Yu Sui considered a possibility. If Qingkui had always been under Nangong Ming's control, would he really have done nothing to this daughter of his? Lady Su looked different to everyone.
To the Agricultural School Disciples of Yan, Lady Su was the enemy who had stolen the soil of breath and left Yan's Sage gravely wounded.
To traitors like Wei Ren, Lady Su was instead a great benefactor who had saved them.
In Yu Sui's eyes, Lady Su was composed and clever, decisive and ruthless.
At first, even at Mount Luo Peak, Lady Su had hesitated over what to do with this child who had unexpectedly stolen half her soil of breath.
She had only obtained the soil of breath by becoming pregnant with Yu Sui. But no one had expected that after giving birth, the child would steal half of it.
She had gone from hesitation to a firm decision, then carried it through completely, no longer softening toward Yu Sui.
All because she had already made her choice.
That was why Yu Sui thought Lady Su decisive and ruthless. Once she decided to give up this daughter and choose the soil of breath, she would not turn back.
As for Nangong Ming, he was even more dangerous than Lady Su.
If even someone as powerful as Lady Su had lost to him, what kind of strength did Nangong Ming possess?
When it came to ruthlessness, Nangong Ming was probably every bit as bad as Lady Su, if not worse.
Perhaps Lady Su only wanted the soil of breath and Qingkui, but Nangong Ming wanted far more than she did.
As for the relationship between Lady Su and Nangong Ming, after observing them over the years, Yu Sui felt that the two of them were entangled in something resembling love.
They were both special to each other: they used one another, depended on one another, and admired one another.
But with their personalities, any tender feelings between them amounted to just a little. Just a little.
Often, that little bit—a moment's stir of the heart—was enough to make someone take many decisions they would later regret.
If Yu Sui did anything, she would alarm both Lady Su and Nangong Ming. Yet whenever it came to Yu Sui, the two of them were in unspoken agreement.
Maybe it was because they had two children.
Losing one didn't matter.
Seeing Yu Sui sink into thought, Wei Ren waited patiently and quietly without disturbing her. She seemed a little absent-minded, her fingers resting lightly on the Listening Wind Ruler. The ruler's light flickered on and off, and when it glowed, the characters turning across its surface were reflected in Yu Sui's dark eyes.
Yu Sui went from absent-minded at first to focused and intent.
She first replied to Zhongli Que's message: "Do you like this Sister Chu?"
Zhongli Que replied quickly, too: "It's not at that point yet."
"It's just that she makes me feel comfortable. When I'm beside her, everything about her seems pleasing." Zhongli Que tapped the character grid as she sent the messages. After sending them, she couldn't help but pause. She hesitated, then sent the rest, too. "I feel the same way whenever I see King Nangong."
Yu Sui's fingers stopped their light tapping on the Listening Wind Ruler.
Zhongli Que added, "I want to spend some time getting to know her first. Everyone's aura feels different; if two are too similar, either they're the same kind of person or they've spent a long time together. Oh, and you need to be careful at Taiyi, too. Lately I keep dreaming that something bad happens to you, but when I wake up, I can't remember much. Divination doesn't help, either."
"Suisui, you're too far away. I'm afraid I won't get there in time."
Just after she sent the message, the carriage jolted to a stop.
Zhongli Que heard a commotion outside. Guard Li, from the Zhongli Family, asked in a low voice, "Who's there? How dare you block the carriage of the Great General's residence?"
Soldiers in golden armor lined both sides of the road. Their leader wore a black-and-gold robe, broad-shouldered and trim-waisted, with a qilin pattern at his belt. Holding a White Jade tablet, he faced Guard Li. His features were elegant, his expression cool as he said, "Gu Jun of the Golden Armored Army, acting on the Holy Emperor's orders. We've set up checkpoints at the four streets to investigate Lan Du. Please ask Great General Zhongli to wait a moment."
Guard Li saw that the Golden Armored Army had indeed set up a checkpoint ahead. Quite a few carriages were blocked behind them, and their passengers were sending people over to find out what was happening.
"Miss." Guard Li turned back and quietly addressed Zhongli Que inside the carriage. "The Golden Armored Army has set up a checkpoint to investigate the poison. Please step down and wait a moment."
Zhongli Que lifted the curtain and climbed down with Guard Li's help. Looking back, she met Gu Jun's gaze as he stood in the sunlight.
Both of them were surprised for an instant.
It had only been a few days since they'd been alone together under a tree at the hunting grounds. Now they faced each other across the broad road, between soldiers and attendants. Those few days had clearly divided their identities and standing.
Zhongli Que tucked away her surprise and stood quietly to one side, watching the Golden Armored Army. Gu Jun glanced at the soldiers beside him, signaling them to search the carriage, then gave Zhongli Que a slight nod.
