Missing Thoughts

Chapter 22

Yu Sui hadn't learned the Wind Riding Technique, but she had memorized the Sixty-Four Hexagrams and Nine Schools Techniques her Master had mentioned. Once she could harness the power of the Five Elements Light Core, she could officially begin cultivating the Nine Schools Techniques.

She hesitated about whether to tell her Master about the Primordial Soil, fearing that if he helped her investigate it, the existence of the Strange Fire would inevitably be revealed.

Yu Sui wasn't confident yet.

Although her Master took good care of her, answered all her questions, and taught her patiently, Yu Sui hadn't reached the point where she could fully trust Sage Chang Gen.

The risk was too great; Yu Sui preferred to ponder some matters herself.

This was also the difficulty of her cultivation journey.

When encountering problems, she had to consider the Strange Fire, unable to disclose the full extent of her difficulties, nor could she dare to seek guidance from others easily.

The month of basic instruction quickly drew to a close.

After class that day, Yu Sui saw Gu Gan at the door. He had greeted her earlier, saying he would come to see her today.

Yu Sui skipped the Taoist Saint Hall today and went to the Dining Hall with Gu Gan for dinner.

Gu Gan said, "I've been a bit busy lately and only had time to see you today. I heard Jing Yun Kui scolded you before?"

Yu Sui focused on eating, not lifting her head. "That was at the beginning. He doesn't scold me anymore."

Gu Gan raised an eyebrow. "I was going to get revenge for you."

Yu Sui explained with a smile, "I didn't expect this connection either. It seems that when Master was alive, he taught many students at Taiyi Academy. One of his students later took a personal disciple, who then taught the current Teacher Jing."

"How old is Sage Chang Gen of the Ghost Dao School? It's one of Taiyi Academy's unsolvable mysteries." Gu Gan had heard about it before and asked her, "Is the basic course difficult?"

"It's okay," Yu Sui said. "Memorization works."

Gu Gan nodded. He wasn't too worried about Yu Sui not being able to learn this kind of basic instruction. Just as Yu Sui had told Nangong Ming before, she was just slow to learn, not incapable of learning.

This was also why Nangong Ming hadn't completely given up on her.

Yu Sui always remembered Nangong Ming's words from back then: being too foolish also came with a price.

Therefore, what she showed Nangong Ming was always just right.

As for Yu Sui sleeping in class during the day, Gu Gan was used to it. She had been like that since she was a child.

Gu Gan had asked Yu Sui why she felt listless and sleepy during the day. Yu Sui said she didn't know either. Perhaps she disliked listening to the teachers' lectures; when they spoke, she felt drowsy.

"I didn't expect you to still be like this when you grew up," Gu Gan sighed slightly. "I remember talking to you back then, and when I looked back, you had already fallen asleep leaning against a pillar."

Yu Sui chuckled at the memory.

Back then, Gu Gan was a prominent figure in the Imperial Academy, dazzling wherever he went. He was surrounded by a group of people like Ji Meng, while another group opposed him. During Archery and Horseback Riding and Sword and Saber classes, these boys would always argue.

Yu Sui had been beautiful since childhood, and many boys in the Imperial Academy liked her. Seeing Yu Sui getting close to Gu Gan made them dislike Gu Gan as well.

Gu Gan was often targeted by these boys who liked Yu Sui.

Every time they argued and fought fiercely over Yu Sui, Yu Sui would be asleep behind them, leaning on Zhongli Que. Zhongli Que sat upright and dignified, lending her shoulder for Yu Sui to sleep on, sometimes complaining about the noisy boys in front.

"Still laughing?" Gu Gan said irritably. "That wasn't just once or twice. You should change a bit. If I'm not there, you'd be in so much danger."

"Much better than before," Yu Sui sniffled, her nose feeling a bit spicy. As she looked up, Gu Gan had already reached out to pour her some tea.

Xun Zhiya and Shu Chujun, who had just entered the second floor of the Dining Hall, spotted Gu Gan and Yu Sui from afar. Seeing them chatting and laughing, Xun Zhiya lowered her gaze slightly.

"Should we go over?" Shu Chujun asked. "Let's go listen to what they're saying."

Xun Zhiya shook her head.

