Chapter 5: The Qin Yan Sect (Part 2)

"Bah! Tian Junan! You can kill or maim me as you wish, but I, Qin Yanyan, will never do anything to betray my sect! If you want me to frame my master, there’s no way!" Qin Yan shouted angrily, her voice delicate yet fierce, exuding an air of righteousness. This infuriated Tang Xuan, who cursed inwardly: "You little vixen, always wanting to die at the slightest provocation! Don’t you know to endure a little, agree temporarily, and then slowly find a way to save the elders of the sect?"

Upon hearing this, the younger sister-in-law felt both embarrassed and angry. She was about to scold him fiercely, but there were elders from the sect in the prison, and she feared losing her composure. In this critical moment, she had no choice but to suppress her anger and softly said: "Dear... sister... brother-in-law, you heard me right, I am... I am... Yan'er! Please come and save us!"

Indeed, as soon as the younger aunt heard his voice, she hurriedly shouted: "Hey... hey! You! Hurry up and open the door? Let us out!" Tang Xuan snorted softly, thinking to himself, how can this little girl not take me seriously? Not calling me 'Your Majesty' is one thing, but at the very least, she could call me 'Brother-in-law' or 'Xuan Ge', right? Instead, she just keeps calling out like I'm some pig. After pondering this, Tang Xuan muttered to himself: "Huh? Did I just hear the younger aunt's voice?! Not calling me 'Your Majesty' is one thing, but at the very least, she could call me 'Brother-in-law' or 'Xuan Ge', right? Instead, she just keeps calling out like I'm some pig. After pondering this, Tang Xuan muttered to himself: "Huh? Did I just hear the younger aunt's voice? Ah, it seems I am too concerned about her, and have started to hallucinate! Besides, when the younger aunt sees me, she would definitely affectionately call me 'dear Brother-in-law', how could she be so rude, calling out like that? I think I should just go sweep somewhere else!" With that, he turned to leave.

Tang Xuan carefully examined the prison cell, which was about 20 feet high, its four walls covered in green moss. From time to time, a chilling wind swept through, bringing an eerie coldness, suggesting that countless wronged souls may have perished within. Having died once and visited the underworld, Tang Xuan was aware of the tales of gods and spirits; it was not impossible, but they likely did not dare to emerge and frighten him. Thus, he clasped his hands together and silently prayed in his heart: "Please do not cause me any trouble; it would be best if you could bless me with a long life of a hundred years, reign as emperor for seventy or eighty years, enjoy the company of many beautiful women, and have many sons. Thank you! If you see the old cow, please send my regards to his entire family!"

The Han man kicked Tang Xuan and shouted, "Follow me!" After saying this, he led Tang Xuan left and right, entering a dark and damp underground area. Tang Xuan noticed a few sparse torches inside, barely illuminating the ground of the dungeon, while in the distance lay a patch of darkness. Strangely, a faint fragrance wafted through the air. Tang Xuan found the scent extremely pleasant, which involuntarily reminded him of the aromas of his beloved concubine and his younger sister-in-law.

Indeed, when the people in the house saw him, they found him utterly repulsive, and he was a mute, rolling around on the ground, unable to utter a single word. They could not help but burst into laughter. One of the burly men reported, "Young Master Tian, this mute started following Qin Yanyan, seemingly not knowing her. He is probably a vagrant who, upon seeing Qin Yanyan's beauty, wishes to take advantage of her. Since we are short on manpower in the gang, we can have him clean the dungeon. This way, we need not worry about him saying anything inappropriate."

That young master lightly waved his jade fan and smiled as he said: "Junior Sister Qin! The three masters have committed a capital offense within the alliance! This matter originally has nothing to do with you. As long as you abandon the darkness and embrace the light, and come forward to testify against the three masters to prove your innocence, Brother Tian will not only ensure your safety but can also promote you to the position of leader of the Holy Martial Alliance and the Mei Tian Sect. What do you think?"

Tian Junan applauded and said: "Junior Sister Qin, you are indeed a good disciple of the Masters. If you wish to die, I will not stop you. However, seeing how beautiful and charming you are, it would be a pity to die like this, wouldn't it?" He exchanged glances with the two elderly men beside him, then spoke loudly: "Come here! First, take Junior Sister Qin down so she can see what her Masters currently look like; perhaps she will be more obedient!" Soon, someone came forward and took Qin Yan away. Tian Junan then asked: "Who is that ugly and thin person? Do you know him? Wake him up first!"

