Die dümmsten Menschen der Welt

Kapitel 37

Everyone was stunned, including the two who were fighting. Pei Gu Mo glared at Bai Li Liu Shang with an unfriendly expression, and Tan Huan also stopped fighting and turned to look at his master's reaction. Pei Gu Mo gritted his teeth and said, "Bai Li Liu Shang, where did Luo Yi go?"

Baili Liushang shrugged. "How would I know?"

Luo Yi naturally obeyed her master's orders and brought Yuan Gu out. Pei Gu Mo hurriedly chased after the direction Luo Yi had left, "Quickly, catch up with her."

"Sigh, did I say you could leave?" Baili Liushang said ominously. "Huan'er, stop them."

Tan Huan leaped in front of everyone, and before they could react, he unleashed a devastating sword strike. The air cracked, the sword's momentum was like a rainbow, and a deep crack was carved into the ground.

Pei Gu Mo was somewhat angered. He raised the weapon in his hand and said coldly, "You reap what you sow. I have spared your life many times, but you have refused to learn."

"My disciple only needs to be taught by me, why should he be taught by an old man like you?" Baili Liushang patted Tan Huan's head considerately. "Don't pat me. With your master here, you can turn the world upside down without any problem."

Tan Huan remained calm, unmoved by Pei Gu Mo. He raised the Lone Dust Sword high in his right hand, the tip of the sword slicing in the sunlight to Pei Gu Mo's face. He said indifferently, "Spare my life? I don't remember. I only remember that you wanted to kill me."

Pei Gumo brandished his longsword with powerful, forceful movements, his entire being seemingly unshakeable like a cauldron. Yet, his first thrust was blocked by Pei Jin's outstretched hand. Anger flared in Pei Gumo's eyes as he slowly asked, "Jin'er, what do you want to do?"

“This is my opponent, and I hope Father will not interfere.”

Tan Huan, eyes fixed straight ahead, ignored Pei Jin's attempts to stop him, and charged towards Pei Gu Mo with the Lone Dust Sword, unleashing a flurry of sword blossoms. Baili Liushang secretly praised, "Good, this fool has finally learned his lesson." Pei Gu Mo roared, shoving Pei Jin aside and mercilessly slashing at Tan Huan. Tan Huan leaped upwards, then plummeted downwards, the Lone Dust Sword aimed at Pei Gu Mo's forehead. Baili Liushang, showing no mercy, seized the opportunity to gather his inner strength and kick Pei Gu Mo. Caught in a double attack, Pei Gu Mo's forehead was slashed, drawing blood, and he staggered back several steps, his inner energy in disarray.

Tan Huan avoided Pei Jin's gaze and didn't dare to look at the unconscious Ba Ying. Her eyes were now fixed on her opponent, and her ears were only listening to her master's orders.

Baili Liushang suddenly frowned, as if he had thought of something, and muttered to himself, "There are more than just these people in the Netherworld Valley..." Thinking of this, his gaze turned to Bali, sharp as a knife.

Bali sneered, "So you finally noticed? You thought that if you stopped us, no one would stop Luo Yi from protecting Yuan Gu?"

Baili Liushang didn't take it to heart. "It seems it's not me who's keeping you occupied, but you who're keeping me occupied?"

Bali's expression was unfriendly. She didn't want to get too involved, as long as she could protect the secret of the Lonely Dust Sword. However, Baili Liushang had a natural ability to provoke people. Since he didn't mind being an enemy of the Netherworld Valley, she naturally didn't mind either.

Baili Liushang feigned distress and pondered for a long time, feeling increasingly embarrassed no matter how he thought about it. He had initially felt honored to have held off Pei Gumo and Bali two-on-one, but instead, his opponents had exploited his weakness. "Sigh, I haven't felt this uncomfortable in a long time, worse than swallowing a fly..."

Tan Huan felt a chill run down her spine. Knowing her master as she did, she knew this time he wasn't lying or playing tricks on her. Judging from his voice, he was very, very unhappy and would probably start a massacre soon.

“Huan’er, let’s not linger here any longer. Let’s go see if Luo Yi is still alive.” Baili Liushang’s voice was calm, the more turbulent the waves, the calmer the surface. “We’ll just keep going straight ahead. If anyone tries to stop us…” He paused, “We’ll kill anyone who gets in our way.”

Tan Huan nodded quietly, stood behind Baili Liushang and followed him, her eyes silently looking down, her expression tense.

“You’re indulging in pleasure,” Pei Jin stared intently at her figure, finally unable to hold back his words, his voice hoarse, “Are you not planning to turn back?”

His voice echoed through the empty valley, startling several birds into flight, which flapped their wings and took flight.

