Yu Sui stared at the Dragon Ladder climbing upward, her expression briefly dazed. Then she lowered her head and looked at the black coat draped over her arm after she had taken it off.
Not one of them had thought of it just now.
Now that the Dragon Ladder was climbing upward, there was no way to catch up. She would return it to Senior Martial Brother later.
Thinking this, Yu Sui headed for Gu Gan's dormitory.
Thunder boomed outside, flashing across the night sky from time to time. Jagged Lightning Threads split the darkness, each one seeming to pierce heaven and earth. Even though the sound of the downpour couldn't be heard inside the dormitory, the night's roaring thunder still carried through.
Yu Sui knocked on the door and sent Gu Gan a message.
During the day, Gu Gan had sent her many messages. He knew she had been ambushed and attacked by the Nong school the previous night. Though none of those involved had spoken about it publicly, plenty of people had watched from the shadows, and word of what happened that night had quickly spread through the outer city and Taiyi.
Another peal of thunder rang out, and the door opened.
Seeing Yu Sui outside, Gu Gan breathed a sigh of relief and ushered her in.
A dim candle burned in the bedroom, lending the room a warm, cozy air. Gu Gan had Yu Sui sit on the edge of the bed, then crouched down to examine the wounds on her hands and face, grinding his teeth in anger.
"Those bastards from the Nong school." Gu Gan cursed. "How dare they!"
"Don't be angry. I just went to the Medical school to have my wounds looked at. The senior sister on duty changed my dressings, and they don't hurt anymore. I just have to keep them dry, and they'll heal completely in a couple of days." Yu Sui spoke softly. "It's just that the thunder and rain won't let up tonight, and I'm a little scared. I wanted to come talk to you, Brother Gu."
She curled up on the edge of the bed, hugging herself into a little ball, like an obedient kitten—gentle and harmless.
Gu Gan gazed at her, looking rather heartbroken.
When they were children, Yu Sui used to claim she was afraid of thunder so she could stay over at Gu Gan's house, then spend the whole night reading.
Gu Gan had truly believed she was afraid of thunder. Even now, he had never doubted it.
If it were some other girl, he'd have thought she was spoiled to still be afraid of thunder at her age. But when it came to Yu Sui, it seemed perfectly reasonable to him. Being afraid of thunder was normal. I should keep her company.
They had grown up together, and some things had become habits over the years.
Gu Gan had never noticed Yu Sui's other side.
In his eyes, his own delicate little childhood friend was always adorable, gentle, and interesting.
"I'll make you some Hot Tea. It'll calm your nerves and help you relax. Don't be afraid; just stay here with me tonight." Gu Gan rose and patted her head, then went to the sitting room to brew tea.
Yu Sui propped her head on one hand and watched him leave.
After all these years, this older brother still let his guard down around any sweet, gentle girl.
In some ways, Gu Gan was truly good to her.
That was because he had put Yu Sui in the "one of my own" category.
But Yu Sui had also seen Gu Gan treat other girls just as well.
The number of noble girls Gu Gan had rescued at the National Academy was at least three or five, if not one or two. They all looked at him with shy, expectant eyes, full of delight and admiration.
Princess Shangyang still hadn't given up on Gu Gan after all these years.
Yu Sui had also seen Gu Gan hide Xiang Feifei at his home while she was being hunted by the Qingyang Communication Institute, and keep her there day and night.
On the day he saw Xiang Feifei off, she even stole a kiss from him. Yu Sui happened to be there, and watched in surprise as she covered her mouth with one hand.
Gu Gan had frozen for a moment, then hurried to turn around and explain himself to her.
Yu Sui had always known that lots of girls liked Gu Gan, but she didn't think much of it. Some people liked him, and others hated him.
The girls' feelings for him were their own business.
Gu Gan was genuinely kind to everyone he treated well. Some thought he was gentle, considerate, and brave; others thought he was debauched, shameless, and despicable.
Everyone had their own opinion.
Yu Sui didn't care which girl Gu Gan liked. She was only afraid that Nangong Ming might lose his mind one day and marry her off to Gu Gan, letting him use the Prince's household's power to take revenge under the guise of a legitimate son-in-law.
She'd be a little unwilling to be used as a tool to that extent.
When Gu Gan came back in and saw Yu Sui sitting by the bed, lost in thought, he took a book from the rack on the desk and handed it to her. "Here. Read this to take your mind off things. The tea will be ready soon."
He knew Yu Sui liked reading.
