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

Cheng Ying bit her lip and did not answer.

She knew that Huang Rong was waiting for her to speak.

But she was unwilling to be the first to agree.

Once you respond, it's tantamount to admitting that you're afraid.

"You've seen Fu'er's temper."

"If she becomes the legal wife, even Lu Wushuang can't tolerate her, so why would she tolerate you?"

"You are my junior sister, a disciple of Peach Blossom Island."

"But in Fu'er's eyes, if you have any connection with Yang Guo, then you are someone who stole her husband."

Cheng Ying's shoulders and back were ramrod straight.

It's not that she doesn't understand these worldly affairs.

Guo Fu was pampered from a young age and became spoiled.

If she were to marry Yang Guo, it would only become more difficult for him to ask Huang Rong to remove the mark.

That Guo Fu, she would get angry even if a servant glanced at her husband.

Besides, she was a woman who lived in the same mansion and whose body still contained her husband's true energy.

Huang Rong saw this clearly.

"So, tonight you have to help me, and you're also helping yourself."

Cheng Ying looked up: "What does Senior Sister want me to do?"

Huang Rong said, "At the welcoming banquet, you will attend as Yang Guo's fiancée."

The room fell silent.

Cheng Ying stood there, stunned.

She thought Huang Rong would give her a way out, a way to stay away from Yang Guo.

Unexpectedly, this path was pushed towards him.

A moment later, she took a half step back, her face drained of color.

"My senior sister wants me to admit that I'm his fiancée?"

"It's just for show, for Brother Jing."

"I don't want to."

Cheng Ying answered quickly.

She tried to suppress her emotions, but her words became increasingly urgent.

"My senior sister heard clearly last night how he treated me along the way."

"I've come to beg you to lift the restrictions on me, not to make me acknowledge this relationship with Master Guo!"

Huang Rong did not interrupt.

Cheng Ying has been holding this in for a long time; it would be easier to handle if she just spoke up.

People are at their most guarded when they're pouring out their troubles.

"If I admit it, what will others think of me?"

"What will Wushuang think of me?"

"How will Yang Guo use this to pressure me?"

She looked up at Huang Rong, her voice already pleading.

"Senior sister, I am a disciple of Peach Blossom Island."

"If my master knew that I was being held captive, I would have lost all face."

"If I were to publicly admit to being engaged to him again, how could I ever return to Peach Blossom Island?"

When Huang Rong heard the name "Huang Yaoshi," a complex look flashed across her eyes.

If his father were really in Xiangyang, given his temper, Yang Guo would most likely have been hunted down for three thousand miles.

But what happens after the chase?

Will her father ask her why she only told him now that things had come to this?

How should she answer?

But Huang Yaoshi was not there.

Right now, only she can clean up this mess.

Huang Rong said, "If you don't acknowledge it, Guo Jing will push Fu'er towards him."

Cheng Ying's breath hitched.

Huang Rong continued, "At that time, Yang Guo will be protected by the old agreement between the Guo and Yang families, and Fu'er will have Guo Jing to back her up."

"If you bring up the matter of the mark again, what will Brother Jing think?"

Cheng Ying's face showed a struggle.

Huang Rong didn't give her much room to hesitate.

"He would be furious, he would question Yang Guo, and force him to give an explanation."

"But this explanation could very well turn into Yang Guo taking you as a concubine, or letting you stay in the mansion to recuperate slowly."

"Are you willing to put your fate in that situation?"

Cheng Ying fell silent.

These words are harsh, but every single one makes sense.

Guo Jing was loyal and righteous, but he was also too upright.

Sometimes, justice can force people's suffering into the rules.

He would feel that since there was so-called "intimate physical contact," then he should take a concubine, give her a title, and that would save face.

But that's not respectable.

That would tie her to Yang Guo's side, so she would never be able to hold her head up high again.

If she were to reveal this matter in public, Yang Guo might not be punished immediately, but she herself would have no way out.

Huang Rong softened her tone.

"Tonight's performance is just a stopgap measure."

"You are a disciple of Peach Blossom Island, and I am your senior sister."

"With me here, no one will dare to embarrass you on the spot."

Cheng Ying asked softly, "What about the mark?"

This was exactly what Huang Rong was waiting for.

The tension that had been building in her heart finally eased a little.

Cheng Ying's question about the mark indicates that she is already weighing the pros and cons.

A person who is truly refusing will not ask about conditions.

"I will help you resolve this."

Cheng Ying looked at her.

Huang Rong explained, "Although the yang energy of the Qiankun Technique is domineering, it is not without roots."