Shu Chujun looked at her with a hint of disappointment. "What are you afraid of? What can't be heard? Acting like this instead..."

"Let's go," Xun Zhiya interrupted softly and walked towards the third floor.

As she turned, she caught sight of Sheng Zui and Mu Mengbai coming up from below.

Mu Mengbai was reciting dish names as he walked. Sheng Zui listened absentmindedly, but upon reaching the upper floor, he spotted Yu Sui and Gu Gan in the crowd, his expression immediately turning grim.

"Huh? Where are we going?" Mu Mengbai was about to continue to the third floor when he suddenly saw Sheng Zui change direction and stop. He quickly followed.

Shu Chujun watched, gloating. "Now that's good."

Xun Zhiya, however, frowned.

As Sheng Zui strode over, both Yu Sui and Gu Gan noticed him. Seeing that it was him, Gu Gan raised an eyebrow slightly, unhurried.

Mu Mengbai greeted Yu Sui enthusiastically. "Oh, Younger Sister is here too. What do you want to eat, Younger Sister? Older Brothers are treating. Want to go to the third floor together?"

"Senior Martial Brother Mu, Third Brother."

Yu Sui, who had been focused on eating, greeted them with a smile.

Sheng Zui sat down expressionlessly beside Yu Sui, his gaze fixed coldly on Gu Gan opposite him. He spoke immediately, "Still not leaving?"

Gu Gan didn't give Sheng Zui any better treatment either, replying coldly, "I was here first. If anyone's leaving, it's you."

Sheng Zui's status and position had accustomed him to looking down on everyone since childhood, viewing everyone with a superior judgment. Thus, in terms of arrogance, no one here could match him. At this moment, when Sheng Zui looked at Gu Gan coldly, it was as if he were looking at the filthiest, most despicable trash in the world.

"When did it become your turn, you lowly brat, to talk about who came first with me?" Sheng Zui chuckled, his slow words laced with coldness.

Mu Mengbai fanned Sheng Zui, hoping to diffuse some of his anger, and reminded him in a low voice, "Two points. You only have two points left."

Gu Gan also laughed. He leaned back and stared at Sheng Zui with a half-smile, "Every time I hear you say these things, I get tired of it. Don't you get tired of saying them?"

The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point, and war was imminent.

Yu Sui had never interfered in fights and arguments between boys since she was young.

Yu Sui believed it wasn't her business because they were arguing and fighting for their own damned desire to win.

This was the peak time for students coming and going to the Dining Hall. As evening approached, everyone was rushing to eat their fill before the prices in the Dining Hall went up.

With more people coming and going, there were also more onlookers.

Xun Zhiya and Shu Chujun remained on the second floor.

People were gradually finishing their meals and coming down from the third floor.

Xing Chun came down carrying a food box, talking to Mei Chengyu, who was playing with a Listening Wind Ruler beside him. Neither of them noticed the situation on the second floor. Zhongli Shan, however, glanced over and stood still, saying, "They're about to fight over there."

"Who?" Xing Chun leaned over. "Oh, Xiao Mei, your junior martial sister's brother is having a showdown with her childhood sweetheart."

He quietly called out to Mei Chengyu, who had already walked down the stairs.

Mei Chengyu walked back and looked in the direction they were pointing.

"The atmosphere doesn't look good," Xing Chun said. "Sheng Zui is only two points away. He wouldn't dare to make a move, would he?"

Zhongli Shan said, "He dares."

After three sentences, Sheng Zui was about to fight Gu Gan. As soon as he stood up, Mu Mengbai, with quick hands, pressed him back, "Two points!"

After saying that, Mu Mengbai desperately signaled to Yu Sui, who was still burying her head in her food, urging her to persuade her brother, or at least persuade Gu Gan.

Seeing that they were about to fight, Yu Sui held her unfinished food and turned her body sideways.

Mu Mengbai: ""

He tried his best not to cry.

Mei Chengyu was amused by Yu Sui's action. He didn't care if Sheng Zui and Gu Gan were fighting or not, withdrew his gaze, and walked downstairs.

"Not watching anymore?" Xing Chun asked.

