Chapter 31: The Demon’s Daughter Part 2

Sang Chencao answered her own question. “I imagine not. Otherwise, why would you look so devastated? Have you even heard of Yin Wulu?”

Feng Yun’ai did know. She had seen the name in the Jianghu Records.

The records were divided into two volumes. One was for those the author deemed “Good,” and the other was for those deemed “Evil.”

Yin Wulu was the head of that evil list—a Great Demon of the Borderlands who not only promoted heretical arts but also slaughtered people like grass.

Back then, the mere mention of Yin Wulu would make even those far removed from the martial world tremble. It was a testament to how terrifying he was.

Feng Rong had been meticulous, tearing out every page from the books on Listening Goose Peak that mentioned the Moonlight Sect, yet she had somehow left the entry on Yin Wulu.

It seemed she wanted to sever ties with the past, yet couldn’t bring herself to cut it off completely.

“Feng Rong was a paragon of purity, her heart entirely devoted to the martial arts. The Central Plains’ martial world worshipped her as a goddess,” Sang Chencao said. Her tone was somewhat flippant; though the words were complimentary, they held no actual respect.

“What are you trying to say?” Feng Yun’ai reached the limit of her patience.

“On one hand, you have a divine figure; on the other, you have a blood-soaked lineage,” Sang Chencao whispered. “Feng Rong raised you to the clouds but never told you that you were meant to rot in Avici Hell. You really are quite pitiful.”

Feng Yun’ai said coldly, “When will you finally shut your mouth?”

“Shut up? Do you want to sew it shut?” Sang Chencao scoffed, spurring the horse toward Zhuyu Town. She no longer had any intention of lingering in Haosi City.

Feng Yun’ai simply refused to acknowledge her.

“I’ll give you a needle so you can sew my mouth shut,” Sang Chencao teased. “But if I give you the needle, you’ll just become a suspect in Feng Rong’s murder.”

Feng Yun’ai glared icily at the woman’s back.

“But you certainly ran fast. If you had stayed on that mountain just a moment longer, you would have been caught directly by that Elder Zhou,” Sang Chencao snickered. “Did Feng Rong tell you to leave?”

“None of your business.” Feng Yun’ai’s scalp felt tight, her entire body wound like a bowstring.

“Someone wanted your master dead, and they wanted to kill two birds with one stone: reveal your identity to the world and then use it to blacken Feng Rong’s reputation,” Sang Chencao deduced with total composure. “Zhou Gui went up to Listening Goose Peak. If you had been there, you would have been labeled as Feng Rong’s killer. From then on, no matter how much you wanted to clear your name or avenge her, it would be nothing but a fantasy.”

Even though she was talking to herself, Sang Chencao seemed to enjoy it. She continued slowly, “Fortunately, you left. They could only shift the suspicion to Wen Lanxin. In a way, Wen Lanxin took a hit for you. However…”

“However what?” Feng Yun’ai asked.

“Wen Lanxin is likely part of their game too. They wanted to get rid of her from the start,” Sang Chencao laughed.

The woman on the horse laughed heartily, showing no concern whatsoever for Wen Lanxin’s safety. To her, the life or death of others was nothing more than entertainment.

“I’ve got it!” Sang Chencao sneered. “Someone in the Hantian Alliance guessed long ago that Feng Rong and Wen Lanxin were close. That’s why they were destined to appear at Yellow Sand Cliff regardless. This time, even if Feng Rong hadn’t died, her reputation would have been ruined. The Hantian Alliance is destined to be overturned and restructured.”

Feng Yun’ai was stunned, feeling as though she were falling into a frigid whirlpool, her head spinning instantly.

“If Wen Lanxin dies, then the Moonlight Sect truly vanishes forever. It’s quite similar to when Feng Rong wiped out the Great Demon of the Borderlands years ago,” Sang Chencao’s voice was swallowed by the wind, becoming hauntingly ethereal. “When that happens, another person will be elevated as a deity.”

This was clearly a plot to replace Feng Rong. And now, the mastermind was only one step away from their goal.

“Is it…” Feng Yun’ai hesitated. “Zhou Gui?”

Sang Chencao narrowed her eyes slightly. “Not necessarily, but she is definitely part of the play.”

Feng Yun’ai pursed her lips.

“Why don’t you tell me exactly what happened that day?” Sang Chencao suggested meaningfully.

Among the yellow sands, white sleeves fluttered in the wind. The woman in white bowed her head in silence, lost in thought.

Passing through Black Wind Pond had saved them a significant amount of travel time. As long as they didn’t stop, those behind them would never catch up.

After crossing the lush, ancient woods of Qunqun Ridge, the cooking smoke at the foot of the mountain came into view. That was Zhuyu Town.

It was evening. The figures in Zhuyu Town were sparse, with only the occasional sound of chickens or dogs barking.

There was an inn in town, but it was old and looked as though it were on the verge of collapsing, hardly fit for guests.

Having searched the area and found nothing else, the two had no choice but to settle for it. They climbed the stairs, which groaned and creaked under their weight.

Feng Yun’ai had not yet fully regained her composure. Her thoughts were racing, constantly drifting back to the events on the mountain. She felt as though she were walking on the edge of a cloud, liable to plummet to the earth at any moment.

She was distracted, but fortunately, her grey eyes were hidden behind the white silk veil, preventing her emotions from being easily exposed.

Once they entered the guest room, she sat silently. It wasn’t until she heard the person behind her carelessly kick aside a dilapidated bamboo chair that she finally snapped back to reality.

Sang Chencao reached out from behind her and unexpectedly snatched away the white veil. Leaning in close, she asked, “What are you thinking about? Now that our fates are tied, shouldn’t we be a bit more honest with each other?”

“Who has a tied fate with you?” Feng Yun’ai snapped.

“Did you forget the Gu I planted?” Sang Chencao laughed. “If I say they’re tied, they’re tied.”

How could Feng Yun’ai forget? If it weren’t for the parasite inside her, she would have left long ago.

She was desperate to return to Cloud City to verify this woman’s claims and her own internal suspicions.

Unfortunately, this person wasn’t about to let her go.