Reborn Ouyang Ke: From The Condor Heroes to the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 67 The Oath Has Been Broken, An Invitation from Mount Hua!

Before long, the group arrived at a secret room.

This secret chamber, though slightly smaller than the previous back hall, was far more secluded. Dim light cast flickering shadows on the stone walls, and in the center stood a memorial tablet inscribed with the five large characters "Master Lin Chaoying." Ouyang Ke's gaze sharpened, and he immediately understood that this was the place where the spirit of the heroic Lady Lin was enshrined.

The woman in white stopped, glanced at the memorial tablet, her gaze distant, as if lost in reminiscence. After a moment, she turned to Li Mochou and Ouyang Ke, and slowly spoke: "In the past, our founder established a rule that all successors of the Ancient Tomb Sect must swear an oath never to leave the Ancient Tomb. But if a man is willing to die for her, then that oath is broken."

She paused, then sighed deeply, her tone tinged with an indescribable melancholy: "Today, before the Patriarch, Mochou, your vow has been broken. You may now descend the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Li Mochou's cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with joy, and she subconsciously glanced at Ouyang Ke beside her. Ouyang Ke smiled, also looking at her. Their eyes met, the candlelight reflecting in them, creating a scene of unparalleled sweetness.

However, the next moment, Li Mochou suddenly realized something, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes, and she exclaimed, "Master, are you sending me down the mountain?"

The woman in white looked at her disciple, whose eyes were filled with panic, and shook her head: "You have found a man who is willing to die with you, so naturally you cannot stay in the ancient tomb any longer."

Li Mochou's heart tightened, her eyes reddened slightly, and she hurriedly said, "Master, please don't send Mochou down the mountain! Mochou wants to stay with you longer!"

Looking at Li Mochou, whose emotions were now genuine, the white-clad woman's seemingly cold gaze softened, but she still shook her head: "These are the rules established by our founder, and no one can disobey them, not even me—"

Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Li Mochou's eyes. At this moment, the joy of her wish being fulfilled vanished, replaced by a faint sadness. She had been orphaned at a young age, and it was her master who brought her to the Ancient Tomb, raised her, and taught her martial arts.

In her heart, her master was like a mother. Now that her master wants her to go down the mountain, although it is not an expulsion from the sect, it ultimately means that they can no longer be together day and night.

Looking at Li Mochou, who was crying with tears streaming down her face, the woman in white finally sighed and softened her tone: "Why are you crying?"

I'm not saying you can't stay in the ancient tomb for long, but I'm not forbidding you from coming back later.

Li Mochou was taken aback, then burst into laughter through her tears: "I thought Master was going to banish me from the Ancient Tomb!"

The woman in white shook her head, a hint of helplessness in her eyes: "Why should I expel you from the Ancient Tomb? The founder established the rules to prevent future generations from marrying the wrong person. But you will get married and have a family in the future, so it will be inconvenient for you to stay in the Ancient Tomb for a long time. That's why I said you can't stay in the Ancient Tomb any longer."

"Master!" Upon hearing the white-clad woman's words, Li Mochou blushed deeply, lowered her head, and dared not look at her master or Ouyang Ke.

The woman in white turned her gaze to Ouyang Ke, her tone becoming more serious: "You must treat Mochou well from now on, and don't let her down."

Ouyang Ke bowed respectfully, his expression solemn: "Please rest assured, senior, if I were to betray Mochou's sincere heart, I am willing to be struck down by heaven and earth!"

Upon hearing this, the stone chamber fell silent.

Li Mochou's heart tightened suddenly, the words "Heaven and Earth Annihilate" exploding in her ears like thunder. She raised her head, staring blankly at Ouyang Ke, only to see his calm expression and clear eyes, without a trace of mockery. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but it felt as if something was blocking her throat.

"Brother Ouyang————"

She called softly, her voice trembling slightly, her eyes filled with emotion.

Ouyang Ke turned his head to look at her, smiled slightly, a smile that was gentle and firm. Their eyes met, and the scene was quite warm.

The woman in white observed this scene and said calmly, "Very well, you can leave now."

"Master—" Li Mochou's eyes showed reluctance, but her feet did not move.