"Busy," Mei Chengyu replied. After walking a few steps, he turned back. "You two are quite busy too. One has a Star Map to track, and the other has Armor changes to monitor."

Upon hearing this, Xing Chun and Zhongli Shan also lost interest in the spectacle. They used their Wind Riding Technique and hurried downstairs.

Gu Gan wasn't afraid of fighting Sheng Zui. Although he would also lose points, he wouldn't be demoted. If Sheng Zui dared to make a move, he would drop from Grade A to Grade B, a significant loss.

Moreover, Gu Gan was confident that Yu Sui would always side with him in such matters.

Mu Mengbai spent a great deal of effort to restrain Sheng Zui, almost tying him up, dragging and pulling him to the third floor.

Gu Gan watched them leave with a blank expression. Only after they were out of sight did he let out a soft snort.

Yu Sui was eating, biting her chopsticks, and looked up at Gu Gan, "Brother Gu, do you and Third Brother also fight in the Academy?"

"I don't want to," Gu Gan shrugged. "But you know his temper. When he wants to fight, no one can stop him."

Yu Sui said, "Weren't you stopped just now?"

Gu Gan added, "Without Mu Mengbai, could you have stopped him?"

"Third Brother wasn't this hot-tempered before. Even though he disliked you when we were kids, he wouldn't try to kill you every time he saw you," Yu Sui said.

Gu Gan dismissed it, "Really? Wasn't he always like this?"

Yu Sui tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She looked up at Gu Gan and smiled, ending the topic.

For the past month, Yu Sui hadn't returned to the Dormitory much, running between the Yin-Yang School and the Taoist Saint Hall every day.

Tonight, Yu Sui planned to return to the Dormitory to rest. Although she didn't sleep well at night, the feeling of lying on a bed was still different.

Yu Sui took the Dragon Ladder up. Along the way, she encountered people coming in, both boys and girls. She stood in the farthest corner and heard the young men and women who came in laughing non-stop from the beginning.

"There are so many oddballs in the Military School. They even have students who are neither male nor female," a young man chuckled. "That guy looks so delicate and weak, like a pretty boy. I didn't expect her to actually be a woman!"

"Don't even mention it. I'm so annoyed by her," a young woman said with a troubled expression. "Before, in the changing room, I had just taken off my clothes when Li Jinshuang came in. I thought a man had broken into the changing room and was so scared I almost attacked!"

"It really scared me so much that I had nightmares for several days!"

Someone exclaimed, "Hey, Li Jinshuang still dares to go there? Didn't they stop her from entering?"

The young woman said, "They only stopped her these past two days. Wasn't it allowed before? I'm so annoyed by her."

"Why does she insist on dressing as a man? Isn't that sick?" the young men, with arms slung over each other's shoulders, laughed. "She's not even ashamed."

The young woman said, "Senior Sister Shu said she's been like this since she was a child. She probably doesn't like being a woman and likes being a stinky man like you guys."

"Hey, hey, don't blame us when you start talking. We men don't acknowledge perverts like Li Jinshuang who are neither male nor female!" the young man exclaimed. "I wish she would just quit the Military School and not tarnish the Military School's reputation!"

As soon as the young man finished speaking, the Dragon Ladder suddenly stopped. The woman in yellow, standing at the front, turned her head. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and her aura was imposing. She sneered at the young man and woman behind her, "Who said there are many oddballs in the Military School?"

The lively Dragon Ladder suddenly fell silent.

Yu Sui, leaning against the wall, tilted her head and looked. Her gaze fell on the woman in yellow's waist. She wore three vermilion wooden stakes of varying lengths. Generally, those who wore three divination stakes were from the School of Techniques.

"I'm asking you a question. Are you mute? Weren't you quite talkative just now? Speaking ill of people behind their backs, without any regard for etiquette. Why aren't you saying a word now?" The woman in yellow swept her cold gaze, locking onto the last young man. "It's a disgrace to the Military School to have a disciple like you. I think you should transfer to another discipline as soon as possible and not shamelessly remain in the Military School, embarrassing the many disciples of the Military School."

The young man's face turned green and red from being scolded. He angrily said, "Who are you? Why are you so..."

