A Record of Pleasure

Chapter 31

Du Suizhi wore a roguish grin. "What will be the consequences?"

"Die." The answer was crisp and decisive.

Tan Huan kept his eyes down, not daring to look around. Judging from his breathing alone, there were at least five experts lurking around, so it seemed that Yuan Gu was indeed hidden here.

"Is this a forbidden area?" Du Suizhi asked, still unwilling to give up.

"Please leave."

"What if I don't leave?" Du Suizhi's eyes narrowed slightly, a smile playing on his lips. Unfortunately, his answer was a gleaming longsword, aimed straight for his throat without warning. Luo Yi reacted faster than Tan Huan, kicking up a tree branch to block the sword's attack. The branch snapped in two in an instant, enough time for Luo Yi to react. His palm strikes were swift and powerful; his leg movements were inconvenient, but his hand attacks were no less formidable. Luo Yi's intention wasn't to kill; the force of his palm strike sent his opponent flying several meters. This palm technique, personally taught by Baili Liushang, was more than enough to intimidate.

Tan Huan sighed, her eyes clearly conveying "So troublesome, so troublesome." She rolled her eyes at Du Suizhi, secretly gripping the hilt of the sword hidden on her body with her right hand, intending to launch a sneak attack when he wasn't paying attention.

"Zhengyang Palace..." The people from Youming Valley were no third-rate characters; they immediately recognized Luo Yi's origins, and the atmosphere instantly became even more wary. "Who is Baili Liushang to you?"

"If you said he was my father, would you let us go?" Tan Huan raised an eyebrow, utterly bored, her beautiful face displaying a completely incongruous expression. "Du Suizhi is, after all, a guest of your Netherworld Valley. Is this how you treat your guests?"

“I’ve already warned you,” the man continued. “I’m giving you one last chance. If you leave now, I can pretend I never saw you.”

Tan Huan and Luo Yi exchanged a glance, their pupils, hidden beneath their disguises, flickering slightly. They instantly understood each other's meaning, nodded in unison, took a step back, and said to Du Suizhi, "Let's go." Du Suizhi nodded in agreement. Just as the three were about to leave, a voice came from behind, "Wait a minute." Another assassin from Youming Valley appeared before them, staring intently at Luo Yi, his voice filled with venom, "Aren't you the one from last night?"

Luo Yi went to scout the enemy's situation alone last night. Although he was injured, the casualties in Youming Valley were clearly much heavier, with several experts killed. If Valley Master Bali hadn't been there last night, Luo Yi might have already found Yuan Gu. To the people of Youming Valley, the person last night used the martial arts of Zhengyang Palace, and the fact that someone from Zhengyang Palace happened to be there today naturally made them suspicious of Luo Yi. With the martial arts alliance leader Pei Gu Mo and members of the Tang Clan present in the valley, they couldn't reveal what happened last night, otherwise they would be giving Pei Gu Mo an excellent excuse to search.

Luo Yi opened her mouth, wanting to deny it, but immediately realized that no one would believe her even if she did, so she fell silent.

Du sighed and wondered if he should sever ties with him.

“Senior brother, Master never hides himself because he disdains to. With Master’s strength, there is no need for him to hide. But what about you?” Tan Huan helplessly covered his forehead. This was a bad start. How were they going to continue searching for people in the Netherworld Valley? “Why did you have to learn this instead of the good ones?” She didn’t even dare to take out the Lonely Dust Sword casually in order not to expose her whereabouts, but he was so carefree, showing off the martial arts of the Zhengyang Palace. It was as if he had the words “I am Baili Liushang’s disciple” carved on his forehead.

"It wasn't intentional." Luo Yi's tone didn't sound apologetic, but her gaze towards Tan Huan carried a hint of guilt. "The opponent was very strong; it wasn't someone I could defeat by hiding my strength."

Tan Huan scratched her head, looking troubled. "Now that our identities have been exposed, is our only option to break in and find Yuan Gu?" The moment her voice trailed off, she glanced ahead out of the corner of her eye, her expression as calm as the autumn moon. "Or, should we kill him to silence him?"

Du was completely bewildered. He had only said he was coming to scout things out, so how did it turn out like this? "Um... have you all forgotten about me?"

To demonstrate Zhengyang Palace's cooperative attitude, Luo Yi turned to Du Suizhi and said, "Of course not. Do you have anything to say?"

Du Suizhi smiled, but his voice was tense as he gritted his teeth and said, "I don't know martial arts."

