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

The words had barely left his mouth.

The people in the hall fell silent, their expressions shifting several times, and the atmosphere in the hall became heavy.

Qiu Chuji's expression suddenly turned somber and complex.

His gaze fell on Yang Guo, filled with scrutiny, hesitation, and an unbridgeable barrier.

Yang Kang—the disciple he once placed high hopes on but who ultimately brought him shame—had long become a thorn in his heart that could not be removed.

He remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke:

"It's actually Yang Kang's son..."

Seeing Qiu Chuji's furrowed brows, Guo Jing quickly assured him:

"Uncle Qiu, Guo'er is of upright character and pure heart."

"Jing'er is willing to stake his life on it; he will never repeat his father's mistakes."

"I hope that my senior brother will take this child into consideration for Jing'er's sake, so that he can fulfill his filial duty as a grand-disciple on behalf of his deceased father."

Qiu Chuji pondered for a long time, and in his heart he was indeed unwilling to accept Yang Kang's son.

However, he had a deep friendship with Guo Jing and found it difficult to refuse.

When the Prince of Zhao's mansion was in danger, if it weren't for Guo Jing's selfless protection, he would have already perished under the siege of Peng Lianhu and other masters.

In front of the Misty Rain Pavilion, it was Guo Jing who risked his life to resolve the deadlock between the Seven Masters of Quanzhen and Huang Yaoshi.

He could not ignore such a profound kindness.

Moreover, Guo Jing's words were already so earnest; if he insisted on refusing, it would only make the Quanzhen Sect appear narrow-minded.

Suppressing his myriad emotions, he finally spoke slowly, his tone as calm as possible:

"Jing'er, you've given such a guarantee, how could your master not trust this child?"

"Moreover, Yang Kang went astray back then, and I, as his teacher, am also to blame."

"I can also use this child to make up for my oversights and mistakes as a teacher back then."

"From now on, let's keep this child under the Quanzhen School."

Qiu Chuji had barely finished speaking.

Several of the Six Masters of Quanzhen looked slightly somber, and after several attempts to speak, they ultimately remained silent.

When Guo Jing saw that Yang Guo had agreed to accept him, a huge weight was lifted from his heart, and he could not hide his joy.

He immediately pulled Yang Guo to his side, and bowed to the crowd with his hands clasped in respect.

"Thank you very much, Senior Uncle Qiu, for your help."

"Guo'er, quickly pay your respects to your Grandmaster Qiu and all the other Grandmasters."

"From this day forward, you will be a disciple of the Quanzhen School. You must always remember to respect your master, observe proper etiquette, and be humble and virtuous."

Upon hearing this, Yang Guo stepped forward as instructed.

He bowed respectfully to the Taoist priests, his demeanor dignified and measured.

Seeing Yang Guo's respectful and courteous manners, Qiu Chuji and his entourage relaxed their tense expressions slightly.

He thought to himself: This child seems to be just as Guo Jing said, completely different from his father Yang Kang.

After a moment, Qiu Chuji's expression relaxed, and he slowly spoke to Guo Jing and Yang Guo:

"Now that Yang Guo has joined my Quanzhen Sect, he should naturally learn martial arts from his master according to the sect's seniority system."

"Among the current third-generation disciples, Zhijing has the most solid foundation in martial arts. Having him as your mentor will surely not bury your talent."

"Yang Guo, from this day forward, you will become a disciple of Zhao Zhijing and formally become a member of my Quanzhen Sect."

Guo Jing did not raise any objections after hearing this.

Whether he had long since let go of the grudge on the mountainside or simply did not know who Zhao Zhijing was, he simply stood quietly in the hall with a pleased smile on his face.

However, Zhao Zhijing, who was standing to the side, suddenly darkened his expression upon hearing this.

His lips moved slightly, and he tried to decline several times, but he dared not lose his manners in front of his senior masters.

He could only grit his teeth, lower his head and remain silent, not daring to respond for a long time.

A surge of anger welled up inside him:

To take Yang Guo as a disciple? That's utterly absurd and laughable.

Just now on the mountain path, the formation he had set up was broken by Guo Jing in front of everyone, causing him to lose face completely.