The woman in white shook her head: "You can stay in the ancient tomb for now, but he must leave. The sect's founder passed down a rule that this place is forbidden for men. He has already violated the rule by trespassing into the ancient tomb today, but considering the circumstances, we will let it go for now. However, he must not stay in the ancient tomb any longer."

Ouyang Ke was not surprised by this and smiled calmly, saying, "Before I leave, I have two more things to tell you, senior."

The woman in white nodded slightly: "Speak."

Ouyang Ke slowly said, "Before you made your move, senior, I was already aware of our sect's rules. Therefore, when you made your move, I..."

Then I understood that you had no intention of killing me, senior. The reason I brought this up was simply because I didn't want to hide it from you. But my feelings for Mo Chou are as clear as day. If you don't believe me, you are welcome to continue your attack.

Upon hearing this, the woman in white's eyes suddenly turned cold, staring intently at Ouyang Ke as if trying to see through him. The atmosphere in the stone chamber froze for a moment; Li Mochou and Granny Sun both held their breath, fearing that the two might start fighting at the slightest provocation.

After a long silence, the woman in white withdrew her gaze and said coldly, "Back when our patriarch was alive, he believed that all men in the world were ungrateful and heartless. Even the heroic and chivalrous Wang Chongyang was like this, let alone others?" She paused, her tone softening slightly, "But you are really annoyingly frank."

Ouyang Ke was slightly taken aback, then cupped his hands and said, "Senior, you flatter me."

The firebird peeked out from Ouyang Ke's arms at some point, looked around, and seeing that the atmosphere had eased, it flapped its wings and landed on his shoulder. A faint, exotic fragrance wafted out, filling the small stone chamber.

The woman in white, though aloof, couldn't help but glance a few more times at the fiery red bird. The bird was exquisitely beautiful, its feathers like flames, and its small, coral-like eyes were bright and alert—truly a rare and unusual bird she had never seen before.

Little Dragon Girl, who looked like a porcelain doll and was being held in Granny Sun's arms, was staring at the firebird with wide, curious eyes.

She was only three or four years old, with snow-white skin and exquisite features, like a little fairy who had stepped out of a painting. She looked at the firebird, then suddenly reached out her hand, babbling as she reached for the air. Her little hand was as white and tender as a lotus root, with her fingertips slightly open, clearly wanting to touch the beautiful bird.

The firebird tilted its head and glanced at her, but instead of turning its head away arrogantly as usual, it spread its wings and flew off Ouyang Ke's shoulder, tracing a graceful arc in the air before landing steadily in Xiaolongnu's outstretched palm.

Little Dragon Girl felt a warmth in her palm. Looking down, she saw the fiery red bird tilting its head, observing her with a hint of curiosity in its eyes. She giggled and gently stroked the firebird's feathers with her other small hand. The feathers were smooth as satin, gleaming warmly in the candlelight. The firebird squinted its eyes, seemingly enjoying it, and even nuzzled her fingers with its little head.

"Coo!" The firebird let out a soft cry, its voice gentle and unlike its usual haughty tone.

Grandma Sun stared in disbelief, muttering, "This bird—it does have a certain intelligence."

Seeing this scene, Li Mochou felt a pang of jealousy and pouted, "That heartless little thing!" She had spent many days with the firebird, and although the bird didn't dislike her, it took a long time before it allowed her to pet it so freely. Now, on its first meeting with Xiaolongnu, it actually took the initiative to throw itself into her arms.

But the next moment, she couldn't help but laugh. Seeing the joy on her junior sister's innocent face, the sour feeling in her heart vanished.

Ouyang Ke also took a few extra glances at the young Xiaolongnu.

Although Xiaolongnu is still young, she has already shown exceptional talent and beauty, which is enough to make him secretly marvel.

The woman in white also watched this scene, the coldness in her eyes softening slightly, but she still said calmly, "And the second thing?"

Ouyang Ke's smile faded, and he said seriously, "The second matter is that I am here on my uncle's orders to invite you to the Mount Hua Sword Tournament in a month."

"The Mount Hua Sword Tournament?" The woman in white frowned slightly and shook her head, saying, "I have no interest in matters of the martial world."

