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

As the rain stopped and dawn broke, the morning mist of Zhongnan Mountain, carrying the damp, cool scent of pine, drifted over the eaves and roof tiles of Chongyang Palace.

Last night's torrential rain washed the blue bricks of the palaces as dark as ink, and water droplets were still dripping from the eaves, falling into the puddles in front of the steps and rippling in waves.

In the council chamber on the west side of the Chongyang Hall, the candles on the table were still burning, their wax dripping high, and wisps of smoke curled between the beams.

Qiu Chuji sat upright in the main seat, the hem of his Taoist robe damp with morning dew.

He hadn't slept a wink since receiving the news last night, and now his long eyebrows were furrowed, his expression filled with an unyielding melancholy.

Seated on either side below were Ma Yu, Wang Chuyi, Hao Datong, Sun Bu'er, and Liu Chuxuan.

The six disciples of Quanzhen gathered in one room, each with a solemn expression. The oppressive atmosphere in the room made people feel suffocated.

No one expected that Zhongnan Mountain, which had been peaceful for more than ten years, would see such a bloody case of killing disciples and seriously injuring the chief disciple.

"That's what happened last night..."

Wang Chuyi's voice was hoarse, and there were still mud spots on the cuffs of his Taoist robe.

He recounted in detail the events that had transpired on the rocky hill behind the mountain the previous night.

From the four bandits sneaking into the back mountain at night, to Yin Zhiping appearing to stop and fight them, to Zhao Zhijing arriving with his sword to help, and finally being killed by a black shadow with a single palm strike.

All the details were recounted by Granny Sun last night. Therefore, although her account was coherent, she secretly omitted why Zhao Zhijing had followed them and the hidden reasons for threatening Yin Zhiping. She only said that the two of them encountered the bandits one after the other and fought them separately.

When he mentioned Yin Zhiping's injuries, he paused for a moment, then finally added in a deep voice:

"Zhiping's lower body was severely injured, with the wound almost exposing the bone. He lost too much blood and is still unconscious."

"His life may be saved, but... I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to inherit the lineage in the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.

Although Zhao Zhijing was narrow-minded, he was a pillar among the third generation of Quanzhen disciples and shouldered many sect duties.

Needless to say, Yin Zhiping has always been Qiu Chuji's most valued senior disciple and has always been regarded by others as the successor to the leadership of the Quanzhen School.

Overnight, one of these two people died and the other was crippled. For the Quanzhen Sect, this was a major event that could affect the continuation of its lineage!

Qiu Chuji clenched his fists until they turned pale, and after a long silence, he said in a deep voice:

"Who are the shadowy figures who killed Zhijing, and the ruthless bandits who injured Zhiping? Did Granny Sun explain their backgrounds?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chuyi moved forward slightly, his voice hoarse from his overnight journey:

"Reporting to Senior Brother, Granny Sun said that there were four bandits who seriously injured Zhiping. They all looked like outlaws who lived on the edge of a knife year-round."

"It is said that the leader is a burly man who uses a thick-backed machete. Zhiping's wound should have been inflicted by this man."

"The remaining three each wielded a hidden dart, a long whip, and an iron hammer—all deadly weapons commonly used by outlaws of the martial world."

He paused, then added:

"Those four people's martial arts skills should all be unorthodox, without any proper lineage, but they cooperated well and were ruthless."

"It's a pity that the rain was too heavy last night and the night was too dark. You couldn't tell people's faces from five steps away. Granny Sun also fought in a hurry and didn't see clearly."

Qiu Chuji frowned deeply, slammed his knuckles heavily on the edge of the table, and angrily cursed:

"Hmph! Four nameless bandits dared to trespass into my Zhongnan Mountain territory at night and even injure my Quanzhen disciples. They truly don't know their own limitations!"

He exhaled a deep breath, steadied himself, and spoke in a low voice:

"The paths on the back of Zhongnan Mountain are complicated. Even disciples of our sect, if they are not on duty on the back of the mountain year-round, may not be able to navigate them without making any mistakes."

