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

Inside the Mongolian camp, torches outside the tents crackled and popped.

Two Mongolian soldiers, covered in mud, knelt on a wool blanket, not daring to lift their heads.

Their foreheads were pressed tightly against the ground, and their whole bodies were trembling uncontrollably.

The Golden Wheel Dharma King sat on the tiger-skin chair in the center, slowly and deliberately fiddling with a large string of prayer beads in his hand.

Huo Du stood on the left, waving a folding fan, his face looking quite unpleasant.

Darba stood on the right, holding a heavy golden pestle in his hand, staring intently at the deserter on the ground with his big bull eyes.

"explain."

The Golden Wheel Monk spoke calmly.

The deserter on the left replied tremblingly, "Grand Preceptor, spare us! All three hundred of our brothers perished outside Black Wind Valley. Even the transport wagons were completely destroyed, and the gunpowder was burned to ashes."

With a crisp "snap," the prayer beads in the Golden Wheel Dharma King's hand broke.

One by one, the wooden beads rolled to the ground.

"Who did it?"

The Dharma King asked in a cold voice.

The deserter on the right eagerly answered, "It was too dark; we couldn't see anything clearly, we just heard the whooshing wind!"

"That thing was so heavy that when it hit the iron shield, it flattened both the man and the shield!"

"Our scimitars shattered before they even produced a spark!"

"Lord Chiju didn't even utter a sound before his head was smashed into his stomach!"

Huo Du slammed his folding fan shut, pointed at the deserter, and shouted angrily, "That's utter nonsense!"

"Three hundred elite cavalrymen couldn't even take down one person?"

"Are you all just sitting around doing nothing?"

The deserter repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy: "Young Prince, please understand! That wasn't human; it was a monster!"

"The brothers had just surrounded them when the dark figure swung his sword, sending more than a dozen men and their horses flying two or three zhang (approximately 6-9 meters) away. When they landed, all their bones were shattered!"

"The two of us were scouting the area from the outside. We barely survived because we ran fast."

Darba brandished the golden pestle in his hand and said in a gruff voice, "Master, I'll go catch that monster and bring it to you as a snack with your wine!"

The Golden Wheel Dharma King merely raised his hand, signaling Darba to step back.

"He sent more than a dozen people flying with a single blow, along with their horses."

The Golden Wheel Monk stroked his bald head and pondered, "In the martial arts world of the Central Plains, who possesses such strength?"

"Although Guo Jing's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms are powerful, they are still palm techniques and could never create such wounds."

"Could it be some reclusive sect I don't know about?"

Huo Du shook his head and said, "Those old Taoist priests from the Quanzhen Sect were crippled by my master long ago. They simply don't have that ability."

The Dharma King stood up from his chair and slowly walked over to the two deserters.

"What weapon is that person using?"

The deserter thought for a moment and stammered, "I didn't see the exact shape, but it seemed wide, thick, and dark."

"Moreover, the weapon had no blade, looked very blunt, and made a piercing whistling sound when it hit the ground."

The Dharma King stared at the top of the tent, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

"Greatsword".

He slowly uttered those two words.

Huo Du quickly leaned closer and asked, "Master, is there really anyone in the Central Plains who can wield such heavy weapons?"

"The world is vast and full of wonders."

The Dharma King said in a deep voice, "To be able to kill three hundred of my elite troops single-handedly, this person's inner strength is truly rare."

"It seems that Xiangyang City is indeed full of hidden talents; we have suffered a hidden loss this time."

"Now that we've run out of gunpowder, how are we going to blow up Guo Jing?"

"How should we proceed with the scheme set up by Black Wind Valley?"

Huo asked somewhat anxiously.

The Dharma King did not speak, but simply waved his hand indifferently.

Two guards immediately came in and forcibly dragged the deserter, who had collapsed on the ground, out.

Shortly after, two pitiful cries came from outside the tent, and then there was complete silence.

The Dharma King turned around and his gaze fell on the map hanging on the wooden frame.

"How's the setup going on Shen Buyan's side?"

The Dharma King spoke up and asked.

Huo Du quickly replied, "Master, the poisonous miasma array has been completely buried, and we are just waiting for his snake king's inner core."

"Once the fuse is lit, the entire Black Wind Valley will instantly become a dead zone."

The Dharma King asked, "But if the gunpowder is gone, how long can this poison array trap Guo Jing?"

Huo Du said, "Guo Jing has extremely high internal strength, and ordinary poison gas takes effect slowly, so it is indeed a bit tricky."

"However, we can send several groups of skilled men to surround and intercept him, ensuring he has no chance to escape."

Just then, the curtain of the main tent was lifted from the outside.

The guards at the gate strode in and respectfully announced, "Your Excellency, there is someone outside requesting an audience. They say they have a major business deal concerning Xiangyang City to discuss with you."

The Dharma King sat back down on the tiger-skin chair and calmly ordered, "Bring him in."

The guards obeyed and withdrew.

A short while later, a mysterious person slowly walked in.

The man was wearing a long, coarse gray robe and had a large hood covering his face completely.

He was leaning on a bamboo cane and walked with a limp.

Huo Du immediately became alert, gripped the folding fan in his hand, and stepped forward to block the Dharma King.

"Who's playing tricks here?"

Huo Du demanded sharply.

