arrived at Hanging Moon Cave at the hour of the Dog. I didn't see the person who'd arranged to meet me, but they kept sending messages, telling me to go inside."
He paused there, then said with complete composure, "I admit that I was too curious about how someone could send a message without exchanging inscriptions, so I trespassed into the forbidden land."
The white bronze pan chimed again.
Sha Qian couldn't help asking, "So you went in and stole the Milky Way Water?"
Gu Gan seemed to find his words hilarious. His face was full of mockery as he said, "I never saw that person, and I didn't know where the Milky Way Water was kept. After entering Hanging Moon Cave, I spent the whole time avoiding the guards."
Once again, the white bronze pan chimed.
Sha Qian suddenly raised his voice and barked, "Then why did the Milky Way Water disappear?!"
Gu Gan sneered. "I didn't take the Milky Way Water."
Everyone heard the sound from the white bronze pan.
"You—" Sha Qian was about to press him further, but Elder Zhu spoke from the platform. "Perhaps things aren't as complicated as we imagined. According to Di Su Tiancheng, he hasn't told a single lie so far."
Elder Zhu looked at Yu Sheng, his kindly expression barely changing. "The Legalists' Di Su Tiancheng distinguishes truth from falsehood, knows good from evil, and determines punishment. At this moment, it is Gu Gan's evidence."
Sha Qian turned to Yu Sheng. "Yu Sheng, Gu Gan must be questioned further!"
Yu Sheng's gaze was calm. "But he did trespass into the Legalists' Level 1 Forbidden Land."
Elder Zhu said, "Each matter gets its own trial. Today's judgment is not about his trespassing into the forbidden land."
Yu Sheng's eyes shifted, as if he were glancing at Elder Zhu.
Elder Zhu continued, "His words suggest that we should focus on the Listening Wind Ruler. The Communication Institute hasn't answered yet. Insisting he stole the Milky Way Water would amount to a lack of evidence."
Yu Sheng asked, "By your reasoning, should we release him without charge?"
Elder Zhu said, "Di Su Tiancheng's results give us nothing on which to convict him, so I propose that we release Gu Gan without charge. Shall we begin the vote?"
Yu Sheng lowered the hand he had kept raised. The golden threads of the balance withdrew from Gu Gan.
"Proceed," Yu Sheng said.
Mei Chengyu was still playing with the Listening Wind Ruler. Without looking up, he said, "Proceed."
Elder Zhu nodded, stroked his long beard, and rose. "Regarding Gu Gan's release without charge, my ruling is that I agree."
Yu Sheng also stood. "My ruling is that he remain under observation."
One vote in favor and one against. The deciding vote belonged to Mei Chengyu. Everyone turned their gaze toward the relaxed-looking man on the Judgment Platform.
Countless eyes suddenly fixed on him, but Mei Chengyu remained unchanged. He put away the Listening Wind Ruler and rose. His gaze seemed to sweep over Gu Gan below, and his cool voice rang out like jade striking stone. "He will remain under observation."
Yu Sui was the first on the Judgment Platform to look at Mei Chengyu. Yu Sheng and Elder Zhu were surprised, but neither showed it.
As soon as Mei Chengyu gave his ruling, whispers stirred through the previously silent Questioning Arena.
Gu Gan frowned on the Questioning Platform and stared straight at Mei Chengyu, but the latter was already walking down. Under the gaze of many onlookers, he met Zhongli Shan, who was coming down from the stands, and the two headed straight for the exit.
"You! Stop right there!" Princess Shangyang was so angry she tried to chase after them, but her companions clung to her and held her back. "Di Su Tiancheng judged that he wasn't lying and that everything he said was true! He didn't take the Milky Way Water, so what gives you the right to keep him under observation? Come back here and explain yourself!"
Beneath her sleeve, Xun Zhiya's fingers, which had relaxed, clenched again on their own. She looked at Gu Gan on the platform, a hint of worry in her eyes.
"This is bad. This isn't how I thought it would go."
Ji Meng, who'd thought victory was assured, was stunned. He scratched his head in frustration, while Black Beard beside him wore a grave expression.
