A Record of Pleasure

Chapter 28

"Wouldn't that mean I wouldn't know how long I can last?"

"Even if you can stay awake for a whole day without fainting, do you think you can make a living in the martial arts world? Strength is more important than endurance."

Tan Huan blinked, her voice slow and deliberate, "Then why did Master test my stamina?"

“It’s not a test.” Baili Liushang’s eyes were filled with a smile, and he said with a wicked charm, “I’m just playing with you.”

I'm just messing with you!

The sky was already very dark, and looking out the window, there was only bottomless darkness. There was an oil lamp on the table inside the room, casting flickering light that added to the eerie atmosphere.

Tan Huan closed his eyes briefly. "It is truly an honor for your disciple to bring you joy and amusement, Master." If you're going to be a sycophant, you have to be a sycophant to the core.

Baili Liushang laughed, "You're more sensible than Luo Yi." He patted the bed, "Come here, sleep with me tonight."

Tan Huan could no longer maintain her composure; her eyes widened like saucers. "Master...Master..."

"It felt good to hold you while I slept last time, I slept quite comfortably." Baili Liushang patted the bed again. "It's your honor to make me happy, isn't that what you just said? We're not doing anything else, just sleeping, what are you afraid of?"

Tan Huan looked up at the sky, her face filled with grief and indignation, but no tears came. How dare she resist? How could she possibly resist?

"Judging from your unwillingness..." Baili Liushang said, "How about this, you come and help me undress, and we'll sleep on the floor tonight."

Tan Huan asked in surprise, "Does Master sleep in the bed?" He sleeps in the bed and she sleeps on the floor? That's so nice? He's willing to let her go?

"Of course."

The moon outside was obscured by dark clouds, as if it wanted to speak but hesitated.

The ground was cold and hard; the bathwater that had splashed out of the tub hadn't completely dried, leaving the ground damp. Tan Huan sat on the ground, leaning against the chair leg. Her clothes were wet, and she was initially uncomfortable to sleep on, but after a day of martial arts practice, she was too exhausted to continue. She leaned against the chair leg and fell asleep without realizing it.

Tan Huan's eyes were closed, her skin as white as jade, her lips adorned with a touch of pink, and her black eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings across her face. She slept soundly, her charming face growing more and more beautiful, her delicate features still faintly revealing a touch of childishness.

Fourteen is already an adult, but he's still not quite a child.

The room was quiet. What used to be his presence now carried the scent of another. Baili Liushang's eyes were like cold stars as he lay on his side on the bed, staring intently at her. "She's actually asleep?" He thought she'd be too scared to sleep, but she fell asleep so easily—it was so disappointing.

"Fourteen years old..." What did he do when he was fourteen? He succeeded to the position of Zhengyang Palace when he was fourteen. "You're already fourteen and still acting like this..." Baili Liushang sneered and glanced at her.

The sun shone brightly, and white clouds floated over green waters. When he was learning martial arts, he was often imprisoned among the blood-soaked corpses and worms in Zhengyang Palace. There, he could only do one thing: keep slashing and killing until all his opponents fell. Killing was the most rewarding thing the first time he did it, but it became more and more boring afterward. If there was no benefit involved, killing or not killing was really the same thing.

Tan Huan's brows suddenly furrowed, and a sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen. She struggled to wake up, curling her body into a ball, breathing softly, afraid to make a sound lest she wake the demon in bed.

Baili Liushang watched her pained expression as if it were a good show, without saying a word. After watching her in the same position for a while, his body became a little stiff, so he propped his head up with one hand and shifted his position.

A soft, faint sound.

Tan Huan froze, then slowly raised her head, her gaze meeting Baili Liushang's deep, dark eyes, which seemed like a bottomless pool. "Master..." she said, a little startled, "Did I wake you up?"

"Hmm, judging from your heavy breathing, even the soundest sleeper would be woken up." Baili Liushang deliberately sighed, "I kindly took you in my room, and this is how you repay me?"

Tan Huan couldn't help but argue, "I can go back to my own room... You're the one who forced me to stay here..."

"Oh? So you mean I was talking nonsense just now?" Baili Liushang raised an eyebrow, his face becoming even more expressive, like tender green shoots emerging from a calm lake. His gaze softened as well. "My disciple is bold, and I, as his master, am pleased. Tell me, how should I express my feelings?"

Every hair on his body stood on end, and Tan Huan was so frightened that he couldn't speak, his mouth agape.

