Chapter 26: Flaunting the Blade Part 2

Though she didn’t state the name, anyone who had heard the rumors knew this was exactly the sword Wen Lanxin had wielded back then.

The monks, who had arrived with such aggressive momentum, now had wavering eyes. Dread was written clearly across their faces.

Feng Yun’ai found Sang Chencao’s behavior contemptible, but she couldn’t deny that the woman had successfully broadcast the presence of Solitary Gall. Holding the empty scabbard, Feng Yun’ai stood behind her, vaguely sensing the surrounding murderous intent begin to recede. Those people likely didn’t dare to step forward recklessly.

She thought that perhaps Wen Lanxin truly wasn’t nearby. If Wen Lanxin knew Solitary Gall was here, how could she not be tempted?

“Why are you backing away? I thought you wanted to bring me to justice,” Sang Chencao said, her voice dripping with arrogance.

A monk shouted coldly, “Demoness! You may have Wen Lanxin’s sword, but you don’t necessarily have her mastery!”

Sang Chencao’s eyelids drooped. She said nonchalantly, “I told you, I don’t like being called a ‘demoness.’ For a man of the cloth to speak such slanders, I fear the Buddha would find you distasteful.”

As she spoke, the monks shifted into a staff formation. Their protective inner qi swirled around them, seemingly merging them into a single entity. From a distance, the dazzling golden light formed by that qi resembled the shape of an Arhat.

Feng Yun’ai had seen this formation in books. She said coldly, “The Golden Arhat Formation.”

“To think you’d use such a grand formation against me.” Sang Chencao remained calm. She raised her arm, lifted the sword, and blew a soft breath against the steel.

The purple light on the blade flared up, then slithered like a snake toward the tip before vanishing.

Feng Yun’ai could only use the scabbard as a weapon. Though the scabbard was blunt, when she spun it in her hand, it seemed surprisingly sharp.

“Oh?” Sang Chencao glanced sideways, a smile playing on her lips. “You’re going to help me?”

Feng Yun’ai didn’t answer. However, the moment the Golden Arhat Formation made a move, she suddenly swung the scabbard to intercept.

Cold, chilling inner qi collided with the golden light, like a golden crow plunging into water.

This was merely a small probe by the monks. Immediately after, the Arhat extended a sky-blotting giant palm, leaping into the air before diving down to crush the two women.

The pressure was overwhelming, truly like a golden crow spreading its wings.

As the piercing golden light neared her head, Sang Chencao didn’t use her palms to neutralize the force. Instead, she recklessly lunged forward. With a strange smile on her face, she pointed the sword tip directly at the center of the Golden Arhat Formation. She was clearly aiming to break the formation!

Feng Yun’ai stayed where she was, forced to raise her arm in defense.

In an instant, her whole body shuddered. It felt as though she were being driven into the ground; she nearly lost her footing.

This was a Golden Arhat formed by nine men; the palm strength was no small matter. Even if Feng Rong or Wen Lanxin were here, they likely couldn’t have neutralized it easily.

Feng Yun’ai exerted almost all of her internal power. The scabbard in her hand was incredibly hard, showing no signs of cracking even under this pressure.

She fiercely slashed through the incoming qi. As she lowered her hand, her fingertips brushed against the scabbard, and she sensed something sliding out.

Did the scabbard break after all?

Surprised, Feng Yun’ai looked down. She saw that a piece of the recessed patterns on the scabbard had come loose. What had fallen out was clearly something that had been embedded inside…

What was it?

Seeing the short object about to hit the ground, Feng Yun’ai bent her knee and kicked it up, catching it in her palm.

It was a very thin, very short whistle.

Meanwhile, Sang Chencao’s sword tip was pointed at the waist of the Arhat—the weakest point of the formation and the key to breaking it.

The Golden Arhat Formation rarely appeared in the world; one could count its occurrences on ten fingers. Records of it were scarce, let alone the fact that it was the secret supreme technique of Cuiyu Temple, never easily shared with outsiders. Because of this, no one should have been able to identify its weakness at a glance.

The monks were struck with horror. The qi surrounding them was thrown into chaos by the longsword. The backlash of the energy sent the nine standing men flying like scattered sparks, tumbling to the ground in total disarray.

Sang Chencao leisurely retracted the sword and said with a beaming smile, “The Golden Arhat Formation is nothing more than this. It seems you haven’t mastered its essence. Go back and practice more.”

“Demoness!” A monk clutched his chest as he scrambled up from the ground, attempting to reform the formation.

Feng Yun’ai gripped the whistle and stepped forward. “Please, masters, calm your anger. Regarding the bronze bell…”

She intended to resolve the conflict, but the person holding Solitary Gall suddenly flicked her wrist. The sword tip stopped just inches from Feng Yun’ai’s nose.

Feng Yun’ai’s expression turned cold, her gaze fixed on the blade. She knew that the indigo-clothed woman had no intention of speaking civilly with these monks, even though they were the ones who had destroyed the bell first.

Sang Chencao sneered, pulling the sword back behind her. “That bronze bell has weathered years of wind and rain; it wasn’t very sturdy to begin with. I was merely reminding you that it was time for a replacement. Who knew you monks wouldn’t even allow us to speak before trying to bully us with numbers?”

The monks’ expressions were varied, all of them angry beyond endurance.

One monk shouted, “Sophistry! You damage the bell and then refuse to be held accountable?”

“However, since you’ve come all this way, it wouldn’t be right to let you go back empty-handed. How else would you answer to the Abbot?” Sang Chencao’s eyes flickered. She reached into her robes, pulled out a silk purse, and tossed it over. “Just don’t tell the Abbot about the Golden Arhat Formation being broken. It would save the old man from losing face.”

The purse was a blatant insult. How could the monks accept it? They simply watched as it landed heavily on the ground.

Several of them clearly saw that even if they formed the formation again, they might not be able to fully suppress these two women.

The leader finally spoke. “There are too many people at the inn today; we should not have fought here. Cuiyu Temple will not let the matter of the bronze bell rest. Just you wait.”

Sang Chencao handed the sword back to Feng Yun’ai and waved her hand dismissively. “Next time, please come earlier.”