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

Hao Datong's expression froze slightly.

He turned and glared at Zhang Zhiguang, who was standing beside him with his head down, not daring to meet his gaze.

He already knew in his heart that his disciples had indeed lost their composure today and were in the wrong, so he could only soften his tone and continue to explain:

"Grandma Sun, it was indeed my disciple who acted recklessly just now. I will punish him when I return."

"But you can rest assured about the matter of returning to the palace for questioning. As long as we verify the facts, it will be confirmed that this young lady has no connection with the four bandits from that night."

"I can assure you that I will personally escort her down the mountain and will not deliberately make things difficult for her."

He paused slightly, his tone weary:

"Alas—Recently, Chongyang Palace has been plagued by frequent incidents. The bandits from the rainy night have yet to be found, and the sect leader and we are all exhausted."

"Now that I have this clue, I must go back and report to the sect leader. I hope Granny Sun will not make things difficult for me."

After listening to his explanation, Grandma Sun thought about it carefully and realized that it didn't make any sense. Her stubbornness eased a little.

She turned to look at the injured girl behind her, wanting to ask her for her own opinion.

If this girl were willing to go with Hao Datong and explain the whole story, it would save this old woman from having to fight to the death with the Quanzhen sect.

But as soon as she turned her head, she saw the girl pressing her bleeding wound tightly with one hand, her head shaking wildly from side to side.

Her eyes, like autumn water, were filled with fear and pleading. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks, and she clearly showed no reluctance whatsoever.

When Granny Sun saw her looking so frightened and helpless, her heart softened immediately, and all the slight unease she had felt earlier vanished.

She immediately turned to look at Hao Datong, her tone returning to its hard and cold tone:

"No! Master Hao, it's not that this old woman doesn't believe you, but I'm afraid your guarantee isn't enough to make your disciples feel secure."

"Look at these guys behind you, their eyes are glaring like copper bells, they wish they could devour the old woman and this girl alive."

"If this girl goes back to Chongyang Palace with you, even if you don't make things difficult for her, do you think your disciples and followers will let her live in peace?"

Hao Datong saw that despite his repeated attempts to persuade her, Granny Sun remained adamant in her refusal to budge, and a growing anger began to rise within him.

However, considering that the other party was, after all, a senior member of the Ancient Tomb Sect, he was unwilling to publicly embarrass them. He could only take a deep breath, suppress his anger, and say in a deep voice:

"Granny Sun, as a member of the Quanzhen School, I speak the truth! If you don't trust me, I can swear an oath to your face—"

"oath?"

Granny Sun interrupted him, scoffing:

"Master Hao, what's the use of your oath?"

"You cultivators emphasize purifying your minds, maintaining tranquility, and having few selfish desires."

"But look at that kid who just made that move. He's obsessed with fame and fortune, and he's bloodthirsty and violent."

"If you can't even control your own disciple's temperament, how can you guarantee this girl's safety?"

Hao Datong was ridiculed and mocked by her words, and his face immediately turned pale and then red, extremely embarrassed.

After much deliberation, he finally suppressed his anger with reason and slowly nodded, speaking:

"Very well, then I shall ask the questions right here and now, is that alright?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to the curled-up girl, his expression stern, and asked in a stern voice:

"Young lady, tell me the truth: what is your name? Where do you come from? Why have you climbed Zhongnan Mountain alone? What is your purpose?"

The girl trembled violently when his sharp gaze locked onto her. She hurriedly lowered her head, her lips twitching a few times, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Seeing her evasive and silent, Hao Datong's suspicions deepened, and he pressed her for answers:

"If your conscience is clear and you have nothing to be ashamed of, why don't you dare to speak frankly?"

The girl kept her head down, ignoring everyone's gaze, but remained silent.

Grandma Sun, who was standing to the side, also felt something was amiss when she saw this situation.

She knelt down, her tone much gentler than Hao Datong's, and spoke softly:

"Don't be afraid, little girl. With this old woman here, no one will dare to do anything to you. Now tell me, what are you doing running all the way to Zhongnan Mountain all by yourself?"

The girl looked up and saw her kind and gentle face. Her tense guard relaxed a little, and she answered in a low, trembling voice:

"I...I came up the mountain to look for someone."

Looking for someone?

Grandma Sun was slightly taken aback, then asked again:

"Who are you looking for? Is that person still on Zhongnan Mountain?"

The girl bit her lip lightly, nodded, then shook her head again, her voice growing increasingly soft and indistinct:

"I'm looking for...my master..."

"I... I don't know if she's still in the mountains. I just heard people in town talking about her, saying that she was kidnapped on Zhongnan Mountain, so I came all the way up the mountain to look for her."

Upon hearing this, Granny Sun's heart skipped a beat, and her thoughts raced.

The only person recently kidnapped from Zhongnan Mountain and whose whereabouts are unknown is none other than Li Mochou, who was taken back to the Ancient Tomb by Yang Guo a couple of days ago and is now completely out of her mind!

She never expected that the timid girl in front of her would be Li Mochou's disciple!

Now that Li Mochou has lost her memory and is stuck in the Ancient Tomb, if this girl falls into the hands of the Quanzhen Sect, she will inevitably be implicated in the Ancient Tomb after being tortured.

If the Quanzhen Sect seizes the opportunity to launch an attack and investigates further, the Ancient Tomb Sect will be embroiled in immense trouble in an instant!

In a short moment, the doubts in Grandma Sun's heart completely disappeared, leaving only a firm resolve.

No matter what, she absolutely cannot let the Quanzhen people take this girl away today!

Hao Datong, standing to the side, also had many doubts after hearing the girl's explanation.

He stepped forward, his face grave, and questioned in a deep voice:

"Young lady, don't lie to us! As an elder of Quanzhen, I have never heard of anyone being kidnapped in Zhongnan Mountain. Don't make up stories to deceive us."

The girl became increasingly flustered by his harsh rebuke, and she pressed her lips tightly together, refusing to utter another word.

When Hao Datong saw that she refused to answer, his suspicions reached their peak.

Just then, a young disciple behind him quickly stepped forward, leaned down and whispered a few words in his ear.

After hearing his disciple's whispered words, Hao Datong's expression changed drastically. He turned to the girl and shouted sternly:

"What a sophistical girl! She dares to claim innocence!"

"The master you speak of, is that the wicked and bloodthirsty Red Serpent Fairy Li Mochou!?"

When Hao Datong publicly exposed the girl's identity, the color drained from her face instantly, and even her lips lost all their rosy hue.

Her panicked eyes were wide open, filled with fear. She nodded repeatedly involuntarily, then shook her head hurriedly.

Completely disoriented, he curled up helplessly, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal.

Seeing her in such a distraught state, Hao Datong's last shred of hesitation vanished.

He let out a heavy, cold snort, his tone sharp as ice, and rebuked sharply:

"Just as I thought! Li Mochou has committed countless evils, and her blood debts are piled up like mountains!"

"In my humble opinion, the assailant who attacked and severely injured my Quanzhen disciples that night must be an accomplice of you and your disciples!"

His tone shifted, and his gaze fell heavily on Granny Sun, who was standing in front of the girl.

The previous forced politeness vanished completely, replaced by a firm and resolute tone, leaving no room for negotiation:

"Granny Sun, this woman is implicated in the bloodshed at my Chongyang Palace and is highly suspicious. Today, I must bring her back to the palace for a thorough investigation and interrogation."

"If you continue to obstruct us, you will be deliberately protecting the demon's disciples and openly making an enemy of my Quanzhen Sect!"