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

Inside Chongyang Palace during the day.

Life went on in a routine, uneventful way.

They studied three lessons in the morning, noon, and evening, and their meals and daily routines were all fixed.

Yang Guo mingled among the disciples, neither showing off nor falling behind, like an ordinary and indifferent shadow.

Occasionally, fellow disciples would secretly observe him, but all were wary and no one dared to step forward and deliberately make things difficult for him.

Li Zhichang was of upright and honest character, and treated Yang Guo neither intimately nor distantly.

Every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), he would summon Yang Guo to the quiet room in the east courtyard to teach him the basic mental techniques of Quanzhen.

He taught diligently and responsibly, but that was all.

He neither imparted all his knowledge as he would to his own disciples, nor did he deliberately make things difficult for them like Zhao Zhijing did.

It's just fulfilling the duties entrusted to me by the sect.

Yang Guo understood, but he didn't take it to heart at all.

He arrived at school on time every day and listened attentively to everything Li Zhichang taught, paying meticulous attention to every detail.

After days of listening to and pondering the teachings, he gradually realized that the fundamental mental techniques of Quanzhen were completely different from what he had previously thought.

At first, he didn't take this basic mental technique to heart.

The purpose of this trip up the mountain was not to learn Quanzhen martial arts.

Although Li Zhichang's teachings were basic introductory methods, they contained a hidden essence of the "cultivation of both mind and body."

It speaks of a proper, rigorous, and steady approach, without any shortcuts or tricks.

Yang Guo had never studied Taoist scriptures before.

Only now, when I calm down and carefully contemplate this, do I realize that the Quanzhen School's status as the orthodox sect of Taoism is by no means undeserved.

From then on, he stopped being perfunctory and began to take his daily hour of study seriously.

He listened attentively as Li Zhichang lectured.

After class, he would quietly contemplate and ponder, slowly integrating the valuable essence into the three stages of reversal.

Yang Guo never expected that the basic skills of the Quanzhen Sect could actually benefit him, which could be considered an unexpected gain.

Li Zhichang quickly noticed the stark difference in Yang Guo's behavior before and after.

After a few days of study, the boy arrived at school on time every time, but his eyes were often wandering and he didn't seem to care at all.

Li Zhichang saw it all, but didn't point it out.

He never expected Yang Kang's son to devote himself to Taoism; he only hoped that he would abide by etiquette and give Guo Jing an explanation.

In recent days, however, Yang Guo's demeanor during lectures has changed. His eyes are focused and attentive, and he occasionally asks questions after class, revealing surprisingly profound insights.

Li Zhichang remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was secretly surprised.

He initially regarded this matter as just a task entrusted to him by his master.

Having never placed any expectations on this young man, seeing him suddenly change his mind, I couldn't help but re-evaluate Yang Guo.

Perhaps... this child is truly different from his father?

But this thought was fleeting, and he did not become any more affectionate towards Yang Guo because of it.

After all, it takes time to see the true nature of a person's heart. Temporary diligence is not enough; the key is whether one can persevere.

As Guo Jing left Zhongnan Mountain and time passed...

During his time at the Quanzhen Sect, Yang Guo finally shed his layers of polite formalities and revealed his true nature.

According to the rules of the sect, although registered disciples are not required to guard the mountain gate, they must take turns to share chores such as sweeping the courtyard and carrying firewood.

Yang Guo didn't care at all. These rough tasks were no problem for him. As long as they didn't hinder his actions, he was willing to do a little more work.

However, the attitudes of his fellow disciples towards him were far more complicated than he had anticipated.

Inside the dining hall, several young disciples sat in a circle, whispering amongst themselves, their eyes frequently glancing at Yang Guo, who was eating alone in a corner.

"Is this man Yang Kang's son?"

"Indeed, upon hearing that his father had betrayed his master and recognized a traitor as his father, Master Qiu was so angry that he vomited blood."

"With such a background, how dare they join our Quanzhen Sect? They're shameless enough."