"So?" Tan Huan turned around, her face innocent and naive.

"What will I do if you start fighting here?"

Tan Huan nodded to indicate that she understood, and asked seriously, "What do you want us to do?" Her voice carried a hint of schadenfreude, "It's not that my senior brother and I want to fight, but that the people of Youming Valley are unwilling to let us go."

"Keep pretending, keep pretending. Actually, you really want to see me get caught in the crossfire, don't you?" Du Suizhi stared at Tan Huan, "We can..." He was only halfway through his sentence when the assassins from Youming Valley began attacking Luo Yi, their every move ruthless. In a two-on-one situation, Luo Yi was finding it difficult to cope and struggled to move.

Tan Huan looked at Du Suizhi, then suddenly smiled, revealing half a small tiger tooth. "Mr. Du, you must take good care of yourself. I'll go help my senior brother out of this predicament first." As soon as he finished speaking, he flashed to Luo Yi's side like an arrow. Now that his identity had been exposed, Tan Huan no longer concealed the Lonely Dust Sword. A flash of silver light appeared in his hand, causing his opponent to take two steps back. Soon, three more assassins from the Netherworld Valley jumped out and surrounded them, using encirclement tactics to force Tan Huan and Luo Yi to be unable to use their full strength.

Du Suizhi watched with his heart pounding, his mind in turmoil. Should he turn and run away, or stay here? If he ran away, and encountered attacks from others on the way, no one would be there to save him. It seemed safer to stay where Tan Huan and Luo Yi could see him. If he didn't stay, even if he managed to leave safely, the consequences would be far more severe if Baili Liushang found out that Tan Huan and Luo Yi had been left in Youming Valley.

Du Suizhi was hesitating when suddenly, a figure from the Netherworld Valley leaped behind him, a long sword flashing as it was pressed against his neck. The figure coldly said, "Stop! Or I'll kill this man!" Du Suizhi sighed heavily. He wanted Tan Huan and Luo Yi to stop? Would they stop for his sake? This assassin, are you joking?

Sure enough, Tan Huan smiled, still gripping the Lonely Dust Sword tightly in his hand. "You want to kill him?"

The assassin from the Netherworld Valley said coldly, "I'll let this man go as long as you surrender."

Du Suizhi wore a long face. He knew that staying here any longer would lead to trouble. He had hesitated for a moment, and now he was in big trouble. "Let me make it clear first, I have no connection with Zhengyang Palace or Baili Liushang."

"Shut up." The assassin from the Netherworld Valley drew a bloody gash on his neck. Du Suizhi obediently shut up. A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle; he hadn't enjoyed life enough and didn't want to meet the King of Hell so soon.

“We cannot risk our safety and lives for Du Suizhi’s life. You should have realized that Du Suizhi is not our master,” Luo Yi said calmly. “Besides, Du Suizhi is a guest of your Netherworld Valley. How will you explain killing him to the Valley Master?”

The man holding the sword to Du Suizhi's side was expressionless. "You think I won't do it?" Asking an assassin if he would kill someone is undoubtedly a stupid question.

Tan Huan laughed heartily and nodded vigorously. "He is a guest of the Netherworld Valley, so of course you won't kill him." Kill him if you want, she had disliked Du Suizhi for a long time, but she couldn't punish him for no reason. Now that someone else has done it for her, she is more than grateful.

Du squinted and glared at Tan Huan, "Wu, Tan, Huan. Shut up!"

Luo Yi sighed and patted Tan Huan's shoulder. "Don't say anything for now. Master said that bringing Yuan Gu back is the top priority. Let's continue inward." The implication was that they should ignore Du Suizhi in front of them.

Tan Huan agreed, glanced at Du Suizhi, picked up the Lonely Dust Sword, and continued to press forward. Just as Du Suizhi thought he was about to die, the assassin behind him suddenly screamed and collapsed to the ground. The fight immediately stopped, and Tan Huan saw a small green snake slowly crawl out of the assassin's clothes, wriggling sluggishly.

The green snake looked very familiar. Tan Huan's expression changed slightly. Sure enough, she heard footsteps not far away. She reacted quickly and hid the Lone Dust Sword in her clothes. Soon, the three members of the Tang Clan appeared in front of them. Tang Weiyu laughed in a strange voice, "Little Green, what are you doing here being naughty? Come back quickly." After he put away the green snake, his gaze swept back and forth between Tan Huan and Luo Yi, who were in disguise, and finally settled on Du Suizhi's face. He smiled politely, "Boss Du, it's been a long time. I wonder what kind of show you're putting on now?"