After sending a message to Old Man Yan, Yu Sui put away the Listening Wind Ruler and looked up at Wei Ren, who had been waiting for her. She asked thoughtfully, "If I fought Lady Su right now—"
"You'd die," Wei Ren answered firmly.
"What if I were in the Fifth Realm?"
"You'd still die," Wei Ren said. "I heard she was injured, but she could still repel quite a few people in the Thirteenth Realm at Mount Luo Peak. Not to mention her Phantom Beast Shadows—each one alone has the strength of someone in the Thirteenth Realm."
"In other words, whether now or in the near future, if you face Lady Su, death is your only path."
"Oh." Yu Sui blinked. "So the only reason I'm still alive is that she went easy on me?"
Wei Ren paused, then shook his head. "Looks like you survived by deceiving Lady Su and Nangong Ming. It's no small feat to fool both of them."
"Lady Su can't just fly to Taiyi and kill you now, either. Your problem is still the pursuers from the Agricultural School. Honestly, I think you're safer at Taiyi than in the Qingyang Imperial Capital."
Wei Ren looked past Yu Sui toward the doorway and smiled without warmth. "You're now Sage Chang Gen's disciple. Killing is forbidden inside the academy, but once you're outside, you can summon the Sage to fight for you. If they want to kill you now, they'll have to get rid of Sage Chang Gen first. And if anyone lays a hand on him, your Senior Martial Brother Mei Chengyu will cut that person's head off first."
Yu Sui listened with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
Wei Ren continued, "Why not take this chance to cultivate first, then deal with the soil of breath? I told you, I'm only interested in the soil of breath. I've studied it over the years, and I've wondered whether it could be separated without killing the person."
"Is that possible?" Yu Sui asked, not particularly interested.
Wei Ren smiled. "In theory, yes. Die once, let the soil of breath fall away when it thinks its host's physical body has dissolved, then come back to life."
Yu Sui lifted a hand to tuck back her hair and said earnestly, "Are you really the most talented of the Agricultural School's younger generation? Then this generation of Agricultural School Disciples is beyond saving."
"Didn't your master manage it?" Wei Ren said.
Yu Sui looked at him. "Then why don't you join the Ghost Dao School?"
"My talent doesn't lie in that!" Wei Ren replied immediately. "I'm best at learning Agricultural School Phantom Beasts."
Yu Sui fell silent for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't like it. My master can't even eat apricots, and I like meat. It's my only joy in life."
Wei Ren stared in astonishment as she stood up. Yu Sui tucked back the strand of hair that had slipped from behind her ear and looked at him with a faint, teasing smile. "You'd better think of another way to let me separate the soil of breath and stay alive."
"You're not going to give me a time limit, too, are you?" Wei Ren said awkwardly. "I'm not so talented that I can think of something in just a few days. That's not where my talent lies."
Yu Sui turned to open the door. She didn't look back, but her voice was bright with a smile. "If you can't think of anything, then go die."
Wei Ren watched her leave. Yu Sui was a polite girl; when she left, she closed the door behind her.
The door shut, and the room fell quiet again. Wei Ren could faintly hear Yu Sui call someone Senior Martial Brother outside.
He lowered his eyes to the Medicine Bottle in his hand and thought of the things he'd heard about Yu Sui over the years. Even before she'd noticed him, Wei Ren had once seen her from afar in the Qingyang Imperial Capital.
When she was six, eight, eleven, and thirteen.
Wei Ren had seen Yu Sui in the crowd, standing beside Lady Su, from far away.
Wei Ren had been different from other children since he was young. While the other children's hearts were kindled by their masters' words, burning with the desire to devote their lives to the Agricultural School, and swearing to make reclaiming the soil of breath and saving the Agricultural School their life's purpose, he had only thought that the child standing beside Lady Su was really unlucky.
Unlucky was one thing, but she didn't look very bright, either—such a silly little thing. You could tell at a glance that someone like her would never live to eighteen.
In the year Yu Sui turned eighteen, Wei Ren saw her aboard the Cloud Vehicle Dragon.
For the first time, they weren't separated by a sea of people, long streets and alleys, or a heavily guarded army. They were only a few steps apart.
At such close range, Wei Ren realized he'd been wrong about her.
The moment Yu Sui's outward image—years of foolishness and innocence—was overturned, Wei Ren couldn't stop himself from trembling with excitement inside.
From that moment on, he wouldn't let Yu Sui die.
The instant Yu Sui left Wei Ren's room, she had already gathered all her emotions back into place. Over the years, she had mastered how to calm herself down quickly.
Her emotions had to be precisely controlled if she wanted to escape Nangong Ming's scrutiny.
