Missing Thoughts Literature

Chapter 4 (Page 1/2)

Yu Sui looked back with a naive and ignorant expression.

Nangong Ming also knew how difficult it would be to explain to the child in front of him, so he didn't say much. He only said, "He will stay at the King's Mansion for a while, and in a few days, he will go to the Imperial Academy to study with you."

Yu Sui lowered her head, flipped through the pages in her hand, and then said, "Can I memorize it tomorrow then?"

Nangong Ming said, "Yes."

The child then grabbed his sleeve and stood up, being helped back by the Mute Woman and others.

*

Yu Sui returned to her room and lay down, sighing in her heart. After being reborn, she still couldn't escape memorization, recitation, and dictation.

She had barely closed her eyes when the Strange Fire became active. Yu Sui was covered in sweat, her palms damp. Helplessly, she got out of bed and went to the bathing tub behind the screen.

The water in the tub was still warm. Yu Sui stepped on the stool, leaned over the edge of the tub, and looked at her reflection in the water. Sweat trickled down her jaw, dripping onto the surface of the water.

Yu Sui felt that this couldn't go on. If the Mute Woman saw it one day, she would definitely tell Lady Su, and it would be troublesome if Lady Su knew.

When the water had completely cooled, Yu Sui plunged into it. As she submerged herself in the water, she opened her eyes and saw flickering light in the ripples. Her detached consciousness watched her from another perspective. A wisp of flame appeared in her extremely dark pupils.

Yu Sui hardened her heart and roared at the Strange Fire.

With a splash, Yu Sui, who was about to run out of breath, emerged from the water. Her soaked long hair clung to her skin, and water droplets continuously dripped down.

The heat remained.

Yu Sui raised her hand. On her slender white fingertips, a small flame was burning.

She opened and closed her fingers, and the flame disappeared. She opened them again, and the flame reappeared.

Yu Sui gradually mastered the knack of summoning the Strange Fire. She spent the entire night in this repeated trial. The flame, the size of a fingernail, evaporated the moisture on the ground and also dried her soaked long hair and clothes.

The next day, Yu Sui, drowsy, boarded the carriage to the Imperial Academy. Upon arrival, she slumped onto her desk and slept. The teacher on the stage sighed repeatedly.

Princess Shangyang, resting her head on one hand, asked her, "Why do you sleep every day?"

Yu Sui shifted her position, burying her face in her arms, and mumbled, "Because I have to memorize books at night."

Princess Shangyang couldn't stop laughing when she heard this.

Compared to the listless Yu Sui, Princess Shangyang, also six years old, was full of energy every day, leading her little friends in bullying others at the Imperial Academy.

At sunset, Yu Sui and her three elder brothers returned to the King's Mansion.

She was so tired that she could barely walk and almost fell when getting off the carriage.

Her three elder brothers looked at her with various expressions. Yu Sui rubbed her eyes and limped inside.

For the past period, Yu Sui would kneel for two hours, and then have to massage for another hour after returning, only able to walk the next day.

Lady Su's intention was that she would no longer have to kneel once she could recite the books taught by the teacher.

Today, Yu Sui was kneeling in front of Lady Su's door, spacing out. The door was closed, and no one was watching her. She was thinking if she could be lazy and was about to stand up when the door opened from the inside, startling her and making her kneel back down.

The person who came out was the boy Nangong Ming had brought back last night.

He had changed into clean clothes: dark trousers, a white top, and a black belt tied tightly. Although simple, the fabric was as precious as the clothing of the young masters in the mansion.

The boy also seemed surprised to see Yu Sui kneeling outside. He paused for a moment and said in a low voice, "Only I am here."

This meant Lady Su was not inside.

Yu Sui then stood up.

She looked at the unfamiliar boy in front of her. He must be an important person to Nangong Ming.

Yu Sui bent down and rubbed her knees, asking the boy blankly, "Who are you, and why are you here?"

The boy did not answer. He walked outside, saying to Yu Sui with his back to her, "I won't be staying here. Please thank your mother for me."

His departing figure was resolute and dashing.

Yu Sui tilted her head and watched until he disappeared from her sight.

She thought, this unlucky kid definitely won't be able to leave.

*

The next day, Yu Sui slowly arrived at the mansion gate and saw Nangong Ming returning with the boy, who looked extremely unwilling.

Her three elder brothers obediently greeted their father.

Nangong Ming grunted and casually pulled the boy beside him, saying, "His name is Gu Gan. He will go to the Imperial Academy with you tomorrow."

At that moment, Yu Sui seemed to read a sentence from her three elder brothers' eyes: "Dad brought home another illegitimate child from outside."

Yu Sui didn't think Gu Gan was Nangong Ming's illegitimate child. Given this man's style of doing things, if it were his child, he would have openly admitted it.

Seven-year-old Gu Gan was a bit rebellious, mainly because he would go against Nangong Ming. If Nangong Ming told him to go west, Gu Gan would go east.

