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

Yang Guo looked up and saw Granny Sun standing outside the door.

Holding a food box in her hand, her eyes were full of vigilance. She first looked at him, then quickly scanned the entire stone chamber.

Seeing that the room was still furnished and the objects on the stone table had not been moved, she realized that the young man was quite well-behaved, and the tense expression on her face eased a little.

Yang Guo rose and walked slowly to the door, steadily taking the food box with polite manners, and thanked him softly:

"Thank you for your trouble, Mother-in-law."

"Stop with the formalities."

Grandma Sun snorted, but her tone was not as harsh as before.

She was now closer, and her wrinkled old eyes carefully examined Yang Guo, feeling increasingly impressed by the young man's handsome appearance.

Even though she had been by the side of the celestial-like Little Dragon Girl for many years, the young man's figure and demeanor were in no way inferior to hers when compared to her.

Seeing her staring at him so intently, Yang Guo became somewhat puzzled and asked softly:

"Does Mother-in-law have anything else to attend to?"

Upon hearing this, Granny Sun composed herself, paused with her wooden cane, and spoke in a slightly heavier tone:

"Nothing else, just remember the rules you and your wife agreed on last night."

"Don't worry, Mother-in-law. I will never break my promise."

Yang Guo replied calmly:

"If there is anything I can do to help in the tomb, please don't hesitate to ask, Mother."

Grandma Sun was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, not expecting the young man to say such a thing.

But her expression immediately turned cold, and she slammed her wooden cane heavily on the bluestone ground, making a dull thud.

"You're young, but you've got quite the big mouth."

"Our Ancient Tomb Sect has been living in seclusion for decades, and we don't need an outsider like you to step in."

"You just need to follow your rules, stay quietly in this stone chamber, and don't cause us any trouble. That will be a huge help to this old woman!"

Yang Guo did not argue upon hearing this, but simply nodded slightly, his expression indifferent.

"I will remember what my mother-in-law said and will never overstep my bounds."

Seeing this, Granny Sun said no more, only leaving a sentence: "Just leave the food box at the door after you finish eating, and this old woman will come to pick it up." Then she turned and moved away.

But after taking only a few steps, she couldn't help but turn her head and glance back.

Although she spoke forcefully just now, she couldn't help but waver slightly in her heart.

The young man remained calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant. His offer to help sounded like a casual remark, devoid of any hint of flattery, insincerity, or affectation.

Having lived for over sixty years, her temperament is no longer as cold and stubborn as it was in her prime.

Just now, when I gazed at the young man's handsome and upright features, I felt a strange pity for him.

Children of this age should either stay close to their parents and live a peaceful life, or follow their masters and elders to learn martial arts.

Yet he ventured alone into this deep mountain tomb, enduring the biting cold to hone his cultivation. How much suffering must he have endured outside to force himself to risk his life like this?

As she watched the cracks in the stone door gradually close, she gently shook her head and sighed softly.

He turned and slowly walked away, leaning on his wooden cane. The sound of his cane in the passageway gradually faded into the distance, even slower than when he had come.

......

Yang Guo carried the food box back to the stone chamber, opened it, and found a bowl of clear porridge, a dish of pickled bamboo shoots, and three warm wheat cakes. The food was simple and plain, but it had a strong sense of home cooking.

He ate his meal slowly and deliberately, silently analyzing the current situation in his mind:

Last night's events resulted in Yin Zhiping being seriously injured and Zhao Zhijing dying. Chongyang Palace must be conducting a thorough investigation at this moment.

The four bandits had distinctive features and were fleeing wounded, leaving a trail. The Quanzhen sect would definitely prioritize gathering manpower to hunt them down.

As for the murderer who killed Zhao Zhijing, with the vision of the Six Masters of Quanzhen, they would naturally start by examining the palm strikes and body techniques, and then investigate one by one the famous masters in the martial arts world who meet these criteria.

