Yang Guo: I defied death and reached the heavens in The Return of the Condor Heroes

Yang Guo and Guo Fu walked through the peach grove one after the other.

When the two arrived at the courtyard of the hermitage, the last rays of orange-red on the horizon had already sunk into the twilight.

Several peach blossom paper lanterns were already lit under the eaves, their dim yellow light floating in the night, reflecting in the pond in the courtyard and creating ripples.

Before even reaching the courtyard gate, Yang Guo saw a burly figure standing at the end of the stone path.

Guo Jing placed his hands behind his back, a hint of worry in his eyes, and kept looking back at the path he had come from the peach grove.

The sea breeze made his robes flutter loudly, and he had been standing there for quite some time.

Only when he saw two figures walking from the depths of the flower grove did his tense shoulders relax.

A loud voice came from afar, across Shu Zhang's throat:

"Guo'er, Fu'er, it's getting dark. If you don't come back soon, Uncle Guo will have to go into the forest to look for you."

His voice held a hint of reproach, but inside it was full of relief that his anxiety had been put to rest.

Guo Fu loosened Yang Guo's sleeve and quickly ran to Guo Jing's side.

He looked up and nestled against her, saying:

"Father, I'm going to the beach to look for Brother Yang."

"He also taught me a fun trick: throwing pebbles at seashells, and it always hits the target."

As she spoke, she raised her hand to demonstrate the motion of throwing stones, her eyebrows and eyes sparkling, as if she wished she could practice it right there in the courtyard.

Guo Jing raised his hand to smooth his daughter's hair, which was ruffled by the sea breeze, and looked at her flushed cheeks from running.

Then he turned his gaze to Yang Guo, who stood beside him, his robes fluttering in the wind, his figure upright.

He felt secretly gratified and said softly:

"I am very pleased that you two siblings get along so well."

"Just don't linger outside until it gets dark, lest your mother and I worry about you."

Guo Fu nodded obediently, and Yang Guo stepped forward and respectfully replied:

"I understand, Uncle Guo. I will return to the garden soon from now on."

Guo Jing nodded upon hearing this, said no more, and tilted his head slightly towards the courtyard:

"Let's go inside and have dinner."

The three of them entered the main hall one after the other.

The Wu brothers are setting out bowls and chopsticks.

Xiao Wu followed behind his elder brother, carrying several porcelain cups. His left shoulder slumped slightly, and his movements were much stiffer than usual.

Da Wu remained relatively calm, holding the soup bowl steadily with both hands and walking slowly, as if afraid of spilling the soup.

When his gaze met Yang Guo's, he quietly lowered his head, focusing solely on arranging the tableware without uttering a word.

Ke Zhen'e sat alone in his armchair, his hands gripping his iron staff. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head slightly and asked:

"Fur is back?"

Guo Fu answered with a slightly coquettish tone:

"Master, Fu'er is back."

Hearing Guo Fu's laughter, Ke Zhen'e's face softened into a gentle smile. He nodded slightly and then fell silent.

Huang Rong brought out the last plate of braised fish from the kitchen. She hadn't taken off her apron yet, and the heat from the stove made a few strands of hair at her temples softly stick to her cheeks.

She looked up and saw Guo Jing leading Yang Guo and Guo Fu into the house.

Raising an eyebrow slightly, he spoke first to his daughter:

"Fu'er, you've been playing outside so carelessly again? Look at the sky, it's making your father and me worry for no reason."

Guo Fu loosened Yang Guo's sleeve and rushed over to hug Huang Rong's waist.

Her voice was sweet and soft.

"Oh dear, Brother Yang and I only played at the beach for a little while."

"Brother Yang is so skilled! He taught me how to throw stones at shells, and I hit the target every time."

"He even sparred with Xiao Wu a few times just now. It must be because his mother taught him so well that Xiao Wu couldn't even withstand a single move."

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Da Wu was arranging the bamboo chopsticks, his arm frozen in mid-air.

Xiao Wu's cheeks flushed bright red instantly. He lowered his head and stared intently at the bowls and plates on the table, his ear tips burning red.

Ke Zhen'e lightly tapped the ground with his iron staff.

His expression remained unchanged, and the sound of his cane striking the ground was particularly clear and jarring in the quiet room.

Guo Jing's usually gentle face immediately turned solemn as he turned to look at Yang Guo and Xiao Wu:

"Guo'er, Xiao Wu, were you two fighting just now?"