The hooded man leaned his bamboo cane against the tent post and slowly reached out to lift his hood.

A face covered in wrinkles was suddenly revealed.

On his right cheek was a long, menacing scar that stretched from the corner of his eye to his chin.

Huo Du didn't recognize this person and looked back at his master with some confusion.

The Golden Wheel Dharma King suddenly laughed out loud: "Who do we have here? It turns out to be an honored guest."

"I wonder why you've come to this desolate place in the middle of the night?"

The old man with the scar showed no smile and walked over to sit down on a stool.

"The Imperial Advisor is in quite a mood. His three hundred elite troops have all been wiped out, yet he can still laugh."

The old man's voice was hoarse and unpleasant, and there was a slight lisp when he spoke.

Huo Du's face immediately darkened, and he placed his hand on the fan ribs, as if to launch the poisoned needles inside.

The Dharma King raised his hand to stop Hordu's actions.

"Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war."

The Golden Wheel Monk said calmly, "A friend coming to my door in the middle of the night, surely not just to laugh at me, right?"

The scarred old man snorted coldly, took out a roll of parchment from his pocket, and casually threw it on the low table in front of the Dharma King.

"Guo Jing has left the city."

The old man uttered five words succinctly.

The Dharma King's eyes narrowed, and he grabbed the roll of parchment, spreading it out on the table.

This was clearly a map showing the troop deployment around Xiangyang City, with a winding marching route deliberately drawn on it using red cinnabar.

Where is he going?

The Dharma King asked eagerly.

"Inspect the military camp and go to Fancheng to find the garrison commander, Wang Jian."

The old man replied.

"How many men did you bring?"

"There were only thirty personal guards; they didn't bring a large army at all."

The old man spoke with great confidence, clearly knowing everything that was happening in the city: "His two good-for-nothing disciples stole the heads of dead men outside the city and claimed military merits, which infuriated Guo Jing."

"In order to stabilize the morale of the army, Huang Rong forcibly suppressed this scandal. Guo Jing felt ashamed, so he went out of the city to find some peace and quiet."

The Dharma King brought the parchment close to the oil lamp and examined it carefully.

"Only thirty people, this is a golden opportunity."

A glint of light flashed in the Dharma King's eyes.

Huo Du also leaned over to look at the map, pointed to the red line drawn on it, and said hesitantly, "Master, if Guo Jing goes to Fancheng, this official road is the shortest route. He doesn't even pass through Black Wind Valley."

The Dharma King also noticed that the red line marked on the map perfectly bypassed Black Wind Valley and led directly from the main road to the north to Fancheng.

"Friend, your intelligence is indeed timely, but this route is not very useful to us."

The Dharma King stared at the old man and said, "We've set up a trap in Black Wind Valley. If he doesn't go in, wouldn't all this effort have been for nothing?"

Upon hearing this, the old man let out a mocking snort.

"Guo Jing is a rigid and inflexible person."

"He will definitely check three military camps along the way when he goes to Fancheng."

"And the supplies for these three military camps were burned by you last month. He will definitely check the military supplies in person this time."

The old man stretched out his withered finger, dipped it in the tea in his cup, and drew three circles on the wooden table.

"These three camps are strategically positioned to support each other."

"When he finished checking the last camp and was about to return to the main road, he had to pass through a dense forest."

"At that time, all you need to do is send someone to set fire to the forest and completely block the official road."

"Guo Jing has led troops in battle for many years. In order to save time, he would definitely choose to take the shortcut."

As he spoke, the old man moved his finger to the location of Black Wind Valley on the map and pressed it heavily.

"And this path leads directly to Blackwind Valley."

The Dharma King stroked his short beard, his eyes slightly darting around as he pondered the feasibility of the idea.

"Guo Jing's martial arts skills are unparalleled, and the thirty personal guards around him are all top-notch fighters selected from among hundreds."

"What if he finds that the road ahead is blocked by fire and chooses to turn back?"

Without saying a word, the old man pulled an iron plate from his wide sleeve and casually tossed it to the Dharma King.

The Dharma King reached out and took a look. He saw that the character "Song" was clearly engraved on the iron plate.

"This is the personal token of the garrison commander of the north gate of Xiangyang City."

The old man said confidently, "When Guo Jing passes through that forest, you only need to send someone to change into Southern Song military uniforms, take this token, and ask him for help. Tell him that there was a sudden attack outside the North Gate and that the Mongol army is holding them fast."

"Guo Jing valued chivalry above all else and would never stand by and watch his brothers die."

"Once he hears a cry for help, he will definitely follow the person leading the way."

Huo Du, listening intently, couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaim, "Brilliant! Truly a brilliant plan!"

"Our men disguised themselves as Song soldiers and lured him into Black Wind Valley in a logical way."

"Once he enters the valley, the poison array will be activated, and those thirty guards will instantly vanish!"

"No matter how profound Guo Jing's internal strength is, if he inhales the deadly poison of the Snake King's inner core, he will definitely suffer a severe injury!"

The Golden Wheel Monk put the iron plaque into his pocket, his sharp eyes fixed on the scarred old man in front of him.

"Friend, you've stayed in Xiangyang for so many years, and Guo Jing has always treated you very well."

"Why are you selling him out like this now? What are you after?"

The Dharma King asked in a deep voice.