Du dusted himself off, his resilience as strong as some kind of ground-dwelling insect, and immediately put on his dashing demeanor again, "It's just a misunderstanding, no need for Young Master Tang to worry."

Tang Weiyu said mysteriously, "Boss Du's servant is quite skilled. He was able to fight the people from Youming Valley to such an extent. I wonder where you found such a master? I would like to get a few of him myself."

Du Sui glanced at Tan Huan with a half-smile, then said to Tang Weiyu, "Does Young Master Tang like them? If you're interested, feel free to take them." Anyway, these two would abandon him in a crisis, so he didn't care. He'd leave them to the Tang Clan and let them worry about it.

Tang Weiyu was surprised, but seeing that Du Suizhi didn't seem to be joking, she said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Tan Huan remained calm as she watched Tang Weiyu approach her step by step with a smile. Her right hand unconsciously reached for the Lonely Dust Sword hidden in her clothes. The person she most wanted to kill in this life was right before her eyes. Should she act? What would be the consequences? Just as her emotions overcame reason, and she was about to take Tang Weiyu's life to atone for the Wu family's misfortune, Luo Yi seemed to see through her thoughts and stepped forward to block her path. "Tang Weiyu, don't come any closer."

Tang Weiyu actually stopped in her tracks, her severed finger starting to itch, and laughed, "Why? Your boss is going to give you all to me."

“Du Suizhi doesn’t have our indentures, so he has no right to give us away at will.” Luo Yi said with a stern face. “Moreover, the most important issue to resolve right now is the conflict between the Tang Clan and the Netherworld Valley.” As he said this, he pointed with his chin to the person on the ground who had just been killed by Tang Weiyu.

Tan Huan lowered his head, his fingers clenched into fists. Tang Weiyu, I'll let you live a little longer for now.

“…That’s true.” Tang Weiyu nodded in distress. “But since he’s already killed her, there’s nothing I can do.” His eyes then fixed intently on Tan Huan. “What’s your name?”

Fortunately, he was wearing a human skin on his face, which allowed him to conceal his expression. "I am just an unknown nobody, not worth mentioning to outsiders."

Tang Weiyu chuckled softly. He reached out to touch her, but Tan Huan dodged him. "You remind me of an old friend."

Tan Huan remained silent, his face expressionless. Just as Tang Weiyu was about to take a step forward and do or say something, a majestic voice came from above, "What are you doing?" The speaker should have been quite far away, but by the time he finished speaking, he had already appeared in everyone's sight. At present, only Pei Gu Mo possessed such skill.

Chapter Seventeen: The Dangerous Valley of the Underworld

The situation was chaotic, with people from the Netherworld Valley, the Tang Clan, and even Du Suizhi present. Moreover, this place seemed to be a forbidden area of the Netherworld Valley. Sigh, how could so many things have happened in such a short time? Pei Gumo scanned the area, finally fixing his gaze on the corpse on the ground. "Who did this?"

No one answered; all was quiet.

Pei Gumo's face darkened, and he repeated, "Who did this?"

Tang Weiyu said casually, "They were bitten by a snake by accident, and it's hard to say who did it." He glanced at Tan Huan out of the corner of his eye. "However, I happened to see these two fighting with people from Youming Valley when I arrived."

Luo Yi remained silent, her expression calm. Tan Huan's gaze, however, turned uncontrollably cold. Very well, she'd pulled this tactic again. Back then, this bastard falsely accused her of wiping out the Wu family; how dare she say such things now? Although she had stayed at Zhengyang Palace for quite some time, she couldn't help herself. Tan Huan spoke loudly, "Young Master Tang, that snake is yours, isn't it?"

Tang Weiyu, with an honest and kind face, smiled and said, "Which snake are you talking about? Many people in the Tang Clan keep snakes."

Pei Gumo could easily see through the clues, and said in a deep voice, "Was it the Tang Clan who made the move?"

The remaining assassins from Youming Valley said, "Alliance Leader Pei, although you are willing to mediate, it is clear that the Tang Clan is not appreciative this time. We still need to report this matter to the Valley Master, and it is unknown how the Valley Master will decide."

Pei Gumo sighed, "I will speak with Master Ba about this matter personally, and I will certainly handle it impartially."

