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Luo Yi shook her head. "The treasure refers to the place where our race lives. Our race's blood not only heals quickly, but also makes people immune to all poisons. For the Tang Clan... it's very troublesome."

This is more than just trouble; for the Tang Clan, it's cutting off their source of income, their livelihood, and their future. Tan Huan nodded and didn't ask any more questions. "I understand, Senior Brother. I will help you. Even without your involvement, I would have destroyed the Tang Clan anyway. Now I just have another reason."

Luo Yi smiled and shook his head, his purple eyes bright as crystal, dreamlike and ethereal. "Tan Huan, I'm telling you not to get your help, I just..." He paused for a moment, "...I just feel sorry for you. I once thought about killing you, and I thought you had noticed... So, I'm telling you the truth as atonement."

Tan Huan awkwardly replied, "I'm not that petty, Senior Brother, you don't need to atone for it..." Baili Liushang leaned lazily against the back of his chair, coldly watching them, "Have you two finished pouring out your hearts to each other?" Seeing Tan Huan immediately stand up respectfully as soon as he heard him speak, Baili Liushang was very pleased and beckoned, "Huan'er, come here and give your teacher a back massage."

Tan Huan's lips twitched, and she clenched her fists, pounding her back repeatedly. Unexpectedly, her seated master kept changing his tone, sometimes pressing harder, sometimes lighter, so Tan Huan alternated between light and heavy taps. "The Tang Clan..." Baili Liushang narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze shifting, revealing a captivating glimpse through his narrowed eyes. He clenched his fingers one by one, a soft sigh escaping his lips. Whenever he did this, whenever he wore this expression, he seemed like an ancient enigma, unfathomable and untouchable. "It's time to settle accounts with them. Whether they framed me or fabricated charges, I still have a certain admiration for those who dared to confront me directly. However, I don't like others attacking those close to me." He stood up, patted Tan Huan's shoulder, indicating she didn't need the massage anymore. "We won't go back to Zhengyang Palace; let's go to the Tang Clan for a stroll."

Tan Huan asked cautiously, "Master, what are you going to the Tang Sect for?"

"Destroy their families, kill their people."

Tan Huan clutched her head, her head throbbing, and blurted out her thoughts, "Master, please don't cause any more trouble." The room fell silent as soon as she spoke. Tan Huan immediately sensed something was wrong. Sure enough, she looked up and saw Baili Liushang's ambiguous smile. She quickly said, "Master, I want to talk to you alone."

Baili Liushang told Luo Yi to leave, then sat down on the edge of the bed. "What does Huan'er want to talk about? I'd like to talk to you about how your courage grew."

Tan Huan asked seriously, "Master, what happened when you were in seclusion? What happened to your martial arts?"

Baili Liushang chuckled lightly, "What kind of tone is that? Are you questioning me?"

Tan Huan was a little worried, but awkwardly didn't show it. "I wouldn't dare, but what would happen to Zhengyang Palace if something happened to Master?"

"That's why I plan to choose an heir," Baili Liushang said frankly. "One more or one less makes no difference."

Tan Huan's heart sank. "Master, is something really wrong with you?"

"You've already exchanged a palm strike with me, and you still don't know if I'm alright?" Baili Liushang said dismissively.

Tan Huan looked at him with deep sorrow, "Master, you should rest and recuperate. Now that you're back in the palace, the five Lords can help you, and I can assist you as well. Since you're not feeling well, why are you going to the Tang Sect?"

Baili Liushang smiled, "Huan'er, the Wu family was wiped out by the Tang Clan back then, and you've always wanted to destroy the Tang Clan. Now Luo Yi also wants to destroy the Tang Clan. Before I lose all my martial arts, I have to give you a farewell gift. If I don't destroy the Tang Clan now, do you really want to wait until I become a cripple before destroying it?"

