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

Just then, a hunched figure slowly walked over from the edge of the pine forest.

Grandma Sun leaned on an ebony cane, her right arm wrapped in a strip of cloth with faint bloodstains seeping through it, clearly indicating that she was also injured.

She stood a few steps away, looking coldly at the group of Quanzhen Taoists, her voice hoarse from the ravages of time as she spoke:

"Are you from Quanzhen?"

Wang Chuyi looked up at her, suppressing his grief and anger, and asked in a deep voice:

"Are you Granny Sun from the ancient tomb? Were you the one who went to Chongyang Palace to deliver the message?"

"What exactly happened here tonight? Why did my two nephews end up like this!"

Granny Sun glanced at the two people on the ground, one dead and one injured, then at Wang Chuyi's ashen face, and began to give a brief account of what had happened that night.

The story begins with four bandits sneaking up the mountain to steal a secret manual, followed by Yin Zhiping's appearance late at night and his confrontation with the bandits.

Then another person came and stood by, making threats. Then the thugs killed him, and Yin Zhiping was seriously injured.

The last dark figure suddenly appeared, killed the bystander with a single palm strike, and then disappeared without a trace.

She didn't mention a word about Xiaolongnu's appearance or the dark figure sneaking into the ancient tomb.

That's a private matter for the Ancient Tomb Sect; there's no need to go into too much detail with the Quanzhen Sect.

When the Quanzhen Sect inquired, she simply relayed the message and didn't want to involve her own daughter, Miss Long.

Even so, it was enough to alarm Wang Chuyi and Hao Datong.

"A shadowy figure? Killed in one blow?"

Wang Chuyi stared at the palm print on Zhao Zhijing's back, his pupils slightly contracting.

"Did you get a clear look at that person's face? How old were they? What kind of palm technique did they use?"

"The night was too dark and the rain was too heavy. The figure was extremely fast, like a black shadow that flashed by. I didn't even get a good look at its height, age, or appearance."

"With a muffled thud, the Taoist priest collapsed without uttering a sound. As for what kind of palm technique or style it was, it was impossible to discern it at all."

Grandma Sun spoke in a flat tone.

"However, this person is ruthless, killing with a single blow; there are few in the martial world with such palm power..."

She stopped halfway through her sentence, leaving the rest to the Quanzhen Sect to investigate.

Upon hearing this, Wang Chuyi frowned deeply.

He knew Zhao Zhijing's cultivation level best; he was among the top disciples of the third generation of Quanzhen Sect. Even if he was not as good as him, he was by no means an ordinary person.

He could strike the back of the head with a single palm strike, the force concentrated but not released, killing instantly; his lightness skill was so high that even an old hand like Granny Sun couldn't discern his movements...

Such skill is truly unmatched in the entire martial arts world.

Names flashed through his mind, and he overturned them one by one with his own hands.

The first character that comes to mind is "Eastern Heretic" Huang Yaoshi.

Peach Blossom Island's martial arts are agile and ruthless, and Huang Yaoshi's speed is unparalleled in the martial arts world.

However, Peach Blossom Island is far away on the coast of the East China Sea, and the grudges and misunderstandings between Huang Yaoshi and Quanzhen have long been resolved.

He would never have come to Zhongnan Mountain for no reason, and then deliberately tried to kill a third-generation disciple of Quanzhen.

Next up is "Northern Beggar" Hong Qigong.

Hong Qigong's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms are unparalleled in their power and ferocity, and his lightness skill is also superb.

But he was a mysterious figure, rarely seen, and often wandered the world. Moreover, he was an upright and honest man, and it was impossible for him to secretly kill a Quanzhen disciple.

The "Southern Emperor" Master Yideng lives far away in Dali. He has long since converted to Buddhism and no longer cares about worldly affairs. It is even more impossible for him to travel thousands of miles to Zhongnan Mountain to harm people.

With all three masters ruled out, his mind sank, and his thoughts then turned to "Western Poison" Ouyang Feng.

Ouyang Feng's Toad Stance is fierce and domineering. His palm strikes can be both hard and soft, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, or concentrating into a single point to injure people.

His movements were incredibly swift and unpredictable, like a ghost or a phantom. He always acted alone, doing things entirely based on his likes and dislikes.

More importantly, he had a blood feud with the Quanzhen Sect—back when they held the Mount Hua Sword Tournament, his master Wang Chongyang faked his death to break his Toad Skill and destroy his Toad Manual. Ouyang Feng held this grudge for more than twenty years.

Although rumors have circulated in the martial arts world in recent years that he has gone mad, disappeared, and his fate is unknown.

But what kind of person is west Du? If he wanted to make a secret comeback and hide his whereabouts, how could others easily detect it?

If he were to sneak into Zhongnan Mountain and kill a Quanzhen disciple to vent his anger, it would be in line with his ruthless nature.

Wang Chuyi's heart sank, and his fingertips felt slightly cold.

If it really is Ouyang Feng, then it won't be a small matter of losing a disciple.

This old poisoner is ruthless and vicious. If he were to reappear in the martial world, the Quanzhen Sect would definitely be the first to suffer, and he would likely cause a great disaster.

But then another name surfaced – Qiu Qianren, the "Iron Palm Water-Walking Man".

