Die dümmsten Menschen der Welt

Kapitel 15

Baili Liushang seemed to see through her thoughts and smiled, "Tanhuan, if you win, then I will take you as my disciple." He paused, then added, "Take the Lonely Dust Sword and come back to Zhengyang Palace with me."

Tan Huan's face immediately darkened.

Win or lose?

If you lose, you have to give him the Lonely Dust Sword; if you win, you have to give him back the sword and all the people in return!

With a slight movement, Baili Liushang instantly flashed several meters away, his amber eyes filled with a malicious smile. "Don't keep me too bored. When I make my move, your fate will be even worse."

Even without him saying it, Tan Huan knew what he meant. She sighed deeply, lamenting her bad luck. She had thought that after so many years, good days were finally coming, and she and Pei Jin would soon live a happy and fulfilling life. Fate was too cruel. Tan Huan was dejected; there was no escaping it, so she could only compete anyway.

Damn it, he's acting like a robber with such righteous indignation!

However, if all bandits possessed the skills of Baili Liushang, no one would want to be a bandit. Tan Huan felt a mixture of jealousy and envy. How wonderful! If one day she could surpass Baili Liushang in strength, what in this world would be so frightening?

Luo Yi clearly had no intention of holding back. Without a word, he thrust out his longsword. His swordsmanship was perfect in both power and technique, and even his agility was no less than that of Tan Huan. Tan Huan's strengths were all rendered useless against him.

Tan Huan excelled in speed, but Ke Luo Yi was even faster.

Tan Huan's swordsmanship is versatile, and Ke Luoyi's swordsmanship is also diverse and flexible.

Therefore, Tan Huan was in a rather disheveled state. She searched for a long time but couldn't find an opening in her opponent's defenses, and had no chance to launch a sneak attack. She glared angrily at her opponent, having to deal with this purple-eyed person while also keeping an eye on Baili Liushang's movements, so naturally, she had even less of a chance of winning.

Moreover, Luo Yi's swordsmanship possesses a distinctively unorthodox and unorthodox style, unlike Pei Jin's. While Pei Jin isn't the type to yield to his opponents, nor does he rigidly believe in stopping short of victory, he is, after all, the only son of the martial arts alliance leader, and coupled with his exceptional skills, the entire martial arts world holds high expectations for him. Pei Jin's swordsmanship displays both composure and sharpness, subtly revealing a gentlemanly demeanor.

However, Luo Yi's master was Baili Liushang, so what she learned from childhood was different. Every move Luo Yi made was cunning and bizarre, full of evil and viciousness. Tan Huan's moves were also strange, but she had grown up in the Wu family. The Wu family was a prestigious family in the martial arts world, and no matter how evil Tan Huan was, she couldn't be as evil as Baili Liushang!

Baili Liushang stood aside, watching with great interest. What could he say about this little girl? Wasn't she afraid of death? Facing an opponent as strong as Luo Yi, she actually dared to be distracted by him. Really, was there any need to be distracted? If Baili Liushang wanted to make a move, even ten Wu Tanhuans couldn't stop him.

Tan Huan breathed softly during a break in their exchange. The fight had been somewhat frustrating, but this guy was indeed formidable. She couldn't help but secretly compare him to Pei Jin in her mind, thinking, "You're just as good as Pei Jin." For Tan Huan to be willing to compare Luo Yi to Pei Jin was already a great compliment.

Luo Yi, however, showed no appreciation whatsoever. Without wasting words with her, he continued to advance with his sword, the longsword flowing with sword flowers, slicing through the transparent air with a sharp whistling sound.

Baili Liushang frowned in displeasure. What kind of talk was this? Comparing his disciple to Old Man Pei's son? Did he think he would lose to that old man? However, what attracted his attention even more was Tan Huan. Baili Liushang stared intently; he was genuinely a little tempted. Although this girl had been at a disadvantage the whole time, and even though she had to pay attention to him, she had persevered.

Baili Liushang narrowed his eyes slightly. "Luo Yi, play with her a little longer." He wanted to watch her a little longer.

Tan Huan's face darkened. He thought he was watching a play on a stage! She actually wanted his apprentice to play with her a little longer? Who did she think she was? A monkey trainer?