Gu Gan was unlike the children of the King's Mansion. He was a wild grass that grew freely outside, completely unafraid of Nangong Ming. Even if he was pinned to the ground and beaten, he would still refuse to yield and would dare to do it again next time.

Only those who knew Nangong Ming well knew how indulgent he was with Gu Gan. Gu Gan had hardly felt any pressure from Nangong Ming.

Yu Sui saw Nangong Ming's importance to Gu Gan from the details. As for her elder brothers, they had considerable opinions about Gu Gan.

Eldest Brother was always steady and treated Gu Gan politely.

The other two brothers gave Gu Gan a glare. They slung their arms around each other and left, ignoring the "adopted son" their father had brought home.

To avoid being punished by Lady Su with kneeling and reciting texts, Yu Sui took Gu Gan's arm and pulled him to study with her. She told Lady Su, "Brother Gu and I are reading together. It wouldn't be right for me to kneel while he stands. Brother Gu says he'd be too embarrassed too."

Gu Gan stood by and watched her spout nonsense without refuting her. Lady Su tacitly accepted her explanation.

Nangong Ming was very pleased that Yu Sui took the initiative to get closer to Gu Gan. He subsequently included both children in his activities, creating more opportunities for them.

Although Gu Gan had a stubborn temper and defied heaven and earth, he was very intelligent.

When he first entered the Imperial Academy, the teachers didn't know his background and tried to make things difficult for him. To their surprise, the boy understood everything. He could answer any question, and his demeanor was even stronger than theirs, making it impossible to suppress him.

He verbally sparred with the teachers until their faces turned pale and green with shame, and they stormed out of the room.

Gu Gan thus became famous and gained the favor of Princess Shangyang. She pursued him relentlessly. The more Gu Gan ignored her, the more enthusiastic Princess Shangyang became.

The teacher had intended to punish Gu Gan, but instead received a warning from the Nangong King's mansion.

When Yu Sui returned home, she overheard her second and third brothers grumbling, "Normally, when we get into trouble at the Imperial Academy, Father doesn't care. But when this wild kid gets into trouble, Steward Xu personally comes to the Imperial Academy. It's truly infuriating to compare people."

Third Brother snorted, "He has no name or status, why bother with him?"

As they rounded a corner, they saw Yu Sui by the turn in the corridor.

Yu Sui hesitated for a moment, then pressed herself against the wall to let them pass, saying, "I didn't hear anything."

The two elder brothers: "..."

You might as well have said nothing!

Given that she was Nangong Ming's appointed successor, the two elder brothers' expressions shifted several times before they shut their mouths and went their separate ways.

Yu Sui didn't feel particularly noble herself.

The three young masters, even if they didn't receive Nangong Ming's exclusive favor, weren't completely neglected by their father. They held the status and prestige befitting young masters of the King's Mansion, with their mothers also acting as their backing.

Yu Sui was different.

Her parents were eager to torment her, treating her as a tool for their schemes. Her mother's attitude was clear: she would never be as important as her elder daughter, Qingkui.

She also bore the mark of a World Destroyer. If it were exposed, her unreliable parents wouldn't be able to protect her from the pursuit of all the practitioners in the world.

Not only would they be unable to protect her, they might even be the first to attack.

Yu Sui withdrew her gaze from her departing elder brothers, raised her hand to rub her face, and sighed inwardly. Fortunately, she had the mind of a mature adult. If she were truly a six-year-old child, she would have died countless times by now.

*

As spring passed and high summer arrived, Yu Sui found it increasingly unbearable to endure the restlessness of the strange fire after nightfall. Fortunately, the mute woman and others would place cooling items in her room.

This was the benefit of being a county princess of the King's Mansion.

Steward Xu delivered a "Liudan Jade Stone," about a meter tall, the color of the sea, crystal clear, and carved into the shape of a fan. The cold air it released could keep her entire courtyard cool and comfortable even during the hottest part of summer.

However, it couldn't suppress the heat of the strange fire.

Every night, Yu Sui secretly studied the strange fire in her room.

She looked at the small flame burning on her fingertip and lamented, "What exactly are you good for?"

Perhaps only for roasting oneself in winter.

She summoned the strange fire daily and would also detach her consciousness to observe it. Tonight, Yu Sui was too hot to sleep. She sat by the Liudan Jade Stone, spread her palm, and summoned the strange fire. Suddenly, she noticed that the flame seemed to have grown slightly larger.

Yu Sui observed it with surprise for a moment, her dark eyes fixed on the strange fire on her fingertip. It remained still, yet she could see a small, glowing dot deep within the flame.

The origin point was beating slowly, as if trying to break free from the flame's cage.

Yu Sui reached out to grab it, clearly touching something cold. She carefully extracted the dot from the flame.

As she separated the dot from the flame, Yu Sui felt as if she were peeling back flesh to remove her own heart, a bizarre and eerie sensation. She had a bad feeling about it and immediately put it back.

Yu Sui knew very little about cultivation.

