Huang Rong from The Return of the Condor Heroes: Brother Jing, let's get a divorce.

On a dark and windy night, behind Zhongnan Mountain.

After an unknown amount of time, a piercing pain woke Yin Zhiping. He gasped for breath and straightened up, but the movement aggravated his injuries, causing his face to contort in pain.

"hiss……"

Yin Zhiping was covered in sweat and struggled to sit up. His right wrist hung limply at his sides, clearly broken in several pieces; even the slightest touch caused excruciating pain.

Memories flood back.

That crazy old beggar could unleash terrifying force with a casual wave of his hand; even his master would have a hard time achieving such martial arts.

And Yang Guo...

Thinking of Yang Guo, Yin Zhiping's eyes instantly became bloodshot.

That little beast who was always so respectful to me, calling me "Master" all the time, had actually been playing dumb all along to take advantage of me!

He actually befriended such a terrifyingly powerful master. What's most infuriating is that he completely outmaneuvered him, and in the end, even stole the Nine-Turn Reversal Pill he was using to blackmail Xiaolongnu!

"Yang Guo..."

Yin Zhiping gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse like a vengeful ghost.

He tried to set the broken bones, but the moment his fingers touched the swollen wrist, the excruciating pain made his vision go black, and he almost fainted again.

No, we must return to Chongyang Palace.

Yin Zhiping endured the excruciating pain and staggered to his feet. His Taoist robe was tattered, his hair disheveled, and he was covered in grass and mud. Where was the dignity of a third-generation disciple of the Quanzhen Sect? He looked exactly like a stray dog ​​that had just crawled out of a grave.

The night wind blew by, its chill penetrating to the bone.

Clutching his severed wrist, Yin Zhiping leaned against a tree trunk, inching his way up the mountain. With each step, the resentment in his heart deepened. It wasn't just the pain of the broken wrist, but also the humiliation of being mocked and trampled underfoot.

And there's also the Dragon Girl...

The woman who haunted his dreams has probably been saved by that little beast Yang Guo by now, hasn't she?

The thought that Yang Guo might be in the Ancient Tomb, guarding the weak Dragon Girl, or even doing what Yin Zhiping had always dreamed of but dared not cross, caused various images to uncontrollably flash through his mind, and jealousy almost drove him mad.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

He growled in a low voice, then lost his footing and nearly fell on the mountain path.

Just then, several lights suddenly appeared ahead, and the sound of hurried footsteps came on the wind.

"Who's there?" A sharp shout pierced the night sky.

Yin Zhiping was startled and instinctively tried to dodge, but he was unable to move freely at the moment, so how could he dodge?

The firelight rapidly approached, and several Quanzhen disciples arrived carrying lanterns. The leader, a thin man with sinister eyes, was none other than Zhao Zhijing, with whom he had a long-standing feud.

"Oh, isn't this Junior Brother Yin?"

By the firelight, Zhao Zhijing saw Yin Zhiping's appearance clearly. He was taken aback at first, then a playful smile appeared on his lips. "In the middle of the night, instead of cultivating in his room, Junior Brother Yin, what happened to you in this state? Tsk tsk tsk, what trouble did you encounter?"

The disciples behind him exchanged glances, wanting to laugh but daring not to. Normally, Yin Zhiping, relying on the favor of the sect leader Qiu Chuji, held a high position in the sect and always maintained the air of a righteous gentleman, firmly suppressing Zhao Zhijing. When had he ever been so embarrassed?

Yin Zhiping's face turned ashen, and he inwardly cursed himself. It was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly; he had run into his nemesis, Zhao Zhijing.

"I've run into a bit of trouble." Yin Zhiping lowered his eyes, not wanting Zhao Zhijing to see the disheveled look in them, and said in a low voice, "No need for Senior Brother Zhao to worry about me."

Zhao Zhijing's eyesight was incredibly sharp; he immediately spotted Yin Zhiping's severed hand hanging limply at his side. He was overjoyed inside, but feigned surprise, quickly stepping forward: "Oh dear! Junior Brother, what happened to your hand? Was it... broken off?"

As he spoke, he pretended to reach out to help.

Yin Zhiping dodged to the side as if he'd been electrocuted, and said coldly, "I just tripped and fell."

"Took a fall?" Zhao Zhijing scoffed, withdrawing his hand and circling Yin Zhiping halfway around. "Junior Brother Yin's lightness skill is among the best of our third-generation disciples. How could you break your wrist walking on a mountain path? Are the stones on the ground made of iron? Besides, on Zhongnan Mountain, apart from our masters, who would dare to lay such a vicious hand on the top disciple of Quanzhen? Could it be... that you encountered some peerless master?"