Everyone worried about Gu Gan fell silent or looked troubled.
Only Sheng Fei's face, which had been dark and grim since Yu Sui appeared, finally eased a little.
"I didn't see that coming. Does Mei Chengyu have some kind of grudge against Gu Gan?" Mu Mengbai stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Could Mei Chengyu like Xun Zhiya too? What a complicated mess. Damn, this is kind of interesting."
At that moment, Sha Qian was the only one who could still laugh. The gloom that had shrouded him ever since Yu Sui appeared with Di Su Tiancheng lifted completely after Mei Chengyu delivered his ruling.
"Take him back. Keep him under observation," Sha Qian said with a smile to the other Legalist disciples, looking at Gu Gan with utter arrogance.
The Sages of the School of Names and the Legalists said nothing and turned to leave.
Below, Black Beard saw the Legalist disciples packing up Di Su Tiancheng. They hadn't even rescued the man, and now they wanted to take the item too? In a panic, he ran toward the platform.
Black Beard had just rushed onto the Judgment Platform when he saw Yu Sui resting one hand on the box. Smiling at the Legalist disciple packing up, she said, "Thanks for your help, big sister."
The Legalist disciple looked a little awkward, but Yu Sui wasn't embarrassed at all. She naturally gathered the box into her arms.
Only then did Black Beard breathe a sigh of relief. He'd thought his foolish County Princess might let the Legalists take Di Su Tiancheng too.
The Legalist disciple who hadn't managed to get Di Su Tiancheng slunk off the platform and stuck out her tongue at Yu Sheng, who was looking over, her face full of helplessness.
Yu Sheng sighed inwardly. Never mind.
Yu Sui carried the box down and called to Gu Gan, who was being led away ahead of her. "Brother Gu!"
Gu Gan looked back. Yu Sui was just about to go over when someone grabbed her and yanked her backward with such force that she staggered several steps before regaining her balance.
Sheng Fei stepped between them, his dark gaze sweeping over Yu Sui. "Who told you to come?"
Yu Sui looked at Sheng Fei. This was the first time he'd spoken to her since they'd stopped speaking two years ago.
"Third Brother." Yu Sui obediently called out to him, rising onto her toes to look past him. "Let me go see Brother Gu first. Then I'll talk to you."
She wanted to ask Gu Gan about the Listening Wind Ruler.
But Sheng Fei simply dragged her away. "That guy can barely keep himself safe. Why are you rushing over to him?"
"Hey!" Yu Sui twisted around to look back.
Through the crowd, Gu Gan waved to her and lifted his brows with a smile. "Suisui, don't worry."
Yu Sui looked away. She really wasn't too worried. It wasn't a death sentence, after all. But she'd just started on Nangong Ming's task and already messed it up. Who knew whether he'd withdraw her tuition and send her back to the palace?
Sheng Fei dragged her away, with Black Beard hurrying after them, calling first to the County Princess and then to the Third Young Master. Neither of them paid him any attention.
Xiang Feifei and the young man in golden robes walked over to Ji Meng. She mocked him without a hint of politeness. "So this was the reinforcements you brought in?"
"The problem wasn't with Di Su Tiancheng, though." Ji Meng scratched his head. "What does Mei Chengyu mean by this? Have we offended him somehow?"
The young man in golden robes took out his Listening Wind Ruler. "Ask him."
Ji Meng said, "Ask who? Mei Chengyu directly?"
"Zhongli Shan would work too," the young man in golden robes said. "I don't have Mei Chengyu's inscription."
Ji Meng let out a laugh. "Great. I don't have Zhongli Shan's either."
Xiang Feifei: "..."
What use were those two?
Far away from the Questioning Arena, Mei Chengyu and Zhongli Shan's Listening Wind Rulers kept lighting up as they received message after message.
The two walked toward the School of Arms along a path strewn with gravel, with countless towering wisteria trees on either side. It was wisteria season, and clusters of purple blooms crowded together. Fallen petals carpeted the path, making it impossible to walk without crushing plenty underfoot.