The burly man kicked the broom by the wall and said, "You need to sweep this dungeon three times a day, and add some oil to the torch holder every three hours, understood?" Tang Xuan nodded and bowed, indicating that he understood. The burly man, seeing his emaciated figure and that he was a mute without any strength, casually gave a few more instructions and then left with ease.

Tang Xuan pondered for a moment and realized that their focus was on his younger aunt. As for himself, they likely regarded him as a villager who had mistakenly wandered in. Tang Xuan pretended to be asleep, squinting his eyes to take a look. He saw three people seated at the head of the table: two elderly men in their fifties and a young gentleman around twenty years old. Although he was not particularly handsome, he was still a hundred times more attractive than Tang Xuan.

However, Tang Xuan performed like a show, sweeping back and forth three times, yet his little aunt did not notice him. Feeling quite uncomfortable, he could only clear his throat a few times and quietly complain, "Ah, what bad luck! I have been inexplicably caught here! My little aunt cannot be found either; how am I supposed to report to my beloved consort now?"

Tang Xuangang felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him when he heard someone respond. Startled, he shivered uncontrollably and had no choice but to open his eyes, feigning a look of terror as he scanned his surroundings, mumbling incoherently. Tang Xuan knew that these people were ruthless killers, and in order to save his own life, it was best to pretend to be mute, though he was unsure if this was the correct way to act in this world.

"Master, you... what happened to you... who hurt you like this?" A faint and broken voice came through, and upon hearing it, Tang Xuan was overjoyed. Wasn't that the voice of his little aunt? He thought to himself, if she is also trapped in here, wouldn't that be my chance to be a hero and save the beauty? Haha, thank you all for your blessings. Once I win over my little aunt, I will definitely burn more paper money for all of you. Also, for those of you gambling in the underworld, please do not play the game of 'Thirteen'! That table is run by someone of considerable status in the underworld. If you win money, you might just be reborn as a pig or a dog in your next life! Haha, thank you all for your blessings. Once I win over my little aunt, I will definitely burn more paper money for all of you. Also, for those of you gambling in the underworld, please do not play the game of 'Thirteen'! That table is run by someone of considerable status in the underworld. If you win money, you might just be reborn as a pig or a dog in your next life! Back in the day, I intentionally lost several million just to gain a chance at reincarnation. Alright, everyone, safe travels!

The younger sister-in-law was so angry that she stamped her feet, but ultimately softened and pleaded, "Good brother-in-law, please come and save Yan'er. I... I am your younger sister-in-law! My master seems to be injured! Hurry and help us out!"

Tang Xuan could not help but wonder why a careless man was aware of his desire to take advantage of Qin Yanyan's beauty. Could it be that there was truly a character for lust inscribed on his face? This simply would not do; he needed to change that. He should engrave that character in his heart instead, striving to maintain a face as pure as an angel's, even if his heart was impure. Only in this way could he approach beautiful women without drawing attention to himself.

Tang Xuanxi walked briskly inside, and as he approached the cell where his aunt's younger sister was, he feigned a nonchalant demeanor, picked up a broom, and gently swept the floor, not even glancing in the direction of his aunt's younger sister.

Tang Xuan said foolishly: "Yan'er? Who is Yan'er? Is she my little wife? I just got hit, my head hurts so much! I can't remember some things!"

When Tang Xuan awoke again, he found himself bound and thrown into a corner of the room. He was horrified and thought, "Could it be that they recognized me as the Emperor and intend to kill me? Are these people sent by my uncle?" As he surveyed his surroundings, he noticed that although he was tied up, the place where he was discarded seemed random, located in a corner of the room. His younger sister-in-law was also bound, standing furiously in the center of the room. In this room, there were more than ten armed men, as well as several leaders seated at the head, all of whom directed their attention towards his sister-in-law, completely ignoring him.

Without a moment's hesitation, Si Jun Nan casually said, "Let it be as you say!" The burly man respectfully acknowledged and drew out his steel knife, slowly approaching Tang Xuan, who was genuinely frightened and felt like shouting for help. With a swift motion, the man brought down the knife, a flash of silver light appeared, and Tang Xuan suddenly felt his hands loosen as the ropes binding him were severed. Unable to contain himself, Tang Xuan secretly praised the man's knife skills, thinking that it was an excellent technique, but he added to himself that next time, he must not experiment on him, for blades are merciless; a single misstep could cost him his life.