Missing Thoughts

Chapter 38

Yu Sui considered a possibility. If Qingkui had always been under Nangong Ming's control, would he do nothing to his own daughter? Lady Su was viewed differently by everyone.

To the disciples of the Agricultural School in Yan Kingdom, Lady Su was an enemy who stole the Primordial Soil and severely injured Yan Kingdom's Saint.

To traitors like Wei Ren from the Agricultural School, Lady Su was a great benefactor who saved them.

In Yu Sui's eyes, Lady Su was calm, intelligent, decisive, and ruthless.

Lady Su had hesitated at Mount Luo Peak initially, wondering what to do with this child who had unexpectedly stolen half of her Primordial Soil.

She had obtained the Primordial Soil by conceiving Yu Sui, but no one had expected that after giving birth to this child, she would steal half of the Primordial Soil.

From initial hesitation to a firm decision, she thoroughly implemented her choice and no longer showed leniency towards Yu Sui.

This was because she had already made her choice.

Therefore, Yu Sui believed Lady Su was decisive and ruthless. Once she decided to abandon her daughter for the Primordial Soil, she wouldn't turn back.

As for Nangong Ming, his danger level was even higher than Lady Su's.

Even the formidable Lady Su had fallen into his hands, so what kind of strength did Nangong Ming possess?

When it came to ruthlessness, Nangong Ming was likely no less than Lady Su, perhaps even more so.

Lady Su might have only wanted the Primordial Soil and Qingkui, but Nangong Ming wanted much more than that.

Regarding the relationship between Lady Su and Nangong Ming, Yu Sui, through her observations over the years, felt there was some romantic entanglement between them.

They were special to each other, using each other, depending on each other, and appreciating each other.

However, given their personalities, they only had a sliver of romantic inclination, just a tiny bit.

Often, that tiny bit, a moment of affection, was enough to make people make many regrettable decisions.

If Yu Sui did anything, she would alert both Lady Su and Nangong Ming. Yet, these two maintained a tacit agreement when it came to issues concerning Yu Sui.

Perhaps it was because they had two children.

Losing one was acceptable.

Seeing Yu Sui lost in thought, Wei Ren waited patiently without disturbing her. She seemed somewhat absent-minded, her fingers lightly resting on the Listening Wind Ruler. The ruler flickered with a faint light, and the rotating characters on it were reflected in Yu Sui's dark eyes.

Yu Sui's initial absent-mindedness turned into focused attention.

She first replied to Zhongli Que's message: "Do you like this Sister Chu?"

Zhongli Que replied quickly: "Not to that extent yet."

"It's just that she makes people feel comfortable, and I feel at ease around her," Zhongli Que said while filling in a crossword puzzle. She paused as she sent these messages, hesitated, and then sent the latter half, "I feel the same way every time I see Prince Nangong."

Yu Sui's finger tapping on the Listening Wind Ruler stopped.

Zhongli Que added: "I want to interact with her for a while first. Everyone's aura feels different. If they are too similar, they are either the same type of person or have known each other for a long time. Oh, right, be careful in Taiyi too. I've been dreaming about bad things happening to you lately, but I can't remember them clearly when I wake up, and divination doesn't help."

"Sui Sui, you're too far away. I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up."

As soon as she finished sending the message, the carriage stopped.

Zhongli Que heard a commotion outside. Guard Li of the Zhongli family said sternly, "Who dares to block the carriage of the Great General's mansion?"

Soldiers in golden armor stood on both sides of the driveway. The man leading them wore a black and gold robe, with broad shoulders and a trim waist, cinched with a Qilin patterned belt. He held a white jade tablet and faced Guard Li. His face was handsome and refined, and he said coldly, "This is Gu Jun of the Golden Armored Army. By order of the Saint, we are setting up checkpoints in the four streets to search for Lan Poison. We ask Great General Zhongli to delay for a moment."

Guard Li saw that the Golden Armored Army had indeed set up a checkpoint ahead, and many carriages behind were also blocked, with people sent to investigate.

"Miss," Guard Li turned and said softly to Zhongli Que inside the carriage, "The Golden Armored Army is setting up checkpoints to search for poison. Please alight and wait for a moment."

Zhongli Que lifted the curtain and alighted from the carriage with Guard Li's assistance. She looked back, her gaze meeting Gu Jun's, who stood in the sunlight.

Both were momentarily surprised.

From their brief encounter under the tree at the hunting grounds not long ago to this moment on the wide driveway, facing each other amidst soldiers and attendants, only a few days had passed, yet their statuses and positions were clearly demarcated.

Zhongli Que suppressed her surprise and stood quietly watching the Golden Armored Army soldiers. Gu Jun glanced at the Golden Armored Army soldiers beside him, signaling them to search the carriage, and then gave a slight bow to Zhongli Que.

