Yang Guo: I'm invincible in the opening battle against Aunt Guo!

Yang Guo and his group hurried along the Zhongnan Mountain path.

The mountain road was rugged, and the morning dew had not yet dried.

However, all four were martial artists and were extremely fast on their feet.

In less than half an hour, they had reached the foot of the mountain.

"Brother Yang, which way should we go?" Lu Wushuang asked breathlessly.

She had the weakest internal strength and was inexperienced in such matters; at this moment, she was drenched in sweat and her steps were somewhat unsteady.

Yang Guo stopped and glanced at the four forks in the road, one in each direction.

He closed his eyes, his mind racing as he recalled the plot of the original novel, "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

Where did Xiaolongnu go after leaving the Ancient Tomb for the first time?

The Valley of Heartbreak? No, that's where I went after being rescued by Gongsun Zhi.

Mount Hua? No, I went to Mount Hua after our second parting.

Xiangyang...

Yang Guo suddenly opened his eyes.

Yes.

In the original novel, after leaving Zhongnan Mountain, Xiaolongnu wandered around and eventually reunited with Yang Guo in Xiangyang City.

"Let's go to Xiangyang," Yang Guo said decisively.

Li Mochou frowned slightly: "Xiangyang? Are you sure my junior sister will go there?"

"Unsure," Yang Guo shook his head.

"But Xiangyang is where Aunt Guo is, and I have to go there to report back. If Long'er doesn't go to Xiangyang, we can ask the Beggars' Sect to find out information—the Beggars' Sect has eyes and ears all over the world, so it's the most convenient way to find someone."

If Xiaolongnu had truly gone to the vicinity of Xiangyang as in the original story, they would have been able to meet.

If not, using the Beggars' Sect's resources to find them is better than the four of them searching blindly.

Li Mochou pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "That makes sense. Let's go to Xiangyang then."

Hong Lingbo suddenly spoke up: "Young Master Yang, Junior Sister Lu seems a little tired. Why don't you... rest for a while?"

Yang Guo looked at Lu Wushuang and saw that her face was pale and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

He felt a pang of guilt.

He was so focused on finding Xiaolongnu that he forgot Wushuang was still weak from her first encounter with the emperor's favor the night before.

"It was my oversight." Yang Guo quickly walked to Lu Wushuang's side, supporting her arm. "Wushuang, can you still hold on?"

Lu Wushuang forced a smile: "It's alright, Brother Yang, I can still walk..."

Before he could finish speaking, his legs gave way and he nearly fell.

Yang Guo quickly helped her up and then picked her up in his arms.

"Ah!" Lu Wushuang exclaimed, her cheeks flushed. "Brother Yang, put me down quickly... I can walk by myself..."

"Don't push yourself." Yang Guo's tone was gentle but firm. "Your health is the most important thing."

He carried Lu Wushuang to a flat bluestone by the roadside and carefully put her down.

He then took out a small white jade bottle from his bosom and poured out a pale green pill: "This is Jade Dew Powder, which can replenish qi and nourish blood. Take it first and regulate your breathing for a while."

Lu Wushuang took the pill, a warm feeling flowing through her heart, and obediently swallowed it.

The pill went down and transformed into a warm current that spread throughout my body, instantly relieving my fatigue.

Li Mochou watched from the side, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

She was both pleased with Yang Guo's thoughtfulness towards Wushuang and couldn't help but wonder—if she were the one who was physically exhausted at this moment, would he treat her so gently?

The thought flashed through her mind, and she immediately cursed herself inwardly: Li Mochou, Li Mochou, when did you become so pretentious?

"Master..." Hong Lingbo called softly, "Why don't you rest too?"

Li Mochou shook her head: "I'm not tired."

Even so, she still walked to the other side of the bluestone, sat down, and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.

Yang Guo stood at the crossroads, gazing eastward.

That's the direction of Xiangyang.

……

Meanwhile, at the foot of the other side of Zhongnan Mountain, ten miles away from Yang Guo.

A figure dressed in white, as white as snow, appeared and disappeared in the morning mist.

Little Dragon Girl used the Ancient Tomb Sect's lightness skill, her figure ethereal and graceful, and she had already covered dozens of feet in just a few leaps.

Her face was expressionless, but deep within her cold eyes lay a barely perceptible pain.

She didn't actually sleep last night.

She could hear Yang Guo and Lu Wushuang's movements clearly in the stone chamber.

She thought she didn't care.

The Ancient Tomb Sect cultivates a life of purity and few desires; she was taught from a young age to sever all emotions and desires.

Her dual cultivation of the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra with Yang Guo was merely for practicing martial arts, and... to improve her strength.

But when she heard those sounds and felt the ambiguous atmosphere permeating the stone chamber, she realized—

I care.

I care a lot.

That bittersweet feeling was like a fine needle pricking my heart again and again.

