Die dümmsten Menschen der Welt

Kapitel 23

Baili Liushang laughed, "You look really pathetic right now. I'm not sure who the murderer is, but the Tang Clan is the most likely suspect."

Greedy looked up with a sudden shout, his dark eyes flashing with a predatory light, like a ferocious white tiger about to attack, moving silently and with a chillingly terrifying gaze.

Baili Liushang laughed heartily. Cats and tigers are easily mistaken when they are young, so one must be careful.

Tan Huan lowered her head again and began to move the four corpses into the pit. Her eyelashes obscured her eyes as she brushed dust into the pit, slowly covering the faces of her loved ones. Tan Huan repeated this monotonous action until all four pits were filled. She stood quietly, making no move.

What are you planning to do next?

"Find four wooden planks to make a tombstone."

"Hehe, I mean, where are you going next? Or are you going to stay in this empty mansion?"

Tan Huan bit her lip, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "I'm going to find Pei Jin."

"Do you think Pei Jin can protect you?" Baili Liushang had a sharp eye and immediately saw the uncertainty in her eyes. "Making yourself stronger is the most important thing. Only you can protect yourself. Do you think it's reliable to stake your life on a man?"

Tan Huan was almost convinced, but then slowly shook her head. "Pei Jin is different. I believe him." How could she not believe him? He was Pei Jin, not someone else. She had already doubted him once; she shouldn't doubt him a second time.

Baili Liushang's smile held a hint of mockery. "I'll wait and see. When the entire martial arts world says you're the murderer who killed your parents, how will he protect you then!"

Without realizing it, Tan Huan reached out and grabbed Baili Liushang's sleeve. When she came to her senses, she was startled. She looked up and saw Baili Liushang's disdainful smile, as if to say, "You still don't trust him, do you?" Tan Huan took a deep breath. Yes, she wanted to become this man's disciple, but this wasn't right.

Greedy and fearless, he said, "I don't want to become like you."

Baili Liushang raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

“I want to believe Pei Jin, I want to believe others.” Tan Huan said to him, and at the same time to herself, “When I’m not even sure myself, I should take an easier path, a path that most people are taking.”

Baili Liushang chuckled, his gaze towards her somewhat profound.

"Actually, you're not as bad as the rumors in the martial arts world say," Tan Huan said with a smile.

“Hehe,” Baili Liushang laughed, “You might soon think I’m a very bad person.”

Tan Huan remained silent, his gaze questioning his meaning.

“The news may not have spread yet, but on your way to find Pei Jin, once everyone is saying that you wiped out the Wu family, you’ll definitely encounter countless obstacles.” Baili Liushang laughed, looking up at the sky. “At that time, tell me, what problems would arise if I kept following behind you?”

Those people just now saw Baili Liushang standing with Tan Huan. Tan Huan alone couldn't kill the Wu family, but with Baili Liushang's help, it was a different story. If people in the martial arts world continue to see Tan Huan and Baili Liushang together, the truth will only become more and more distorted.

Tan Huan asked, "Don't you mind being wrongly accused?"

"The truth will out, and falsehood will out." Besides, these charges are harmless.

Tan Huan stared at him, having no interest in dealing with the demon before her. "I can't beat you anyway. Take it or leave it. I'll have to trouble you to protect me along the way."

Baili Liushang looked at her with a half-smile, "Truth or dare?"

"Of course it's a lie." He wanted to be with her but couldn't stop her, even when she kowtowed and begged for forgiveness, tears and snot streaming down her face, it was no use.

Baili Liushang laughed heartily, "Let me tell you this first, with your martial arts skills, it will be a bit difficult for you to protect yourself in this martial world. If you don't take advantage of my good mood now to become my disciple, it might be too late to even kneel down and beg me later." His laughter stopped abruptly, "I'm telling the truth."

Tan Huan was startled when she saw his expressionless face. When Baili Liushang laughed, it was as if winter had turned to spring, but when he didn't laugh, one would realize that the person in front of them was not someone to be laughed at.

"Well, fine, I'll give you another chance since you're so talented," Baili Liushang said with a smile. "You can come to me when you're at your wit's end, but if you want to become my disciple then, you'll have to kneel down and kowtow. I can only stop when I say so."

Tan Huan asked, "What if you make me keep kowtowing?" Would she have to kowtow until she died?

Baili Liushang said with amusement, "Are you so sure you'll come looking for me? Are you so sure you'll have nowhere else to go?"

Tan Huan was speechless; she had indeed thought so. Her face was ashen; did this mean she no longer trusted Pei Jin?

"Go find your little lover," Baili Liushang said with a look of anticipation. "Let's see if he still trusts you while I'm following you the whole time!"

