Chapter 31
Yu Sui noticed a red spider on the window. It was so tiny that to the naked eye it looked like nothing more than a red dot. Because it was so small, it often fell into people's blind spots, making it hard to notice.
Even if they did spot it, they would only think it was a little speck, never suspecting it might be a spider. Yu Sui stared at the little red spider and slowly straightened up. The spot of red blurred, flickering as though it were alternately near and far. Suddenly, her heart plummeted into the depths, falling and falling, and her thoughts grew hazy.
Her eyes lost their luster. Invisible spider silk coiled around Yu Sui's hands and feet, tugging her toward the window.
The window was pushed open. Outside lay an empty alley. Pulled by the spider silk, Yu Sui toppled out of the window and down the building, landing in the dim alley before walking away.
No one noticed what had happened.
With vacant eyes, Yu Sui was led by the spider silk toward a deserted place. It steered her clear of the bustling streets and along a narrow path to a remote road by a cliff, with the deep sea below.
At night, the sea was a deep blue. As the ripples rolled, the reflection of the full moon could be seen on its surface.
A shadow stood atop a post on the cliffside plank road.
Lu Haiye blended into the darkness, standing in a blind corner on the mountain wall untouched by moonlight. Slightly hunched and gaunt, he wore black fitted clothes, his gaze fixed on Yu Sui as the spider silk dragged her toward the mountain path.
To Lu Haiye, the slender young woman looked utterly frail. He could snap her neck with the slightest squeeze. Yet this seemingly delicate girl possessed the Nong Family's treasured item, the Xirang.
A red dot marked Lu Haiye's index finger: his Ghost Armor Heavenly Spider. At that moment, its silk was pulling Yu Sui toward him.
During the day, he had received word from his companion that something had gone wrong with the Xirang inside Nangong Sui. It could no longer neutralize toxins, and that afternoon she would be leaving Taiyi Academy for the outer city.
Lu Haiye had seized on this opportunity. He would not allow himself to fail.
For years, the Nong Family had tried to reclaim the Xirang from the Nangong Family. So many people had died. He had to avenge those brothers.
Yu Sui had already stepped onto the plank road clinging to the mountain wall. As she walked slowly forward, Lu Haiye raised his hand. The spider silk between them flashed silver in the moonlight for an instant, and another thread imbued with Five Elements Power slid down Yu Sui's neck toward her heart.
The Ghost Armor Heavenly Spider's venom invaded the depths of Yu Sui's consciousness, sealing her five senses. It tried to leave her completely unaware as the venom, mixed with Lu Haiye's Five Elements Power, continued to burrow deeper into her mind.
It reached a forbidden zone.
Amid the wavering strange fire, the venom was swallowed whole before the Ghost Armor Heavenly Spider could react.
Yu Sui awoke in an instant, her eyes bright. As Lu Haiye stared in shock, she raised a hand and tore the spider silk wrapped around her body.
What was going on?!
Lu Haiye recovered quickly from his shock. More spider silk sprang forth, surging toward Yu Sui from every direction.
Ordinarily, spider silk was invisible to the naked eye. Now there were thousands upon thousands of strands, each coated in poison. They buzzed as they flew toward Yu Sui.
Yu Sui looked through the strands at Lu Haiye behind them.
The fear in her heart was no less than Lu Haiye's.
If the venom hadn't greedily burrowed into the deepest part of her consciousness, trying to devour the strange fire, she wouldn't have escaped its effects and regained awareness.
Li Hexagram, Life Technique, Skyfire.
Flames suddenly sprang up along the spider silk, burning it away. They also incinerated all of Lu Haiye's Five Elements Qi and venom attached to the strands.
Yu Sui's figure blurred as she used Wind Riding Technique and vanished from Lu Haiye's sight.
Lu Haiye's heart jolted. Wasn't the Nangong Family's County Princess supposed to be a Normal Practitioner?!
How could she use Nine Schools Techniques?
That guy's information hadn't said anything about this!
@Lu Haiye caught sight of Yu Sui drawing near with Wind Riding Technique and immediately retreated to evade her. But Yu Sui pursued him at once. They were so close that she could have punched him in the face. Lu Haiye was forced to put more distance between them.