After sending the message to Old Man Yan, Yu Sui put away the Listening Wind Ruler and looked at Wei Ren, who had been waiting for a long time. She asked thoughtfully, "If I were to fight Lady Su right now..."

"You would die," Wei Ren stated definitively.

Yu Sui then asked, "If I were in the Fifth Realm?"

"You would still die," Wei Ren replied. "I heard she was injured, but she could still repel many Thirteenth Realm cultivators at Mount Luo Peak, not to mention her Phantom Beast Shadow. Even a single Dao manifestation possesses the strength of a Thirteenth Realm."

"In other words, whether it's now or in the near future, facing Lady Su would be a dead end for you."

Yu Sui said "Oh," and blinked. "So, I've only survived this long because she showed mercy?"

Wei Ren paused, then shook her head. "It seems you've survived this long by deceiving Lady Su and Nangong Ming. Being able to deceive both of them means you're not simple either."

"Lady Su can't just fly to Taiyi to kill you now. Your problem still comes from the pursuers from the Agricultural School. Honestly, I think you'll be safer in Taiyi than in the Imperial Capital of Qingyang."

Wei Ren's gaze shifted past Yu Sui, looking towards the door. She said with a forced smile, "You are now a disciple of Sage Chang Gen. Killing is forbidden within the academy, but outside the academy, you can summon a Saint to act. Now, if they want to kill you, they must first deal with Sage Chang Gen. If anyone were to move against Sage Chang Gen, your Senior Martial Brother Mei Chengyu would cut off that person's head first."

Yu Sui listened with a half-smile.

Wei Ren continued, "Why not take this opportunity to cultivate first, and then deal with the Primordial Soil? I told you, I'm only interested in the Primordial Soil, so I've researched its existence over the years. I've wondered if it's possible to strip the Primordial Soil without killing anyone."

"Is that possible?" Yu Sui asked with little interest.

"Theoretically, yes," Wei Ren said with a smile. "You die once, let the Primordial Soil think your physical body has dissolved and detached, then you can revive."

Yu Sui tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked seriously, "Are you really the most talented among the younger generation of the Agricultural School? Then this generation of Agricultural School disciples is hopeless."

Wei Ren replied, "Didn't your Master achieve it?"

Yu Sui looked at him and asked, "Then why don't you join the Ghost Dao School?"

"My talent isn't there," Wei Ren immediately said. "I'm most adept at the Agricultural School's phantom beasts."

Yu Sui was quiet for a moment, then shook her head and refused, "I don't like it. Master can't even eat apricots. I like eating meat; it's the only hobby I have for living."

Wei Ren looked at her in astonishment as she stood up. Yu Sui once again tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, looking at Wei Ren with a half-smile. "You'd better think of another way to let me detach the Primordial Soil while still alive."

"You're not going to give me a time limit, are you?" Wei Ren said awkwardly. "I'm not talented enough to figure it out in a few days. My talent isn't in this area."

Yu Sui turned to open the door. Without looking back, she said with a smile, "If you can't figure it out, then go die."

Wei Ren watched her retreating back. Yu Sui was a polite child; she closed the door behind her when she left.

The door closed, and silence returned to the room. Wei Ren could faintly hear Yu Sui calling out "Senior Martial Brother" to someone outside.

He lowered his gaze to the medicine bottle in his hand, recalling the news he had heard about Yu Sui over the years. Even in the years Yu Sui wasn't paying attention, Wei Ren had seen her from afar in Qingyang Imperial Capital.

At six, eight, eleven, and thirteen years old.

Wei Ren had seen Yu Sui standing with Lady Su in the crowd from afar.

Wei Ren was different from other children from a young age. When the children around him were ignited by their master's words, dedicating their lives to the Agricultural School and vowing to reclaim the Primordial Soil as their life's goal, he only thought that the child standing beside Lady Su was very unlucky.

Not only unlucky, but she also didn't seem very smart, looking foolish. People like that, he knew at a glance, would definitely not live to eighteen.

In the year Yu Sui turned eighteen, Wei Ren saw her on the Cloud Vehicle Dragon.

For the first time, they weren't separated by a sea of people, a long street, or a heavily guarded army. They were only a few steps apart.

At such close proximity, Wei Ren realized he had misjudged her.

The moment her years-long facade of foolishness and naivete was shattered, Wei Ren trembled with excitement.

From that moment on, he would not let Yu Sui die.

The instant Yu Sui left Wei Ren's room, she had already composed herself. Over the years, she had become skilled at calming herself down quickly.

38 Chapter 38 (Page 2/2)

Precise emotional control was the only way to evade Nangong Ming's scrutiny.

Yu Sui knocked on Mei Chengyu's door and said softly, "Senior Martial Brother."

