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

Three poles in the sun.

Lu Wushuang turned over on the hardwood couch in the outer room and slowly opened her eyes.

The room was quiet. The bed in the inner room was empty, and the blankets were neatly folded.

She sat up and rubbed her slightly sore neck. She had gone to bed too late last night, and her head was still a little heavy.

With a quick glance, she noticed a three-tiered food box on the round table.

Lu Wushuang put on her shoes, walked over, and lifted the lid of the food box.

A wisp of steam rose from the bowl. The first layer was a large bowl of red date and millet porridge, cooked until very thick. The second layer held two plump, white meat buns. At the bottom were two plates of finely shredded pickled vegetables.

Lu Wushuang touched her shrunken belly.

She picked up the millet porridge and took a sip. It was sweet, and her stomach immediately felt warm.

"That bastard actually knew to leave me some food," Lu Wushuang muttered under her breath.

She took a big bite of the meat bun, her mouth greasy. Recalling how she had anxiously guarded the gate in the yard half the night before, this ready-made breakfast made her feel that she hadn't been taken advantage of.

Yang Guo usually spoke frivolously, constantly teasing her and making her do chores. But when it came to actually doing things, he wasn't too bad to her. At least he didn't let her go hungry, and he never really hit her.

After eating and drinking her fill, Lu Wushuang cleaned up the dishes, wiped her face with a cloth, and walked out of the courtyard.

She had to find Yang Guo. As his personal maid, she couldn't just stay in the room and sleep all day.

The stone square in front of Chongyang Palace was bustling with noise.

Lu Wushuang dragged her left leg to the edge of the square.

Several hundred Quanzhen Sect disciples formed a huge circle in the square. Yang Guo stood in the very center of the circle.

He was wearing a brand new Taoist robe today and holding a fine steel longsword in his hand.

"Watch closely. This Chongyang Sword Technique doesn't have many moves, but every move is aimed directly at the vital points." Yang Guo's voice, amplified by his internal energy, clearly reached the ears of every disciple.

Yang Guo flicked his wrist, and his longsword thrust out.

He didn't use the Nine Yin Manual, relying solely on his physical strength and the exquisiteness of his techniques. The longsword sliced ​​through the air, creating a rapid whooshing sound.

Chop, slash, thrust, stab. The movements were fluid, without a single unnecessary pause. Each thrust carried an unstoppable momentum.

This sword technique is far more powerful than the basic sword techniques that the Quanzhen Sect usually practices.

After completing his swordplay demonstration, Yang Guo sheathed his sword and stood still. His breathing was steady, and his expression remained unchanged.

The surrounding disciples immediately erupted in loud cheers.

"Master's swordsmanship is too fierce!"

"This is the kind of martial arts our Quanzhen Sect should have! The weak and feeble ones we used to practice are simply incomparable."

"The sect leader's martial arts are unparalleled!"

Hearing the increasingly loud praises around her, Lu Wushuang stood on the outermost edge of the crowd, a thin twig in her hand that she had picked up at some point.

Recalling Yang Guo's actions just now, she mimicked the gestures of the branch in her hand.

All she could hear were people praising Yang Guo. Hearing these voices, Lu Wushuang couldn't help but smile.

She herself didn't realize that she was feeling very pleased with herself. She even felt a sense of pride.

The revered leader standing in the center was her master. Although she never admitted it, seeing Yang Guo's imposing figure secretly made her feel quite pleased.

Just then, a few discordant sneers reached Lu Wushuang's ears.

"What's with the attitude? It's just a showy facade, yet they really think they're the best in the world."

The speakers were three older Taoist priests. They stood under the shade of a tree not far to Lu Wushuang's left, their faces full of resentment.

These three were formerly Zhao Zhijing's personal disciples. They were used to running rampant on the mountain. Now that Zhao Zhijing had been crippled and expelled from the mountain, they were like orphans, ostracized at every turn. This morning, Yang Guo announced some new rules for both inner and outer sects, further cutting off their escape route of living off others.

