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

The bells of Chongyang Palace have stopped ringing. Torches illuminate the night sky on the bluestone square outside the main hall.

Yang Guo led Lu Wushuang up the last step. His left hand was wrapped in a blood-soaked white cloth, and he carried a long sword in his right hand. The hem of his Taoist robe was covered in mud and bits of grass. Lu Wushuang followed three steps behind him, her head down, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her robe.

Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Ma Yu, and others came forward to greet him. All of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen were present, except for Sun Bu'er, who was cultivating in the backyard. Seeing Yang Guo's appearance, their expressions tightened.

"Guo'er, have you caught the person?" Qiu Chuji stepped forward and asked urgently.

Yang Guo stopped in his tracks, let out a long sigh, his face filled with heartbreaking regret. He slammed his longsword on the ground and knelt on one knee.

"This disciple is incompetent and has disappointed my grandmasters." Yang Guo's voice was hoarse, and his acting was incredibly convincing. "That old fellow knows the terrain of the back mountain too well. He went into the mass grave, which is full of broken tombstones and abandoned graves. It was too dark, and this disciple's Qi Sea was depleted, so I couldn't catch up. By the time the disciples searching the mountain arrived, he had already escaped down the mountain along the abandoned path at the bottom of the cliff."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Chuji swayed, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes dimmed. He stroked his long beard and shook his head repeatedly.

"So be it. Such is fate." Qiu Chuji's tone was desolate. His chief disciple, whom he had taught for over a decade, had become a traitor who colluded with the enemy. He couldn't get over it. Now that he had run away, it had extinguished his last remaining hope. "Send down the order to withdraw the disciples searching the mountain. Tomorrow, issue a warrant for his arrest to all Taoist sects in the world. If Yin Zhiping dares to set foot in the Central Plains again, the entire Quanzhen Sect will execute him without mercy."

Wang Chuyi breathed a sigh of relief. It was better that Yin Zhiping had escaped than to be caught and have his scandals thoroughly investigated. He glanced at Lu Wushuang behind Yang Guo and frowned.

"Who is this woman?"

Yang Guo stood up, patted the dirt off his knees, and casually pulled Lu Wushuang forward.

"Reporting to Grandmaster Wang. During the pursuit, I saw Yin Zhiping holding this young lady hostage as a shield. In order to save her, I hesitated to act rashly, which allowed him to slip away." Yang Guo lied without batting an eye, directly shifting half the blame for letting Yin Zhiping escape onto Lu Wushuang.

Lu Wushuang was seething with anger, but she didn't dare utter a single word in rebuttal. She could only nod in agreement, feigning a pitiful, terrified look.

Ma Yu coughed twice and waved his hand.

"Saving lives is the priority. Guo'er did the right thing." Ma Yu glanced at the night sky. "It's getting late, everyone should disperse. This girl has been frightened and should be properly cared for."

Wang Chuyi was in a dilemma. "Our Quanzhen Sect consists of ascetic Taoists, and our only female relative is Junior Sister Sun. Junior Sister Sun's courtyard never hosts outsiders. Where can we put her in the middle of the night?"

Yang Guo picked up the conversation, his tone extremely natural.

"Master, rest assured. The Sect Leader's residence is spacious, with plenty of empty rooms. Since this girl was rescued by your disciple, let her stay in your disciple's courtyard for the night. We'll make further plans tomorrow at dawn."

Qiu Chuji and the others were preoccupied with Yin Zhiping's defection, and no one paid any attention to the lame girl. They all nodded in agreement.

Half an incense stick later.

Yang Guo pushed open the gate to the sect leader's residence and strode inside. Lu Wushuang, dragging her limp leg, followed behind, looking rather slow.

The courtyard gate slammed shut and the bolt was bolted.

Yang Guo entered the main room and lit the oil lamp on the table. The dim light spread throughout the room. He lifted the hem of his Taoist robe and sat down imposingly in the armchair. He slammed his long sword on the table.

Lu Wushuang stood on the threshold, unsure whether to go in or back. Looking at Yang Guo sitting in the armchair, her heart pounded. This scoundrel acted all respectable in public, but who knew what mischief he might be up to behind closed doors.