Tan Huan stared at him with wide eyes. How could he do this? He even called someone a cripple, and he acted so nonchalantly. If he didn't care about himself, who else in the world would? Tan Huan's eyes widened and widened, and she stared harder and harder. Finally, she said in a deflated voice, "My affairs are none of your business. Destroying the Tang Clan is my own business. Don't bother with it."

Those words were both sweet and infuriating, befitting a disciple he had personally trained. Baili Liushang, smiling, was about to reply when suddenly a surge of blood rushed to his chest, rendering him speechless from the force of his internal energy, his bones creaking in pain. He swallowed a mouthful of blood, looked at Tan Huan calmly, and said slowly, "Alright, let's put the Tang Sect aside for now. I need to go into seclusion for three days." He'd put everything else aside until he suppressed his internal energy. He shouted to the door, "Luo Yi, don't wander off! Stay put and wait for me. Huan'er, you stay here and be ready at any time."

The name "Bai Li Liu Shang" has always been the most supreme thing in Tan Huan's eyes.

At this moment, however, his face was pale, and sweat beaded on his forehead. His long, jet-black hair hung softly over his shoulders, damp with moisture. Baili Liushang sat cross-legged, saying nothing, his eyes tightly closed, and steam rising from his head.

Tan Huan slumped back in her chair, her arms wrapped around the back, staring at him in a daze. Why? She hadn't expected to see him like this one day. She'd never noticed before that her master was actually very handsome. When he wore a simple white undergarment like this, he looked like a young master from a wealthy family. But once his eyes opened, he was Baili Liushang, only Baili Liushang, the Baili Liushang who was famous throughout the martial arts world, the omnipotent Baili Liushang.

"What are you looking at?" Baili Liushang felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze. After completing a small circulation of his internal energy, he slightly lifted his eyelids. "What's so interesting about me? If you want to look at men, it's more worthwhile to look at Pei Jin, isn't it?"

Ignoring his sarcasm, Tan Huan moved her lips slightly, "Master, will you die?"

Baili Liushang laughed and said, "Are you getting impatient waiting for me to die?"

"No!" Tan Huan jumped up and retorted loudly, "I never intended for you to die!"

Baili Liushang paused, then casually wiped the sweat from his forehead. His gaze was fixed on the sky, seemingly both far and near. "If I no longer possess martial arts, if I am no longer the best in the world, then what difference does it make whether I live or die?"

Tan Huan said, "Perhaps it's because you've been living too arrogantly, even Heaven can't stand it anymore." After a pause, she added, "Master, even without martial arts, you'll still live well, right?"

For Baili Liushang, life and death were not serious matters. He never thought that anyone in the world would worry about his life and safety. So he laughed and said, "We'll talk about it when the time comes. But while I can still do whatever I want, why don't you come with me to the Tang Clan?"

How could this person be so self-righteous and willful? Tan Huan frowned slightly, but why did she agree to whatever willful things he said? Tan Huan helplessly rubbed her forehead, wondering if she had been unconsciously assimilated. She nodded heavily, "I can't let Master venture into the Tang Clan alone. If I return to the palace like this, I'll be killed by the five Lords."

"Hehe." Baili Liushang leaned weakly against the wall, looking at her with a smile. "You're really not being honest."

Tan Huan looked at him speechlessly. Please, you even care about this? She sighed, knelt on one knee, and lowered her head. "As long as it is Master's wish, I will follow you even if it means going through fire and water."

Baili Liushang laughed heartily, "In this respect, you are much more interesting than Luo Yi."

Overwhelmed with reluctance, he said, "Thank you for the praise, Master."

“Huan’er.” Baili Liunao suddenly stopped laughing, staring intently at her, then swallowed back his words, “If…”

"Huh?" Tan Huan asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing." Baili Liushang closed his eyes again. "I'll continue to meditate. Don't disturb me."

"……yes."

Baili Liushang's original plan was that after three days, once his martial arts had recovered to a certain level, he would take his two disciples to the Tang Sect and wreak havoc. However, when he emerged from seclusion after three days, he found things were in disarray—Luo Yi was missing. Tan Huan searched the entire city but couldn't find Luo Yi. During those three days, Tan Huan and Baili Liushang had been alone in their room; they didn't even know when Luo Yi had left, or whether he had left voluntarily or been forced to.