Zhongli Shan was reading his messages. Most were from people trying to get information out of him indirectly, so he asked Mei Chengyu, "Why aren't you checking your Listening Wind Ruler?"
As he spoke, Mei Chengyu took out his Listening Wind Ruler. "I know what they're saying without looking."
Zhongli Shan put his Listening Wind Ruler away. "I didn't expect you to rule that Gu Gan should remain under observation."
"Elder Zhu and Yu Sheng were putting on a double act, thinking I'd follow Di Su Tiancheng's results and declare him innocent." Mei Chengyu swiped through his Listening Wind Ruler, his manner casual. "Di Su Tiancheng is no longer an absolute guarantee of fairness. There's no way to verify its authenticity, and those two old men didn't ask the important questions."
Zhongli Shan asked, "What would you have asked?"
Mei Chengyu gave a quiet, cold laugh. "I'd ask if he knew who took the Milky Way Water and where it was, and whether he knew the person who sent the message. If I asked those questions, Elder Zhu wouldn't know how to protect him."
Zhongli Shan nodded. This time, Yu Sheng of the Legalists couldn't be said to have gone easy on Gu Gan. He'd practically rolled out the ocean for him.
It seemed the Legalists had decided to turn a blind eye in order to get Di Su Tiancheng back. They thought Mei Chengyu would definitely go along with its results, so they ruled that Gu Gan should remain under observation. Who'd have thought the rebellious kid wouldn't play their game, and would make up his own rules instead?
Zhongli Shan asked, "Do you think what Gu Gan said about the Listening Wind Ruler was true?"
"Probably not," Mei Chengyu said. "Inscriptions are the only way through. To send a message without one, someone would have to crack the Academy's Communication Array."
He said, "Even if someone in this world could crack the three schools' communication arrays, they wouldn't live long."
Both their Listening Wind Rulers buzzed.
A message from their four-person group popped up:
Xing Chun: "Eating?"
Cang Shu: "No."
Mei Chengyu: "No."
After reading it, Zhongli Shan asked him, "You're not eating?"
"No." Mei Chengyu put away his Listening Wind Ruler and split off from him at the fork ahead. "Someone just reminded me that there's a new student entrance test today. I need to go check it out for my master."
Zhongli Shan replied, "No."
Xing Chun: "Even if I die today, I'm not eating alone."
It was still early.
The dawn light had faded, and the sunlight was beginning to warm.
Sheng Fei dragged Yu Sui out of the Questioning Arena. People along the way looked at her as if she were a little lovebird torn from her mate by a cruel stick.
But Sheng Fei was notorious for being someone you didn't want to mess with. Apart from Mu Mengbai, no one dared chase after him, gasping for breath as he shouted, "What kind of brute acts like that? What if you hurt my Fairy Sister—could you afford to pay for it? Sheng Fei, if you're angry, take it out on me! Don't take it out on my sister. Let go of her!"
Sheng Fei hadn't hit Yu Sui. He just stared at her coldly.
Yu Sui spoke in a soft, gentle voice. "Father told me to come. He paid a huge amount in tuition for me and told me to bring the Di Su Tiancheng. He said Brother Gu was in trouble and sent me to deliver something, then stay at Taiyi Academy for two years and learn a little."
"If Third Brother has any complaints, you can go back and talk to Father."
"I can't decide anything myself."
Sheng Fei grew angrier with every few words she said. Black Beard, who had caught up before Mu Mengbai, hurriedly said, "Third Young Master, the County Princess is a new student. She still needs to take her aptitude test at Hundred Schools Hall. It won't be good if she arrives late."
Black Beard stepped forward. "County Princess, only academy disciples can enter Hundred Schools Hall. I can't go in, so I'll have to trouble Third Young Master to take you there."
Would he even be willing to take her?
Yu Sui looked at Sheng Fei.
Sheng Fei scoffed. "You still need to take an aptitude test?"
"Then I'll go by myself."
She turned around.
Sheng Fei said coldly, "Where are you going? This way."