On rainy, thundery nights, his delicate childhood friend would be so troubled by the weather that she couldn't sleep. She'd think about all sorts of things and ask him all kinds of strange questions. His patience with Yu Sui had grown over years of nights like these.
Ever since he discovered that giving Yu Sui a book kept her quiet, the pile of books at his house had kept growing.
Yu Sui reached out to take the book, and only then did Gu Gan notice the black coat draped over her arm. It was a man's garment.
"Whose is that?" he asked with a frown.
"My senior brother's." Yu Sui took the book and began leafing through it. "He walked me back from the Medical school and lent me his coat to shield me from the rain, because the senior sister there said I couldn't get even a drop of water on my wounds."
Gu Gan's frown deepened. "Mei Chengyu?"
Yu Sui nodded. "That's right."
There was a hint of displeasure in Gu Gan's voice. "Why did he walk you back, and give you his coat?"
"We went there from the Taoist Saint Hall. Master was teaching me the introductory mental cultivation method, and Senior Martial Brother was watching too." Yu Sui kept flipping through the book without looking up. "I forgot to return it when I got here."
"Put it aside." Gu Gan couldn't stand the sight of the coat. He reached over and took it from her arm. "If you're cold, wrap yourself in a blanket while you read."
Yu Sui laughed.
She was so hot she wanted to throw the blanket as far away as possible.
"Does Mei Chengyu often go to the Taoist Saint Hall to see you?" Gu Gan tossed the black coat onto a chair.
"He doesn't go to see me. He goes to the Taoist Saint Hall to see Master." Yu Sui patiently explained.
"That man has ulterior motives. He's unscrupulous and vicious. Sui-sui, you need to watch out for him," Gu Gan said gravely. "After the Legalist Judgment incident, he must still be holding a grudge. I hear he's been going to the Communication Institute to cause trouble lately."
Really? Yu Sui looked up at him, puzzled.
"What's he doing at the Communication Institute?" Yu Sui asked.
Gu Gan gave a silent sneer. "He's still trying to find clues about what happened at the Hanging Moon Cave. He's no good. Don't let him lead you astray."
Yu Sui nodded thoughtfully. "Senior Martial Brother doesn't seem like that sort of person."
"You've only just arrived at the academy, so you don't know what he's done. He's killed quite a few academy disciples alone," Gu Gan said sternly. "You're Sage Chang Gen's disciple, so you'll have more contact with Mei Chengyu than other people. His moods are unpredictable, and he's cold-hearted. Only Sage Chang Gen can keep him in check."
Yu Sui agreed with that last part.
Gu Gan continued, "With Mei Chengyu around, he'll also be an obstacle to our search for the Futuo Tower. As things stand, he's on the academy's side, which means he's on the side of order."
Yu Sui blinked, thinking that might not be true. If Senior Martial Brother found out that the Futuo Tower could break the Six Nations Non-War Covenant, he'd scour all of Taiyi, piece the tower together, and break the covenant on the spot, throwing the world into chaos.
"Taiyi has an organization called the Jiudu Guard. Everyone who joins it is a Grade A Disciple. Most Grade A Disciples are at least ninth-realm practitioners, and the strongest are in the Thirteenth Realm."
Leaning against the door with his arms crossed, Gu Gan explained calmly, "Grade A Disciples often count as part of Taiyi's ruling class. Take the Medical school you went to tonight, for instance. Only Grade A Disciples serve at the clinic. When academy students are injured and need treatment or medicine, they first go through these Grade A Disciples. If they can't handle it, they'll refer the case to a teacher in the Thirteenth Realm."
"Grade A Disciples also guard the arenas during Level Up Challenges. For major Cultivation Trials, they're the ones who patrol, keep watch, and even assign scores."
Yu Sui sighed. "Grade A Disciples really do have a lot of privileges."
Gu Gan nodded. "Grade A Disciples in the Jiudu Guard can enter certain academy forbidden lands under the pretext of patrol duty. They can go as far as Level 1 Forbidden Lands, such as the Legalist school's Level 1 Forbidden Land, the Hanging Moon Cave."
Yu Sui looked at him with innocent confusion. "Brother Gu, are you planning to join the Jiudu Guard once you become a Grade A Disciple?"
"That's right. It'll make our plans much easier." Gu Gan rolled his neck. "I'll definitely win the Level Up Challenge in two months. After that, the only problem will be getting into the Jiudu Guard. I'll need someone to recommend me, and half the current members have to agree."
That wouldn't be easy either.
Yu Sui rolled her eyes. "Is my senior brother also in the Jiudu Guard?"
Gu Gan pressed his lips together. "Yes, so there's no point even hoping for his vote."