As Baili Liushang said, the consequences of their traveling together in the martial world were severe; the blame for the massacre of the Wu family naturally fell on them. The entire martial world was condemning Wu Tanhuan, this rebellious and wicked woman, accusing her of colluding with Baili Liushang and the Zhengyang Palace, of being a patricide, matricide, and a heartless monster… In contrast, there were almost no people condemning Baili Liushang. Firstly, this demon had committed so many evil deeds that this one more was hardly surprising. Secondly, people always held the strong in awe; they had the ability to kill Tanhuan, but not Baili Liushang.

The journey was fraught with obstacles, but Tan Huan maintained a good attitude, at least outwardly calm. She swung her sword in retaliation, repelling the enemies before her. As she sheathed her Lonely Dust Sword, she glanced sideways at Baili Liushang, "It seems that it's better to keep doing bad things than to do one bad thing occasionally."

Baili Liushang patted her head, as if treating a pet, "Huan'er has become smarter. Learning from me is your only way out." He smiled slightly, knowing that following her had been rewarding, at least he understood one thing: the Tang Clan intended to find someone to take the blame, and also intended to drive Tan Huan to a dead end.

Time will tell. As long as the Tang Clan continues its operations, Baili Liushang can glean the intelligence he needs from his opponents' actions. Why did the Tang Clan go to such lengths to destroy the Wu Family? It couldn't have been Tang Weiyu doing something so foolish as to seek revenge, could it? No, that shouldn't be the case. Then, was it because the Wu Family was in the Tang Clan's way? That doesn't seem likely either. For the Tang Clan, the most troublesome person should be Pei Gumo; the Wu Family simply doesn't have the ability to oppose the Tang Clan.

Before her was another group of people targeting Tan Huan, shouting about justice while condemning Tan Huan as worse than a beast, mercilessly killing her. They seemed to have no memory of the fact that the girl in front of them was only fourteen years old, nor did they remember that they were so eager to convict her and assert their own sense of justice without any evidence. There will always be a group of people who stand on the moral high ground to judge others, but they never pay attention to what they have done.

Baili Liushang detested this kind of person the most. Well, not exactly hated, just found them an eyesore. The main reason they were an eyesore was that these people usually lacked strength. How dare they show their faces if they lacked strength? He kindly helped Tan Huan repel this group of people, and even more kindly spared their lives, so that they could spread the word to the martial arts world that Tan Huan was indeed working with Baili Liushang.

Tan Huan clearly saw through it all, but there was nothing he could do, so he simply sheathed his sword. The leader was the strongest, and whatever the leader said went.

Baili Liushang chuckled, his gaze fixed on the Lonely Dust Sword in Tan Huan's hand. It was probably the Lonely Dust Sword that brought the Wu family to their doom. Only by cornering Tan Huan could the Tang Clan easily seize the sword. Tsk tsk, in that case, it should be the Pei family father and son who caused the Wu family's annihilation. If they hadn't given the Lonely Dust Sword to Tan Huan, this wouldn't have happened.

"Hmph, you vixen, don't be so smug. Alliance Leader Pei will come to deal with you personally soon." One of the men, whose ear had already been cut off by Baili Liushang, was still not obedient and said resentfully, "Don't even dream about it. Alliance Leader Pei personally promised the marriage between Young Master Pei and Miss Shu Yunyao. You're nothing but a fart!"

Upon hearing this, Baili Liushang became interested and whistled.

Tan Huan's face was deathly pale, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he stared at the person on the ground. In an instant, he drew his Lonely Dust Sword. "Say it again!"

"Young Master Pei is going to marry Miss Shu Yunyao..." Tan Huan's sword was already in front of his mouth, and the man immediately fell silent, scrambling away. The surroundings suddenly became empty, leaving only Tan Huan and Baili Liushang.

"Why did you let him go? I thought you would at least cut out his tongue."

The murderous intent in Tan Huan's eyes gradually faded, and she closed her eyes. "Cutting off his tongue won't help."

"At least you can take your anger out on him and calm down," Baili Liushang said casually. "What do we do next? Go back to Pei Jin? Are we going to wait until it's too late?"

"...I believe Pei Jin. That person also said that it was Pei Gu Mo's promise, not Pei Jin's decision."

"Hmph, is there a difference?"

Indulging in pleasure while remaining silent. In terms of outcome, there is no difference, but in terms of self-deception, a glimmer of hope still exists.

“Sigh, you always have to go crazy when you’re young. But if you go to him alone, you probably won’t even save your life. They might just burn you alive, thinking you’re a witch,” Baili Liushang said. “Are you going to risk your life for that pitiful love?”

Tan Huan lowered her eyes, thinking about it this way, and realized she was indeed pitiful. She turned back and said, "Didn't you say you were going to follow me?"