They didn't dare cause trouble in front of Yang Guo, so they could only vent their frustrations from a corner.

A dark-faced Taoist priest sneered, "Exactly. He changes the rules passed down from our patriarch whenever he wants. What inner and outer sects? I think he just wants to kick out all of us senior disciples and replace us with his own people."

Another tall, thin Taoist priest chimed in, "A kid who hasn't even grown his hair yet became the sect leader by using tricks. We'll see, the Quanzhen Sect will be destroyed in his hands sooner or later."

Upon hearing these words, Lu Wushuang's smile vanished instantly.

She gripped the branch in her hand, turned around, and strode towards the three Taoist priests.

"What are you guys whispering about behind my back!" Lu Wushuang said sternly, her voice loud.

The three Taoist priests were startled. They turned around and saw a young girl wearing an old gray Taoist robe.

The dark-faced Taoist priest recognized Lu Wushuang. He knew that this was the woman Yang Guo had brought up the mountain a few days ago.

"Who do we have here?" The dark-faced Taoist priest looked Lu Wushuang up and down, his gaze lingering on her slightly limping left leg for a moment, his face full of disdain. "So it's that lame maidservant from the sect leader's side."

Lu Wushuang hated it most when people said she was lame. Her face turned deathly pale, and her right hand instinctively reached for the willow-leaf dagger at her waist.

"You can't even master martial arts yourselves, so you just gossip behind people's backs." Lu Wushuang gritted her teeth. "If you're so capable, stand in the middle of the square and say it to the sect leader's face!"

The tall, thin Taoist priest stepped forward and sneered.

"Who do you think you are? A mere servant, daring to meddle in the affairs of formal disciples of the Quanzhen Sect?"

The dark-faced Taoist priest chimed in, his words becoming increasingly offensive.

"Exactly. Look at your pathetic state. Following the sect leader around all day, serving him tea and water, do you really think you're something special? You're just a maidservant. What, you think you can rise above your station and become a phoenix?"

The dark-faced Taoist priest sneered loudly, "Why don't you take a look at yourself in the mirror? A cripple, without the destiny of the sect leader's wife, yet possessing her ailments. Get out of the way and stop getting in my way!"

These words were extremely malicious. Several disciples who were watching the commotion heard them and turned around, their eyes scanning Lu Wushuang.

Lu Wushuang was so angry that she trembled all over.

Her left leg is the deepest scar in her heart. Over the years, she has wandered the world, enduring countless scornful looks. She desperately puts on a fierce and shrewish demeanor to hide her inner inferiority and vulnerability.

Now, this hard shell has been forcibly torn open in public by these Taoist priests, and they are even trampling on it.

Lu Wu's eyes instantly reddened. Large tears welled up in his eyes.

She opened her mouth, wanting to retort, but felt something blocking her throat, unable to utter a single word. A sense of grievance and humiliation surged to her head.

She bit her lower lip hard, drawing blood, trying her best to hold back her tears.

"What's wrong? Did someone hit a nerve and you're about to cry?" The dark-faced Taoist priest became even more smug when he saw Lu Wushuang's expression.

Just then, a cold voice came from behind the crowd.

"Try saying it again."

The crowd automatically parted to form a path.

Yang Guo walked over, carrying a long sword, his face expressionless.

He was instructing his disciples in the middle of the square, but his ears were not idle. With his current level of internal energy cultivation, he could hear the arguing over there very clearly.

Yang Guo walked to Lu Wushuang's side.

He glanced at Lu Wushuang's reddened eyes and bitten lips.

Yang Guo's eyes turned completely cold.

He turned his head and stared at the dark-faced Taoist priest and the tall, thin man.

"Who said those words just now?" Yang Guo's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling sense of oppression.

The dark-faced Taoist priest swallowed hard. He forced a smile and said, "Sect Leader, this girl was the one who spoke rudely and lectured us first. We were angry and retorted a couple of times..."

