Chapter 3 is about the person you will protect with your life in the future.
Overnight, Yu Sui transformed from a wild child in the mountains into a noble lady of the royal family of Qingyang Kingdom.
After Nangong Ming named her, Yu Sui rarely saw Madam Su again. The mute woman still stayed by her side, but there were many more people taking care of her than when she was in Luoshan.
The large house with red walls and black tiles in front of her was much better than the small dark house in Luoshan. As the heir chosen by the prince and the only one of the two princesses to inherit the Nangong surname, Yu Sui had the best of everything. Everyone in the mansion treated her with utmost respect, even though she was just a child who could not speak properly.
The advantage of being an innocent child allowed her to know many secrets.
There are three ladies in the household, each with a son. Her three older brothers are six, five, and four years old, respectively.
Since they were not eligible to use the surname Nangong, they all took their mother's surname.
Yu Sui only met her three elder brothers on the first day, but she could see the three ladies every few days. The ladies liked to come to the young princess's place to sit and chat for a while. They would never come alone; they would always come in groups of three.
Nangong Ming often visited Yu Sui, and even when handling political affairs, he allowed her to play around beside him.
Everyone was at ease with Yu Sui. She was only one and a half years old. What did she know about politics? Besides, she walked unsteadily and often fell down. Her pronunciation was also not clear. She seemed to be developing slower than normal children.
In the eyes of others, the image of the young princess can be summed up in four words: silly and foolish.
Silly and foolish children are quite popular with some smart people.
Nangong Ming was one of the smart ones.
After finishing his official duties, he got up and went to the wooden couch behind the screen, where the child was playing house with her dolls.
Nangong Ming asked, "Sui Sui, do you miss your mother?"
Yu Sui raised her head: "Yes."
Nangong Ming smiled, bent down and picked her up: "Then let's go see your mother."
Yu Sui saw Madam Su again after several months. She was sitting by the window, the moonlight shining through, making her figure look lonely. A maid came to report that the prince and the princess had arrived, but Madam Su showed no expression.
Nangong Ming stepped forward: "Susu."
Yu Sui stood on the ground, a smile on her face, and timidly called out, "Mother."
Madam Su's eyes flickered slightly before she turned to look at her.
Yu Sui had always wanted to get close to Madam Su. Even though she was almost strangled to death by Madam Su last time, she planned to ease the tension between them first, since she was too weak right now.
As she staggered toward Madam Su, Madam Su stood up and walked away.
Nangong Ming glanced at his daughter, who was standing there blankly and at a loss, smiled, reached out and patted Yu Sui's head, then picked her up and placed her by the table to play by herself.
“I thought you missed your child, so I brought her here,” Nangong Ming said. “This child took away half of your Breath Soil, and you hate her that much?”
Madam Su stood by the window with her back to the two of them, and did not speak.
Nangong Ming said in a calm tone, "It's really strange. You stole the Breath Soil from me and hid, and I haven't even blamed you yet, but you're already throwing a tantrum."
Yu Sui pricked up his ears.
There's something else I don't know about this bickering couple.
Madam Su said coldly, "That's what I deserve. It was agreed before the cooperation that the Breath Soil would belong to me after we got it."
“I did promise you, but you left too quickly.” Nangong Ming walked to Yu Sui’s side and wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, which made Yu Sui’s hair stand on end. “You’re about to give birth, but you still ran away, and you even took Qing Kui with you. So, do you want me to find Qing Kui as well?”
Madam Su turned around abruptly, her eyes filled with shock.
Yu Sui obediently played with her teacup, not daring to reveal even a hint of her surprise.
"It's quite unexpected that Mr. Zhou, one of the three sages of medicine, is willing to help you, but finding him isn't too difficult if you're determined," Nangong Ming sighed softly, then looked up at Madam Su. "Would you be willing for me to bring Qingkui back?"
Madam Su's eyes trembled, she hesitated to speak, but her momentum had already weakened.