"It is hidden in your meridians and needs the circulation of your true qi to maintain its function."

"My Nine Yin True Qi can circulate through the Yin meridians. First, I will seal your Lesser Yin Meridian, and then activate your Jueyin Meridian, which will force out that wisp of Yang Qi little by little."

Cheng Ying, who was knowledgeable in martial arts, changed her expression slightly upon hearing this.

Will it damage my meridians?

"Pulling it off too quickly will cause injury. Gradually nibble away at it, and the damage will be less."

Huang Rong held up three fingers.

"Thirty days."

"Perform the exercise once every day at midnight."

"During this period, you must refrain from anger, avoid recklessly using your internal energy, and do not stay more than ten feet away from me for too long."

"Thirty days later, even if the mark cannot be completely removed, most of it will be erased."

"By then, it won't be so easy for Yang Guo to subdue you with this."

Cheng Ying's breathing became a little erratic.

The 30th.

This period is not long.

She traveled all the way from Tongguan to Xiangyang, unable to sleep at night because of that mark.

Each time it flares up, the uncontrollable heat in her body feels more humiliating than being stabbed.

If she could really cut off most of it, she would have a chance to leave.

Leave this mansion, leave Yang Guo, and return to any place outside Zhongnan Mountain where he cannot find him.

But she still couldn't easily believe it.

"Why is it only now that my senior sister is willing to help me?"

Huang Rong looked at her.

This junior sister is indeed clever.

If they didn't help last night, but offered a solution today, Cheng Ying will definitely become wary if they don't explain it properly.

Anyone else would probably have been blinded by the promise of thirty days.

But Cheng Ying had studied on Peach Blossom Island for so many years, and the first lesson her master taught her was: the most terrifying thing in the world is not an enemy's knife, but a friend's candy.

Huang Rong had already prepared her explanation.

"Last night I took your pulse, and I could only confirm the location of the mark."

"If you rush into practicing without understanding the pattern of its onset, you will only cause that yang energy to hide deeper into the meridians."

She picked up the herbal tea and took a small sip.

"Your attack this morning just shows that this mark activates once a day when the yang energy rises in the morning."

"This is its weakness."

"The Yin energy is strongest at midnight. I will use the Nine Yin True Qi to suppress it, which will naturally increase my chances of winning."

These words contain both truth and falsehood.

The flaws in the Qiankun Technique are indeed most easily found during the transition between Yin and Yang.

However, Huang Rong was not actually sure whether she could dispel the evil within thirty days.

Yang Guo has now reached the peak of the early stage of the Innate Realm and has cultivated both the Orthodox and Reverse Nine Yin Manuals. Red and black Yuan Qi beads have condensed in his dantian.

Given his level of true energy, the mark he left behind would not be easy to remove.

That bastard always has a backup plan. When he planted this mark, he probably already knew that someone would remove it for Cheng Ying.

But Cheng Ying didn't need to know any of this.

Cheng Ying lowered her head for a long time before finally asking, "What am I supposed to do at the banquet?"

Huang Rong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The fish finally took the bait.

She felt no pride, only a sense of urgency, as if a knife were held to her throat, which made her relax slightly.

"Sit next to me. If Brother Jing asks, I will say that you and Yang Guo were old acquaintances when you were in Zhongnan Mountain, and because you traveled together, you had the intention of getting engaged. This matter has not yet been reported to my father, so it has not been made public yet."

Cheng Ying frowned: "Would Master Guo believe that?"

"meeting."

Huang Rong said, "You are my father's disciple, and Yang Guo is the leader of the Quanzhen Sect. If the two of you were to marry, it would not be an insult to either of you. Brother Jing values ​​etiquette the most. Since Peach Blossom Island is involved, he will not press for too many details."

She knew Guo Jing too well. He respected Huang Yaoshi his whole life, and whenever it involved Peach Blossom Island, he would always take a step back.

"What about Yang Guo?"

When Cheng Ying mentioned this name, her tone turned colder.

What if he denies it?

Huang Rong remained silent for a moment.

This is the most troublesome part.

Yang Guo never acts according to common sense. While others are afraid of being exposed, he will often use any excuse to make a scene.

That man's mind was full of crooked ideas. Give him a pole, and he could climb up to the sky, do a somersault in the air, and then fall back down.

However, Huang Rong also had ways to control him.

"I'll go see him first."

Cheng Ying looked up.

Huang Rong said, "If he dares to undermine me, I will expose his affair of bringing Lu Wushuang along to Guo Jing, and have Guo Jing summon him to the study tonight and lecture him for two hours."

Cheng Ying was taken aback.