"How could four nameless bandits have managed to find the entrance to the ancient tomb on the back mountain so precisely? Something's fishy about this!"

"Junior brother is absolutely right."

Upon hearing this, Ma Yu spoke slowly, her tone relatively calm, yet her words carried considerable weight:

"Since those four ruthless bandits were able to get to the entrance of the ancient tomb and act with such impunity, there must be someone backing them up and guiding them."

"There are very few people in the martial arts world who have grudges against the Ancient Tomb Sect and have a motive to act against it."

"One of them is the Red Serpent Fairy Li Mochou. She was originally a disciple of the Ancient Tomb Sect, but for some reason she was expelled from the sect back then."

"Over the years, she has committed numerous evil deeds in the martial arts world and is ruthless. If it is said that she has turned against her sect and hired bandits to raid the mountains, it would be in line with her modus operandi."

"The second one is that Mongolian Prince Huodu. Two months ago, he led his troops to attack Chongyang Palace. Ostensibly, he came to propose marriage, but in reality, he came for the martial arts inheritance of the Ancient Tomb Sect."

"Fortunately, Jing'er came to the rescue and drove him and his men down the mountain. But his wolfish ambitions are obvious. It's inevitable that he will send people to test the waters again and stir up trouble."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Ma Yu's two speculations are reasonable and plausible, and there is no overstepping of boundaries in them.

Qiu Chuji's expression softened slightly, seemingly agreeing with Ma Yu's view, but he turned and asked again:

"And what about the murderer who killed Zhijing? Did Granny Sun also explain who he came from?"

Mentioning the dark figure, Wang Chuyi's expression became more serious, and he shook his head, replying:

"The murderer left no trace whatsoever. Granny Sun said she only caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flashing by like a ghost. From its appearance to the murder and then its escape, the whole process took no more than three breaths. Not to mention its lineage, she couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman."

"I arrived at the scene last night and examined Zhijing's body. There was only a very faint palm print on the surface of his back, but when I lifted his clothes and touched him, I found that his heart and bones had been completely shattered."

He paused briefly, took a deep breath, and added his deduction from the previous night:

"Just looking at Zhijing's injuries, the fierce and ruthless palm technique, with its concentrated power, is something that no ordinary master could achieve."

"Junior brother, after much thought, there are only a handful of people in the martial world with such cultivation, and there are only two people who have old grudges against my Quanzhen Sect and have such motives."

"One of them is Ouyang Feng, the 'Western Poison.' As one of the Five Greats, his martial arts skills are beyond question. He has a blood feud with our Quanzhen Sect since his early years. It is entirely possible that he infiltrated Zhongnan Mountain to assassinate disciples and vent his anger."

"Secondly, there's Qiu Qianren, the 'Iron Palm Water-Walking Master.' The 'Iron Palm Technique' is characterized by its restrained palm power and penetrating force. Moreover, his 'Water-Walking' lightness skill is unparalleled in the martial arts world. Therefore, in my junior brother's opinion, he is more suspicious than the Western Poison Master!"

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent again.

Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren are both top-tier masters at the level of the Five Greats. If either of them were to appear in Zhongnan Mountain, it would be a huge problem.

Although the Quanzhen Sect claims to be the number one orthodox sect of Xuanmen in the world, the Big Dipper Formation set up by the Seven Masters of Quanzhen can only barely hold its own against masters at the level of the Five Greats.

Moreover, one of the Seven Masters is now missing. If it is indeed one of these two who intends to sneak into Chongyang Palace and launch a surprise attack, no one in the sect will be able to stop them.

Qiu Chuji's face turned ashen. He slammed his hand on the table, causing the candlelight to flicker three times.

He said in a deep, angry voice:

"Ouyang Feng! Qiu Qianren! The blood feud between us from over a decade ago is still unsettled, yet today you dare to come to my Zhongnan Mountain and kill my Quanzhen disciples! Do you really think my Quanzhen Sect is helpless?!"