“Hehe, even I need to prepare before breaking into Pei Gumo’s lair,” Baili Liushang said mysteriously. “However, you don’t need to go to them. Pei Gumo and his men will come to you on their own. That old man won’t leave the Lone Dust Sword in my hands.”

Tan Huan continued his journey towards Pei Jin. Just as Baili Liushang had said, Pei Gu Mo would certainly not hand over the Gu Chen Sword to Baili Liushang, unnecessarily adding to Zheng Yang Palace's power. In fact, the Gu Chen Sword was originally the family heirloom of the swordsmith Yuan Gu, but Yuan Gu knew that it would bring him endless trouble. On the surface, he secretly entrusted the Gu Chen Sword to Pei Gu Mo, claiming that he was powerless to protect it, but in reality, he was merely giving him a fake sword. Then, to ensure absolute safety, he himself hid in Youming Valley.

Yuan Gu hid for half his life. When he saw Tan Huan arrive at Youming Valley with a fake Lonely Dust Sword, and everyone thought the sword held no more secrets, Yuan Gu secretly swapped the real sword with Tan Huan. His martial arts skills were lacking, but Yuan Gu was confident in his judgment of character. He believed this young girl would one day become the best in the world, and she had no greedy nature; therefore, she was the best match for the Lonely Dust Sword.

The Zhuya Plain lies to the northwest. It's sparsely populated, with vast grasslands teeming with various animals. When the wind blows, a rustling sound fills the air.

When Tan Huan arrived here, she had heard the news of Pei Jin and Shu Yunyao's marriage countless times along the way. Her heart grew heavier and heavier, but she had become numb to it after hearing it so many times. White clouds drifted in the sky, and Tan Huan thought of the massacre of the Wu family, the four tombstones of the Wu family, and when she was very young, she was jealous of Qing Qiu's dress, and she thought of the delicious chicken legs from that time... There was never anything truly beautiful that she could hold onto.

Baili Liushang followed her at a distance, deliberately leading her along this path because he knew Pei Gumo was also taking this route. Calculating the journey, they should meet soon, right? Suddenly, a smile appeared on his lips, and he said, "You're here."

Tan Huan paused, and only after a long while did he hear the sound of horses' hooves, then he immediately understood what he meant. Looking into the distance, the border seemed to merge with heaven and earth, stretching to the horizon. A herd of horses galloped across the plain, kicking up clouds of dust. Tan Huan chuckled self-deprecatingly; what a fuss!

Upon closer inspection, she saw Pei Gumo riding at the very front, with Pei Jin behind him. Tan Huan's expression instantly faded, the faint smile vanished, and her dark eyes shone like stars.

"Alliance Leader Pei," Baili Liushang said politely, "you have enough people with you to capture me. It's too much trouble for you, your old bones are almost falling apart. You've gone to great lengths."

Pei Gumo said coldly, "I do indeed have this intention."

Baili Liushang smiled slightly, "That intention is far too presumptuous."

“My purpose today is not with you,” Pei Gu Mo turned his gaze to Tan Huan. “Tan Huan, I’ve come to you about the Wu family. Do you have anything to say?”

Tan Huan looked into Pei Jin's eyes, thought for a moment, and then resolutely declared, "I didn't kill my parents." Without waiting for anyone else's reply, she asked Pei Jin, "Do you believe me?"

Pei Jin stared at her and nodded, "You would never lie to me."

He laughed heartily, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

The martial arts practitioners around them immediately began to whisper among themselves upon seeing this scene. Pei Jin's attitude was too strange; it was simply unbelievable that he had such a good relationship with Baili Liushang's accomplices.

Pei Gumo frowned slightly. "Jin'er! Be mindful of your behavior in front of so many people!"

Pei Jin retorted, "What did I do wrong? Tan Huan has never lied to me."

Tan Huan nodded repeatedly, as if she had seen hope again. With Pei Jin's trust, her motivation to defend herself was endless. "Alliance Leader Pei, I did not do the massacre of the Wu family. When I returned, my parents were already dead." She paused, then raised her left hand. "I swear, if I have uttered even half a lie, may I be struck by lightning."

Pei Gumo knew, of course, that Tan Huan wasn't the murderer, and even Baili Liushang was unrelated. However, it wasn't certain that it was the Tang Clan, and even if it was, it wasn't wise to alert them. Moreover, he needed to find a way to lower the Tang Clan's guard. Therefore, Pei Gumo shook his head, "I don't believe your oath."

"Yes! How can we trust a witch!"

"Alliance Leader, no need for words, let's get started!"

Tan Huan hesitated for a moment, then said, "I didn't kill my parents! Why would I kill them? Although I didn't like them, I genuinely considered them family! They were my only family!" She was the one who most wanted to find the real culprit!