"Shh, don't raise your voice."

"They were personally delivered by Master Guo; we shouldn't mess with them easily."

"Master Guo is Master Guo, and he is himself. Who can predict that he won't be like his father, outwardly kind but secretly harboring ulterior motives?"

All these idle gossips reached Yang Guo's ears.

Having practiced the Reverse Life Technique for a long time, his hearing was far superior to that of ordinary people. Not to mention several tables away, he could hear clearly even across the courtyard.

But he simply lowered his head and ate his meal silently, as if he hadn't heard a single word of criticism.

He had long been accustomed to this kind of life and took it in stride.

However, despite his law-abiding behavior, trouble still came knocking on his door out of nowhere.

That afternoon, Yang Guo finished his chores and was slowly walking back to his residence along the corridor when he turned the corner and bumped into three people.

The person in the lead was Lu Qingdu, a trusted disciple of Zhao Zhijing, followed closely by two unfamiliar young Taoist boys.

Lu Qingdu caught sight of Yang Guo, his steps suddenly faltered, and a complex expression flashed across his eyes.

It contained both deep-seated resentment and a barely perceptible sense of apprehension.

He still vividly remembers the scene of Yang Guo slapping him away on the mountain path that day.

The swelling on one side of my face took three days to subside, and I was in so much pain that I grimaced while eating.

He dreamed of getting his revenge for that humiliation.

Deep down, he knew he was no match for Yang Guo on his own.

With Zhao Zhijing backing them up today, they finally felt a bit more confident.

He took a deep breath, forced a smile, and drawled out his words:

"Hey, isn't this Junior Brother Yang?"

"What, just finished working? Have you chopped and gathered all the firewood that Uncle Zhao ordered?"

Yang Guo did not stop walking.

He simply responded with a faint "hmm" and then turned to walk past them.

Seeing his indifferent demeanor, Lu Qingdu felt a surge of anger rising within him.

He stepped forward and blocked Yang Guo's path, with two young Taoist disciples following suit.

The three men formed a semi-encirclement, effectively blocking Yang Guo's path.

"Junior Brother Yang."

Lu Qingdu slightly raised his chin, his eyes full of provocation.

"That slap you gave me on the mountain path that day was really vicious. I will never forget it."

"But times have changed. This place is within the Quanzhen Sect, not a place where you can act recklessly."

"If you know what's good for you, you should know who's in charge here."

He paused briefly, then continued:

"My master, Master Zhao, instructed me to tell you that you should know how to be humble and modest in your dealings with others. Do not be arrogant and disdainful of others just because you have someone to rely on."

Yang Guo stopped and glanced at Lu Qingdu indifferently.

His gaze was calm and undisturbed, as if he were looking at a stubborn rock by the roadside.

His gaze swept across Lu Qingdu's face, then swept over the two young Taoist disciples behind him. He remained silent for a long time before slowly raising his right hand.

This action startled Lu Qingdu, who shouted sharply to stop him:

"Yang Guo! You still dare to make a move within the Quanzhen Sect?"

Seeing his panicked and disoriented appearance, Yang Guo raised his hand and gently scratched the top of his head, speaking in a calm voice:

"It's just an itchy scalp, I'll just scratch it."

"Don't be afraid. As long as I am still a disciple of Quanzhen Sect, I will not slap you again. It's just that you look really funny right now."

Upon hearing these words, Lu Qingdu was filled with anger and fear, and a surge of resentment welled up in his heart.

"you--"

He intended to say a few harsh words to save face.

But he swallowed the words back, truly fearing that Yang Guo might actually make a move.

He had a terrible memory of that slap last time, and he didn't want to experience it again.

As Yang Guo's figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

Lu Qingdu had just relaxed his tense nerves, but in an instant he felt that his timid and cowardly appearance just now made him lose face and felt quite embarrassed.

He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and cursed under his breath:

"You brat, you'll get what's coming to you sooner or later."