Chapter 175
That night, Yu Sui tried to fall asleep at night. The burning pain had lessened somewhat, but it wasn't completely gone. This part seemed to depend on her state of mind.
For Yu Sui, the burning pain of Strange Fire over all these years was torment, but also a different kind of tempering of her mental fortitude.
Even so, she still slept for over an hour, waking up just as dawn broke outside.
After daybreak, the nighttime ordeal ended. Yu Sui took off the Polar Sea Cold Jade and put it away. She wouldn't wear it during the day, as anyone who came near her would be able to sense the bone-deep cold.
Yu Sui placed the Polar Sea Cold Jade in her mechanism box.
She looked at the red jade snowflake in the small compartment of the box, feeling quite good. She reached out to touch it again before closing the box.
Yu Sui continued tinkering with the Wind-Listening Ruler in her room, continuing to write the encrypted text she hadn't finished before. She called this encrypted text Mountain Spirit.
She had once thought about creating an intelligent existence with "consciousness" within Number Mountains that could invade other Number Mountain networks without connecting through the Wind-Listening Ruler.
But this seemed to require the combined power of the School of Names, Legalist School, and Yin-Yang School to have a chance of success.
Just relying on Heavenly Eye to analyze Number Mountains, Yu Sui could only create a rough framework, having form but no consciousness, unable to achieve the effect she wanted.
At that time, Yu Sui thought she couldn't cultivate and couldn't become a Nine Schools Arts practitioner. She felt regretful in her heart, thinking she had no chance to realize this idea.
But now times were different.
At the hour of chen, the Situ family brought breakfast.
Yu Sui didn't go out, staying in her room. The room was already filled with runic ribbons flying about. She would occasionally stop to recall the Nine Schools Arts knowledge of the School of Names and Legalist School she had learned at Taiyi Academy, then integrate it into the encrypted text.
The materialization of word spirits from the School of Names played a very important role in Yu Sui's plan.
The Nine Schools Arts of the Legalist School was to establish rules.
The Nine Schools Arts of the Yin-Yang School was to maintain stability.
Only the Nine Schools Arts of the School of Names could "bestow," which was the key to making her Mountain Spirit transform from death to life.
Because of Nangong Ming, Yu Sui had researched the Nine Schools Arts of the School of Names earliest, most extensively, and most seriously. After mastering the usage of light core Masterless Energy, the School of Names Nine Schools Arts became what she learned fastest.
Yu Sui stayed in her room all morning. At noon, a Situ family maid came to deliver a meal again. Only then did she stop and take the opportunity to check on Nian Qiuyan's movements through the Five Elements Light Cores she had released.
Ever since suffering successive blows and threats last night, Nian Qiuyan had stayed in his room without going out. Although his door was open, he hadn't stepped out even half a step.
He hadn't touched the food that was brought either. After the maids received his response that he wasn't hungry, they could only take it away, leaving behind some pastries and fruit tea.
Nian Qiuyan constantly suspected that Yu Sui was still using some method to monitor him.
If Yu Sui couldn't kill with one strike, her strange attack methods would cause excessive wariness and vigilance in her opponent, so if she was going to act, it was best to finish it in one step with a direct kill.
If she acted frequently now, it would instead cause Nian Qiuyan to speculate and analyze too much.
Nian Qiuyan's divination abilities were not to be underestimated, and he was intelligent. If it happened too many times, he might discover that although Yu Sui's attack methods were elusive and unpredictable, besides Ghost Way School, they were just some relatively simple, basic Nine Schools Arts from other schools, without particularly powerful Heavenly Mechanism Arts.
Yu Sui had thought about it before: either kill with one strike, or when acting, she must give the opponent sufficient deterrent force.
When Nian Qiuyan wanted to divine, she directly acted to stop him, pulling a taut string in Nian Qiuyan's mind.
Sometimes the weakness of intelligent people was thinking too much.
The consequence of Nian Qiuyan thinking too much was developing apprehension and not daring to act rashly.
Yu Sui sipped the fruit tea sent by the Situ family while slowly pondering what to do about Nian Qiuyan.
From last night's conversation, Nian Qiuyan had revealed his intention to break ties with Mei Liangyu and the others, and he was capable of doing so.
Yu Sui could see that although Nian Qiuyan appeared gentle and generous on the outside, he was actually a very rational and extreme person.
