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

Yang Guo pushed open the door to the west wing and placed the blue cloth bundle in his hand on the round table.

Lu Wushuang followed behind and locked the door bolt with her other hand.

Looking at the bundle, she remembered the bright red silk bodice inside, and her breathing became slightly heavier.

Before Yang Guo could speak, a person emerged from behind the screen.

Huang Rong wore a light purple long robe, her hair was neatly combed, and she wore no makeup.

She stood by the screen, her gaze first sweeping over Yang Guo, then landing on Lu Wushuang, her lips pursing slightly.

Yang Guo glanced at the low stool behind the screen, next to which sat a teacup that had gone cold.

Judging by the time, at least half an hour has passed since he went out to buy things.

This leader must have been sitting in the room for quite some time.

He pulled out a chair, sat down, poured himself a glass of iced tea, and took a sip.

The tea was bitter and astringent.

"Why is Chief Huang sitting in this deserted place instead of keeping Uncle Guo company in the main courtyard?"

Huang Rong walked to the table, but did not sit down. Instead, she placed her hands on the edge of the table and spoke in a very low voice.

"You still have the mind to drink tea?"

"Brother Jing is back. He just mentioned something to me."

Yang Guo put down his teacup and looked up at her.

Yang Guo had already anticipated that Guo Jing's return to the manor was not just for a meal.

But the fact that Huang Rong rushed over so quickly meant that the situation was more complicated than he had anticipated.

Huang Rong's gaze shifted to Lu Wushuang.

Lu Wushuang was very good at reading people's expressions. She lowered her head and retreated to the door of the inner room, where she drew the curtain.

After only the two of them were left in the room, Huang Rong continued.

"Brother Jing remembers the old agreement between the Guo and Yang families."

"He said that you are not young anymore, and it is time for Fu'er to get married."

"He wants to publicly give you Fu'er at the welcome banquet tonight."

Yang Guo put the teacup back on the table, making a crisp sound as it hit the bottom.

He knew about this story from reading books in his previous life, but hearing it from Huang Rong's own mouth still felt incredibly absurd.

He is now the leader of the Quanzhen Sect, in charge of three thousand disciples, and he hasn't even sorted out the affairs of Zhongnan Mountain yet.

What's worse, the gang leader in front of us still has the teeth marks from a few days ago on his shoulder, and the scabs haven't completely fallen off yet.

If he really marries Guo Fu, what will he call Huang Rong?

Yang Guo suppressed the thought and didn't let himself laugh.

"So, how did Chief Huang respond to Uncle Guo?"

Huang Rong sat down opposite her.

Her fingers rested on the table, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the wood grain.

Yang Guo noticed that her nails were trimmed very short, even shorter than they had been a few days earlier in the main courtyard.

This indicates that she has been practicing her internal energy frequently these past two days. When the Nine Yin True Qi flows through the meridians of her fingertips, her long nails will get in the way.

Most likely, it was worn away when he was taking Cheng Ying's pulse and testing the Qiankun Technique mark.

"I stopped them."

"I said you are the leader of the Quanzhen Sect, and your Taoist identity comes first. You can't just return to secular life like that."

Huang Rong paused for a moment before continuing, "But you know Jing-gege's temperament better than anyone else."

"Once he's made up his mind, nothing can change it."

"He felt that this marriage fulfilled the wishes of his ancestors and also gave you a place to settle down."

"He also said that if Uncle Yang knew this in heaven, he would be gratified."

Yang Guo snorted coldly.

"A place to call home?"

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.

"Do you think I can't see what Uncle Guo is up to?"

"He always felt indebted to my father and was always afraid that I would go astray."

"Marrying Guo Fu to me would first fulfill the old agreement, secondly tie me to Xiangyang, and thirdly give me a legitimate reason to keep an eye on me."

"Killing three birds with one stone, what a clever plan."

Huang Rong frowned slightly.

She knew that Yang Guo was telling the truth, but she didn't want to hear him evaluate Guo Jing in that way.

"He doesn't have that many hidden agendas."

"He just felt that doing this was good for you, and also good for Fu'er."

"What does Chief Huang think?"

Yang Guo stared into her eyes.

