Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 361 Luo Tianxuan and Hua Lianyue (Nine Thousand)
It's still dark.

The eastern horizon was only tinged with a faint gray-white.

A crescent moon hung in the sky, but its light had dimmed.

In the early hours of the morning, the coldest time of day, the biting wind felt like knives slicing across the skin. The dwarf's screams were somewhat shrill. Coupled with the gray sky and the chilling wind, it was eerily frightening.

Song Yan glanced silently at the dwarf, then spoke again: "How strong are the Ghost Cave Master and his two protectors?"

The dwarf's throat bobbed as he desperately swallowed saliva... or perhaps blood. On one hand, there was the pain in his body, and on the other, there was the desire that was swelling to the point of bursting. This double torment made the dwarf feel as if he were in the eighteenth level of hell.

"They are all eighth-rank martial artists."

Song Yan's eyes narrowed suddenly, and in the next instant, he reached out with lightning speed, grabbed one of the dwarf's fingers, and twisted it forcefully.

The screams were mixed with crackling sounds as the dwarf's fingers twisted into a pretzel shape, revealing that all the bones inside were broken.

Fingers connected to the heart.

The excruciating pain brought the dwarf to his senses. Waves of unbearable pain shot through his fingers and arms to his brain, causing his body, now only a meter long, to convulse uncontrollably.

"you are lying."

The dwarf's body convulsed, and he gasped for breath. In an instant, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his skin. He couldn't understand how Song Yan had seen through him.
The dwarf was originally looking at him, but when answering the question just now, his eyes subconsciously shifted away... This is a method of judging whether the target is lying by facial expressions. Of course, this method of judgment is not 100% accurate, but for Song Yan, the accuracy is not important, as long as there is such suspicion.

Anyway, it wasn't his finger that was broken.

Song Yan gently grasped the dwarf's other finger, but the moment she touched it, the dwarf's entire body was covered in goosebumps.

He was certain once again that the man before him was a pervert. Everyone said the people in the Ghost Cave were a bunch of lunatics, but compared to this man, they were practically docile and innocent.

Song Yan smiled and said, "I'll give you one more chance."

Gudong.

The dwarf swallowed hard. The torment, both physical and mental, was unbearable. The feeling of being about to explode was stimulating his brain. He swore that the pain was far more unbearable than the caning in the Eastern Mausoleum Prefecture. Even being torn to pieces wouldn't have been as bad. He thought he had a strong will, but at this moment, he realized that he was weaker than he had imagined.

His lips moved slightly: "Ninth rank. The cave master is a ninth-rank martial artist, and the left and right protectors are both eighth-rank martial artists."

Song Yan was very happy. This time, the dwarf's performance was normal. Although his expression was stiff and his facial muscles were twitching and spasming, Song Yan thought that this was due to severe pain.

How many people are in Ghost Cave?

"One thousand and seven."

"How many of them are martial artists?"

"Eight hundred."

Click.

Another finger was twisted into a pretzel shape by Song Yan.

The dwarf screamed again, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his teeth. His entire arm convulsed as if electrocuted. The dwarf was on the verge of tears, staring at Song Yan with teary eyes: "Why, why is this happening?"

"You lied."

The dwarf couldn't help but scream, "I didn't!"

"But you just licked your lips."

"My mouth is so dry, can't I even lick it?" The dwarf finally burst into tears, two streams of tears falling down his face.

woo woo woo woo……

Is there any reason?
Is there any royal law?
Is licking his lower lip some kind of cardinal sin? Is it really necessary to break one of his fingers?

Song Yan's expression froze, and he then realized that perhaps due to excessive bloodlust, the dwarf's lips were indeed deathly pale, without a trace of blood, and even had visible cracks.

In such a situation, it's perfectly normal to want to lick your lips.

It seems that this method of observing facial expressions is not so accurate after all.

Song Yan felt a little guilty: "I'm sorry, I misread it."

Waaaaah… In an instant, the dwarf burst into tears. “You misread it? You think you can just say you misread it and that’s it? I’ve lost a finger!”

Everyone says that the people of Ghost Cave are not human, but in the eyes of this dwarf, Song Yan is the one who is truly not human.

"Where is the entrance to the Ghost Cave?" Song Yan changed the subject without batting an eye. He knew that he could enter the Ghost Cave through the entrance of the dark ditch, but he knew it would not be that simple.

To avoid further torment, the dwarf hesitated no longer and spilled everything he knew. Next, Song Yan asked questions such as what kind of business the Ghost Cave was involved in, how many outposts it had, and who its backer was. The dwarf answered some of these questions honestly, while others remained unclear.

Even after just a brief look, Song Yan felt a chill run down his spine.

The Ghost Cave's strength was even more exaggerated than Song Yan had imagined.

Of the eight hundred martial artists, there were more than thirty seventh-rank martial artists and nearly a hundred sixth-rank martial artists. On the contrary, the number of newly-ranked martial artists was relatively small, a ratio that was extremely contrary to common sense.