He wished the two people in front of him would disappear immediately, and that he would never set foot in Zhongnan Mountain again in this lifetime.

What's more, this kid beat his own disciple to a pulp, and the swelling on his face hasn't gone down yet.

He hasn't even settled this score yet.

The atmosphere inside the hall became awkward and uncomfortable for a moment.

Qiu Chuji had already spoken, but Zhao Zhijing remained silent with his head bowed for a long time, which made him slightly displeased.

He frowned slightly, about to urge them on, when he heard a calm voice slowly ring out:

"I am deeply grateful to Master Qiu for accepting my teachings."

"only……"

Yang Guo stepped forward half a step, clasped his hands in a fist salute, looked directly at Qiu Chuji, and spoke in a low but clear voice:

"Just now, on the mountainside, this Taoist priest Zhao took advantage of Uncle Guo's unpreparedness and attacked him from behind with his sword. I saw it all clearly."

"Uncle Guo treated me with great kindness and righteousness, protecting me all the way north to Quanzhen. He treated me like his own son and nephew, and is the person I respect most."

"The fact that this person could resort to such a vicious act in secret shows that he is wicked."

"I am truly sorry that I dare not take him as my master. I hope that my master will find another good teacher for me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall erupted in uproar.

Ma Yu's expression changed slightly, and he turned his gaze to Zhao Zhijing, his eyes filled with scrutiny and a hint of disappointment.

He had always known that this man was narrow-minded, but he never expected that he would do such a sneak attack.

Wang Chuyi's expression was the most complex.

Zhao Zhijing was his eldest disciple, and he knew his character all too well.

In his early years, he had high expectations for this disciple and showed him great affection.

Looking at Zhao Zhijing's pale and bluish face, one can tell that what Yang Guo said is mostly true.

Overwhelmed with disappointment, he moved his lips several times, but in the end, it all turned into a heavy sigh.

He turned his head away, unable to bear looking at his disciple any longer.

Qiu Chuji's face turned ashen, and he demanded in a stern voice:

"Zhijing! Is this true? How dare you secretly attack Jing'er?"

Zhao Zhijing's face first turned bright red, then turned deathly pale.

He never expected that Yang Guo would dare to expose this matter in public.

He gritted his teeth and protested loudly:

"Master, please understand! I am truly innocent!"

"Just now on the mountain path, all of us Quanzhen disciples lined up to capture those of unknown origin."

"As the commander of the formation, I should naturally do my best."

"In a battle of weapons, anything can happen in an instant; how can you talk about a sneak attack?"

"This little bastard clearly doesn't want to become an apprentice and is deliberately fabricating lies to slander his disciple!"

He spoke passionately, appearing as if he had been unjustly accused.

But the momentary panic and shifty gaze could not escape the notice of her senior brothers.

Liu Chuxuan snorted coldly:

"Swords have no eyes? Zhijing, your argument is far too simplistic."

"If swords and blades truly have no eyes, why aim for the back with a sword instead of fighting head-on?"

Hao Datong leaned back in his chair, barely managing to look up at Zhao Zhijing, his eyes filled with disappointment and disgust.

Sun Bu'er's expression was cold; he simply shook his head slightly and remained silent.

Guo Jing stood to one side, his expression complex and his mind in turmoil.

He vividly remembered the sword that pierced his back on the mountainside.

Originally, I only intended to let it go and avoid further trouble.

Unexpectedly, Yang Guo revealed this matter in public, especially in front of the six Taoist masters of Quanzhen.

He looked at Yang Guo, his gaze a mixture of surprise, emotion, and worry.

This child was actually standing up for himself.

"Guo'er, about this matter..."

Guo Jing's voice was slightly somber as he was about to offer some words of advice.

"Uncle Guo."

Yang Guo gently interrupted him, his expression calm:

"I know you are always kind and generous and don't like to argue with others, but I can't turn a blind eye."

"You protected me all the way north to Zhongnan Mountain and helped me to become a disciple of Quanzhen. Your kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain."

"If I knew someone was plotting against you, and I still wanted to become that person's disciple, how could I, Yang Guo, live in this world?"

Guo Jing's lips moved slightly, but he remained silent for a moment.

Looking into Yang Guo's clear yet resolute eyes, he felt a surge of emotions.