Tan Huan paused slightly. Turn around? What would she see if she turned around? The four corpses of the Wu family? Or the pursuit of the entire martial arts world? She hadn't had a good life before, and she wasn't having a good life now, but one must always look forward, right?

Baili Liushang seemed completely unconcerned about these matters. Before Tan Huan could react, he strode forward. Although those around him tried to stop him, neither Pei Gu Mo nor Ba Li made a move, and naturally, no one else possessed the strength to stop him.

Tan Huan's thoughts drifted a little further away. When she came back to her senses and looked ahead, Baili Liushang was already dozens of meters away from her. Green mountains and clear waters, blue sky and white clouds. Tan Huan turned around and smiled slightly at Pei Jin, without saying anything, and jogged a few steps to catch up with Baili Liushang, following closely behind him.

Pei Gu Mo said sternly, "Stop them!"

Baili Liushang chuckled and quickly sent several people flying. After making an example of them, no one dared to make a move again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pei Gumo about to take action himself again. He sighed with annoyance and said softly, "Huan'er, stay close to me." With that, he suddenly leaped up and disappeared from everyone's sight in an instant using his superb lightness skill.

Tan Huan hesitated for a moment, then followed without a word. Her skill in light-footed martial arts was inferior to Baili Liushang's, so by the time she arrived, Baili Liushang was already standing before Luo Yi and Yuan Gu. Soon after, Ba Li, Pei Gu Mo, and the others also arrived. They saw Yuan Gu lying on the ground, pale-faced and with his eyes closed. Other corpses lay scattered on the ground, stained with blood. Luo Yi, her purple eyes lowered, stood respectfully before Baili Liushang.

Bali's first reaction was to check Yuan Gu's breathing. After confirming that he was lifeless, she looked up at Baili Liushang and asked in a cold voice, "What happened?"

Baili Liushang ignored her interest, his eyes fixed on Luo Yi. "Explain yourself."

Luo Yi remained expressionless. "I killed the person, but I've already gotten what Master wanted to know from Yuan Gu."

Baili Liushang raised an eyebrow slightly. "You decided to kill him on your own initiative?"

Luo Yi lowered her head even further. "Killing someone to silence them is only natural." She paused. "If Master blames me for acting on my own initiative, then punish me accordingly."

Baili Liushang smiled eerily, silently watching his disciple. Suddenly, his smile froze. Tan Huan silently approached Yuan Gu's corpse, gazing at it indifferently, his eyes fixed downwards. "Actually, I originally promised to let him live a good life..."

However, it wasn't done.

A cold smile crept onto Baili Liushang's face. "Your senior brother is right here. You can question him."

Tan Huan's expression remained unchanged. After a long while, she shook her head and said, "There's no need." She stood up. "Master, what do we do next? Do we still need Yuan Gu's body?"

"No, thank you." Baili Liushang waved his hand readily and smiled at Luo Yi, "Anyway, you've asked all the questions you needed to ask. Luo Yi, answer my questions properly when we get back to Zhengyang Palace."

"yes."

Barry frowned. "You just want to leave like this?"

"What else can we do? Keep fighting?" Baili Liushang said nonchalantly, "Fight until one side is wiped out?"

Bali's brows did not relax. She glanced at Yuan Gu's corpse, then stared at Baili Liushang. After a while, she suddenly grinned and said, "It's not worth fighting to the death for a dead man. Since Yuan Gu is dead, Baili Liushang, you can go or stay as you please. I have no reason to stop you."

Pei Gumo and other martial arts figures strongly disagreed and couldn't help but step in to stop them. "Master Ba..."

“This is the Valley of the Netherworld, and I’m in charge here.” Bali insisted on not changing her mind. She smiled at Baili Liushang, took a step to Luo Yi’s side, and pointed, “It’s fine if Yuan Gu is dead, but you have to keep this kid here.”

"Why?" Baili Liushang asked calmly. "And, on what basis?"

Upon hearing this, Tan Huan looked at her, her gaze shifting between Luo Yi and Yuan Gu, her dark pupils thoughtful.

Luo Yi said he knows the secret of the Lonely Dust Sword, so naturally he can no longer let you take him away. "Let him die with Yuan Gu, then everything will be over." Bali casually shook her fist.

Baili Liushang sneered, "Who cares about you!"

"In that case," said Bali. "we'll have to resort to force again."

Just as the atmosphere between the two sides reached a critical point, Tan Huan spoke up in a clear voice, "Is the reason why Ba Gu wants to kill Senior Brother because he knows the secret of the Lonely Dust Sword?"

Bali glanced at her and nodded, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Tan Huan added, "If the Valley Master is so keen on keeping secrets, he should have killed Yuan Gu from the beginning. Wouldn't that have saved a lot of trouble?"