The Woman in Yellow hadn't finished speaking when she shot him a fierce glare with even more imposing energy. She then turned to the remaining youngsters and said, "Speak, whose family are you from? I want to see if you're worthy!"

Chapter 22 (2/2)

"I, I didn't say anything wrong!" the young lady retorted stubbornly, "Besides, what does it have to do with you?"

"Forget it, Su Tong, why bother with them." The woman in blue beside her stifled a laugh and pulled the Woman in Yellow out of the Dragon Ladder.

Even as she was being pulled away, Su Tong didn't forget to look back and said fiercely to the youngsters inside the Dragon Ladder, "You all be careful lately. Watch out for disaster striking you from the sky when you walk around these next few days!"

The Dragon Ladder door closed and continued its ascent. Inside, there was dead silence, no longer the liveliness from before.

The youngsters seemed to have recovered and cursed, "Who is she?"

"Okay, she seems to be from the School of Techniques," someone said fearfully. "What did her last words mean? Did she just do a divination?"

"Don't scare yourselves!" the young lady said angrily. "We were talking about Li Jinshuang, not her. What does she have to do with Li Jinshuang?"

The Dragon Ladder stopped again. Yu Sui walked out from a corner. When the others saw her, they were startled again. As fellow new students in the Courtyard, the expressions of those who studied together in the Third Practice Hall turned grim once more.

As Yu Sui walked out, she said slowly, "Exactly. If you're going to badmouth Li Jinshuang, just badmouth Li Jinshuang. Why did you have to let me, Li Jinshuang's roommate, hear it too?"

"You..." Before the person inside could finish speaking, the Dragon Ladder door closed again.

Yu Sui returned to the dormitory. The flowers by the window had bloomed in full clusters, their elegant purple adorning the windowsill. Li Jinshuang stood alone in a corner, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, quietly admiring the flowers. She seemed so engrossed that she only noticed someone entering after a pause.

Tonight, only the two of them were in the dormitory. Xun Zhiya and Shu Chujun hadn't returned yet.

If Yu Sui also didn't return, Li Jinshuang would be alone. That's why she had come from her room to the main hall, standing in the shadows to admire the flowers in peace.

Now, as Yu Sui pushed the door open, Li Jinshuang became alert upon sensing her presence. The vulnerability she displayed when alone was immediately put away, replaced by her usual indifference.

Yu Sui carried a small food box, snacks she had packed from the Dining Hall. She asked Li Jinshuang, "Do you want some?"

Li Jinshuang lowered her gaze and didn't answer.

"I can't finish it alone, and it's a waste if I don't finish it," Yu Sui said, shaking the food box in her hand.

Li Jinshuang still didn't move.

Yu Sui placed the food box on the table and opened it, taking out the small dishes and arranging them on the tabletop. She then went to get a teacup, only to find there was no water. She carried the teapot to the stove.

She looked around and stared at the stove, saying, "How do I start a fire?"

Yu Sui's gaze shifted to Li Jinshuang.

Li Jinshuang seemed incredulous that someone wouldn't know how to start a fire.

Their eyes met. Yu Sui blinked, her innocent gaze carrying a hint of a plea for help.

Before Li Jinshuang could respond, Yu Sui continued to look at her, her meaning clear. After a stalemate, Li Jinshuang clearly couldn't stand it any longer. She walked forward in silence and helped Yu Sui light the stove to boil tea.

Yu Sui brought a small stool and sat by the stove. She propped her chin on one hand and held the Listening Wind Ruler in the other, saying, "Li Jinshuang, let's add an inscription to the Listening Wind Ruler."

Li Jinshuang stood by the stove, looking at the flowers.

Yu Sui said again, "Okay?"

The dim light in the room cast a glow on Yu Sui. Li Jinshuang stood in the shadows, her white robe like the moon. Her long hair was tied up high, styled like a man's topknot. She had thick eyebrows and a high nose bridge. She always kept a stern expression, which made her appear cold.

Yu Sui propped her face up and looked upwards, her gaze lingering on Li Jinshuang's eyebrows. They must have been drawn on, like a man's strong, imposing brows, pushing her overall image towards fortitude and coldness.

At first glance, she looked like a handsome young man.

Upon closer inspection, she appeared to be a beautiful young lady.

