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

Guo Jing was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.

"Someone, quickly go and follow the young lady, don't let her run out of the manor!"

Two bodyguards quickly obeyed and gave chase.

No one spoke in the front hall.

A single spark from the lamp ignited, producing a tiny burst of embers.

A spark landed on the tablecloth and was gently flicked away by a hand holding a wine glass.

Lu Wende looked down at the tea leaves in his cup, counting them one by one.

Zhao Fan rested his hands on his knees, his shoulders tucked in tightly.

The old fisherman on the left table used his other hand to support himself with his bamboo cane.

Elder Lu used his three missing fingers to pinch the cup, covering half of his face.

Everyone knows that it's inappropriate to speak in this situation.

The eldest daughter of the Guo family's temper shattered on the ground, just like that broken tin kettle.

How to handle it is Guo Jing's own business.

Guo Jing turned around and looked at Yang Guo and Cheng Ying with a face full of apology.

"Guo'er, Miss Cheng, I've spoiled Fu'er. I'm sorry you had to see this. I'll punish her severely later."

Yang Guo smiled, his hand still wrapped around Cheng Ying's waist.

"Uncle Guo, you flatter me."

"Miss Guo is straightforward and has a childlike temper; she'll be fine in a while."

"Ying'er is gentle by nature, she won't take it to heart."

He said this in a very calm tone, without even changing his voice, as if he didn't care at all.

Huang Rong stood to the side, staring at his hand that was clasped around Cheng Ying's waist, her chest tight with anxiety.

She arranged this play for Yang Guo.

From coaxing Cheng Ying in the east courtyard to confiding in Yang Guo in the west wing, he ran around for half a day, his throat hoarse from talking.

He, on the other hand, took all the benefits upon his arrival and called her "Ying'er" smoothly in front of everyone.

That was her junior sister.

Huang Rong knew all too well what state Cheng Ying was in right now.

Leaning against Yang Guo's chest, her body felt weak and she couldn't muster any strength.

She had seen this kind of reaction before, because just a few days ago, she herself had been manipulated by this person with hands tainted with innate yang energy, to the point that she couldn't even hold onto a dog-beating stick.

She composed herself and stepped forward.

"Guo'er, help your junior sister to her seat first. She's been traveling for days and is weak; she can't take any more trouble."

Huang Rong reached out her hand, wanting to take Cheng Ying away.

Yang Guo turned around and avoided her hand.

He helped Cheng Ying to the table, pulled out a chair for her, and let her sit down.

"Thank you for your trouble, Chief Huang. I will take care of Ying'er."

The moment Cheng Ying was pushed into the chair, her thighs were still weak.

That heat surging from the depths of the meridians remained suppressed within the Lesser Yin Meridian.

She desperately used the Peach Blossom Island mental cultivation technique to barely suppress the cold, and the back of her inner garment was already soaked with cold sweat.

Yang Guo sat down next to her, taking his hand off his waist but placing it on the back of the chair instead.

With his fingers spread out, the fingertips were less than two inches from the back of Cheng Ying's neck.

Everyone present could understand the meaning behind this gesture.

Lu Wushuang, carrying a willow-leaf scimitar, silently stood behind Yang Guo.

She glanced at Cheng Ying, then quickly looked away.

She knew that Cheng Ying was her cousin, and she also knew what her cousin had suffered along the way.

But she had no right to speak.

She herself was Yang Guo's person, and they did all the most private things together, yet her title was only "personal maid".

She couldn't even control her own life in front of Yang Guo, so how could she have the face to stand up for Cheng Ying?

She simply gripped the knife handle and retreated to her original position.

Huang Rong glanced at Yang Guo's posture and knew that he was taking the opportunity to set rules for her.

She didn't react; instead, she turned to face the crowd, her voice steady and composed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my daughter is ignorant and has disturbed you. The food and wine are ready, let's take our seats."

Lü Wende immediately picked up the conversation.

"Madam Guo, you're too kind. It's nothing for a young girl to throw a tantrum. Today, we should be hosting a welcome dinner for Headmaster Yang. Let's drink, let's drink."