The Imperial Academy currently taught only parts that did not involve supernatural abilities or strange arts, seemingly believing the children were too young to grasp them.

Yu Sui had to find her own way, but she absolutely could not let anyone else discover it.

*

Her elder brothers had a lukewarm relationship with Yu Sui, with little interaction. If she sought cooperation from the three young masters, Lady Su would surely find out.

Yu Sui had no choice but to find Gu Gan.

Gu Gan was very intelligent. Nangong Ming had tested his talent, and it far surpassed his own children's, even outdoing his most outstanding third son.

Therefore, while Yu Sui was still learning piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting, Gu Gan was already reading books on Qimen Dunjia and other supernatural arts.

Gu Gan did not live in the King's Mansion, but he had to come to the mansion daily to go to the Imperial Academy with the young masters and county princesses. Occasionally, after arguing with the young masters, Gu Gan would skip the King's Mansion and go directly to the Imperial Academy.

Recently, it was within the period where Gu Gan had fallen out with the young masters and wasn't coming to the King's Mansion.

Yu Sui had to find him at the Imperial Academy.

The young princess of the King's Mansion hadn't inherited her parents' talent, but she had inherited their beauty. Though young, she was delicate and exquisite.

Gu Gan had a good impression of Yu Sui, at least better than her elder brothers. Coupled with the fact that he had been treated by Lady Su, Gu Gan didn't refuse when Yu Sui said she wanted to visit his home.

*

Gu Gan lived alone.

His house was not far from the King's Mansion, with courtyards in both the front and back. The surroundings were quite peaceful. The house was clean and tidy, with a separate study next to the bedroom.

The study was filled with books related to cultivation in the Nine Streams Realm.

Even after leaving the King's Mansion, Yu Sui couldn't casually flip through the books in the study. The reaction from the Strange Fire made her realize that someone was monitoring them nearby.

The target could be Gu Gan, or it could be her.

Whatever she said or did while visiting Gu Gan's house would be reported to Nangong Ming by the following secret guards, word for word.

Gu Gan stood on a stool, reaching up to get a few books for her. "Can you finish all of these?"

"I can't," Yu Sui took the books and hugged them. "Can I come back tomorrow to continue reading?"

Gu Gan was stunned by her earnest gaze and turned his head away. "Come whenever you want."

Every page Yu Sui turned, she would ask Gu Gan questions. She didn't understand anything. Gu Gan went from patiently explaining to losing his patience, complaining as he explained.

"What were you doing when the teacher was lecturing?" Gu Gan asked, puzzled.

Yu Sui put her hands together by her face, making a sleeping gesture.

Gu Gan: "..."

He said, "If you're at the bottom in this monthly exam, Lady Su won't let you off."

"I'm already trying my best," Yu Sui drooped her head. "How about this, I'll read through it first, gather all my questions, and then ask you?"

Seeing her pitiful appearance, Gu Gan's heart softened. "Alright."

On the first day, Yu Sui didn't touch any books related to the Nine Schools Techniques. She visited Gu Gan's house for about ten days. When the watchers began to relax their vigilance, Yu Sui slowly started to read what she wanted to.

Occasionally, when Gu Gan asked if she understood, she would shake her head and point to a word, asking him, "What does this character read as, and what does it mean?"

Gu Gan would sigh like a little adult.

This foolish county princess, how will she manage the entire King's Mansion in the future?

*

Yu Sui learned a lot from Gu Gan's study.

At least she understood what the dots in the Strange Fire were.

The dots emitted a milky white, lustrous glow. They were the "Five Elements Light Core," representing a cultivator's talent. All future cultivation and power would be granted and stored by the Five Elements Light Core.

When the Nine Schools Techniques reached the Master level of the Tenth Realm, the Five Elements Light Core would transform into a golden "Soul Core." There was a clear difference in strength between the Soul Core and the Five Elements Light Core, but Yu Sui hadn't yet found from the books where that difference lay.

As a cultivator, whether it was the Five Elements Light Core or the Soul Core, it was unique. Once destroyed, it could not be cultivated again.

Reading this, Yu Sui felt strange.

That night, Yu Sui looked at the white dot spinning within the flame at her fingertip. This should be what the book called the "Five Elements Light Core," the source of a cultivator's power.

Just like last time, she peeled this Five Elements Light Core out of the flame.

She held the Five Elements Light Core between her fingers. It was cold, like a fragile glass ball that would shatter at the slightest touch. After a few breaths, Yu Sui made a bold decision. She crushed the fragile glass ball.

After a faint cracking sound, the Five Elements Light Core dissipated into white luminescence.

Yu Sui touched her heart. There was no reaction. She looked at the flame in her hand again. Within the orange-yellow flame, a white Five Elements Light Core was condensing again.

Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed her gamble had paid off.

Yu Sui finally discovered the Strange Fire's abilities beyond just keeping her warm in winter.

It seemed capable of generating "countless" Five Elements Light Cores for her.