Missing Thoughts Literature

Mei Chengyu and Zhongli Shan went up to the second floor and found their respective medical cubicles. They took medicine trays and various medical tools from the cabinets and set them on the tables, the medicine bottles clinking together with different sounds.

Zhongli Shan faced the mirror and dampened a cloth with warm water before wiping the blood from his neck. He glanced at Mei Chengyu, who was still fiddling with medicine bottles. "Want me to take you along sometime?"

Mei Chengyu didn't even turn around. "Where?"

"Not me. You just said you'd take Nangong Sui." Zhongli Shan furrowed his brow and studied Mei Chengyu thoughtfully. "You two get along pretty well?"

"Taking my junior martial sister to try out a high-level military formation. So what?" Mei Chengyu replied nonchalantly.

Zhongli Shan looked away. "So you've accepted her as your junior martial sister?"

Mei Chengyu said, "My master chose her. What does whether I accept her have to do with anything?"

Zhongli Shan rolled up his sleeve and picked tiny shards of debris out of his arm. His expression was calm and composed, and his hands were steady as he worked. "Didn't you say Nangong Sui was special, all dazzling and bright, the very first day you met her?"

Mei Chengyu was mixing different medicines into a salve, and his reply came quickly. "When she went up to the Questioning Platform, she was standing against the light, with the morning sun right behind her. Of course she looked like she was glowing."

Zhongli Shan said, "Oh."

"What are you 'oh'-ing for?" Mei Chengyu's voice turned chilly.

Zhongli Shan stared at his wound. "Nangong Sui really is pretty."

Mei Chengyu said, "That goes without saying."

Zhongli Shan added, "I just didn't expect her to look even prettier to you than she does to everyone else."

Mei Chengyu asked, "How pretty?"

Zhongli Shan said, "You said it yourself. The prettiest one."

Mei Chengyu shot back, "Isn't that the same as being the prettiest?"

Zhongli Shan said gravely, "Not quite."

Mei Chengyu turned to look at him, holding a jar of medicine. "Then who's the prettiest?"

Zhongli Shan answered without a moment's thought. "Su Tong."

Mei Chengyu sneered. "Shut up."

They kept chatting back and forth while picking debris out of their wounds. But once the wounds were treated and they started applying medicine, they fell quiet.

Yu Sui watched in silence as Shi Yuezhen treated Li Jinshuang.

The Medical School Heavenly Secrets Technique—Subtle Hand—was specifically meant for people whose Five Elements Qi had reversed and run rampant. When the Five Elements Qi inside the body was injured and thrown into disorder, it hurt even more than having one's flesh sliced open. Walking, talking, even blinking could tug at the qi within.

Shi Yuezhen couldn't help marveling at Li Jinshuang's formidable tolerance for pain. The fact that she'd made it all the way here from the Military School showed just how strong she was.

"It looks like she went to challenge the military formation alone," Shi Yuezhen said.

Yu Sui nodded as she listened.

Li Jinshuang really had no friends. Because of her family, she was loyal to Xun Zhiya and would heed Xun Zhiya's words, but she would never ask her to accompany her in challenging the formation.

"When the Military School opens a formation, they set up all sorts of checkpoints inside. With a high-level, first-rank military formation like this, it's easy to get hurt if you go in alone," Shi Yuezhen said. "The Military School doesn't encourage disciples to challenge formations by themselves, either."

Yu Sui asked with innocent curiosity, "Senior Martial Sister, how long does the Military School keep the formation open?"

"Seven days. Today's the first. Do you want to go, too?"

Yu Sui thought it over. This time, the Military School had opened it themselves. It was Black Wind City, a first-rank formation, so there shouldn't be any other changes.

"I want to go, but I wouldn't be able to get through it alone. I might end up even more hurt." Yu Sui tilted her head toward Li Jinshuang. "Look at her. She's a Fifth Realm sorcerer, and she's still this badly hurt."

She thought of Mei Chengyu. "Senior Martial Brother did say he'd take me along sometime, but I don't know if I can count on him."

Shi Yuezhen smiled. "Your senior martial brother and the others are probably going to challenge the formation to break through. You'd be in even more danger if you went with them."

Yu Sui looked at Li Jinshuang again. "If she's hurt this badly, can she still challenge the military formation in a couple of days?"

"I can help her settle her disordered Five Elements Qi. The rest are just flesh wounds. They look serious, but after she applies medicine tonight, they won't be much of a problem. If she wants to go, she can."

