Весенний дождь подобен вину, ивы — дыму

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Tan Huan asked, "Why should I give it to you?"

"If you take it and I eat it, my mood will improve, which will increase my credibility," Baili Liushang said, half-jokingly.

Tan Huan said dejectedly, "I understand." Just now, she was clearly in the dominant position, she was the one who subdued him, so why did it turn out like this? In the end, she still had to run errands for him, get him food and drink. The amount of food in the room was meant to limit his decision within three days, but now it was all useless.

It was one thing for her to run around serving him, but Baili Liushang kept complaining, saying he couldn't take a bath and that it felt awkward not wearing clothes... Tan Huan endured it all and followed his orders one by one, even standing outside the door every day to chat with him.

"To be honest, it's fine for me to come out like this. You've already seen me naked, so it's no big deal for you to see me one more time."

Tan Huan coughed up blood. What did she mean by "saw everything"? She didn't even look at him. "If you dare to come out, I'll shout and call everyone in the Netherworld Valley to see your naked body."

"Haha, are you trying to force me to go on a killing spree?"

Tan Huan scoffed, "You kill people at the drop of a hat. Do you think you can kill everyone in the Netherworld Valley? Just you alone?"

"Well, it's unlikely that I can wipe out the Netherworld Valley by myself," Baili Liushang said modestly. "So, hurry up and give me your clothes, and I promise to restore your inner strength."

He agreed so easily; Tan Huan couldn't believe it. What should she do? What should she do? She was now in a bind. Just as she was hesitating terribly, Pei Jin's voice came from behind her, "Tan Huan, is Baili Liushang here?"

Tan Huan froze, thinking, "No way? One wave subsides and another comes?"

Upon hearing that Baili Liushang had come to challenge the Corpse Array in the Netherworld Valley, Pei Jin, remembering that Tan Huan was also in the Netherworld Valley, immediately rode over at top speed, fearing something might have happened. He rushed here and grabbed anyone he could find to ask about Tan Huan's location. When he saw Tan Huan standing safely before him, he finally relaxed and slowly walked towards her. Suddenly, a strange feeling arose in Pei Jin's heart. Usually, when Tan Huan heard his voice, she would rush over and hug him, but this time she stood there blankly, not even turning around.

Tan Huan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and mustered her courage to turn around. "Pei Jin..." Even her voice was trembling.

Pei Jin immediately noticed the strangeness in the situation. "What happened?"

"I..." Tan Huan was so anxious that she was about to cry. What should she say?

"Pei Jin?" Baili Liushang's voice was clear and resonant, carrying a hint of coldness and amusement. "It seems I really have to start killing today."

Chapter Eleven: A Messy Life

Pei Jin was taken aback at first, then his eyes narrowed slightly, his expression serious, and he said slowly and deliberately, "Baili Liushang."

Laughter, tinged with mockery and sarcasm, emanated from inside the room, but Baili Liushang remained silent.

Tan Huan grabbed Pei Jin's arm and hurriedly said, "I can explain." After saying that, she almost wanted to slap herself to death. What kind of nonsense was that?! She wasn't having an affair; she was doing something perfectly legitimate!

Pei Jin lowered his eyes and stared at her, his voice calm and emotionless, "What do you mean, 'explain'?"

As soon as she met his eyes, Tan Huan panicked and began to stammer, "No explanation, no, it's nothing, I don't know anything."

Pei Jin's eyes remained fixed on her face, causing Tan Huan to break out in a sweat. She unconsciously took a step back and stammered, "I really didn't do anything..."

"Sigh," Pei Jin let out a soft sigh, "Nothing to tell me?"

Tan Huan felt like her head was about to explode. What could she say? That she had stripped Baili Liushang of his clothes? Or that she had been alone with Baili Liushang for the past few days? Or that she had had the chance to kill Baili Liushang but hadn't? Tan Huan's beautiful face flushed crimson, and slowly, slowly, she lowered her head...

"Pei Jin, you still have a chance to escape now. Once I get out, you'll just be a corpse." Baili Liushang didn't say this with much force.

Tan Huan's body trembled. Someone actually dared to threaten Pei Jin right in front of her? She was about to retort with a harsh remark when she suddenly realized Baili Liushang was naked. If this demon really came out naked, even if he didn't intend to kill Pei Jin, he could kill her if he became enraged. She hurriedly grabbed her clothes from the ground, ran outside, and threw them back inside.