Trying to reason with a group of people who don't believe in you is more futile than talking to a brick wall.

Especially when Tan Huan stood beside Baili Liushang, her persuasiveness was even weaker than a sheet of paper. The people before her had already decided she was the murderer and wouldn't change their minds because of what she said. Her explanations were a joke to them, so Tan Huan fell silent.

Pei Gumo looked at her with complicated eyes and said, "Wu Tanhuan, although Jin'er gave you the Lonely Dust Sword, you are no longer related to the Pei family. Shouldn't you return the Lonely Dust Sword to the Pei family?"

Baili Liushang couldn't help but chuckle, glancing mockingly at Pei Gumo. "Old man, this is the real reason you came here, isn't it?"

Pei Jin interjected, "Father, is there any reason to ask for a gift back after it's been given away?"

At this moment, countless renowned martial arts families were present, and many others, such as the Xiang family, coveted Pei Gumo's position as the leader of the martial arts alliance. Years ago, during the Lingfeng Sword Tournament, Pei Jin presented the Golden Cicada Armor to Tan Huan on the spot—a scene witnessed by many, and naturally, many knew of the close relationship between Pei Jin and Tan Huan. Some were waiting to see a show, some sighed at Pei Jin's words and actions today, and others waited for Pei Jin to make a mistake, to be caught red-handed in public, and thus forever lose his chance at the position of martial arts alliance leader.

The old patriarch of the Xiang family laughed, "Alliance Leader Pei, how could your young master associate with such people? Heh, they've disgraced your Pei family, and even now they're protecting criminals. What do you, as their father, plan to do?"

"Thank you for your concern. I will handle it properly."

“My friend need not worry about the old master,” Pei Jin said, narrowing his eyes. “This is…”

"Jin'er, shut up!"

Pei Jin hesitated, but ultimately did not continue to argue with the Xiang family. Pei Gu Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Tan Huan, saying, "Wu Tan Huan, the Lonely Dust Sword may still be the murder weapon you used to kill your parents. I must take it back."

Tan Huan shook her head and took a step back. "No, this is mine."

"Wu Tanhuan, do you want me to do it myself?" Pei Gumo said sternly. "A sword wouldn't be a big deal, but I don't want the Pei family to have any connection with you anymore. As long as you still have the Lone Dust Sword, you'll harbor some inappropriate thoughts. Let me make this clear: the Pei family will absolutely not let you off just because you're only fourteen. Killing your father and mother is a crime that defies all reason!"

"I didn't." Tan Huan's tone was flat as he looked up and said, "I'm not the murderer."

Baili Liushang slightly leaned forward with his right hand, and the Lonely Dust Sword miraculously flew into his hand. He had mastered the art of retrieving objects from a distance. "Alliance Leader Pei, I have already taken the Lonely Dust Sword. I was merely using it to borrow the Greedy Pleasure Sword earlier. If you insist on going back," he paused deliberately, then smiled, "it would be better if you fought me."

Every time Baili Liushang spoke, it was met with a moment of silence from everyone present; his aura was undeniably powerful.

Tan Huan was silent for a moment before speaking, "Pei Jin, are you going to marry Shu Yunyao?"

Pei Jin's expression shifted, and he was about to speak. Pei Gu Mo immediately understood his thoughts. He couldn't let his son's reputation continue to suffer. He quickly pressed Pei Jin's pressure points, "You have no right to interrupt now. Don't speak."

Pei Jin glared angrily at Pei Gu Mo, showing obvious disrespect to his father for the first time. He had agreed to come with his father so that he could have a proper talk with Tan Huan in person. His father had previously suppressed him from going to see Tan Huan, and he instinctively felt that today was the only chance, but even that chance had been ruined.

“Of course we will get married. I know that Jin’er and you used to have a good relationship, but after you colluded with Zhengyang Palace, there is no possibility for the Pei family to get along with you.” Pei Gumo said righteously, “Wu Tanhuan, return the Guchen Sword and I can still save your life.”

Tan Huan remained silent. Utterly disappointed, she realized this was the true nature of the martial world, the true nature of the martial arts community. She had previously held Wu Canyang in contempt, but now it seemed her father truly deserved the title of a gentleman and a chivalrous hero.

"Sigh, is it really necessary to resolve this with force after all?" Pei Gu Mo sighed. He knew that Tan Huan was innocent and he had intended to save her life, but this girl was so uncooperative. It was such a pity. "Baili Liushang, even if your martial arts are superb, it is impossible to escape unscathed in front of so many people."

"If you can't beat them, can't you at least run away?" Baili Liushang wasn't ashamed at all. "Alliance Leader Pei, you are far too confident in your strength."

Pei Gu Mo asked curiously, "You plan to abandon Wu Tan Huan?"