Chapter 227 Xiao Zou: I'm not going to have to catch dragonflies for the rest of my life, am I?

Taking advantage of Zhang Xiangyun's injuries, Yuan Xi began to persuade him to leave Taiyi and go back to avoid trouble. Zhang Xiangyun's face turned cold and sullen, clearly unwilling.

Seeing his expression, Song Yubai lost all interest in trying to persuade him and simply gave up.

Yuan Xi turned to look at Song Yubai and Nian Qiuyan, gesturing for them to say a few words as well.

Nian Qiuyan said, "I didn't come here tonight to persuade him to leave Taiyi to save his life."

He maintained his smile and said, "We need a new batch of Resurrection Incense outside. Because the Saints swept through the outer city, the strongholds were destroyed, so we can only make it at the secret strongholds that were relocated."

Nian Qiuyan lowered her eyes and looked at Zhang Xiangyun: "Xuan Kui always delivers goods on time, there is no such thing as breaking a promise, this is also Xuan Kui's rule, so there are urgent requests from outside now, I received another message urging delivery today."

He took out a small messenger dragonfly from his sleeve. It was the most common dragonfly in the countryside and one of the insects that Xuan Kui used to deliver messages.

The time and requirements appeared on the almost transparent wings of the messenger dragon. After Nian Qiuyan showed them to the three people, she destroyed them.

“There are only half a month left. Given the current situation, it’s a bit urgent,” Nian Qiuyan said to Zhang Xiangyun. “Once this batch of goods is ready, you can take it with you. You can go back to recover from your injuries or keep a low profile and avoid the limelight.”

Yuan Xi, thinking it was for Zhang Xiangyun's own good, advised, "This suggestion is not bad. You won't go back empty-handed, and you can make amends for your mistake."

Zhang Xiangyun said resentfully, "What fault do I have to make up for?"

Yuan Xi made a gesture and gave Zhang Xiangyun a knowing look.

"Do you have enough time?" Song Yubai asked Nian Qiuyan.

Nian Qiuyan said, "It depends on what the secret base has. If there are enough people and materials, then I can manage."

"But I don't know where the secret base is."

That's the main point he wanted to discuss tonight.

Zhang Xiangyun's Adam's apple bobbed, indicating that he wanted to drink water, and Yuan Xi turned around to pour him some.

As Yuan Xi poured water, he asked, "Were all the previous goods destroyed when the Saint swept through the outer city?"

The three of them then looked at Zhang Xiangyun, as he and Luo Fu were in charge of shipping the goods.

“That’s all,” Zhang Xiangyun said hoarsely. He looked at Nian Qiuyan and couldn’t help but be sarcastic. “You’re starting to get things done now. What were you doing before? Are you scared now that Luo Fu is dead?”

Nian Qiuyan: "Luo Fu is dead. Aren't you the one who was most afraid of him?"

Yuan Xi stepped between the two to smooth things over: "Hey, alright, alright, stop arguing. What kind of time is this to be arguing? Let's get down to business!"

He waved his hand at Zhang Xiangyun and said, "Since you're recovering from your injuries anyway, you can take Nian Qiuyan to the stronghold to manufacture goods. Song Yubai and I will cover for you, okay?"

Zhang Xiangyun didn't trust Nian Qiuyan. He thought Nian Qiuyan was already on Mei Liangyu's side. She wasn't very proactive when it came to getting the Milky Way Water, and in the past two years, she gave him the feeling that she wanted to find an opportunity to break away from Xuan Kui.

Last night, the scene of Nian Qiuyan being manipulated by Nangong Sui made Zhang Xiangyun realize that he had been wrong.

Because he would never go to Nangong Sui's place to ruin Xuan Kui, cause trouble, or destroy Xuan Kui's business. What would she gain from that?

She is Nangong Ming's daughter.

Unless the evidence is presented to him, Zhang Xiangyun will not consider that Yu Sui is targeting Xuan Kui.

Therefore, Nian Qiuyan listened to Nangong Sui's words and became more proactive. Zhang Xiangyun believed that it was Yu Sui who had warned Nian Qiuyan to do his job properly and not to ruin Xuan Kui's business and make her lose face in front of the prince.

After much internal struggle, Zhang Xiangyun reluctantly agreed to take Nian Qiuyan to the final secret stronghold.

Yuan Xi said, "Let him rest for a couple of days, and see how the college reacts."

“We don’t have much time left,” Nian Qiuyan said. “The sooner the better.”

Yuan Xi nodded and said, "I promise I'll make sure he can run and jump again by tomorrow."

