El joven amo desvergonzado

Capítulo 43

"They even dare to talk back!" Baili Liushang smiled. "Huan'er, why did you lure Tang Weiyu out?"

"The Tang Clan's defenses are tight. That place is easy to defend but not easy to attack, and there is only one entrance. Master, if we want to sneak in without alerting others, we can only rely on Tang Weiyu."

Baili Liushang raised an eyebrow. "You think Tang Weiyu will obediently lead us in?"

Tan Huan laughed and said, "Tang Weiyu is very afraid of death, he will."

Baili Liushang nodded in agreement, surprised that his apprentice was quite capable. He glared at Shu Yunyao fiercely, "Woman, if you don't want me to take action, immediately arrange for Tang Weiyu to come out."

Shu Yunyao was a little scared, but her smile remained unchanged. "If I ask him to come out, he will fall into your hands, and I will die because I can't get the antidote. I will die anyway if I don't ask him to come out. Either way, I will die, so it makes no difference to me."

Baili Liushang chuckled wickedly, "Woman, you must never have experienced the agony of being unable to live or die to say such a thing."

Shu Yunyao was even more frightened. She secretly glanced at Pei Jin and said calmly, "This is the Pei family. You wouldn't dare."

She was truly fearless. If they continued talking, Tan Huan was worried that her master would explode, so she quickly stood in front of Shu Yunyao, partly to prevent her master from taking action, and partly to stop them from talking.

"Shu Yunyao, do you know the secret of the Lonely Dust Sword?" Before anyone else could speak, Tan Huan continued, "That secret is my senior brother, Luo Yi's blood, which can cure all poisons. Tang Weiyu hasn't given you the antidote for so long, so he probably won't. Do you think he'll still give you the antidote when you're no longer of use to him?"

Shu Yunyao's heart stirred, and she stared intently at Tan Huan, a glimmer of hope rising deep within her.

"If you want to live, be smart and help us lure Tang Weiyu out so we can rescue Luo Yi."

Shu Yunyao hesitated and said, "Even if you rescue Luo Yi, you may not be able to cure me of the poison."

"Even if you don't trust my character, you should trust Pei Jin's character. He will go with us."

Pei Jin was Shu Yunyao's last straw, and she was completely persuaded this time. "Okay, I'll help you."

Chapter Twenty-Three: Infiltrating the Tang Clan

This is a web, and the spider waits in the corner, quietly waiting for its prey to fall into the net.

In truth, Tan Huan wasn't exactly a master net weaver. However, the quality of her net-weaving didn't matter; Tan Huan was a martial arts expert. As soon as her prey got close, she could take them down with force. That's how Tang Weiyu was captured. When he saw Tan Huan, Baili Liushang, and Pei Jin all there, he knew he couldn't escape.

There's no need to tie her up tightly; Tang Weiyu's abilities are no match for the pressure points that Tan Huan has sealed. He smiled bitterly, "Shu Yunyao has betrayed me after all. I thought she would be very afraid of death..." He closed his eyes, "I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

"She has never been loyal to you, so how can you talk about betrayal?" Tan Huan's eyes revealed a cold smile as she grabbed his chin. "Tang Weiyu, you have finally fallen into my hands." She may not clear her name after the massacre of the Wu family, but she must take revenge, to avenge the Wu family, and also to avenge herself.

Tang Weiyu pondered for a moment and said, "Luo Yi is in the Tang Clan, don't you want to save him?"

Tan Huan sneered, "You're not trying to say that if I release you, the Tang Clan will release Luo Yi?"

Tang Weiyu stopped talking and looked at her with a smile.

"Don't look at me, I'm afraid I won't be able to resist gouging out your eyes," Tan Huan said nonchalantly. "You should know that just holding back from killing you has already exhausted all my patience."

This was the first time Baili Liushang had seen this side of Tan Huan. Hearing her say this, he couldn't help but chuckle and patted her shoulder, saying, "Thank you for your hard work."

Tan Huan said, "Tang Weiyu, I will let you return to Tang Sect. Once you return to Tang Sect, you will have many opportunities to escape. Whether you can escape or not will depend on your own fate." He paused, "In exchange, you must bring the three of us into Tang Sect."

