Весенний дождь подобен вину, ивы — дыму

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Du nodded in agreement and praised, "What a clever child."

"If I give it to you, will you let me go?" Tan Huan asked again.

Du then laughed and said, "I might consider letting you go, so for the sake of your life, it would be better if you gave me this sword."

“That makes sense. Being alive is the most important thing.” Tan Huan laughed along. “However, I don’t believe you.”

Du responded with a half-smile and a "Oh?"

“If you don’t kill me, I’ll try my best to take the sword back. You have no martial arts skills, so you definitely won’t be able to defend yourself against me. Besides, Pei Jin is also there, so you’ll have nowhere to escape.” Tan Huan blinked her eyes. “So, you not only want to kill me, but you also want to kill Pei Jin, right?”

"Tsk tsk, you make me sound so ruthless!" Du Suizhi shook his head and laughed. "I really wanted to let you go." All he wanted was the Lonely Dust Sword. He had been planning for so long, including hurting Liao Liang, and his only thought was to get close to Pei Jin to obtain the sword. In the end, well, this play has gained a little beauty as a character.

Tan Huan remained noncommittal, then, like a curious child, asked, "What if I refuse to give it to you even to the death, and jump off a cliff with this sword in my arms? In that case, won't you still end up with nothing?"

Du Sui was taken aback, then put on a bitter face, "I think you should be a good kid who cherishes life."

Tan Huan laughed. Like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, she had never heard of the "Thousand Mountains Dense Rain Needle" before, so relying on the speed of her sword, she swept across with both sword and sheath.

Its momentum was overwhelming.

Du's expression changed, and he pressed down the Thousand Mountains Dense Rain Needle with force.

Pei Jin's expression also changed drastically.

With a deafening roar, the sky was filled with silver light.

Pei Jin grabbed Tan Huan's hand and jumped off the cliff, though he still took several hits. As they fell, Pei Jin reacted quickly, grabbing a branch of the Welcoming Pine tree, one hand on the branch, the other on Tan Huan. The two barely avoided this most dangerous hidden weapon in the world, hanging precariously in the air thousands of feet above the ground.

The wind howled at the top of the cliff, clothes fluttered, and a chilly wind brushed against our faces.

The poison from the Thousand Mountains Dense Rain Needle spread rapidly, and Pei Jin's face gradually turned a strange bluish-green. His strength gradually dissipated, and his hands were about to give way.

Du Sui looked down and sighed, "Why bother? I've said it before, all I want is the Lonely Dust Sword."

Pei Jin's eyes were cold and stern as he said in a brief voice, "The reason."

Du blinked, then smiled and put a finger to his lips. "Secret." He asked with two words, and he answered with two words.

Tan Huan looked somewhat dejected, but feeling the trembling in her hands, she looked up at Pei Jin, her dejection turning into worry. "Can you make it up?"

Pei Jin glanced at her indifferently, unable to bear lying to her, "I don't know." In fact, anyone could push him off the cliff with the slightest push now.

Du Suizhi smiled leisurely and said, "Young Master Pei, there's no need to force yourself to be strong. As long as you're alive, you can always make a comeback. There's nothing shameful about being a little weak."

Tan Huan's gaze was calm and unwavering, the Lonely Dust Sword still in her hand. "Du Suizhi, what do you want to do next?" If she wanted to, she was confident that she could drill a hole in Du Suizhi's chest without the Thousand Mountains Rain Needle in his hand. If she had to die, she could take him down with her.

"Well... let me think about it." Du Suizhi feigned distress, punching his palm. "How about this, you give me the Lonely Dust Sword, and I'll pull you all up?"

"You're lying," Tan Huan said bluntly.

Pei Jin smiled expressionlessly. "Du Suizhi, don't play these childish tricks. Even if we give you the Lonely Dust Sword, you won't leave us alive. Once we're put up there, your life will be in danger, won't it?" His internal organs ached, and Pei Jin had no strength left. "Given your temperament, Du Suizhi, would you put your own life in danger?"

Du Suizhi didn't deny it, nodding and smiling, "Young Master Pei has a good eye. How about this, you give me the Lonely Dust Sword, and I'll leave immediately. Whether I live or die depends on your fate..."

Tan Huan looked at him and said, "You're lying."

Du Sui's expression stiffened, but his thick skin returned with a smile. He reached into his robes and slowly pulled out a dark, spherical object—it looked very familiar; it was the Thousand Mountains Dense Rain Needle. "If you don't give me the Lonely Dust Sword, then I'll use it again. Can you dodge it this time?"