As for Ghost Cave's strongholds on the ground, the dwarf alone knows of six. These strongholds are responsible for receiving, gathering information, and transmitting intelligence. Many of the servants in Dongling Prefecture have been bribed by Ghost Cave, or are even people from Ghost Cave themselves, but the dwarf does not know the specific list.

The business at Ghost Cave is even more diverse.

Assassins... Ghost Cave has specially trained a group of assassins who are extremely fast, ruthless, and skilled in hidden weapons and poisons. Every time these people make a move, Ghost Cave can obtain anywhere from a hundred to a thousand taels of silver.

Such as human trafficking... In the Ghost Cave, there are the most professional kidnappers who lure and abduct children everywhere. If they can be sold, they can get a considerable reward. If they cannot be sold, their legs and arms will be broken, or even their eyes will be gouged out, and they will be forced to beg on the streets.

The people of Dongling were relatively well-off and had some spare money. When they saw the child in such a miserable state, they would often give generously.

There was even a group of experts who specialized in capturing skilled, graceful, and beautiful female warriors in the martial arts world.

It is said that many high-ranking officials and nobles have a taste for this, as they feel that female warriors in the martial arts world are more desirable to conquer. Whenever they capture a female martial artist, they can often sell her for a very good price. The stronger she is, the more expensive she is. The most expensive one is said to have sold for tens of thousands of taels of silver.

The organization even has a special assassination squad, each member being a top-notch expert. They target members who are captured for various reasons. If a member remains steadfast and does not betray Ghost Cave until death, his wife and children will be well taken care of by Ghost Cave. If a member surrenders and betrays the organization after being captured, the assassination squad will deliver the head of his loved one directly to him and then slowly torture him to death.

For this reason, once members of Ghost Cave are captured, they are often more determined to die than betray Ghost Cave, even if they are beaten to death.

Dwarfs are one of the exceptions.

Because of his short stature, ugly appearance, bad temper, and cruel personality, although his strength as a seventh-grade martial artist was already considered quite good in Ghost Cave, no woman was willing to marry him. Therefore, he didn't have too many worries and didn't feel much pressure when he betrayed Ghost Cave.

After finally finishing explaining everything, the dwarf seemed to have exhausted all his strength. The prolonged pain had distorted his face, and his eyes, as if he had been staring too hard, were cracked at the corners, with traces of blood seeping out. He licked his lips again.

Song Yan's fingers twitched slightly, but she managed to hold back.

"Kill me," the dwarf pleaded.

For him, death was not the most terrifying thing; what was truly despairing was living a life worse than death.

Song Yan nodded, and slowly extended his right hand toward the dwarf's forehead. Just as his fingers touched the dwarf's forehead:
puff.

A strange sound suddenly rang out.

The next instant, Song Yan saw the dwarf seem to be enduring unprecedented pain, his face contorted almost into a spiral.

His body jerked violently, then he landed heavily on the ground, and remained motionless.

Turning his head, he saw that the dwarf's lower body was a mess, with scarlet blood gushing out like a faucet, as if it had burst open.

Song Yan stood up, turned around and looked at Fang Hai and the others, blinking innocently: "I was already prepared to kill him."

It really wasn't his fault. It was just that his body was too weak. He could have been done in a second or two, but he couldn't hold on and experienced a sensation that almost no man in the world has ever had the chance to experience.

call.

A gust of cold wind blew by. Fang Hai, Fang Shan, Fang Jiang, and Fang He all felt a shiver run down their spines, and goosebumps rose on their skin.

The dwarf's body was dragged away.

She's probably going to keep Fang Lingyu and Xie Qingqing company.

Fang Hai and the others didn't mention the pills again.

After all, the sight of that thing exploding with a "poof" and splattering blood was just too horrifying. Even if you have the will but not the power, at least it's still there, isn't it?
They didn't bring up the matter of destroying the Ghost Cave again. They knew that, given Song Yan's personality, once he made a decision, he would do everything in his power to achieve it, and they also needed to make some preparations.

Song Yan returned to her bedroom.

Although Luo Tianyi, Ziyu, and Nahetuya couldn't see, they heard a lot of what was going on through the window. Their eyes fell on Song Yan, as if asking him what to do next.

Nakhtoya seemed a little confused, as if she only half understood.

Luo Tianyi remained as cold and aloof as ever.

Ziyu, on the other hand, seemed surprisingly excited and eager to try.

The Ghost Cave, there are over a thousand people there.

More than a thousand heads—that would make a huge mound of skulls!

Song Yan did not respond immediately, but silently walked to Bu Yu's side. Bu Yu's brows were still furrowed, and the pain in her body had not yet subsided, but her breathing was slightly more steady than before.

His eyelids were taut, and he showed no signs of waking up.

Her face was unusually flushed, and her forehead was burning hot, so Song Yan gave Bu Yu some fever-reducing medicine. Half a capful of ibuprofen suspension worked quite well; her temperature gradually dropped within fifteen minutes.