The assassin from the Netherworld Valley nodded, paused, and then said, "There's one more thing I need to tell Alliance Leader Pei." He looked at Tan Huan, his gaze moving from top to bottom and settling on her waist. "This person carries the Lonely Dust Sword."

Tan Huan froze, all emotion gradually fading from her face to a blank expression. She slightly raised her hand, as if to touch the long sword at her waist, but ultimately withdrew it and stood motionless, letting every gaze around her scrutinize her. She remained completely still, standing alone, her hair quietly tucked behind her ears.

Du sighed, slapped his face with his right hand, and covered his face without saying a word. It was a terrible sight, a truly horrible scene. How was the rest of the performance supposed to proceed?

Pei Gumo stared intently at Tan Huan for a moment, then turned to Du Suizhi and asked, "Young Master Du, is this person one of your subordinates?"

Oh no, they've finally gotten to him. Du Suizhi, ever shameless, grinned and said, "I really like the Lonely Dust Sword, so I had someone make a replica. Maybe that person just made a mistake?" Looking at Pei Gu Mo's ambiguous smile, Du Suizhi knew he clearly didn't believe him, and added, "Everyone knows the Lonely Dust Sword is in Baili Liushang's hands. How could that demon give such an important sword to someone else so easily? He would naturally treasure it carefully in Zhengyang Palace."

"Fool, when you lie, you should say less to make it sound true. Loose lips sink ships; the more you say, the more mistakes you make, the less you say, the fewer mistakes you make. Don't you even understand that?" Tan Huan gazed at the endless sky, secretly circulating his inner energy. It seemed his master's teachings weren't entirely wrong; sometimes, silencing witnesses was indeed necessary. What next? Fight their way out? With Pei Gu Mo around, it would be difficult to succeed.

Tan Huan glanced furtively at Luo Yi, only to see him standing there with unusual composure. Seeing his seemingly ordinary demeanor, Tan Huan unconsciously calmed down as well, her breathing becoming much more even.

Pei Gu Mo smiled politely, "Then, may I take a look at that replica of the Lonely Dust Sword?"

Du Suizhi looked utterly defeated, utterly humiliated. It was the first time he'd lied so poorly. "Shouldn't we just leave this embarrassing stuff alone?" he still tried to convince himself.

As expected, Pei Gumo shook his head, "I don't mind, please be sure to show it to me."

It was impossible not to take out the Lonely Dust Sword. Tan Huan decisively drew the longsword; the air trembled as the sword was unsheathed. She gripped the hilt tightly, showing no intention of showing it to Pei Gu Mo. "Alliance Leader Pei, this is my thing. Whether I show it to you or not is my decision, not yours."

Pei Gu Mo's gaze was complex. His pupils were very similar to Pei Jin's, except that Pei Jin's were more radiant, while his were more profound. "Is there a reason you can't show me?"

All eyes were fixed on Tan Huan's face, their sharpness almost piercing through. The more tense he was, the calmer he remained. Tan Huan felt much more relaxed in this situation compared to standing before Baili Liushang and being scrutinized. "So, does Alliance Leader Pei have a reason to insist on seeing this?" he simply redirected the question.

This tone of voice gave Pei Gumo a familiar feeling. Thinking of the little girl from the Wu family, a hint of pity appeared in Pei Gumo's eyes. "The Lonely Dust Sword is the Pei family's treasured sword. If the one you have is genuine, then I must take it back."

Tan Huan chuckled lightly, "Something from the Pei family?"

Back then, that boy, brighter than the sun, personally presented her with this sword. He smiled at her, he was gentle with her… It felt like a distant memory, like a past life. Tan Huan smiled slightly, “This is mine.”

The meaning was quite clear at this point. Pei Gu Mo was speechless, while Tang Wei Yu's eyes suddenly lit up. Luo Yi walked towards her helplessly, leaning slightly forward, "Tan Huan, say less. There's nothing to argue about. Don't forget why we're here. Everything must prioritize Master's orders."

Tan Huan looked at him and nodded.

“Master wants two things: the Lone Dust Sword and Yuan Gu. We need to find Yuan Gu, but we can’t leave the Lone Dust Sword here.” After Luo Yi finished speaking, he handed over his own sword. “You can use my sword, but you give me the Lone Dust Sword.”

Tan Huan stiffened slightly, gazing intently into Luo Yi's eyes. She understood his meaning, but a sliver of hope still lingered in her heart.