When Nian Qiuyan was about to leave, Zhang Xiangyun couldn't contain his curiosity any longer and asked, "Where is Nangong Sui?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xi and Song Yubai both turned to look at Nian Qiuyan with some confusion.

Nian Qiuyan said dismissively, "I heard that Dean Ou called her away because of the adjudication committee matter."

As dusk approached, Yu Sui was stopped by a disciple of the Farmer's School, who said that Dean Ou had asked her to go to the Farmer's School.

Yu Sui followed the other party to the farmer's rain-praying hall.

The Prayer for Rain Hall is where Ou Rushuang handles academy affairs. Flower racks are placed in front of the doors and windows, displaying various medicinal flowers that dazzle the eyes.

As soon as you enter the main hall, you can smell a faint medicinal fragrance. There is a slight bitterness that makes you think of medicine, but it will soon turn into a faint sweetness.

Yu Sui glanced at the medicinal flowers by the door a couple more times before knocking. Ou Rushuang's calm voice came from inside the hall: "Come in."

As dusk fell, the setting sun streamed through the window, spilling its magnificent colors onto the table and onto the upper half of the person sitting behind it.

Although Ou Rushuang has an ordinary appearance and is not outstanding in a crowd, when you are alone with him, you can feel a kind of indescribable pressure from him.

Suddenly, he went from an insignificant ordinary person to a powerful and influential figure.

The hall is filled with bookshelves and flower stands, with various colored medicinal flowers covering the walls, adding a touch of vibrancy to the scholarly atmosphere.

Ou Rushuang was grading the papers of the academy's students when she glanced up at Yu Sui, who had just entered, before looking back at her desk.

Yu Sui walked forward respectfully, looking somewhat apprehensive as if aware of her mistake at the previous adjudication meeting. She asked softly, "Dean, is there something you need from me?"

Ou Rushuang seemed to ponder for a moment before saying, "Whether it's the Breath of Earth or the matter your father entrusted to us, we should have met sooner rather than later."

Yu Sui stared at him blankly, then nodded and said, "Please speak."

“Because of the Breath of Earth, you probably don’t have a very good impression of the Farmer School. There are quite a few people in the academy who covet the Breath of Earth, and even the instructors in the academy are very interested in it.” Ou Rushuang said calmly, “When you first came to Taiyi, I told the Farmer School sorcerers in the outer city not to make a move against you in Taiyi.”

Is this a case of giving someone a piece of candy first and then slapping them in the face?

Yu Sui looked surprised and touched, bowed his head and thanked Dean Ou: "I only learned today that it was Dean Ou who stopped those thieves. Nangong Sui thanks Dean Ou."

“I know your father and have maintained a long-term cooperative relationship, so it is only right that I do these things,” Ou Rushuang said. “It’s just that you were a person of the Ping Shu sect before, so you don’t know the dangers of the Nine Streams Realm. You haven’t been in Taiyi for long, so there are some things you don’t understand yet.”

At this point, he paused in his writing, lifted his eyelids to look at Yu Sui, and asked in a seemingly gentle manner, "Were you a little nervous at the adjudication meeting today?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Sui immediately frowned and looked at Ou Rushuang with a bitter expression, saying, "Dean, I know I was wrong. I was too hasty and shouldn't have spoken up without permission. Otherwise, Luo Fu wouldn't have..."

She admitted her mistake quickly and didn't try to argue. She looked pitiful, which pleased Ou Rushuang. She nodded without anger and said, "You are indeed a bit impatient. Wei Xizhen, the sage of Legalism, is the strictest about the matter of 'law', but it's not entirely your fault today. Nobody knew he would come back at this time."

Yu Sui nodded repeatedly: "When Dean Wei came back, I was so scared that my heart almost stopped."

Ou Rushuang frowned, just as she was thinking that Yu Sui was so easily frightened, she heard her say, "Dean Wei's aura is different from others. He is more stern. I have never met such a person in Qingyang before. This is also the first time I have done these things. I am not fully used to it yet. But Dean, don't worry, I will definitely learn from Zhang Xiangyun and the others."

The girl tilted her head back, her beautiful and delicate face half-adorned by the twilight light, as if veiled by a thin gauze. Above the gauze, her bright black eyes were full of seriousness, making one subconsciously believe that she could do it.

Ou Rushuang thought to herself, "The attitude is indeed quite good."

It was much better than he had imagined. Although it did have the airs of someone raised in the royal palace who was ignorant of the ways of the world and the naivety of a weakling, it was also quite clever and knew how to read people's expressions.

She needs to hone her knowledge and courage, but given time, she should see good results.