As the two fought, spider silk shot through the air. The transparent strands were impossible to guard against. Suddenly, they appeared and pierced the mountain wall, punching one or two huge holes in it. Like blades, they sliced through the rock, sending chunks tumbling down.
Yu Sui tipped her head back to dodge a sudden strand of silk, then accelerated again. As her fist slammed into Lu Haiye's shoulder, another strand grazed her cheek and shot past.
Yu Sui knocked Lu Haiye off his feet and sent him crashing onto the plank road, but she too was forced back by a relentless barrage of spider silk. The strands, sharp as blades, sliced through her clothes and skirt and cut the golden hairpin from her hair. Gold and jade beads fell along the mountain wall and vanished into the seawater.
The spider silk came fast and thick, driving Yu Sui back again and again. Skyfire burned through some of it, but there was simply too much to stop.
Though Yu Sui's punch hadn't hit a vital point, it carried Five Elements Qi. At the same time, she had used the Zhen Hexagram, Life Technique, and Thunder Fist. Yu Sui had attacked with the intent to kill. After taking that punch, Lu Haiye felt lightning strike through his entire body, damaging both his mind and spirit. Before he could even get up, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
He had been careless. He had never imagined Yu Sui could use Nine Schools Techniques.
Under these circumstances, Yu Sui's quick, ruthless, and precise attacks had turned Lu Haiye's overwhelming advantage into a disadvantage.
Lu Haiye braced himself against the cliff wall and stood, coughing. He raised a hand to wipe his mouth, then summoned golden Five Elements Qi to protect himself. He fixed a murderous gaze on Yu Sui, who had been driven back by the spider silk.
He formed seals with both hands, gathering the Five Elements Qi around him. As he exhaled, darkness spread around him. Shadows bred from the darkness shapeshifted, taking the forms of a giant serpent and an ape.
The Nong Family's forbidden Nine Schools Technique, Phantom Beasts.
The black ape was incredibly fast. After vanishing in a flash, it became impossible for Yu Sui to sense its presence. As long as there was darkness, it could leap out at any moment.
When the ape sprang out behind Yu Sui, lightning flickered around her in the form of a Thunder Serpent. She withstood the ape's attack, but while dodging the poisonous spider silk, she was whipped away by the giant serpent.
Yu Sui flew off the plank road and tumbled down along the mountain wall, crushing grass and flowers beneath her as she rolled. She left a clear trail in the slope.
Though it was an illusion, when the black shadow drew near, you could smell the giant serpent's rank breath. Touching it brought a slick, icy sensation, and the fear of its sharp fangs about to sink into your neck.
It felt real and unreal at once.
Lu Haiye couldn't afford to waste a moment. Seeing Yu Sui knocked away and a gap opening in the fight, he immediately pressed his attack. Spider silk shot after the trail of her fall. The ape leaped from the mountain path and landed below the cliff, blocking Yu Sui's escape.
Yu Sui rolled sideways to dodge the spider silk. Ignoring the burning pain all over her body, she drew a deep breath and used Wind Riding Technique to get back to her feet and steady herself. A massive shadow dropped from overhead. The giant serpent coiled around her waist, and the sound of bones cracking drew a muffled groan from Yu Sui.
The giant serpent flung Yu Sui back up the slope. She crashed to the ground and skidded a long way before slamming hard into the mountain wall behind her.
The Phantom Beasts were too fast, giving Yu Sui no chance to use Nine Schools Techniques before they threw her back. They could also wield Nine Schools Techniques to varying degrees. The pressure from their Five Elements Qi was no less than that of a Fifth Realm Nine Schools Practitioner.
If the earlier trial had merely tested their abilities, then this fight was a struggle between life and death. Every move was a killing move, with no room for mercy.
Yu Sui leaned against the mountain wall, her upper body slumped. She didn't know how many ribs were broken. The pain that shot through her whole body whenever she moved left her drenched in sweat. The stench was right beside her, nauseating her. An icy snake tongue licked the bloodied scratches on her neck, making her hairs stand on end.