Ouyang Ke, unperturbed, continued, "Senior, you may not know this, but when the *Nine Yin Manual* appeared in the world, heroes of the martial arts world fought over it, resulting in bloodshed. To avert this catastrophe, Wang Chongyang, the leader of the Quanzhen Sect, proposed the Mount Hua Sword Tournament," with the winner declared the greatest martial artist in the land and entitled to possess the *Nine Yin Manual*. Huang Yaoshi, master of Peach Blossom Island in the East Sea; Ouyang Feng, master of White Camel Mountain in the Western Regions; Duan Zhixing, emperor of the Dali Kingdom of Nanzhao; and Hong Qigong, leader of the Beggars' Sect in the North, accepted the invitation. After seven days and seven nights of the tournament, all four masters were thoroughly impressed by Wang Chongyang, who declared him the 'Number One in the Land.'"

"The best in the world?" The woman in white's expression shifted slightly, a strange light flashing in her eyes.

"Indeed," Ouyang Ke nodded. "From then on, the martial arts world knew the Five Great Masters: 'Central Divine' Wang Chongyang, 'Eastern Heretic' Huang Yaoshi, 'Western Poison' Ouyang Feng, 'Southern Emperor' Duan Zhixing, and 'Northern Beggar' Hong Qigong. Although Master Chongyang has passed away, they made a pact to reunite at Mount Hua in twenty-five years to compete. Now, there is less than a month left until that appointed time."

He paused, his gaze earnest: "This junior has come to invite you, senior, to participate in this Mount Hua Sword Tournament."

The woman in white remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

Ouyang Ke continued, "In the past, Lady Lin's martial arts were unparalleled, but it was a pity that she did not want to show her face in public, so the world was unaware of her fame. Now that you have inherited her mantle, would you be willing to let Lady Lin's fame not be as widespread as that of the Quanzhen Sect?"

Upon hearing this, the woman in white's expression changed drastically.

Although the Ancient Tomb Sect and the Quanzhen Sect are not enemies, they have always been at odds due to the grudges and feuds between their respective founders. Now, Ouyang Ke's words are nothing short of a provocation—if you don't go, wouldn't you be tarnishing the reputation of your founder?

After a long silence, the woman in white said calmly, "Alright, I agree to keep the appointment."

But then a thought struck her, and her gaze shot towards Ouyang Ke like lightning: "You're quick-witted; you're deliberately provoking me."

Ouyang Ke bowed respectfully and said frankly, "Please forgive me, senior."

The woman in white snorted coldly but did not pursue the matter further.

Ouyang Ke continued, "With the Mount Hua Sword Tournament imminent, I dare to remind you, senior, not to be careless. Now that my four uncles have mastered their martial arts, even if the resurrected Master Chongyang were to return, he would not be able to easily claim victory."

"Oh?" A hint of unease finally appeared in the white-clad woman's voice.

Ouyang Ke said, "Senior, you should have already witnessed the 'Nine Yin Relics' in the ancient tomb, right?"

The woman in white's eyes flashed with a strange light, and she subconsciously looked at Li Mochou. Li Mochou panicked and hurriedly said, "Master, Brother Ouyang told me this on his own initiative! I have absolutely not revealed any sect secrets!"

Ouyang Ke picked up the conversation and slowly said, "After Lady Lin passed away, Master Chongyang secretly came to the Ancient Tomb to pay his respects. Upon seeing the martial arts left behind by Lady Lin, he was greatly astonished. After leaving the Ancient Tomb, he built a hut on the mountain for three years, diligently studying how to counter the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra. Although he made some progress, he still couldn't grasp the essence. Disheartened, he admitted defeat to Lady Lin's intelligence and stopped studying it."

More than ten years later, after winning the Nine Yin Manual at the Mount Hua Sword Tournament, he had no intention of practicing it, but couldn't resist his curiosity and read it once. With his unparalleled martial arts skills at the time, he fully grasped the profound mysteries and essence of the Nine Yin Manual after just one glance and a dozen days of contemplation. Only then did he return to the Ancient Tomb and leave behind a stone inscription.

Upon hearing this, the woman in white suddenly understood.

Although she had lived in the ancient tomb for a long time, she was not ignorant of its value. She had long appreciated the exquisite craftsmanship of the stone carvings, but she did not know their origin. Now that she learned that they were left by Wang Chongyang, she was shocked. It turned out that the old Taoist had secretly sneaked into the ancient tomb and left behind a method to break the martial arts of his sect.