“From now on, you will follow me. Because of your special status, you need to learn faster.” Ou Rushuang said to Yu Sui, “Your father didn’t ask you to get involved in these things before. Now your father is willing to train you, and you can’t let him down.”

The person before me is Nangong Ming's daughter, his handpicked successor, and the only child to be given the surname Nangong.

Although rumors circulated that the child was a simpleton, dull and naive, Ou Rushuang believed that Nangong Ming had not given up on the child.

"Dean... do you mean you'd be willing to teach me personally?" Yu Sui appeared flattered.

Ou Rushuang nodded and said, "You have a long time to stay in Taiyi. There is a lot you can learn here, and when you return to Qingyang, you will be able to better help your father."

"Thank you, Dean!" Yu Sui bowed deeply, showing even greater respect than before, her eyes and brows beaming with joy. "I will definitely learn from you and strive not to make the same mistake again!"

Ou Rushuang then asked a lot more about what happened on the underwater mechanical island, seemingly wanting to know if what Yu Sui said was consistent with what Zhang Xiangyun and the others said.

Yu Sui answered flawlessly, but from Ou Rushuang's question, he deduced that Ou Rushuang was still looking for the person who used the Taoist Invisibility Talisman to take Lin Chenghai away.

Ou Rushuang asked, "What do you think of the matter concerning that farmer's disciple last time?"

"Are you talking about Wei Ren?" Yu Sui was surprised at first, then somewhat embarrassed, and said in a low voice, "I don't know if you know, but Wei Ren is in cahoots with the farmer sorcerer who came to seize the Breath Soil. He almost killed me in the outer city before. I just came to Taiyi and was afraid of losing points for killing someone, so I only destroyed his cultivation."

Ou Rushuang nodded: "I know about this. He is related to the person hiding behind the Listening Wind Ruler. You are all freshmen who have just entered the academy. Do you know anything about this?"

“No, not really. After the incident in the outer city, I rarely saw him. I heard that because his cultivation was crippled, he rarely left the dormitory.” Yu Sui tried hard to recall. “I occasionally heard my senior brother say that he couldn’t see Wei Ren when he went back to the dormitory. In short, after the incident in the outer city, Wei Ren became very low-key.”

Ou Rushuang had only asked casually, and hearing that Yu Sui didn't seem to have any leads, she frowned. Wei Ren's whereabouts were currently unknown; although he was severely injured and near death, swept away by underwater currents with a slim chance of survival, the lack of a body still made her uneasy.

Aside from the matters concerning the underwater mechanical city and Wei Ren, Ou Rushuang also asked Yu Sui about the Sage Chang Gen, to which Yu Sui replied that her master treated her well.

When Ou Rushuang asked why she was also at Yueshan that day, Yu Sui pretended to still feel a pang of regret when she recalled it and replied, "I often practiced in the Yin-Yang Five Elements Field of the Yin-Yang Clan by opening the Armor Formation. That day, I don't know what kind of formation of the Five Elements Field was triggered, and I was teleported to Yueshan. My master arrived shortly afterward."

"I didn't even know what had happened before the two of them started fighting."

There was nothing suspicious about it.

Ou Ru tapped his fingers lightly within his sleeves, his expression unreadable, and said, "Mei Liangyu has also treated you well."

“Senior brother? Don’t even mention it.” Yu Sui said in a low voice with his head down, “He’s only nice to me because of Master’s sake. Recently, Master has been away from Taiyi, and he’s started to get impatient. Today, he even had a big argument with me about the judgment.”

Mei Liangyu only considers the face of Sage Changgen when doing things, and all the sages of Taiyi know this, so Ou Rushuang did not doubt Yu Sui's words.

“If you can get him to work for you, that would be best,” Ou Rushuang had just finished speaking when she saw Yu Sui raise his head, revealing a pained expression that seemed to say, “Then you might as well kill me.” After a pause, she added, “If not, you must be wary of him. He is extremely ruthless, and if you are targeted by him, it will be a real problem.”

This was the first time Yu Sui had heard someone describe Mei Liangyu as "cruel," and the person in question was a saint, so he was taken aback.

Ou Rushuang thought Mei Liangyu was troublesome because he couldn't be killed in Taiyi. If he messed with Mei Liangyu, it would likely involve the sage Chang Gen, who was turning a blind eye.

This was not a good thing, so even though Mei Liangyu clashed with Zhang Xiangyun and others several times, Ou Rushuang did not take action against him, but instead told Zhang Xiangyun and the others to be more careful.

Yu Sui nodded, indicating that she understood.

After the sky outside had completely darkened, Yu Sui left the Praying for Rain Hall. As she walked to the door, a night breeze swept by, stirring the medicinal flowers on the wooden shelf. A golden petal was blown off, and before it even landed, it spread its wings and flew towards Yu Sui.