The Quanzhen Sect has many enemies and old grudges, so they won't suspect a mere novice disciple like myself for the time being.

However, since he had suddenly disappeared from Chongyang Palace overnight, it was inevitable that some meticulous people would connect his disappearance with the murder case of the previous night.

But it didn't matter. Even if they really suspected that he had killed Zhao Zhijing, they would never have imagined that he was hiding in this ancient tomb in the back mountain.

The bigger the storms on Zhongnan Mountain, the more benefits I can gain from them.

Let the raging mountain winds and rains of last night sweep this storm even more fiercely.

Before he knew it, he had finished all the food in his bowl. He tidied up the lunchbox, placed it by the door, and sat back down on the cold jade bed.

......

Granny Sun left the stone chamber and walked all the way to Little Dragon Girl's quiet room, gently pushing open the stone door to enter.

Little Dragon Girl sat alone in front of the stone table, flipping through an ancient book. She was still dressed in white, as white as snow, with a cold and indifferent look in her eyes.

She heard footsteps, but didn't look up. She simply asked softly:

"Is Mother-in-law back? How is the situation at Hanshi?"

"That young man was well-behaved; nothing in the room had been moved. Judging from his appearance, he must have been meditating and cultivating all night."

Grandma Sun gently placed the food box on one side of the stone table, then lowered her voice and added:

"Alas, just now I saw his brows and temples were frosted with white, and he sat motionless on the cold jade bed. His temperament was so resilient. He must have been a child who had suffered a lot of hardships and tribulations since childhood."

Upon hearing this, Xiaolongnu lowered her long, delicate eyelashes and simply responded with a soft "Mm." She then lowered her head to peruse the ancient scroll again, saying nothing more.

Grandma Sun knew her temperament well and said no more.

After serving Xiaolongnu her breakfast, she went to deal with miscellaneous matters in the ancient tomb, but she couldn't help but speculate about the boy's turbulent experiences.

......

The sun slowly rose to the center of the sky; it was nearly noon.

In the Jingyangzhai courtyard on the west side of the Sanqing Hall, a strong smell of medicine permeated the air.

Yin Zhiping lay on the wooden bed, his face as pale as paper, his lips dry and cracked, and a damp cloth covering his forehead.

Sun Bu'er sat by the bed, slowly feeding him ginseng soup with a silver spoon. Suddenly, she saw his eyelids tremble slightly and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Zhiping? You're awake?"

Sun Bu'er's voice held a hint of joy. She quickly put down the medicine bowl, leaned closer, and asked softly:

"How are you feeling now? Is there anything that's bothering you?"

Yin Zhiping's gaze was initially somewhat unfocused, but it slowly sharpened after he heard voices.

He slightly opened his eyes and laboriously looked up at Sun Bu'er beside him.

Immediately, a piercing pain shot through his lower body, causing him to shudder violently, and his forehead instantly beaded with cold sweat.

Memories of last night flooded back: the pitch-black rainy night, the battle on the rocky hill, Zhao Zhijing's coercion, and that chillingly sharp blade...

He suddenly remembered everything from last night and subconsciously tried to sit up, but as soon as he exerted any effort, the pain in his lower body made his vision go black, and he fell heavily back onto the bed.

"Don't move!"

Sun Bu'er hurriedly pressed down on his shoulder, her expression somber:

"Your injuries are extremely serious; you've lost too much blood from your wounds. You absolutely mustn't move around now!"

Yin Zhiping was panting heavily, his temples and pillow soaked with cold sweat.

He clenched his teeth, looked at Sun Bu'er, and spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Uncle-Master Sun... I... my leg..."

Sun Bu'er couldn't bear to look directly at him, lowered her eyes and remained silent for a long while before letting out a deep sigh:

"Zhiping, your life is saved, but... but that knife wound was too severe and too deep. All the meridians in your lower body have been severed, and from now on... I'm afraid you will never be able to practice martial arts again..."