"Sigh, don't look so foolish." Baili Liushang's eyes flashed with a hint of killing intent. "I'll teach you something else: whatever I say is the truth, and you must do as I say. Not just in Zhengyang Palace, but in the entire martial arts world, I will not allow anyone to disobey me, without exception." He tilted his head and thought for a moment, then smiled. "You can't be so absolute. There are exceptions, like the dead."

Tan Huan took a deep breath. The pain seemed insignificant in the face of fear. She said tactfully, "Disciple has disturbed Master's sleep. Please punish me."

"You're a promising young lady." Baili Liushang smiled and beckoned to her. "Come, sit next to me."

Tan Huan stood up expressionlessly, her movements unsteady, her body swaying slightly from pain and fatigue. She had barely sat on the edge of the bed when Baili Liushang pulled her close and pinned her down. Tan Huan held her breath.

"What are you afraid of? Afraid of what I might do to you?" Baili Liushang's black hair slid down to Tan Huan's cheek as he said with a half-smile, "Do you think I'm that desperate for women?"

Tan Huan shook his head and remained silent.

"So, you intend to remain chaste for Pei Jin?"

Tan Huan said calmly, "Pei Jin is someone from a long time ago to me, why does Master need to bring him up again and again?"

"Sigh, if you're not afraid of me, I find it boring; if you're afraid of me, I find it boring too. What should I do?"

Another sharp pain shot through her abdomen, and Tan Huan gently bit her lip.

Baili Liushang chuckled softly, moved over and lay down, looking up at the ceiling. "Does it hurt a lot?"

Tan Huan nodded, "It hurts a lot." She paused, "It hurts even more when it gets cold."

Baili Liushang smiled and touched her forehead. "You've learned your lesson? Hmm?" As he stroked her, a warm current spread from Tanhuan's mind to her limbs, as gentle as being in her mother's embrace. "If you can't even endure pain, how will you endure life in the future?"

Tan Huan lowered her eyes and said, "Thank you, Master."

"Tan Huan, you have great talent, don't waste it, otherwise even I will feel sorry for you." Baili Liushang closed his eyes, his hands still on her head. "If the people who leave Zhengyang Palace are not strong enough, they will only die. I would rather kill my disciples myself than let them be killed by others. Tan Huan, don't disgrace me, or I will make you lose your life."

Greedy nodded obediently.

A warm, continuous flow of internal energy circulated from the top of her head to her body, so comfortably that Tan Huan squinted her eyes and unconsciously leaned into Baili Liushang's arms. This was a great demon, a great demon who committed all kinds of evil, yet this was the most comfortable sleep Tan Huan had ever had since birth.

The cool moonlight shone on the ground, eerily pale and forced. Fireworks appeared in my dream, though I had never experienced them before. Perhaps this was the feeling of a mother's embrace, warm and flowing like spring water.

Chapter Fifteen: The Dark Side

For Tan Huan, her room was like a decoration. The room assigned to her when she entered Zhengyang Palace was only used for one day, and then it gathered dust day by day, untouched by anyone. The next morning, Baili Liushang casually said, "From now on, you can live in my room." Tan Huan, lacking any ambition, dared not object. She stayed in Baili Liushang's room as a servant, apprentice, pet, and bed warmer, with no hope of ever turning her life around.

On one hand, Tan Huan's martial arts training progressed rapidly. Apart from eating and sleeping, she spent most of her time practicing. Baili Liushang would guide her when he had free time, and she also had her senior brother Luo Yi as a sparring partner. In the past, she had to rely entirely on herself to learn martial arts. This was the first time Tan Huan had such good external conditions to help her practice martial arts. Even someone as picky as Baili Liushang was extremely satisfied with her progress.

That day, Baili Liushang went out of the palace on business. Tan Huan and Luo Yi were sparring in the training ground, and half a day passed in the blink of an eye. The two were so focused that they didn't even eat lunch. Luo Yi was drenched in sweat. After stopping her movements, she smiled and said, "You've been training too hard. No one is forcing you to continue. Take a break."

Tan Huan was also covered in sweat. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I'm not tired. You go and eat and rest first. There are still some parts of those moves that I haven't figured out yet. I'll practice them for a while longer."

Luo Yi nodded. "Suit yourself. If you get dizzy from practicing, I'll carry you back to Master's room. I'll go eat now."