"If you don't say anything, I'll take it as a yes," Yu Sui brought up the inscription interface for the Listening Wind Ruler and extended it towards Li Jinshuang. "Here." Li Jinshuang's face remained stern, her entire being exuding a heavy, cold aura.

Yu Sui's outstretched hand paused for a long time, but she didn't retract it, continuing to look at Li Jinshuang.

Li Jinshuang seemed to want her to give up, but Yu Sui meticulously examined every contour of her face, her gaze devoid of any impure thoughts or malice. This made Li Jinshuang falter. She quickly touched the Listening Wind Ruler to Yu Sui's and then turned back into the room.

Yu Sui let out a sound and looked at the Listening Wind Ruler, then at the door Li Jinshuang had closed. She was inexplicably amused by Li Jinshuang's reaction.

With that speed, it's like I was going to eat her.

Yu Sui looked back at the Listening Wind Ruler leisurely. She called out to Li Jinshuang through the door, "Do you still want to eat those tea snacks?"

She sent the message to Li Jinshuang on the Listening Wind Ruler.

A moment later, Li Jinshuang replied to her message: "No."

Yu Sui ate some by herself. She really couldn't finish the rest, so she put it back into the food box. She left a message for Li Jinshuang saying she could come out and get it if she wanted, then returned to her own room.

Having not been back for many days, the bedside table was covered in dust. Yu Sui couldn't help herself and cleaned the room before lying down on the bed.

She opened the Listening Wind Ruler to check the status of the encrypted text in the communication array. After more than twenty days of infection, she had finally contaminated the super-giant communication array covering all of Taiyi.

Within each Number Mountain, her secret text was constantly growing and infiltrating. To avoid leaving any traces that could be discovered, the secret text Yu Sui planted in the Number Mountains was constantly regenerating and dying every day.

Using these secret texts, Yu Sui expanded the range of the communication array, allowing her to transmit messages to the distant imperial capital of Qingyang.

She sent a message to Zhongli Que: "I finally cracked Taiyi's communication array!"

The reply came almost instantly.

Zhongli Que said, "I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

She sat up in bed with surprise, then lay back down a moment later, curling up in the covers to reply to the message:

"I knew you'd break the Communication Array first after going to Taiyi."

"But there are so many Thirteenth Realm experts in Taiyi, and many Saints. You have to be careful."

"The Nangong Family received news from Taiyi ten days ago saying you were taken as a personal disciple by Sage Chang Gen of the Ghost Dao School. Prince Nangong was very happy to hear it."

Yu Sui replied, "He's happy too soon."

Zhongli Que carefully tapped on a crossword puzzle, asking Yu Sui how she was doing there, if she was eating and sleeping well, what the learning atmosphere was like, and if anyone was bullying her.

Yu Sui patiently answered each question and then asked how she was doing.

The two exchanged pleasantries about their recent lives, occasionally sharing amusing anecdotes, both laughing heartily.

Zhongli Que was very surprised by the existence of Sage Chang Gen and troubled by Yu Sui's current cultivation issues.

"Oh, right, didn't you mention Su Tong before? You said your older brother always mentioned her casually whenever he came home. I happened to meet her today," Yu Sui said. "She's a very beautiful older sister."

She told Zhongli Que about what happened in the Dragon Ladder that night.

"She's so amazing," Zhongli Que said sincerely. "No wonder my brother likes her."

But they didn't dwell on this topic for long, as both knew that men of the Zhongli Family couldn't marry Nine Schools Practitioners.

They talked about Gu Gan, and Zhongli Que was surprised by his transformation. "Many girls liked him when he was little, I didn't expect it to be the same when he grew up."

"This is the first time I've heard about the Futuo Tower. I did hear my father and older brother talking about the Non-War Covenant before. The Six Kingdoms are no longer balanced, with some strong and some weak. Even with the Non-War Covenant, the Six Kingdoms haven't restricted interactions. As long as they don't use Nine Schools Techniques to wage war, the covenant won't be triggered."

Yu Sui also knew the general situation of the Xuangu Continent.

Qingyang, Taiyuan, and Nanjing were strong, their powers roughly equal, each with advantages the others couldn't match. Zhou, Dan, and Yan were at a disadvantage, their strength weakening. Only the Zhou Kingdom had a Saint among the three.