Pei Jin was initially puzzled by her behavior, but when he saw Baili Liushang walking out while straightening her clothes, and when he saw that Baili Liushang was wearing the same clothes that Tan Huan had just thrown in, his face instantly darkened. "You expect me to run away from you? Impossible!"

Baili Liushang ignored him completely, smiling as he ruffled Tan Huan's hair, clearly taking advantage of his superior martial arts skills to deliberately bully him. "In the end, all your efforts were in vain. How does it feel? Will you dare to mess with me again?" As he placed his hand on Tan Huan's head, he secretly channeled his inner energy into it, a sensation as if flames were burning in his veins. Tan Huan's face paled in pain, and he bit his lip until it bled.

Pei Jin understood immediately. He swept over and pulled Tan Huan into his arms, holding her tightly. With a flick of his left hand, he delivered a swift and powerful sword strike to Baili Liushang, his movements as graceful as a dragon, the sword striking with a metallic clang.

Baili Liushang decisively released the person, unconsciously lowering his center of gravity. Although he had no weapon in his hand, he thought Pei's sword looked quite good, so he decided to snatch it. With a plan in mind, his body moved accordingly, and with his superb lightness skill, he instantly appeared beside Pei Jin.

Pei Jin instantly pushed Tan Huan aside and blocked the attack with his hand. The sword energy meandered, winding its way to Baili Liushang's vital points.

Baili Liushang flipped backward and leaped to Tan Huan's side. His terrifying fingers pressed against Tan Huan's carotid artery, and he whispered, "Tell me, should I kill you?"

Pei Jin's expression changed drastically, and he stood still, not daring to move.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't afraid. Tan Huan said, "I didn't kill you when I sealed your pressure points, so what reason do you have to kill me now?"

"I could give you a whole bunch of reasons, which one do you want to hear?"

"Baili Liushang, don't you feel ashamed to kill a weak woman who doesn't know martial arts?" Pei Jin asked anxiously, trying her best to calm herself down.

"Shameful?" Whether it's shameful or not is another matter. Baili Liushang smiled noncommittally. "Do you think Wu Tanhuan is a weak woman?"

Tan Huan dared not move her neck; it ached terribly. Her eyes widened; the murderous aura behind her was suffocating. Icy fingers spread across her neck, ready to take her life at any moment. Unable to control her trembling, she closed her eyes, barely able to stand. Even without him lifting a finger, Baili Liushang's murderous intent was enough to shatter anyone's will to fight.

"Hehe, you really mean it?" Baili Liushang slapped her hard, causing Tan Huan to stumble and fall flat on her face. "I was just kidding."

Greedy and indignant, she turned and glared at him.

While he was speaking, Pei Jin leaned forward and thrust out another sword, the blade flashing brightly.

Baili Liushang caught the sword with his bare hands, his fingers gripping the tip, his eyes coldly filled with amusement. "Believe it or not, I can tear you apart, sword and all?"

Although Tan Huan had lost her internal energy, she still had her eyesight. She spread her arms to block Pei Jin, gritted her teeth, and glared at Baili Liushang, "No." The two words were heavy with meaning.

If anyone kills Pei Jin, she will hunt them down for the rest of her life, until her death.

A cold glint was reflected in his pupils.

Baili Liushang actually stopped, glanced at her expressionlessly, and then smiled inexplicably. "I'm very satisfied with your service these past two days, and you showed me mercy before, so I'll consider this repaying a favor." He spread his hands. "I'll spare your lives." He rubbed his stomach; hmm, he was a little hungry. Oh well, there's nothing good in Youming Valley anyway, might as well leave. Unfortunately, he forgot to give Youming Valley the promised silver when he left.

That look in his eyes... damn it, it reminded him of himself when he was a child.

Only after seeing him walk away did Tan Huan breathe a sigh of relief.

"He wasn't wearing any clothes." Pei Jin skipped the question and stated the truth directly. "What happened?"

The brief moment of relief she had just felt returned, her scalp tingling, and she stammered, "I...I took it off..."

Pei Jin stood with his arms crossed, watching her with a leisurely air.

Tan Huan continued to cower in silence, keeping quiet.