“If he wants to leave on his own… then I won’t stop him.” Baili Liushang had been practicing his internal energy for three consecutive days, and his complexion was not as rosy as usual. “If he was taken away by someone…” He chuckled. “Heh, someone dares to touch my disciple, Baili Liushang?” He raised his eyes to look at Tan Huan, and the corner of his mouth curled up slightly. “That person must be tired of living.”

Seeing his expression, Tan Huan felt her hair stand on end and shuddered. "Master, I've searched everywhere in the city. What should we do next?"

"The places you're talking about that you can look for don't include the Pei family, right?" He looked at his apprentice with interest, but then felt bored when he saw her expressionless face.

Tan Huan glanced at him with a "you're so boring" look on her face. "Not only the Pei family, but I didn't search the strongholds of any of the various forces in the city."

"The places we should be searching are the Pei family and the Tang Clan. What's the point of not searching those two places?" Baili Liushang gave her a "you're hopeless" look. Although Luo Yi was still thinking about taking action against the Tang Clan, he probably wouldn't act rashly without her permission. So, the most likely explanation now is that he's been taken away.

Tan Huan thought for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "Then I'll go and explore those two places now?"

“No need.” Baili Liushang refused outright, crossing his legs and raising his toes, looking lazy and unruly. “Instead of us searching aimlessly, we might as well let that old man Pei Gumo come to me.”

Tan Huan raised her bright eyes, "Please enlighten me, Master."

“That old man Pei Gumo is actually quite easy to fool.” Baili Liushang’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “As long as we make the slightest move, he will come over waving the banner of justice, and then you will be able to see Pei Jin, whom you miss.”

“Master, there’s something I need to make clear,” Tan Huan said irritably. “Can you please stop bringing up me and Pei Jin all the time? We’re not the jokes and amusement you’re talking about.”

Baili Liushang's eyes crinkled with laughter, but he remained silent.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Meeting at the Pei Family

In the days that followed, Tan Huan, following Bai Li Liu Shang's instructions, launched a massive operation in the city, with the Tang Clan as its primary target. Every Tang Clan stronghold in the city was attacked by Tan Huan. Since the Tang Clan's most powerful experts were at their headquarters, no one in the strongholds could withstand Tan Huan, resulting in heavy casualties for the Tang Clan.

Tan Huan's martial arts skills were vastly different from what they had been a few years ago. Many in the Tang Clan didn't recognize her, yet she unleashed the power of Baili Liushang's style. Baili Liushang's skills were renowned throughout the martial arts world as a notorious and unorthodox art. Tan Huan's commotion was so great that even before the Tang Clan could report it to Pei Gumo, the Grand Alliance Leader, knew something had happened in the city.

Pei Gu Mo was a man of great stature, and he was naturally well-informed in his own territory. After waiting for several days, he grew impatient and, considering that his opponent was Baili Liushang, he sighed and reluctantly paid a personal visit.

At that moment, Baili Liushang was having Tan Huan trim his fingernails with the Lone Dust Sword. He was comfortably reclining in a chair, his clothes half-open and half-closed, his long hair half-loose and half-tied, his posture incredibly dashing. Tan Huan, on the other hand, was sitting on the floor like a submissive wife, leaning against the chair, with one of Baili Liushang's hands draped over her shoulder and across her chest. Tan Huan was bending down and trimming her fingernails with the Lone Dust Sword, one stroke at a time.

Pei Gumo stepped through the gate and was immediately heartbroken upon seeing the scene. That was the Lone Dust Sword! How could it be used for such a lowly thing? His second thought was that it was fortunate Jin'er hadn't come and hadn't seen the two of them in such a state.

"Alliance Leader Pei came uninvited, and didn't even knock." Baili Liushang didn't even lift an eyelid. "This kind of manners is really inconsistent with your reputation."