Tan Huan's face darkened. How did he have so much money? Where did he get so much money? Didn't he say it was ten thousand taels of silver per person?

Pei Jin's eyes almost lost focus; the blurry shadow before him allowed him to discern that it was yet another "Thousand Mountains Dense Rain Needles." He chuckled softly, a hint of sorrow in his voice. Heaven is going to destroy me! He never imagined that he, Pei Jin, would die not at the hands of Baili Liushang, but at the hands of a cunning merchant with absolutely no martial arts skills.

Du then smiled broadly, "So, to give it or not to give it? Have you made a decision?"

Tan Huan's eyes were fixed intently on Du Suizhi's face. To kill or not to kill? She could take advantage of his momentary lapse in attention and hurl the Lonely Dust Sword at his heart, killing him instantly. However, even if she dragged him down with her, they wouldn't be able to climb the cliff; for Pei Jin in his current state, it was impossible.

Tan Huan gripped the Lonely Dust Sword tighter and tighter in her hand. She sighed inwardly. Fine, she couldn't bear to part with it. This was the first gift she had ever received, a gift from the person she loved. She still wanted to live, to live with Pei Jin. She would take the gamble.

With a "whoosh," Tan Huan raised the Lonely Dust Sword and slashed through Pei Jin's clothes.

Du Sui was taken aback. "What do you want to do?"

Tan Huan ignored him completely, and smiled sweetly at Pei Jin, "Can you still see? Although I don't know if I can succeed, I have to try, right?" Seeing Pei Jin nod weakly, Tan Huan continued, "Learn from me and jump down." As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled open her outer garment, took it off with her hands, spread her arms out as a support, and her clothes spread out on her body like wings. She floated down the cliff like a kite.

Du was so surprised that his mouth dropped open, speechless.

Pei Jin smiled slightly and followed her example, jumping down.

Although the clothes provided some resistance, the two didn't fall as slowly as expected. In no time, Du Suizhi could no longer see them. He sighed and sat lazily on the ground, lamenting with heartache, "It's truly a double loss, a complete waste of ten thousand taels of silver."

The sky was clear, with blue skies and white clouds, and the wind was still blowing loudly on the cliff.

As Tan Huan fell, she tried to stay close to trees, breaking branches along the way before finally landing on the grass. Several bones in her body were broken, and she lost consciousness. In the instant before her eyes closed, she searched for Pei Jin's figure, but unfortunately, she saw nothing.

When Tan Huan opened her eyes again, she was awakened by the rain. She was soaking wet and shivering from the cold. Several of her bones were broken, but thankfully, her internal organs weren't severely damaged. Her eyes darted around, and she touched her abdomen. What should she do? She still held the Lonely Dust Sword in her hand, but unfortunately, she couldn't find Pei Jin.

Pei Jin was poisoned, and her injuries were probably more serious than hers. Tan Huan looked anxious, but unfortunately, she was unable to move easily. She slowly moved her body and hid in a small cave to take shelter from the rain for the time being.

That's great, you survived.

The cave was damp, and earthworms were crawling around. Tan Huan woke up and felt dizzy again, then woke up again. Every time she opened her eyes, she could see earthworms crawling around in front of her, sometimes even crawling onto her. She didn't know how much time had passed before she slowly got up from the ground, her hands struggling to support herself against the rock wall. She was starving, her stomach aching from hunger.

The sky was half-lit and half-dark, with a faint glow of sunset hanging over it. The rain had stopped.

Tan Huan clutched her abdomen, inching her way out. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead from the pain. Where could Pei Jin be? Was the poison in his body serious? She thought to herself as she searched for him. The area below the cliff was like a fairyland: lush green grass, clear springs, birdsong, insect chirps, and the air filled with the fragrance of flowers.

Pei Jin lay down in front of a large rock, his eyes half-closed. As if he heard a sound, he raised his eyes and saw Tan Huan. He actually smiled.

"Finally found him!" Tan Huan rushed over, looking at his pale face, and asked worriedly, "Pei Jin, are you alright?"

"...It's serious." Pei Jin said weakly. He had already used his internal energy to expel the poison, and had expelled most of it, but he still couldn't muster any strength. The Tang family's hidden weapons were indeed unparalleled; even his father was wary of them. He was really in a terrible state this time. Pei Jin looked up at Tan Huan's anxious expression and comforted him, "But you won't die."

