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

After traveling for nearly an hour, Yang Guo finally left the area of ​​Zhongnan Mountain and arrived at Zu'an Town at the foot of the mountain.

This town is the premier market town within a radius of dozens of miles in the Zhongnan Mountains.

Because of its proximity to the ancestral temple of the Quanzhen School of Taoism, the town is constantly bustling with pilgrims and tourists, and various shops, teahouses, and taverns stand side by side, creating a lively scene.

In the past, Grandma Sun mostly did her daily shopping here.

It was early morning market day, and the streets were bustling with people, with various shouts and calls rising and falling.

"Fresh greens—all just picked from the field!"

"Candied hawthorn berries—sweet and sour candied hawthorn berries!"

"Steamed buns—freshly steamed, piping hot steamed buns!"

Yang Guo stood at the entrance of the town and once again reached out to press the brim of his felt hat down.

Standing in this bustling market, looking at the noisy pedestrians, the dazzling array of stalls along the street, and the endless hawking cries, he felt as if he had been transported to another world.

Since going to Peach Blossom Island, he hadn't strolled around the town like this for a long time.

During the two months he stayed at Chongyang Palace, he spent his days doing chores or practicing martial arts, and had no time or energy to go down the mountain.

He strolled slowly along the street, his eyes scanning the shops and stalls on both sides, pondering what kind of gift he should give Xiaolongnu.

Too valuable a gift is inappropriate – since the two people are not related and their relationship is not very close, too valuable a gift could seem abrupt.

Too vulgar wouldn't work either—Little Dragon Girl lives in the Ancient Tomb, untouched by worldly affairs; she probably wouldn't like ordinary rouge and jewelry.

One must find a simple and elegant item, of appropriate size, to convey one's sentiments.

Just as I was pondering this, a commotion suddenly broke out in front of me on the street.

Yang Guo looked up and saw a small group of people coming towards him from the end of the street.

The group consisted of about a dozen men, each with a wiry build, marching in unison, and carrying a uniformly styled ring-pommel sword at their waist.

The leader was a man in his thirties with a cold expression, his eyes constantly scanning the pedestrians along the street, as if he were searching for someone.

Although the group was dressed in civilian clothes, their well-trained aura was hard to conceal, making them stand out from the casual ordinary people on the street.

Passersby quickly moved aside upon seeing this, and the once bustling streets became mostly deserted.

Yang Guo turned sideways into a quiet alley, leaned against the wall, and kept an eye on the street corner.

He didn't know who this group was targeting, but he knew that the Quanzhen Sect was searching for him day and night. If the two sides were in cahoots, he couldn't be careless.

In just a few breaths, the group passed by the street corner in front of the alley, and continued their search without stopping.

Yang Guo vaguely heard people in the group whispering:

"The goods were completely destroyed, not a single item was left. The head of the family has already declared that we must capture that madwoman."

The others responded in unison, and the sound of footsteps gradually faded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the hustle and bustle of the street.

Yang Guo leaned against the wall, lost in thought.

The goods were destroyed? A crazy woman?

It seems someone damaged the other party's property, and the perpetrator was a woman.

Judging from their attire and formation, they didn't seem like government officials or yamen runners, but rather like private guards of some wealthy family. I wonder which faction near Zhongnan Mountain would have such a force.

But since this matter has nothing to do with me, there's no need to delve into it.

He shook his head, cleared his mind, walked out from the other end of the alley, and continued strolling along the street.

Passing by a fabric shop, he looked at the colorful silks and satins and felt they were not quite right for him; passing by a general store, he browsed through the wooden carvings and bamboo trinkets and found them not elegant enough.

I visited several shops, but still couldn't find anything I liked.

Just as he was about to wander around another street, he suddenly caught sight of a jade shop on the street corner.

The shop had a fairly large storefront, with an old wooden plaque hanging above the doorway bearing the three characters "Yu Fu Ji" in neat and simple handwriting.

Yang Guo glanced around briefly, then stepped inside.

