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

Yang Guo pushed open the door to the main house and stepped over the high threshold. Lu Wushuang followed behind, dragging her left leg.

"Close the door. Lock it." Yang Guo walked to the armchair in the center of the hall, plopped down, crossed his right leg over his left, and wiggled his shoes.

Lu Wushuang turned around and closed the two heavy wooden doors. The wooden bolts slid into their slots with a dull thud. The light inside dimmed, with only slivers of daylight filtering through the window screens.

A man and a woman were alone in a room, and the door was locked. Lu Wushuang gripped the hem of her gray Taoist robe tightly, her palms sweating. She knew this lecherous man had no good intentions; he had just said something about "sparring slowly behind closed doors" outside, and even a fool could hear the lewdness in his words.

Yang Guo patted his thigh: "What are you standing there for? Come here. Massage my legs."

Lu Wushuang stood by the door without moving: "Didn't you say you were going to teach me martial arts?"

"What's the rush?" Yang Guo leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands over his stomach. "Teaching martial arts depends on the master's mood. You, as a maid, don't even have any sense of propriety. The master has been working hard all morning, and when he comes back, there's not even a hot cup of tea. He has to call someone to massage his legs. If this is your attitude, then our lesson for today is over."

Lu Wushuang gritted her teeth. She knew she had no right to make demands.

She dragged her feet to Yang Guo and squatted down. She stretched out her hands, made fists, and haphazardly punched Yang Guo's calves twice.

"Didn't eat? Put in some effort." Yang Guo, with his eyes closed, criticized, "A little higher. Your thighs are sore. Yes, right there. Also, just now outside, you didn't even greet me, the sect leader. Have you forgotten all the rules?"

Lu Wushuang stopped what she was doing: "Yang Guo, don't push your luck."

"What did you call me?" Yang Guo opened his eyes and turned to look at her.

Lu Wushuang's face flushed crimson. Those two words were too shameful; she couldn't bring herself to say them during the day when there were many people around. Now that there was no one else in the room, she still found it difficult to utter.

"You're not calling, huh?" Yang Guo stood up, clapped his hands, and said, "Fine, then today's martial arts practice is canceled. Go to the kitchen and fill those big vats with water. We'll eat whenever you're done."

"You!" Lu Wushuang exclaimed angrily. She pointed to her left leg, "How am I supposed to carry water with this leg?"

"I don't care how you choose." Yang Guo took a step closer, looking down at her. "If you want to learn real skills but won't even say a nice word, why should I teach you? Do you think my secret techniques are like cabbages, something I can just throw at you?"

Yang Guo circled her once, then stopped in front of her: "You know better than I how powerful Li Mochou's Crimson Serpent Palm and Ice Soul Silver Needles are. With your pathetic swordsmanship, even if you practiced for a hundred years, you wouldn't be able to touch a single hem of her clothes. Don't you want revenge?"

Lu Wushuang lowered her head. Li Mochou's name struck a nerve.

"Master...Master." Lu Wushuang squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth.

"The voice is too harsh. Try again." Yang Guo rejected the suggestion without any politeness.

Lu Wushuang took a deep breath: "Master."

"Too soft. I can't hear you. Let's try again." Yang Guo picked at his ear. "Use the 'clamping' voice I taught you last night. Your voice should be soft, sweet, and have a hint of coquetry. Pinch your throat and imagine you're trying to please someone who can decide your life or death."

Lu Wushuang wished she could dig a hole in the ground and disappear. She, a pure and innocent young lady from the Lu family manor, was being forced to behave like a courtesan.

"I can't!" Lu Wushuang looked up and glared at him.

"If you can't do it, then learn it." Yang Guo persisted. "Speak more softly, and breathe more deeply. Come on, repeat after me. Master—"

Yang Guo deliberately raised his voice and demonstrated in a high-pitched tone.

Looking at his shameless demeanor, Lu Wushuang knew she couldn't escape it today. She closed her eyes, forced back her tears, and spoke in a high-pitched voice.

"Master." Her voice trembled, the last syllable drawn out, revealing an extreme sense of suppressed humiliation, which ironically gave her a unique kind of coquettish charm.

Yang Guo felt his bones go weak. This girl's voice was naturally clear, but when she deliberately emphasized it, it was extremely potent.

But a wave of soreness washed over him in his lower back, and his dantian felt empty and hollow. He was powerless despite his good intentions. The aftereffects of being repeatedly exploited by Xiaolongnu and Li Mochou were still present, and he was now completely drained of energy.

