Chapter 5: The Silver Serpent and the Ledger

Suspicion? Naturally, there was some.

Feng Yun’ai didn’t know how others felt, but if she had encountered such a thing, she certainly wouldn’t be this flamboyant and cheerful.

The man whose eyes had been wide with rage earlier had managed to calm himself slightly. But upon hearing those words, he whipped his head around and glared directly at Sang Chencao.

Behind her veiled hat, Sang Chencao’s expression remained unchanged, generously allowing him to scrutinize her with his furious gaze.

“What is your weapon of choice?” Feng Yun’ai asked.

Sang Chencao replied with a leisurely question of her own. “Interested in me?”

“The one who killed him used needles,” Feng Yun’ai said tonelessly.

Sang Chencao chuckled. “The killer did it for the sake of Plucking the Blossom. But I haven’t the slightest interest in the objective, only in the entertainment the Hero Recruitment Meet provides—especially after meeting you.”

The woman in the white dress bore a heavy sword on her back, her posture so sharp and imposing that she seemed capable of striking down any intruder in an instant.

Seeing that the other woman wouldn’t answer, Sang Chencao didn’t take offense. She merely brushed her hand against her waist, and a flash of silver light sprang from her palm.

A flexible sword, like a silver serpent, lashed out with lightning speed. With a sharp whish, it struck toward Feng Yun’ai’s veiled hat, threatening to slice the white fabric clean off.

The moment the silver light closed in, Feng Yun’ai leaned her torso back. The tips of her shoes lightly brushed the floor as she glided backward with unhurried grace, narrowly avoiding the sword’s wind.

This sword had no scabbard, allowing it to be drawn faster than any other blade. Fortunately, it carried very little inner qi at the moment; otherwise, the bystanders would have been caught in the crossfire.

With a light flick of her wrist, Sang Chencao drew the silver sword back to her side. The previously serpent-like blade suddenly stood rigid, seemingly capable of changing its form at will.

Feng Yun’ai stood up straight, completely unharmed. She calmly pointed out, “There was no killing intent in your sword. You didn’t even use a fraction of your inner qi.”

“I just wanted to show you that this is the weapon I carry.” Sang Chencao easily coiled the flexible sword back around her waist. She wore it so close to her body that it seemed she had no fear of one day being sliced in half by her own blade.

Watching this, Feng Yun’ai felt a slight chill in her heart. How could there be someone so indifferent to life and death, yet so arrogant?

Everyone present harbored suspicions. These doubts were cast equally upon every person in the inn, not just the somewhat sinister woman in indigo.

Feng Yun’ai’s gaze lingered on Sang Chencao’s waist for a moment. Then, she picked up a teacup and walked over to Hu Cheng’s corpse.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she pulled back the white cloth once more and abruptly poured the tea out.

“You—!” someone in the hall cried out in shock.

The tea splashed onto the corpse’s neck, washing the area around the needle marks half-clean.

“Forgive my rudeness,” Feng Yun’ai said as she crouched down. She extended a slender finger, her fingertip rubbing the edges of several needle marks. “The Listening Moon Sand River is scorching. If we don’t look closely now, I’m afraid the body will rot soon.”

This was true enough. in such high temperatures, the carcass of a desert camel could turn into a skeleton in the blink of an eye.

“You even know the skills of a coroner?” The interest in Sang Chencao’s voice only grew.

The death of the Ghost-Faced Saber was a major event in the martial world, and it was likely tied to the upcoming Hero Recruitment Meet. If someone understood forensic techniques and could clarify the matter before the news spread, it might prevent a significant amount of chaos.

Feng Yun’ai didn’t answer. Judging by her examination methods, she wasn’t particularly skilled, though she was at least methodical.

She first checked Hu Cheng’s eyes, then opened his lips to examine the state of his nasal cavity and throat. Finally, she scrutinized the three needle wounds on his neck.

“Hemorrhaging in the eyelids. The nails…” Feng Yun’ai looked down and pulled out a handkerchief to lift Hu Cheng’s hand. “The nails are cyanotic, and there is sand underneath. It seems there was a struggle.”

“Death by suffocation?” Sang Chencao scoffed. “Then what purpose did the needle wounds serve?”

Feng Yun’ai’s expression remained unchanged. She lowered Hu Cheng’s hand and pointed to the side of his neck. “There are three needle marks here. One is different from the other two.”

Several people nearby leaned in, wanting to see for themselves.