Mei Chengyu would never agree.
"Sui-sui, don't go to the outer city for a while. If you absolutely have to, bring me along. Otherwise, I won't feel at ease. The Nong school has come all the way here after you, so don't go near them either. There are too many people with bad intentions." Gu Gan gazed at Yu Sui solemnly. "I'm afraid you'll be in danger."
"Mm-hmm." Yu Sui nodded obediently and handed the book back to him. "Brother Gu, I've read all of these. What are those books over there?"
Gu Gan followed her gaze to the three books on the table that he'd brought from the JiaBao Book Pavilion. His expression turned complicated. "They're about the Nine Schools Secret Techniques. One from each school."
"Can I take a look?" Yu Sui asked, eyes full of curiosity.
Gu Gan thought, why not? They were only three books. After he'd asked Wen Yanghui to bring them back, they'd all read through them again and again without finding a single clue.
"Sure." Gu Gan handed the books to Yu Sui.
Yu Sui read quickly, and Gu Gan knew that. He was even used to it. He thought Yu Sui read books for her National Academy classes very slowly, but if they weren't assigned reading, she went through them in no time.
Gu Gan had once asked her why, and Yu Sui had said, "Maybe it's because these books came from you, Brother Gu. They feel different from the ones the National Academy makes me read."
If he asked her to explain, Yu Sui would only say they felt different.
An answer like that made Gu Gan feel that he was special to her.
No one could refuse being "special" to someone else.
The tea had boiled outside, and Gu Gan went to brew it while Yu Sui quietly leafed through the books. When he returned, he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed with her head slightly bowed. The dim candlelight fell across her face, bathing her in a warm glow that made her look gentle and serene. He couldn't bear to disturb her.
Gu Gan closed the door as quietly as he could and set the tea on the bedside table. As he stepped back, the back of his hand brushed the strands of Yu Sui's hair hanging down, and an itchy feeling spread through his heart.
"Sui-sui." Gu Gan couldn't help calling out to her.
"Mm?" Yu Sui looked up.
Gu Gan's lips quirked into a cheeky smile. "Nothing. I just wanted to call you."
Then he sighed softly. "It feels like we haven't talked like this in ages."
"That's right. You came to Taiyi two years ago and never went back, so we haven't had a chance to talk," Yu Sui said with a faint smile. Thunder rumbled outside. Gu Gan told her, "Don't be afraid. It'll stop before long."
"Speaking of which, Brother Gu, did Father ask you to keep an eye on Zhongli Shan over these past two years?" Yu Sui asked, looking troubled.
"No." Gu Gan asked, "Why?"
Yu Sui sighed softly as she turned a page. "Father seems to want me to find a way to drive Zhongli Shan out of Taiyi Academy. Did Zhongli Shan learn something at Taiyi that Father thinks is a threat?"
Gu Gan knew that Zhongli Shan had come to Taiyi looking for a way to break the Famous school's Shura Eye, but the Shura Eye wasn't easy to break. Gu Gan had focused on developing himself over the past two years and hadn't paid much attention to Zhongli Shan.
"He often trains with the Military school and has taken part in several major Grade A trials. He's quite capable, and he's trying to reach the Tenth Realm Soul, but there's no news that he's seen through the Shura Eye yet," Gu Gan said thoughtfully. "If he had, we'd be the first to hear about it here at Taiyi. The Prince couldn't possibly know before us. So this probably isn't about the Shura Eye. Maybe the Prince has clashed with the Zhongli Family in the capital and doesn't want to give Zhongli Shan any more time."
Yu Sui scrunched up her face. "Then what should I do?"
"Why would he ask you to do something like that?" Gu Gan frowned.
Yu Sui asked timidly, "Is it because I can cultivate?"
"Wouldn't that be a good thing for him?" Gu Gan said with a smile.
Yu Sui asked again, "Brother Gu, do you really think I'll inherit the Prince's household and become the head of the Nangong Family one day?"
Gu Gan paused, then nodded. "Of course. Who else could it be?"
Yu Sui gazed at him without saying anything.
Gu Gan declared firmly, "It certainly won't be Sheng Zui."
Yu Sui burst out laughing.
Seeing her smile, a trace of amusement also passed through Gu Gan's eyes. "The position as the Nangong Family's heir is yours. Let's see who dares try to take it from you. If your brothers want to fight you for it, they'll have to get past me first."
Yu Sui said, "If I can't do what Father asked me to, I'm afraid I'll disappoint him. It'd be better once I've trained more and feel more confident."
