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

The meat porridge on the stone table was steaming hot.

Li Mochou covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking violently, barely suppressing a laugh. She secretly rejoiced; Huang Rong, who usually maintained such a haughty and aloof demeanor, was now rendered speechless by this naive young girl—it was truly gratifying. She wanted to see how Yang Guo planned to end this farce.

Yang Guo held the bowl of porridge, his fingers stiff, his back already soaked with cold sweat. He dared not look at Huang Rong's face, feeling as if the air around him had frozen. He prayed frantically that this matter would pass quickly, and he would do anything as long as they didn't talk about yang energy.

Huang Rong sat on the stone bench, her chest heaving, her fingertips turning white from gripping the hem of her clothes so tightly. She had lived for over thirty years, from Peach Blossom Island to Xiangyang City, and everyone who saw her addressed her with utmost respect as Madam Guo or Chief Huang.

Today, I was humiliated to my face by a little girl using lewd lyrics and songs from a storybook.

She couldn't dwell on this topic. If the matter of last night really came up, she was in the wrong and needed to find a legitimate reason to change the subject immediately.

"absurd!"

Huang Rong suddenly stood up, her sleeves fluttering, creating a gust of wind that dispersed the heat from the table.

Fueled by her anger, she quickly regulated her breathing, looked down at Yang Guo, and adopted the authority of an elder: "Guo'er, you are at the golden age for martial arts training. Uncle Guo hopes you will succeed, but you are here in the Ancient Tomb reading these vulgar books, which have clouded your judgment. Today I will see what real skills you have learned in the past year since you last returned to Xiangyang!"

The topic was abruptly changed. Yang Guo breathed a long sigh of relief, secretly thinking how lucky he was. As long as they were willing to divert his attention, he would accept being beaten up today.

Huang Rong turned to look at Xiaolongnu, her gaze sharp: "Miss Xiaolongnu, does your Ancient Tomb Sect have a place for martial arts demonstrations? As her aunt, I must personally examine the martial arts skills of my Guo family nephews and nieces today."

Xiaolongnu swallowed the meat porridge in her mouth and put down her chopsticks. She felt nothing; she simply thought that since the other party wanted to see her martial arts, then so be it. It would also be a good opportunity to test what she had learned recently.

"Yes." Little Dragon Girl stood up. "Come with me."

Li Mochou remained seated. Watching Huang Rong's retreating figure, a surge of inexplicable anger welled up within her again. This was the Ancient Tomb, the territory of her sect; what right did Huang Rong have to act like she was the guest of honor?

She coldly scoffed, "Chief Huang, you're certainly acting all high and mighty. Yang Guo is practicing martial arts in the Ancient Tomb; since when did it become the business of the Peach Blossom Island people to boss him around?"

Huang Rong stopped and turned her head. She knew Li Mochou was deliberately trying to provoke her, but in terms of seniority and background in the martial arts world, she didn't take Li Mochou seriously at all.

"All martial arts under heaven, though different in path, lead to the same goal." Huang Rong's tone was calm, yet each word carried immense weight. "My father, Huang Yaoshi, the Eastern Heretic, once sat down and discussed the Dao with the True Man Wang Chongyang during the Mount Hua Sword Tournament. I also have some knowledge of the Nine Yin Manual. Fairy Li, do you think I could offer some guidance?"

Li Mochou was speechless. The weight of Peach Blossom Island's heritage and the reputation of the Nine Yin Manual overwhelmed her, leaving her speechless despite her thousand grievances.

She could only stand up, dust off her Taoist robe, and follow. She gritted her teeth, thinking to herself: I'll see what kind of trouble you can find out later.

The four walked through a long passageway and arrived at a spacious, circular stone chamber.

The stone chamber was brightly lit by luminous pearls embedded in its ceiling. Various weapon racks were placed around the room.

Huang Rong walked to the center of the arena and stood with her hands behind her back. Stepping onto the stone slabs of the training ground, she finally regained her familiar sense of home ground. She put away her previous awkwardness and embarrassment, adopting the demeanor of the Beggars' Sect leader. As long as it was within the realm of martial arts, she was absolutely confident she could suppress these strange women.

"Guo'er, get off the stage," Huang Rong instructed.

Yang Guo walked to the weapon rack, drew a long sword, and stood opposite Huang Rong. He made up his mind that no matter what Huang Rong said later, he would obediently accept it and let her vent her anger first.

"You should first use a set of Quanzhen sword techniques," Huang Rong ordered.

Yang Guo flicked his wrist, performing a sword flourish. The longsword thrust out, precisely the opening stance of the Quanzhen Swordplay, "Sailing with the Wind."

