Missing Thoughts Literature

Yu Sui had three more days of Basic Course.

After returning to wash up and change her clothes, she prepared to head to the Yin-Yang School's Third Practice Hall.

Yu Sui had just opened the door when she saw Li Jinshuang stepping out too. Li Jinshuang visibly paused when she saw Yu Sui, then turned her gaze away and walked straight off.

"Are you going to the Practice Hall too?" Yu Sui asked.

Li Jinshuang didn't answer and hurried away.

Yu Sui followed at an unhurried pace. Her state of mind was quite good just then; she couldn't feel a trace of either urgency or anxiety.

As she walked, she checked her Listening Wind Ruler, scouring Taiyi's Communication Array for news about today's "Level Up Challenge."

The Listening Wind Ruler picked up all sorts of messages, but the most common were people praying to their various founders for a successful Level Up Challenge.

Today's Level Up Challenge offered promotion from Grade D to Grade C, Grade C to Grade B, and Grade B to Grade A.

It covered disciples across the entire academy and took place once every two months, but excluded students who had joined the academy less than two months ago.

With so many messages cluttering her feed, Yu Sui refined her search and added "Martial Path" to her monitoring. The following messages appeared:

"Brothers, come on, spill it. Which Martial Path Arena disciples are challenging for Grade A today?"

"All nine schools have people. There are too many; wait for a list."

"I only know Nian Qiuyan from the School of Techniques and Cang Shu from the School of Agriculture."

"Who's representing the School of War?"

"I know that one. It's Kong Yiyi!"

"What about the Yin-Yang School?"

"Wait, who from the School of Techniques would want to challenge in the Martial Path?"

"Nian Qiuyan can only guard the arenas for other schools. She can't even guard her own."

"Isn't that obvious? No one can guard their own school's arena. But if you run into Nian Qiuyan, just accept your bad luck."

"Brothers, I've got bad news. Mei Chengyu from the Ghost Dao School is also guarding a Grade A Martial Path Arena today."

"Then it's over. Anyone who runs into Mei Chengyu or Nian Qiuyan is done for."

"Those two really don't hold back when they fight!"

"Aren't they here to stop Wei Kun today?"

Half the disciples from the nine schools are here to stop Wei Kun today. If anyone's unlucky, it's him."

Yu Sui read for quite a while, memorizing a few names and details. She was a little surprised that Yin-Yang School disciple Wei Kun had managed to offend half the disciples from the nine schools, all of whom had come today to block his promotion. And then there was her Senior Martial Brother, whose temper didn't look too pleasant either.

Yu Sui regretted it a little. If only she had planted a Five Elements Light Core with Gu Gan earlier and asked him to check how strong Mei Chengyu was.

Sitting in the Practice Hall with her chin propped on one hand, Yu Sui gazed out the window and thought, If only the Communication Array could capture images. It can already transmit voices through Star Positioning, so why not pictures?

The Level Up Challenge, held once every two months, had three categories: the Zhou Tian Test, Martial Path, and Five Elements Birth Technique. Simply put, the first, the Zhou Tian Test, was prepared for students who weren't strong in combat. Some of the Nine Schools Techniques might not be powerful in battle, but they excelled in other areas.

Communication Arrays, Mechanism Technique, Military Formations, for example: though their practitioners lacked personal combat strength, these arts benefited the daily lives of the six kingdoms and the development of every trade. They were indispensable in the present day.

As for the Five Elements Birth Technique, students had to create something of their own, surpassing some known, existing "technique," to succeed. The Schools of Medicine and Agriculture had the most students choosing this category, followed by the School of Techniques and the School of Names.

Martial Path, meanwhile, was the strong suit of Yin-Yang School and School of War disciples, followed by disciples from the School of Dao, School of Law, and Ghost Dao School.

To advance from Grade D to Grade C, students had to pass only one trial. From Grade C to Grade B, they had to pass two. Those challenging for Grade A had to pass all three.

The Martial Path Arena was still preparing to draw lots. Students arrived in ones and twos, while Thirteenth Realm experts were stationed at the scene to keep score and assign fighters to the arenas.

The Martial Path Arena's overall design was red. A huge circular arena occupied the center of the tall building, surrounded by tiers of viewing platforms enclosed by red railings. The disciples guarding the arenas for today's Level Up Challenge were waiting on the third-floor rooftop.

Black Yin-Yang School incantation patterns decorated the vermilion woodwork. They illuminated the entire Martial Path Arena.