She said coldly, "In the end, even the True Man Chongyang is no match for the wisdom of our ancestor."

Ouyang Ke shook his head and said, "Senior, you are mistaken. The way of martial arts lies in communication. As for why your sect's martial arts have become the nemesis of Quanzhen martial arts, it is mostly related to the inscription left by the ancient master Chongyang in the ancient tomb. This time, the Mount Hua Sword Tournament has gathered many masters, so I hope that you will not be careless."

The woman in white scoffed, "You think I'm inferior to others?"

Ouyang Ke shook his head: "If Lady Lin were to be resurrected, this junior would naturally dare not comment. But in this junior's opinion, it seems that you have not yet mastered the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra, so—"

The woman in white sneered, "Very well, it seems you know a great deal about our sect. You can even tell that the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra hasn't been mastered yet."

Li Mochou hurriedly said, "Master, this disciple truly has never revealed the secrets of our sect's martial arts to Brother Ouyang!"

The woman in white glanced at her, knowing that what she said was true, but she was even more surprised.

Where do young people learn so many secrets?

But when he realized that he knew the origins of the Chongyang inscription in great detail, he immediately understood where it came from.

"This is none of your business, outsider," the woman in white said coldly, turning to Li Mochou. "Mochou, you stay here. For the next month, you are not allowed to leave the Ancient Tomb."

"Master—" Li Mochou hesitated for a moment, but still nodded obediently.

The woman in white softened her expression slightly and turned her gaze to Ouyang Ke: "Aren't you leaving yet?"

Ouyang Ke understood the deeper meaning behind her leaving Li Mochou behind. The "Jade Maiden Heart Sutra" requires two people to practice together, and by leaving Mochou behind, it was naturally meant that the two of them would practice the "Jade Maiden Heart Sutra" together.

Knowing that this would also be a good thing for Mo Chou, he did not object. He smiled slightly, cupped his hands, and said, "Then this junior will await your arrival at Mount Hua, senior."

Having said that, he turned to leave.

The firebird, which had been playing in Xiaolongnu's palm, seemed to sense something and gently pecked at Xiaolongnu's finger, making a low "coo" sound, as if saying goodbye.

Little Dragon Girl seemed to understand something. She clenched her small hands tightly, refusing to let go, and her clear eyes gradually filled with tears. She raised her head, looked at Ouyang Ke, and then at the firebird. Her small mouth trembled, and she looked as if she was about to cry.

"Ee--" Little Dragon Girl let out a muffled call, reaching her little hand toward the firebird.

The firebird tilted its head to look at her. After a moment, it flew back to her palm, nuzzled the back of her hand with its little head, and gently pecked her fingertips before flapping its wings and flying up. It circled once in the air and landed steadily on Ouyang Ke's shoulder.

Little Dragon Girl watched the red light gradually disappear into the distance, her eyes slightly red, clearly showing her extreme reluctance.

Grandma Sun hugged her tightly with heartache and gently coaxed her, "Sweetie, this little bird will come back again."

Before parting, Ouyang Ke turned back one last time.

Although the woman in white had a cold expression, she was no longer as aloof as before. Li Mochou's eyes were full of reluctance. When she saw Ouyang Ke looking at her, she nodded slightly, everything was understood without words.

Granny Sun held Little Dragon Girl in her arms, while the porcelain doll-like Little Dragon Girl gazed longingly at the firebird on his shoulder.

He chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Little fellow, I'll trouble you to stay in the ancient tomb for a while!"

"Speak," he said, reaching out to gently stroke the firebird. The firebird turned and glanced at him, letting out a clear, melodious cry as if in response.

The next moment, it flapped its wings and flew off Ouyang Ke's shoulder, returning to Xiaolongnu's palm. Xiaolongnu was both surprised and delighted, her tears turning into laughter. She held the firebird tightly, rubbing her face against its soft feathers.

Ouyang Ke smiled slightly, glanced at everyone one last time, turned gracefully, and strode out of the passageway. His figure quickly disappeared into the darkness, and the sound of his footsteps gradually faded away.

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