Tang Weiyu thought for a moment and replied, "Okay." He still wanted to stay alive to become the next leader of the Tang Clan. If he couldn't even save his own life, he didn't care what would happen to the Tang Clan.

Baili Liushang was very pleased that things were progressing so smoothly, and he was also quite proud of his disciple, Tan Huan. The only thing that bothered him was Pei Jin. What was this kid doing, shamelessly following along? Rescuing Luo Yi was a matter for Zhengyang Palace, and had nothing to do with the Pei family. Tan Huan and he had long since severed ties; what was he doing now?

Therefore, the entire journey along the Hundred-Mile Flowing Wine Cup exuded an unpleasant aura, as if keeping strangers at bay. Tan Huan initially intended to ignore it, thinking that her master's sullen mood would pass in a few days, but many days passed without improvement. Pei Jin could turn a blind eye, and Tang Weiyu could watch coldly as if it were a joke, but to Tan Huan, her master was her master. Moreover, given her master's habits, if she didn't serve him well when he was angry, she would only suffer more in the end.

They chose to travel along secluded roads throughout their journey; towns were too conspicuous, and the wilderness was a better option. The mountains and rivers were beautiful, the sky was blue with white clouds, and the air was so fresh it felt like it had been washed clean.

In the wilderness, they could only eat some tasteless dry rations. Once the rations were gone, they would have to hunt for food themselves. Each person was responsible for their own food. Pei Jin was responsible for his own portion, while Baili Liushang had Tan Huan serving him and didn't have to lift a finger. As for Tang Weiyu, she could only eat the leftovers.

That day, after roasting a rabbit, Tan Huan carefully handed it to Baili Liushang, saying, "Master, please eat." The tense atmosphere of the past few days had left her extremely nervous; she needed to at least know why her master was angry. Seeing Baili Liushang expressionlessly gnawing on the rabbit meat, Tan Huan cautiously probed, "Master, are you in a bad mood?"

"Hmm?" Baili Liunao raised his eyes and looked at her with a half-smile.

Tan Huan, who had finally managed to sneak out, was starting to lose her courage again. She gritted her teeth and said, "Master, is there anything I can do for you?"

Baili Liushang said listlessly, "I'll feel better once I get rid of that kid surnamed Pei."

Tan Huan choked, "Pei Jin..."

Baili Liushang glanced sideways. "What?"

Tan Huan said, "Master, you agreed to this cooperation, so don't be so petty." In the past, Tan Huan would not have dared to speak like this even if she had a hundred times the courage. She didn't know if it was because Baili Liushang's martial arts were injured, or because she had the illusion that her relationship with Baili Liushang had become closer during this period... In any case, Tan Huan just said it directly.

Upon hearing her words, Baili Liushang slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Huan'er, do you know what you're saying?"

Tan Huan remained silent for a while, then lowered her eyes slightly, not daring to look at him, and muttered softly, "I'm telling the truth."

"Narrow-minded?" Baili Liushang looked at her with a smile. "I've already been very magnanimous by not killing that kid."

Tan Huan shuddered, and after thinking about it carefully, she actually felt that his words made a lot of sense. Her mind was in a mess. Her master had ordered Pei Jin to be killed back then, and it was indeed very magnanimous of him to refrain from doing so now... No, that's not how you think... Tan Huan was in a real bind. She hadn't even eaten the roasted rabbit and was sitting alone on the side, frowning in deep thought.

Pei Jin had been trying to avoid speaking to Tan Huan as much as possible these past few days, but seeing her like this now, he couldn't bear it. He held a rabbit leg in his hand, fragrant and glistening with oil, and bent down to hand it to Tan Huan, saying, "You only remember to roast rabbit for your master, have you forgotten your own share?"

Tan Huan looked up at the sound, and realizing she was indeed hungry, she automatically accepted the food, saying softly, "Thank you." Pei Jin asked gently, "Did you just have a fight with your master? Was it because of me?"

Tan Huan glanced at him again, and after a long pause, she managed to choke out, "Pei Jin, why did you come?"

"Hehe, I've finally waited for you to ask that question." Pei Jin stared at her and laughed, "Tan Huan, are you sure you want me to answer you? I don't think you want to hear my answer."