He trained diligently in the ancient tomb for a year, developing profound internal strength. His sword flashed, whistling sharply as it cut through the air. Every move was balanced and graceful, subtly displaying the demeanor of a master.

After completing a set of sword techniques, Yang Guo sheathed his sword and stood there, neither out of breath nor flushed.

Huang Rong looked at him, secretly alarmed. This little thief's progress in internal energy was astounding. The power contained in each move couldn't have been achieved in just a year or two. Yin Zhiping's Nine-Turn Life-Reversing Pill had truly transformed him. If he were allowed to grow like this, who in the martial world would be able to subdue him in the future?

But she didn't hold back, deliberately criticizing, "Your internal strength is acceptable, but your swordsmanship is too superficial. The Quanzhen swordsmanship emphasizes tranquility and non-action, using stillness to control movement. Your move 'White Rainbow Across the Sky' just now was hasty and reckless. You only focused on exerting force, but your lower body was weak. If you encountered a master of external martial arts, a sweeping leg kick could break your balance."

Yang Guo nodded repeatedly, adopting a humble and receptive demeanor: "Aunt Guo's teachings are correct."

Huang Rong looked at Xiaolongnu with a scrutinizing gaze: "Miss Xiaolongnu, I've seen Guo'er's Quanzhen Swordplay. What about your Ancient Tomb Sect's martial arts? How much of it has he learned?"

Xiaolongnu walked to the weapon rack and took down the Lady's Sword.

"Guo'er, let's practice that double sword technique." Xiaolongnu walked to the center of the arena.

Li Mochou stood on the sidelines, her brows furrowing instantly. A two-person sword technique? Her master had never mentioned anything about two-person sword techniques when teaching martial arts. Could it be that her master had kept something hidden?

Yang Guo stepped forward with his sword, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xiaolongnu. He had a vague feeling that something was wrong; using this sword technique in front of Huang Rong would probably cause trouble again, but now that the die was cast, he could only bite the bullet and explain.

"This sword technique is called the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra Sword Technique," Yang Guo explained to Huang Rong. "It was created by our founder, Lin Chaoying. It requires two people to work together, one using the Quanzhen Sword Technique and the other using the Jade Maiden Sword Technique."

Huang Rong stepped back to the sidelines, her arms unconsciously crossed over her chest—a defensive posture she herself didn't even realize: "Let's begin."

Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu exchanged a glance.

Both swords were drawn simultaneously.

Yang Guo unleashed a move called "Wandering the World," his sword pointing straight ahead. Xiaolongnu spun around and used the move "Under the Flowers and Moon," her sword flashing like water, gliding past Yang Guo's blade.

The two figures intertwined, their swords flashing.

This sword technique was originally created by Lin Chaoying to counter the Quanzhen Sword Technique, and later evolved into a combined attack technique between men and women. Every move and every stance is imbued with tender affection.

Yang Guo raised his longsword to protect Xiaolongnu's left side. Xiaolongnu's sword spun around, deflecting the void attack from Yang Guo's right side.

The two moved in sync, their eyes meeting repeatedly. That unspoken understanding required no words.

Huang Rong stood on the sidelines, watching the two figures tumbling across the center of the field, her teeth grinding together. A wave of nausea and vomiting surged up in her stomach, and her fingers unconsciously dug into the fabric of her clothes.

This isn't sword practice! This is clearly flirting in broad daylight!

The name of the sword move, the flirtatious glances, the way they leaned on each other... Huang Rong felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe. This little thief, last night he was making vows of eternal love to her in the hot springs, and today he's practicing this tender swordplay with another woman! What has he taken her sincerity for?

Li Mochou's face was even more unsightly than Huang Rong's. Jealousy gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake. Her breathing became heavy, and she stared intently at the two people in the arena, her fingers gripping the wooden handle of her whisk so tightly it creaked.

This is the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra...

Why should I?!

I am the eldest disciple of the Ancient Tomb Sect, yet my master passed on this exquisite sword technique to my junior sister! Moreover, this sword technique requires both men and women to practice together. My junior sister pretends to be celibate and detached from worldly desires, but secretly she practices this kind of thing with Yang Guo! Why does all the good fortune fall on her head?!

"stop!"

Huang Rong could no longer bear to watch. She suddenly spoke up, her cold, hard tone interrupting the demonstration. She was going to break through this barrier in martial arts, turning this so-called tacit understanding into a joke.

Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu sheathed their swords and turned to look at Huang Rong. Yang Guo's heart skipped a beat; he thought to himself, "Oh no, this jealousy has completely overflowed."

Huang Rong stepped into the arena, her gaze sweeping over the two men before finally settling on Yang Guo.