It seemed she wasn't going to continue unless he asked. Pei Jin looked at her helplessly. Playing little tricks was one thing, pranks or clever tricks were all fine, but taking off a man's clothes, especially Baili Liushang's clothes, and even taking them off completely from head to toe, didn't she feel ashamed?

Pei Jin sighed, rubbing his forehead. He seemed to be feeling incredibly uncomfortable and irritable, yet he had to maintain a calm and composed demeanor on the outside. "Tan Huan, do you really like me?"

Tan Huan nodded hurriedly, almost as if she wanted to rip her heart out in front of him, "I like it, I like it, I like it the most."

Pei Jin smiled bitterly. What should he say? "Tan Huan, a young woman cannot take off a man's clothes. Even if there is a secret, she will be misunderstood by the world."

She knew this basic fact, of course, but at the time, she was more concerned with restoring her inner strength. Tan Huan turned her head and asked the question that had been on her mind, "Then, can I take your clothes off from now on?"

Pei Jin's serious face flushed red instantly, without warning. His stunningly beautiful face was tinged with the vibrant colors of the morning sun. He was speechless, wondering how to answer this question.

Seeing his silence, Tan Huan immediately adopted a persistent and clingy attitude, urgently saying, "You said you would marry me."

Did he really say that? However, judging from her reaction, he seemed much better. Pei Jin smiled and said, "That's not what he originally said."

"If you really want to marry me, let's wait until you're fourteen. I'll seriously consider it then." Tan Huan lowered her voice to mimic his, and she took his hand. "I'll be fourteen soon, and my feelings haven't changed. I just want to know if you're willing to marry me?"

Pei Jin was speechless. He stared intently at the person before him. Just as Du Suizhi had said, this girl was growing more and more beautiful. He had never liked being close to women, not even his mother; his fondness for pleasure was unusual. "You really want to marry me?"

Tan Huan said, "You've been asking me this question since I was twelve years old."

Pei Jin stroked her face and said gently, "I want to hear the answer again."

"Yes, I want to marry you, I want to be your wife."

“Okay.” Pei Jin made a decision. “After I finish dealing with what I have to do, I will go to the Wu family to propose marriage.”

When they first met at the age of twelve, he treated her wounds and told her not to take off her clothes in front of men in the future.

Now, he's telling her not to take off men's clothes so casually.

Tan Huan smiled as brightly as a flower, hugging his arm and rubbing against him, "From now on, I will only take off my clothes in front of you, and only your clothes."

Pei Jin's "okay" stuck in his throat, neither coming out nor coming out, and in the end he just hugged her gently. "Tan Huan, how did you take off Baili Liushang's clothes? Did he just let you do whatever you wanted?"

Tan Huan blinked, her head still resting on Pei Jin's chest. "Oh, is that so..." she drawled, her fingers already pressing on Pei Jin's pressure points. Looking up at his astonished expression, her hand slowly crept up his shirt. "This way you can take it off. Do you want to try?"

Pei Jin's outer robe buttons had already been undone. He gasped, "Your martial arts..."

"I just don't have internal energy, but that doesn't mean I can't use acupoint striking," Tan Huan said with a smile. "I'll go home now and wait for you to come and propose marriage."

“Your brother is getting married soon, you might as well go home and give him some advice,” Pei Jin said. “Recently, Zhengyang Palace wiped out a branch of the Tang Clan, the martial arts world is in chaos, do you want me to take you back?”

"Just finish what you're doing quickly so you can come to my house to propose marriage sooner," Tan Huan refused. "I'll be very careful."

Tan Huan had indeed been very careful. Just now, when she was pressing Pei Jin's acupoints, she suddenly noticed her internal energy flowing quietly through her body, so she wanted to confirm again whether it was just her imagination. The thought of her internal energy returning and Pei Jin marrying her filled Tan Huan with unbridled joy. She hadn't expected Baili Liushang to be such a decent person; she wondered when he had made his move.

On her way back to the Wu family home, she tried her best to choose quiet routes, avoiding trouble, noise, and crowds. Unfortunately, when you're down on your luck, even drinking water can be choking you.

The current situation is extremely troublesome.

Tan Huan choked on her saliva and involuntarily took a step back. She was somewhat grateful to him, but that didn't mean she wanted to see him.