This person's Iron Palm skill is extremely ruthless and powerful, with palm force that is restrained and solid, perfectly matching the palm mark of "only a slight indentation in the back of the heart, without breaking the tendons and bones".

His lightness skill, "water-skimming," is unparalleled. His figure moves like a fleeting shadow, passing by in the rainy night, making it impossible for ordinary people to see his face clearly.

The thought of Qiu Qianren stirred up an uncontrollable old resentment in Wang Chuyi's heart.

Back then, during the battle at Niujia Village, he spread rumors in public, falsely claiming that Zhou Botong's uncle had been killed by Huang Yaoshi, thus inciting the Seven Masters of Quanzhen to fight the Eastern Heretic to the death.

This gave Ouyang Feng an opportunity to secretly attack and kill his junior brother Tan (Tan Chuduan). Ultimately, it was all related to this person.

This blood debt has been remembered by the entire Quanzhen Sect for more than ten years.

However, after the Iron Palm Clan was destroyed, Qiu Qianren disappeared without a trace, and there was no news of him in the martial arts world. Everyone assumed that he had changed his name and gone into hiding.

If this person has been bribed by the Mongols and sneaks back to Zhongnan Mountain to seek revenge.

Firstly, there was an old grudge, and secondly, there was the support of the Mongol forces. Given his ruthless and cunning nature, it was perfectly reasonable for him to secretly kill a Quanzhen disciple to establish his authority.

Moreover, given his skills and temperament, assassinating someone in secret and then fleeing in a flash is his usual tactic.

The more Wang Chuyi thought about it, the more suspicious he became of these two people.

Ouyang Feng had a deep-seated grudge, and Qiu Qianren had an old feud; one had a strange palm technique, and the other had superb lightness skills; either of them perfectly matched the pattern of tonight's palm strike.

But neither of them are characters that the Quanzhen Sect can easily deal with.

If these two are indeed colluding with the Mongols, then the situation in Zhongnan Mountain is likely to change drastically.

He felt a chill run down his back, and the cold rain made him shiver.

Wang Chuyi had roamed the martial arts world for decades and believed that he knew almost every master in the land.

But tonight, the killer has turned around and fallen on these two most troublesome individuals, each of whom weighs heavily on his mind.

This matter is shrouded in an indescribable danger.

Hao Datong stood to the side, observing the changes in Wang Chuyi's expression, and guessed what was going on. He whispered:

"Senior Brother Wang, could it be... someone from the Ancient Tomb Sect?"

Wang Chuyi slowly shook his head.

If the Ancient Tomb Sect were to take action, Granny Sun wouldn't have needed to make the special trip to Chongyang Palace to report the news.

As for the legendary head of the Ancient Tomb Sect... although he had never met him, he knew that he rarely left his room and seldom ventured outside the tomb. He would never kill a Quanzhen disciple with a single palm strike for a few bandits.

He suppressed the surging doubts in his heart, knowing that standing in the rain and daydreaming would be pointless.

The most urgent task is to bring the two back to Chongyang Palace, treat Yin Zhiping, and immediately inform Ma Yu, Qiu Chuji, and other senior brothers to discuss countermeasures.

If it were Ouyang Feng or Qiu Qianren who arrived at Zhongnan Mountain, it would be far beyond what he could handle alone.

"Grandma Sun's kindness today will be remembered by our Quanzhen Sect."

Wang Chuyi took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed slightly to Granny Sun, his voice becoming a few decimal places.

"It's a damp and cold night, and you're injured, so please go back first. We'll come to thank you another day and apologize to the Ancient Tomb Sect for disturbing your peace."

Grandma Sun nodded faintly, said nothing more, and turned to leave, leaning on her cane.

She had to rush back to the ancient tomb. She was worried about the girl being alone in the tomb, with an intruder of unknown origin.

Watching Granny Sun's figure disappear into the pine forest, Wang Chuyi slowly turned around, his face so dark it looked like it was about to drip water.

"Take the person back first."

He gave instructions to the disciples behind him in a deep voice.

"Zhijing's body... should be carefully collected and transported back to the temple for funeral arrangements."

"Zhiping's injuries are too severe. Quickly carry him back to Chongyang Palace, fetch the best healing medicine, and do everything you can to save his life."

Several disciples rushed forward and carefully lifted Yin Zhiping, then used a door panel they carried to lift Zhao Zhijing's body.

The lanterns swayed in the rain, illuminating the group as they trudged back through the rain.

Wang Chuyi walked at the front, his figure appearing particularly somber in the wind and rain. His fists were clenched so tightly they cracked, his knuckles turning white.

Regardless of whether the shadowy figure was Ouyang Feng or Qiu Qianren, and regardless of the hidden story behind it, he killed his disciple and injured the Quanzhen people.

He would never let this go.

Hao Datong stood beside him, his expression equally solemn.

He had a vague feeling that tonight's events were far more than just ordinary bandits breaking into the mountains.

First came four bandits, then a mysterious master, and even an ancient tomb has been dragged into it... This Zhongnan Mountain is probably not going to be peaceful any longer.

The wind and rain intensified, pounding the pine forest with a rustling sound.

The bloodstains on the rocky hill were washed away by the rain, as if nothing had ever happened.

Only the scattered shreds of cloth, the footprints of varying depths in the mud, and the trails of blood silently tell the story of the heart-stopping chaos of tonight.