She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and lowered her head: "Let Kui'er go."
"What are you talking about? Qingkui is also my daughter. Would I kill her?" Nangong Ming said nonchalantly. "I also want Qingkui to grow up freely and peacefully, but it will be hard on Suisui. Now the entire Nine Streams Realm knows that the Breath Soil is in Suisui and has nothing to do with you."
Yu Sui pushed the two cups together, making a crisp sound as they collided.
“Although it’s only half, who would know?” Nangong Ming walked up to Madam Su, took her hand and led her toward Yu Sui. “You have to keep it a secret and continue our cooperation. Don’t lose your temper or disappear all the time. There are many people who want to kill my child, and you can’t stop them.”
"Now those people will only notice Sui Sui, no one cares about Qing Kui, she will be safe."
Madam Su looked slightly startled, and when Yu Sui looked over, she quickly looked away.
Nangong Ming led Madam Su to sit down next to Yu Sui, and to outsiders, they looked like a happy family of three.
"Susu, for Qingkui's sake, continue to use any means necessary to help me find a way to break the oath."
Nangong Ming had grasped Madam Su's weakness, and she could no longer resist. For the sake of her daughter Qingkui, she continued to compromise and cooperate with Nangong Ming.
Yu Sui gained a deeper understanding of her situation.
Both her parents, for their own benefit, pushed her out to attract attention, making the outside world believe that the Breath of Soil was inside her body, rather than only half of it, thus concealing Madam Su and making it easier for Madam Su to do things for Nangong Ming.
She is the only one who sacrificed her own happiness for the happiness of her entire family—a truly tragic figure.
Nangong Ming meant that he also wanted to train her to serve the family in the future.
The more attention she attracts, the more careful Yu Sui must be to avoid revealing her identity as the destroyer of the world. If it is discovered that she possesses a strange fire, making her an existence that the entire continent should kill, then her life will be over.
From conversations with the three ladies who frequently visited, Yu Sui learned that the three heirs of the Prince's Mansion were all outstanding and quick learners. The eldest heir, who was six years old, was about to enter the Imperial Academy.
The National Academy was a place where the children of princes and nobles learned knowledge, etiquette, and skills.
Students are admitted to the hospital at the age of six and finish teaching at the age of sixteen.
Yu Sui still had a long infancy period to go through, but it wasn't boring. She heard a lot of strange and wonderful news every day.
After Madam Su compromised with Nangong Ming, she visited Yu Sui more often. At Nangong Ming's behest, Madam Su would represent the mistress of the Prince's Mansion and attend many banquets, occasionally bringing Yu Sui with her.
The fact that Yu Sui is the future heir to the royal title has already spread throughout the capital's social circles. Even if some people look down on Madam Su for being a concubine, they dare not neglect the princess of the royal family.
When the young princess of the Prince's Mansion was three years old, Yu Sui accompanied Madam Su to the palace to present a birthday gift to the Empress. At the birthday banquet, she was called by the Empress, but she knew nothing about the matter and could only stare blankly at the Empress. This caused a burst of laughter, and everyone laughed at her. She also laughed along with the people in a silly manner.
Emperor Qingyang and Nangong Ming were laughing and whispering, seemingly talking about his youngest daughter.
The world around Yu Sui was very lively, and she could even hear some distant conversations:
"So this is the little sister who stole the throne from you three brothers? Hahaha, she looks a bit dim-witted. You three must be feeling pretty aggrieved that she took your throne from you, hahaha!"
Yu Sui glanced around and saw that the eight-year-old eldest brother, the heir, was dignified and silent with his brows furrowed; the seven-year-old second brother was holding his forehead as if he was ashamed; and the six-year-old third brother had a look of disdain in his eyes.
From that day on, Madam Su stopped letting Yu Sui roam freely and began to arrange various learning courses for her, from music, chess, calligraphy and painting to horseback riding and archery. She needed the future princess of Nangong to be dignified and beautiful, but also skilled in martial arts.
