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

Lu Wushuang glanced at Yang Guo, then at Huang Rong beside her.

Huang Rong remained leaning against the tree, as still as a pine tree. She neither urged nor threatened her, but simply watched Lu Wushuang quietly, waiting for her to make her own decision.

This calm is more oppressive than any words.

Lu Wushuang steeled her resolve.

"I...I'll go with you."

Yang Guo smiled.

"clever."

He reached out to help Lu Wushuang up.

Lu Wushuang looked at the hand, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out and grasped it. Yang Guo pulled her up from the ground with force.

"But let me make this clear first," Lu Wushuang said, regaining her footing. "I'll do things for you, but you're not allowed to touch me. If you dare lay a hand on me, I'll risk my life to spread your shameful deeds throughout the world!"

Yang Guo rolled his eyes.

"You're overthinking it. What kind of taste do you have, Yang Guo?

That's an extremely irritating remark.

Lu Wushuang was so angry she almost pulled her outstretched hand back. She was, after all, a young woman; while not as stunning as Huang Rong, she was still quite presentable among her peers. How dare this scoundrel look down on her?

"you!"

"Alright, alright, stop glaring at me." Yang Guo waved his hand dismissively. "You only have one request: shut up. Everything you see and hear tonight, keep it all to yourself. Got it?"

"I heard you clearly." Lu Wushuang snorted and turned her face away.

Yang Guo turned to look at Huang Rong.

Huang Rong remained silent throughout. She had observed the entire process, thoroughly understanding Yang Guo's combination of coaxing and intimidation.

This thief is quick-witted. Without killing or poisoning, he turned a hot potato into a pawn with just a few words. He solved the problem of silencing the witness and got a free errand runner.

She secretly praised him in her heart, but remained outwardly calm.

"Your name is Lu Wushuang," Huang Rong said, not as a question, but as a statement.

"Yes."

"I've heard about what happened at Lu Family Village," Huang Rong said calmly. "It must have been tough for you, a young woman, to have wandered outside for so many years."

Lu Wushuang was taken aback when Huang Rong said such a thing.

"Just forget about tonight," Huang Rong said casually, as if she were commenting on the weather. "Working for Guo'er will bring you many benefits in the future. The connections of the Quanzhen Sect and the Beggars' Sect will be enough to keep you busy for a lifetime."

These words were both a reassurance and a warning.

I've given you this benefit; if you don't appreciate it, you'll have to bear the consequences.

Although Lu Wushuang hadn't gained much experience in the martial world, she still understood basic social etiquette. She quickly lowered her head: "Thank you, Madam Guo."

"Don't call me Madam Guo." Huang Rong thought for a moment, "Just call me Sister Rong."

Yang Guo almost choked on his own saliva while standing nearby.

Sister Rong? This generational hierarchy is a mess. Huang Rong and Li Mochou are of the same generation, and Li Mochou is Lu Wushuang's master, yet Lu Wushuang calls Huang Rong "sister"?

But then he realized what she meant. Huang Rong was trying to build a closer relationship. The title "Madam Guo" was too distant; if the girl harbored resentment, it could lead to trouble later. Calling her "Sister Rong" was different; it was a term of address among family members. With that sense of intimacy, the girl would be less likely to turn against him.

Huang Rong is indeed an extremely meticulous woman.

Lu Wushuang hesitated for a moment, then called out softly, "Rong... Sister Rong."

Huang Rong nodded, took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve, and handed it to Lu Wushuang.

Apply some ointment to the wound on your neck, to prevent scarring.

Lu Wushuang took the porcelain bottle, her fingers touching Huang Rong's fingertips; it felt cool. She lowered her head and applied the powder to the wound on her neck where Yin Zhiping's sword had broken it. It stung for a moment, but the pain quickly subsided.

"It's getting late," Huang Rong said calmly. "Yin Zhiping's body cannot be left here. The Quanzhen Sect's search team will arrive in this area before dawn."

Yang Guo nodded. He walked to Yin Zhiping's body, squatted down, and took the small porcelain bottle that Huo Du had given him from Yin Zhiping's arms. The bottle still contained more than half a bottle of sleeping potion.

He put the porcelain bottle into his sleeve pocket and searched Yin Zhiping again. Apart from a Quanzhen Sect identity jade token and a few taels of silver, there was nothing else.

"What should we do with this body?" Yang Guo looked up at Huang Rong.

Huang Rong glanced around and her gaze fell on several dilapidated tombs not far away.

"Dig a hole and bury him. Tell the outside world that Yin Zhiping fled to avoid punishment and has already escaped down the mountain."

Yang Guo grabbed Yin Zhiping by one foot and dragged him toward the mass grave. After dragging him a couple of steps, he turned back and nudged Lu Wushuang with his lip.

"What are you standing there for? Come and help."

Lu Wushuang looked at the corpse on the ground, and her stomach churned.

"You...you want me to drag this person down to their death?"

"Since you've come with me, this is your first task," Yang Guo said matter-of-factly. "Dislike it for being dirty? Then lift his head up. I'll drag his feet, and you lift your head."

Lu Wushuang almost cursed out loud. Her first task as the Quanzhen Sect Leader's errand boy was to move corpses.

But she dared not disobey. She stepped forward, bent down, grabbed Yin Zhiping's arms, and gritted her teeth as she lifted him up.

Yin Zhiping's body was still warm, but his arms were stiff and cold, and the touch made Lu Wushuang gag.

"Could you please move him a little more gently? The ground is full of stones, he's bumping his head all over the place!"

"He's already dead, what's there to be afraid of?" Yang Guo said without turning his head.

Lu Wushuang was utterly speechless.

The two men dragged and pulled the body to a partially collapsed earthen grave. Yang Guo used his longsword to dig a shallow pit in the soft mud, just big enough to stuff a person inside. He pushed Yin Zhiping's body into the pit.

"Old man, the biggest mistake you ever made was setting your sights on Sister Long," Yang Guo said in a low voice, only he could hear it. "I, Yang Guo, never do anything that doesn't benefit me. What you owe me, I'll settle it all today."

He bent down and closed Yin Zhiping's wide-open eyes.

Then shovel the soil, fill it in, and tamp it down.

Lu Wushuang stood at a distance, watching Yang Guo bury the man. She hugged her arms, feeling the night wind was even colder than before.

After filling the grave with the last handful of soil, Yang Guo stuck his longsword into the mound as a simple marker. He patted the mud off his hands and stood up straight.

Under the moonlight, the pit was covered with fresh fallen leaves and was inconspicuous.

"Let's go." Yang Guo gestured with his chin towards the mountain. "We need to get back to Chongyang Palace before dawn. You follow behind me and don't make a sound."

Lu Wushuang followed with her head down. After taking two steps, she couldn't help but look back at the shallow grave.

The moonlight shone on the yellow earth of the grave, making it look desolate.

Half an hour ago, she was struggling to survive under this man's sword. Half an hour later, she was burying his body for someone else.

This world is truly absurd.