"Oh." Yu Sui obediently turned around and followed him.
Sheng Fei walked ahead, but he didn't stop talking. "With your aptitude, you dare come to Taiyi just because Father told you to? When everyone laughs at you every day for being a Normal Practitioner, don't say I didn't warn you."
Yu Sui said, "If you hadn't turned your back on Brother Gu when he was in danger, Father wouldn't have sent me here."
Sheng Fei: "..."
Yu Sui added, "I've heard people call me a Normal Practitioner so often that I hardly care anymore. It's like how everyone calls you a genius every day, so the word 'genius' doesn't even make you react."
Sheng Fei glanced sideways at her. "How is that the same?"
Yu Sui nodded. "It's the same. I even paid tuition—a huge amount, more than any of you paid. I paid for a service, and it's only right that I get it. Even if I have no aptitude at all, Taiyi still has to teach me."
Sheng Fei fell silent.
Perhaps after two years of cold war, his foolish little sister had somehow become sharp-tongued without him noticing. She had a whole pile of twisted logic.
At this rate, you could go to the School of Names and become a famous debater.
Sheng Fei said sarcastically, "With that stupid head of yours, you take forever to learn anything. Teaching you would be a waste."
Yu Sui smoothed her hair. "If they can't teach me, then that's Taiyi's problem. It means the teachers at Taiyi aren't good enough, not that I'm too stupid. Because I paid tuition—a huge amount."
Sheng Fei: "..."
You're never going to let go of that money, are you?
Sheng Fei laughed in exasperation and gritted his teeth before changing the subject. "Don't let me catch you getting close to Gu Gan. Otherwise, I'll either kick you out of the academy or throw Gu Gan out."
Yu Sui sighed. "Third Brother, Father sent me to help Brother Gu. If you ruin Father's plans, I won't be able to help you later."
"Don't try to threaten me with him." Sheng Fei ignored her completely.
Yu Sui tilted her face up to look at him. "Then why don't you dare go home, Third Brother?"
Sheng Fei said coldly, "I have too much schoolwork. No time to go back."
"Oh." Yu Sui nodded. "That's good. I thought you hated me, and that was why you hadn't gone home in two years."
Sheng Fei's steps faltered. His expression turned strange, but he didn't look back. He paused only briefly, then continued walking just as Yu Sui caught up.
Mu Mengbai had been left behind somewhere. Sheng Fei brought Yu Sui to Hundred Schools Hall, where a crowd of new students had already gathered.
Some new students had taken aptitude tests but hadn't officially joined a school. Others had only tested with one or two schools, not every school. To choose the one that best matched their aptitude, people usually tested with at least five.
At Taiyi Academy, new students were required to test with at least nine schools—the nine most popular and powerful schools at the time.
Hundreds of people filled the open-air testing ground at Hundred Schools Hall. It was only the first day, and testing would continue for three days. Some people thought the first day was too crowded and put off their tests until the last two days, when fewer people would be around.
There were nine testing rooms in the hall. Their doors stood open, and portraits of each school's founder or a representative Sage hung in the center of every room. Tests were conducted according to each school's rules.
All the registration officials were Thirteenth Realm Masters, and there were also several Sages present.
Mei Chengyu strolled into the Ghost Dao testing room. The portrait hanging inside showed his master, Sage Chang Gen.
As one of the few Sages in the Ghost Dao School to have reached the "Spirit Transformation" realm, he was a perfectly sensible choice for a recruitment portrait.
The Thirteenth Realm Master assisting with tests and registration for the Ghost Dao School was named Zhang Xuanyu. He was recording information in the School Roster. When he saw Mei Chengyu, he called out, "Perfect timing. Watch things for me for a bit. I need to take a leak."
Mei Chengyu sat down beside the table.
The Ghost Dao School didn't have many impressive people to show off at the academy these days. Many of its Thirteenth Realm Masters had died in the war a few years ago, so it was eager to recruit more students.
Even students whose aptitude match was only fifty percent were welcome, as long as they were willing to join.
Yu Sui went to test with the School of Names first.