Everyone took their seats.

Servants bustled about serving dishes, and wine jars were opened, the steam and aroma of wine mingling together, slightly easing the chill from before.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the banquet slowed down a bit.

Guo Jing was worried about Guo Fu who had run away, and after drinking a few cups of wine in silence, he didn't say much.

Huang Rong took on the role of entertaining guests, navigating the banquet and handling various pleasantries.

As Yang Guo ate his food, he kept glancing at the activity on the main table out of the corner of his eye.

Cheng Ying sat next to him, her chopsticks in her bowl untouched from beginning to end.

The yang energy imprint, stimulated by Yang Guo just now, is still running rampant in the meridians.

She could only grip the fabric of her skirt tightly at her knees, biting the inside of her tongue with her teeth, using the pain to suppress the burning sensation.

The thighs were pressed tightly together, the back was stiff, and no relaxation was allowed even for a moment.

Yang Guo picked up a piece of steamed sea bass and put it in her bowl.

"Ying'er, eat more. You're too weak; how will you take care of me in the future?"

She spoke these words so softly that only she could hear them.

Cheng Ying stared at the piece of fish in the bowl, but didn't reach out.

Yang Guo did not force him.

He put down his chopsticks, picked up his wine glass, and glanced at Huang Rong.

Huang Rong was raising her cup to Elder Lu when she spoke about the recent situation of the Beggars' Sect branch in the Yingtan area.

Yang Guo secretly channeled his innate energy and used his skill of transmitting sound in a discreet manner to steadily and clearly send his voice into her ears.

"Chief Huang, you've put on quite a show."

"But the way you stared at me just now was even fiercer than when Cheng Ying hated me. What's wrong? Are you jealous?"

Huang Rong's wine glass wobbled, the wine swirling halfway around the rim and almost spilling.

She glanced at Yang Guo quickly, then ignored him and continued talking to Elder Lu.

Yang Guo's voice came again.

"You told me not to touch her. Don't worry, I've been very obedient."

"I didn't hug her just now; she lost her balance on her own. Your junior sister has such poor self-control; she's not like you at all."

Huang Rong's hand holding the cup froze for a moment.

"That night at the inn, Chief Huang could hold his own much longer than she could."

"You even scratched the bath tub with marks on it. I later negotiated with the shopkeeper and he paid me thirty coins in compensation."

Huang Rong's face burned from her ears all the way down to her neck.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly raised her wine glass to cover her face, pretending to drink.

But Yang Guo's pure innate energy enveloped her voice and pressed against her eardrums, which the Nine Yin True Qi couldn't block at all.

"Chief Huang, you're dressed too conservatively today."

"The black one from the other night was better; the fabric was so smooth that I didn't want to take it off once I touched it."

Huang Rong gripped the wine glass tightly, her five fingers digging into the glass, her knuckles turning white.

She dared not look at Yang Guo, and could only desperately try to talk to the people next to her, her mind completely swirling with those utter nonsense.

Just then, there was some movement at Lü Wende's table.

Zhao Fan stood up.

He carried a full glass of wine and strode over to Yang Guo's table.

His footsteps were heavy, and the soles of his boots made a dull thud on the blue brick floor.

"Master Yang."

Zhao Fan's voice was loud and clear, and everyone in the hall could hear him clearly.

"I am a rough man and do not understand the rules of your martial arts world. But I have heard that the Quanzhen Sect's martial arts are unparalleled. The sect leader, Yang, has taken this position at such a young age, so he must have extraordinary abilities."

He handed the wine glass forward.

"This cup of wine is offered to you by your humble servant. I hope you will do me the honor of joining me, Master Yang."

That's very polite of you.

But the way he handed over the wine glass was quite sophisticated.

With five fingers gripping the cup wall, the tiger's mouth closed, and the pad of the thumb pressing against the rim, a powerful internal force forced its way through the porcelain wall.