Leaning against the railing, Kong Yiyi turned her head toward the main entrance on the first floor. She could see a densely packed crowd and searched among them for her target. Raising her brows, she snorted, "Has Wei Kun chickened out and decided not to show?"

"He'll come."

The White-robed Man beside her stood leaning against a pillar, arms folded, and smiled warmly.

Three black wooden slips of different lengths hung at his waist, the token of a School of Techniques disciple.

Kong Yiyi curiously turned toward Nian Qiuyan. "Do you think Wei Kun will ask the School of Techniques to help him break through the challenge?"

"No." Nian Qiuyan tilted his head toward Mei Chengyu, who stood on the other side. "The capable ones from the School of Techniques won't help him. As for the ones who aren't capable, there's no point asking them."

"To break through, his next best option is to ask the Ghost Dao School. You should ask the person beside me whether he agrees."

Mei Chengyu drawled, "I'm not as good at divination as you are. Which school will he draw?"

"It's bound to be one of five," Nian Qiuyan said with a faint smile. "The School of Techniques, Ghost Dao School, School of War, School of Agriculture, or School of Dao."

He said, "Wei Kun is a Yin-Yang School disciple. Even if he draws the Yin-Yang School, he'll draw again."

"Hmph." Kong Yiyi flexed her fingers and rolled her neck, making a series of cracks sound throughout her body. "He'd better end up in my hands."

Cang Shu, who had pale, sickly skin and looked half asleep, slowly emerged from the entrance and made his way toward the three. When he reached the railing, he glanced down and said, "He's here."

The first batch of disciples who had passed the drawing of lots were admitted into the Martial Path Arena. Mei Chengyu and the others looked them over, then slowly turned toward Cang Shu.

Cang Shu rubbed his eyes and murmured, "Oh. Not him."

"Hey!" Kong Yiyi clenched a fist and started to swing, but Nian Qiuyan smiled and stopped her. "Wake up before you start talking!"

Mei Chengyu didn't spot Wei Kun among the people below, but unexpectedly caught sight of Gu Gan and the others.

The Martial Path Arena could host five matches at once, with five barriers separating the contests so they wouldn't interfere with one another and could move the challenge along faster.

The moment the students entered, the trials began.

Da Yu Sui was in a good mood today, and listened attentively as Jing Yun Kui explained the Sixty-Four Hexagrams' Life Technique.

The Basic Course didn't simply end with listening and doing nothing.

Today, Jing Yun Kui addressed the hundred or so students in the Practice Hall. "Next, form groups of four and go to the Yin-Yang and Five Elements Field. Complete your first trial before classes begin tomorrow, and you will have finished the month-long Basic Course. Otherwise, you'll have to attend the last two days of class and lose two points."

The students who heard this couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath. The newly arrived Grade D students already had precious few points. If they lost enough, they would be expelled from the academy.

Some didn't want to lose points, while others didn't want to waste any more time on the Basic Course and wanted to start cultivating at their own schools as soon as possible. They moved quickly, forming groups and heading to the Yin-Yang and Five Elements Field before long.

Yu Sui looked around. The people beside her formed groups on their own, all tacitly avoiding her.

Even the people she knew in Qingyang acted as though they hadn't seen her. The more socially adept ones asked whether she had found a group and whether she wanted an introduction, adding, "My group's already full, though."

But no one wanted to team up with Yu Sui, a Normal Practitioner. It would be a hassle, for one thing, and she might drag them down, for another. No one knew what the trial at the Yin-Yang and Five Elements Field would involve. If they failed to finish it before classes began tomorrow, they would lose two points.

Two points!

Yu Sui stayed in her seat. When no one came over to speak with her, she lowered her head and checked her Listening Wind Ruler. She had asked Old Man Yan to keep an eye on Zhongli Que. Over the past two years, Nangong Ming's conflicts with Zhongli Ci had become more frequent.

She even suspected that when Nangong Ming and Zhongli Ci finally fell out for good, Nangong Ming would send her a message asking her to find a way to get Zhongli Shan expelled from Taiyi Academy.

Or perhaps Nangong Ming had already asked someone else to do it.

If word reached Nangong Ming that Yu Sui could cultivate and possessed a Five Elements Light Core, the tasks he asked of her would only grow more difficult.

Yu Sui tapped the Listening Wind Ruler and saw a message from Black Beard.

Earlier, she had asked Black Beard to look into Mei Chengyu, but he had only sent the information through just now.

Black Beard had thought this was the County Princess's first task for him, and that he needed to take it seriously and do a good job. But when he tried to investigate Mei Chengyu, he found the matter wasn't simple.