This threat may not sound serious, but it might not be ineffective against Yang Guo.

Yang Guo was not afraid of being beaten or scolded, but he was afraid of Guo Jing's strict rules and discipline.

The way they explain things, word by word, is more torturous than being beaten.

Especially now, he also needs to use the power of Xiangyang City to deal with the roster of Mongol spies, and he can't really break ties with Guo Jing.

Huang Rong noticed that she was starting to waver, so she added another sentence.

"Besides, if you become his fiancée in name only, at least tonight, he can no longer treat you like a maid in public."

Cheng Ying's fingers loosened slightly.

That sentence struck a chord with her.

She didn't seek to be the center of attention at the banquet; she only hoped not to lose her composure in front of everyone because of Yang Guo's words.

She never wants to experience what happened in the front hall last night again.

The feeling of suddenly feeling weak in the legs and unable to stand up in front of everyone is more embarrassing than being stripped naked in public.

"Senior sister."

Cheng Ying said in a low voice, "I can help you, but I have conditions."

"explain."

"At the banquet, I will sit next to you, not next to him."

"Can."

"If he says anything frivolous, you must stop him."

"I will stop them."

"If he uses his mark to control me..."

Huang Rong interrupted her, saying, "I will use my Nine Yin Manual to protect your Lesser Yin Meridian."

Cheng Ying looked at her.

"Senior sister, you can't lie to me."

Huang Rong took her hand.

Cheng Ying's hands were cold, and her palms were covered in a thin layer of sweat.

These hands can play the piano, set up formations, and even grip a broken sword and fight desperately in times of crisis.

Now, however, because of a wisp of someone else's true energy within his body, he doesn't even have the confidence to clench his fist.

"We both came from Peach Blossom Island, I will not harm you."

When she said those words, Huang Rong felt a momentary hesitation.

She didn't mean to harm Cheng Ying.

But the situation tonight is too dangerous. She needs to use Cheng Ying to block Guo Jing and also Guo Fu.

Ultimately, among all the people she protects, the one who always comes first is herself.

The thought made her throat tighten, but she couldn't stop to think about it.

As for the thirty-day transformation seal, she will do her best.

How much can be resolved depends on how deeply the wisp of yang energy left behind by Yang Guo has penetrated.

Cheng Ying finally nodded.

"it is good."

She paused, then said, "I promise my senior sister."

After saying those four words, Cheng Ying felt both relieved and choked up.

She felt relieved that someone was finally on her side, but also worried because she knew she was handing her fate over to someone else.

Having broken free from Yang Guo's grasp, she fell into her senior sister's chessboard.

At least, her senior sister gave her a deadline.

The 30th.

Thirty days later, she will have to walk out on her own two feet.

Huang Rong patted the back of her hand.

"Go change your clothes. Don't wear anything too plain or too flashy. Peach Blossom Island disciples should have the bearing of Peach Blossom Island disciples."

Huang Rong stood up.

"Remember, speak less tonight. If anyone asks about you and Yang Guo, just look at me."

Cheng Ying nodded.

"Senior sister, I understand."

Huang Rong walked to the door, then turned back to look at her.

The light by the window gradually dimmed. Cheng Ying stood inside the room, her figure slender, yet she still maintained the proper etiquette of a Peach Blossom Island disciple.

His back was ramrod straight, and his chin was slightly tucked in, as if he were using this posture to tell himself that he had not lost yet.

Intelligent, stubborn, and with an excessively high sense of self-esteem.

Such a person happened to meet Yang Guo.

Huang Rong didn't say anything more and pushed open the door to leave the east courtyard.

The breeze under the eaves was a bit cool.

She took a few steps before realizing that her back was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

What he just said was impeccable, but every word was a delicate gamble.

If Cheng Yingruo were to ask one more question, "What exactly is the relationship between Senior Sister and Yang Guo?", she would not know how to answer.

The lights have already been lit inside the Marshal's Mansion.

Someone was moving tables and chairs in the front hall, and the sound of the mud seal on the wine jars being broken could be heard from afar.

Tonight's guests include not only Guo Jing, but also Lü Wende, Zhao Fan, several commanders, and several renowned figures from the martial arts world.

These people are not necessarily all here to watch the spectacle.

The newly appointed leader of the Quanzhen Sect entered Xiangyang, and he still had a roster of Mongolian spies in his hands. Everyone wanted to find out more about him.

Huang Rong quickened her pace.

She still needed to find Yang Guo before the banquet and explain the rules for tonight to him.

If that bastard doesn't cooperate, all the cards in her hand will be wasted.