This kind of energy follows the Large Intestine Meridian, solid and substantial, like the hard-hitting, straightforward approach of the military.

The wine in the glass was full, yet not a drop spilled, demonstrating his precise control over the force.

This is not a toast.

This is a blatant probing.

The sound of chopsticks being used in the front hall completely stopped.

Their gazes pressed down on Yang Guo, layer by layer.

Guo Jing frowned, and his mouth was only half open when he was kicked in the knee.

Huang Rong kicked him.

She knew that Yang Guo had to overcome this hurdle on his own.

Lu Wende, who brought his men to the banquet, would not leave empty-handed. He wouldn't be able to sleep soundly tonight unless he ascertained Yang Guo's true strength in person.

If Guo Jing were to speak up for Yang Guo, it would only confirm the claim that "Yang Guo is not up to par," making it difficult for him to maintain his position in Xiangyang City in the future.

Yang Guo remained seated in his chair, without getting up.

He extended his right hand.

He put his index and middle fingers together and held the rim of the wine glass.

The way they accepted the toast was unconventional.

The two fingers were positioned exactly on the diagonal line opposite to where Zhao Fan's thumb was exerting force, which meant that the two people's internal energies collided head-on upon contact.

Zhao Fan sensed it.

The first thing you encounter is an extremely cold force, which travels along the Shaoyin meridian, and is flexible, long, and continuous.

His internal strength was fierce, and when he clashed with it, he not only failed to gain the upper hand, but was instead weakened by 20% of that soft, yin-like force.

His heart tightened, and he gritted his teeth, pushing his internal energy to its full potential, preparing for a head-on clash.

At that very moment, the sinister energy between Yang Guo's fingers suddenly vanished.

Instead, it transformed into a pure Yang energy that was extremely strong and masculine.

The force came without warning or any buffer.

One moment it was chilling to the bone, the next it was scalding hot yang energy, flowing straight into Zhao Fan's meridians from the cup.

The Kan-Li Formula: Yin and Yang Reversal.

Zhao Fan had been putting all his strength into resisting the Yin-type force, and the flow of true energy throughout his meridians was designed to counter the Yin-type force.

The sudden influx of yang energy caught him off guard, and seventy percent of his internal energy became useless.

He stumbled and took a half-step back.

The heel of the boot scraped a white mark on the blue brick.

Yang Guo held the wine cup steadily and gracefully.

The wine in the glass was as smooth as a mirror, without even a ripple.

"General Zhao, you're too kind. I'll drink this wine."

Yang Guo tilted his head back and downed the whole thing in one gulp.

No one applauded or cheered in the lobby.

But silence itself is the best answer.

The old fisherman on the Han River gently tapped the ground with his bamboo cane.

Elder Lu put down his wine cup and tapped his knee twice with his three remaining fingers.

These two seasoned veterans understood the situation even better than Zhao Fan.

Yang Guo's move just now was not just about reversing Yin and Yang.

He sat throughout the relay, without moving his shoulders or twisting his back, indicating that the internal energy did not originate from his waist but rather came directly from his dantian.

The true qi in the dantian can continuously switch between yin and yang without leaking out; this level is beyond what can be achieved by those who have reached a higher level of cultivation.

Lu Wende's expression was not good.

He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, put it down, turned his head, and whispered something to Zhao Fan.

Zhao Fan silently returned to his seat and did not speak again.

Yang Guo put down the empty cup, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and wiped the corner of his mouth.

He folded the handkerchief and put it back in his sleeve, then turned his head away.

His gaze passed over Cheng Ying's head and landed on Huang Rong's face.

The voice, transmitted through the secret passage, rang out again, pressing against Huang Rong's eardrums.

"Chief Huang, you're right. The wine in Xiangyang City is stronger than that in Zhongnan Mountain."

"I just don't know..."

"Is the bed in the Marshal's Mansion sturdy enough tonight?"

Huang Rong's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.

The chopsticks tapped softly against the rim of the bowl.

She didn't turn around to look at him.

But her face, from her cheekbones to her jawline, was already completely red.