Tan Huan frowned. She ripped open Pei Jin's clothes. The Thousand Mountains Dense Rain Needles were no longer in place on his body, but three small black dots remained.

Pei Jin stammered awkwardly, "Tan Huan..." He was only halfway through his sentence when Tan Huan leaned down and began to suckle his wound. The moment his bare upper body touched her lips, Pei Jin shuddered, his face flushed, and he recoiled in shock, asking, "What are you doing?"

Tan Huan simply said, "Drug use."

Pei Jin asked helplessly, "Do you know what kind of poison this is?"

Greedy shook his head.

Do you know how dangerous what you're doing is?

Tan Huan thought for a moment and shook his head.

“Don’t do that,” Pei Jin said. “It would be bad if the poison transferred to you. Your internal strength is not deep enough, and you won’t be able to expel the poison, and you will die.”

Upon hearing this, Tan Huan hesitated and dared not touch him again.

"If you'd like to help me," Pei Jin said with a smile, "could I borrow the Lonely Dust Sword?"

Tan Huan reached out and offered the sword, but then withdrew it halfway, hesitatingly asking, "You'll give it back to me, won't you?"

Pei Jin smiled wryly, "Of course, this sword is yours now." He took the sword from Tan Huan's hand and drew blood on the three black spots, releasing black blood and poison. The Lonely Dust Sword was renowned as a famous sword, not only for its unparalleled sharpness but also for its ability to ward off evil and expel poison. With the help of the Lonely Dust Sword, coupled with his profound internal energy, Pei Jin's healing process became twice as effective.

Tan Huan sat quietly beside him and fell asleep without realizing it. When she regained consciousness, she vaguely felt a pair of warm hands touching her skin. The gentle movements were like handling a precious treasure, and the fingers faintly brushed against her body with a comfortable sensation. Was she dreaming? Opening her eyes, Tan Huan saw Pei Jin bandaging her body. His hands were slender and elegant with distinct knuckles, and thin calluses on his palms. Tan Huan stared blankly at him.

Her clothes were lifted up, and Pei Jin tore his white inner shirt into long strips, starting to bandage her from the waist to stabilize the bone position. Pei Jin was so focused on his work that he didn't notice that Tan Huan had opened her eyes. When he finished bandaging and let out a long sigh, he looked up and met Tan Huan's beautiful eyes.

Pei Jin was taken aback, then blushed with embarrassment, as if afraid of being misunderstood. "I was just healing your wounds. Are you feeling better?"

Tan Huan nodded, her voice hoarse, "You've seen everything about me." She smiled radiantly, "This time you've really seen everything."

Pei Jin's expression changed rapidly; she opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single explanation.

"So, you have to take responsibility for me."

Pei Jin was speechless; he had truly met his nemesis. Oh well, he wouldn't argue with a child; he'd let her say what she wanted. "You saved my life, so if you ever encounter any trouble in the future, you can come to me. I'll do everything I can to help you."

Taking advantage of the moment, Tan Huan grabbed his hand and smiled happily, "I have a request right now."

Pei Jin had a bad feeling, but forced herself to ask, "What is it?"

"I can get married in two years. Can you help me settle my life's most important matter? I hope you will be my husband." Tan Huan spoke her mind directly. "Perhaps you can bring me to your side now, and we can get married in two years."

Pei Jin was at his wit's end with her, so he could only repeat what he had said before, "If your feelings haven't changed in two years, you can come find me then."

Tan Huan smiled sweetly, "Actually, if you bring me to your side now, we can take these two years to cultivate our relationship. What do you think?" She was clearly pushing her luck, striking while the iron was hot, and immediately making another request after seeing him agree to one.

Pei Jin was caught off guard by her words. "You need to rest now. The remaining poison in my body hasn't been completely eliminated, so we can't leave here for the time being. I'll teach you some of the Pei family's internal energy cultivation techniques, which will help your recovery." He hurriedly got up, not daring to look Tan Huan in the eye. "I'll go find something to eat first."

Tan Huan watched his departing figure with endless regret.

The poison from the Tang Clan wasn't easy to eliminate. Pei Jin meditated and circulated his internal energy every day, and the amount of toxins expelled from his body decreased each day, but it just couldn't be completely cleared. Because of her fractured bone, Tan Huan had difficulty moving, so Pei Jin was responsible for her daily needs, including lighting fires and feeding her. Tan Huan spent her days sitting there practicing the mental techniques Pei Jin taught her and watching Pei Jin practice martial arts.