Huang Rong turned her face away.

"This will absolutely not do."

Her voice was lowered even further, so low that only two people could hear it.

"You know Fu'er's temper."

"If she were to stumble upon even the slightest detail about what's going on around you, she would turn the entire Marshal's Mansion upside down."

"Besides, you are the sect leader and she is the young lady. If the two of you get together and neither of you is willing to give in, sooner or later there will be big trouble."

She stopped there.

But both of them knew in their hearts that the "trouble" she was referring to was definitely not just about Guo Fu's side.

Huang Rong herself is already entangled with Yang Guo. If her daughter were to marry into the family, this forbidden relationship would be exposed...

Forget about what will happen to Guo Jing, Huang Rong's reputation, her position as the leader of the Beggars' Sect, and the face of Peach Blossom Island will all be ruined!

She was afraid.

Yang Guo saw it very clearly.

He stood up and slowly walked around to Huang Rong's back.

His fingertips touched her shoulder, gently brushing an inch along her graceful shoulder line through the thin fabric of her mauve-colored long dress.

Huang Rong's back tensed instantly, and she sat up straight, but she ultimately did not slap his hand away.

"Since Chief Huang has come to see me, surely it wasn't just to pour out his troubles?"

"Shouldn't a solution have been devised long ago?"

Huang Rong turned her head and glared at him.

Yang Guo smiled and withdrew his hand.

Huang Rong straightened her collar and composed herself.

"I came from the east courtyard and just saw Cheng Ying."

Upon hearing this name, Yang Guo's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

"What do you want with her?"

"Have her acknowledge your engagement at the welcome dinner tonight."

Yang Guo was stunned for a moment.

Huang Rong said, enunciating each word clearly.

"Cheng Ying is my father's last disciple and the rightful successor of Peach Blossom Island. He is well-known in the martial arts world."

"Tonight, as long as she attends as your fiancée, even if Brother Jing values ​​the old agreement, he won't be able to publicly undermine Peach Blossom Island."

"Brother Jing knows what kind of status my father has in the martial arts world."

"He would never go against my father Huang Yaoshi's wishes for the sake of a verbal agreement from twenty years ago."

Yang Guo laughed out loud.

This isn't sarcasm; I'm genuinely impressed.

He stood up from his chair and walked back to the table.

He then bent down to look Huang Rong in the eye.

The distance between the two was less than a foot.

"You want Cheng Ying to acknowledge me as her fiancé?"

His voice carried a hint of amusement.

"She'd love to stab me to death with a sword, would she agree to that?"

Huang Rong didn't meet his gaze and turned her face away.

"She agreed."

"How did you agree to that?"

"I made her a condition."

"Within thirty days, dissolve the yang energy imprint of the Qiankun Technique within her body."

Yang Guo's smile faded slightly.

He straightened up, rubbed his chin with his thumb, and pondered for a while.

The wisp of innate yang energy that the Qiankun Technique left in Cheng Ying's body was planted by him personally.

The yang energy travels through the Shaoyin and Jueyin meridians, nourishing it through the daily circulation of Cheng Ying's own true qi.

The longer the time passes, the deeper this wisp of yang energy will penetrate into the meridians, gradually merging with the host's qi and blood.

When it really comes to that, the difficulty of uprooting it is no less than pulling a living vine from the roots of an old tree.

Huang Rong's plan to use the Nine Yin Manual to gradually erode the opponent's strength through the Yin meridians was correct.

However, her skill level was only around the early stage of the Innate Realm, while the Innate Yang Qi he used when planting the mark was the fusion of the Nine Yin and the Nine Yin, which was much higher in level.

What should be used to transform the seal in thirty days?

Yang Guo glanced at Huang Rong again.

He suddenly understood.

Huang Rong may not be entirely confident in fulfilling this promise, but she needs it to keep Cheng Ying by her side.

Thirty days is a period that is neither too long nor too short.

This is enough to bind Cheng Ying firmly to her chessboard, at least enough to make her obediently get through tonight's ordeal.

As for what happens after the 30th, whether to continue delaying or come up with another excuse, that's a matter for later.

Yang Guo silently gave Huang Rong a thumbs up.

