At noon, the Dining Hall was crowded. Xing Chun had arranged to meet on the fourth floor, and when Mei Chengyu brought Yu Sui along, Xing Chun wasn't too surprised. He'd known a few days ago that Mei Chengyu was taking Yu Sui to challenge the Military Formation.
Now that they'd arrived, Xing Chun asked with interest, "How did you fare in the Military Formation?"
After taking her seat, Yu Sui smiled. "Senior Martial Brother, you're amazing!"
She made it sound as if she'd never seen a large-scale Military Formation before, and praised Mei Chengyu to the skies. As he listened, Xing Chun kept turning to look at Mei Chengyu beside him, as though wondering whether the Senior Martial Brother Yu Sui was talking about was the same Mei Chengyu he knew.
Mei Chengyu didn't stop her. He let Yu Sui praise him with her eyes wide open and no shame at all.
After lunch, Xing Chun left first to study a star chart. Yu Sui went to pay, then carried two little food boxes out with her. She had a small meat burger between her teeth and was running toward Mei Chengyu by the roadside when she stumbled, nearly falling flat on her face. Luckily, she caught herself.
The Listening Wind Ruler hanging from her waist, however, fell to the ground.
Yu Sui gave Mei Chengyu a look: Senior Martial Brother, help me pick it up.
Mei Chengyu stared at her. Yu Sui had both hands full of food boxes, with something between her teeth too. He wondered whether she hadn't eaten enough earlier or what.
Mei Chengyu bent down to pick up Yu Sui's Listening Wind Ruler. It began to buzz.
Yu Sui crouched beside him to rearrange the food inside the boxes.
When Mei Chengyu handed the Listening Wind Ruler back, he unexpectedly saw a message displayed on its lit-up screen:
"The Prince left it to me to drive Zhongli Shan out of Taiyi. You don't need to worry." The message was from Gu Gan.
The Listening Wind Ruler, accidentally lit up, went dark again.
Mei Chengyu took in the message without changing expression, then said to Yu Sui, who was still crouching on the ground, "Here."
"Thank you, Senior Martial Brother." Yu Sui took the Listening Wind Ruler and put it away, then picked up the food boxes again. "Are you going to challenge the Military Formation again, Senior Martial Brother?"
"I don't have time today," Mei Chengyu said.
Yu Sui nodded.
She and Mei Chengyu parted ways by the Dining Hall. Watching him walk away, Yu Sui calmly looked away and carried the food boxes to the Taoist Saint Hall.
She'd even deliberately set down the food boxes and crouched there for a while so Mei Chengyu would see that message. She couldn't simply bypass the Listening Wind Ruler's inscriptions and tell Mei Chengyu that Gu Gan planned to target Zhongli Shan. He'd definitely turn the Communication Institute upside down looking for answers.
Senior Martial Brother played with his Listening Wind Ruler every day, but Yu Sui had never looked at it.
Taiyi's Communication Array was enormous. Messages were created and destroyed every moment. She didn't have time to watch it every day for other people's messages, so she'd only set up a few keywords.
Strange Fire, for example.
But there was too little useful information. Even when someone mentioned Strange Fire, it might just be people chatting in private, of no use to her at all.
People like Nangong Ming and Gu Gan would never discuss anything important on their Listening Wind Rulers.
Yu Sui slowly finished the meat burger in her mouth and thought, Mei Chengyu is Zhongli Shan's friend. If he knew Gu Gan was going to drive Zhongli Shan out of Taiyi, he'd probably try to find a way to help—or warn Zhongli Shan to be careful.
Yu Sui arrived at the Taoist Saint Hall and continued running all over the place as her master pelted her with apricots.
During a break, she asked Sage Chang Gen, "Master, did Senior Martial Brother change the Nine Schools Technique of the Bagua Life Technique himself?"
"Yes."
Yu Sui considered this. "Can anyone change the Bagua Life Technique?"
"In theory, yes," Sage Chang Gen said. "Usually, only the Ghost Dao School, the Yin-Yang School, and the Daoist School can create more advanced versions of the Bagua Life Technique."