It turned out to be a Crimson Gold Butterfly.

Yu Sui stared curiously at the Crimson Gold Butterfly flying towards her. Just as the butterfly was about to land on her nose, Ou Rushuang made her move, tapping her finger on the table, and the butterfly flew away, avoiding Yu Sui.

"Dean, what is this?" Yu Sui asked curiously as she turned around.

“Many of the insects and animals in the countryside are poisonous,” Ou Rushuang said. “Try to avoid them in the future. If you accidentally get them on you, you may be poisoned or even be afflicted by a Gu curse.”

"They look so beautiful, yet so dangerous?" Yu Sui covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes full of surprise, and glanced at the flower stand at the entrance of the main hall.

The medicinal flowers on the wooden shelf include potted plants and climbing vines, each with a different flower shape. The only thing they have in common is their color; each bloom is as bright as the golden sun, as if meticulously sculpted by a top-notch master craftsman.

Yu Sui looked at the medicinal flowers and suddenly exclaimed, as if she remembered something. She looked at Ou Rushuang and said, "Seeing these flowers reminds me of something. That day, I smelled a familiar fragrance of medicinal flowers on Wei Ren."

"Medicinal flowers?" Ou Rushuang raised an eyebrow.

Yu Sui nodded, recalled for a moment, and her expression became certain: "It should be right. I smelled it in Brother Gu's dormitory. He lives with Ji Meng. Ji Meng is a disciple of the medical family. Don't medical disciples cultivate their own medicinal flowers? Brother Gu said that it was carefully cultivated by Ji Meng. There should only be that one medicinal flower in the world."

"Apart from Brother Gu's place, I have never smelled that fragrance of medicinal flowers anywhere else. I was a little surprised at the time, but I forgot about it because I was busy with cultivation. I only remembered it today when I saw these medicinal flowers."

Yu Sui said, "The medicinal flower cultivated by Ji Meng is called Five-Fragrance Ling. Although its fragrance is faint, it becomes clear after a short while."

She was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly opened her eyes wide and said cautiously, "I'd better go and confirm with Brother Gu before I tell you."

“No need,” Ou Rushuang said. “If you go to Gu Gan now, you’ll be alerting him. I’ll handle this.”

Yu Sui nodded repeatedly, then took his leave.

As the sky darkened, the night lights outside the Prayer Hall came on one after another. Doctors had many herb gardens and flower gardens, but farmers could see all kinds of flowers blooming everywhere. Green plants and crops were thriving in the farmhouses, with all kinds of strange and countless varieties.

Therefore, the farmhouses are actually the most beautiful, complex, and varied places within Taiyi Academy.

Yu Sui saw an unknown golden flower by the roadside and couldn't help but rub her fingertips hidden under her sleeve. She was indeed frightened when the Azure Blood Golden Butterfly suddenly flew towards her, because Ou Rushuang did not stop it.

But she quickly remembered that Ou Rushuang had asked about the underwater mechanical city, which showed that Ou Rushuang still had some doubts about her. So at that time, she could only pretend not to recognize the Azure Blood Golden Butterfly and let it fly towards her.

Tonight's questioning should dispel Ou Rushuang's suspicions about her.

Zhang Xiangyun was awakened again in the middle of the night by pain. His forehead twitched, and he glared at Yuan Xi, who was busy beside him. Yuan Xi didn't even turn his head and said, "I'm treating patients and saving lives. I'm a good doctor. Put away your murderous intent. If you have to blame someone, blame the person who hurt you like this."

He didn't have the courage to blame anyone.

Zhang Xiangyun examined the wind-listening ruler for a while and then asked him, "Did Nangong Sui and Mei Liangyu have a fight?"

"Who?" Yuan Ximeng took a moment to react. "Oh, is that true? Were they close before?"

He didn't pay attention.

Before Zhang Xiangyun could reply, Yuan Xi fiddled with the pills in his hand and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Princess Nangong is Mei Liangyu's junior sister. Isn't it normal for them to have a good relationship? It's also normal for them to quarrel. Nangong Sui wants to snatch the judge's spot from Mei Liangyu. With Mei Liangyu's temper, she definitely won't accept it."

Zhang Xiangyun felt something was amiss, and he recalled what Yu Sui had said on the boat:

Do you know how much my senior brother likes me?

They fell out over the arbitration slot, and it seems they weren't really fond of it.

Zhang Xiangyun inwardly grumbled.

"Bring me a dragonfly." Zhang Xiangyun sat up halfway on the bed, frowning as he endured the pain.

