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

Granny Sun's fear intensified. She slammed her wooden cane down heavily and shouted in a deep voice:

"Hey! Kid!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the boy slowly opened his eyes. A glimmer of light seemed to flash in his eyes, but upon closer inspection, all that remained was a clear and calm gaze.

His gaze fell on Granny Sun at the door, his expression showing neither panic nor surprise, as if he had known she was standing there all along.

"What brings you here, Mother-in-law? Are you here to question me about my origins, or to send me away?"

Yang Guo's tone was steady, with the clear and melodious quality unique to a young man, yet also revealing a calmness beyond his years.

He remained seated cross-legged on the bed, his body motionless, only his voice echoing exceptionally clearly in the stone chamber.

Seeing his composure, Granny Sun became even more suspicious.

She stepped halfway into the stone chamber with a cold expression and spoke in a deep voice:

Stop putting on airs!

"Old woman, tell me your name and background?"

"And how did you know that my ancient tomb contained only a jade bed? What is your purpose in breaking into this tomb?"

Yang Guo smiled calmly upon hearing this.

"Grandma, my name is Yang Guo. I learned from a senior martial arts master that there is a cold jade bed in the ancient tomb of Zhongnan Mountain that can temper one's bones and strengthen one's foundation, so I came here to borrow this place to cultivate."

"Mother-in-law, you can rest assured. Apart from this jade bed, I have no interest in any of the other scriptures, books, gold, or silver treasures in this ancient tomb."

"rest assured?"

Granny Sun sneered:

"You think you can convince this old woman to believe you just by saying you're not interested?"

"In your martial arts world, everyone is unpredictable. Who knows if you're pretending to use this place for cultivation, but actually intend to steal the martial arts manuals of my Ancient Tomb Sect?"

Her tone shifted abruptly, her gaze sharpening as she stared intently into Yang Guo's eyes, each word spoken with chilling precision:

"Also, just now on the rocky hill outside the gate, was it you who killed that Quanzhen Sect Taoist priest with a single palm strike?"

Yang Guo raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded calmly, saying:

"I killed him. The man's name was Zhao Zhijing, and he was a disciple of Yu Yangzi."

"What a frank young man!"

Granny Sun's eyes flashed with even more sternness.

"Since you knew he was a member of the Quanzhen Sect, you still dared to kill him!"

"And why did you choose to take his life right in front of my ancient tomb? There are thousands of Taoist priests in and around Zhongnan Mountain. Are you trying to provoke the Quanzhen Sect's wrath at the Tomb of the Living Dead?"

This was what she cared about most during her trip.

The Ancient Tomb Sect and the Quanzhen Sect have lived next to each other for decades. Although they have always been at odds, they have always kept to themselves.

But now this young man killed a Quanzhen disciple in front of the ancient tomb. If the Quanzhen Sect thoroughly investigates and finds out that this person is in the ancient tomb, then even jumping into the Yellow River will not clear his name.

Upon hearing this, Yang Guo remained calm:

"Grandma, you're overthinking it. I have no grudge against the Quanzhen Sect, and I would never use an ancient tomb to escape trouble."

"That Zhao Zhijing is a wicked and despicable man. I have some personal grudges with him, and this move is just to settle old scores."

His tone was flat, as if he had merely crushed an ant:

"I did kill the person outside the tomb, but it had nothing to do with the tomb."

"Moreover, it was a dark rainy night, and none of the people present could see my figure and appearance clearly. No matter how much the Quanzhen Sect investigates, they will not find any evidence to implicate the ancient tomb."

"If Mother-in-law is afraid of being implicated, she can simply make excuses. I believe that no matter how suspicious the Quanzhen Sect members are, they won't be able to force their way into this Tomb of the Living Dead, will they?"

Grandma Sun was taken aback when she heard this. She really hadn't expected that this young man, despite his young age, would be so meticulous and explain the whole matter so clearly.

But having lived most of her life, she knew that grudges in the martial world were far-reaching and could not be so easily severed.

"Easy for you to say!"

Grandma Sun's face was cold, her wrinkles crinkling together, as she retorted in a deep voice:

"The Quanzhen Sect has been entrenched in Zhongnan Mountain for decades, with thousands of disciples. If they are truly determined to investigate, can you guarantee that they won't find any clues?"