Gu Gan nodded. "You're right. You've barely started at the academy, and you don't even know all the Nine Schools Techniques yet. Why would he ask you to do something like this? I'll send word to the Prince later. I'll handle Zhongli Shan."
Yu Sui got the matter of Zhongli Shan settled, then read all three books through the long night, learning the basics of the various schools' Heavenly Secrets Techniques and the Mystic Techniques used to record them.
Gu Gan talked with her at length, as though making up for the two years they'd lost.
They had far more to talk about than before, especially when it came to the Nine Schools Techniques. Yu Sui asked questions with innocent curiosity, and Gu Gan knew the answers. Whenever she looked at him with admiration after finally understanding, the corners of his mouth never stopped lifting.
On nights like this, when Yu Sui came to see him of her own accord, Gu Gan felt as if his heart had filled up. The gloom of the past couple of days vanished, and just looking at her put him in a good mood.
They stayed up all night, talking.
By dawn, the downpour had eased and the thunder had faded, leaving only a light patter of rain.
Ji Meng knocked from outside and called for Gu Gan. When Gu Gan opened the door, Ji Meng froze upon seeing Yu Sui sitting inside.
"The County Princess is here too?" Ji Meng asked in confusion. "When did she arrive?"
Gu Gan said, "Didn't she tell you not to call her that?"
Ji Meng spread his hands. "Well, I can't call her Sui-sui like you do, can I? Calling her by her full name isn't great either."
Gu Gan glanced at Yu Sui, who was yawning, and raised an eyebrow at Ji Meng. "That's true."
Ji Meng rolled his eyes at him and said as he headed out, "They've confirmed who was patrolling the Hanging Moon Cave that day: those three. They're the three most suspicious people too. Maybe one of them was the person who sent you that message using the Listening Wind Ruler."
Gu Gan sneered. "Go test them."
Yu Sui closed the book and put it back on Gu Gan's desk. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and watched Gu Gan walk away.
After daybreak, Cang Shu returned to the dormitory after working the shift at the clinic with Shi Yuezhen.
He shared a room with Shi Yuezhen. The two of them were the only ones living there. Like Mei Chengyu, Cang Shu lived on the Sixty-ninth Floor, just two doors away from him.
Before Cang Shu went to knock on Room 1036, he sent a message to ask if Mei Chengyu was awake. If not, he'd wait until Mei Chengyu was up before coming over.
Mei Chengyu replied that he was awake and told him to come collect all the poisonous creatures Wei Ren had been raising.
Only then did Cang Shu slowly make his way to Room 1036.
By then, Wei Ren was awake too. He had just come out of his bedroom and was pouring himself a drink in the sitting room. His face was still deathly pale, and he looked unwell. He kept covering his mouth to cough, his expression exhausted.
Mei Chengyu got up to open the door. Wei Ren didn't pay him any mind, only following him with a sidelong glance.
"Two Ghost Armor Heavenly Spiders, five Green Snakes, seventeen Knotless Scorpions, a pair of Shura dragonflies, and about forty-five Ghost Face Mosquitoes," Mei Chengyu said at the doorway as he tallied up the poisonous creatures that had run amok in the room.
Wei Ren slowly turned his head, his eyes fixed on the two of them with a look full of puzzled question marks.
Cang Shu slowly surveyed the corners of the room. He saw the Green Snakes and scorpions huddled together in a corner, driven there by the pressure of Mei Chengyu's Five Elements Power, and gave a slow nod.
"They'll do." Cang Shu looked at the creatures in the corner with a benevolent gaze.
Wei Ren understood. The corners of his eyes twitched, and he took a deep breath. "If I'm not mistaken, those are my venomous insects."
"They were yours before today. From today on, they're his." Mei Chengyu tilted his head toward Cang Shu.
Wei Ren gave a humorless smile. "Is that so? Let's see if bonded poisonous creatures will follow him."
Cang Shu spread his arms and fell silent. A strange birdsong sounded through the room, clear as jade striking jade, soft and deep. It was the kind of sound people could ignore, but it turned precisely into Five Elements Qi that the poisonous creatures could sense.
Like a summons, yet also a threat, it sent the creatures trembling as they slowly made their way toward Cang Shu.
Wei Ren's expression changed. He said in a low voice, "The academy has rules against stealing other people's cultivation creatures, doesn't it?"
Mei Chengyu yawned. "You didn't follow the rules yourself. Why expect other people to play fair?"
Wei Ren sounded annoyed. "When did I break the rules? I didn't steal his Ghost Armor Heavenly Spiders!"
