Chapter 29: The Hidden Mechanism Beneath the Green Part 2

Waiting until the others were deep in their gossip, she used her internal power to transmit her voice directly to Feng Yun’ai’s ears. “Do you trust a stranger who had no connection to Feng Rong or Wen Lanxin, or do you trust me?”

Feng Yun’ai didn’t want to trust anyone. She leaned away, avoiding the warmth of Sang Chencao’s breath which had come uncomfortably close.

Once rested, the group continued toward Yellow Sand Cliff.

As they entered the valley again, the insects and snakes between the two cliffs were far fewer. Some still lurked on the mud walls, peeking out at the intruders, but not one dared to approach.

The riders crossed the boundary with suspicion, hearts thumping in their chests, fearing this was merely the calm before a storm.

Sang Chencao, however, held her reins casually, paying no mind to the poisonous creatures. Her gaze swept over the Hantian Alliance members. “How do you think they can be so sure that there will be anyone at Yellow Sand Cliff?” she whispered.

Feng Yun’ai did not know.

Sang Chencao lowered her voice further. “Wen Lanxin is no fool. What they are looking for might not be Wen Lanxin or anyone else staying here.”

“You mean…” Feng Yun’ai’s mind raced. “The thing they are looking for is the same thing you are seeking?”

Sang Chencao’s lips curled into a smirk, but she did not answer.

“What exactly are you looking for?” Feng Yun’ai frowned.

“When they find it, you’ll know,” Sang Chencao said, playing coy.

“Or perhaps they don’t actually want to find Wen Lanxin,” Feng Yun’ai mused. “Perhaps they just want to cement her guilt.”

“How clever,” Sang Chencao nodded. “You guessed it.”

Feng Yun’ai fell silent.

The martial artists ahead slowed their horses, stopping at the edge of the distinct patch of greenery. They stared in shock, unable to believe so much lush vegetation could exist in such a place.

The crowd was on edge; every rustle of the wind made them tighten their grip on their reins. They didn’t realize that it truly was just the wind—there were no venomous snakes or insects hiding in the waist-high grass.

Those creatures had all scurried into the shadows the moment Sang Chencao appeared.

Sang Chencao watched the leader of the Hantian Alliance group with focused intensity.

The man suddenly pulled a silk scroll from his robes. It looked ancient, covered in writing and drawings.

Unfortunately, they were too far away. Even as Sang Chencao narrowed her eyes, she couldn’t make out a single detail.

“Do you recognize it?” Sang Chencao glanced back slightly.

Feng Yun’ai shook her head. “I’ve never seen it.”

“Of course. Feng Rong wouldn’t tell you everything,” Sang Chencao said meaningfully.

“Whether she told me or not is her business,” Feng Yun’ai snapped. “What does it have to do with you?”

Sang Chencao continued to stare at the silk scroll. She could vaguely make out a totem she had never seen before. She spoke slowly. “I, however, have seen it. That belongs to Wen Lanxin. She embroidered that silk herself. I heard that after the Battle of the Cauldron Sea, she kept half for herself and gave the other half to Feng Rong.”

The leader of the Hantian Alliance tucked the scroll away and turned. “Search separately!”

The group scattered. Some ran toward the dark snake dens, shouting, “This place was burned recently! Who will go inside with me?”

Some went to the pits, others to the bamboo building. The small valley was suddenly swarming with people.

Sang Chencao’s expression darkened. This was the place she had lived for years; seeing it trampled and ransacked filled her with irritation.

Suddenly, the leader of the Hantian Alliance gathered his palms. Inner qi condensed in his hands—he was clearly using his full strength!

The dozen men standing behind him followed suit. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, as if they had planned this long ago.

The members of the other sects were completely oblivious, still busy searching the outskirts.

Feng Yun’ai was stunned. Looking at their stance, these men intended to flip the very earth of Yellow Sand Cliff upside down.

They wanted to…

Dig?

Sang Chencao’s face went cold.

As the group unleashed their palm winds, grass and debris were swept into the sky. The towering trees groaned and buckled instantly.

The force of the impact shook the earth. Even the deep-set roots of the trees and shrubs were ripped from the ground in an instant, sending clods of mud flying everywhere.

The thunderous sound froze everyone in the distance. They covered their noses and mouths, not daring to step closer.

The once lush, emerald valley was transformed in moments. It now looked no different from the surrounding yellow wasteland.

As the vegetation was whipped into the air by the cyclone of energy, the ground beneath was exposed. And with it, a hidden object revealed its true form.

It was no wonder so much greenery grew here. Though the soil was yellow, it had a faint green tint, clearly saturated with medicinal solutions.

And set into this stretch of mud was a broad bronze plate.

The plate was slightly convex, embossed with a pattern of coiled snakes and insects. In the very center was an open snake’s mouth that curved inward—the likely location of a mechanism.

Sang Chencao watched silently, her hand on the reins trembling slightly.

Feng Yun’ai leaped off her horse. She had expected the woman to be terrified or at a loss, but instead, those alluring, snake-like eyes were shining with an extraordinary, feverish light.

The woman in indigo was not afraid; she was exhilarated.

The Hantian Alliance members had not yet finished. With a leap, they took to the air, using their power to blast the airborne debris and toxic mud out of the valley.

The bottom of Yellow Sand Cliff was hollowed out, rendered completely barren and lifeless.

The martial artists from the other sects finally found an opportunity to crowd forward. “What is this?” they asked, breathless with shock.

The Hantian Alliance members landed one after another. The leader knelt, leaning in to inspect the recessed snake’s mouth.

He drew his sword and tentatively slid the tip into the bronze opening. He slowly turned his wrist, feeling for the internal structure.

The surrounding crowd held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Even Sang Chencao watched in silence, her gaze growing hotter and more intense, as if she were the one operating the mechanism.

A moment later, a heavy clank echoed through the valley.

The man had not been testing the lock; he had known exactly how to trigger the internal tumblers with his blade.

Feng Yun’ai realized it then—the drawings and text on that silk scroll must have been the key to unlocking this mechanism.

But how did such a thing end up in their hands?

Could it be that the relationship between Feng Rong and Wen Lanxin was truly what the indigo-clothed woman claimed? And these men…

Had they found that scroll at Listening Goose Peak?

The mechanism suddenly groaned into life, and the bronze plate split into four sections.