So she chose to leave.

It wasn't anger, nor resentment.

I just... don't know how to face it.

She doesn't know how to face herself for sharing the same man with Lu Wushuang and Li Mochou.

"Perhaps... I shouldn't have fallen in love in the first place," Xiaolongnu murmured to herself, quickening her pace.

She wanted to leave Zhongnan Mountain, to leave this place that was causing her distress.

where to go?

do not know.

The world is vast; there's always a place she can go.

Just as I was pondering this, a strange laugh suddenly came from the woods ahead.

"Hehe...hehehe...Nine Yin Manual...my Nine Yin Manual..."

The voice was frantic, carrying a powerful internal force that caused the leaves to fall in a rustling sound.

Little Dragon Girl paused, staring intently into the distance.

Suddenly, a disheveled old man emerged from the forest, his clothes tattered, his eyes bloodshot—it was none other than Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison!

Ever since that day when Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu joined forces to defeat them.

He had been wandering around the Zhongnan Mountains.

Upon smelling the same internal energy aura emanating from Xiaolongnu that was identical to that of the Nine Yin Manual, it pounced on her like a mad dog seeing meat.

"Little girl...you've practiced the Nine Yin Manual, haven't you? Hand over the manual! Hand it over!"

Ouyang Feng roared and struck with his palm.

The palm strike was fierce and carried a foul, fishy stench.

Little Dragon Girl's pupils contracted.

She recognized the old man.

On that day at Chongyang Palace, Yang Guo fought with this man and called him "Ouyang Feng".

Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison, is one of the Five Greats, and his martial arts have reached the Grandmaster level!

She is no match for her!

In a flash, Little Dragon Girl made the right choice—

Instead of direct confrontation, we'll maneuver and negotiate!

She retreated swiftly, her white robes fluttering like a white cloud drifting backward.

At the same time, he raised his right hand, and three jade bee needles shot out, aiming straight for Ouyang Feng's face!

The jade bee's needle is as fine as a cow's hair, and its trail is almost invisible in the morning light.

But who is Ouyang Feng?

Even when mentally impaired, the martial arts instinct remains.

He let out a strange laugh, and with a flick of his sleeve, a gust of wind swept away all the jade bee needles.

"Hidden weapons? A child's play!"

He clapped his hands together, unleashed his Toad Style Kung Fu to its fullest extent, and charged forward like a cannonball!

Wherever it went, it plowed a deep trench in the ground and broke trees one after another!

Little Dragon Girl's expression changed slightly.

That imposing presence is far greater than hers!

She dared not be negligent and used the Ancient Tomb Sect's highest lightness skill, the "Heavenly Net Formation," her figure transforming into several afterimages as she scattered in all directions.

This was a movement technique she had learned from ancient tomb carvings; the afterimages she left behind were all realistic and could confuse the enemy's vision.

As expected, Ouyang Feng missed his target.

He stood frozen in place, his bloodshot eyes darting left and right, as if trying to figure out which one was the real body.

The Little Dragon Girl's true form had already leaped to an ancient pine tree ten feet away.

She was panting, and beads of sweat were forming on her forehead.

Just a moment ago, she had pushed her lightness skill to its limit to barely dodge Ouyang Feng's attack.

If they had been even half a second slower, they would already be seriously injured.

"We can't fight for long," Little Dragon Girl knew in her heart.

The gap between her and Ouyang Feng was too great; a direct confrontation would only lead to her death.

The only option is to escape!

In a flash, she made her decision.

He raised his right hand again, this time not with jade bee needles, but with a handful of white powder.

It is the Ancient Tomb Sect's unique poison, Ice Soul Jade Powder!

The powder dispersed upon contact with the wind, turning into a white mist that enveloped an area of ​​three zhang in radius.

Caught off guard, Ouyang Feng inhaled a small amount and immediately choked, coughing repeatedly.

"Poison? Heh heh... When I, Ouyang Feng, was playing with poison, you weren't even born yet!"

He laughed wildly, neither dodging nor yielding, and pushed forward with both palms!

The Toad Style's powerful winds swept away the white mist like a tidal wave!

But in that brief delay, Xiaolongnu had already taken the opportunity to escape.

She used her lightness skill to its fullest extent, her white clothes weaving through the forest like a white rainbow.

Ouyang Feng was not about to give up.

"Don't run! Hand over the Nine Yin Manual!"

He roared and strode off to catch up.

The two chased each other through the forests of Zhongnan Mountain.

Xiaolongnu possessed unparalleled lightness skills and agile movements.

Ouyang Feng possessed profound internal strength and moved with incredible speed.

For a time, neither of them could shake the other off.

Half an hour later.

Little Dragon Girl leaped onto a cliff, but there was no way forward.

Below was a bottomless abyss, shrouded in mist.

Turning around, Ouyang Feng was charging towards them with a sinister grin.