Even without Baili Liushang saying that, Luo Yi wouldn't have been able to subdue Tan Huan in a short time. Every time he thought he had the upper hand, the girl would miraculously escape, like a gust of wind, able to drift and hide anywhere.

Tan Huan grew stronger with each battle, constantly improving and learning from her opponents' techniques. She didn't just memorize martial arts techniques mentally; her physical memory was far superior.

Baili Liushang exclaimed in surprise, straightening up with a gleam in his amber eyes. This girl had just used his kung fu! How did she learn it? Did she just watch Luo Yi demonstrate it once and then she knew it? He stared intently, and yes, although there were slight differences, it was indeed his move.

A smile involuntarily crept onto Baili Liushang's lips, his expression slightly complicated. After all these years, he could still see his younger self from back then...

Tan Huan's eyes caught a glimpse of a white blur, then her lifeline was gripped in her hand. She had no time to react. Her heart pounded with fear. She looked up at Baili Liushang, her body trembling slightly. "You said you wouldn't interfere."

Baili Liushang ignored her and asked with a smile, "Tanhuan, how old are you?"

"...twelve years old."

"Unfortunately, I was only eight years old back then." Baili Liushang uttered a nonsensical sentence, regardless of whether those around him understood him or not. He continued, "Would you like to learn martial arts from me?"

Tan Huan felt a chill run down her spine and shook her head, "No, I want to become Alliance Leader Pei's disciple."

Baili Liushang laughed, "Didn't you just say Pei Gumo was your master? Why do you want to become his disciple?"

Oh no, I let it slip. Tan Huan chuckled, feigning ignorance.

"Regardless of whether he is your master or not, I now demand that you acknowledge me as your master." When Baili Liushang was not smiling, he was as cold as ice and snow, chilling one to the bone. "If you refuse, I will kill you."

Tan Huan dared not speak. She didn't want to agree, but she didn't dare to refuse.

"Hmph, what is the Lonely Dust Sword?" Baili Liushang snatched the Lonely Dust Sword from Tan Huan's hand, didn't even glance at it, and with a burst of strength, broke the ancient sword in two, then casually threw it on the ground.

Tan Huan cried out in distress, instinctively wanting to pick up the Lonely Dust Sword.

Baili Liushang placed his hand on her shoulder, his gaze unwavering. "I'll ask you one last time, do you want to learn martial arts from me?"

Tan Huan stared at the Lonely Dust Sword at her feet, her mind filled with Pei Jin's warm smile. She raised her head and straightened her chest, "I don't want it."

"Hehe, you have ambition." Baili Liushang patted her shoulder lightly, and Tan Huan's body convulsed and she fell to the ground with a "bang." Her face was as white as paper, and all the color drained from her body.

“Don’t say ‘no’ loudly in front of me,” Baili Liushang laughed cruelly. “It’s fine if you don’t want to learn, I’ll just cripple your martial arts.”

Tan Huan lay on the ground, moved her arm, but it hurt terribly, so she stopped moving. She tried to circulate her internal energy, but it was chaotic, so she stopped. Her expression was ashen, realizing that her martial arts skills were now gone, yet a sliver of hope remained in her heart, "You just crippled my martial arts?"

Baili Liushang nodded. "Not bad."

Tan Huan's lips twitched, her gaze cold. "If it's not yours to possess, then you'd rather destroy it?"

Baili Liushang's expression remained unchanged, devoid of guilt, only displaying an air of self-righteousness. "This is the benefit of becoming invincible; you can do whatever you want, whatever you desire. Otherwise, what do you think I trained so hard for? To be a great person? Or to uphold justice?"

Tan Huan couldn't refute him, and even felt he had a point. However, it was a fact that this person had undeniably hurt her. She had no parents' love, no relatives' care; her only warmth came from Pei Jin's smile. But once she lost her martial arts skills, could she still be Pei Gu Mo's disciple? Would Pei Jin still treat her well?

She had nothing, only a little bit of martial arts talent and skill, but now even that's gone.

Thinking about it this way, wouldn't it have been better if she hadn't been so stubborn? If she had taken this villain as her master, at least she could have become even more powerful.