Luo Yi gently removed her human skin mask, revealing her pale and beautiful face. "There's no need for disguise anymore. You hold them off here for a while. I need to get the Lonely Dust Sword to a safe place. Tan Huan, hold these people off. You revealed the Lonely Dust Sword; you made a mistake. So you must do everything you can to make amends, right?"

Tan Huan's eyes were beautiful; when those eyes stared intently without blinking, they were incredibly captivating. She neither argued nor refused, but she also remained silent.

"Remember this, the Lonely Dust Sword is not yours, it belongs to your master." Luo Yi said each word clearly.

She intervened to help him then… Tan Huan lowered her eyes, concealing her sadness. “I know, Senior Brother.” To hold off these people? To hold off Pei Gu Mo? “You go first. I remember, everything is based on Master’s orders.”

With her exquisitely beautiful face, this was the same girl who had once declared to all the martial arts practitioners, "I killed the Wu family, and Pei Jin knew nothing about it." Now, this girl wore the same resolute expression, her demeanor cold and slightly mocking, as she fearlessly looked at the crowd before her.

Tang Weiyu's eyes lit up, and she said in a low voice, "Wu Tanhuan..." It really was her; she hadn't been mistaken last night.

Pei Gumo watched intently, then said with sympathy, "Wu Tanhuan, are you really planning to aid and abet evil? You can't stop it." He paused for a long time before finally saying helplessly, "I won't show any mercy. You will die."

Tan Huan took the longsword from Luo Yi's hand; the blade was three feet long. Her gaze softened as she reached out to touch it, her fingers tracing the blade inch by inch. Strange patterns, twisting and turning, marked the edge. She raised the sword high and exclaimed, "This is the bamboo-patterned sword you won back from your master? Is it alright to give it to me?"

"I'm just borrowing you for a bit." Luo Yi didn't miss the disappointment on her face just now, and said solemnly, "Tan Huan, if you die, I will kill everyone here to offer a blood sacrifice for you."

Tan Huan chuckled. These words sounded just like what his master had taught him. "Seeing these faces while we're alive is already annoying enough. Isn't it torture to see them after we're dead?" Luo Yi was a good person. He had taken good care of Luo Yi in Zhengyang Palace and had even saved Luo Yi's life once. It was a matter of repaying a life with a life. "Senior brother, you should leave quickly. Get far away. It's better for one person to die than for two."

Luo Yi was stunned by her words and stared blankly at Tan Huan.

"When you get back, please tell Master for me," Tan Huan hadn't laughed so happily in a long time. At this moment, the only thing on his mind was that infamous demon, "Actually, I don't hate him that much."

Luo Yi murmured, "You can tell him that yourself when you get back alive." He paused, then reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, his fingers gripping her tightly. "Tan Huan, hold on until I get back. Don't die."

Tan Huan pondered for a moment and said, "I will do my best."

Luo Yi leaped into the air, not fleeing outwards, but instead rushing in the opposite direction into the western depths of the Netherworld Valley, where Yuan Gu was hiding. Pei Gu Mo was relieved to see that he didn't leave the Netherworld Valley and wasn't in a hurry to give chase. The west side was clearly a forbidden area of the Netherworld Valley, and as the leader of the martial arts alliance, he couldn't rashly barge in. It was better to discuss the matter with Ba Li first and then elaborate further. As long as the Lonely Dust Sword didn't leave the Netherworld Valley, everything was under control.

Pei Gumo's gaze returned to Tan Huan. She had taken the initiative to sever ties with Jin'er, saving Jin'er's future. He wasn't ungrateful; he simply didn't know how to repay her. Thinking of this, Pei Gumo said, "Wu Tan Huan, I can give you one more chance..."

"Further words are useless." Tan Huan casually swung the bamboo-patterned sword a few times; it was quite good, rather smooth to handle. "I don't need a chance, Alliance Leader Pei, just make your move." He paused, "Of course, I'd be even happier if you didn't make a move." After a long silence with no movement from the other party, Tan Huan looked up. In such bright weather, if he were to die here, he would naturally take a few people with him, and the first one to be targeted would be Tang Weiyu.

Pei Gumo had intended to give Tan Huan more time, but he hadn't expected the girl to ignore his goodwill and launch a direct attack. The bamboo-patterned sword danced in Tan Huan's hands, slicing through the tense air. With a "whoosh," the green snake on Tang Weiyu's body took the fatal blow, being cut in two by the bamboo-patterned sword, its blood splattering everywhere. Even so, a large gash appeared on Tang Weiyu's chest. As he fell, he glared fiercely at Tan Huan, "You!"