"Besides cultivating the Three Souls and Six Po, are there other things we can do in the Ghost Dao School?" Yu Sui asked curiously. "I went to challenge the Military Formation with Senior Martial Brother today and found that his Bagua Life Technique's Thunder Serpent is different from mine."
Yu Sui performed a technique in her palm. A tiny Thunder Serpent floated above it. "His Thunder Serpent can twist into strange shapes."
"That's a kind of 'curse,'" Sage Chang Gen explained.
Another Thunder Serpent appeared before Yu Sui, thin as a needle and thread, its little body flashing with blue lightning. It twisted into a strange symbol.
"Bestowing a word is also a kind of 'curse.' A Naming School cultivator can bestow a word on a stone and give it the meaning of a name. Even a stone will then have life and death, and its life and death will be in the hands of the Naming School cultivator who named it."
"Bestowing a word brings something into being from nothing. The Ghost Dao School's 'curse,' by contrast, does the opposite of a gift from the Naming School: it reclaims a known talisman."
"In that respect, it's similar to the Legalist School. The Legalists believe human nature is evil, so everyone is born guilty and may be punished. The Legalist School's one hundred and eighty-six Judgment Techniques pass sentence on the sins people are born with."
Yu Sui listened attentively.
"'Marks' are everywhere, and 'runes' are within the grasp of our five fingers. A 'curse' refers to the existence of every person and thing."
"Every person exists as a unique symbol."
Following Sage Chang Gen's explanation, Yu Sui looked around. The silent stone bricks of the buildings, the little green vine flowers clinging to the walls, the fruit trees swaying their branches and leaves in the sunlight and breeze—all appeared unusually clear to her.
"The myriad things reflected in people's eyes have forms and shadows. But in the vast eye of Heaven and Earth, their shapes are no more than insignificant symbols."
As Sage Chang Gen's consciousness entered her, the world before Yu Sui's eyes abruptly turned strange.
The world, once radiant with color, became a drawing of black-and-white lines. The solid-looking flowering trees turned into long black lines. As Yu Sui gazed at them, the lines twisted themselves into a strange symbol.
When she reached out and crushed the black symbol, the world abruptly cleared. The cluster of green vine flowers on the wall had lost its vitality, withered, and died.
Yu Sui stared blankly at the vine that had withered in an instant. Remembering the bizarre symbol formed by the twisting black line, she felt a chill crawl up her spine at the Ghost Dao School's talismans.
"This is a Life Talisman. It can draw out the vitality of living things."
Sage Chang Gen said, "Your Senior Martial Brother used a Death Talisman in the formation today. It can draw out the Five Elements Qi that dead things possess or can command."
The Undead Warriors inside the Military Formation counted as dead things. Since they couldn't be attacked or controlled with the Ghost Dao School's Soul Control and Po Stabilization, he could only use Ghost Dao Talismans. A Death Talisman was the most suitable.
Yu Sui listened thoughtfully. Looking at it this way, Mei Chengyu was even more formidable than she'd thought. As Sage Chang Gen's disciple, he was certainly no ordinary cultivator. His strength couldn't be judged by the fact that he was only in the Ninth Realm; his mastery of the Nine Schools Techniques mattered too.
She even wondered whether Mei Chengyu also had a Mystic Technique.
She'd once heard that during the Level Up Challenge, Mei Chengyu had stopped Xun Zhiya and spent the entire fight using the same Nine Schools Techniques as her.
In the book Yu Sui had stolen from Gu Gan, she'd read about ninety-seven Mystic Techniques. One of them could copy other people's Nine Schools Techniques.
But such a Mystic Technique would be far too conspicuous. Anyone would grow suspicious, and Mei Chengyu wasn't stupid enough to reveal so blatantly that he possessed a Mystic Technique.
So how had he done it?
Did he cultivate two schools, like Gu Gan?
But he knew more than just the Ghost Dao and Legalist Schools. He even had ties to the Military, Naming, Daoist, and Yin-Yang Schools. It was almost as if he knew the Nine Schools Techniques of every school.