Yu Sui knocked on Mei Chengyu's door and called softly, "Senior Martial Brother."
Mei Chengyu's languid reply came from inside. "What?"
"Are you going to the Taoist Saint Hall?" Yu Sui asked.
Mei Chengyu said, "Yes."
"Now?"
She hadn't even had time to ask if he wanted to go together before Mei Chengyu drawled lazily, "I'll go when I feel like it."
"Okay." Yu Sui lowered her hand. "Senior Martial Brother, I'll head over first, then."
Mei Chengyu didn't answer.
Yu Sui rode the Dragon Ladder out of the dormitory alone and headed to the Taoist Saint Hall to continue yesterday's initiation practice.
After last night's torrential rain and thunder, the hall grounds were a mess. Fallen leaves and broken branches covered the ground, and most of the white flowers draped in green vines had fallen. In the ditch by the wall, there was nothing but water, flowers, and leaves.
Unripe apricots, plums, and peaches had fallen all over the ground, too.
Yu Sui cleared a small patch and picked up a few pieces of fruit, setting them down on the ground.
The first was a green apricot.
This was the physical body.
The second was a plum tinged faintly with red.
This was the separated self—the three souls.
The third was a peach.
This was the six po, with all seven senses emptied.
Yu Sui's finger hovered in the air, then finally stopped over the peach representing the six po, with all seven senses emptied. Her fingertip tapped the peach.
The Ghost Dao School's introductory technique could control souls, stabilize po, and empty the seven senses. That meant the physical body could be injured without dying; only when the six po were shattered by Five Elements Qi would it count as death.
Golden Five Elements Qi gathered at Yu Sui's fingertip. She stared at the three fruits arranged in a straight line, then pointed into the air at the apricot at the front.
All three fruits shattered.
When Yu Sui used Stabilize Po, her main field of vision would no longer be through her own eyes. Instead, it would come from another self, separated through soul control and floating in the air, looking down over everything from above.
Three or five apricots on the ground suddenly rose into the air and shot toward Yu Sui from different directions. The consciousness separated through the first use of soul control could see every incoming attack. Yu Sui's figure flickered, and the afterimage left by her Wind Riding Technique brushed past the flying apricots.
The little apricots were wrapped in rapidly circulating Five Elements Qi. When they collided with Yu Sui's Five Elements Qi, the two forces slammed together with a heavy thud, then sprang apart.
Yu Sui was knocked backward and couldn't dodge the last apricot in time.
It struck her forehead and fell.
"Ow." Yu Sui covered her forehead and let out a soft cry.
Sage Chang Gen said, "Too slow."
Yu Sui bent down to pick up the apricot, wiped off the water, and held it beneath her nose to sniff. It had a faint apricot fragrance. "Master, can you smell it?"
Sage Chang Gen said, "No, but I can imagine it."
Yu Sui crouched and stared at the apricot in her palm. "Then could I one day cultivate to your level?"
Sage Chang Gen said, "No."
"Huh?" Yu Sui froze. Was he really that direct and certain?
"Master, why can't I? Is my talent not good enough?" Yu Sui asked curiously.
Sage Chang Gen said, "You're attached to your physical body."
Hearing that, Yu Sui reached up and touched her face, then glanced down at her clothes. She nodded. "I'm so pretty. Of course I don't want to throw away this body and die."
Sage Chang Gen said, "Fair enough."
Yu Sui smiled and got up to continue practicing.
Yu Sui spent the whole day sparring with her master at the Taoist Saint Hall. He threw flowers and fruit at her, chasing her all around the hall until she was panting, and she had to rest several times.
Mei Chengyu hadn't come today. Yu Sui glanced at the darkening sky. It was time to go to the Medical School to change her dressing. She said goodbye to Sage Chang Gen, then headed for the Medical School with the Wind Riding Technique.
The Medical School's on-duty disciple was still Shi Yuezhen.
There were quite a few people around now, and the clinic was lively. When Shi Yuezhen saw Yu Sui, she lifted the curtain to a side room for her. "You came at just the right time. This is the last room. The Military School opened a formation today, and a lot of disciples got hurt."
Yu Sui walked into the little room. "The Military Formation? What level did they open?"
"Level-one Military Formation: Black Wind City. That one's difficult. There's no way to get through it alone." As she spoke, Shi Yuezhen prepared the medicinal paste.
Yu Sui sat on the edge of the small bed and took off her clothes on her own. Turning her head, she checked the wound near her shoulder. It was still quite noticeable, but it had healed somewhat.
"No wonder there are still so many people this late," Yu Sui said. "Are they all from the Military School?"
Shi Yuezhen smiled. "Not all of them. When the Military School opens a formation, it lets disciples from the other schools try the Military Formation. Their own disciples can go, too."