This was the first time Yu Sui had fallen into danger and fought back on her own. It was also the first time she had felt the gulf between her Nine Schools Techniques and those of the person hunting her.
Even catching him off guard with the advantage of information hadn't been enough. Lu Haiye controlled Five Elements Qi with greater precision and speed. Yu Sui still lacked too much: experience, knowledge, and cultivation.
The giant serpent coiled around her body, rearing up as it stared at her.
Spider silk wound around her hands, feet, and neck again. A single tug would be enough to sever her head.
The Heavenly Spider's venom had invaded her Five Elements Qi again, suppressing it and leaving her unable to use it.
Yu Sui lifted her eyes slightly and looked at Lu Haiye as he came over, clutching his shoulder.
Lu Haiye watched her warily and said in a low voice, "I never expected the Nangong Family's Normal Practitioner County Princess to have hidden her abilities so well."
At this point, Yu Sui's only chance to win was to rely on the strange fire.
But there was a third person here.
The strange fire flickered deep in Yu Sui's consciousness, telling her there was someone else watching from the shadows. If she wanted to turn the tables with the strange fire, she couldn't leave anyone alive.
Yu Sui said softly, "Wei Ren, how much longer are you going to watch?"
Wei Ren, hidden in the darkness, was surprised to hear this. Had she actually noticed him?
Lu Haiye frowned and looked around. He hadn't sensed anyone else nearby either. When had that brat Wei Ren followed them?
Yu Sui coughed up blood and said weakly, "Even if I'm going to die today, shouldn't you at least let me die knowing why?"
Lu Haiye focused and probed the area. He too noticed the third person's presence and said in a low voice, "Brat, come out." @Wei Ren sighed and flashed down from high on the mountain wall, landing not too near or far from the two of them. Standing in the moonlight, he spread his hands as if he had nothing to hide. "I was just worried, so I followed you to take a look."
With the giant serpent coiled around her, Yu Sui couldn't move. She only shifted her eyes to look at him.
Wei Ren was looking at Yu Sui too.
Lu Haiye glared at Wei Ren. "Why didn't you tell me she could use Nine Schools Techniques?"
"Didn't I?" Wei Ren replied lazily. "I didn't know either."
"You're putting on an act? You knew her Xirang wasn't neutralizing the poison, but you didn't know she could use Nine Schools Techniques? You even went through the trial together!" The angrier Lu Haiye got, the more his injuries hurt. He coughed several times. "Do you have any idea that if I hadn't dodged just now, her Thunder Fist would've smashed my Five Elements Light Core to pieces? Then I'd be the one dead!"
### "Hey, what are you getting so worked up about? You're not dead. The one about to die is the Nangong County Princess." Wei Ren had just been cursed out, but he wasn't flustered. He still replied in the same lazy tone.
"Are you doing this on purpose?!" Lu Haiye charged toward Wei Ren, ready to beat him up, but then he heard Yu Sui laugh out of nowhere. He immediately turned toward her, on guard.
"What are you laughing at?" Lu Haiye demanded. "You're so young, yet you've got a mind full of schemes. Back when those brothers came to seize the Xirang, plenty of them must have died at your hands, too, right?"
"That's giving me too much credit—or underestimating the Nangong Family." Yu Sui lifted her head slightly. Deep red gashes from the spider silk marked her pale neck. Sweat and blood mingled, staining the collar of her clothes red.
"I only learned Nine Schools Techniques a few days ago. How could I have killed those brothers of yours who came to take the Xirang?" Yu Sui smiled faintly at Lu Haiye.
Seeing her look so accepting of her fate even as she stood on the brink of death, Lu Haiye slowly furrowed his brow. "Aren't you afraid to die?"
"Who isn't?" Yu Sui's lashes trembled as she spoke softly. "It took a lot for me to make it this far. It's all because of that useless thing of yours from the Nong Family that I've had to live in such misery."
Wei Ren looked at Yu Sui, his expression unreadable.
"Useless thing? You're just too untalented to know how precious the Xirang is! It's unfortunate that the Xirang ended up with a foolish girl like you, who knows nothing about it. But don't worry. I'll take it back soon enough." Lu Haiye looked at Yu Sui coldly.