Having someone like that as an enemy would be a real headache.
Yu Sui couldn't help thinking of Gu Gan. He seemed to have already taken Mei Chengyu for an enemy. Gu Gan wouldn't treat his enemies with the same gentleness he showed pretty girls, holding back at every turn.
After thinking it over, she added Mei Chengyu as a keyword to her monitoring of Gu Gan's Listening Wind Ruler.
Her previous monitoring keywords had been "Futuo Tower," "Tianzi Text," "Lady Su," and "Prince." Now she had added two more: "Zhongli Shan" and "Mei Chengyu."
At sunset, Yu Sui said goodbye to Sage Chang Gen and went to the Military School alone.
The instructors behind the desk were still the same two she'd seen during the day.
When they saw Yu Sui, they smiled and asked, "You and the two mutes, right?"
"No," Yu Sui said, shaking her head. "Just me this time."
"One person won't have an easy time," an instructor said, handing her an Opening Formation Jade Token. "To be safe, you should bring those two mutes."
"The mutes are busy," Yu Sui said.
She took the Opening Formation Jade Token to a quiet corner. Yu Sui could already predict that she'd be entering and exiting the Military Formation a great many times.
The first time she shattered the Opening Formation Jade Token, she appeared in the same place she'd entered earlier that day.
The opening chorus of ghostly wails was so piercing it seemed ready to burst her eardrums and strike straight at her soul. Yu Sui couldn't help raising a hand to cover her ear.
This time, Li Jinshuang's sword cry wasn't there to suppress the Sound Barrier attacks. She'd have to come up with a way to deal with them herself.
Yu Sui raised her hand, sending Five Elements Qi surging up.
Xun trigram, life technique, Turning Wind Sound.
Little whirlwinds rose from the ground, scattering the Blood Mist around Yu Sui. The shrieking wails were also suppressed by the wind's sound. They were still there, but much quieter than before.
After all, this was only a first-level Military Formation, and its overall strength matched that of a Ninth Realm cultivator. As a First Realm cultivator, Yu Sui could only manage this much.
Yu Sui used the Wind Riding Technique to reach the rooftop. Far ahead, she could see the city gates. She was at the very back of the city, with nothing but smoke and fire between her and the gates.
She closed her eyes and focused, trying to use the Divine Mechanism · Heavenly Eye. Yu Sui recalled the first time she'd seen a Communication Array as a child. That mysterious power had drawn her in naturally. But if it was the Divine Mechanism · Heavenly Eye, it shouldn't have responded to her only through the Communication Array.
Seeing through a Military Formation was one of the Divine Mechanism · Heavenly Eye's strengths too.
Wasn't a Mystic Technique supposed to require no Five Elements Qi?
While Yu Sui was still searching for an answer, she suddenly felt scorching flames closing in from every direction. She snapped her eyes open. Five Undead Warriors on red horses swung their long swords and charged her with Nine Schools Techniques.
Turning Wind Sound scattered many of the fireballs raining from the sky, but plenty still crashed to the ground, smashing huge holes in the already ruined rooftop. With a deafening crash, it collapsed.
The Undead Warriors used the Wind Riding Technique to reach the rooftops and pursue Yu Sui as she retreated.
Both sides used the Bagua Life Technique. An enemy's Thunder Serpent crawled onto Yu Sui's wrist, only to be swallowed in one bite by her own. Blinding blue lightning flashed above the rooftop, crackling incessantly.
Her opponents were fast. Yu Sui could barely hold off one, but she had absolutely no chance against five Undead Warriors surrounding her from the sky and the ground. Without hesitation, she shattered the Opening Formation Jade Token.
Exit the formation, then go back in.
Yu Sui wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. There weren't many chances to train in a Military Formation like this. She had to make the most of it.
All evening, she went in and out of Black Wind City, over and over, testing herself as she tried to find a way to use the Divine Mechanism · Heavenly Eye. Unfortunately, she never managed to activate it even once.