Sure enough, there was a faint redness around one of the needle marks. The other two looked as if… they had been stabbed in after he was already dead.

Sang Chencao rested her chin on her hand and asked, “Can you tell if it was poison?”

Feng Yun’ai shook her head. “It certainly wasn’t a lethal poison. Otherwise, Hu Cheng wouldn’t have had the strength to struggle, nor would he have died of suffocation. I suspect it was likely some kind of anesthetic.”

Sang Chencao also crouched down, but not to look at the body. Instead, she suddenly leaned close to Feng Yun’ai’s ear and whispered, “Your Knife-Lending Sect is skilled in divination. Why don’t you calculate who killed this man?”

Her voice was very soft. Coupled with the fact that everyone around them was busy whispering, no one noticed her private words.

The identity of the Knife-Lending Sect was quite mysterious. This sinister woman at least had enough conscience not to announce it loudly.

“We cannot calculate everything.” Feng Yun’ai straightened the white cloth over the corpse and stood up, ignoring the woman in indigo.

Lin Yaoyao stood at a distance, fluttering her fan. Her tone was slightly uneasy. “What if it was a slow-acting poison? Perhaps the toxicity hadn’t fully seeped into his organs before he was smothered by the sand.”

“Then the only way would be to perform an autopsy,” Feng Yun’ai said easily, as if she really had served as a coroner before.

Lin Yaoyao’s gaze shifted toward the guests.

Hu Cheng’s admirer immediately drew his sword and said hoarsely, “Why must he have no peace even after death? Whether it was poison, anesthetic, or suffocation, he was murdered by a villain! We just need to drag out that ambitious scoundrel!”

For a fleeting moment, a look of bewilderment crossed Feng Yun’ai’s face. Fortunately, it was hidden by her veil, and no one saw.

“None of you can avoid this! Whoever has needles, whoever has lethal poisons or anesthetics, whoever wants to Pluck the Blossom at the Hero Recruitment Meet—none of you can escape suspicion!” The man looked ferocious, appearing almost crazed as he made a move to head upstairs.

His posture made it clear he intended to search every room. Seeing the varied expressions of the crowd, Lin Yaoyao quickly called out, “If there’s to be a search, it should be done by the inn staff. If a single thing in my inn is broken, you’ll have to pay it back tenfold.”

Feng Yun’ai looked at the caravan leader and lightly pressed the brim of her veiled hat. “You said earlier that you only found the body after entering Amber Jade Pass?”

The leader replied, “Correct. We hadn’t even been in Amber Jade Pass for half an incense stick’s time when we found it. Yet coming from that direction would take over an hour.”

Thoughtfully, Feng Yun’ai glanced toward the counter.

“Could it be the person who killed him also just entered the pass?” Sang Chencao had already walked to the counter, picking up the ledger without asking.

Turning to the last page, the very last guest to check in was none other than her.

After reading it, Sang Chencao arched an eyebrow. She cheerfully snapped the ledger shut and tossed it aside, saying dismissively, “Perhaps that person didn’t stay at an inn.”

Lin Yaoyao simply ordered her staff to lock the doors. She tucked her fan into her belt and said unhappily, “I will have my workers search the rooms one by one. The doors are temporarily closed. From this moment on, anyone who takes a step out of this inn is someone trying to flee.”

A guest asked, “It’s getting late. Can we go back to our rooms?”

Lin Yaoyao waved her hand. “Whoever wants to go back must be searched first.”

“Your inn’s belongings can’t be broken, but our personal effects shouldn’t be either. If anything is missing or damaged, the inn must pay tenfold,” a voice called out in annoyance. Judging by the speaker’s appearance, he wasn’t a martial artist, but merely a passing merchant.

“Of course,” Lin Yaoyao agreed readily.

As soon as she spoke, several workers headed upstairs, and room doors began to open one after another.

Feng Yun’ai retracted her gaze. Most of her weapons were already on her person, and she had few other belongings; there was no need for concern.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the indigo figure leave the courtyard area, clearly heading toward the backyard.

“Don’t think of hiding anything. There are guards in the backyard as well,” Lin Yaoyao said, pacing the courtyard with her hands behind her back, clearly troubled.

“Innkeeper, may I borrow the ledger?” Feng Yun’ai asked.

Lin Yaoyao waved her off. “That other woman already took it without asking. If you want to see it, go ahead.”

Feng Yun’ai walked to the counter and examined the ledger. Only after seeing the name registered at the very end did she decide to follow the indigo figure.