Aptitude match: ten percent.
Then she went to the Legalist School.
Aptitude match: ten percent.
Next came the School of Military Strategy.
Aptitude match: ten percent.
Then she bravely tried the Yin-Yang School.
Aptitude match: ten percent.
Whichever school she tested with, her aptitude match stayed stubbornly at ten percent.
Sheng Fei laughed. He said that if every result was ten percent, she might as well pick a school at random and study for fun. There was no point agonizing over it. No matter which school she chose, all she could learn was the skills of a Normal Practitioner.
Yu Sui, however, stayed perfectly calm. Ignoring the strange looks from everyone around her, she cheerfully walked into the Ghost Dao School's testing room.
The sun shone bright. Sitting behind the desk with one hand propping up his head, Mei Chengyu's lashes fluttered as he lifted his eyes toward the person walking in against the light.
"I'm here to take an aptitude test," Yu Sui said.
They both recognized each other, but neither showed any particular expression or said anything more.
"Put your hand on it." Mei Chengyu tilted his head toward the device at the corner of the desk. It was a black hand-shaped mold connected to a dial that measured aptitude.
Yu Sui stepped forward and did as he said, placing her right hand on the black handprint. A moment later, the dial spun rapidly.
Mei Chengyu watched it turn. When it finally stopped at ten, he smiled.
Even students with a fifty-percent aptitude match were welcome, but a Normal Practitioner with a ten-percent match was pointless.
"Aptitude match: ten percent." Worried Yu Sui might not understand what that meant, Mei Chengyu helpfully added, "It's very low."
Yu Sui glanced at him, then held out her left hand. "Can I try with my left hand too?"
Mei Chengyu lifted his chin slightly and didn't stop her.
Yu Sui switched hands and pressed her left palm down, eyes fixed on the spinning dial.
Mei Chengyu and Sheng Fei watched too. When the dial still stopped at ten, they both looked at Yu Sui.
Yu Sui drew back her hand and shook her head in disappointment. "Looks like we're not meant to be."
As he walked out, Sheng Fei scoffed. "I told you, you could've picked any school."
Yu Sui gave Mei Chengyu an apologetic smile and turned to follow Sheng Fei out. "How can you be so casual about something like this?"
Mei Chengyu didn't think much of it. The next student had already stepped up to the desk. But at that very moment, everything in the room lost its color. Time slowed to a crawl, as if some force had frozen it in place, though they could still feel their own heartbeats, sluggish and faint.
Everyone but Yu Sui and Mei Chengyu was frozen where they stood.
An invisible force of Qi spread out from the Ghost Dao School's testing room. Everyone in Hundred Schools Hall and the nearby School of Military Strategy and Legalist School could feel the disturbance in the Five Elements Qi.
People turned toward the Ghost Dao School's testing room in unison.
Ink spilled from the portrait and flew off the paper. As it whirled through the air, it gathered before Yu Sui, forming a three-dimensional figure made of Ink Lines. The simple lines outlined a Sage's imposing bearing.
Yu Sui's eyes shifted slightly. She didn't act rashly.
The ink Sage seemed to whisper something, but no one heard his voice. When he finished, he disappeared. The Five Elements Qi that had swallowed the room's colors dispersed, and the ink returning to the paper sent up a visible wave of air.
Soon, everyone from the School of Military Strategy and the Legalist School, along with those in Hundred Schools Hall, would witness what Ghost Dao Spirit Transformation meant.
They didn't see Sage Chang Gen, nor did they hear a sound. Yet as the world returned to normal, a clear message was sent into their minds. Everyone received the same words:
My disciple, Nangong Sui.
The Ghost Dao Sage Chang Gen had just taken on a new disciple. Her name was Nangong Sui.
When Yu Sui realized what that "message" in her mind meant, she instinctively turned to look at Chang Gen's Eldest Disciple.
Mei Chengyu sat behind the desk in the same position as before, one hand resting on the table. Narrowing his eyes, he watched the girl in the doorway turn her head against the light.
She really does glow.
Before you continue