Pei Gu Mo ignored his sarcasm, "Are you the ones causing trouble for the Tang Clan?"

Without a signal from his master, and without a reply from Tan Huan, he merely glanced indifferently at the guests before him. Pei Gu Mo, regardless of whether they admitted it or not, continued, "Baili Liushang, I know you fear nothing, but this isn't Zhengyang Palace, it's not your territory. You should tone it down a bit. I came here alone today because I don't want to argue with you. The recent conflict between Tang Sect and Youming Valley has already made me quite agitated; please don't add to the chaos, okay?"

Baili Liushang chuckled, then slowly spoke, "Pei Gumo, do you know the secret of the Lonely Dust Sword?"

Pei Gumo suddenly clicked his tongue and looked at him cautiously.

Baili Liushang rubbed Tanhuan's head and said casually, "Luoyi is missing."

Pei Gu Mo's expression changed drastically. "When did they disappear?"

Baili Liushang raised his eyes and smiled, "It's because he disappeared that I had Tanhuan cause such a ruckus at the Tang Sect."

Pei Gu Mo remained silent for a long time before finally speaking again: "What do you want?"

"I don't know who has Luo Yi in their hands, which is why I specially invited Alliance Leader Pei to discuss this." Baili Liushang smiled shamelessly. "Alliance Leader Pei is knowledgeable about the inside story and can offer his opinions. I am all ears." The implication was that if he knew who had kidnapped his disciple, he should tell him quickly so he wouldn't have to go through the trouble of searching for them.

Pei Gumo felt utterly overwhelmed. The Tang Clan had been openly opposing the Netherworld Valley, and the Netherworld Valley had also assassinated several members of the Tang Clan. Just a few days ago, he had discussed this matter with the Netherworld Valley Master, Bali, hoping to persuade both sides to settle the matter peacefully, but unfortunately, neither side was willing to accept mediation. He had just learned a couple of days ago that Baili Liushang had also arrived, and was already troubled about how to properly handle all parties involved. Now, upon hearing of Luo Yi's disappearance, his first thought was of the Tang Clan. Now, he realized that opposing the Netherworld Valley was merely a tactic to mislead; the Tang Clan's true objective was likely the true secret of the Lonely Dust Sword—Luo Yi.

"If I asked you not to attack the Tang Clan, would you agree?"

Baili Liushang raised an eyebrow. "Old man, are you joking?" He had planned to wipe out the entire Tang Clan as a memento of his retirement from the martial world, yet he was being told not to attack the Tang Clan. Did this old man really think he was a savior?

"If you attack the Tang Clan, you'll definitely wipe them out, right?"

Baili Liushang glanced at him lightly, then smiled and said, "Alliance Leader Pei truly has a sharp eye; I admire him."

Pei Gumo's face was ashen. "Even if you go up against the Tang Clan, you might not be able to escape unscathed. How about this, I'll help you bring Luo Yi back, and you can go back to your Zhengyang Palace in peace?"

Baili Liushang put his arms behind him and sighed, "This is difficult... The more you tell me to behave, the less I want to behave. Besides, Luo Yi is my disciple. How can you be so hostile that you want to take advantage of the conflict between Tang Sect and Youming Valley to reap the benefits?"

Baili Liushang raised an eyebrow with a slight smile, glanced at Pei Gumo, then looked away, reaching out to pat Tan Huan's head, "Huan'er, what do you think?"

Tan Huan wanted to slap his hands away as he kept rubbing her head. Did he really treat her like a pet? But considering his serious internal injuries, she held back and only said lightly, "People who are equally despicable are more likely to understand each other. It seems that's true."

Pei Gumo's face grew even uglier, and he angrily swung his sleeve but couldn't utter a word.

Baili Liushang laughed loudly, "Huan'er, you're really ruthless. You insulted two people right off the bat. You're really sharp-tongued."

Greedy feigned humility, saying, "It's all thanks to my master's excellent teaching."

