Chapter 35: Isolation and Illusions Part 1

The moment she heard the words “needle wound,” Feng Yun’ai immediately thought of Wen Lanxin. It was obvious, however, that Wen Lanxin had no reason to commit a murder in this small town.

The strange thing was that Wen Lanxin had never actually shown her face. Why were these people so determined to frame her here?

Sang Chencao let out a cold sneer, leaning close to Feng Yun’ai’s ear. “Is this the sight you wanted to see? Are you satisfied?”

Feng Yun’ai couldn’t understand it, and she found herself with nothing to say.

“How despicable those people are,” Sang Chencao said, her voice light and airy, as if human life meant nothing to her. “In their eyes, I must be Wen Lanxin, and Wen Lanxin must commit evil deeds to incite the scorn and hatred of the entire martial world.”

At this moment, even if Sang Chencao wasn’t Wen Lanxin, she couldn’t escape the fate of being treated as her.

Feng Yun’ai understood. Her expression turned icy, and her hands at her sides wouldn’t stop trembling. A sudden surge of confusion and disgust began to gnaw at her heart, bit by bit.

Before this, because of Feng Rong’s presence, the Hantian Alliance had seemed like the pinnacle of virtue in her eyes. She had believed that everyone within the Alliance was among the finest people in the current martial world.

Yet now, the Hantian Alliance was among those hunting her and Sang Chencao.

It was the difference between the clouds and the mud. Listening Goose Peak was too wonderful; on the mountain, one couldn’t hear the clamor of the world below, nor see its intrigues. She had always assumed the world below was the same as the mountain.

She realized with a start that only Feng Rong had been good. The rest of the world had its own unique stains of filth. Even if Feng Rong hadn’t died, the world below would still have been a scene of devastation.

“Whether we came back or not, we were destined to shoulder this crime. Do you believe me?” Sang Chencao turned to leave. “But they didn’t expect that even so, the real Wen Lanxin wouldn’t show herself.”

Feng Yun’ai felt a sense of helplessness. The chill from Solitary Gall in her hand seeped up her arm and spread through her entire body.

“What’s this? Suddenly looking so pitiful?” Sang Chencao gave a soft laugh. “This is only the beginning. Since they want to take control of the martial alliance, there is much more they are willing to do.”

Feng Yun’ai pursed her lips and remained silent, giving Sang Chencao a deep, searching look.

“Don’t look at me like that. For now, you can only trust me.” Sang Chencao spoke with effortless naturalness. She clearly treated deception as a daily necessity, yet she still attempted to make others willing victims of her lies. “Look, those people are pushing us into a fire pit. Me? At most, I’ll step on you to get a better footing, but I won’t do anything else. I’m much better than they are.”

Feng Yun’ai stopped moving, but the gu hidden within her flesh burrowed downward, driving her legs and forcing her to keep walking.

“It’s fine if you don’t speak. This blind and mute act is actually quite endearing. If anyone catches up to us, they likely won’t suspect you,” Sang Chencao chuckled.

“I fear many innocent people in Cloud City will suffer as well,” Feng Yun’ai said coldly, her patience reaching its limit.

“Do you think no one will suffer if you don’t go?” Sang Chencao teased. “One moment you insist on going, the next you don’t. Xiuxiu, why are you so fickle?”

Feng Yun’ai did not respond.

Sang Chencao took her arm in an intimate gesture, leaning in close. “It’s more than that. Along the way to Cloud City, there will surely be many more innocent victims. You underestimate the Hantian Alliance and those other sects. You also underestimate how malicious those people can be.”

Feng Yun’ai’s entire body went stiff, but with the gu inside her, she continued to walk forward regardless.

“Their abacus is clicking loudly,” Sang Chencao said, her voice dropping to a low, seductive whisper. “Since they want to solidify my identity as Wen Lanxin, they’ll naturally find ways to make others believe it. They have to throw as much filth at me as possible. That way, I’ll forever be the eternal criminal known as Wen Lanxin.”

“If we just avoid them, wouldn’t that be enough?” Feng Yun’ai’s lips trembled as she forced out the cold words.

“Are you not going to look for Wen Lanxin anymore? Don’t you want to uncover the cause of Feng Rong’s death?” Sang Chencao’s tone was playful. “Actually, it was Feng Rong who ordered you to find Wen Lanxin, wasn’t it?”

Feng Yun’ai knew she was right.

“Feng Rong merely told you to find Wen Lanxin, yet you treated Wen Lanxin like a murderer.” Sang Chencao glanced back out of the corner of her eye. Seeing someone approaching, she immediately grabbed her companion and leaped away to avoid them.

There was indeed someone behind them, stammering out a shout: “I… I heard that an old demoness who kills with needles lives over by the Listening Moon Sand River. Her name is… Wen Lanxin! She’s quite famous in the martial world. She’s called the… Soul-Shattering Needle! Yes, that’s it, the Soul-Shattering Needle!”

The man stuttered and hesitated, his voice lacking conviction. It sounded like a script he had just learned, likely under someone else’s instructions.

People nearby believed him, gasping in shock. “Could it be that one of the two who stayed at the inn yesterday was that Wen Lanxin?”

The manager muttered, “She didn’t look that old.”

“Martial artists are experts at disguise. She must have been wearing a mask.”

“Right, it must be a disguise!”

Feng Yun’ai’s face darkened. She knew that if she stepped out to explain now, she would only be falling into their trap.

Leaving Zhuyu Town, the two headed east. Fortunately, there were few towns along the way, which meant they wouldn’t encounter the eyes and ears of the Guanfeng Gate.

As the night deepened, the howling of insects and beasts in the wilderness sounded dangerous, yet it was far more comforting than the hidden blades and arrows of men.

Feng Yun’ai went to find fodder for the horses, picking up a withered branch to beat the grass along the way, lest a snake jump out and bite her.

She intentionally walked further away, wanting to see if the gu in her body was still active. As she suspected, before she had even gone a hundred feet, an aching itch became unbearable throughout her body. Her steps grew heavy, as if the bug were demanding she return to the indigo-clothed woman’s side.

The further she went, the heavier her legs felt, as if they were shackled by a thousand pounds of stone. She could barely move an inch.