Bali was speechless.

Tan Huan didn't stop there, continuing with one sentence after another, "The Valley Master must already know this secret. If Senior Brother is to die, shouldn't the Valley Master also end his own life and bury the secret of the Lonely Dust Sword forever?" After a pause, Tan Huan smiled innocently, "After all, the dead are much safer than the living, don't you think? That's what the Valley Master taught me back then."

Bali was speechless, completely unable to utter a word. She hated reasoning with children the most. Oh, right, this girl wasn't a child anymore. "A lackey can't produce ivory, but it's understandable. You've been following Baili the Demon for so long, it's only natural that your personality has become annoying." Her personality wasn't exactly endearing back then, and now she's increasingly resembling Baili Liushang.

Baili Liushang's face showed no emotion. He rubbed Huan'er's head and said, "Huan'er, if someone calls you a dog, shouldn't you bite them a couple of times?"

Tan Huan was speechless. "Master, aren't you just subtly calling me a dog? Don't think I can't tell..."

"Further words are pointless, and verbal sparring is not my forte," Baili Liushang said modestly, "Luo Yi is my disciple. If he is to die, he can only die by my hand. No one else is allowed to interfere with my disciple's affairs."

Tang Ming, an elder of the Tang family, couldn't stand their heated exchange. The Tang family had suffered heavy casualties, with even Tang Weiyu seriously injured. He was unwilling to let them slink back like this, but continuing the fight would only further deplete the Tang family's strength. Tang Ming was in a dilemma; he wanted to interject but didn't know what to say.

"What would you like to say, Elder Tang?" Bali asked earnestly, as if deliberately bringing up a sore spot. "What are your thoughts?"

Tang Ming said in a deep voice, "If we want to take down Luo Yi, I'm afraid we'll lose even more capable men. Valley Master Ba, how much of a chance do you have?"

"I don't know," Bali replied honestly.

“Master Ba, I advise you to let the three of us leave,” Luo Yi said calmly. “Otherwise, before I die, I will make sure the entire martial arts world knows this secret. Wouldn’t that be a greater loss for you?”

Bali narrowed her eyes, her expression immediately turning grim. She wasn't one to hesitate, and upon hearing Luo Yi's words, she took a deep breath and said, "Fine, I'll let you go."

Baili Liushang smiled warmly as always, cupped his hands in a gesture of thanks, and then looked at Pei Gumo provocatively, "Alliance Leader Pei, are you still going to stop us?"

Once the power of the Netherworld Valley is withdrawn, they will have no chance of winning. Pei Gumo glanced at Bali suspiciously, but had no choice but to remain silent. He ignored Baili Liushang's malicious words, so he could only watch as Baili Liushang laughed arrogantly and left.

Compared to Baili Liushang's arrogance, Tan Huan followed inconspicuously. She glanced one last time at Yuan Gu's corpse, remembering the old man who was actually quite decent, and a bitter smile crept onto her lips. She glanced at Luo Yi, not without suspicion in her heart.

Tan Huan had assumed that her master would question Luo Yi about the secrets of the Lonely Dust Sword upon returning to Zhengyang Palace, and she intended to listen carefully. This matter had troubled her for so long, and it was almost this very matter that had forced her to this point; Tan Huan was incredibly curious. However, Baili Liushang did question Luo Yi, but unfortunately, it was in private. He took Luo Yi to his room and specifically sent Tan Huan out, the two of them having a secret conversation inside.

Tan Huan waited in the courtyard outside the house, feeling as if each day was an eternity, yet she dared not disobey Baili Liushang's orders to eavesdrop. She squatted on the ground, counting the time leaf by leaf, then practiced her sword after finishing the count, and then counted the leaves again after finishing her sword practice.

Finally, Luo Yi came out of Baili Liushang's study and said softly, "Master wants you to come in."

Tan Huan glanced into the room but didn't rush in. "Did you explain things clearly to Master just now?"

Luo Yi nodded.

"You can't tell me?" Tan Huan stared into his eyes. "Even if you don't tell me now, I'll find out later. As long as Master wants to find the treasure in the Lonely Dust Sword, I will inevitably discover his actions... So, is there any need to hide it from me?"

Luo Yi remained calm and said, "If Master feels it is necessary for you to know, he will tell you. Otherwise, I dare not tell you anything that Master does not want you to know."

Tan Huan nodded, "I understand." Their master's original order was to bring Yuan Gu back, but Luo Yi took it upon himself to kill him. Luo Yi wasn't a bloodthirsty, unreasonable person; he would do this either out of personal vendetta or genuinely to silence him. If silencing him wasn't for their master, then for whom?

"Huan'er, do you insist on me asking you to come in?"