Mei Chengyu lifted his chin. "You didn't steal Nangong Sui's Xirang?"
Wei Ren nearly crushed his teacup. He gritted his teeth. "I didn't steal it."
Mei Chengyu only smiled faintly, his dark eyes fixed on Wei Ren, cool and indifferent.
Wei Ren could feel that even the Ghost Armor Heavenly Spiders inside his sleeves couldn't resist Cang Shu's Phoenix Bird Sound Summon. He tried to grab them, but the two red spiders spun silk and flew away.
When Mei Chengyu sensed that Wei Ren was trying to drag them all down with him—that if he couldn't keep the spiders, he'd rather crush them than let them go to Cang Shu—he flicked a finger at empty space. Wei Ren was struck by his Five Elements Power, hurled backward, and crashed through the open door.
Wei Ren hit the bookcase, clutching his shoulder as he coughed and staggered to his feet. Gripping the doorframe for support, he looked up at Cang Shu, who had already caught the Ghost Armor Heavenly Spiders.
"With your current first-realm cultivation, you can't control these creatures," Cang Shu said in an unhurried voice. "If Meimei's Five Elements Qi weren't keeping them in check, they'd already be scurrying all over the dormitory, biting people and hunting for food."
Wei Ren's brows were tightly furrowed. He lowered his eyes, his expression dark and unreadable.
Cang Shu left with a pile of poisonous creatures. "I'll look after these for you. Come get them back once you've returned to the Fifth Realm."
Mei Chengyu waited until Cang Shu had left before closing the door. He turned to see Wei Ren crouched beside it, looking utterly miserable. His features were contorted, and his fingers dug into his left shoulder as he took one deep breath after another.
Wei Ren had crippled his own cultivation, damaging his Five Elements Light Core. He couldn't use Five Elements Qi for the time being, but he had gone and used it just now to stop Cang Shu. Now he was in so much pain that every part of him hurt, and cold sweat poured from his whole body.
Mei Chengyu watched Wei Ren for a while, then, seeing how much pain he was in, said nonchalantly, "The Farmer School's Treasured Item, the Soil of Breath, is something so important. If it fell into the hands of a Normal Practitioner, anyone else would hide it away and keep out of sight. Only the Qingyang Nangong Family would dare announce it to the whole world."
"In the past decade or so, no shortage of Farmer School disciples have died in the Qingyang Imperial Capital. I reckon anyone in the Farmer School with a bit of ability gets sent to seize the Soil of Breath, and then, without exception, they all die there."
Wei Ren covered his mouth and coughed twice. He looked up at Mei Chengyu, his expression complicated, and rasped, "What do you know?"
"I don't need to know anything," Mei Chengyu said coolly.
Wei Ren lowered his gaze to the blood in his palm, a trace of irritation in his eyes. "I'd only ever suspected it. At first, I thought the Soil of Breath was the problem. But during the trial, I realized she really did know Nine Schools Techniques, so then I thought it might be Nangong Sui."
"Cough, cough. Lu Haiye asked me where she was, so I wanted to take the opportunity to find out what the Nangong Family was hiding: whether there was a problem with the Soil of Breath, or with Nangong Sui."
As Wei Ren spoke, the memory that flashed through his mind was of Yu Sui, bound by a Phantom Giant Python, speaking with Lu Haiye.
Mei Chengyu glanced toward the door. A moment later, he heard a knock.
Yu Sui could sense that someone was right outside. She called softly, "Senior Martial Brother."
Both men inside heard her.
Wei Ren was drenched in sweat. With difficulty, he turned his head toward the door.
Mei Chengyu turned and opened it. Yu Sui stood outside. She was still wearing the clothes she'd had on when she left the night before, with the same makeup and styling. The Black outer garment he'd forgotten to ask her to return last night was now folded over her arm.
Yu Sui smiled at Mei Chengyu, her eyes curving. "Senior Martial Brother, I forgot to give this back to you when I left last night. Thank you for lending me the clothes."
Mei Chengyu lowered his eyes and looked her over for a moment. Then he picked up the outer garment she held out and draped it over his shoulder, looking languid.
"Is Wei Ren here?" Yu Sui asked. "I'd like to talk to him."
"He is." Mei Chengyu stepped aside and tilted his head toward Wei Ren, inviting Yu Sui to come in and see for herself.
Yu Sui walked into the dim room and saw Wei Ren crouched against the wall. He was drenched in sweat, his brows knotted with pain and his face deathly pale. Looking wretched, he avoided Yu Sui's gaze.
Before you continue