The feelings he gave were genuine, but he wouldn't be controlled by emotions.
With such a person, threatening him with emotions was useless.
Nian Qiuyan was the most capable disciple of the Technical Arts School at Taiyi Academy, and also a disciple of Saint Changsun Zi, with the high evaluation of "three divinations rival three Saints."
If such a figure died, it would be a great loss to the Technical Arts School. The person who killed him might even be targeted by Changsun Zi.
But Nian Qiuyan himself had secrets that couldn't see the light.
He didn't dare let Changsun Zi know about his past, much less let Changsun Zi know he was Xuan Kui's person.
As someone who grew up in Xuan Kui from childhood, he understood the Xuan Kui organization quite well, and had sufficient understanding of Lan Corpse, Nangong Ming, Qing Kui, and others.
Nian Qiuyan possessed many things that Yu Sui wanted.
So Yu Sui didn't want him to tear his face with Mei Liangyu now and become hostile to each other.
If they really laid everything bare, Nian Qiuyan was ruthless and could quickly withdraw his emotions, while Senior Brother was also ruthless and would really kill.
Both sides would suffer then.
If Nian Qiuyan didn't want to die and was truly smart, he would know what to do next.
Yu Sui was observing when she discovered someone climbing over the wall outside.
Nian Qiuyan's eyelid twitched as he looked toward the door.
Zhang Xiangyun and Luo Fu climbed over the wall with unchanged expressions. As they passed the stone table in the courtyard, they casually took the fruit tea from the table and drank it.
"Why do you look so bad?" Zhang Xiangyun walked into the room, glancing at Nian Qiuyan sitting by the desk and asking casually, "Don't the Situ family's meals suit your taste?"
Nian Qiuyan frowned slightly, staring at him without speaking.
Luo Fu leaned against the doorway, inconspicuously surveying the surroundings.
Zhang Xiangyun took a sip of fruit tea and didn't bother being polite with Nian Qiuyan, saying directly: "When are you going to hand over the thing?"
He was afraid of complications arising from delays.
Nian Qiuyan said coldly: "I told you, I'll decide for myself."
"Although you find it annoying, I don't, so as long as you haven't handed it over, I'll keep bothering you." Zhang Xiangyun stood in front of Nian Qiuyan, looking down at him. "You'd better hand it over quickly to avoid accidents."
Nian Qiuyan raised his eyelids, looking at him with calm eyes.
Zhang Xiangyun said with a half-smile: "You know, don't you, that I don't trust you anymore."
Nian Qiuyan looked completely unconcerned, showing no signs of being threatened. Instead, he smiled and asked: "How are you going to bother me?"
Zhang Xiangyun stared at him: "Do you want me to go tell Mei Liangyu or Kong Yiyi something?"
Nian Qiuyan said indifferently: "Would they believe you or me?"
"You're quite shameless." Zhang Xiangyun looked at him thoughtfully. "Mei Liangyu already gave you the Silver River Water. Don't you understand what that means?"
Nian Qiuyan laughed: "I'll say it again, would they believe you or me?"
Zhang Xiangyun held the teacup, staring at Nian Qiuyan and slowly narrowing his eyes. After a moment, the corner of his mouth curved up meaningfully: "I'd like to know whether Mei Liangyu trusts you or Nangong Sui."
Nian Qiuyan's expression remained unchanged: "Are you going to threaten Nangong Sui?"
"Threaten? This is exactly what Nangong Sui should be doing." Zhang Xiangyun drank the fruit tea in one gulp, turned around, and placed the cup on the table. "That's all she's useful for anyway. Besides, Mei Liangyu likes her, that's what Nangong Sui said herself."
"Tell me, does Mei Liangyu like Nangong Sui more, or you?" Zhang Xiangyun looked at Nian Qiuyan with mocking eyes.
Nian Qiuyan's calm expression showed a hint of coldness. Zhang Xiangyun thought he had finally hit his sore spot, but heard Nian Qiuyan say: "Fine, then have Nangong Sui go talk to Mei Mei."
Zhang Xiangyun raised an eyebrow: "You're really not afraid?"
"What should I be afraid of?" Nian Qiuyan smiled instead. "Having me expose my identity, then expose Lan Corpse, letting Mei Mei make a big fuss about it, what good would that do you?"
In Nian Qiuyan's eyes, Zhang Xiangyun was now just an unlucky fool who knew nothing. The more he wanted to trouble Nangong Sui, the more miserably Nangong Sui would torture him.