This woman's ability to manipulate people is truly no less than that of those cunning old foxes in his previous life.

A worthless check that hadn't been cashed completely sold Cheng Ying out.

"Master Huang, you have some impressive skills."

Yang Guo shook his head.

Huang Rong's expression changed, and her lips moved slightly, but she ultimately did not refute.

Yang Guo reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair that had fallen by her temple into his fingers.

"Aren't you afraid I won't cooperate tonight?"

Huang Rong looked up at him.

Yang Guo smiled very leisurely.

"For example, if I were to say in front of all the civil and military officials at the banquet that my favorite is actually a young lady like Guo Fu, who has a fiery temper and a good figure."

"Do you think Uncle Guo will agree to the marriage on the spot?"

Huang Rong clenched her back teeth.

"If you dare do that, I'll never speak to you again for the rest of my life."

Yang Guo stared at her for a couple of moments, then suddenly smiled.

"When Chief Huang gets ruthless, he's quite frightening."

He let go of her hand, sat back down at the table, and shifted to a more comfortable position.

"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore."

"That's a really good idea."

He counted down on his fingers.

"Cheng Ying is a disciple of Peach Blossom Island, and her status is strong enough that Uncle Guo can't object once she speaks."

"Those people like Lü Wende will have to reconsider my importance."

"The leader of the Quanzhen Sect paired with a disciple from Peach Blossom Island—this combination would be acceptable in any situation."

"Besides, Cheng Ying is too proud. Making her publicly acknowledge this marriage wouldn't be a bad thing for her."

He turned around and gestured with his chin toward the inner room.

"Wushuang, take the clothes out of the bundle."

"You're going to a banquet tonight, so make sure you're all dressed neatly."

Lu Wushuang responded from behind the curtain, and began to rustle as she unpacked the cloth bundle.

Looking at Yang Guo's complacent expression, Huang Rong couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart.

She had orchestrated such a grand scheme, first running to the east courtyard to coax Cheng Ying, and then rushing to the west wing to tell him everything, her mouth dry from talking so much.

He readily accepted it with just a few words, and even meticulously calculated all the benefits for himself.

She stood up and straightened her clothes.

"During the dinner tonight, Lü Wende's men will come to test you."

"Zhao Fan has a group of skilled martial artists under his command, and they will most likely use the pretext of toasting to test the depth of your internal strength."

"Don't get carried away, just stop there."

Yang Guo didn't turn around, and just said casually.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"I know Lü Wende's character very well."

"Having run his business in Xiangyang for so many years, he was no longer willing to let Uncle Guo's family call the shots."

"Now that I, the leader of the Quanzhen Sect, have moved into the Marshal's Mansion, he probably won't even be able to sleep soundly."

"It would be strange if he didn't make a move tonight."

Huang Rong walked to the door, then stopped.

"There's one more thing."

Yang Guo raised his head.

"Cheng Ying will sit next to me tonight, not next to you."

"Don't touch her."

Yang Guo raised an eyebrow.

"Is Chief Huang protecting her?"

"I'm protecting this play."

"If she makes a mistake during the meal, the whole thing will be lost."

"Just keep it in mind."

Yang Guo looked at Huang Rong's profile.

The lamplight in the corridor shone through the crack in the door, outlining her soft silhouette.

She's in her thirties now, and after all these years of ups and downs, her charming and lively spirit hasn't faded at all; instead, it has deepened into a captivating allure.

He refrained from making a move.

"Alright, as you wish."

Huang Rong reached out to pull the door latch.

Yang Guo said something behind her.

"After this is done, how does Chief Huang plan to reward me?"

Huang Rong's hand paused on the door latch.

She didn't turn around, her voice conveying a mix of anger and helplessness.

"Let's talk about this after tonight."

She unlatched the door, pushed it open, and went out quickly without looking back.

Yang Guo watched her retreating figure until the door closed again.

He sat back down at the table, tapping the surface with his fingertips.

It was expected that Guo Jing would want to marry Guo Fu to him.

Guo Jing lived his whole life within the framework of so-called morality, always feeling that this arrangement was the best way to give back to future generations.

Little did he know that the obedient nephew in his eyes had already stolen his girlfriend.