Yuan Xi took one out of the medicine basket and handed it over: "Are you planning to send a message outside?"

“Some things…” Zhang Xiangyun hesitated again after receiving the letter.

In fact, like Nian Qiuyan, he did not believe that Yu Sui and Qing Kui would fight to the death. After all, the two sisters had Nangong Ming above them, and the prince would certainly not allow his children to fight to such an extent.

Besides, what reason would they have to go to such lengths?

In the end, they will most likely still become a close family.

Moreover, Nangong Sui is not as innocent and harmless as she appears on the surface. Who knows how many tricks she has up her sleeve? If I act rashly now and she discovers me, I'm afraid I'll really die at her hands.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xiangyun left a message on the dragonfly and released it.

Yu Sui was walking alone in the lit forest path at night when she saw Xue Mushi waiting at the fork in the road.

Xue Mushi, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, stood by the night lamp, gazing blankly at the pond below. His long hair was tied up in a high bun, giving him a clean and neat appearance; from a distance, he was clearly a handsome young man. When he was silent, his features were somewhat delicate, truly possessing a Taoist air of otherworldly grace.

Only after noticing someone approaching did Xue Mushi turn around, his dark eyes reflecting the figure of the girl bathed in light.

Yu Sui looked Xue Mushi up and down for a moment and asked, "What's this?"

"Taoist robe." Xue Mushi followed her forward.

Yu Sui: "Of course I can tell."

Xue Mushi thought for a moment and then explained, "According to the academy's regulations, anyone at the third realm or above can wear it."

"It looks good too." Yu Sui raised her hand to cover her face and yawned, then handed over the note she had taken out of her sleeve. "You look more energetic than before."

Xue Mushi reached out and took it, then frowned as he saw the name and college information on it.

Yu Sui: "These two are the people who have been eyeing your cousin recently."

Xue Mushi's cousin, Xue Jiayue, joined the medical family. As a junior disciple, she had so much to learn and was very busy every day.

She has a competitive personality. There is no shortage of talented people in Taiyi. She used to be praised as the most outstanding person. When she came here, she found that there were many people who were even more outstanding than herself. She found it hard to accept the gap in her heart for a while.

Xue Mushi recently discovered that his cousin, who used to come to him to chat and complain, has almost stopped contacting him.

Although he was too busy to pay attention to the other party, he couldn't help but feel annoyed when he heard Yu Sui say that Xuan Kui would deliberately lure others into getting infected with the orchid poison.

If only he had found out sooner.

“I’ll talk to her tomorrow,” Xue Mushi said, frowning. “Although she was raised in the Xue family since she was a child and was loved by the elders, she is not her biological parents after all. She is sensitive and sometimes can’t think straight. She doesn’t dare to speak up when something happens.”

Yu Sui looked at him and said, "Wei Ren often says you're dull, but when you put your mind to something, you're not dull at all."

Xue Mushi: "...I didn't know he told you that about me."

Speaking of Wei Ren, Xue Mushi put away the note and asked, "How is he?"

Yu Sui raised a hand to smooth her hair and said casually, "She's not dead yet."

She could sense the presence of the Five Elements Light Core, which was full of vitality. Although she couldn't see the scenery around the light core, as long as she could sense its presence, she could know Wei Ren's condition.

Outer city, Black Grass Sea.

The coastline is lined with vast expanses of reeds, half of which are submerged in the water. The reed flowers sway gently in the night breeze. Nearby, there are fishing nets set up by the islanders from the outer city, as the area is rich in seafood and the islanders often come here to catch fish and shrimp.

Because of the special nature of Black Grass Sea, before the Cloud Chariot Flying Dragon sets off, people will come to Black Grass Sea to collect sea crystals to use as the flight power for the Cloud Chariot Flying Dragon.

The serpents that linger here can also take this opportunity to blend into the mud of the sea crystal and enter the cloud chariot flying dragon with the sea crystal.

The boy in green, with his sleeves rolled up and a net on his shoulder, walked through the reeds to catch dragonflies.

Zou Ye stared gleefully at the large flock of dragonflies flying around in front of him. It had been ten days already. He thought to himself, "Am I going to spend the rest of my life catching dragonflies in Taiyi?"

Last time, the young lady asked him to intercept the message; this time, the method of delivery has changed, and the message carrier dragonfly from the farm has been used.

These people have so many tricks up their sleeves.

Zou Yexi held the captured dragonfly in his hand, deciphered its cipher, and saw the message it conveyed: Do not touch Mei Liangyu for the time being.

He felt like he'd heard that name somewhere before.

Zou Yexi scratched his head.

[Author's Note]

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!