The shop's furnishings are quite simple, with only a wooden counter in the center of the room, covered with a layer of dark blue velvet, and several old calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls.

Although the shop is small, it is clean and tidy, and has the quiet charm of an old shop.

Behind the counter sat an elderly shopkeeper in his fifties or sixties, wearing a worn silk shirt, fiddling with something.

Hearing footsteps at the door, he immediately looked up.

Entering the room was a disheveled young man wearing an old felt hat. His coarse cloth robe, though clean, looked cheap.

The old shopkeeper's expression immediately turned cold, and he casually dismissed the matter:

"This shop does not serve beggars. If you want food, go somewhere else."

Yang Guo, upon hearing this, remained unperturbed and calmly walked to the counter, saying:

"Shopkeeper, I am not a beggar, but rather I wish to purchase a jade ornament as a gift. Do you have any of the finest quality?"

Seeing that he refused to leave and even claimed he wanted to buy jade, the old shopkeeper glanced at him up and down and sneered:

"Hmph, you? Buying jade as a gift? Do you even know how much a piece of jade jewelry costs? Putting all that on your body together, you probably couldn't even afford the cheapest piece of jade in our store."

Yang Guo didn't want to argue with him, so he silently took out a heavy gold ingot from his pocket and gently placed it on the counter.

The gold ingot weighed about five or six taels, and was of excellent quality, gleaming with a golden light under the dim light in the shop.

The old shopkeeper's gaze suddenly fell on the gold, and the cold smile on his face instantly froze.

He reached out and picked up the gold ingot, weighed it in his hand, and then carefully examined its quality.

His expression shifted several times, from astonishment to embarrassment, and finally to a fawning smile, a truly fascinating transformation.

"Oh dear, young master, please forgive my poor eyesight; I failed to recognize your greatness. Please don't take offense!"

As he spoke, he placed the gold ingot back on the counter, then turned and took out an exquisite wooden box from a hidden compartment under the counter, gently placing and opening it.

The wooden box was lined with a layer of bright red velvet cloth, on which were placed two jade artifacts: a white jade hairpin and a white jade bracelet.

Both jade pieces are made of white jade, with a warm and lustrous sheen, and the carving is also very exquisite.

The hairpin is engraved with a few simple pear blossom patterns, while the bracelet is polished to a smooth, rounded finish without a single flaw.

Yang Guo reached out and picked up the white jade bracelet, gently stroking it. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, with an excellent feel.

Then I looked at the pear blossom jade hairpin. The pear blossoms on the hairpin head were carved so lifelike, and the patterns were simple yet elegant.

He was secretly delighted; these two ornaments were indeed extremely suitable for Xiaolongnu.

She lived in seclusion in the ancient tomb for many years, dressed simply and without makeup. If she were to wear such an elegant set of white jade ornaments, it would surely suit her perfectly.

Yang Guo spoke softly:

"Shopkeeper, how much are these two items in total?"

The old shopkeeper rubbed his hands together and said with a smile:

"Young master has a discerning eye; both of these pieces are carved from the finest white jade..."

"Stop, I only want to know the price, give me a straight answer."

Before he could launch into a long-winded boast about the origin of the jade, Yang Guo interrupted him directly.

Seeing this, the old shopkeeper dared not linger any longer and immediately announced the prices.

Yang Guo didn't hesitate at all and immediately agreed.

He put the jade hairpin and bracelet back into the wooden box, carefully kept them close to his body, and left the jade shop.

The old shopkeeper clutched the gold ingot, watching his departing figure, and murmured to himself:

"These days, everyone seems to prefer hiding their wealth? The rich, on the other hand, deliberately dress like they're poor. This world is truly strange..."

Yang Guo walked out of the shop and looked up at the sky. The sun had already risen high in the sky, almost noon.

He touched the wooden box in his arms. The important business was done, so he didn't linger any longer. He lowered his felt hat and walked quickly out of town along the way he had come.