"If you hide in an ancient tomb to cultivate, and someone with ulterior motives discovers your secret, it's like mud falling into your crotch—even if it's not excrement, it'll still be excrement."

"When the Quanzhen Sect comes to demand an explanation, won't my peaceful Ancient Tomb Sect be turned into a complete mess by you, brat?"

"Don't worry, Mother-in-law, I promise I won't cause any unnecessary trouble for the ancient tomb."

Yang Guo slowly explained:

"When I enter the ancient tomb, I only need to use this stone chamber to cultivate, which guarantees that I will not have to leave the room, and thus no one will know that I am here."

"Once I have completed my cultivation, I promise to leave immediately and not linger for even a moment. Even if the Quanzhen Sect searches the entire Zhongnan Mountain, they will not be able to find me hiding in this Tomb of the Living Dead."

He paused, then added:

"Moreover, the Quanzhen Sect is not monolithic, and it has long-standing grudges and personal feuds in the martial arts world. It would be impossible for them to suspect the Ancient Tomb Sect immediately."

Grandma Sun listened to his logical analysis and was at a loss for words.

She pondered for a moment, thinking that Xiaolongnu was no match for this person at the moment, and a direct confrontation would only result in mutual destruction.

Since we can't get rid of him, we have no choice but to establish rules and draw clear boundaries to minimize the risks involved.

"Alright! This old woman will believe you for now."

She held up three fingers, tapped her cane, and said solemnly:

"But if you want to stay here, you have to promise me three things first."

"First, you are only allowed to stay in this stone chamber to cultivate. If you dare to wander in even half a step, I, this old woman, will risk my old life to activate the mechanism and trap you to death in this tomb."

"Secondly, you are not allowed to touch any artifacts in the tomb, and you are even less allowed to peek into the martial arts manuals of my Ancient Tomb Sect."

"Third, you'd better keep the matter of killing that Quanzhen Taoist priest a secret. Whether you're in the tomb or not, you're not allowed to mention a single word about it to outsiders!"

"If you agree to these three conditions, I will allow you to stay and cultivate for a while; if you do not agree, this old woman will fight you to the death right now, but I will not let you break the rules of the ancient tomb and bring us unnecessary trouble."

After listening for a moment, Yang Guo nodded slightly.

"I agree to all three rules and promise to act in accordance with them. Thank you for your understanding, Mother-in-law."

Grandma Sun was taken aback by his quick agreement; she hadn't expected the young man to agree to everything so readily.

She stared at Yang Guo for a long time, and seeing that his expression was open and honest and that he didn't seem to be lying, she finally let out a heavy snort:

"Just remember what you said today. If you break your promise in the future, I, this old woman, will have my own ways to deal with you."

After saying that, she didn't linger any longer and turned to walk out of the stone gate.

Just as she stepped outside, she couldn't help but look back again—Yang Guo had already closed his eyes again, and the chill around him slowly gathered once more.

In a short while, a thin layer of frost covered the boy's shoulders again.

Granny Sun sighed inwardly, feeling that the young man was strange in every way.

Despite his young age, his martial arts skills were unfathomable, and his attacks were ruthless and decisive, yet he was upright and honest in his words and deeds.

He sought opportunities to sneak into the ancient tomb not for martial arts manuals or gold and silver treasures, but rather single-mindedly guarded the cold jade bed and endured the cold.

She had lived to such an old age and had never met anyone with such a strange way of thinking.

"Alright, let's do as you suggest and observe for a while before making a decision."

Grandma Sun silently recited a phrase in her heart, then gently closed the stone door, leaving only a crack for ventilation, and gradually walked away, leaning on her wooden cane.

The footsteps in the passageway gradually faded away, and the stone chamber returned to deathly silence, leaving only the faint sound of cold air flowing through it.

Inside the stone chamber, the chill remained. The young man sat quietly, his Qi gathering and dispersing around him.

Outside the stone gate, the ancient tomb lies deep and secluded, the passageway silent, and no one knows what kind of upheaval lies behind this door.

Further beyond the mountains, the night rain continued, and the lights of Chongyang Palace flickered in the rain and mist. At the foot of the mountain, in the deserted villages and inns, watchful eyes lurked.

A storm involving the Quanzhen School, ancient tombs, Mongolia, and outlaws is brewing and spreading silently with this night rain.

The night in Zhongnan Mountain seems incredibly long at this moment...