Chapter 11: Stabbing a Corpse Part 1

The crowd turned their gazes toward Lin Yaoyao in unison. Some were lost in a daze, while others wore expressions that said, So that’s how it is.

Lin Yaoyao was not a member of the martial world; though her steps were not heavy, they weren’t particularly light either.

In the dead of night, some slept while others remained awake. Those who were awake would naturally notice movement. However, no one had expected that someone had actually gone out—let alone that the person was Innkeeper Lin.

Was it true or false? That remained to be seen.

Lin Yaoyao still held her fan over her face. Her pupils trembled slightly as she countered, “When we met last night, I told you plainly that I was coming downstairs for water. Now you slander me; do you have some ulterior motive?”

“That depends on whether every word you say is true, Innkeeper. Only then would I be slandering you.” Sang Chencao remained calm and composed. As she spoke, she glanced at Feng Yun’ai.

Beneath her veiled hat, Feng Yun’ai closed her eyes for a moment before saying flatly, “Last night, Innkeeper Lin’s footsteps made a rustling sound. The two of us grew suspicious and went out to investigate. We found that a significant amount of fine sand had been tracked from the outer door of the inn all the way upstairs. Before that, the sand on the floor had been thoroughly swept away by the workers.”

“Innkeeper Lin, why lie?” Sang Chencao’s voice was slow. It didn’t sound like a threat, but rather like she was teasing her prey.

The little maid hiding behind Lin Yaoyao suddenly grabbed the innkeeper’s sleeve, her face pale with terror.

Lin Yaoyao lightly patted the back of the girl’s hand. “Sand is constantly blown into the building from the courtyard. It can never be swept truly clean.”

Sang Chencao let out a soft chuckle. By now, the sand on the floor had long been trampled into a mess; she could no longer prove Lin Yaoyao’s path.

At that moment, a worker said tremulously, “If yesterday’s search was correct, there shouldn’t be any nails in this building. The ones driven into Hu Cheng must have come from outside.”

“Speaking of which, Innkeeper Lin is the only one whose movements are suspicious. She goes out every day, and never with anyone else by her side.” Sang Chencao extended a finger, slowly rotating her wrist to point at everyone present. “Look at the rest of them. Who among them would have the chance to catch Hu Cheng?”

Feng Yun’ai silently gripped the thin blade at her side. It wasn’t that she feared Lin Yaoyao or anyone else would suddenly flee, but rather she didn’t want someone to make a sudden, desperate move.

Sang Chencao hadn’t finished. She continued, “Originally, I thought it was strange. Most of the people here have martial arts inferior to Hu Cheng’s. To take his life, one would indeed have to rely on schemes. But to tell if a person is truly dead… surely that shouldn’t take any effort at all?”

Someone chimed in as if realizing something. “You’re right! Why were there so many needle marks on Hu Cheng? He was stabbed both before and after death, as if someone was terrified he would come back as a living corpse!”

Sang Chencao lightly swirled her wine bowl, watching the liquid ripple. With an ambiguous tone, she asked, “I wonder when this Yao Yao Inn was built?”

Lin Yaoyao didn’t answer, but a worker said hesitantly, “It was… nine years ago.”

“Nine years ago.” Sang Chencao smiled again. “Nine years ago, the Hero Recruitment Meet ended and Hu Cheng hit a wall. That was also when he came to this Listening Moon Sand River, wasn’t it?”

The rumors indeed said so. However, the Sand River was vast and sparsely populated. Although people had come looking for Hu Cheng over the years to challenge him, they had all returned empty-handed.

Just as Feng Yun’ai expected, one of Hu Cheng’s followers suddenly erupted, swinging a blade.

“I’ll kill you!” The man’s eyes were bloodshot, looking as if he intended to execute Lin Yaoyao on the spot.

The three-foot broadsword was already hovering over Lin Yaoyao’s head. If it went any further, there would be nothing left but a bloody mess.

Clang!

A burst of misty-white inner qi surged like a thunderbolt, the sound of it tearing through the air like a crack of lightning.

A short blade shot out, striking the man’s heavy broadsword mid-air.

Though the short blade was as thin as a cicada’s wing, the internal power contained within it was enough to make the swordsman’s hand go numb. He stumbled back several steps.

The momentum of the broadsword vanished instantly, and it was frozen in mid-air, held back by that surge of inner qi.

The thin blade that had struck it fell to the floor with a clatter, completely undamaged.

Feng Yun’ai’s strike was swift, and she withdrew her hand just as fast. Had it not been for the numerous blades she carried on her person, the crowd wouldn’t have been so certain it was her.

With such inner qi and such martial prowess, how could she be an ordinary person?

“Calm down,” Sang Chencao said, suddenly playing the mediator. “Who said it was Innkeeper Lin who killed Hu Cheng? We are still far from having enough evidence.”