"This sword technique is exquisite in its moves and ingenious in its design," Huang Rong first affirmed, then her tone became extremely sharp, "but it is full of flaws and unusable!"

Xiaolongnu looked at Huang Rong, waiting for her to continue. She was always serious about martial arts and didn't notice the hidden meaning in Huang Rong's words.

"Guo'er, why did your sword tip deviate three inches from the center of your 'Playing the Qin and Flute' move just now?" Huang Rong pointed at Yang Guo's wrist, pressing him relentlessly. "The Quanzhen Swordplay emphasizes uprightness and precision. Your sword should have struck straight down the center. You deviated three inches to avoid Miss Long's shoulder and protect her flank!"

Huang Rong suddenly turned to Xiaolongnu.

"Miss Long, your 'Sweeping Snow and Brewing Tea' move was weak and powerless. You withdrew three-tenths of your true energy. Why? Because you were afraid that the sword energy would damage Guo'er's meridians!"

Huang Rong hit the nail on the head, completely exposing the flaws of this sword technique, and felt a surge of vengeful pleasure.

"This sword technique wasn't originally created for killing enemies. It's a creation of the author to express longing and love!" Huang Rong criticized mercilessly, her eyes fixed on Yang Guo. "When you two practice swordsmanship, your minds are entirely on each other. You're afraid the other will get hurt, and you hold back in every move. In martial arts combat, life and death hang in the balance; the worst thing you can do is be distracted. With your tender feelings, if you encounter a true master who only needs to attack where the enemy is forced to defend, you'll lose your composure and both die!"

These words are well-reasoned and hit the nail on the head.

The martial arts theories of Peach Blossom Island, combined with Huang Rong's sharp insight, clearly analyzed the weaknesses of the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra Sword Technique.

Xiaolongnu lowered her head and pondered for a moment. She recalled the process of practicing sword techniques with Yang Guo on the cold jade bed last night. Indeed, as Huang Rong said, the two of them were always subconsciously mindful of each other, which prevented their moves from ever reaching their full power.

"Chief Huang is right." Little Dragon Girl readily admitted, her mind focused solely on the pursuit of martial arts truth, without the slightest embarrassment at having her private affairs exposed. "This sword technique truly requires two people to be of one mind and without a single distracting thought. We haven't mastered it yet."

Li Mochou scoffed coldly from the side, her face full of disdain: "Not skilled enough? I bet you've taken your skills to the bedroom. Junior sister, you've completely broken your rules of celibacy."

Little Dragon Girl ignored Li Mochou's taunts; she was only concerned with the flaws in her martial arts.

Seeing that Huang Rong had released most of her inner malice, Yang Guo knew that the time was right, so he quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Aunt Guo's martial arts skills are profound, and her insight is keen. I have learned a great deal from her." Yang Guo, displaying the acting prowess of an Oscar winner, said with a face full of admiration. "If it weren't for Aunt Guo's guidance today, I would still be complacent with my superficial skills. Aunt Guo's instruction is more valuable than ten years of hard practice!"

Hearing this flattery, Huang Rong's anger subsided considerably.

She looked at Yang Guo, then at the spacious martial arts hall.

She never intended to bring Yang Guo back to Xiangyang from Zhongnan Mountain. With Guo Jing, that stubborn man, in Xiangyang, she and Yang Guo would never have a chance to be alone.

She had already established her authority by giving us a taste of our power in that exam, and now it was time to offer her a way out.

"However, the martial arts of the Ancient Tomb Sect are indeed unique. Senior Lin was able to create such unique weapons and combined attack techniques back then, which makes him a grandmaster." Huang Rong's tone softened. "If you stay here with the Jade Bed to help you, it won't be a waste of your martial arts skills."

Huang Rong looked at Xiaolongnu.

"Miss Long, Yang Guo is unruly. Thank you for your guidance this past year. Since he is willing to stay in this ancient tomb to study martial arts, I will allow him to stay here for a while longer." Huang Rong, adopting the demeanor of an elder, directly made the decision for Yang Guo. "However, his martial arts are of the right path and still require much honing. He must not become obsessed with romantic love and ruin his future."

Little Dragon Girl nodded: "He's very smart and learns quickly. I'll encourage him."

Huang Rong withdrew her gaze with satisfaction. Her actions had both dampened her rival's arrogance and provided Yang Guo with the most legitimate excuse. Even if Guo Jing asked later, she could confidently say that Yang Guo was studying advanced martial arts in the Ancient Tomb.

All are happy.

Apart from Li Mochou.

At this moment, Li Mochou stood in the corner, her face ashen. She realized that in this ancient tomb, she had become the most marginalized person.