Yang Guo travels back in time to become Duan Yu, a different kind of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.

Chapter 64 Mystery Unveiled

"Thank you for your help, young master. This humble woman—"

The woman curtsied gracefully to Yang Guo, her body slightly bent, the formality beginning but not yet fully completed. A thought flashed through Yang Guo's mind; wanting to test her strength, he formed a sword shape with his right hand, gathering power at his fingertips, and thrust it straight at the woman's center—the opening move of the Quanzhen Swordplay, the Dingyang Needle.

The woman was slightly taken aback at first, not expecting her opponent to suddenly attack without warning. Unperturbed, she lightly flicked her longsword, the blade flashing horizontally and diagonally, the tip precisely striking Yang Guo's wrist—a move from the Jade Maiden Swordplay, specifically the "Colorful Brush for Eyebrows." This move was a natural counter to the Dingyang Needle; last night, when she was ambushed by Yun Zhonghe, it was with this very sword that she barely managed to disarm him of his iron staff.

Yang Guo was startled by what he saw. He lightly spun around and calmly dodged the sword move. His wrist sank down, and the long sword came crashing down from above. He still used the Quanzhen Sword Technique, "The Great River Flows East," with a powerful and sweeping sword style.

The woman lightly touched the ground with her toes, her body slightly tilted to the side, and her long sword rose up in the process, the tip of the sword lightly touching Yang Guo's shoulder and neck. It was the Jade Maiden Sword Technique of "Cranes by the Pool," which cleverly avoided the heavy sword strike and instead sought an opportunity to counterattack.

Yang Guo changed his moves one after another, unleashing a continuous barrage of Quanzhen sword techniques, including Clouds Across the Qinling Mountains, Wind Sweeping Fallen Leaves, and Wild Geese Slanting Strike. The sword light was thick and square, layer upon layer, enveloping the area in front of him. But no matter how his moves changed, the woman always managed to find the gaps between the transitions in the Quanzhen sword techniques, deftly dismantling them with the Jade Maiden Sword Technique, each move striking a vital point without the slightest hesitation.

Every move was executed flawlessly.

Yang Guo was filled with shock. The Jade Maiden Sword Technique was a secret technique of the Ancient Tomb Sect, specifically designed to counter the Quanzhen Sword Technique. Ordinary martial artists rarely even heard of it, yet this woman before him could execute it skillfully, perfectly countering every move.

Aside from Wang Yuyan, he never taught anyone else. Could this person be—

He blurted out, "Long'er?"

The thought was instantly overturned. Not to mention their completely different appearances, their temperaments were worlds apart. Xiaolongnu, having lived in the Ancient Tomb since childhood, was unfamiliar with worldly affairs; her eyes were clear and pure, and she exuded an aura of detachment from worldly concerns, as aloof as a celestial being under the moon. But the woman before her had calm and composed eyes, rarely revealing her emotions; she was clearly someone who had long restrained her temper and knew how to conduct herself appropriately. The two women possessed completely different auras.

Not only was Yang Guo deeply moved, but the woman's heart was also in turmoil. This Jade Maiden Sword Technique was personally taught to her by that noble lady. The noble lady had told her that only the two of them in the world had mastered this sword technique, and there was no third person in the world who knew it.

Just now, Yang Guo not only secretly instructed her last night to defuse Yun Zhonghe's attack, but the sword technique he used in their fight was also the Quanzhen Sword Technique that the nobleman usually practiced with her to counter each other's moves.

It has been more than half a year since she parted ways with her benefactor. Could it be that her benefactor has encountered some danger?

The benefactor had given her a second chance at life, not only taking her in when she was down on her luck but also teaching her exquisite martial arts skills. If anyone were to make things difficult for the benefactor, she would risk everything, even death, to seek justice.

Upon thinking of this, the gentleness in the woman's eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp edge, and her tone turned cold.

"I don't know this 'Long'er' you speak of. But young master, how do you know the martial arts of my Ancient Tomb Sect? You must give me an explanation today!"

Ancient Tomb Sect?

Yang Guo sighed inwardly; he hadn't heard of this name in a long time. His thoughts raced. The Ancient Tomb Sect was founded by Lin Chaoying. According to the original timeline, Lin Chaoying hadn't been born yet, and the Tomb of the Living Dead at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain was a desolate wasteland, not even in its infancy.

Therefore, there is only one possibility: another descendant of the Ancient Tomb Sect, like himself, has crossed time and space to come to this world.

Could this person be Little Dragon Girl?

