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

The words are over.

Ouyang Feng looked up and let out a long laugh, then leaped down, landing in the crowd on the side of the street after a few bounds.

Passersby, seeing his madness and ferocity, were all terrified and scattered to avoid him.

He used the crowd to conceal his figure, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished without a trace, his long laugh fading away with the wind.

The alley suddenly fell silent, while dust still lingered slowly in the air.

The brick wall that had been collapsed by the force of the impact leaned precariously in the alley, and the ground was littered with broken bricks and tiles.

Guo Jing withdrew his palm strike and quickly walked to Yang Guo's side.

He crouched down and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, his palms still warm from the fierce fight.

His gaze swept carefully over Yang Guo's face, then he took his hands to examine his arms, and then held his hands and looked at them carefully from all angles.

Only after confirming that there were no injuries did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

This exhale contained both the relief of a heavy burden and the lingering fear in his heart.

"Guo'er, are you injured anywhere?"

"How did you end up running into Ouyang Feng here? Did he try anything to harass you just now?"

Guo Jing's breathing was still rough from the fierce battle, and his tone was full of unconcealed worry and lingering fear.

Yang Guo gently shook his head:

"I'm sorry to have worried Uncle Guo. I'm fine. That crazy old man didn't hurt me at all."

After saying that, he recounted the whole story in detail: He had previously gone to an old cave outside the city to retrieve a few old items that he couldn't bear to part with.

On the way back to the city, passing through this alley, I heard strange noises coming from the pharmacy. I peeked out and was immediately entangled by Ouyang Feng.

The old poisoner mistook him for Ouyang Ke, and he feared angering this madman.

They had no choice but to feign agreement with the other party's words and slowly stall for time until Guo Jing arrived to help them out.

Upon hearing this, Guo Jing saw that Yang Guo was indeed unharmed, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

He raised his hand and gently patted the boy's shoulder. His usually thick and rugged hands were now full of warmth and softness. Looking at this audacious child, he felt helpless.

Then he gently placed his hand on his shoulder and softly began to give him instructions:

"You're really too brave, kid."

"Ouyang Feng is ruthless and has a long list of evil deeds. If you encounter such a dangerous person again, be sure to get away first. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Uncle Guo. It was my recklessness that caused you worry."

Yang Guo could tell that Guo Jing's concern was entirely from the bottom of his heart and without any pretense, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Huang Rong slowly walked forward and reached out to straighten Yang Guo's crooked clothes.

She took out a silk handkerchief from her bosom and gently wiped away the cold sweat from Yang Guo's forehead with a tender gesture.

Her words conveyed the aunt's concern for the younger generation, yet also concealed a slight sense of distance.

"Guo'er, today was dangerous. It really scared your Uncle Guo and me quite a bit."

"From now on, we must be more careful in our dealings with others, as Ouyang Feng is mentally unstable and has a violent temper."

"If anything were to happen to you under his care, how would we face Sister Mu in the afterlife?"

Yang Guo gazed at Huang Rong, whose hair was piled high and whose features were exquisite, and answered softly:

"I've got it, Aunt Guo. I'll be much more careful in the future."

Huang Rong nodded slightly and said no more.

As the setting sun cast its slanting rays, her gaze lingered quietly on Yang Guo's face for a long while.

She didn't ask any more questions, and her words only revealed the gentle demeanor of an aunt caring for a younger generation.

However, her fingertips paused for a moment as she pulled them away from Yang Guo's clothes.

She pondered to herself: Why didn't Ouyang Feng hurt him?

How could the Western Poison Master, who had been mad for over a decade, be so entangled with a complete stranger, a mere boy? The child only said it was a chance encounter...

But everything just happened too coincidentally.

The Western Poison happened to appear in Jiaxing, and he just happened to run into him.

After meeting him, she mistook him for a close relative. The coincidences piled up together, making it hard to believe.

But Huang Rong was insightful and exceptionally intelligent.

She had always respected Guo Jing and was unwilling to criticize the young man her husband cherished so much.

He simply concealed all his doubts and worries about Yang Guo, keeping them deep in his heart.

With the storm over, Guo Jing gazed at the broken walls and rubble in the alley, a scene of utter devastation.

He took out several taels of silver from his pocket, walked up to the crowd still standing there in a daze at the alley entrance, handed them to the pharmacy owner and the head constable, and said gently to the crowd:

"Please accept the silver. That Ouyang Feng's madness and trouble-making have caused you all to suffer this misfortune for no reason."