After Luo Yi left, Tan Huan mentally reviewed each move, feeling that her previous techniques were too stiff and lacked coherence. She slowed her movements, released her inner energy, and practiced as she thought. So focused was she that she didn't notice her surroundings. This training ground was near Baili Liushang's courtyard, usually used only by the three of them, master and disciple. Servants dared not enter without Baili Liushang's permission. So, when she suddenly sensed someone approaching, Tan Huan was startled and reflexively thrust her Lonely Dust Sword forward. When she saw it was a complete stranger, fearing she had mistakenly killed an innocent bystander, she hastily withdrew her sword, resulting in a loss of balance and a fall to the ground.

Having not eaten or rested for half a day, she was already exhausted. She hadn't noticed her fatigue because she was so focused, but now, interrupted, she immediately felt dizzy and lightheaded. She simply sat down on the ground and casually glanced at the strange man. "Who are you?"

The stranger was handsome, with refined features and a good physique; he was quite young. "I...I..."

Tan Huan pursed her lips, and before she could ask her second question, two people walked in one after another. Both of them were leaders of Zhengyang Palace. Tan Huan had met them before. One was Song Lian, who harbored hostility towards her, and the other was Jiang Shemi, who had taken care of her when she had her first period. Tan Huan blinked, not wanting to cause trouble, and greeted them very politely, "Hello, Leader Song, hello, Leader Jiang."

Song Lian narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Oh, isn't this the Palace Master's esteemed disciple?"

Greedy lowered his eyes and said, "You flatter me."

Song Lian didn't press her for details. Instead, she immediately turned her gaze to the strange man, gave him a vicious look, and then said to Jiang Shemi, "Ashe, your male concubine has recklessly barged into the Palace Master's training ground. Now you still want to protect him?"

Jiang Shemi turned her head away speechlessly and muttered, "If you don't tell and I don't tell, then no one will know..."

"Ah She!" Song Lian said irritably, "The Palace Master already strongly disapproves of you keeping a large group of male concubines in Zhengyang Palace. Now, you, as a male concubine, have first offended me and now you've trespassed on the Palace Master's territory. You have to give me an explanation!"

Jiang Shemi was speechless and asked the heavens, then sighed and said helplessly, "Fine, do whatever you want, at least leave me a whole corpse."

Tan Huan understood somewhat, and not wanting to get involved in the commotion, she intended to leave the training ground quietly. Let them cause trouble; it was none of her business. But just as she stood up and took half a step, her male concubine suddenly pounced on her, grabbing her tightly and pleading pitifully, "Please, save me." This girl had just deliberately withdrawn her sword stance, preferring to fall herself rather than let him go. Asking this girl for help would be more effective than asking Jiang Shemi.

Tan Huan stopped. How could she save him? Fight Song Lian? She definitely couldn't win. A wise man doesn't fight when he's already at a disadvantage. Song Lian already disliked her; why should she go looking for trouble? Tan Huan glanced at the strange man with annoyance, about to persuade him to let go, when she felt a cold wind whistling past her ear. She immediately pulled the man back a step, raised her sword to block, and with a clang, the Lonely Dust Sword clashed with the iron fan in Song Lian's hand. Tan Huan grimaced; it was heavy.

"Oh? You want to save this male concubine?" Song Lian's smile was sinister as she opened and closed her iron fan. "Then don't blame me for being impolite."

Tan Huan cried out in agony. She hadn't intended to help or fight back; this man surnamed Song had attacked her without giving her a chance to speak. What could she do but fight back? So, the two started fighting. They fought fiercely in the training ground, while the male concubine cowered in a corner. Jiang Shemi watched with a smile, casually remarking, "Hey, Old Song, you attacked his disciple without the Palace Master's permission. Aren't you afraid the Palace Master will skin you alive when he gets back?"

"Mind your own business!" Song Lian clearly had the upper hand and even had time to talk.

Tan Huan was much more pitiful. Her skills were already insufficient, and she had worked so hard to practice martial arts for so long that she was exhausted. How could she possibly win? "I..." You can kill whoever you want, it's none of my business. Such a simple sentence, but unfortunately Song Lian didn't give her time to explain.

She didn't know how long she had been fighting, but Tan Huan's arms were completely exhausted. Suddenly, she heard heavenly music in her ears. She had never been so happy to hear Baili Liushang's voice.

Upon entering, Baili Liushang was surprised to see Song Lian and Jiang Shemi present, and Song Lian was even fighting with his disciple. So he asked indifferently, "What are you doing?"