Thinking of this, Nian Qiuyan really couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing that Nian Qiuyan could still laugh, Zhang Xiangyun couldn't help but grind his teeth secretly. He turned around and stared at Nian Qiuyan, saying coldly: "If you're exposed, you'll be kicked out of Taiyi Academy. Like Nangong Sui, Xuan Kui will send another person more to my liking to replace you."
"We came together, so naturally we should leave together too." Nian Qiuyan looked up and smiled at Zhang Xiangyun. "You don't think I'd do nothing after being exposed, do you?"
Zhang Xiangyun fell silent upon hearing this.
Luo Fu, who was leaning against the doorway surveying the outside, frowned and glanced toward the room.
Zhang Xiangyun finally lost his patience. His temple twitched lightly, and his words carried some impatience: "Hand over the thing. If the Silver River Water is lost again, we'll all get kicked out of Taiyi Academy together, but before that, I'll kill you first."
As soon as these words fell, the atmosphere in the room became somewhat dangerous.
Nian Qiuyan straightened up, leaning back against the desk, his eyes full of smiling intent, even his tone gentle: "Kill me, do you have that confidence?"
Before Zhang Xiangyun could speak, Nian Qiuyan smiled gently again: "When you can silently launch School of Names water arrows, then we can talk about killing me."
As soon as these words came out, Zhang Xiangyun's face instantly turned gloomy.
He thought this was Nian Qiuyan mocking him.
Mocking him for almost dying under the Spirit Bird.
A dignified Eighth Realm Technical Arts practitioner almost killed by small School of Names water arrows.
No one would believe this if it got out.
Zhang Xiangyun stared coldly at Nian Qiuyan without moving, but Luo Fu standing at the door couldn't hold back. With his explosive temper, he was already frowning at Nian Qiuyan, about to act.
But Nian Qiuyan suddenly stood up and walked outside: "Let's go. Having you watch me hand over the thing in person will put you at ease."
He walked past Luo Fu, who was stunned by this sudden change and instinctively looked at Zhang Xiangyun.
Zhang Xiangyun took a deep breath, pressing his frantically throbbing temples with his hand. In his heart, he wanted nothing more than to beat Nian Qiuyan severely, but had no choice but to follow him outside.
Although Nian Qiuyan appeared to handle Zhang Xiangyun with ease, he remained vigilant in his heart, keeping his nerves taut, occasionally scanning the surroundings with his peripheral vision.
Right now, besides Yu Sui, no one else was at the Situ family residence.
Mei Liangyu had gone to the Abyss Sea early to find Wenyang Xiu and told him about Wenyang Zhou's situation.
After hearing this, Wenyang Xiu looked helpless, pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering: "I already told him I'd go, but he insisted on competing with me!"
However, after Mei Liangyu assured him that Wenyang Zhou would be fine, the worry in Wenyang Xiu's heart lessened somewhat.
Li Jin Shuang had originally wanted to come find Yu Sui, but early in the morning it was Situ Ling who brought her breakfast. The little girl was lively and cute, talking so much that Li Jin Shuang couldn't stop her. She was also eager to have Li Jin Shuang teach her some Military School sword techniques.
Situ Ling said: "I'm so envious of you sisters who are good at fighting! Please teach me! I promise I won't teach it to anyone else!"
She liked Mei Liangyu also because he was the best fighter on Mechanism Island.
Situ Ling believed that her family's Mechanism Arts were the most powerful on Xuangu Continent, but what she most wanted to learn was actually other schools' Nine Schools Arts, especially those good at fighting, like Military School and Taoist School.
The little girl thought that was so cool! Even cooler than Mechanism Arts.
During the days when Mei Liangyu lived with the Situ family, Situ Ling came to play with him every day, chasing after him calling "Brother this, Brother that." Mei Liangyu was so annoyed by her that he had no choice but to teach her.
With Mei Liangyu backing her up, Situ Ling became lawless during that period, beating up all the Situ family children her age. When she encountered those she couldn't beat, she would call for a stop, then put her hands on her hips and say arrogantly, "Brother Liangyu taught me this. If you hit me, I'll have Brother Liangyu come hit you!"
Under Situ Ling's propaganda, Mei Liangyu gained notoriety far and wide. Everyone said he even hit children.