Unable to move due to greed and pleasure, and with Pei Jin's power not yet fully recovered, they lacked the ability to leave. Thus, the two were temporarily trapped at the bottom of the valley.

One day, two days... Gradually, almost a month passed. Tan Huan progressed from walking to running, and after recovering, she was finally able to practice martial arts with a lively, skipping gait. For this long period, Tan Huan had been watching Pei Jin's every move, her eyes shining with admiration. She memorized it all, and as soon as she was able to move, she couldn't wait to try it out.

The initial attempts were unsuccessful, and she couldn't perform with ease. Pei Jin, watching from the sidelines, was terrified. This girl was only twelve years old. He hadn't taught her anything; she had merely watched him practice. This was only her first time, and she had already achieved such a feat!

Pei Jin watched in silence as Tan Huan practiced martial arts with great enthusiasm, his feelings complicated. Had he struck gold? If he nurtured her properly, perhaps one day she could raze Zhengyang Palace to the ground and kill Baili Liushang with a single word.

"Tan Huan, Wu Canyang, that is, your father, has he ever praised your martial arts talent?" Pei Jin couldn't help but ask, "At what age did you start learning martial arts?" Even if she said she started learning martial arts at the age of three, he wouldn't be surprised.

Tan Huan counted on her fingers, "Five years old."

Two years earlier than he had imagined, Pei Jin smiled and patted her head, "Your father must have been teaching you very diligently."

Tan Huan opened her eyes wide and blinked. Was he trying to teach her? Was he talking about the same person and the same thing she was thinking?

Pei Jin asked doubtfully, "Isn't that right?"

“Father…did teach me, but he taught Wu Qingfeng more.” Tan Huan tried desperately to recall what he meant by “dedicated teaching,” but she couldn’t remember. “Father’s teaching methods were different from his teaching methods for Wu Qingfeng.” When teaching Wu Qingfeng, he would carefully demonstrate each move. “He would usually just give me the formulas and let me practice alone. When I didn’t understand, I would watch how Wu Qingfeng performed them…yes, that’s how it was.”

Pei Jin's mind went blank. What was this? Self-taught? He had always prided himself on his exceptional talent, but compared to Tan Huan, he was undoubtedly showing off his limited skills. He stammered, "You...you practiced all by yourself?"

Tan Huan frowned as she recalled, and it seemed to make sense. No one practiced martial arts with her before. Qing Qiu was an impatient person; she would practice for one day and rest for three. Wu Qingfeng, that bastard, was obviously not included in that. She smiled adorably, "Although no one practiced with me before, you can practice with me from now on. Your martial arts are so good. You can teach me a lot."

Pei Jin smiled wryly. He wanted to teach her too, but martial arts weren't something that could be taught or passed on so easily. The Pei family's martial arts had always been difficult to learn, and Tan Huan was just a little girl, so he had never tried to avoid suspicion. Who knew she would learn it just by watching? Such talent was practically treating all the martial arts in the world as a circus act! "I'm sorry, the Pei family's martial arts are not passed on to outsiders."

Tan Huan's eyes darted around. "I'll marry you someday. Then, teaching me won't be considered passing it on to outsiders, right?"

Pei Jin's face flushed again, and he was about to change the subject when a sharp pain shot through his chest. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his clothes tightly, his body curled up in a ball, too pained to even utter a sound. Damn it, he had definitely underestimated the Tang Clan's Thousand Mountains Dense Rain Needles.

Tan Huan's expression changed, and she hurriedly squatted down, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Pei Jin's face was deathly pale. The needle marks on her body had long since healed, leaving no visible external injuries. But waves of excruciating pain surged through her, keeping her mind unusually clear, preventing her from even fainting. Cold sweat poured down her body, sometimes burning like fire, sometimes freezing like ice, sometimes pricking like needles…

Tan Huan was flustered and didn't know what she could do. She could only look at him with worry, her lips trembling slightly. Would Pei Jin die? Would he die? She didn't want him to die; she wanted him to live and stay with her.

About 15 minutes later, Pei Jin's pain gradually subsided. He was panting heavily, his whole body was soaked in sweat, his black hair fell on his forehead, making his stunning face even more sexy, and his breathing gradually became smooth.

Tan Huan asked cautiously, "Are you feeling better?"

Pei Jin forced a smile, not wanting her to worry.