For some reason, Tan Huan's face flushed, and she turned her head away, saying, "Then there's no need to say anything." As she turned her head away, she inadvertently caught Baili Liushang's gaze, and Tan Huan shivered. She immediately stood up and moved far away from Pei Jin, then slowly walked to Baili Liushang's side and sat down without a word, creating a very strange atmosphere.

Pei Jin ate the rabbit meat slowly and gracefully, occasionally glancing at Tan Huan and Baili Liushang.

In the days that followed, Baili Liushang, still suffering from internal injuries, would frequently travel alone to heal himself. Tan Huan was well aware of this, but with Pei Jin and Tang Weiyu by her side, she couldn't offer help or reveal any flaws in her words or actions. Fortunately, Baili Liushang's image was always that of a loner, someone no one dared to interfere with, so Pei Jin and Tang Weiyu didn't find anything amiss.

In the middle of the night, Baili Liushang was in excruciating pain from the surge of internal energy within him, his limbs and bones feeling as if ants were gnawing at them. He barely managed to keep moving, enduring the pain without making a sound. The moonlight was cold and the silvery glow silent. Baili Liushang walked out quietly alone, and as soon as he left Tanhuan, he opened his eyes and stared intently at his master's retreating figure.

Tang Weiyu also woke up and tentatively asked, "Is Baili Liushang sick?"

Tan Huan didn't answer him. After a long while, he said indifferently, "Don't ask me. If you want to know, go ask my master yourself."

Tang Weiyu seemed to smile. "Who in the world would dare to speak to your master like that?"

Yes, the best master in the world, the invincible master, if one day he loses the unparalleled martial arts he relies on, how will he face himself? Tan Huan completely ignored Tang Weiyu, her gaze still fixed on the direction where Baili Liushang had left, she didn't know what she could do.

Tang Weiyu put her hands behind her head and muttered to herself, "I overheard your conversation that day. It wasn't that I wanted to eavesdrop, but you two didn't seem to care at all when you were talking, and I just happened to be sitting next to you, so I heard it."

Tan Huan finally turned around and said coldly, "What do you want to say?"

Tang Weiyu looked at her intently and then asked a startling question, "Wu Tanhuan, does Baili Liushang like you?"

Tan Huan seemed to be startled and stood there stunned.

“Baili Liushang is really good to you. Given his personality, if he didn’t like Pei Jin, he would definitely take action without considering any consequences.” Tang Weiyu chuckled. “And his reactions when you and Pei Jin are close are really interesting.”

The man, still indulging in pleasure, remained motionless.

"Sigh, if I were Baili Liushang, knowing your relationship with Pei Jin, I would definitely use you to strike at Pei Jin and destroy them both in one fell swoop." Tang Weiyu closed her eyes. "Just like I used Shu Yunyao, Yunyao, Shu Yunyao, she... But Baili Liushang is not..."

"You shouldn't compare yourself to your master." Tan Huan's voice was sharp and ruthless. "Compared to your master, you're nothing but scum."

Tang Weiyu chuckled, "Really... Don't tell me you think Baili Liushang is a great person?"

Tan Huan remained silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "Compared to you, Master is certainly a good person."

Tang Weiyu laughed as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world, "Haha, is this what they call 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'?"

The Lonely Dust Sword was instantly pressed against Tang Weiyu's neck, its cold light flashing. "Tang Weiyu, shut up."

Their conversation ended there. Although Tan Huan kept telling herself to ignore Tang Weiyu's words, they wouldn't leave her mind. She couldn't sleep all night, tossing and turning. Moonlight shone on her delicate and beautiful profile, casting a soft glow. Tan Huan finally saw Baili Liushang return at the crack of dawn. Her eyes were dark-circled; Tang Weiyu's words had tormented her all night. Her master liked her? Could such a terrifying thing be true?

"Master..."

"Hmm?" Baili Liushang hummed a syllable through his nose, saying wearily, "I want to sleep for a while first. We can talk when I wake up."

Tan Huan nodded hesitantly, "Okay."

Time moved so slowly it was almost agonizing, watching the sun rise little by little, casting a golden veil over the earth, an unbelievably warm scene.

Tan Huan sat there hugging his knees, his eyes unblinking, his brows furrowed. He waited for a very long time until Baili Liushang woke up. Tan Huan then ran to him in a flash.