A casual remark, yet it successfully stopped Song Lian from acting. He respectfully put away his iron fan and said, "Palace Master."

Jiang Shemi chuckled, "The Palace Master's little disciple is making rapid progress; I was so captivated that I forgot to stop them."

Baili Liushang ignored her and went straight to the point, "Why did you start fighting?"

"My subordinate wanted to kill someone, but Wu Tanhuan tried to stop him."

Tan Huan hurriedly explained, "I didn't. The man grabbed me himself. I didn't mean to help him."

Baili Liushang shifted his gaze, glancing at the male concubine on the ground, and slightly raised his chin, "Is it that person?"

Song Lian nodded, "Yes, that person is A-She's male lover."

Baili Liushang took a few steps forward, walked up to Tan Huan, and smiled gently, "Don't be afraid, I believe you." Seeing Tan Huan breathe a sigh of relief, he patted her shoulder and added, "To prove that what you said is true, kill that person with your own hands. Be quick about it."

Tan Huan's eyes widened. Not interfering was one thing, but killing someone with her own hands was another. She raised her hand and then lowered it again, her expression slightly troubled, her voice pleading, "Master..."

Baili Liushang raised an eyebrow. "You can't even kill someone?" He paused. "You killed so swiftly in front of Pei Jin that day, but you can't now?"

Song Lian scoffed.

Jiang Shemi was also eager to see what would happen next.

Tan Huan gritted his teeth and said, "Master, I just feel there's no need to kill that person."

"Does killing only have to be necessary? I've never heard of that before." Baili Liushang's expression turned icy, his aura so powerful it made people tremble. "Now I order you to do it."

Tan Huan was conflicted, to the point of being in pain. She knew she wasn't a good person. When she first fought Wu Qingfeng as a child, she unconsciously stabbed him in the vital spot with her sword. Then, when she cut Tang Weiyu's finger, she didn't hesitate. Just as Baili Liushang said, she had killed someone in front of Pei Jin, so what was the point of pretending to be noble and virtuous now?

Thinking of this, Tan Huan glanced at her male lover. The man appeared weak and submissive, kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with hope as he looked up at Tan Huan. Tan Huan sighed almost silently. This was different. This person posed no threat to her; he was truly innocent, an innocent victim. What right did she have to take his life, just because of a single sentence from Baili Liushang?

The wait was a little longer than expected. Baili Liushang looked at his disciple with extreme disappointment and gave a mocking laugh. "Huan'er?"

Tan Huan gripped the Lonely Dust Sword tightly with both hands. Hadn't she already made up her mind back then? She couldn't afford such a luxury as "backbone." As her thoughts churned, just as she was about to grit her teeth and give her male concubine a quick death, Baili Liushang moved even faster. With a gentle lift of his hand, he severed the man's tongue, blood gushing out. Baili Liushang remained unfazed, then with another flick of his wrist, he pressed the male concubine's pressure points, before turning back to Tan Huan with a smile, "Seeing how hesitant you were, I just did it for you."

The scene was gruesome, with black hair, red blood, and white clothes. Baili Liushang's smile was like pure white snow in winter, captivating and radiant, blending seamlessly with the bloody spectacle.

Tan Huan gasped, a pang of pity rising in her heart as she looked at the man's half-dead state. If she had acted sooner, he wouldn't be suffering like this.

"Huan'er, even if your martial arts become better in the future, if you still think twice before killing someone like you do now, you will definitely not amount to much." Baili Liushang said kindly, "Come, let your master teach you properly today, so that you will remember this lesson."

Tan Huan had a bad feeling and asked softly, "What does Master want to teach me?"

Baili Liushang said, "Since you don't dare to kill, then don't kill." His voice was very gentle. He waved his hand and said, "I can spare his life for now. Cut off all four of his limbs and feed them to him by hand."

Tan Huan's face turned ashen, and he took a step back.

"Before he dies, make him eat his own hands and feet, eat all the flesh... As for the bones, feed them to the dogs... Hmm, this training ground will be a hassle to clean up later, so why not make him lick his own blood clean too?"

"Master!" Tan Huan couldn't help but exclaim, "Please don't be so cruel."

Tsk tsk, you've gotten bolder, daring to call him cruel? You haven't even grown your wings yet and you dare to talk back? Baili Liushang raised an eyebrow and smirked, "If you don't want to force him, that's fine too. Why don't you help him eat meat and lick blood? Someone has to do this."