Yang Guo coughed twice to cover up his physical weakness.

"It'll do alright." Yang Guo sat back down in his chair. "Go pour me a cup of tea and bring it over."

Lu Wushuang walked to the table, poured a cup of warm tea, and handed it to Yang Guo with both hands.

Yang Guo took the teacup, took a sip, and placed it on the table.

"Alright. Now let's begin teaching martial arts." Yang Guo stood up. "Take a look at the Snake-like Civet you practiced yesterday."

Lu Wushuang took two steps back and assumed a fighting stance. She crouched down, used her waist to propel herself forward, and slid across the blue brick floor. Halfway through the movement, her left leg gave way, her center of gravity shifted, and she fell to the ground.

Yang Guo sneered from the side.

"Terrible. Absolutely terrible." Yang Guo mercilessly criticized her. "With your speed, you couldn't even dodge Li Mochou's whisk. Your left leg isn't strong enough, yet you insist on using it to brace yourself. Where's your brain?"

Lu Wushuang got up from the ground and dusted herself off. She hated it most when people talked about her legs. Her eyes were red, but she gritted her teeth and didn't argue.

"Come here." Yang Guo walked to the open space in the main hall. "The essence of this movement technique lies in the coordination of the waist and legs. Since your left leg is not convenient, you need to change the point of force exertion. You can't just copy the training method I taught you."

Lu Wushuang walked over: "How should I change it?"

"Lie down. Put your weight on your right leg," Yang Guo commanded.

Lu Wushuang did as she was told. She bent over, her waist slumped, and her buttocks naturally rose. The gray Taoist robe clung to her body, accentuating her slender waistline.

Yang Guo stood behind her, stretched out his hands, and placed them on her shoulders.

Lu Wushuang's body stiffened, and she instinctively dodged to the side.

"Don't move. I'm helping you find your leverage point." Yang Guo ran his hands down her spine, tracing the direction of her bones inch by inch. "Your skeleton is okay, but your muscles are too tight. Relax."

Lu Wushuang forced herself to stay still. She repeatedly reassured herself that this was learning martial arts, and Yang Guo was the sect leader; this was a normal act of a senior instructing a junior.

Yang Guo slid his hands to her waist and pressed them tightly against hers. Through the rough fabric, he could feel its amazing elasticity. Her waist was extremely slender, without an ounce of excess fat.

Yang Guo moved his hands down her waistline and placed them on her hip bones.

"When you exert force, this part needs to be stable. You can't get any power from your left leg, so you have to rely on your right hip to lift your whole body." Yang Guo said this nonsense in a serious tone, but he pinched her hip bone twice with his palm.

Lu Wushuang gritted her teeth and remained silent. She understood that this was martial arts instruction, and even though the actions were too intimate, she endured it.

Seeing that she didn't resist, Yang Guo grew bolder. He needed to figure out this girl's bottom line. He had to test the difficulty of the task Huang Rong had given him. Although this girl called him master, she was definitely not the type to obediently take off her clothes and get into bed just because he said something.

Yang Guo's right hand left her hip and moved down the fabric of her Taoist robe, covering her firm curves.

It feels great to the touch. Plump and firm.

Lu Wushuang felt a chill run down her spine. This wasn't teaching martial arts; this was blatant exploitation.

She stood up abruptly and elbowed Yang Guo in the chest.

Yang Guo was prepared and took half a step back to dodge the attack.

Lu Wushuang turned around, her eyes red-rimmed, and her right hand went straight to the sheathed dagger at her waist. This dagger was the one Yang Guo had given her last night.

"Yang Guo! If you dare touch me again, I'll fight you to the death!" Lu Wushuang's voice was hoarse, his whole body exuding vigilance and murderous intent, full of wildness.

Yang Guo raised his hands in front of his chest, making a gesture of surrender.

"Why are you reacting so strongly? I'm checking the firmness of your muscles. When practicing lightness skills, the muscles in your buttocks and legs are the most important. Do you think I want to touch your skinny body?" Yang Guo retorted without batting an eye.

"Do you think I'm a fool?!" Lu Wushuang drew her dagger, the tip pointing at Yang Guo. "I agreed to be your maid, and I agreed to do things for you. But you're not allowed to touch me! That's what you promised me. If you lay a hand on me again, I'd rather die than suffer your humiliation!"

Looking at the gleaming dagger, Yang Guo felt reassured.

This girl's bottom line is right here.

