Feng Yun’ai secretly gripped the thin blade at her waist, slicing a flying insect that approached from the distance in two. She said coldly, “Wen Lanxin, if you want Solitary Gall, show yourself now.”
The indigo-clothed woman let out a scoffing laugh and shook her head. “I think she probably doesn’t want it. Otherwise, she would have appeared long ago.”
Sure enough, only the insects and snakes appeared; Wen Lanxin herself was nowhere to be seen.
Feng Yun’ai sliced through the approaching creatures, stepping into the temple without a word. The indigo-clothed woman sauntered in behind her, the sound of crushing insects crunching beneath her boots.
In a dirty porcelain dish on the floor, there were some leftover maggots from a feeding, but the temple was empty.
Feng Yun’ai suddenly swung her sword. The sword qi shredded the old banners hanging in the distance, but still, no one appeared.
“She’s gone.” Sang Chencao leaped onto the roof, standing motionless on the black tiles. She said nonchalantly, “She moves fast. She didn’t even want her old sidearm.”
Feng Yun’ai’s heart tightened. “Past Haosi City is Zhuyu Town. If we lose her trail after that, it will be difficult to find her again.”
“No matter.” Sang Chencao looked down. “She’s heading for Cloud City anyway. Why not just corner her there?”
Feng Yun’ai remained silent.
“Or is it that you don’t dare return to Cloud City?” Sang Chencao asked meaningfully.
Feng Yun’ai pretended not to hear. She turned and said, “There’s no time to lose. To Zhuyu Town.”
Sang Chencao walked unhurriedly behind her. “Just what do you want with Wen Lanxin? She’s been out of the world for a long time. Whether the Central Plains’ martial world is good or bad is none of her concern. If you’re talking about Hu Cheng, she certainly wasn’t the one who killed him.”
“I simply must see her,” Feng Yun’ai replied curtly.
Sang Chencao sneered. “I’m not in a hurry to see her. If you want to rush, go ahead. I haven’t rested well in two days; I’m exhausted.”
As Feng Yun’ai was about to level her scabbard at her again, Sang Chencao seemed to anticipate it. she raised a hand and caught the scabbard as it swung toward her neck. She laughed. “You can’t rush this. Wen Lanxin isn’t dead. If you chase her, she’ll run. But she has to go to Cloud City. If you find her there, she might not run anymore.”
“It sounds like you have no affection for Wen Lanxin at all.” Feng Yun’ai found it strange.
“What do I need affection for?” Sang Chencao laughed with a hint of mockery.
Feng Yun’ai couldn’t understand. The books she had read never described such a strange and complex bond… she wasn’t even sure if it counted as a bond.
Sang Chencao released her fingers. “However, we might not get a good night’s sleep tonight. Those who coveted Solitary Gall during the day are still watching like tigers stalking prey.”
Feng Yun’ai hadn’t believed her at first. A precious sword was rare, but in the hands of someone it didn’t suit, it was no better than scrap metal. She thought everyone in the Jianghu understood this. To her surprise, before the night was even deep, she truly sensed people peering from the shadows.
The inn had closed its doors early because of the day’s many misfortunes. With so few guests, the manager had simply shut down for the night. Half the guests had checked out, leaving only a few who weren’t afraid of trouble.
The inn was quiet, making every movement clear and discernible.
Feng Yun’ai sat by the table resting her mind when she suddenly heard a sound on the eaves, like a stray cat darting across. It wasn’t a stray cat. If stray cats were moving in groups, they shouldn’t be this quiet; they would be fighting and making other noises.
The person on the bed sat up slowly, staring at the wooden window in silence.
Feng Yun’ai gripped Solitary Gall, knowing the people in the shadows meant them no good.
But at that moment, Sang Chencao laughed for no reason. It was unclear if she was intentionally trying to alert them, but her scoff was exceptionally distinct.
Feng Yun’ai’s face darkened, her eyes demanding to know why she had made a sound.
Sang Chencao lowered her voice. “It seems I wasn’t wrong. No sleep for us tonight.”
The people in the dark might not have heard the words spoken in the room, but they were surely certain that their presence had been exposed. Hiding any longer would be like “burying one’s head in the sand.”
One by one, they abandoned their stealth. Not only were they outside the window and on the eaves, but people were even hiding in the inn’s corridor to steal the sword.
Feng Yun’ai had never seen such a formation. The moment the window shattered, she struck out with a burst of palm wind, literally sending the intruder flying like a kite with a broken string.
Sang Chencao lightly clapped her hands, sitting nonchalantly on the edge of the bed. She laughed. “Nice work. How will you deal with the one on the eaves?”
As she finished, the tiles above collapsed.
Amidst the falling dust, someone swung a massive cleaver downward. The blade was so wide it looked broader than a person. Anyone who could wield such a massive blade was no ordinary fighter; a common amateur wouldn’t even be able to lift it.
Feng Yun’ai had no choice but to grip Solitary Gall and use the scabbard to block the blade aimed at her head.
A loud clang rang out, sparks flying.
Feng Yun’ai didn’t retreat. She looked up and slowly pushed her hand forward. Inner qi condensed on the sword, emitting a chilling radiance. In the next moment, the dull scabbard actually began to grind notches into the massive blade.