Ambition is too extravagant; indulging in pleasure is something to be abandoned in the future.

Baili Liushang bent down and picked up the broken Lonely Dust Sword, examining it for a long time before muttering, "That liar Du Suizhi dares to claim he's very honest? He has nothing to his name."

Tan Huan's ears twitched, and after thinking for a while, he smiled strangely, "Du Suizhi?"

Baili Liushang looked at her in surprise, "You seem to be in good spirits?" She had looked dejected just a moment ago, but now she was smiling?

Tan Huan's gaze followed the Lonely Dust Sword. After a long silence, he suddenly spoke, "I feel my internal energy is very disordered, but I still have a breath..." He paused, "Can my martial arts be restored?"

Baili Liushang glanced at her sideways, "Of course not."

Tan Huan stared at him, not believing what he said, or rather, not wanting to believe what he said.

Baili Liushang ignored her, giving her a "believe it or not" look, and continued examining the Lonely Dust Sword in his hand. He had even broken the sword, but still couldn't see anything. Was the treasure map really inside the Lonely Dust Sword?

Luo Yi was already standing in front of her at some point. "Don't try to regulate your breathing anymore, otherwise once your internal meridians are completely severed, even living a normal life will be a pipe dream."

"...Will I become a cripple?" Tan Huan asked after a long silence.

Luo Yi nodded. "You just don't have martial arts skills, you can still live a good life. Be smarter in the future, learn from your mistakes, and don't show off in front of people who are stronger than you."

These words sounded familiar; she had said them to Tang Weiyu not long ago. Tan Huan fell silent again, her smile becoming strained. "I'm so pathetic that all I have left is my martial arts skills. It's hard to live on with nothing."

Luo Yi gave her a deep look, "You get used to it as you live."

Tan Huan was almost in tears. "What you said makes so much sense."

Luo Yi didn't respond. He turned to look at Baili Liushang and said, "Master, can we go back now? You've already broken the ancient legendary weapon, the Lonely Dust Sword. Even if you can't find the treasure map, you should be satisfied. There are countless righteous experts gathered on Lingfeng now. If you stay any longer, you'll attract them all."

Baili Liushang was filled with regret and got up to leave. He had gone through all this trouble, only to find he had gained nothing?

Tan Huan called out to him, "Hey!"

Baili Liushang turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Is there anything else?"

"You're looking for the treasure map inside the Lonely Dust Sword, aren't you? I know where the treasure map is." Tan Huan said earnestly, "If you restore my martial arts, I'll give you the treasure map."

Baili Liushang stared into her eyes, reciprocating her gaze with unbridled joy. He stared at her, and she stared back at him. After a long while, the great demon laughed, "Don't stare at me when you lie in the future, or you'll be found out. Also, you know about the treasure map, so don't spread that lie around. Not everyone is as clever as me. If others misunderstand, without martial arts skills, you'll only be tortured to death."

Tan Huan exclaimed urgently, "I didn't lie!"

Baili Liushang laughed heartily, "Although I didn't find the treasure map, meeting you is a happy thing. Interesting, at least you can make me laugh." He waved his hand and disappeared from Tan Huan's sight with Luo Yi.

The air was still, and heavy breathing felt oppressive and suffocating in the quiet mountains.

After so long, this was the first time Tan Huan had felt such profound fear since learning martial arts. How should she proceed from now on? Martial arts were her only means of support and reliance; without protecting herself, she was nothing more than an ant to be trampled upon.

She raised her hand to cover her face, her gaze peeking through her fingers. The sparse leaves rustled and swayed, one by one, in clusters, green and vibrant. It hurt so much; she had been hit hard. She was terrified, so terrified she wanted to cry.

What to do? What to do? What to do?

She really is nothing anymore.

"Tan Huan!" Her favorite voice came from afar. "Tan Huan!" Pei Jin saw her lying on the ground from a distance and rushed over, frantically helping her up. "What happened?" He had been waiting for her for a long time but hadn't seen her, so he searched everywhere for her, but he didn't expect that something would go wrong.

Tan Huan's nose twitched, and when she saw him, she buried her head in his chest, tears streaming down her face, soaking his clothes. Tan Huan bit her lip, trying not to let her sobs escape.