She tolerated verbal teasing. She tolerated being forced to learn vocal cord sounds. She tolerated physical contact under the guise of teaching martial arts.

But if you cross that line and try to take advantage of her directly, she will fight tooth and nail.

With such a chaste and resolute nature, force is absolutely out of the question. To win her over, you have to take your time and patiently peel away her defenses layer by layer.

Yang Guo was actually relieved. In his current state, if anything were to happen between him and Lu Wushuang, he simply wouldn't be able to handle it.

He could take his time to stall for time since Huang Rong had given him a strict order; he didn't have to deliver it now anyway.

"Put your sword away. Drawing your sword at the drop of a hat is unbecoming." Yang Guo's playful smile vanished, replaced by the sternness of a sect leader. "I kindly taught you martial arts, and you repay kindness with enmity. Killing Li Mochou requires not only martial arts skills but also cunning. You can't even stand being touched by me; you'll collapse long ago when you face Li Mochou's psychological warfare."

Lu Wushuang did not loosen her grip on the dagger. She stared at Yang Guo, refusing to back down an inch.

"Alright. Since you're so wary of me, then let's stop here for today." Yang Guo walked to the table, picked up a teacup, and said, "I'll reiterate the rules. From now on, in this room, call me 'Master.' Serving tea and water is your duty. I'll teach you martial arts, but I have a bad temper, so there will inevitably be some bumps along the way. If you can't stand it, get out of Chongyang Palace now."

"You can try and see if you survive the Quanzhen Sect."

Lu Wushuang bit her lower lip. The Beggars' Sect disciples were all over the world. Yang Guo was right. Even if she escaped from Zhongnan Mountain, she would have no way to survive.

She slowly sheathed the dagger.

"As long as you teach me martial arts properly, I'll do whatever you say. But don't go too far." Lu Wushuang lowered her head, her voice muffled.

Yang Guo finished drinking the tea in his cup.

"Sweep the floor. Then go to the kitchen and bring lunch," Yang Guo ordered.

Lu Wushuang turned to get the broom behind the door. Dragging her limp leg and bending over, she began to sweep the dust off the blue brick floor.

Her gray Taoist robe swayed with her movements.

Yang Guo sat in the armchair, his gaze following her back without any attempt to look away.

"Bend your waist a little lower. Yes, that's the curve. It doesn't matter if the floor is swept clean or not, the master's eyes have to be comfortable." Yang Guo said, crossing his legs and speaking without thinking.

Lu Wushuang paused, her fingers gripping the broom handle tightly. She took a deep breath, swallowed the curse that was about to come out, and forced herself not to listen to this lecherous man's vulgarities.

After sweeping the floor, she put the broom back in its place, unlatched the door, and went outside.

Yang Guo looked at the wooden door that had been closed again, rubbed his sore lower back, and let out a long breath.

He quickly calculated in his mind. This girl was a prickly hedgehog, all bark and no bite. Her outer shell was sharp, but she was soft inside. As long as he could find Li Mochou's weakness, she wouldn't be able to escape his grasp.

But for now, I can only vent. If it really came down to a physical fight, this girl would definitely dare to take that dagger and die with him.

"Let's just wait it out. I don't have the energy for that right now anyway," Yang Guo thought to himself. Several days of relentless exploitation had left him with lustful thoughts about women, but his body was clearly trying to quit. The task Huang Rong had assigned him was a long-term project; he couldn't rush it.

Half an incense stick later.

The door was pushed open. Lu Wushuang walked in carrying a wooden tray. On the tray were two bowls of rice, a plate of roast chicken, a plate of vegetables, and a bowl of hot soup.

She walked to the table and arranged the dishes one by one.

"Master, dinner is ready." Lu Wushuang lowered her head and spoke in a very soft voice, but she still forced herself to add a slightly nasal tone to conform to the rules set by Yang Guo.

Yang Guo walked over and sat down at the table. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of chicken, and put it in his mouth.

"Why are you standing there? Sit down and eat with us." Yang Guo tapped the rim of his bowl with his chopsticks.

Lu Wushuang was stunned. She thought she could only eat the leftovers after Yang Guo finished eating. With Li Mochou, she didn't even have the right to sit at the table.

"Didn't you hear what Master said?" Yang Guo took a bite of rice. "You need to eat to have the energy to work. I still have to do my laundry this afternoon."

Lu Wushuang pulled out a chair and sat down opposite Yang Guo. She picked up her bowl and silently ate her white rice.