A casual reply came from inside, "What is it?"

"Are you going to the Ghost Dao Saint Hall?" Yu Sui asked.

Mei Chengyu replied, "Yes."

Yu Sui asked, "Now?"

Before she could even invite him to go together, she heard Mei Chengyu say lazily, "I'll go when I feel like it."

"Okay," Yu Sui retracted her hand from the door. "Senior Martial Brother, I'll head over first then."

Mei Chengyu didn't respond.

Yu Sui took the Dragon Ladder alone, leaving the dormitory and heading to the Ghost Dao Saint Hall to continue yesterday's introductory cultivation.

After last night's storm and thunder, the ground of the Saint Hall was a mess. Fallen leaves and broken branches were everywhere. Most of the white flowers adorned with green vines were gone. In the ditch by the wall, there was only flowing water, leaves, and flowers.

Unripe apricots, plums, and peaches had also fallen all over the ground.

Yu Sui swept a clean spot and picked up a few fruits, placing them on the ground.

The first was a green apricot.

This represented the physical body.

The second was a slightly reddish plum.

This represented the separated self, the three souls.

The third was a peach.

This represented the six po devoid of the seven senses.

Yu Sui hovered her finger, finally stopping on the peach representing the six po devoid of the seven senses. Her fingertip touched the peach.

The introductory cultivation method of the Ghost Dao School could control souls and stabilize po. With the seven senses devoid, it meant that even if the physical body was injured, one would not die. Only when the six po were shattered by the Five Elements Qi would death occur.

Yu Sui condensed golden Five Elements Qi at her fingertip, staring at the three fruits lined up in a row. She pointed at the apricot at the front of the line.

All three fruits were shattered.

When Yu Sui stabilized po, her primary field of vision would no longer be her eyes. Instead, it would be the perspective of another her, separated by soul control, hovering in the air and looking down at the entire scene from above.

The three or five apricots that had fallen to the ground suddenly levitated and shot towards Yu Sui from different directions. The first separated consciousness, able to see attacks from all directions, allowed Yu Sui to dodge the flying apricots with a blur of her figure and the afterimage created by the Wind Riding Technique.

The small apricots, wrapped in rapidly rotating Five Elements Qi, collided with Yu Sui's Five Elements Qi, making a dull thudding sound before bouncing off.

Yu Sui was pushed back, unable to dodge the last apricot in time.

An apricot fell and hit her forehead.

"Qi." Yu Sui let out a soft gasp, covering her forehead.

Sage Chang Gen: "Too slow."

Yu Sui bent down to pick up the apricot, wiped off the water stain, and brought it to her nose to smell. It had a faint apricot fragrance. She asked Sage Chang Gen, "Master, can you smell it?"

Sage Chang Gen: "I can't, but I can imagine it."

Yu Sui squatted down, staring at the apricot in her palm, and asked again, "Can I cultivate to your realm one day?"

Sage Chang Gen: "No."

"Qi?" Yu Sui froze. Was he that direct and certain?

"Master, why can't I? Is it because my talent isn't enough?" Yu Sui asked curiously.

Sage Chang Gen: "You are attached to your physical body."

Upon hearing this, Yu Sui reached out and touched her face, then looked down at her clothes. She nodded and said, "I'm this good-looking, I really don't want to lose this skin to die."

Sage Chang Gen: "Makes sense."

Yu Sui smiled and stood up, continuing her cultivation.

Yu Sui sparred with her Master in the Taoist Saint Hall all day. She was chased around the entire hall by the fruits and flowers her Master threw, getting so tired she was gasping for breath and had to rest for several rounds.

Mei Chengyu didn't come today. Yu Sui glanced at the darkening sky. She needed to go to the Medical School to change her dressing. She greeted Sage Chang Gen and hurried towards the Medical School using the Wind Riding Technique.

The disciple on duty at the medical hall today was still Shi Yuezhen.

However, there were many people coming at this time, and the medical hall was a bit lively. Shi Yuezhen saw Yu Sui and pulled aside the curtain for her, saying, "You've come at the right time. There's only this one room left. The Military School opened their formation today, and many injured disciples have come."

Yu Sui walked into the small private room, "The Military Formation? What level did they open?"

"Level one Military Formation, Black Wind City. That's quite difficult. You definitely can't pass it in a one-on-one fight," Shi Yuezhen said while preparing ointment.

Yu Sui sat on the small bed and consciously removed her clothes. She turned her head to look at the scar on her shoulder. It was still obvious, but it had already healed somewhat.

"No wonder there are still so many people this late," Yu Sui said. "Are they all Military School disciples?"

Shi Yuezhen smiled and said, "Not entirely. When the Military School opens its formation, it's for disciples from other schools to experience the Military Formation. Their own disciples can also go."