He waved his hand, dismissing the disciples behind him: "You all go and patrol over there first. I have something to say to Junior Brother Yin alone."

Several disciples responded and withdrew. Only two people remained on the mountain path, the flickering firelight illuminating their faces, each harboring their own secrets.

Yin Zhiping's heart skipped a beat; he absolutely could not reveal the truth. If Zhao Zhijing found out that he had stolen the elixir and lost it, not only would his future in the Quanzhen Sect be ruined, but he might even be expelled from the sect. Let alone succeeding as the sect leader, he might not even be able to remain a Taoist priest.

Moreover, it's estimated that marrying into the Ancient Tomb is now a bit troublesome, and Xiaolongnu might not allow herself to enter.

"Cough cough..." Yin Zhiping endured the excruciating pain, his eyes darting around as he fabricated a story, "I did encounter a master. I was practicing my martial arts on the back mountain when a masked man in black sneaked in. That man's martial arts were incredibly high, and when I tried to stop him, I was caught off guard and fell into his trap."

"Oh? The man in black?"

Zhao Zhijing stared at him with a half-smile, drawing out his words, clearly not believing a single one. "There's been quite a commotion at the ancient tomb lately. I heard there's been a crazy old man hanging around. Could it be that Junior Brother Yin went to the ancient tomb to 'practice his skills'?" He emphasized the word "practice his skills," clearly implying something.

Yin Zhiping's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm: "Senior Brother Zhao is joking. How could I possibly trespass into the forbidden area of ​​the back mountain? Besides those two demons from the ancient tomb, where would any man in black come from in this back mountain?"

"Yeah?"

Zhao Zhijing suddenly leaned close to Yin Zhiping's ear, his voice so low that only the two of them could hear: "Not long ago, I went to inspect the pill room and found that the compartment where the 'Nine Revolutions Life-Reversing Pill' was stored was empty. Moreover, the disciple guarding the pill room said that only Junior Brother Yin had been there those few days... That's a life-saving divine medicine left behind by our grandmaster."

"Half a month later, Junior Brother Yin secretly went to the alchemy room again, and coincidentally, the remaining two pills disappeared the next day!"

Yin Zhiping's pupils contracted sharply, his body trembled violently, and his face turned deathly pale instantly.

It was discovered!

"Zhao Zhijing, are you spying on me?" Yin Zhiping's voice was chilling.

"I wouldn't call it surveillance, I'm just concerned about my junior brother." Zhao Zhijing's face revealed a sinister smile. "Junior brother, stealing valuable treasures is a serious crime. If the sect leader finds out... and that hand of yours, it wasn't broken while trying to deliver medicine to the Little Dragon Girl in the ancient tomb, was it?"

Touched on a sore spot, a ruthless glint flashed in Yin Zhiping's eyes. Since he couldn't hide it any longer, he would drag the person down with him; he couldn't let this scoundrel get carried away.

"Senior Brother Zhao," Yin Zhiping raised his head, looking directly into Zhao Zhijing's eyes, his tone turning icy, "We're in the same boat. That remnant of the 'Iron Palm Gang' you met at the Yue Lai Inn at the foot of the mountain on the third day of last month—the business they discussed didn't seem very honorable, did it? Also, why do a certain percentage of the monthly rations of pills for the disciples always mysteriously disappear?"

Zhao Zhijing's expression changed, and the mockery in his eyes vanished instantly. The two stared at each other on the dimly lit mountain path, their gazes clashing like swords, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

After a long while, Zhao Zhijing suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Junior Brother Yin is indeed a smart man." He patted Yin Zhiping's intact left shoulder with a light but firm touch. "We are brothers, why should we expose each other's shortcomings? Now that the Quanzhen Sect is beset by internal and external troubles, we should work together to overcome them."

Yin Zhiping scoffed inwardly, but his expression softened somewhat: "Senior brother is right."

"Now that we've laid our cards on the table, I won't hold back anymore." Zhao Zhijing's smile vanished, a sinister glint in his eyes. "Was it that little beast Yang Guo who beat you up like this?"

Mentioning this name seemed to intensify the pain in Yin Zhiping's severed wrist, and the muscles around his eyes twitched violently.

"Besides him, who else could it be?" Yin Zhiping gritted his teeth. "That kid colluded with a crazy old beggar who is extremely skilled in martial arts. I wasn't careful enough..."

"An old beggar?" Zhao Zhijing frowned, then, as if he had thought of something, a glint flashed in his eyes. "Could it be that Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison?"

"Ouyang Feng?" Yin Zhiping was shocked.

