“I know of a few formidable blade and sword masters who haven’t departed yet,” Sang Chencao paused, sounding incredibly profound. “Those individuals all have a chance at claiming the prize.”
Feng Yun’ai said nothing.
“The reason you aren’t siding directly with the Alliance Leader… is it because the trouble in the Central Plains martial world lies with the Alliance Leader himself?” Beneath the veil, Sang Chencao narrowed her eyes. “You want to kill two birds with one stone: reverse the tides of fate and restore the Knife-Lending Sect to its former glory.”
Feng Yun’ai pushed the door to her room open, leaving behind a sentence she had heard from the other woman not long ago.
“Heaven’s secrets must not be revealed.”
The door creaked shut.
Through the thin wooden panel, a light chuckle echoed from the corridor.
However, since she was here to lend knives, she could not remain behind closed doors forever. Feng Yun’ai had only entered the room to strap on the blades she had previously set aside.
The Yao Yao Inn was teeming with guests; there was no telling if a true master might appear.
Though Feng Yun’ai had followed her master in seclusion for many years, she had truly never heard of this Shefu game. For her, this was a first.
She had a mission. Now that she had entered the world, she could not afford to be timid. Since the innkeeper had invited her to play, she would participate briefly.
Before long, the items downstairs were all in place. Lin Yaoyao ordered a bell to be rung to summon the guests from upstairs.
The once-empty courtyard was now filled with various objects, arranged in a neat and orderly fashion rather than being crowded together.
Lin Yaoyao sat on the counter, holding a long pole adorned with a red tassel, which she would use to lift the red cloths covering the items.
The guests descended one after another, taking the seats prepared for them and whispering among themselves.
Feng Yun’ai scanned the room and found a seat in a deserted corner. She already looked out of place, but no sooner had she sat down than another person joined her.
From the corner of her eye, she saw a flicker of indigo fabric. It was that strange woman.
As soon as Sang Chencao sat down, she leaned in and said, “You came after all.”
Feng Yun’ai looked at the neatly displayed objects in the distance. “But not to play the game,” she said quietly.
Heroes from all walks of life were gathered here, most of them skilled martial artists. However, these people were still a far cry from the one Feng Yun’ai was looking for.
They were strong, certainly, but their strength was unremarkable—lacking the overwhelming power necessary for absolute victory.
Lin Yaoyao hopped down from the counter and fanned herself. “The Yao Yao Inn’s own ‘Hero Recruitment Meet’ is about to begin. Let me tell you in advance: among these items, there are living things and inanimate objects; there are fluids and there are solids. Just guessing the general category won’t do. You must be able to describe exactly what it is to be declared the winner.”
A fluid could be fresh water, it could be wine, or it could be… blood.
As for solids, the possibilities were even more numerous.
With another ring of the bell, Lin Yaoyao extended the long pole. The red tassel at the tip swayed before coming to a stop over one of the items.
The courtyard immediately erupted into a hubbub as the guests offered all sorts of theories.
“Any ideas?” Sang Chencao turned her head.
Feng Yun’ai remained unmoved.
Someone in the distance beat everyone to the punch, shouting, “I sense that the contents of the jar are granular and loose, yet there are faint ripples moving slowly. It is… yellow sand!”
Lin Yaoyao lifted the red cloth and lightly clapped her hands for a waiter. “Go and open the lid,” she said with a smile.
The waiter stepped forward, pulled the lid off with a grunt, and then tilted the jar slightly so the contents could flow out.
Grain by grain, with a soft rustling sound, it was indeed yellow sand.
“Impressive. It seems there are quite a few talented eccentrics in this inn,” Sang Chencao said meaningfully. “You probably deduced it long ago, didn’t you? You just didn’t want to say.”
Before Feng Yun’ai could respond, a sudden creak came from behind them. A gust of wind, heavy with yellow sand, swept past.
The red cloths covering the objects were blown aside by the wind, exposing them to everyone’s sight.
Lin Yaoyao frowned, about to snap a reprimand, but she went silent as she narrowed her eyes.
An escort caravan had entered the door, carrying something between them. The leader of the group spoke up. “Innkeeper, we need rooms.”
“What is that?” Lin Yaoyao’s gaze skipped past the men and landed on what they carried behind them.
The leader spoke again. “We were passing through the dunes and found a corpse.”