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

Yang Guo didn't even give him a chance to finish speaking. He raised his hand and slapped him across the face.

The slap was incredibly fast; the dark-faced Taoist priest couldn't react at all. He was sent flying, spinning halfway through the air before crashing heavily onto the bluestone slab.

His mouth split open, revealing two bloody teeth.

The entire hall was deathly silent. Hundreds of disciples didn't dare to breathe.

Yang Guo shook his hand and looked down at the dark-faced Taoist priest on the ground.

"When did it become your place to lecture me, Yang Guo's woman?" Yang Guo's voice echoed throughout the area. "She's someone I brought up the mountain. I set her rules. Who do you think you are, daring to point fingers at her here?"

The tall, thin Taoist priest was so frightened that his legs went weak and he knelt down on the ground.

"Master, spare us... We know we were wrong."

Yang Guo didn't even glance at him. He turned to look at the steward who was standing to the side in a daze.

"What kind of work do these three people usually do on the mountain?" Yang Guo asked.

The steward quickly bowed and replied, "Reporting to the sect leader, they were formerly disciples of Senior Uncle Zhao. They usually only practiced martial arts and did no odd jobs."

Yang Guo gave a cold laugh.

"Perfect timing. These are the rules we just established this morning," Yang Guo announced loudly. "The Quanzhen Sect is divided into inner and outer sects. Anyone who makes no contribution to the sect and is dishonest and bullies others will be relegated to the outer sect."

Yang Guo pointed at the three people on the ground.

"From today onwards, their inner disciple status is revoked. Their swords are confiscated. Every day, they are to fetch water and chop firewood from the back mountain and be responsible for cleaning all the latrines in Chongyang Palace. This will continue for a full year. Anyone who dares to help them or give them a friendly look will be punished as well and will have to clean the latrines too!"

Upon hearing this, the three Taoist priests turned ashen-faced.

Going from a high-ranking disciple to a menial laborer sweeping latrines is worse than death for them.

But no one dared to plead for them. The surrounding disciples knew perfectly well that these people usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly, and today they had run into the sect leader's trap; they deserved it.

Yang Guo tossed the long sword in his hand to the Taoist in charge.

"Drag them away. Get to work now."

The Taoist in charge waved his hand, and several strong disciples immediately stepped forward and dragged the three Taoists away like dead dogs.

The square returned to silence.

Yang Guo turned around and looked at Lu Wushuang, who was still standing there in a daze.

The girl's eyes were still red, and she was clutching the thin twig tightly in her hand. Finally, she couldn't hold back her tears, which slid down her cheeks.

Yang Guo sighed.

He stepped forward, reached out his large hand, and vigorously ruffled Lu Wushuang's hair, making a mess of her neatly combed hair.

"What are you crying about? I've got your back." Yang Guo's voice softened considerably. "From now on, on Mount Zhongnan, if anyone dares to bring up your leg again, I'll break it. Do you hear me?"

Lu Wushuang lowered her head.

She reached up and hastily wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve.

She did not dodge Yang Guo's hand.

The resentment, humiliation, and years of pent-up inferiority in my heart suddenly dissipated at that moment. In its place was an unprecedented sense of peace.

She sniffed and replied in a muffled voice.

"Your hands are filthy, you just hit someone. Don't touch my hair."

Despite saying that, there was not a trace of her usual fierceness and resistance in her tone.

Yang Guo withdrew his hand, and couldn't help but laugh at her tsundere appearance.

"Alright, stop standing there. Go to the cafeteria and bring me a cup of hot tea to the study. My throat is parched from teaching swordsmanship just now."

After Yang Guo finished speaking, he put his hands behind his back and strode towards the study.

Lu Wushuang stood there, watching Yang Guo's tall and straight back.

She dropped the branch she was holding and dusted off her clothes.

"understood."

She responded softly. Dragging her left leg, she hurried towards the cafeteria. This time, her steps were much lighter than usual.