Not all Nine Schools Techniques were suitable for combat.

Nine Schools Techniques were also divided into various levels: powerful, weak, suitable for combat, suitable for escaping and surviving, and so on.

Weak nations couldn't be attacked, but they could be infiltrated.

For example, in the Yan Kingdom, the current Yan Kingdom court was no longer composed of Yan people. They were all "outsiders" from other countries who had infiltrated Yan and now controlled Yan's present and future destiny.

People disappointed with the Yan Kingdom gradually moved to the other five nations.

Yu Sui knew a Yan person who had come to Qingyang.

He was the second person Yu Sui would proactively contact using the Listening Wind Ruler.

Yu Sui called him Old Man Yan.

She didn't know Old Man Yan's background, age, or past. She only knew he was from the Yan Kingdom and had wandered to the Imperial Capital of Qingyang. When she first met him, he was emaciated, wearing tattered black clothes. He held a bowl with his left hand, while his right sleeve hung empty. He couldn't even walk steadily.

He looked like an old beggar on the street.

Every time Yu Sui returned from the Imperial Academy, she would throw a gold coin in front of him.

Old Man Yan would use her gold coin to buy food, and then the next day, he would place the remaining coins on a fresh leaf, gesturing for Yu Sui to take them. After two to three months of this back-and-forth, Old Man Yan finally spoke his first words to Yu Sui.

Like an old man with one foot in the grave, his eyes full of death, he stared at the delicately dressed little girl in a pink dress before him and uttered a decaying voice: "Why?"

Yu Sui said, "I want to save you."

His entire being was filled with the aura of death, yet Yu Sui refused to let him die.

After that day, Old Man Yan came back to life.

He was taciturn but always responsive to Yu Sui's requests.

Except for matters related to cultivation.

However, Yu Sui hadn't told the whole truth. She cared about Old Man Yan because his existence couldn't be detected by the Strange Fire.

He was the only one she had encountered.

Yu Sui didn't ask Old Man Yan to do anything excessive. After all, what could a one-armed old man do? She simply passed on useful information obtained from the Communication Array to Old Man Yan.

Old Man Yan would then turn this information into money.

Yu Sui would help cover his tracks, erasing all traces of his activities from the Imperial Capital's Communication Array.

"Don't worry about the Futuo Tower for now," Yu Sui told Zhongli Que. "I won't be in the Imperial Capital for a year. If you get into any trouble and I don't reply in time, remember to tell Mr. Old Man Yan."

Zhongli Que nodded in agreement as she sent her reply.

Regarding the Futuo Tower, it was a matter of power struggle among the Six Kingdoms. For Yu Sui to get involved now would be overestimating her abilities.

Zhongli Que thought for a moment and then said, "Oh, right. I've been keeping an eye on the communications from the Nangong King's mansion for you. I noticed that Lady Su has a new medical practitioner to treat her old injury. This new practitioner is a young woman named Chu Jin. She hasn't been in the Imperial Capital long but is already known as the Little Medical Saint."

"Perhaps this time she can help Lady Su heal her old injury."

Upon seeing this message, a multitude of memories flashed through Yu Sui's mind, finally recalling a man's deep voice:

"Madam is the master of the Agricultural School's Primordial Soil. She possesses half of the Primordial Soil. The mountain's cold transforms into water, making it impossible to refuse the absorption of Primordial Soil. If she were to stay long on Mount Luo, she would inevitably accumulate a body full of mountain cold."

Mountain cold transforms into water, making it impossible to refuse the absorption of Primordial Soil.

It was absorption, not resistance.

Yu Sui suddenly understood.

Her Five Elements Light Core was indeed contending with the Primordial Soil. The Primordial Soil made techniques inexhaustible, but it required sufficient Five Elements Qi. Every time she mobilized the Five Elements Qi of her Light Core, it wasn't being blocked; the Primordial Soil was competing with her for it.

Lady Su only had half of the Primordial Soil, so she had to nourish this half with Five Elements Qi. That's why her old injury hadn't healed in over ten years.

And Lady Su, with her unhealed old injury, was not a threat in Nangong Ming's eyes.