Yu Sui dragged over a chair and sat beside the bed, watching the unconscious Li Jinshuang. She always dressed as a man and even drew her eyebrows to make them look more masculine. With her face usually set in a stern, cold expression, she looked every bit the refined young master.

Even dressed as a man, it was clear Li Jinshuang was beautiful.

Perhaps she was so beautiful that she made a convincing man, too. Most people couldn't tell whether she was male or female.

Now Li Jinshuang was badly injured, her face deathly pale and vulnerable. Her usually tightly bound hair had been let down by Shi Yuezhen so the wounds could be cleaned. Dark strands spilled loose, and as Shi Yuezhen washed her face and wiped away her makeup, her true appearance emerged.

Yu Sui rested her chin on one hand and gazed at Li Jinshuang. "She's really beautiful."

Shi Yuezhen nodded. "It'd be better if she didn't dress as a man."

What reason did the Nanjing Li Family have for raising a girl this way?

Li Jinshuang's reflection filled Yu Sui's clear, glossy black eyes. Her gaze traveled from Li Jinshuang's face to her neck and shoulders. Years of cultivation had left no excess flesh on her body, only resilient lines and snow-white skin. Just looking at her stirred the heart.

Why did she have to dress as a man to uphold the Li Family?

Yu Sui was mulling it over absentmindedly when her Listening Wind Ruler buzzed. She tapped it open and saw a message from Gu Gan, sent to "Gan."

She hadn't shut off the channel for receiving messages from Gu Gan.

All he could see on his end was the character "Gan." He couldn't see the other person's inscription, so he had no way to confirm their identity.

Gu Gan's message read, "Since you know so much about the Listening Wind Ruler, and can bypass the Communication Institute's monitoring to send messages at will, can you also see the different messages people receive on their Listening Wind Rulers?"

Yu Sui replied without changing her expression, "No."

Only a fool would tell you that.

Gu Gan asked again, "You can't control other people's Listening Wind Rulers?"

Yu Sui replied, "No."

Gu Gan: "Then what can you do?"

Yu Sui didn't answer.

Gu Gan stared at the silent Listening Wind Ruler, his teeth aching with frustration. He'd never been manipulated and threatened like this before, and he was damned if he'd swallow this insult.

Ji Meng and Huo Xiao were brainstorming beside him. "At least for now, this Mysterious Person seems to be on our side. They shouldn't be a threat yet, right?"

"If the Floating Pagoda is everyone's target, they definitely won't dare let the academy notice anything about it. That would only get in the way of their own plans." Huo Xiao analyzed the situation coolly. "But we should be careful about their ability to operate the Listening Wind Ruler."

Ji Meng raised his hand. "We should avoid discussing anything important over the Listening Wind Ruler from now on."

Gu Gan said gravely, "We weren't going to use it for that in the first place."

Ji Meng scratched his head. "But sometimes the Listening Wind Ruler really is convenient."

"If they can send messages without needing our inscriptions to match, they can probably control the Listening Wind Rulers, too. If they pretend to be you or me when sending messages, it'll be hard to tell the difference."

Huo Xiao suggested, "From now on, when we send messages, we should use a code only we know, just in case."

Ji Meng nodded. "Good idea."

Gu Gan liked the suggestion, too. He tapped the table. "What code should we use?"

Far away at the Medical School, Yu Sui watched the three of them come up with a code through the Five Elements Light Core she'd placed with Gu Gan. She found the whole thing rather amusing.

Their analysis was impressively thorough. They were pretty clever.

But that was about it.

Shi Yuezhen was busy looking after Li Jinshuang, so Yu Sui waited patiently. At last, Li Jinshuang was taken care of. Yu Sui had just taken off her outer robe when another disciple had an emergency, and Shi Yuezhen was called away.

Yu Sui wasn't in a hurry. She leaned over the bed and played with her Listening Wind Ruler. Zhongli Shan and Mei Chengyu had finished up on the second floor and came downstairs.

They were still on the stairs when they saw Shi Yuezhen rushing around below.

Zhongli Shan asked, "Cang Shu hasn't come?"

"He'll probably show up later." Mei Chengyu lowered his head to look at his Listening Wind Ruler.

Xing Chun asked in the group chat, "Eating?"

"Yep," Cang Shu replied. "I'm bringing food for Yuezhen from the Dining Hall. What do you want?"

Xing Chun tapped out a line on his Listening Wind Ruler, full of bitter resentment. "If you're eating with Yuezhen, then I guess I won't come."

Mei Chengyu replied, "Zhongli Shan and I are eating at the clinic."

Xing Chun: "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Cang Shu stared at the Listening Wind Ruler and blinked in confusion.