Yu Sui learned very slowly, so slowly that her teacher patiently explained things to her again and again.
People around her said she was mediocre and didn't seem like a prince's child. Even Madam Su would occasionally wonder why her eldest daughter, Qingkui, was so clever and quick-witted, while her youngest daughter, Yusui, was so ordinary.
When Yu Sui was six years old, Nangong Ming brought a sorcerer from the Yin-Yang school to examine his talents.
In the Xuan Gu Continent, everyone can cultivate and choose their own path. Those without talent for learning the Dao are considered ordinary practitioners, while those with talent are considered ninth-rate practitioners.
The two are clearly distinguishable:
Those who practice martial arts can only master theoretical knowledge.
The sorcerers of the ninth rank possess extraordinary skills and abilities.
Nangong Ming comes from a prestigious family and has good relations with the Yin-Yang School in Qingyang. Therefore, he wants his daughter to join the Yin-Yang School. Naturally, his daughter cannot be a mediocre practitioner; she must be a ninth-rate sorcerer.
A person's "talent" is an important link to the Tao; without talent, one cannot enter the Tao.
Yu Sui stood under the moonlight, the night wind blowing her clothes and hair wildly. The old sorcerer standing not far away unfurled the scroll in his hand and threw it into the air. His hands quickly formed hand seals, and the ink in the scroll connected into lines that flew out of the paper.
The jet-black ink lines broke and scattered, landing on Yu Sui's brow, nose, cheeks, shoulders, and other points on the seven meridians and eight channels. Yu Sui only felt that the places touched by the ink lines were icy cold. After a brief stay, they flew back to the suspended drawing paper.
The old sorcerer took the scroll; the ink on the paper remained the same, and the human figure that appeared had no highlights whatsoever.
Yu Sui could tell from his expression that the result was not ideal.
The old sorcerer put away the scroll and turned to Nangong Ming, who was waiting beside him, and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, the princess is of mediocre talent and has no ability to connect with the Yin-Yang path."
Nangong Ming glanced at Yu Sui standing in the moonlight, waved his hand to dismiss the old sorcerer, walked up to Yu Sui, did not bend down, looked down at him from above, and although he was smiling, he gave Yu Sui a strong sense of oppression.
Are you scared?
Yu Sui lowered her head and looked sullen.
Nangong Ming added, "My Nangong clan has never had anyone skilled in martial arts; you cannot be the first."
Yu Sui thought for a moment and said, "What if I were?"
Nangong Ming was somewhat surprised that she would ask such a question. In his memory, this daughter rarely spoke. Most of the time, she was either crying or laughing. She would basically not speak unless asked.
The little girl in front of me looked up, her eyes following her mother's—dark, clear, pure, and innocent.
Nangong Ming looked down at her and smiled, "You can't be."
Yu Sui then asked, "If I were, would you kick me out?"
Nangong Ming: "..."
The girl's uniquely sweet voice startled Nangong Ming. Seeing Yu Sui's distressed expression, he timidly continued, "If Father is going to kick me out of the palace, could you let me have dinner first before I leave? I haven't eaten yet tonight, and you've already summoned me here."
Nangong Ming thought to himself, "Everyone says he is very cunning and scheming, and his ancestors were all resourceful people. His wife's talent is as high as the thirteenth realm, and his three sons are also smart and clever. How could he have a stupid daughter?"
A moment later, Nangong Ming took her silly daughter to dinner.
The six-year-old princess will also begin her studies at the Imperial Academy.
Yu Sui went to the Imperial Academy with his brothers every day, and returned to the Prince's Mansion together after sunset.
They used to have no communication at all, but now when they meet, they will politely call her "elder brother" or "princess". The three brothers no longer call her by her name or "little sister", but refer to her as "princess".