Instead, she spent the entire night fighting and fleeing from the Undead Warriors, getting herself covered in grime and knocked off the rooftops countless times.
Yu Sui didn't try to tough it out. Whenever the timing was wrong, she shattered the jade token and exited the formation.
After entering the formation many times, she'd learned that the Undead Warriors inside moved in groups of five and never wandered alone.
At first, only one group of Undead Warriors spotted her. But if she fought them for too long without finishing them off, other Undead Warriors would be drawn over by the Five Elements Power they sensed.
The most she'd faced that night was over a hundred Undead Warriors chasing her wildly across the rooftops and streets of Black Wind City. By the time she left the formation, she was panting for breath. It took her a long while to recover enough to go back in.
The Divine Mechanism · Heavenly Eye still hadn't responded, but Yu Sui had trained her entry-level Ghost Dao Soul Control to the Second Layer.
Fighting the Undead Warriors in the Military Formation with Nine Schools Techniques was hopeless, especially when the Military Formation Puppets began to swarm. One Nine Schools Technique from each warrior meant a hundred techniques attacking her at once. It scared her straight out of the formation.
If she followed Mei Chengyu's method and used a Death Talisman to draw out the Undead Warriors' Five Elements Qi, turning them into ordinary soldiers who couldn't use Nine Schools Techniques, Yu Sui could hack her way through them to the city gates and challenge the final City Defense General.
Yu Sui hadn't mastered the technique Sage Chang Gen had taught her that day, so that approach wouldn't work either.
For Yu Sui, all she had to do was shatter their Five Elements Light Cores.
By the one hundred and thirtieth time she entered the Military Formation · Black Wind City, Yu Sui was drenched in sweat. Her clothes had soaked through, dried in the heat of the Strange Fire, then soaked through again, over and over.
The scars on her face had only just faded, but now she'd gotten new ones. Yu Sui couldn't help raising a hand to touch them. Her fingers came away bloody, and her brows twitched. Ever since she'd become able to practice Nine Schools Techniques, she seemed to be getting hurt all the time. In barely a month, she'd tasted more hardship than she ever had before.
Compared with the death resonance of the Strange Fire World Destroyer, though, it was nothing.
Yu Sui rolled her neck, which gave a stiff, clicking sound. Turning Wind Sound drove away the Sound Barrier and monitored the hoofbeats ahead. The Undead Warriors had spotted her and were giving chase.
On the Blood Mist-filled street, five Five Elements Light Cores glimmered softly in midair.
With Soul Control at the Second Layer, Yu Sui's separated Second Soul could generate Five Elements Light Cores on its own.
Three hundred plus three hundred meant she could command six hundred Five Elements Light Cores in a single day.
They could move at the same time, channel Five Elements Qi at the same time, and perform Nine Schools Techniques at the same time.
Yu Sui had unexpectedly discovered that the consciousness separated through Soul Control was another self—a complete and identical "me." It had even inherited the Strange Fire and the power to generate Five Elements Light Cores.
The Undead Soldiers completely ignored the floating Five Elements Light Cores. Their targets were clear: they pursued every living thing. Ignoring those glimmering cores was their greatest mistake.
In the Blood Mist, Yu Sui raised a hand and wiped her face, rubbing her fingertips together. The Five Elements Light Cores pressed against the Undead Soldiers' hearts and shattered. The resulting burst of Five Elements Qi pierced their armor and shattered the Five Elements Light Cores belonging to the soldiers.
The soldiers who'd been riding high with their swords raised fell from their horses. The warhorses, their owners tumbling off, neighed and reared up before stopping in place. As their owners disappeared, the horses too dissolved into Blood Mist.
Ha. Sure enough, the Evil Path suited her better.
If she'd used ordinary Nine Schools Techniques, she could've entered the formation another three hundred times and still wouldn't have killed this group of Undead Warriors.
Yu Sui exited the formation without a scratch. It was already daylight outside. She'd fought all night, and her mental strength and Five Elements Qi were nearly spent. Clutching the Opening Formation Jade Token, she walked to the stone steps in a corner and sat down. When she touched her face, her fingers brushed a gaping wound, and she sucked in a sharp breath.