He couldn't find anything.

Birth records, age, place of residence, nationality, birthday, family and friends—there was nothing at all.

No one knew who he had been, where he'd come from, or what had happened to him.

Black Beard refused to give up. He used every resource at his disposal and even secretly bribed someone at the academy's Registry Office.

The Registry Office recorded information about the academy's disciples. No matter how many years had passed, records were kept for anyone who had ever studied at Taiyi Academy.

Yet Mei Chengyu's file was still so clean that Black Beard could have wept.

Apart from his name, there wasn't even an age. His household registration was blank, and his country of origin unknown. There was only one entry under people connected to him:

Master, Chang Gen.

Black Beard couldn't uncover Mei Chengyu's past, so he let that go and looked into his recent years instead.

Most of what Black Beard sent over was information Yu Sui already knew, except for the parts concerning Mei Chengyu's Nine Schools Techniques, which remained unclear.

From Black Beard's messages, Yu Sui saw Mei Chengyu as a mysterious, cold, ill-tempered, and even somewhat "bad" person.

Black Beard had gone out of his way to highlight the following:

It was known that he had killed sixteen people in the Outer City.

Within Taiyi Academy, everyone was equal, regardless of origins, class, or status. Students' personal vendettas were restricted, and fights were supervised to prevent deaths.

Outside Taiyi Academy, as long as they were in the Outer City, the academy no longer placed restrictions on its disciples.

Revenge for a grievance, vengeance for a grudge. Whether you lived or died, it didn't matter to the academy.

Of the sixteen people Mei Chengyu had killed in the Outer City, six were academy students. The other ten were local thugs, gamblers, and drug addicts; men and women, old and young.

In front of him, it seemed "all living beings were equal." He had no favorites and no one he hated.

He had made plenty of enemies in the Outer City. People from several gangs had put out word that if they saw Mei Chengyu on their turf, they would make sure he never left alive.

But Mei Chengyu was a skilled fighter. As a Ninth Realm practitioner with Supernatural Ability and Esoteric Skill, he had studied all the courses offered by the other schools despite being a Ghost Dao School disciple. He knew a little of everything.

Other people's Bagua Life Technique was fixed, but Mei Chengyu could use the Bagua to create techniques from any school.

That was how he had survived to this day, and how he could often wander around the Outer City without getting killed.

After sending Yu Sui the information, Black Beard felt uneasy, afraid she wouldn't be satisfied and would think, "Is this all you can do?" He was sighing to himself when he received Yu Sui's reply: "Then what's the conflict between my Senior Martial Brother and Wei Kun?"

Wei Kun? Black Beard smacked his forehead and beamed. He quickly started typing. At last, there was something he knew!

"Wei Kun is a Yin-Yang School disciple, and he has a bit of a grudge against Mei Chengyu. It happened at our restaurant, too. I still remember that day."

"Half a year ago, Wei Kun killed someone at our restaurant. That person was also a Taiyi Academy student, and a Yin-Yang School disciple. I don't know what their conflict was, but everyone knows academy students settle their grudges in the Outer City. No one stepped in when the two of them fought."

"After that Yin-Yang School disciple died, Mei Chengyu came to take him away."

"Wei Kun must have killed his friend. He used to be a regular in the Outer City, but no one's seen him out here in a long time."

He was probably afraid that if he went to the Outer City, Mei Chengyu and the others would find out. That would be the end of him, so he'd stayed at the academy all this time.

Yu Sui read the message, lost in thought.

Black Beard asked, "By the way, County Princess, the Prince's reply has arrived. Would you like to come pick it up, or should I bring it to the academy?"

Yu Sui replied, "I'll come over."

After Yu Sui finished dealing with the messages on her Listening Wind Ruler, she suddenly noticed the noisy surroundings had gone quiet. She looked up. The Practice Hall, which had been full of people before, now stood nearly empty, with only a handful of students left in their seats.

Yu Sui glanced around. She noticed Li Jinshuang getting to her feet in front of her, then looked farther ahead at Xue Mushi, who sat staring into space.

The last person was Wei Ren, leaning against the wall and playing with the scorpion in his hand.

With her chin propped on one hand, Yu Sui's bright almond eyes reflected Li Jinshuang's figure as she walked toward the door.

Wherever people gathered, conflict arose—especially among a bunch of teenagers from every corner of the six kingdoms, each with different goals and a history of competing with one another.

The envy, insecurity, and pride of the young grew all the more obvious in a place like the academy, where people banded together.

Although the academy promoted equality and disregarded nationality and social class, people from the weakest kingdom, Yan, were still scorned and bullied by other students.