“Pei Gumo, for more than ten years, the Tang Clan has been unruly and incompatible with the martial arts world of the Central Plains. It’s time to teach them a lesson.” Baili Liushang’s smile faded, and he casually counted on his knuckles. “You should be happy to be able to use my power in this rectification.”

Yes, that's what he thought too. Being able to use Baili Liushang against the Tang Clan is indeed a very exciting thing. However, Baili Liushang isn't someone he can use however he wants; this demon will definitely not do things the way he envisions. Pei Gumo looked at Baili Liushang with a suspicious gaze and honestly said, "I dare not use you."

"Haha." Baili Liushang laughed loudly, "It's not that I wanted to attack the Tang Clan, but this time the Tang Clan attacked my people first. I could have imagined this outcome before they provoked me."

Pei Gumo pondered for a long time, torn between his options. Should he fall out with Baili Liushang or not? Should he let him destroy the Tang Clan? Although he wanted to take some necessary action against the Tang Clan, he had never considered destroying it... He glanced thoughtfully at Tan Huan and said to Baili Liushang, "Your disciple, um, Wu Tan Huan, must be quite powerful, right?"

"You can try it yourself." Seeing Pei Gu Mo's pensive expression, Bai Li Liu Shang's playful side emerged. He patted Tan Huan's shoulder and said, "Huan'er, would you like to play with the Alliance Leader for a bit?"

“No need.” Pei Gu Mo refused decisively.

Baili Liushang's gaze held a hint of disdain as he chuckled, "Alliance Leader Pei, are you afraid of losing?"

Pei Gu Mo narrowed his eyes. "If you want to challenge me, issue a challenge in front of the entire martial arts world. I do not accept private duels." He paused. "Baili Liushang, if you want to attack the Tang Clan, I will not stop you. However, when you do, the Netherworld Valley will not let the Tang Clan off the hook either. So, you have a very good chance of winning."

“Yes, I think so too.” Baili Liushang said without any modesty.

“Youming Valley dislikes the Tang Clan, but it doesn’t like the Zhengyang Palace either,” Pei Gumo said as his last words. “If you don’t want Youming Valley to switch sides at the last minute, try to persuade Bali.” He smiled and added very kindly, “Bali is currently at the Pei family’s residence and you are welcome to come anytime.”

Baili Liushang immediately put on a bitter face, frowned slightly, and turned his head away.

Pei Gu Mo was in a much better mood. He glanced at Tan Huan with a half-smile and said, "By the way, Ba Li brought Ba Ying along too."

Tan Huan froze, Baili Liushang's hand was on her shoulder, and he could clearly feel her body stiffen instantly. He looked down at her snow-white profile, tightened his grip slightly, and sneered, "Alliance Leader Pei, we will definitely pay a visit tomorrow, please prepare a meal."

Pei Gu Mo smiled and then left.

Looking back on what happened in the Netherworld Valley, Baili Liushang didn't think he had done anything wrong. But seeing Tan Huan's reaction, he was also annoyed. What was there to be concerned about with this stupid disciple? What was wrong with him kindly passing on his martial arts to Ba Ying? Since she was his disciple, she should have his style. How could someone so indecisive achieve great things?

Baili Liushang's mind was in turmoil, but in the end he could only sigh, "Huan'er, the matter of Ba Ying was my own decision, it has nothing to do with you, so don't feel too guilty."

Tan Huan's delicate profile shimmered in the setting sun. The silent passage of time had added to her charm, gradually transforming her from a girl into a woman. After a long silence, her long, thick eyelashes trembled slightly. She raised her eyes to gaze at Baili Liushang and smiled, "His skill is now within me. How can you say it has nothing to do with me?"

Baili Liushang scoffed, "Stubborn."

“I know Master is doing this for my own good, and besides, so many years have passed, and I’ve long since let it go,” Tan Huan said calmly. “As Master’s disciple, I also have a responsibility to bear the consequences of what Master has done. So, this is not your own decision.”

“…Silly child.”