The Military School would keep the formation open for three more days. Yu Sui didn't want to waste a single moment.
After a short rest, she went to the Medical School to change her bandages, then returned to the Taoist Saint Hall for a brief nap. Before noon, she went back to the Military School to challenge the formation again.
The Divine Mechanism · Heavenly Eye still made no sense to her, so today Yu Sui decided to give up on it for now and focus instead on the Five Elements Light Cores she'd been improving.
Inside the Military Formation, the Five Elements Light Cores wouldn't attract the Military Formation Puppets' attention. The puppets pursued only living things.
Five Elements Light Cores didn't count as living things.
With the Ghost Dao School's Soul Control at the Second Layer, the Second Soul she'd separated could control Five Elements Light Cores and press them against the Military Formation Puppets while Yu Sui used Nine Schools Techniques in battle. At the right moment, she could crush the cores and blow up the puppets' Five Elements Light Cores.
Yu Sui sat on the rooftop, studying the small, lustrous Five Elements Light Core in her palm. She could see a trace of golden Five Elements Qi flowing inside it. The power hidden within seemed stronger than before.
As she closed her eyes and focused, one Five Elements Light Core after another split off and floated into the air. More and more lustrous points of light gradually drove back the Blood Mist around her.
A full six hundred Five Elements Light Cores flashed in the Blood Mist, like stars in the sky, surrounding her like a river of stars. Yu Sui, the one commanding them, opened her eyes and looked toward the city gates. Perhaps she could make a run for it.
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Yu Sui used Instant Shadow and rushed ahead. She fought her way forward as Undead Warriors chased her from every direction. The Blood Mist ahead became warhorses, trying to block her path.
With the Wind Riding Technique bolstering her, Yu Sui darted through the streets and alleys with sly agility. She'd run these paths over a hundred times already and knew them by heart.
The Undead Warriors that got close to her were blown apart by the Five Elements Light Cores that silently pressed against them. Yu Sui raced onward with hundreds of stars around her, and no one could stop her.
The warhorses' furious neighing roared in Yu Sui's ears. Horsemen seemed to pursue her from every direction, in front and behind, making her heart pound like a war drum. She clutched the Opening Formation Jade Token. If she didn't reach the city gates and face the City Defense General before her six hundred light cores ran out, she'd have no choice but to shatter the token, leave the formation, and start again.
The stars around Yu Sui dwindled. Their lustrous light dimmed, and more and more Blood Mist swallowed the city.
When the final star shattered and the last warhorse dissolved into Blood Mist, Yu Sui burst from the alley. The Blood Mist billowed behind her, filling the sky.
Flags fluttered before the city gates. Archers atop the platform had already drawn their bows, and beacon fires blazed through the night, scattering sparks down toward the city.
Yu Sui wiped the sweat from her face. Her eyes shone, her fighting spirit undimmed. She saw a tall figure riding a Red Warhorse emerge from the pitch-black city gate. The hoofbeats came at an unhurried pace, elegant and imposing.
She'd found him: the Military Formation's City Defense General.
Now the enormous Black Shadow riding the Red Warhorse emerged from the heavy city gate, sparks drifting around him. Each step of the horse shook the ground. Its light hoofbeats struck Yu Sui's heart like heavy blows, shaking her soul along with it. Turning Wind Sound couldn't drive them away.
Yu Sui had only one Five Elements Light Core left. She glanced at the core floating in the air, then looked toward the City Defense General, who had reached the light.
He brought with him a silent pressure. Beneath the Blood-red Helmet, his eyes shone like the sun, so dazzling that people were afraid to look.
The City Defense General stared at Yu Sui, at the slender, fragile figure in the Blood Mist ahead, and slowly drew his sword.
The moment she saw the City Defense General draw his sword and slash at her, Yu Sui shattered the jade token and left the formation.