Yu Sui tilted her head slightly. "Is that so? With only half the Xirang, you can't even filter out the Nong Family's toxins. What else would you call it but useless?"
"What do you mean, only half?" Lu Haiye was stunned, then wary. "Don't think that saying this will stop me from killing you. You're a little girl, but you've got endless tricks for lying."
"Then why do you think you're able to suppress my Five Elements Qi with poison right now?" Yu Sui mocked him softly. When she lifted her head to look at Lu Haiye, it was as if she were looking at someone truly useless. Lu Haiye felt the sting of humiliation.
"Only half the Xirang is inside me. If you want the whole thing, you'll have to go to my mother for the rest." Yu Sui smiled and even leaned back against the giant serpent as if she couldn't care less.
Lu Haiye scoffed. "You'll say anything to stay alive. Lady Su has a daughter like you—I feel sorry for her."
"You seem to think quite highly of my mother." Yu Sui turned her eyes to Wei Ren, a flicker of laughter in them. "And you? You grew up hearing my name. You've been waiting a long time to take the Xirang from me, haven't you?"
Before Wei Ren could reply, Lu Haiye gave a cold snort. "Back then, Lady Su took the Xirang from Nangong Ming to save a group of my Nong Family brothers. She was pregnant at the time, yet she still defied Nangong Ming to save them. But when she gave birth to you, you inherited the Xirang. You're her child, so Lady Su wouldn't bring herself to kill you and take it back."
Yu Sui was stunned as she listened.
Lu Haiye grew more and more furious. He pointed at Yu Sui and berated her. "Lady Su devoted herself to the Nong Family. While fleeing Nangong Ming's pursuit, she lost her eldest daughter—your sister—on the summit of Luoshan. And what about you? Nangong Ming took you back, forcing Lady Su to be controlled by him for the sake of her child. You're an accomplice in your father's persecution of Lady Su! You lived in splendor as the County Princess in Qingyang, but did you ever think of your own sister, who died so young?"
Yu Sui's expression remained calm, though her eyes trembled slightly.
A long time ago, she had already imagined that one day she would hear words like these.
Just as she had imagined, the person saying them was self-righteous, his gaze full of anger and resentment.
And what about her?
She was just as wretched as she had imagined.
Seeing Yu Sui seemingly stunned, Wei Ren looked at Lu Haiye and mocked him. "Why are you so self-righteous about someone else's family business?"
"Have I really been living so well?" Blood seeped from the corner of Yu Sui's mouth. She looked at Lu Haiye and asked, "Because of this half of the Xirang, people are always trying to kill me. So what if I'm a County Princess? I'm a Normal Practitioner, and people point at me every day, calling me useless and saying I bring shame to my family. I even have to kneel just to read a book. Is that the splendor you're talking about? Why do I have to die? You want the Xirang—then tell me a way to give it back without killing me, and I'll return it to you."
Wei Ren looked back at Yu Sui in surprise. He truly hadn't expected her to make such a request.
Lu Haiye was even angrier. "You silver-tongued liar! You're on the verge of death, and you're still trying to scheme. The Xirang you inherited from Lady Su is bound to your life. It can only be separated from you after you die!"
Yu Sui smiled. "What did I do wrong? Why does it have to be me who dies?"
Lu Haiye didn't want to waste any more words. He raised a hand. "Because you were born to die."
Yu Sui stared straight at Lu Haiye. Her pitch-black pupils reminded him of Lady Su. He had to admit that these were the two women's most similar feature.
Just alike, yet different in their own ways.
"Hey." Wei Ren reached out to stop Lu Haiye. "What she says isn't impossible. There might be a way to separate the Xirang without killing Nangong Sui."
Lu Haiye turned his head. "Absurd! Don't make trouble right now. I'll settle things with you later!"
Deep within Yu Sui, the flames burned fiercely, scorching her too. Every time she felt anger, she tried to suppress the flames that tempted her so irresistibly.
Day after day, year after year.
She always kept that anger tightly bottled up, never daring to let even a spark emerge.
Not everyone in the world was on her side.
Or perhaps, when the flames symbolizing her anger burned across this land, there would be no one in the world on her side.