Xiao Wu hesitated, his voice stammering.

"Master, my brother and I ran into Brother Yang by chance at the beach."

"I guessed that Brother Yang must have a good foundation in martial arts, having studied under my master's wife, so I sincerely asked him to teach me a few moves."

He deliberately phrased the exchange of skills as a request for advice, speaking in a lower and lower voice until the last word was almost uttered from his mouth.

Guo Jing asked again, "Are either of you injured?"

Da Wu quickly took over the conversation:

"It's nothing, Master. I was just asking Brother Yang for some pointers."

"Brother Yang has a deep foundation; my brother and I are far inferior to him."

He spoke plainly, as if he were just stating ordinary trivial matters, but his fingers, hanging at his sides, unconsciously twisted his clothes repeatedly.

Guo Jing felt relieved upon hearing this, and nodded slowly, saying:

"It's good that nothing's wrong."

"You are beginners in martial arts, and you don't know how to use force when fighting, so you still have difficulty grasping the proper measure."

"I'm afraid you'll accidentally hurt each other and ruin your friendship as fellow disciples."

Da Wu and Xiao Wu immediately bowed their heads in agreement.

Xiao Wu's voice was heavy, his ears still red, and he only hoped that everyone would quickly change the subject.

Yang Guo nodded in agreement, without explaining the cause and effect, nor revealing that it was the Wu brothers who had provoked him first.

Huang Rong remained silent throughout, leaning back in her chair and gently putting her arm around her daughter's shoulder.

Her gaze first swept over the Wu brothers, then slowly settled on Yang Guo's face.

Yang Guo stood quietly beside Guo Jing, his expression indifferent, as if the matters discussed in the hall had nothing to do with him.

Huang Rong's eyes held a cloud of doubt, her gaze deep and complex as she pondered to herself:

In the past six months, he had never taught him any martial arts, nor had he sensed any martial arts aura from him.

However, what I just said is clearly contrary to the facts.

Xiao Wu had been training diligently with her husband for nearly a year, and even ordinary strong men were no match for her. Yet today, she couldn't even withstand a single move from Yang Guo.

The image of the boy who used to be respectful, humble, and obedient in front of her is now gradually fading in her mind.

She already knew in her heart that Yang Guo was hiding his true strength so deeply that she couldn't see through him at all.

However, she did not immediately inquire about the origins of Yang Guo's martial arts; instead, she smiled faintly and calmly smoothed things over.

"It's good that you two are unharmed."

"I never expected that in our first competition, I would have the upper hand, Brother Jing."

"You must also remember that you must not fight each other in private in the future; if you want to spar, you must do so in front of me and your master. Do not forget this."

Yang Guo and Da Wu bowed their heads in agreement once again.

The atmosphere in the hall eased slightly, and Guo Jing waved his hand:

"Let's eat."

After saying this, he sat down at the east seat.

The guests took their seats in turn, with Ke Zhen'e sitting firmly in the main seat, his eyes lightly closed.

Yang Guo remained to Guo Jing's left, with Guo Fu standing close beside him.

On the table were braised fresh fish, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, a dish of pickled bamboo shoots, and a pot of steaming tofu soup.

The aroma of the dishes mingled with the faint scent of candle oil from the peach blossom paper lanterns, filling the entire hall.

No one spoke again, and each picked up their chopsticks to eat.

Throughout the meal, Yang Guo ate in silence, without uttering a single word.

Da Wu and Xiao Wu were busy eating, their heads down, not even thinking about spying on Guo Fu, completely different from their usual selves.

Huang Rong, with her eyes clearly gleaming, repeatedly and secretly observed Yang Guo.

It's as if you want to see through his ordinary appearance and discover what's hidden deep in his heart.

Ke Zhen'e finished a bowl of fish soup, leaned on his iron cane, silently got up, and went back to his room alone.

The sound of the iron staff tapping on the bluestone slabs echoed along the way, slowly fading into the distance.

After the meal, Yang Guo and Da Wu cleared away the dishes and took them to the kitchen.

The Wu brothers dared not look at him, and with their heads down, they turned back to their room.

Yang Guo didn't care and started to walk back to his residence.

Just as Guo Fu was about to catch up with him and play around, Huang Rong reached out and grabbed her wrist.

The voice was gentle yet brooked no dissent:

"Fu'er, come with me."

Yang Guo had only taken a few steps out of the hall when Guo Jing called out to him from behind:

"Guo'er, come with Uncle Guo to the study."

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