Pei Jin felt a dampness on his chest, his body stiffened slightly, and he looked down at the small figure huddled in his arms. He was at a loss, having never had any experience in comforting girls, and he didn't know what to do. He reached out and hugged her gently, patting her back clumsily.

Now that she had someone to lean on, Tan Huan felt even more heartbroken and wanted to cry even more. Her voice trembled as she muttered his name intermittently, over and over again, "Pei Jin, Pei Jin, Pei Jin, Pei Jin, Pei Jin..."

"I'm here, I'm here." Pei Jin would respond every time Tan Huan said it. Looking at the wounds on her body, Pei Jin's expression turned solemn. He reached out to take her pulse and found that Tan Huan's internal energy was in a chaotic state, with strong currents surging and crashing through her body, almost breaking her apart. This situation usually only occurs when someone goes into a state of demonic possession during cultivation.

Pei Jin's face turned ashen, and he had a pretty good idea of what had happened. He had never seen Tan Huan so weak; from their first meeting, she had been full of energy. Suppressing his inexplicable anger, he said in a deep voice, "Who did this?"

Greedy for pleasure, he spoke slowly and deliberately, “a hundred miles of flowing wine cups.”

Damn it! How could they attack such a little girl! Pei Jin once again had the urge to destroy Zhengyang Palace. He took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm himself down. "Don't be afraid. Let's go back and let Father take a look. Maybe there's still hope." He spoke with great uncertainty. Baili Liushang never left any survivors. It was already a miracle that Tan Huan was still alive.

Seeing that Tan Huan was limp all over, Pei Jin picked her up and was about to carry her forward when he saw Tan Huan shaking her head at him with red eyes. Pei Jin stopped and said softly, "What's wrong? Does it hurt to carry you like this?"

Tan Huan shook his head. "The Lonely Dust Sword is still on the ground. I want to pick it up."

Pei Jin followed her gaze downwards and saw the Lone Dust Sword, broken in two, lying scattered on the ground. The sword had been shattered; the legendary Lone Dust Sword, renowned throughout history, had been destroyed. He sighed, stomped his foot, and dust billowed as the two pieces of the Lone Dust Sword landed in his hands. Pei Jin gently placed them in Tan Huan's hands, saying, "Be careful, don't cut your hands."

Greedy Pleasure nodded like a chick pecking at rice, clutching the broken Lonely Dust Sword tightly to his chest.

Pei Jin carried her and rushed towards the mansion. The daylight was bright, and there were green trees along the way, but for the first time in his life, he tasted the pain of heartache, and it was unbearable.

"Pei Jin," Tan Huan's voice was timid, "Will you not want me anymore?"

"Won't."

"What if you don't like me anymore?"

"No." Pei Jin reached out and wiped the dirt off her face, smiling warmly, his dark eyes as bright as obsidian. "I'm sorry I'm late."

Tan Huan's lips trembled, and she was about to cry again. "Pei Jin, don't you think it's troublesome when I cry?"

"No, I'll wipe your tears for you."

Tan Huan let out a low sob. Pei Jin pressed her head against his chest, his own chest quickly becoming wet. He held her tightly, and they ran wildly.

Pei Gu Mo was taken aback when he saw his beloved son bring Tan Huan in. Looking at his son's serious expression, he asked, "What happened?"

"Tan Huan was injured by Baili Liushang." Pei Jin's dark eyes were deep.

"Baili Liushang has come to Lingfeng?" Pei Gumo was surprised. He immediately ran outside. "I'll gather men right away to find him." How arrogant and daring! He actually dared to venture deep into Lingfeng at this time. He'll never return.

"Father." Pei Jin quickly grabbed Pei Gu Mo's clothes, his gaze, tone and attitude were extremely serious, "Take Tan Huan's pulse first."

Pei Gu Mo paused, glanced at his son, then at Tan Huan nestled in his son's arms, and asked, "Are you badly injured?"

Pei Jin nodded.

Pei Gumo sighed, "Alright, I'll take a look for her first. You go and inform the others about Baili Liushang's matter. Search every inch of Lingfeng to find that devil!" His son was truly infatuated.