Upon hearing Baili Liushang's voice, Tan Huan dared not linger any longer and immediately ran into the house, standing before him. Baili Liushang glanced at her sideways, and Tan Huan understood immediately. Before he could speak, she considerately closed the door behind her and respectfully asked, "Master, did you call me in with any instructions?"

Baili Liushang asked in a strange tone, "How do you feel about how well you've completed the orders I gave you and Luo Yi this time?" He smiled gently, "Do you consider yourself a success or a failure?"

As Tan Huan observed his changing expression, she carefully chose her words, "It's because I'm useless, and I even made Master personally go through all this trouble." She saw Baili Liushang's lips curl up slightly, and thought that her humble statement had worked well. "In the end, it was thanks to Senior Brother that we were able to uncover the secret of the Lonely Dust Sword. In the end, Huan'er didn't help at all."

Baili Liushang's smile deepened, "Without you holding back the people from Tangmen and Youming Valley, Luo Yi wouldn't have been able to get close to Yuan Gu. You don't need to underestimate yourself."

She wasn't ridiculed or scolded at all? He spoke to her so kindly; Tan Huan felt a little uneasy. She was overjoyed to have passed the test smoothly, nodding repeatedly, "Master is right."

"Your martial arts have improved greatly during this trip to the Netherworld Valley; consider this your reward," Baili Liushang said slowly. Upon hearing this, Tan Huan's expression immediately stiffened. The image she had deliberately forgotten resurfaced; she could almost see the hatred etched on Ba Ying's pale, powerless face. Her reaction was exactly what Baili Liushang had expected. He smiled faintly, "What, Huan'er, are you complaining about me?"

Tan Huan's lips trembled, then she firmly shook her head, "No."

“I think so too. Huan’er’s wish is to be the best in the world. I’m just giving you a push, so you shouldn’t repay kindness with enmity.” Baili Liushang nodded and said, “Besides, I’ve spared Ba Ying’s life out of respect for you. I was originally going to pass on Pei Jin’s martial arts to you, but it’s just that Ba Ying came along on his own.”

Tan Huan stood silently without saying a word. After a long silence, she casually uttered, "I prefer to practice on my own."

Baili Liushang sneered, "Is that so? Then I can help you cripple those martial arts skills, so you won't feel uncomfortable using them!"

Tan Huan raised her eyes, which shone brightly. "If Master has this intention, this disciple will not object."

Baili Liushang was furious with her. "Get over here!"

Tan Huan took two steps closer to him, only to feel her arm being pulled, and the scene before her eyes turned sideways as she fell into Baili Liushang's arms. Tan Huan was stunned for a moment, blinked, and hurriedly struggled to get up. Just as she propped herself up, she felt Baili Liushang's fingers on her neck, and a cool sensation suddenly rose from the depths of her mind. Tan Huan immediately froze and remained motionless.

"Huan'er, I heard you seduced Pei Jin in the Valley of the Underworld?"

Baili Liushang chuckled, "Tell me, how did you seduce me?"

Tan Huan stammered, "I don't know..."

"Can do it but can't say it?" Baili Liushang's tone was unreadable. "Now that I think about it, Huan'er is already a young woman, at the age when she's thinking about love..."

Tan Huan wanted to righteously retort that it wasn't true, but deep down she was afraid of this master. She didn't want to be locked up in the blood-soaked corpse worms again, so she could only bury her head in the sand and remain silent.

"It's alright, don't be afraid, your teacher is very understanding." Baili Liushang suddenly let go of her hand and said with a smile, "However, your teacher is very curious about how you seduced Pei Jin. It's okay if you don't want to say, you can just do it."

Tan Huan had just straightened up when she heard this, and her legs immediately went weak. A pleading look appeared on her face, "Master, it was just a temporary measure at the time."

Baili Liushang's left hand gently rested on Tan Huan's shoulder, then slowly slid down, inch by inch. His long, slender, white fingers had distinct knuckles and thin calluses on their pads, causing a slight shiver to run through her through the thin fabric. His fingers lingered on her waist before finally stopping. With each movement, Tan Huan felt a chill run down her spine. The windows and doors were tightly closed, and sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a dim, yellowish glow. Baili Liushang's face appeared enigmatic and unpredictable.

Tan Huan felt like crying, but forced herself to remain calm. "Master, I know I was wrong. It's all because my skills were too poor back then, and I had no choice but to resort to such despicable methods..."

Baili Liushang smirked, "You don't like me touching you?"

Tan Huan's lips twitched. How should she answer? Like? Or dislike? Neither answer would work, so she beat around the bush, "I belong to you in life and in death. Even if Master wanted my life, I wouldn't dare utter a single complaint, let alone such a light touch!"