"I came here specifically to find you. There was something I forgot to mention." Baili Liushang flashed to her side and easily snatched the Lonely Dust Sword from her hand. He lowered his eyes and examined it carefully, looking at it from the front and the back, then pulled it out and looked at it again. Suddenly, he gave it a sharp jolt, and the Lonely Dust Sword emitted a trembling hiss.

He was so engrossed in pleasure that he remained motionless.

"Sure enough, it's different from the one I broke before." Baili Liushang smiled. "The Lonely Dust Sword was switched; this one is the real one."

Just as Tan Huan was about to snatch the Lonely Dust Sword back, he suddenly fell silent upon hearing this, his outstretched arm freezing in mid-air, his expression indifferent.

Baili Liushang's attention was entirely focused on the Lonely Dust Sword. He looked it over from left to right, even flicking the blade and listening intently. He examined the hilt from the scabbard, frowning and relaxing intermittently, but unfortunately, he found nothing. He couldn't discern the treasure map inside the Lonely Dust Sword, but he could clearly see that someone was trying hard to hide this secret.

The Lonely Dust Sword that broke in Wu Tanhuan's hands last time was fake. He wasn't sure at the time, but he's only truly certain today. Nearly two years have passed, and anyone who knows that he broke the Lonely Dust Sword would probably lose hope about the treasure map, and no one would doubt the Lonely Dust Sword in Wu Tanhuan's hands anymore.

So, who is it that's going to such lengths to mislead the entire martial arts world? A cold smile curled at the corner of Baili Liushang's lips. Pei Jin? That kid is clearly too inexperienced. He has feelings for Wu Tanhuan and wouldn't put her in danger. Pei Gumo? That old man is somewhat more likely. He'd turn his back on even his closest relatives for his so-called righteous cause, and Wu Tanhuan is no stranger to him; betraying her would be incredibly easy for him.

Baili Liushang's fingers gently traced the blade of the sword, slender and white, with distinct knuckles; his movements were as gentle as if he were playing a musical instrument. However, Pei Gumo hadn't had any contact with Wu Tanhuan in the past two years, so naturally he had no opportunity to switch the Lonely Dust Sword. Who else could it be but him? This person needed to not only possess the secret of the Lonely Dust Sword but also have sufficient cunning and the opportunity to contact Wu Tanhuan. Moreover, to keep such a secret hidden so deeply, this person must either be as considerate of the overall situation as Pei Gumo, or a person indifferent to fame and fortune, detached from worldly affairs.

Thinking of this, Baili Liushang glanced at Tan Huan, her indifferent gaze tinged with the confidence of victory. She had been living in Youming Valley for the past two years, so that person should also be living there, or at least someone who had the opportunity to enter.

This Lonely Dust Sword was repaired by Yuan Gu, the number one swordsmith in the world. Well, anyway, even the Corpse Array is gone. I'll find an opportunity to take another trip to the Netherworld Valley next time. If it's convenient, I'll kidnap Yuan Gu and bring him back to the Zhengyang Palace. If it's not convenient, I'll just interrogate him directly.

That's interesting. If someone wants to play, he'll definitely play along. However, he absolutely cannot stop halfway through; he has to decide when it ends.

Tan Huan looked up at him, "Are you still planning to return the Lonely Dust Sword to me?"

"Heh, so you're not going to protect it to the death this time?" Baili Liushang said with a hint of amusement. "If I don't return it, you're just going to give it to me anyway?"

"I can't possibly let you lose your martial arts skills again." Tan Huan's attitude was extremely obsequious, the coldness on his face just now vanished, replaced by a beaming smile.

Baili Liushang glanced at her again, placed his right hand on her shoulder, and whispered, "What were you thinking about just now?" This gesture was so familiar; it was the same gesture he had placed on her shoulder when he crippled her martial arts back then.

Tan Huan couldn't help but shrink back and shook his head, saying, "I was spacing out."

"Little liar. That look in your eyes is just a blank stare?" Baili Liushang didn't believe a word of it. "Tell the truth." He gradually increased the pressure on his right hand. He also insidiously channeled his true energy, causing it to flow backward through her meridians, making her bones crack.

Tan Huan grimaced in pain. Every time she faced this devil, she suffered. Damn it, once her martial arts surpassed his, she would definitely torture him every day until he cried for his parents! However, she wasn't strong enough now, so Tan Huan could only fawn over him with a fawning smile, "I was really just spacing out." She couldn't be too proud in front of this guy; too much pride would only bring her suffering.