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

The room was very quiet, and a spark from the lamp wick made a slight crackling sound.

Yang Guo stood in front of Lu Wushuang, extended his right index finger, and gently lifted her chin.

His gaze was extremely aggressive, sweeping down from Lu Wushuang's fair cheeks, across her slender neck, and finally settling on her flat chest.

Lu Wushuang's breath caught in her throat; she understood all too well what Yang Guo meant by those words.

The look in her eyes and the tone of her voice, along with the words Huang Rong spoke to her in the bathtub, all hinted at some kind of transaction.

Huang Rong made it very clear that if she wanted to gain a foothold in the Quanzhen Sect and receive Yang Guo's protection, she had to get into his bed.

Now Yang Guo has laid out his conditions: he will exchange the invincible "Nine Yin Manual" for the chastity of this lame girl.

No matter how you look at it, Lu Wushuang got a huge advantage in this deal.

Lu Wushuang's heart was pounding, and her chest was heaving violently.

If she simply nodded and obeyed the man in front of her, she could heal the crippled leg that had made her feel inferior for countless days and nights; she could learn unparalleled martial arts skills and never have to depend on others again.

He might even have the chance to seek revenge on Li Mochou and receive the protection of the Quanzhen Sect leader, allowing him to stay on the mountain legitimately and later visit his cousin Cheng Ying on Peach Blossom Island.

All the benefits are right in front of you, all you have to do is take off your clothes and lie down on that bed.

Yang Guo's warm fingertips touched her chin, and Lu Wushuang did not flinch.

She bit her lower lip hard, almost drawing blood, her mind in turmoil.

She admitted that she was grateful to Yang Guo for standing up for her in front of hundreds of people, knocking out the front tooth of the person who mocked her for being a lame Taoist priest; for getting up in the middle of the night to heat up a towel to wipe her face; and for carrying her on his back through the mountains today, buying her new clothes, a silver hairpin, and rouge.

Besides her cousin, there was no one else in the world who treated her so well.

But she had someone hidden in her heart.

Lu Wushuang closed her eyes, and the scene of the massacre of the Lu family in Jiangnan reappeared deep in her mind. The ground was covered with blood and corpses, and the demon stood in the courtyard, brandishing his whisk and exuding murderous intent.

She was so frightened that she trembled all over and hid in a corner, not daring to make a sound even when she cried. Just then, a raggedly dressed boy stepped forward.

To save her and her cousin, the boy deliberately made a sound to distract the demon.

So many years have passed, and Lu Wushuang has lived in constant fear with Li Mochou every day, making the boy's features increasingly blurry in her memory.

She didn't even know the person's name, and now she couldn't even draw what he looked like.

She had no idea whether the boy was still alive; perhaps he had been killed by the demon back then, and she didn't know if she would ever have the chance to see him again in this lifetime.

However, that blurry figure was the only thought that kept her alive in despair all these years.

Regardless, she wanted to find that person and thank them in person.

If she were to give herself to Yang Guo here today, she would feel unclean, and even if she were to find that old acquaintance again, she would have no face to stand in front of him.

Lu Wushuang opened her eyes, her previous panic and confusion completely gone. She turned her head away from Yang Guo's fingers, then took two large steps back, widening the distance between them.

"I'm not learning anymore." Lu Wushuang clenched her fists and stared intently into Yang Guo's eyes.

Yang Guo paused, his outstretched hand stopping mid-air. He looked at Lu Wushuang with a slight raised eyebrow: "What did you say?"

"I said I'm not going to study anymore!" Lu Wushuang's voice rose, and her eyes instantly reddened.

Large tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back. "You stood up for me, bought me things, and I'm very grateful. I serve you tea and water, I take care of you like a maid—that's what I should do. But if you want to trade my martial arts skills for my body, I won't agree! I'd rather have this leg crippled for life, I'd rather be bullied for life, than trade myself!"

Yang Guo looked at her quietly, and the room fell silent again.

Yang Guo was actually quite surprised.

In his previous life, he had seen all sorts of gold diggers and women in modern society. They could get on anyone's bus with a little money, and unlock all sorts of positions with just a handbag.

