Chapter 27: The Subordinate Gu Part 4

Seeing the cracks appearing on his blade, the swordsman unleashed a palm strike powerful enough to “overturn the sea.” His killing intent surged as the palm wind roared toward Feng Yun’ai’s head.

The woman in white remained seated, unmoving. Even as the teapot and cups on the table crumbled into powder, she didn’t look away. The inner qi in her hand let out a shrill cry like a hawk, climbing up the scabbard and preparing to take flight.

Her martial arts style was different from the indigo-clothed woman’s. It wasn’t about “softness overcoming hardness,” but rather an increasingly fierce momentum that sent the palm wind spiraling back at its source!

At this moment, Feng Yun’ai’s sword was not Solitary Gall, nor any of the blades she carried. Her inner qi was her sharpest blade and sword. One had to be completely focused and undaunted to “become the sword.”

The indigo-clothed woman watched intently, her lips curved. She thought to herself that this was indeed Feng Rong’s technique; only a direct disciple could reach such a level.

The murderous palm wind recoiled upon its master. The man’s eyes widened, and before he could retreat, he was forced to take his own blow. He spat out a mouthful of blood. The spray failed to touch the white-clothed woman’s face or dress; with a flick of her hand, she sent the blood flying elsewhere.

Sang Chencao watched the show with great delight, having no intention of helping. She even called out, “Anyone else?”

Such a cold and sharp technique was not something these greedy onlookers could handle.

Still, some refused to believe it. Someone lunged forward, but the moment they attacked, their thorned whip shattered into several pieces. Their internal breath was completely thrown into chaos, and with no strength left to fight, they scrambled out the window.

Within moments, the inn was quiet again, leaving only the wreckage to tell of the battle that had just occurred.

The woman in white remained seated, her expression unchanged despite the departure of the others. However, beneath her white blindfold, her grey eyes narrowed slightly. Her thin chest suddenly shuddered, and blood escaped her lips. The crimson blood fell onto her lapel, looking like plum blossoms blooming in the snow.

“Always pushing yourself.” Sang Chencao laughed and walked forward, tapping two fingers lightly on Feng Yun’ai’s back.

Feng Yun’ai wanted to pull away, but she suddenly felt a surge of scalding inner qi forcing its way into her meridians. It was so hot she nearly let out a moan. It was too hot—this inner qi was clearly at odds with her own cultivation—yet the two forces managed to merge skillfully.

Once neutralized, it felt like a warm breeze washing over her. Spring had arrived, a mixture of sudden warmth and lingering chill. However, the scorching inner qi didn’t completely dissipate; a wisp of it remained.

Feng Yun’ai noticed the person behind her had retracted her hand and turned her head sharply. With the white silk covering her eyes, she couldn’t see clearly. Conversely, no matter how close Sang Chencao leaned, she couldn’t read Feng Yun’ai’s expression.

The white-clothed woman’s lips were stained with blood, making her look as fragile as a plum branch that might snap at any moment—a sight that invited pity. Yet her voice was incredibly cold. Her pale lips moved as she said, “If you truly wanted to help, you should have acted sooner.”

“Let’s go to Zhuyu Town. I don’t want to sleep anymore.” Sang Chencao reached out and lightly wiped the corner of the white-clothed woman’s mouth. Stepping back, she added, “Since you’ve been so obsessed with Zhuyu Town anyway.”

Feng Yun’ai froze for a moment. She pressed her lips together and remained silent, not even bothering to argue.

The room was destroyed. When the manager saw it tomorrow, he would surely be heartbroken. Feng Yun’ai stood still, considering which sword to leave as payment for the damages, only to see the indigo-clothed woman toss down a piece of silver.

Sang Chencao said nonchalantly, “That’s enough for him to buy new furniture. It’ll save him from calling me a demoness again.”

The two of them went to the backyard to fetch their horses. They broke the silence of the night, galloping toward Zhuyu Town.

As Feng Yun’ai held the reins, she suddenly felt her body growing heavier and her eyelids drooping. She realized then…

While giving her inner qi, that demoness had also slipped her some poison.

She didn’t know what kind of poison it was, but it spread with incredible speed. It shot through her meridians to the top of her head, and Feng Yun’ai lost consciousness. Her hands fell, and the reins she had been holding went slack. However, the horse didn’t bolt, as Sang Chencao had already grabbed the reins.

The galloping horse slowed down. With a sharp pull of the reins, it let out a neigh and turned around. The horse ran back exactly where it had come from.

Sang Chencao laughed aloud. She held the white-clothed woman’s shoulder to keep her from falling and kicked the horse’s flanks, urging it into a gallop.

The horse, which had traveled a long distance, now vanished back into the yellow sands, kicking up clouds of dust. Sang Chencao seemed tireless. She didn’t stop once, her eyes shining with an eerie light. Along with the mole beneath her eye, she looked incredibly sinister. Anyone who saw her now would surely scream “Demoness.”

Sang Chencao was heading for Yellow Sand Cliff. After passing through the deep valley, the horse navigated through dense clusters of insects and snakes, returning to that green oasis without any obstruction.

She tied the horse. Ignoring whether the person on the horse might fall, she rummaged through her things and pried the insect whistle off the scabbard of Solitary Gall. Then, she walked unhurriedly toward the snake pit.