Next came Li Jinshuang, isolated by both boys and girls.

People thought she was a freak and shameless. Anyone who stood beside her or interacted with her drew scrutinizing looks from others, as if to say, "Aren't you ashamed to be near her?" or "So you're the same kind of person as her."

Once one person started yelling angrily at Li Jinshuang, there would be a second, then a third, and more after that. They would scare away anyone who tried to approach her. Those who didn't want trouble pretended not to see and instinctively kept their distance.

From what Yu Sui had observed, Li Jinshuang had spent the entire month on her own. Sometimes she followed Xun Zhiya around, but because of Shu Chujun, Li Jinshuang was always being scolded.

Yu Sui couldn't help thinking that even if Li Jinshuang knew the Nine Schools Techniques, it wouldn't help. Everyone around her knew them too. When it came to Li Jinshuang, strength couldn't overcome numbers.

At times like this, only people like them could stand beside Li Jinshuang and act with her without drawing strange looks, pointed fingers, and scorn.

"Hey." Wei Ren, leaning against the wall, called lightly. With a flick of his fingers, the bright red scorpion in his hand flew toward Li Jinshuang, who was nearly at the door.

Li Jinshuang didn't seem to think Wei Ren was calling her, but she sensed the danger. The scorpion behind her whipped its tail, its stinger curving like a crescent moon. Yu Sui saw a flash of silver, so fast it even surprised her a little.

A crisp sword chime rang through the now-empty Practice Hall, rousing Xue Mushi from his daze and slicing the flying scorpion apart.

Li Jinshuang sheathed her sword and looked calmly toward Wei Ren.

"Heh." Wei Ren spread his hands and smiled. "I only wanted to get your attention. Don't be so nervous."

People didn't want to be friends with someone like him, who spent all day around venomous creatures, acted underhandedly, and often let them loose to scare people. They thought he was a nasty piece of work.

Someone had once cursed Wei Ren over the scorpions crawling around, getting red in the face and shouting about his ancestors for eighteen generations. But Wei Ren had only smiled at him and spread his hands. "Is it that serious? Want to settle it with a fight in the Outer City?"

After that, people didn't dare curse him to his face.

Wei Ren pointed at the students still in the Practice Hall. His gaze swept over Yu Sui, sitting with one hand propping up her face, and Xue Mushi, staring into space by his desk, before stopping on Li Jinshuang. Raising his brows, he said, "What a coincidence, there are only four of us left. Looks like no one invited you. Why not join the three of us and form a group for the trial?"

Xue Mushi scratched his head. If he hadn't argued with his cousin, Xue Jiayue, he wouldn't have been left without a group. Actually, someone had invited him, but he had been too caught up in his emotions to respond, so they had left.

By the time the sword chime woke him and he came around, only these three people were left.

Yu Sui tilted her head, still supporting her chin with one hand, and looked at Xue Mushi.

He was well known too.

The hottest gossip in the Taiyuan Kingdom lately was that the Yin-Yang School Saintess had personally gone to the declining Xue family to break off her engagement, leaving the Xue family disgraced in Taiyuan and shut indoors for months.

Xue Mushi was the unlucky fellow whose family had sent him to Taiyi Academy overnight after his engagement was broken off.

He seemed like a person with no temper, even a bit dull, always keeping his head down and lost in his own world. When Xue Mushi's roommates heard that the Yin-Yang School Saintess had broken off her engagement with him, they sympathized with him, offered words of comfort, and cursed the Saintess for being a horrible person.

Then Xue Mushi beat them up.

The people who got beaten were stunned too. Once they came to their senses, they cursed him for not knowing what was good for him and cut ties with him. When the story spread, everyone laughed at Xue Mushi for being spineless and lacking self-respect, for loving the Yin-Yang School Saintess so much that he wasn't manly at all, and for being his former fiancée's dog.

Xue Mushi didn't defend himself either. He let his roommates pick on him.

No one would be surprised to see someone like him walking around with Li Jinshuang and Wei Ren.

As for her, Yu Sui tapped the desk with her finger, producing a dull thud. Lazily, she said, "Are you sure you want me? I'm a Normal Practitioner, you know."

"Sure. Why wouldn't we take you? It's not like she's too much to carry." Wei Ren lifted his chin slightly toward Li Jinshuang, smiling faintly. "Li Jinshuang, you're a Fifth Realm practitioner. Surely you can carry her through a basic trial?"

Li Jinshuang was silent for a long while. She quietly sheathed her sword and neither answered nor left.