The disparity in strength was too great. Just hearing his horse's hoofbeats made Yu Sui feel as if her heart were about to be trampled to pieces. The closer she got to the City Defense General, the stronger the pressure that seemed to command her. It was as though she, too, had become one of the soldiers in the city who followed his lead, unable to disobey military orders.
Even so, she'd made it right up to the City Defense General!
When Yu Sui exited the formation, it was as if all the strength had been drained from her body. She collapsed onto the long steps and let out a breath, smiling. She'd used up all her light cores for the day, but the sense of accomplishment left her thrilled.
In the final three days, more and more people came to challenge the Military Formation.
Since she'd used up all her Five Elements Light Cores that day, Yu Sui spent the evening entering and leaving the formation again and again. She tested her Nine Schools Techniques while trying to find a way to activate the Divine Mechanism · Heavenly Eye.
Sheng Zui, who'd come with friends to challenge the formation, was about to leave when he noticed Yu Sui entering and leaving the Military Formation alone in a corner.
Recently, Sheng Zui had been busy with the Naming School's examinations. He hadn't had time to keep an eye on Yu Sui, and he'd thought she'd only just entered the academy and hadn't even finished learning the basics of the Ghost Dao School. What could she possibly be doing?
Now that he saw Yu Sui, covered in dust and blood, his eyes widened slightly. He hurried over, but just as he opened his mouth to call, "Suisui," she entered the Military Formation.
Sheng Zui: ""
"Where's my sister?" Mu Mengbai immediately perked up, widening his eyes as he searched everywhere.
Sheng Zui waited where he was, his expression dark.
Yu Sui soon came back out, only to run straight into Sheng Zui's stare. "Look at the state you're in! Who did this to you?"
"Third Brother," Yu Sui said with a foolish grin, her hands clasped behind her back. "You came to challenge the formation too?"
Sheng Zui said coldly, "I asked you a question."
"I got them from challenging the formation." Yu Sui answered honestly. "But I went to the Medical School, so they'll all heal in a couple of days."
"Your old wounds haven't even healed, and now you've got new ones." Sheng Zui found the hideous scars all over her skin painful to look at. "You're only in the First Realm. Why are you challenging a Ninth Realm Military Formation? You went in there just to let the Military Formation Puppets use you as a punching bag?"
Yu Sui played dumb. "You have to practice if you want to improve."
"Is that how you practice?" Sheng Zui sneered. "At this rate, you'll have practiced yourself into the grave before you improve. Go to the Medical School."
Sheng Zui took Yu Sui to the Medical School for treatment.
Yu Sui obediently went along. In any case, she didn't have any Five Elements Light Cores left to keep challenging the formation.
This time, Yu Sui didn't have to wait on the first floor for a Medical School Disciple to help her. Sheng Zui took her to the second floor and personally applied medicine to her wounds, while Mu Mengbai helped out by preparing it.
Mu Mengbai told Yu Sui, "If you want to challenge Black Wind City, little sister, we'll take you."
Sheng Zui nodded. "If you really want to go, come with me."
"No." Yu Sui shrank her neck and refused. "You guys are trying to rank up, Third Brother. I'm afraid I'll hold you back."
You won't even get to see the City Defense General. I'm not playing with you.
"Oh, what's the point of us ranking up? It'd be more fun to help you rank up, little sister. It's easy to go from the First Realm to the Second!" Mu Mengbai brought the medicine jar over to her. He had just reached out to apply medicine to Yu Sui's cheek when Sheng Zui slapped his hand away and snatched the jar from his arms.
Mu Mengbai grimaced and rubbed the back of his hand, but still remembered to praise her. "You're so smart and talented, little sister. You can definitely do it!"
Yu Sui was amused by his reaction and turned her face away.
Mu Mengbai made an exaggerated series of faces at Sheng Zui. Look, look! I'm the one who made little sister laugh! You're supposed to be her big brother, but all you do is scold her. What a useless older brother!
Sheng Zui's eye twitched violently.
The clinic was as bustling as ever today. Yu Sui sat in the Small House, sleeves rolled up as she applied medicine herself. The window was open so people could pass the medicine in from outside.