On Yu Sui's first day at the Imperial Academy, she didn't recognize everyone in the classroom. However, she was quite famous for her embarrassing moment at the Empress's birthday banquet a few years ago when she didn't know anything. Several children would come up to her and say, "You must be Nangong Sui, the little princess of the Nangong Prince's Mansion!"
She sat in her seat, gazing longingly at the children she didn't recognize.
The girl in front of her, with her delicate features, laughed heartily at her adorable appearance: "You really are silly. Everyone says you have no talent and are the only person in the Nangong family who is skilled in martial arts."
Yu Sui folded her hands and slumped onto the table, yawning sleepily.
"Why are you ignoring me?" Princess Shangyang pushed her unhappily. "It's your good fortune that I'm willing to talk to a fool like you."
They were all children, and their words were childish and funny. Yu Sui nodded twice and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Princess Shangyang was amused by her again.
Yu Sui is always a step behind in everything she does. Sometimes she seems not to understand what everyone is saying, and she stands there blankly with a bewildered expression.
Princess Shangyang and her friends laughed at Yu Sui for several days, and only after the novelty wore off did they go looking for other fun.
The princess is the daughter of the current Emperor Qingyang and Empress. With this background, she can do whatever she wants in the Imperial Academy. While others study diligently, she can make a lot of noise, and no one dares to discipline her.
Those who could enter the National Academy were all children of the powerful and wealthy. They were spoiled at home and had others dote on them. The teachers at the National Academy also took extra care of these children.
Whether the teachers listen or not is up to the children to teach as usual.
Yu Sui sat next to Princess Shangyang. With this boisterous little princess around, every day at the Imperial Academy was chaotic. Princess Shangyang would poke her from time to time and call her a fool.
She didn't care and just slept every day when she came to the National Academy.
This resulted in Yu Sui barely listening to what the teacher was saying, falling behind in her studies, and failing the written exam, where she scored zero on the entire paper and was at the bottom of the class.
After returning to the manor, Madam Su saw it and her delicate brows furrowed, her cold eyes staring at her for a long time.
The end result was that Yu Sui was punished by kneeling outside the door, holding a book and flipping through it sleepily.
It's no wonder she always slept in the National Academy; when it was time to sleep, the strange fire deep within her consciousness was incredibly active, making her so hot that she tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.
Yu Sui studied it for a long time, his consciousness interacting with the strange fire, trying to figure out what was wrong with it.
As a result, the problem wasn't identified, but most of my mental energy was depleted, leaving me completely listless during the day.
The night was cool and breezy. Yu Sui's knees ached from kneeling, and she kept squirming. She glanced at Madam Su in the room and said in a drawn-out voice, "Mother...can we recite it again tomorrow?"
Without even looking up, Madam Su said in a calm voice, "How many tomorrows have you wasted?"
Yu Sui had no choice but to lower his head and read.
Madam Su was completely unmoved by her attempts to charm her.
For several days in a row, Yu Sui had to kneel in front of the door and recite her lessons every time she returned home.
When Nangong Ming came over and saw this, he raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Your way of learning is quite unique."
A boy of similar age to Yu Sui was following behind him.
The boy, draped in a black overcoat that concealed his thin frame, stood in the chilly spring night. He was barefoot, the backs of his feet stained with mud, and water dripped from his hair onto his cheeks and neck. The boy's head was bowed, and Yu Sui looked up, catching a glimpse of the ferocity in his eyes.
Nangong Ming led the boy into the house to see Madam Su.
Yu Sui was locked outside.
After a while, Nangong Ming came out to see her.
Yu Sui was still kneeling on the ground, and Nangong Ming didn't tell her to get up. Instead, he squatted down and asked with a smile, "Can't you even recite one passage?"
“I can already recite five of them.” Yu Sui held up her hand to show a number.
Nangong Ming shook his head: "I don't know whether I should praise you for being smart."
Yu Sui looked past him and into the house: "Who is that person?"
"Him?" Nangong Ming reached out and touched Yu Sui's head, still smiling gently, "He's the person you'll protect with your life in the future."
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