Today, I deliberately tested Lu Wushuang to see where this girl's bottom line really lies.

Huang Rong had already paved the way for him last night, and the girl was behaving extremely obediently today.

He thought that as long as he offered a little bait, the other party would obediently comply. Unexpectedly, she actually refused the temptation of the "Nine Yin Manual," and refused so decisively.

The pride and stubbornness in this girl's bones are definitely not feigned.

Yang Guo was not angry at all; on the contrary, he looked at Lu Wushuang with newfound respect. Although he was a womanizer, he adhered to his principles—forced relationships are never sweet.

He wanted women to submit willingly, not to be coerced or lured into giving him a body.

Yang Guo withdrew his hand and put it behind his back. Looking at Lu Wushuang's guarded and nervous appearance, he suddenly laughed.

"What are you laughing at!" Lu Wushuang felt uneasy at his laughter and took another step back, her back pressed directly against the door.

I laugh at your stupidity.

"You ungrateful girl," Yang Guo said, pulling up a chair and crossing his legs. "What kind of woman can't I find? The top courtesans at those brothels down the mountain are lining up to get into my bed. Look at yourself, your front is flat enough to run a horse through. Do you think I'm really after your body? I'm just testing you, seeing if you're the kind of woman who would betray you for personal gain."

Yang Guo's words were purely self-aggrandizement and an attempt to save face.

Lu Wushuang blushed deeply at his words, looking down at her chest, feeling both ashamed and angry. This lecherous man's words were so awful, always hitting where it hurt.

"Since you don't like me, then don't mention this matter." Lu Wushuang retorted through gritted teeth. "I'm not learning this martial art anymore. As for my lame leg, so be it. Anyway, I've been lame for so many years and it won't kill me. Tomorrow I'll move out of this courtyard and go do odd jobs in the kitchen." After saying that, she turned and walked out.

"Stop!" Yang Guo shouted.

Lu Wushuang stopped and turned around to look at him.

"Quite the temper. Did I say you could leave?" Yang Guo stood up and walked over to her. "Since you promised Chief Huang you'd stay and take care of me, you have to follow my orders. Are you capable of handling the dirty and tiring work in the kitchen?"

Lu Wushuang didn't know what Yang Guo meant.

Yang Guo put down his teacup, turned around and looked at her: "I just asked you what you would do to repay me. Since you're not willing to exchange your body for it, then find another way to repay me."

"What method?" Lu Wushuang asked subconsciously.

"Wash my feet every day from now on," Yang Guo said in an extremely calm tone. "For the rest of my life."

Lu Wushuang's eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape. Washing feet? It's that simple? A peerless martial arts technique capable of causing bloodshed in the martial arts world, exchanged for her carrying a basin of foot-washing water every day?

"You...you really want to teach me?" Lu Wushuang's voice trembled, completely unable to believe her ears.

"Nonsense." Yang Guo walked to the armchair and sat down, crossing his legs. "What I, Yang Guo, say is what I mean. You are a member of my household, and when you go out, you represent my reputation. If you are bullied because of your poor martial arts skills, it is I who will lose face in the end. I teach you martial arts so that you can fight back on your own when you encounter trouble in the future, so that you don't always expect me to come to your rescue anytime, anywhere."

Lu Wushuang stood there, tears finally streaming down her face and falling onto her clothes.

No one had ever said such a thing to her since she was a child.

Yang Guo's domineering and unreasonable protectiveness directly broke through the last line of defense in her heart.

She knew she had misunderstood Yang Guo. Although this man usually talked dirty and seemed unreliable, he was more dependable than anyone else when it mattered.

He didn't need her to compromise; he simply wanted to protect her.

Lu Wushuang raised her hand and forcefully wiped away her tears. She walked up to Yang Guo, bent her knees, and knelt directly on the bluestone floor.

"Master." Lu Wushuang lowered her head, her voice choked with emotion, "From now on, my life belongs to you. Except... except for my body, I will do whatever you ask me to do, even if it means going through fire and water, without ever flinching."