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

Lu Wushuang huddled beside the tree roots, her back pressed tightly against the rough bark.

She trembled uncontrollably, her teeth chattering. She gripped the hem of her skirt tightly with both hands, her knuckles white, and tears streamed down her cheeks, forming a string on her chin.

Yang Guo stood two zhang away, his long sword still sheathed. He neither approached nor spoke. He simply looked at her.

Huang Rong stood to Yang Guo's right, holding the Dog-Beating Stick in her hand. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, put the handkerchief back into her sleeve, and her gaze fell on Lu Wushuang.

None of the three spoke.

The night wind was cold on the mass grave. Yin Zhiping's body lay a few steps away beside the tombstone, blood still seeping from the transparent hole in his chest. The air was thick with the smell of rust.

Lu Wushuang couldn't stand the silence. The quieter it was, the more frightened she became.

"I really didn't hear anything!" Lu Wushuang shouted again, her voice already hoarse. "Please, please let me go. After I go down the mountain, I'll leave Zhongnan Mountain. I'll go to the Western Regions, I'll go to Dali. I'll never return to the Central Plains! I'll agree to whatever you say!"

Yang Guo finally moved.

He took two steps forward and squatted down in front of Lu Wushuang.

Their eyes met. Yang Guo tilted his head and examined Lu Wushuang's tear-streaked face.

"You just said you didn't hear anything?" Yang Guo asked.

Lu Wushuang nodded frantically, almost breaking her neck.

"Then tell me," Yang Guo said, holding up his right index finger in front of Lu Wushuang and waving it twice, "what were the last words Yin Zhiping shouted before he died?"

Lu Wushuang opened her mouth, then closed it again.

She dared not say it.

To say it would be a capital offense. But if she didn't say it, she was afraid Yang Guo would think she was pretending to be stupid.

Yang Guo looked at her conflicted expression and twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Look, your expression proves you heard everything." Yang Guo stood up, patted the dirt off his knees, and said, "If you really didn't hear, you should be looking blankly at me and asking, 'What did he say?' instead of pretending to be deaf here. Miss Lu, your acting is terrible."

Lu Wushuang's face completely fell.

She can't outact this guy. This scoundrel was probably a fraud in his past life, with an eerily sharp eye; no expression can fool him.

Huang Rong spoke up from the side.

"Guo'er, stop teasing her." Huang Rong's tone was very calm. She said "stop teasing her," but what she really meant was "get things done quickly."

Yang Guo glanced back at Huang Rong, understanding immediately.

He turned back and squatted down in front of Lu Wushuang again, this time getting even closer.

"You...you're going to kill me?"

Yang Guo turned around and looked at her terrified expression, and sighed inwardly.

He didn't want to kill the girl.

Leaving aside the fact that Yang Guo, in his travels, never kills unarmed women, consider the current situation—Yin Zhiping's body isn't even cold yet. If he were to commit another murder, things would become even more difficult to handle. The Quanzhen Sect disciples are searching the entire mountain; what if someone manages to find two corpses here? How would they explain that?

Yin Zhiping was a traitor, and his execution was justified. What about Lu Wushuang? She didn't violate any rules of the Quanzhen Sect.

But if I don't kill her, how can I shut her up?

Yang Guo's mind raced. To be honest, Lu Wushuang's background was quite pitiful. She lost her parents at a young age, was lame, and her martial arts skills were mediocre.

If there were any other way, Yang Guo would really not want to kill him.

He squatted back down, facing Lu Wushuang.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you'd better answer honestly. If you lie, I can tell right away."

Lu Wushuang nodded frantically.

Why did you come to this back mountain in the middle of the night?

Lu Wushuang hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth.

"I...I heard that Li Mochou appeared in the back mountain, seriously injured. I want...I want to find her."

"What do you want with her?"

Lu Wushuang lowered her head and her voice became softer.

"Kill her. She wiped out my entire family. My father, my mother, my uncles, they all died under her Crimson Palm."

Yang Guo sighed inwardly, just as he had expected.

He thought of Li Mochou. The woman in red, one of his women. She had indeed killed many people, was ruthless, and had a terrible reputation. But no one else knew how good Technician Li had been to him.

None of the other women agreed to the conditions he proposed, but only Technician Li had the spirit of exploration.

Yang Guo felt a mix of emotions. From Li Mochou's perspective, Lu Wushuang was also doomed.

"Are you skilled enough to kill Li Mochou?"

Lu Wushuang remained silent.

She couldn't kill him. She knew that perfectly well. Even if Li Mochou was seriously injured, with her mediocre skills, she might not be a match for her. She was just trying her luck, gambling on a one in ten thousand chance.

"I can't kill him." Lu Wushuang's voice was muffled.

Yang Guo felt more confident. He stood up, dusted off his hands, and changed his tone.

"Fine. I'll give you two options. You choose."

Lu Wushuang raised her head.

"Lu Wushuang, I'm telling you the truth," Yang Guo lowered his voice, "You heard things you shouldn't have today. This matter involves several lives. Mine, hers, and several others. You know what I mean?"

"So, the first option is that you have no choice, so I kill you. Dead men tell no tales. It's the easiest way."

"Then... what about the second way?" Lu Wushuang's voice was so soft it was almost like a mosquito's hum.

Yang Guo crossed his arms and looked down at her.

"Follow me."

"What?"

"Stay in the Quanzhen Sect and serve me." Yang Guo's tone was extremely natural, as if he were stating a matter of course. "I've just become the sect leader, and I'm short of someone who can run errands, get things done, and keep a tight lip. You're quite bold, and you're also very clever. Just now, you were able to come up with such a long set of life-saving lies under Yin Zhiping's thumb; that quick wit isn't something ordinary people possess."

Lu Wushuang's eyes widened.

She never expected that Yang Guo would ask her not to shut up and die, but to stay and run errands.

"If you come with me, tonight's events will be a secret between us. You'll do my bidding, and I'll keep your secret. We're all in this together, so neither of us needs to be wary of the other." Yang Guo extended his right hand, fingers spread. "Besides, didn't you want to kill Li Mochou to avenge yourself?"

Lu Wushuang's body stiffened.

"With your current martial arts skills, you're not even qualified to carry someone's shoes, let alone take revenge," Yang Guo said bluntly. "But if you stay by my side, I can teach you martial arts. I dare not say that you'll be invincible, but at least you'll be able to protect yourself. As for Li Mochou... we'll talk about that later."

Yang Guo spoke those last four words vaguely.

He couldn't possibly help Lu Wushuang kill Li Mochou; she was his own woman. But he also didn't intend to tell Lu Wushuang about this relationship. He'd deal with that later; for now, he needed to keep her calm and collected.

Lu Wushuang bit her lip, weighing the matter over and over in her mind.

Following Yang Guo meant handing her life over to someone else. But without him, her life was worthless. The Beggars' Clan had spies everywhere; where could a helpless, lame girl like her hide?

What's more... teaching her martial arts?

She had practiced swordsmanship for over a decade, entirely on her own, without any guidance. If she could receive instruction from a master, perhaps there would truly be hope for revenge.