Yu Sui nodded and sat upright on the bed, quietly waiting for the medicine to be applied. When she was quiet, her eyebrows and eyes were still lively, and her clear dark eyes had specks of faint light, always appearing innocent and well-behaved.

Shi Yuezhen turned back and saw Yu Sui like this, her gaze softened slightly. "If only every patient were as obedient as you."

Yu Sui smiled, her eyebrows and eyes curving.

Shi Yuezhen first applied medicine to her back. When she went out to change the dressing, she saw someone else coming in, and they were quite badly injured. Half of their body was covered in blood, their brow was slightly furrowed, and their forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Li Jinshuang looked up at Shi Yuezhen, who was holding a bowl of medicine. Her left cheek had a long, deep cut, a sword wound, with some flesh torn open, looking ferocious and terrifying.

Unfortunately, there were no more private rooms available.

Yu Sui was about to remove her lower garments, and it would be inconvenient to be with others. Shi Yuezhen went to ask a disciple whose injuries were not very serious in the adjacent room, "Could you possibly share with the young lady inside..." When Shi Yuezhen saw Li Jinshuang next to her, she couldn't help but widen her eyes and refused before even hearing the question, "No!"

And she quickly pulled the curtain shut.

Shi Yuezhen was stunned for a moment.

The young lady inside said indignantly, "Li Jinshuang is neither male nor female. Senior Martial Sister, how can you let her share with me!"

Shi Yuezhen said gently, "She is a woman, and you are also a woman. What's the difference?"

Yu Sui heard the argument outside and tapped on the wall, "Senior Martial Sister, let her come to my room."

Shi Yuezhen looked back at Li Jinshuang. She was in a bad state, forcing herself to endure her severe injuries, looking like she might faint at any moment. So, without further delay, she brought Li Jinshuang into Yu Sui's private room.

Yu Sui was originally lying on the bed. She now sat up to make space for Li Jinshuang.

"Do you know each other?" Shi Yuezhen pulled Li Jinshuang to sit on the bed, gently supporting her chin. The Five Elements Qi on her fingertips lightly touched the wound on Li Jinshuang's face.

"We're roommates," Yu Sui said, tilting her head to examine Li Jinshuang's injuries. "Did you also go to challenge the Military Formation?"

When Li Jinshuang was pressed onto the bed by Shi Yuezhen's shoulders, the strength she had been holding onto dissipated. As Shi Yuezhen's gentle Five Elements Qi caressed her body, her consciousness became muddled, and she slowly closed her eyes.

"She needs to rest for a while," Shi Yuezhen said.

Yu Sui saw Shi Yuezhen's serious expression as she focused on guiding the Five Elements Qi within Li Jinshuang to dissipate. She carefully got off the bed and made space for Li Jinshuang to lie on the bed.

While Shi Yuezhen was busy cleaning Li Jinshuang's wounds, Yu Sui went to a corner to put on her clothes. Shi Yuezhen asked her to help bring in a few bowls of medicine from the counter outside. Yu Sui responded with a sound and lifted the curtain to go out.

It was already late at night outside. Yu Sui walked to the counter and picked up the bowls of medicine Shi Yuezhen wanted. As she walked back, her peripheral vision caught sight of two figures approaching from outside, and she stopped.

There were still puddles on the ground from the rain the night before. The man walking in front stepped into the water, but drops of blood fell into it.

Mei Chengyu carried his blood-stained outer garment over his shoulder with one hand. His right sleeve looked like it had been burned, revealing his muscular arm. The lines of his forearm were smooth, containing an immeasurable explosive power. Combined with the aura of blood and fire on his body, and the fighting spirit that couldn't be fully contained after retreating from the battlefield.

Behind him followed Zhongli Shan, also injured and blood-stained. His neck was covered in blood, mixed with specks of black. Zhongli Shan frowned slightly and was momentarily surprised when he caught sight of Yu Sui standing in the medical hall.

Yu Sui first took the medicine bowls inside to Shi Yuezhen, then lifted the curtain and came out. She looked at Mei Chengyu, who had just entered, and said, "Senior Martial Brother."

Mei Chengyu noticed her action of carrying the medicine bowls and asked in a neither light nor heavy tone, "Are you here to work as a helper at the medical hall?"

"I'm here to change my dressing, and I haven't finished yet," Yu Sui said. Seeing Mei Chengyu and Zhongli Shan walking upstairs without stopping, she asked him, "Senior Martial Brother, did you also go to challenge the Military Formation?"

Mei Chengyu glanced at her sideways, raised an eyebrow, and said, "I'll take you with me another day."

The two went up to the second floor of the medical hall one after another.

Yu Sui went back and told Shi Yuezhen that the two had gone upstairs.

Shi Yuezhen smiled and said, "It's fine. The second floor is prepared for those who can heal themselves."