"Why are you standing so far away? Are you afraid I'll eat you?" Yang Guo picked up the cold tea on the table, took a sip, and his gaze fell on Lu Wushuang.

Lu Wushuang gritted her teeth, took three steps forward, and stopped in front of the table.

"Miss Lu, let's be frank," Yang Guo said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. "Since you've agreed to stay and work for me, we need to establish some rules. My Chongyang Palace doesn't tolerate idlers."

"What do you want me to do?" Lu Wushuang stared at him warily. "I told you, you're not allowed to touch me!"

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in washboards," Yang Guo retorted without hesitation, glancing at her chest with a look of disgust.

Lu Wushuang's face turned red with anger. Although she wasn't exactly voluptuous, she was definitely not flat-chested either. This man couldn't utter a single kind word.

"Your current role is that of my personal maid and personal assistant." Yang Guo tapped his fingers twice on the table. "To put it simply, it means serving tea and water, doing laundry and folding blankets, massaging your legs and back. You do what needs to be done, and you stand around when there's nothing to do."

Lu Wushuang's eyes widened, and her voice rose.

"You want me to be your maid? I'm the eldest daughter of the Lu family manor!"

"Lu Family Village is long gone. You're now a dangerous individual who knows too much and could be silenced at any moment." Yang Guo leaned forward, his tone chilling. "If you don't want to do this, you can go back to the back mountain. There's a newly dug pit there, and the spot is still empty."

Lu Wushuang fell silent. She took a deep breath and swallowed all the pent-up frustration.

"Okay. I'll do it." Lu Wushuang squeezed out the three words through gritted teeth.

Yang Guo smiled with satisfaction. He extended his right index finger and pointed to his right leg.

"Great. First thing, come and massage my legs. I've been chasing that old bastard all night, my legs are sore."

Lu Wushuang stood still. In all her life, besides her parents, she had never served anyone else. The thought of massaging the legs of a lecherous man was too much for her to bear.

"What? Do you want me to treat you?" Yang Guo raised an eyebrow.

Lu Wushuang bit her lower lip and slowly walked to the armchair. She squatted down, stretched out her hands, and stiffly placed them on Yang Guo's calves, giving them a couple of haphazard squeezes.

"Didn't eat? Put some effort into it." Yang Guo closed his eyes and began to nitpick. "A little higher. My thighs are sore. With your skills, you'd starve to death begging under a bridge."

Lu Wushuang trembled with rage. She moved her hands up Yang Guo's calves, landing on his thigh muscles. She clenched her fingers tightly and pinched him hard with all her might.

Yang Guo hissed and suddenly opened his eyes.

"You want to murder your husband?" Yang Guo blurted out.

"Who said you're my wife?!" Lu Wushuang bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Watch your mouth!"

Yang Guo sneered, leaned down, and grabbed Lu Wushuang's chin. He didn't use much force, but the movement was extremely oppressive. Their faces were very close, and Lu Wushuang could even smell the faint scent of blood and sweat on Yang Guo.

"Wushuang, you need to understand the situation." Yang Guo stared into her eyes, his voice low. "You are my maid now. If you make me unhappy, I will get angry."

Lu Wushuang's eyes reddened. She was forced to tilt her head back, tears welling up in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.

Yang Guo released his grip and leaned back in his chair.

"Re-knead it. Apply even pressure. Also, change how you address me." Yang Guo began to promote his wicked sense of humor. "From now on, when there are no outsiders in this room, call me 'Master'."

Lu Wushuang suddenly raised her head, her face full of disbelief.

"You're dreaming! I'd rather die than scream!"

This address is so shameful. She's an innocent young woman, calling a man "master"—what's the difference between her and a prostitute in a brothel?

"Not going to call her?" Yang Guo nodded. "Alright. Then I'll go tell Sister Rong tomorrow that you're preparing to go it alone."

"You're shameless!" Lu Wushuang's tears finally fell.

"Thank you for the compliment. I don't have many other merits, but I always keep my word." Yang Guo crossed his legs, adopting a nonchalant attitude. "I'll count to three. One."

Lu Wushuang gritted her teeth and stared intently at the ground.

"two."

Yang Guo's voice was flat and monotone, as if he were urging someone to die.