Yu Sui nodded and sat properly on the bed, quietly waiting for her medicine. Even when she was quiet, her brows and eyes were still lively. A glimmer of light shone in her moist, dark eyes, and she always looked innocent and obedient.
Shi Yuezhen turned back. Her gaze softened when she saw Yu Sui like this. "I wish every patient were as obedient as you."
Yu Sui smiled, her brows curving.
Shi Yuezhen first applied medicine to her back. When she went out to change the medicine, she saw someone else come in, badly injured, half her body stained with blood. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her forehead was slick with sweat.
Li Jinshuang raised her eyes toward Shi Yuezhen, who was holding a bowl of medicine. A long, deep gash marked Li Jinshuang's left cheek. It was a sword wound, with some flesh turned outward, and looked both gruesome and horrifying.
Unfortunately, there were no spare rooms left.
Yu Sui still needed to remove the clothes covering the lower half of her body. It wasn't convenient to share with someone else, so Shi Yuezhen went to ask a disciple in the neighboring room who wasn't badly hurt, "Could you—"
When the girl inside saw Li Jinshuang beside Shi Yuezhen, her eyes widened. She cut Shi Yuezhen off before she could finish. "No!"
Then she yanked the curtain shut.
Shi Yuezhen paused.
The girl inside said angrily, "Li Jinshuang is neither man nor woman. How can you let her share a room with me, Senior Sister?"
Shi Yuezhen said gently, "She's a woman, and so are you. What's the difference?"
Yu Sui heard the argument outside and tapped on the wall. "Senior Sister, let her come in here."
Shi Yuezhen glanced at Li Jinshuang. She was in poor shape, barely holding herself upright despite her serious injuries, as if she might faint at any moment. Shi Yuezhen didn't waste time and brought Li Jinshuang into Yu Sui's room.
Yu Sui had been lying on the bed, but now she sat up to make room for Li Jinshuang.
"Do you know each other?" Shi Yuezhen helped Li Jinshuang sit on the bed and gently supported her chin. The Five Elements Qi at her fingertips lightly touched the wound on Li Jinshuang's face.
"She's my roommate," Yu Sui said. She tilted her head to study Li Jinshuang's injuries. "Did you try the Military Formation, too?"
As soon as Shi Yuezhen pressed Li Jinshuang's shoulder and sat her down on the bed, the strength she'd been using to hold herself together gave out. As Shi Yuezhen's gentle Five Elements Qi brushed over her, Li Jinshuang's consciousness grew hazy, and she slowly closed her eyes.
"She needs to rest for a while," Shi Yuezhen said.
Seeing Shi Yuezhen's serious expression as she focused on guiding the Five Elements Qi stored in Li Jinshuang's body to disperse, Yu Sui carefully climbed down from the bed, making room for Li Jinshuang to lie down.
While Shi Yuezhen was busy cleaning Li Jinshuang's wounds, Yu Sui went to the corner to put her clothes back on. Shi Yuezhen asked her to fetch several bowls of medicine from the counter outside. Yu Sui answered, then lifted the curtain and went out.
It was already late at night. Yu Sui went to the counter and picked up the bowls Shi Yuezhen had asked for. On her way back, she caught a glimpse of two figures approaching outside, and stopped.
Puddles from last night's rain still dotted the ground. The man walking in front stepped into one, and drops of blood fell into the water.
Mei Chengyu carried his bloodstained outer robe over one shoulder. The clothes on his right arm looked as if they'd been burned away, exposing a strong arm with smooth lines and hidden, immense explosive power. The scent of blood and fire clung to him, along with the fighting spirit he hadn't completely reined in after leaving the battlefield.
Zhongli Shan followed behind him, also injured and bloodied. His neck was covered in blood, with flecks of black mixed in. Zhongli Shan's brows furrowed slightly. When he spotted Yu Sui standing in the clinic, surprise flashed across his face.
Yu Sui first took the medicine bowls inside for Shi Yuezhen, then lifted the curtain and came back out. Looking at Mei Chengyu as he entered, she said, "Senior Martial Brother."
Mei Chengyu noticed the way she'd been carrying the bowls of medicine. In a level tone, he asked, "Have you come to the clinic to run errands?"
"I came to change my dressing. I haven't finished yet." Yu Sui watched Mei Chengyu and Zhongli Shan continue upstairs without stopping, and asked, "Senior Martial Brother, did you go try the Military Formation, too?"
Mei Chengyu glanced at her from the side and raised a brow. "I'll take you with me another day."
The two of them went up to the clinic's second floor, one after the other.
Yu Sui went back and told Shi Yuezhen that the two of them had gone upstairs.
Shi Yuezhen smiled. "That's fine. The second floor is for people who can treat their own injuries."
Before you continue