Yu Sui slowly blinked. Lu Haiye and Wei Ren were still arguing before her eyes, and the pain of blood draining from her body kept her conscious.
Wei Ren was still trying to stop Lu Haiye. "Why not? She's a Ghost Dao Disciple. The Ghost Dao School can separate the body from the consciousness, and anyone who joins the Ghost Dao School has talent for it. That means there's a chance—"
Yu Sui tilted her head and said softly, "Too late."
Wei Ren and Lu Haiye both turned toward her.
Yu Sui thought that she had been angry for too long.
Blazing fire and lightning erupted at once, so dazzling that no one could make out what had happened. Wei Ren only felt himself struck by something and hurled away. Before his mind or body could react, he was already falling toward the sea.
The black Phantom Beasts coiled around Yu Sui vanished in the blaze. The Thunder Serpent surged forward with overwhelming force and pierced Lu Haiye through the heart, shattering his Five Elements Light Core and heart at the same time. With nothing left to support him, Lu Haiye toppled backward like a kite with its strings cut, falling off the cliff.
Yu Sui braced a hand against the cliff wall and staggered to her feet, then flashed after Wei Ren, who was falling into the sea.
Water sprayed across the surface. A trace of red blood spread through the deep blue sea.
Half of Wei Ren's body had gone numb from the powerful strike of the Thunder Serpent. As he fell, he watched blood pour from his body, unable to suppress his fear.
The power of that Bagua Life Technique had definitely been more than First Realm.
And it seemed there had been something else besides the Bagua Life Technique. Was it Skyfire from the Li Hexagram? It had happened too fast. He hadn't had time to react or even see clearly before he was struck into the sea.
Wei Ren was trying to swim back up when he saw a red shadow draw near.
Yu Sui caught up with him, grabbed him by the neck, and forced him toward the seabed.
Her long black hair and floating sleeves hung between them. Blood spread through the water, blurring Wei Ren's vision until he could barely make out Yu Sui.
Wei Ren realized that if things continued like this, Yu Sui really would kill him. He wanted to explain, so he used Phantom Beast: Serpent Shadow. A giant serpent coiled around Yu Sui and dragged her away. Seizing the opening, Wei Ren used the Kan Hexagram, Life Technique, and Crossing Water. He shot through the water like a fish, swimming toward the surface.
After he had risen a short distance, Yu Sui used the power of the strange fire to crush the phantom. A Thunder Serpent crackled through the water after Wei Ren, striking him again. It wrapped around his hands and feet and dragged him back down.
In agony, Wei Ren turned around. Only then did he get a clear look at Yu Sui beneath the water.
Her indifferent gaze seemed to say that no one could make her stop.
Yu Sui looked at Wei Ren's terrified face and even smiled at him. At that moment, she was simply waiting, patient and calm, for Wei Ren to die by her hand.
The Thunder Serpent dragged Wei Ren before Yu Sui. As she reached out, a Thunder Serpent far more powerful than hers struck down, knocking them both back and cleaving the seawater apart. A tremendous wave surged up.
Carried by the churning waves, Wei Ren and Yu Sui were swept toward the surface.
Wei Ren even used Wind Riding Technique to put some distance between himself and Yu Sui before surfacing. Waves crashed down around him, and water roared in his ears. When he looked up, Mei Chengyu stood on the shore beneath the moonlight, a Thunder Serpent's light still flickering in his hand. His features were cool and composed. He glanced indifferently at Wei Ren as he surfaced, the corner of his eye seeming faintly disdainful, then quickly turned his gaze toward Yu Sui on the other side.
Wei Ren had never been so happy to see his roommate.
He could have burned incense at a temple to celebrate.
Behind Mei Chengyu stood Black Beard and the Nine Schools Practitioners of the Nangong Family, all of them sweating with worry. When they saw Yu Sui emerge from the sea, they cried, "County Princess!"
The waves tossed Yu Sui out of the water. She shook the droplets from her face and opened her eyes to look ahead.
Her gaze landed at once on Mei Chengyu, standing at the very front with lightning flickering beside him. Her eyes paused.
If Mei Chengyu hadn't intervened, she would have destroyed the world tonight.
Before you continue