Sheng Zui had stepped away for a while to deal with something involving the School of Names, leaving Mu Mengbai to keep Yu Sui company. He was talkative and sociable, never short of things to say. His witty, humorous stories kept Yu Sui laughing, and the smile never left the corners of her eyes.
Mei Chengyu and Zhongli Shan had just reached the second floor when they heard Mu Mengbai telling Yu Sui about the academy's amusing incidents in an exaggerated tone. Turning their heads, they saw the two of them through the window: Mu Mengbai stood mixing medicine while Yu Sui sat applying it to her arm. His voice was light and animated. Whenever something amused her, she looked up at him, laughing so hard that tears glistened at the corners of her eyes.
Zhongli Shan said to Mei Chengyu, "Your Junior Martial Sister is getting injured rather quickly."
Mei Chengyu drew his gaze away and said lazily, "As long as she doesn't feel pain."
The next day, Yu Sui went to the Military School again. She didn't even go to the Taoist Saint Hall; she was completely absorbed in challenging the Military Formation and sparring with the Military Formation Puppets inside.
Chances like this were rare.
Sheng Zui offered to take her along, but Yu Sui refused.
That evening, Yu Sui emerged from the formation drenched in sweat and happened to run into Mei Chengyu, Zhongli Shan, and the others, who had just come out of the formations beside hers.
Yu Sui was panting, bent forward with both hands braced on her knees. She suddenly felt a shadow fall over her and looked up. Sweat ran from her chin and traced a line down her neck. "Senior Martial Brother," she said softly.
Mei Chengyu quietly studied her condition, then raised an eyebrow. "Want me to take you with me?"
Yu Sui shook her head and straightened up.
She blinked and smiled mischievously. "I want to play by myself."
It was the answer he'd expected. Mei Chengyu didn't know what Yu Sui was practicing, but he could tell she was having a wonderful time in the Military Formation on her own.
So they continued to challenge separate Military Formations.
The Military Formation would close at midnight on its final day.
When it closed, all the disciples still inside were forcibly sent out. The Military Instructor, who had been on duty for seven days, stood and stretched before calling out to everyone, "You've all worked hard. Go back and rest if you need to. I'll see you make fools of yourselves again when the formation opens next time."
The academy disciples: "..."
The trial grounds were noisy with chatter. Disciples who knew the instructor talked and laughed with one another as people headed out in groups of three or five.
Yu Sui sat in the farthest corner, rubbing her neck beside the stone steps. She spotted Li Jinshuang leaving the crowd alone and was just about to call out to her when the Listening Wind Ruler suddenly began to buzz.
It was an alert for a Keyword Message she had set up.
Yu Sui took out the Listening Wind Ruler, her heart giving a little jolt as she prayed for news related to the Tianzi Text. But when she looked, she found a message exchange from Gu Gan.
The recipient of Gu Gan's message was named Wei Kun:
"Help me get rid of Zhongli Shan, and I'll help you deal with Mei Chengyu."
"On the night of the fifteenth, lure Mei Chengyu to the outer city."
Yu Sui's fingertip brushed lightly across the Listening Wind Ruler, stopping on the two messages.
Gu Gan and Wei Kun had joined forces.
What could Gu Gan do to bring Mei Chengyu down? Yu Sui lowered her eyes. Taking him to the outer city probably meant he planned to leave him badly wounded, if not dead. But if Mei Chengyu really couldn't win in the outer city, he could still summon Sage Chang Gen. What was Gu Gan going to do?
The evening breeze brushed her face, but the heat of the strange fire made even the wind blowing toward her feel faintly warm.
She looked up, her gaze passing unconsciously over the crowd. She saw Mei Chengyu up ahead, walking with Zhongli Shan and the others.
He looked relaxed and languid. Nian Qiuyan said something to him, making him shake his head with a brief laugh. When he glanced at Nian Qiuyan, the night breeze stirred his eyes, drawing his attention to Yu Sui sitting behind them on the stone steps, staring their way in a daze. He stopped in his tracks.
Before you continue