"Hmph, that madman has been wandering around Zhongnan Mountain for quite some time now," Zhao Zhijing sneered. "That little beast Yang Guo actually colluded with the Western Poison! This is a heinous crime of betraying one's master and ancestors!"

He looked at Yin Zhiping and coaxed, "Junior Brother Yin, are you just going to let this grudge of your severed wrist go? And what about that Miss Long... are you willing to watch her be taken advantage of by that little beast?"

These words pierced Yin Zhiping's heart.

"I'm not reconciled!" Yin Zhiping roared, his face contorted in pain. "I'll kill him! I'll make him wish he were dead!"

"Killing him is easy, but to ruin his reputation and prevent him from ever rising again, we need to plan carefully." Zhao Zhijing's eyes flashed with a venomous light. "I might as well tell you some news. My master, Master Wang, revealed that the sect leader intends to step down and cultivate in seclusion. The new sect leader will be selected from the third and fourth generation disciples through a grand competition."

Yin Zhiping's heart pounded wildly. The position of sect leader!

Previously, he was preoccupied with Xiaolongnu and not particularly enthusiastic about the position. But now, Yin Zhiping has made it his lifelong pursuit. Quanzhen Sect is the number one sect in the world, and the position of sect leader is extremely prestigious.

"If we let that brat Yang Guo continue causing trouble, we'll all lose face," Zhao Zhijing observed Yin Zhiping's expression. "Besides, if Junior Brother wants to sit in that position, this stumbling block, Yang Guo, must be eliminated. If we can get rid of this scourge now and protect the reputation of the Quanzhen Sect, wouldn't our chances of winning the competition be much greater?"

Yin Zhiping remained silent for a moment. He looked at his broken wrist, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. He knew Zhao Zhijing was a despicable person. But at this moment, only by cooperating with this despicable person could he avenge himself and cover up his crime of stealing the medicine.

"What brilliant plan do you have, senior brother?" Yin Zhiping asked eagerly.

"Simple."

Zhao Zhijing leaned closer, his voice so low only the two of them could hear, "In half a month, it will be the Quanzhen Sect's annual grand competition. At that time, the Seven Masters of Quanzhen will all emerge from seclusion, and even fellow martial artists will come to witness the event. We just need to set up a trap..."

He whispered a few words in Yin Zhiping's ear, each word like juice squeezed from a venomous fang.

"...Then, we'll accuse him of 'colluding with the demonic path, stealing valuable treasures, and committing adultery within the sect.' We'll use his injured arm as evidence. As for witnesses...hmph, if we handle things properly, are we afraid that little beast won't confess? We'll add fuel to the fire, saying that Little Dragon Girl seduced a Quanzhen disciple and disrupted our sect's rules. Tell me, given the tempers of our masters, wouldn't they raze the Ancient Tomb to the ground?"

As Yin Zhiping listened, his heart skipped a beat when he heard the words "Dangping Ancient Tomb".

He wanted Yang Guo dead, not Long Gui.

But then he thought, if the ancient tomb were to be breached, and Miss Long were left all alone, wouldn't he have the perfect opportunity to play the hero and take her away? Once this thought arose, it grew wildly like weeds and could no longer be suppressed.

"Alright." Yin Zhiping nodded, his gaze cold. "As you wish."

"However..." Yin Zhiping changed the subject, still harboring concerns, "about this pill..."

"Don't worry," Zhao Zhijing patted his chest. "Once Yang Guo is caught, he'll naturally be the one who stole and ate the elixir. With no one to prove it, who can trace it back to you?"

The two exchanged a glance and both saw the greed and ruthlessness in each other's eyes.

"Let's go, junior brother." Zhao Zhijing reached out and supported Yin Zhiping's intact left arm. This time, Yin Zhiping did not dodge. "Let's go back to our room and heal first. If this broken bone isn't set in time, I'm afraid it will leave us disabled. We'll settle this score later."

The two walked side by side up the mountain, their shadows stretching long in the firelight.

Zhao Zhijing helped Yin Zhiping up, but inwardly he sneered. Yin Zhiping, you think I'm genuinely helping you? Once you help me get rid of Yang Guo, the charge of stealing the elixir will fall on your head anyway. Then, who else but me will be the sect leader?

Despite the excruciating pain, Yin Zhiping was also making plans. Zhao Zhijing was a treacherous and cunning fellow, and he couldn't afford to be careless. He could deal with this villain later, after dealing with Yang Guo and obtaining Miss Long.

He glanced back at the direction of the ancient tomb, and the last trace of infatuation in his eyes vanished completely.

Yang Guo, you just wait. What you took, I'll make you pay back tenfold. And every woman you've touched, I'll make you beg for mercy beneath me!