Chapter 56: A Sinister Bloom Part 3

Sang Chencao came down. At first, she didn’t see Feng Yun’ai, only realizing where she was when she looked up. She chuckled. “Does Little Xiuxiu still have such a childish heart? Playing hide-and-seek with me?”

Feng Yun’ai gave her a cold glare and reached out to lightly wipe the wall, her hand coming away covered in charcoal dust.

Thoughtfully, she noted that it didn’t look like something had been burned here; rather, it looked as if the soot had been accidentally brushed against the surface.

Sang Chencao noticed it too. “Is it just this one spot?” she asked suspiciously.

Feng Yun’ai scanned the surroundings but couldn’t find any other scorched marks. “There were no black marks here two days ago,” she said with certainty. “They must have been left yesterday.”

“It must be related to what Zhou Gui was doing yesterday.” Sang Chencao didn’t hesitate to make the connection. She then asked, “Are there any signs of digging or chiseling on the ceiling?”

Feng Yun’ai didn’t just look; she felt around the area, but unfortunately, she found nothing.

However, she then reconsidered. Zhou Gui had the support of the Thousand Machinations Sect; it wouldn’t be surprising if she could do something without leaving a trace.

“It’s a pity we didn’t bring that Umbrella Sword along. Otherwise, we might have been able to tell if someone from the Thousand Machinations Sect had been here,” Sang Chencao said meaningfully.

The Umbrella Sword was inconvenient to carry around, so it had been left with Feng Rong’s body at the coffin shop.

“Charcoal and fire… it seems Zhou Gui intends to use fire,” Sang Chencao mused. “But what is she using fire for?”

Feng Yun’ai shook her head.

“Never mind. Let’s go check the Sword Trial Stage,” Sang Chencao said, turning to leave.

The formation had already been deactivated. The Sword Trial Stage looked the same as always; nothing had been added, and nothing seemed to be missing.

Feng Yun’ai was completely bewildered. “What exactly did Zhou Gui do?” she asked coldly.

“It can’t be anything good,” Sang Chencao replied unhurriedly. “Let’s see how the Golden-Wanderer Eternal Flower is doing.”

The two of them each grabbed a chain and pulled the narrow doors of the Golden-Stone Heavy Sword out from the ground.

Over the past few days, the Golden-Wanderer Eternal Flower inside the stone sword had been nourished by ice water and fed with flesh and blood. It had indeed grown at a terrifying speed. The new shoots were nearly filling the entire upper portion of the stone sword.

The narrow platform could barely support it. Fortunately, the chains were strong enough and the stone slab beneath was sturdy; otherwise, the thing would have eventually come crashing down and shattered.

Looking in, one saw nothing but thorns. It was a shocking sight, especially since the plant was still growing relentlessly. In another two days, it would surely fill the entire stone sword.

The flower at the very top had already peeked out of the stone sword. Gold and stone had given birth to a flower, and its petals were brilliantly radiant.

Feng Yun’ai stood inside the sword, staring up in silence. She had no idea how they were supposed to clear all these branches and leaves and move Feng Rong onto the stone platform before the Hero Recruitment Meet.

Sang Chencao, however, maintained her leisurely posture. With her hands behind her back, she said, “I have a brilliant plan.”

Having witnessed too many of this woman’s cunning and bizarre tricks, Feng Yun’ai didn’t dare to trust her easily. Still, she asked, “What is it?”

Sang Chencao looked up. “Stop feeding this flower flesh and blood. We don’t need it anyway, and it’ll prevent it from growing so much that it completely clogs the stone sword.”

“Cut its stem and roots?” Feng Yun’ai was stunned. But if they did that, the people outside would see the flower withering and would surely notice something was wrong.

With a chuckle and eyes bright with intensity, Sang Chencao leaned in. “How about we feed it to Feng Rong? I didn’t realize these branches could grow so fast. Looking at it now, if we had moved Feng Rong here earlier, her body would have already been buried deep within the foliage. That way, who would ever know that what lies inside the stone sword is actually Feng Rong?”

Feng Yun’ai froze. It wasn’t because of Sang Chencao’s logical yet bizarre suggestion, but because she didn’t want Feng Rong’s body to be buried under branches and leaves.

If that happened, what would become of Feng Rong’s body? Could it still remain whole and intact?

Moreover, Feng Rong had always been a person who loved cleanliness. Would she truly be willing to be nourished by rotting meat?

Sang Chencao spoke in a measured tone. “You want the world to know the truth, yet you also want to keep Feng Rong hidden. There is no such thing as having it both ways in this world. Feng Rong taught you so much; did she somehow fail to teach you this?”

Feng Yun’ai’s heart was like a crashing wave, churning and boiling within her chest without end.

“It’s fine. I will teach you,” Sang Chencao whispered, her voice like an enchanting demon’s.

The stone sword was as silent as a coffin.

“Then… we shall bring her here,” Feng Yun’ai’s lips moved as she spoke.