Aren't you still coming to eat with Yuezhen and me?

When Shi Yuezhen saw the two of them come downstairs, she asked them to help prepare some salve. "They're all external injuries, and they were hurt in Black Wind City, just like you were."

Both Zhongli Shan and Mei Chengyu had taken electives at the Medical School, so Shi Yuezhen felt comfortable asking them to prepare the medicine.

Zhongli Shan immediately got to work. Mei Chengyu lounged nearby, slacking off as he played with his Listening Wind Ruler. Zhongli Shan raised an elbow and jolted him out of it. Mei Chengyu frowned and shot him a sidelong glare before finally putting the Listening Wind Ruler away.

The medicine jars had cubicle numbers written on them. Zhongli Shan prepared the medicine quickly, and when Mei Chengyu took it, he checked it over once more to make sure nothing was wrong.

"Number One." Zhongli Shan handed him the prepared medicine jar.

Mei Chengyu carried it to Room Number One. The instant he lifted the curtain, his gaze landed without warning on the person leaning over the bedside.

Shi Yuezhen had been applying medicine to Yu Sui's back when she was called away. Yu Sui hadn't bothered to get dressed after she left, still wearing her clothes half off to let herself cool down.

Mei Chengyu's eyes suddenly fell upon snow-white skin. Her back arched slightly, and long, jagged red welts marred her pale back. The contrast between her fragile beauty and the marks of violence hit him so hard that he quickly let the curtain fall.

Yu Sui turned around at once, alert to the movement. All she saw was the edge of the curtain swaying slightly.

Mei Chengyu reacted quickly. The moment his eyes caught something out of place, his body had already responded. The curtain hid the pale skin inside the cubicle. Mei Chengyu's brows twitched, and then he heard Yu Sui call softly from within, "Senior Martial Brother?"

Only a fool would answer.

Mei Chengyu didn't respond. He set the medicine jar back on the table.

Zhongli Shan looked up at him, silently asking what was going on. Mei Chengyu glanced toward Shi Yuezhen. "It's not convenient. Let her get it herself."

Yu Sui had arrived before him, yet she still hadn't finished changing the dressing.

Mei Chengyu had no idea how she'd managed that.

Yu Sui had been about to get up and look outside when she saw Li Jinshuang's brows furrow. She stirred and slowly woke, so Yu Sui stayed where she was, sitting beside the bed as Li Jinshuang opened her eyes.

"You're awake." Yu Sui waved a hand in front of Li Jinshuang. "How do you feel? If your Five Elements Qi is still in chaos, I'll ask Senior Martial Sister to take a look."

The cubicle was bright with lamplight, its glow shimmering. Li Jinshuang's vision blurred, then gradually cleared. She saw a delicate little face with clear, limpid eyes, gazing at her with concern. The girl's graceful brows were slightly drawn together. Anyone met with such a tender look would feel their heart soften.

In her daze, Li Jinshuang saw another woman through Yu Sui—the person who had rushed to her bedside first whenever she woke from illness or injury as a child.

She was still muddled. The blurry phantom overlapping with Yu Sui filled her heart with sorrow. Tears spilled from her eyes, her throat tightened, and with immense difficulty, she whispered, "Mother."

Yu Sui froze.

She touched her own face and looked at the still-dazed Li Jinshuang, then timidly leaned away. "I'm not old enough for that, am I?"

What did it feel like to miss one's mother?

When you were hurt, upset, and full of grievances, what did it feel like to want to confide in your mother and seek her comfort?

Yu Sui gazed at Li Jinshuang's tear-streaked eyes. She couldn't imagine it. All she could do was wait quietly for Li Jinshuang to come around.

Another injured disciple arrived at the clinic. Several people were supporting a badly wounded disciple who could barely walk, and they were about to rush into Room Number One when Mei Chengyu stopped them. "Go to the second floor."

Shi Yuezhen had just come out of the neighboring cubicle. Seeing this, she told the disciples to go upstairs, too, and sighed. "It's so busy tonight. I'll have to call someone over to help keep watch."

Mei Chengyu gestured toward Room Number One. "My junior martial sister still hasn't had her dressing changed?"

Shi Yuezhen frowned in frustration and hurried into the cubicle with the medicine jar to check on Yu Sui.

Mei Chengyu said to Zhongli Shan, "Why didn't you go upstairs and take a look at that person just now?"

Zhongli Shan slowly lowered his Listening Wind Ruler. "I'm not a Medical School disciple, either."

Mei Chengyu sneered. "Who told your Military School to open a military formation?"

Zhongli Shan: "..."

You sure had a lot to say.