Chapter 65: The Living Flower Vase Part 3

Threading a needle through flowers, cutting the wind and the water—these were the hallmarks of elite swordsmanship. To reach such a level of effortless mastery was a goal many spent their entire lives failing to achieve.

“As expected of our Xiuxiu.” Sang Chencao wiped her palm casually, as if the insect had been particularly filthy.

Feng Yun’ai shot her a cold look and remained silent. Even if Sang Chencao’s words were only partially teasing, they made her incredibly uncomfortable. Fortunately, the others had stepped back and didn’t seem to pay the comment any mind.

Someone spoke up. “Now that the desk is safe, please don’t delay. If you cannot provide a proper explanation today, you won’t escape the consequences.”

“Even Alliance Leader Feng, who is already a ghost of the past, isn’t as impatient as you,” Sang Chencao quipped.

The man fell silent immediately.

Feng Yun’ai turned to pick up the red-lacquered desk, only to find Sang Chencao already hauling it out. She had no choice but to escort the bound Lin Yaoyao.

Outside, the gathered martial artists focused their collective gaze on the piece of furniture.

Sang Chencao sat on the ground and tapped the redwood surface. She looked every bit the demoness, smiling brightly as she rested her chin on her hand. “The Thousand Machinations Sect has long been in league with Zhou Gui. They secretly swapped out the items Feng Rong used daily. Feng Rong was indeed murdered, but she didn’t die from Wen Lanxin’s flying needles. She died because of this.”

“It’s just a piece of wood. How could it kill anyone?” Chen Jinsai’s eyes were dark with malice. Just as she was about to move, a pair of halberds crossed in front of her.

“Regardless of whether Alliance Leader Feng was the successor of the Moonlight Sect, the martial world deserves to know whose hand truly struck her down,” the rogue cultivator holding the halberds said coldly.

Chen Jinsai sneered. She didn’t believe a mere girl could see through her sect’s secret arts, yet a seed of panic took root. Her eyes kept darting toward the side. She saw Zhou Gui being held down by the Qiushui Pavilion members, looking broken and mad. Sensing the tide turning, Chen Jinsai began to signal her subordinates to retreat.

Feng Yun’ai noticed the movement. “Where does Sect Leader Chen think she’s going?”

Chen Jinsai broke into a cold sweat. She couldn’t take a single step; every member of the Thousand Machinations Sect was now surrounded by the Qiushui Pavilion.

Feng Yun’ai tossed the umbrella sword back to Sang Chencao. She reached up to steady her wind-blown veiled hat, making sure her gray eyes remained hidden from the sun.

The crowd was burning with curiosity about the face beneath the veil, wondering how much she truly resembled Feng Rong.

Both women shared an ethereal, immortal-like grace. The difference was that Feng Rong had been cold and aloof, whereas this girl felt more otherworldly, like someone who had only just arrived in the mortal realm.

Sang Chencao caught the umbrella sword and toyed with it right in front of Chen Jinsai, treating the weapon as if it were a common toy. Chen Jinsai’s eyes turned bloodshot with rage.

The moment the umbrella sword was pressed against the red-lacquered desk, a sharp, whistling resonance pierced the air.

Sang Chencao slowly pulled the sword away. “There is a peculiar trait to Earthstone. Only two pieces of perfectly matched size will create this imperceptible vibration. And it just so happens that this tiny movement is enough to trigger the mechanisms hidden within both objects.”

As she spoke, she placed Feng Rong’s teacup on the desk and reached out to Sui Jianxue. “I wonder if Leader Sui has anything to test for poison? A silver needle, or perhaps some Essence-Revealing Water?”

Sui Jianxue unfastened a porcelain vial from her waist and handed it over. “This is the sap of the Three Immortals Wood. Mixed with other herbs, it can detect toxins.”

Sang Chencao took it and poured the liquid into the cup. She raised it to the crowd. “I’ll take a sip first. Anyone else brave enough to try?”

No one answered.

Feng Yun’ai knew there was no point in speaking; at this moment, the crowd viewed her and Sang Chencao as accomplices anyway.

After a long silence, an anonymous swordsman stepped forward. “I will.”

He took a gulp and wiped his mouth. “It is indeed Three Immortals Wood. There’s Wood-Blessing Grass, Earthy-Stench Flower, and even a hint of Boneseed Insect. These are all rare ingredients.”

“Good eye.” Sang Chencao looked at the crowd and slowly pushed the teacup across the desk. “Do you really think Feng Rong would have asked the Thousand Machinations Sect to make something like this for her own use?”

The teacup stopped. Suddenly, the liquid inside turned as black as ink.

“Someone went to great lengths to poison Feng Rong,” Sang Chencao said slowly. “That poison was used to coat the seeds of the Golden-Wanderer Eternal Flower, ensuring they wouldn’t be dissolved by the body but would instead take firm root in her lungs.”

Sang Chencao’s voice was hauntingly calm. “Feng Rong’s internal breath happened to be of the cold attribute, and the Golden-Wanderer Eternal Flower feeds on flesh and blood. She truly was a one-of-a-kind, living flower vase.”