Lu Wushuang's psychological defenses completely collapsed. She knew this lecherous man was capable of anything. She closed her eyes, and two lines of tears slid down her cheeks.

"Master...Master."

The voice was extremely soft, thick with nasal tones and humiliation.

"Too soft, I can't hear you. Speak louder. Put some emotion into it." Yang Guo pressed his advantage, "Do you understand the 'double-sound'? It's that soft and sweet kind of voice. When you were crying under Yin Zhiping's sword just now, your voice was quite beautiful."

Lu Wushuang wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground. She gripped Yang Guo's trouser leg tightly with both hands, her nails almost digging into his flesh.

"Master..." Lu Wushuang raised her voice, which trembled and was mixed with suppressed sobs.

"Barely passable." Yang Guo was secretly overjoyed. The feeling of conquering this proud little firecracker was even more satisfying than winning a fight. "Keep pinching. Don't stop."

Lu Wushuang lowered her head, tears streaming down her face, landing on Yang Guo's Taoist robe. Her hands mechanically kneaded Yang Guo's legs, her mind blank.

It took about half an incense stick's time to knead it.

"Alright. Go fetch a basin of hot water and wash the master's feet," Yang Guo commanded.

Lu Wushuang stood up; her legs were numb from squatting. She wiped away her tears, dragged her limping leg to the water vat outside the door, filled a copper basin halfway with water, and carried it inside.

The basin was too heavy, and she had difficulty walking. When she reached the table, her hand trembled, and half a basin of water spilled out, splashing onto Yang Guo's shoes and forming a puddle on the blue brick floor.

"So clumsy," Yang Guo clicked his tongue. "Clean the floor properly."

Lu Wushuang put down the copper basin and looked around but couldn't find a rag.

"No rag. Use your sleeve to wipe it." Yang Guo pointed to the ground.

Lu Wushuang suddenly looked up, staring intently at Yang Guo. This was the ultimate humiliation. Making her use the clothes she was wearing to wipe up dirty water on the ground was like trampling on her dignity.

"What? Do you want me to count down again?" Yang Guo remained unmoved.

Lu Wushuang took a deep breath and knelt on the ground. She rolled up her sleeves and used them to slowly absorb the water stains on the ground. The rough blue bricks wore through her sleeves, and the mud stained her arms. She bit her lip hard, trying not to cry out.

Watching her kneel on the ground wiping the floor, Yang Guo felt a surge of wicked pleasure. He knew that half of the wildness in this girl's bones had been broken. The rest was up to him to slowly train her.

"Come wash your feet after you've dried them." Yang Guo kicked off his shoes and socks and put his feet into the copper basin.

Lu Wushuang knelt down and moved over, putting her hands into the warm water to hold Yang Guo's feet. The water temperature was just right. She lowered her head and rubbed Yang Guo's insteps and soles with her fingers.

Yang Guo leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Lu Wushuang," Yang Guo suddenly spoke.

Lu Wushuang paused, but did not look up.

"Remember this. As long as you obey, I guarantee you can walk with impunity in this Chongyang Palace. If you want to learn martial arts, I'll teach you. If you want revenge, I'll pave the way for you." Yang Guo's earlier mockery vanished, his tone becoming steady. "But if you dare to play tricks on me or do anything underhanded, your fate will be the same as Yin Zhiping's."

Lu Wushuang dried Yang Guo's feet and picked up the copper basin.

"This servant will remember," Lu Wushuang said softly. She even changed how she addressed herself.

Yang Guo stood up and stretched.

"The inner room is mine. There's a couch in the outer room; you can sleep there." Yang Guo pointed to a small bed outside the screen. "Wake me up at dawn tomorrow. The water must be hot, and the tea must be freshly brewed."

After saying that, Yang Guo turned around and went into the inner room without even closing the door.

Lu Wushuang carried the dirty water to the courtyard and poured it out. She went back into the house and blew out the oil lamp on the table.

The room was plunged into darkness. She lay fully clothed on the hardwood couch in the outer room, pulling a thin blanket over herself. Hearing Yang Guo's steady breathing coming from the inner room, Lu Wushuang buried her head in the blanket and cried silently.