"Shopkeeper, please repair the shop door properly tomorrow. Any damage to the medicinal herbs or losses can be compensated. If you are short of money, you can find me, Guo Jing, at the Yue Lai Inn in the west of the city tomorrow."

"Captain, please take this money back to the yamen. Firstly, it can be used to repair the alley walls, and secondly, it can be used to treat the injuries of the two wounded officers."

The two men accepted the silver and repeatedly bowed their hands in thanks.

Everyone praised Guo Daxia, saying he truly lived up to his name and that his magnanimity and demeanor were worthy of the reputation of a chivalrous hero.

The inspector, along with several wounded and lame soldiers, also quietly led his men away.

Ke Zhen'e leaned against the side, his iron staff pointing towards the direction Ouyang Feng had fled, his figure frozen in place.

The wound on the tiger's mouth was still bleeding, and blood dripped slowly down the staff, leaving spots on the bluestone slab.

The blow he just exchanged with Ouyang Feng had seriously injured him.

He was blind and had no way of knowing how far the old poisoner had escaped.

But he could hear clearly that the burst of laughter had dissipated without a trace—Opposite Poison had once again escaped from his presence.

"That old poisoner escaped again."

His voice was hoarse and low. He slammed his iron staff heavily on the ground, the tip of which pierced the stone slab three inches deep, sending pebbles flying everywhere.

His aged face showed no rage, only deep regret and frustration that he could not express through gritted teeth.

"Back then, he harmed seven of my brothers and poisoned my eyes. Today, by chance, we have met again, yet I still cannot rid myself of this great evil."

"Ke Zhen'e... Ke Zhen'e... how can you face your brothers in the afterlife!"

Guo Jing quickly stepped forward, reached out and supported Ke Zhen'e's arm, and gently comforted him:

"Master, although Ouyang Feng is mentally deranged, his martial arts skills have not diminished in the slightest."

"It was already quite an achievement to force him to leave Jiaxing today."

"The most important thing right now is your injuries. Let's go back to the inn first so that Rong'er can treat you."

He then turned to Huang Rong and whispered:

"Rong'er, Master is getting old and has suffered internal injuries. Guo'er has also been frightened. Let's go back to the inn as soon as possible."

Huang Rong nodded in response and stepped forward to help Ke Zhen'e up with Guo Jing.

The group walked slowly toward the inn. Yang Guo walked beside Guo Jing. After a few steps, he couldn't help but look back at the alley they had just come from.

The oil lamp in the pharmacy was still flickering.

A soft orange glow spilled out from between the broken doors, illuminating the trampled herbs and shattered porcelain jars scattered on the ground.

The earthen wall in the alley, which had been collapsed by Guo Jing's palm strike, was crooked and dilapidated, and the sunset's glow poured in through the gap in the wall.

The tiles that Ouyang Feng stepped on when he climbed over the wall shattered into several pieces, covered by the afterglow of the setting sun, which tinged them with a hazy, pale red.

The words of the Western Poisoner before his departure still echoed in his ears, lingering for a long time: "Once I have mastered the divine skill, I will come to find him again."

Although the old poisoner was mentally unstable, his stubbornness was unwavering.

Yang Guo raised his hand and touched the wrist that Ouyang Feng had just grabbed.

He secretly made a vow in his heart: of all things in the world, only one's own life and cultivation are the most reliable.

I never want to experience this kind of situation—being controlled by others and having no say in my own destiny—again in my life!

He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to walk slowly with the others.

Huang Rong took a half step ahead, her light yellow skirt swaying gently with her steps.

Even from behind Yang Guo, one could still glimpse half of her face, slightly turned to the side.

Yang Guo understood perfectly that with Huang Rong's clever and meticulous nature, every word and action he took from now on would be considered and weighed in her mind.

The same is true of what is happening today.

Ouyang Feng mistook him for Ouyang Ke, and he took the opportunity to deal with him for a long time.

Even if everything she said was true, this matter would still cause her to ponder and harbor countless doubts.

Despite her suspicions, Yang Guo acted only to have a clear conscience.

Moreover, Guo Jing is the one in charge. As long as Uncle Guo trusts him, Huang Rong's various speculations will ultimately be harmless.