The woman before them was proficient in the Jade Maiden Sword Technique and knew the name of the Ancient Tomb Sect, so she must have a deep connection with that successor. In any case, this was a crucial clue.

Yang Guo decided to test the waters for the time being: "The martial arts of the Ancient Tomb Sect were naturally passed down to me by the sect leader. But young lady, where did you acquire your martial arts skills? And who is your master?"

Unexpectedly, the woman was quite stubborn. Upon hearing this, she frowned slightly and resolutely said, "My martial arts were taught to me by a nobleman. As for his name, you are not worthy to know!"

Yang Guo, enraged by her forceful words, was about to use his Soul-Shifting Technique to force her to reveal the truth when suddenly a bold shout rang out from afar: "Brother, are you alright!"

With a rustling sound, two figures leaped through the air, Xiao Feng carrying A'Zhu and landing steadily beside Yang Guo.

Yang Guo turned his head: "Brother, what brings you here?"

Xiao Feng's gaze swept across the scene, and he said in a deep voice, "My worthy brother has not returned for a long time. I was afraid that you had encountered a formidable enemy, so A'Zhu and I followed the trail to get here."

"A mere Yun Zhonghe is no need for you to worry about me, brother." Yang Guo pointed to the corpse beside him. "It's just that this young lady has quite a connection with an old friend of mine, and I spoke with her for a while."

Xiao Feng stepped forward and bent down to examine Yun Zhonghe's corpse. He saw a gaping, bloody hole in the villain's chest, running straight through him, the wound smooth and clean, clearly killed by an invisible burst of energy. Such power could only be achieved by Yang Guo's Six Meridian Divine Sword technique.

He stood up and nodded slightly to Yang Guo. Yun Zhonghe had committed evil deeds for many years, kidnapping women and harming the innocent, his hands covered in blood. This ending was already too good for him.

Xiao Feng and A'Zhu stood to one side. Yang Guo pondered for a moment, suppressing the urge to use the Soul Transfer Technique. This woman was merely sharp-tongued; she was not a wicked person. If he were to forcibly use the Soul Transfer Technique to extract a confession, given Xiao Feng's open and honest nature, he would inevitably develop reservations.

Yang Guo concealed his aura, cupped his hands, and said, "Miss, Yun Zhonghe has been killed, you may leave as you see fit. I hope you will consider the matter I just inquired about. This matter concerns someone extremely important to me, and I would be eternally grateful if you could tell me."

Having finished speaking, Yang Guo said no more, turned around and slowly walked back towards the inn he had come from. The wine he hadn't finished tonight was still there; as for the rest of the troubles, he would leave them for another day.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking and the sky was beginning to lighten, the group packed their bags early.

The group is about to part ways: Xiao Feng will head north to the border, while A'Zhu will travel south back to Suzhou. Their paths diverge. Yang Guo, who had originally planned to travel to Bianliang, has decided to postpone his journey.

He has more important leads to investigate.

The group bid each other farewell, standing quietly by the official road, watching Xiao Feng and A'Zhu's figures gradually disappear at the end of the road until they were no longer visible. Yang Guo withdrew his divine light, turned around, and walked straight into the city.

If you're looking for information about the martial arts world, the Beggars' Sect is the place to go in Henan.

Yang Guo had a deep connection with the Beggars' Sect in the past, and was also the sworn brother of the former leader Qiao Feng. When he came to ask for help, the Beggars' Sect would not dare to neglect him. Such a search did not need to disturb the elders of the main branch; the disciples of the Xinyang branch were sufficient to handle it.

In less than an hour, information about the woman's background was delivered to Yang Guo.

The woman was originally the daughter of a wealthy family surnamed Wang from Xinyang. At the age of twelve, she was selected to enter the palace as a maid. Half a year ago, Emperor Zhao issued an imperial decree to release a large number of palace women. She took this opportunity to return to her hometown and settle down at home.

The neighbors thought she was just an ordinary woman who had returned from the palace, and no one knew that she possessed superb martial arts skills. If Yun Zhonghe hadn't been blinded by lust last night and sneaked into a house with ill intentions, only to be killed by her instead, her martial arts skills would probably have remained a secret forever.

Originating from the imperial palace?

Yang Guo's heart stirred, and he secretly marveled at the serendipitous turn of events. He had originally planned to travel to Bianjing to pay homage to the Song Dynasty imperial palace, and now it seemed that this trip was even more imperative. However, before setting off, he had to thoroughly sort out all the clues, to know himself and his enemy, so that he could calmly deal with any unforeseen circumstances.