"Ziyu, do you have any information about the Ghost Cave from the Hehuan Sect?" Song Yan asked, letting out a breath.

“Ghost Cave and White Tower are two very mysterious forces. Although the Joyful Union Sect has some information about them, it doesn’t involve core secrets.” Zi Yu shook her head. “That dwarf knows even more.”

"Is the dwarf's information reliable?"

“At least the overlapping part is fine,” Ziyu thought for a moment and gave an answer.

Song Yan paused briefly for a moment: "The Ghost Cave has at least one ninth-rank martial artist, two eighth-rank martial artists, more than thirty seventh-rank martial artists, and more than one hundred sixth-rank martial artists. How confident are you?"

Luo Tianyi, who had remained silent until now, finally raised her eyes: "There are too many people, and I don't have enough energy."

Song Yan then recalled the bloody scene at the Fan family's place. Luo Tianyi had no wounds on her body, but she was exhausted and her inner strength was depleted.

"What if we add two more grandmasters?"

Ziyu shrugged: "That's bullying a child."

Is it bullying others by taking advantage of one's power? Although it's villainous behavior, it's not annoying at all.

Song Yan pursed her lips and looked up at the door: "Tianxuan!"

The next instant, a cold wind suddenly swept through the once quiet guest room, and in the dim morning light, a snow-white figure could be seen slowly emerging from the darkness.

It appeared as if they were simply walking normally on the ground, with no hurried steps whatsoever. Yet, with each step, the distance between them rapidly closed. In just a few steps, a graceful figure appeared in Song Yan's bedroom.

The snow-white long dress was spotless.

She has blossomed into a beauty resembling a celestial maiden.

When the body came to a stop, the flowing black hair behind it slowly fell down.

Her delicate face resembled that of a fairy from the moon palace.

A gentle smile graced her face, and her beautiful eyes gazed quietly at Song Yan, her voice tender and loving: "Husband."

It's Luo Tianxuan.

She was indeed always by my side.

Seeing Luo Tianxuan's appearance, Luo Tianyi was speechless. As long as her brother-in-law was there, her sister couldn't see anything else. Even if her own sister was right next to her, it was no different from her not existing.

It seemed a little angry, its cheeks puffed out, looking just like an angry little pufferfish.

As for Ziyu, she couldn't help but secretly roll her eyes:
You're supposed to be a grandmaster-level expert, where's your composure? Where's your dignity?
How is she any different from any other young girl in the throes of first love?

I really don't know what's so great about Song Yan that could make a grandmaster like him so devoted.

Song Yan smiled at Luo Tianxuan, then looked in another direction. He didn't know where Hua Lianyue was. It seemed that Hua Lianyue had something to do in Dongling, so she might not stay by his side all the time.

But he still gave it a try:
"Lian Yue?"

A slightly questioning voice drifted through the air.

The next moment, a figure appeared outside the door.

Even Song Yan's cultivation level was constantly rising, and his inner strength was becoming more and more profound. Not to mention there were also two ninth-rank martial artists, Zi Yu and Luo Tianyi, and a grandmaster-level martial artist, Luo Tianxuan. Yet, despite so many experts, not a single one of them saw how Hua Lianyue appeared.

It was as if she had always been there, never leaving.

She wore a long black dress, exuding a captivating charm that was completely different from Luo Tianxuan's innocent and pure image.

She still possesses the mature charm of someone in their thirties, with a full and graceful figure that would make any woman envious.

Her skin was as delicate as a baby's; time had not left a single trace on her.

Her jet-black hair fell to her knees, swaying gently in the early morning breeze.

Her bright eyes blinked, her gaze sweeping across the bedroom before landing on Song Yan. Her fair face smiled sweetly at Song Yan: "Husband."

That smile:
Her eyes sparkled like autumn light, and her lotus-like steps returned with a fragrance lingering on her jade-like bones.

The rosy hue of her cheeks is almost even, and her smile in the breeze hides a hundred charms.

Even Song Yan couldn't help but feel slightly disoriented.

Ziyu's body trembled slightly. She had not forgotten the scene when Hua Lianyue suddenly appeared and shoved the poison into her mouth. She had no ability to resist or even react at all during the whole process.

In Yu Ziyu's mind, this mysterious woman in black was even more terrifying than Luo Tianxuan.

Her little face turned pale.

Hua Lianyue's gaze fell on Luo Tianxuan. To be honest, this was the first time she had met Song Yan's wife.

Eye contact.

Her eyes were brimming with tears, and she was laughing and chatting.

For some reason, everyone in the bedroom suddenly became tense.

A thought silently surfaced in everyone's mind:

What if... what if these two start fighting?

This strange gaze had perhaps lasted for several breaths when suddenly, a smile bloomed on Hua Lianyue's face. Although she was older, she curtsied to Luo Tianxuan:
"elder sister!"

"You are so beautiful."

"No wonder my husband is always thinking about her; even I, her younger sister, can't help but like her."

(End of this chapter)