As soon as Baili Liushang opened his eyes, he saw Tan Huan's head close to his. He smoothed his hair back, and his narrow eyes were still filled with sleepiness. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but his throat was dry, so he kept quiet and asked with his eyes.

It's so quiet, so very quiet. Why is it so quiet?

"Master," Tan Huan's heart pounded in her throat, "Do you like me?"

The sentence stunned everyone present. Pei Jin was completely astonished, and Tang Weiyu's jaw nearly dropped. He had only casually mentioned his guess, but this girl had actually asked him so bluntly! Tan Huan stood there, barely managing to remain calm, awaiting the answer.

Baili Liushang felt a headache coming on and remained speechless for a while before finally saying slowly, "Are you crazy?"

Seeing his master's attitude, Tan Huan suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness, thank goodness."

"Hmm?" Baili Liushang narrowed his eyes, not understanding Tan Huan's attitude.

"Hehe, I was so scared because I thought Master liked me, that's why I couldn't help but ask Master." Tan Huan was completely innocent in front of him and said frankly, "Thank goodness, thank goodness it's not like that."

A dangerous glint flashed in Baili Liushang's eyes. "Is that so..." He smiled eerily, his black hair sliding down his collarbone. He sat up, his robes slightly open, and then his face suddenly darkened, as unpredictable as the July sky. "Wu Tanhuan, you dare to ask me anything now! Do you still respect me as your master?"

Seeing that he was truly angry, Tan Huan immediately knelt on one knee and said, "I dare not."

"Is there anything you wouldn't dare to do?" Baili Liushang pointed outwards, "Kneel down! Don't stand up without my order!"

Tan Huan looked up at him, unsure of her own gaze or his. Finally, she lowered her head and said, "Yes." She glanced around, chose a shady spot, knelt down, and remained motionless, her face showing remorse.

Tang Weiyu, being a prisoner, naturally dared not speak, but Pei Jin was not afraid. He gave Baili Liushang a deep look and said, "Isn't your reaction a bit excessive? It's like you're angry because your secret has been exposed."

Baili Liushang gave a forced smile, "Pei Jin, if I fall in love with Tan Huan, do you think you'll still have a chance?"

Pei Jin smiled but remained silent, strode towards Tan Huan, and then said lightly, "Baili Liushang, I can teach you how to express your feelings when you like someone."

It was midday, and although the sun wasn't as intense as in the height of summer, it was still very hot to be directly under someone's head. Tan Huan knelt in the shade of the tree, but as time passed, the shade grew smaller and smaller. Fortunately, Pei Jin was sitting on a branch directly above Tan Huan's head, and the sunlight cast his shadow perfectly over Tan Huan's head.

Tan Huan was grateful for Pei Jin's gentle actions. She obediently knelt on the ground, thought for a moment, and sighed, "Pei Jin, thank you. But, this will only make Master angrier." Originally, she only needed to kneel for an hour or two, but with Pei Jin's interference, she might have to kneel until dawn.

Pei Jin glanced at her, then looked into the distance. He could almost see the little Tan Huan from long ago, the Tan Huan from their first meeting. "You haven't changed at all in this respect." He paused, then laughed. "Back then, you were very direct in saying you wanted to marry me, hehe."

The sunlight was too bright, so Tan Huan closed her eyes and said, "Pei Jin, to be honest, I still like you."

Pei Jin listened to her words and stared intently at her. Right now, she shouldn't have any reason to deceive him, right?

“In all my years, I can count the number of people who have been good to me on my fingers, and among them, you are the best to me.” Tan Huan smiled. “Actually, Master has been very good to me too, but it’s different from how you have been to me. Pei Jin, I remember all the good things you’ve done for me. You are so wonderful, so wonderful. I’m proud of my past judgment.”

"And me now?"

"You are wonderful now. I've done many things that you can't tolerate, but you're still so good to me." Tan Huan looked at him calmly. "Pei Jin, do you still love me?"

Pei Jin smiled and said, "Yes."

"You like me, and I like you too. Sigh, if only things could be this simple." Tan Huan sighed, but a smile remained on her face. "Wouldn't it be better if we just remained ordinary friends who like each other?"

"Would your master allow it?"