Sang Chencao pressed her ear against the wooden desk, listening as if she could hear the infinitesimal movements within the grain. She reached back and hooked her index finger toward Feng Yun’ai, wordlessly asking for the sword.
The umbrella sword was still vibrating. When Sang Chencao pressed it against the desk, the weapon began to flutter like a moth trapped in a jar, its movement so frantic it nearly blurred into a phantom image.
A soft, low hum suddenly emanated from within the desk. The sound was much clearer than before, evidently originating from deep inside one of the legs where it had been meticulously hidden.
To the naked eye, there was nothing suspicious about the furniture. The desk appeared to be carved from a single massive stump, its surface devoid of any seams or joints. Yet, if one wanted to hide an Earthstone inside without hollowing out the wood, it would have been an impossible feat.
The craftsmanship of the Thousand Machinations Sect was truly formidable. Their mastery over creation was such that even Feng Rong, who had carved these very chairs and tables with her own hands, would have struggled to distinguish these replicas from her original work.
“It’s still not enough,” Sang Chencao said, shaking her head slightly.
Feng Yun’ai was puzzled. “The Earthstone’s presence is obvious. What else is missing?”
Sang Chencao tossed the umbrella sword back and slowly traced her finger up the desk leg toward the surface. “Earthstones and hidden mechanisms share a profound connection,” she said slowly. “If two perfectly matched Earthstones are brought together, they will inevitably trigger the device.”
Feng Yun’ai understood immediately. There had to be a second object—the very item that had led to Feng Rong’s untimely passing.
“What do you think the other item could be?” Sang Chencao asked with a thin, knowing smile.
A chill ran down the nape of Feng Yun’ai’s neck. The only other object she could imagine was…
A tea set.
To administer poison to someone like Feng Rong without alerting her, one would have to start with the cups and bowls she used daily. If the Thousand Machinations Sect had swapped her everyday tea set for replicas…
Feng Yun’ai looked up toward the floor above and said coldly, “My Master was a tea lover. Whether she was practicing her swordplay, reading, or doing anything else, she always kept a cup of tea by her side.”
“I suspect there’s an Earthstone in her tea cup as well.” Sang Chencao stood up and headed upstairs without hesitation.
Feng Yun’ai could already guess the rest. If both the desk and the tea cup contained Earthstones, the mechanism would trigger automatically the moment the cup was placed on the table. The poison hidden within the desk would then find its way into the cup, completely undetected.
Sang Chencao reached the upper level and leaned over the railing, looking down with an amused glint in her eyes. “Do you think Feng Rong’s original tea set was smashed and thrown away long ago?”
It was a possibility.
Feng Yun’ai didn’t know for certain, but if the wooden desk hadn’t been replaced with the original, perhaps the swapped tea set was still somewhere within the Alliance headquarters.
“Let’s look for it,” Sang Chencao said, her eyes narrowing into a cold smirk. “It seems Zhou Gui trusts the Thousand Machinations Sect quite a bit. She clearly doesn’t think their little tricks can be seen through by anyone.”
“And how exactly did you learn about Earthstones?” Feng Yun’ai asked.
Sang Chencao gave a soft shush. “Information about Earthstones is a secret to the outside world, but not to those on the inside,” she said meaningfully. “I once infiltrated the Thousand Machinations Sect. Because they dig so deep into the ground, I was able to use their tunnels to retrieve Earth Dragon Grass that is usually impossible to find.”
Earth Dragon Grass was an incredibly rare medicinal herb. Rumors claimed it could revive the dead, regrow rotted flesh, and mend shattered bones. If brewed into a tonic and consumed for forty-nine days, a dead person could return to life, and a living person would feel as though they had been reborn.
Feng Yun’ai had read about it in books, but having never seen a real example, she had dismissed its effects as folklore.
“So Earth Dragon Grass truly exists,” Feng Yun’ai said, surprised.
For a brief moment, Sang Chencao’s eyes darkened, turning so deep they seemed to swallow the light. Then she gave a short laugh, dispelling the gloom.
“What are you laughing at?” Feng Yun’ai frowned.
Sang Chencao chuckled. “It seems there is a great deal more that Xiuxiu doesn’t know. Perhaps next time I should teach you how to recognize these things personally, so you won’t be easily fooled by others.”
At the mention of their previous… intimate proximity, Feng Yun’ai felt a strange prickle in her heart. It wasn’t quite an irritation; it was something lighter, a fleeting sensation like a bird skimming across the surface of water. A circle of inexplicable ripples bloomed in her heart.
What was that feeling?
“I don’t need you to teach me,” Feng Yun’ai said coldly.
Sang Chencao let out another soft laugh. “The interior of the Thousand Machinations Sect is like an impenetrable fortress. From the outside, you won’t see so much as a shadow of a tunnel. You have to infiltrate the sect itself to realize they’ve dug thousands of feet deep.”
“If outsiders don’t know, then who told you?” Feng Yun’ai followed her.
“I’ve spent years searching for Earth Dragon Grass; naturally, my sources are well-informed.” Sang Chencao stopped abruptly and turned, brushing a stray lock of hair from Feng Yun’ai’s forehead. “Unlike you, Xiuxiu, who only had to stay safe on Listening Goose Peak.”
Feng Yun’ai was momentarily speechless. Finally, she managed, “It’s not as if I didn’t want to leave the mountain.”
“I know. Feng Rong kept a tight leash on you,” Sang Chencao replied, continuing upward.
“Did you see the Earthstones while you were looking for the Earth Dragon Grass?” Feng Yun’ai asked, pivoting away from the previous topic.
“They wouldn’t dig that deep for ordinary minerals.” Sang Chencao arched an eyebrow. “While I was inside, I saw someone carrying out a crimson object. A vivid light swirled within it, so I knew it was something extraordinary.”
“So that is what an Earthstone looks like.” Feng Yun’ai felt as if she could see the crimson object herself.
Sang Chencao looked thoughtful. “The humming sound was constant down there. Many people suffered from dizziness, and the ground was covered in foul vomit. The Thousand Machinations Sect hired outsiders to do the mining; quite a few died underground, which saved the sect the trouble of disposing of them.”
Feng Yun’ai was stunned. She hadn’t realized the Thousand Machinations Sect was so sinister. “They would even prey on innocent outsiders?”
“The people within the sect are all ‘elites.’ Chen Jinsai wouldn’t dream of letting them risk their lives in the mines,” Sang Chencao said leisurely.
