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

Guo Jing realized that his attempts to mediate had failed to quell the conflict.

Instead, this fueled the hostility between the two sides, intensifying their confrontation. They were about to clash again in an instant. He immediately stepped forward, standing firmly between the Quanzhen disciples and the Four Fiends of Zhongnan.

With his arms outstretched, his figure as steady as a mountain, he stood like an invisible iron barrier, forcefully separating the two sides who were on the verge of battle.

"Fellow practitioners, please hear what I, Guo, have to say!"

This shout, though lacking the power of the previous long howl that shattered rocks and pierced the clouds, and shook people's souls.

But his tone was steady and solid, and every word was deeply rooted in his heart.

He possesses the air of a grandmaster who looks down upon the martial arts world with impartiality and righteousness, inspiring awe in people and making them dare not question him in the slightest.

The Quanzhen disciples were about to make a move, but seeing Guo Jing personally stop them with a solemn expression, even though their anger was surging, they had no choice but to suppress it. Their grip on the swords loosened, and their restless bodies steadied themselves.

The four demons on the opposite side were completely intimidated by this imposing aura.

The four men had been fugitives in the martial world for many years, fierce and arrogant, and they never took ordinary martial arts masters seriously. However, when faced with a grandmaster as upright as Guo Jing, their fierce and savage nature was completely restrained, their tense offensive and defensive stances eased slightly, and they dared not shout recklessly anymore.

Guo Jing's gaze was open and honest as he slowly swept over the assembled heroes.

Crowds of onlookers gathered from all directions, holding their breath and watching intently.

He spoke slowly:

"Although I have not yet ascertained the details of the grievances in your hearts, and it is inconvenient for me to make any rash judgments; however, I fully understand your resentment and grievances."

He continued in a fair and impartial tone:

"The Quanzhen School has a deep connection with Guo Jing. It is only natural and understandable that fellow disciples are filled with righteous indignation and want to seek justice for their sect when their disciples are innocently and severely injured."

"On the other hand, if these four friends from the martial arts world were truly attacked and wronged without cause, it would be only natural for them to feel resentful and unwilling to accept it."

At this point, his tone shifted, his voice suddenly becoming more solemn and righteous as he spoke:

"However, I, Guo, would like to remind everyone that today's Heroes' Gathering at Dasheng Pass is a grand event, a gathering of heroes from all over the land, for the sake of a momentous national cause! That is to jointly resist the Mongol invaders and protect the people of the Central Plains! It is not a place for you to settle personal grudges!"

"If the martial arts world of the Central Plains has not yet joined forces to resist the enemy, but instead kills each other and fellow practitioners turn against each other, wouldn't this matter become known throughout the world? Wouldn't it make the Mongol barbarians laugh at the Central Plains martial arts world for being a disorganized mess, and make the people of the world feel disheartened that all the heroes and heroines of the martial arts world value personal grudges over public justice, forget their country, and follow their own selfish interests?"

His long speech was righteous and reasonable, instantly suppressing the restlessness and hostility in the room and firmly stabilizing the situation.

Upon hearing this righteous discourse, the surrounding heroes all nodded in agreement, and murmurs of support rose and fell among them.

"Master Guo's words are truly invaluable! This is indeed the truth!"

"Exactly! The formidable enemy right now is the Mongol cavalry. With national affairs at stake, personal grudges should naturally be set aside for the time being!"

"Excellent, excellent. Any grudges can wait until the meeting to settle them; we must not let small matters cause us to lose sight of the bigger picture!"

The disciples of Quanzhen looked at each other in bewilderment. Although they still hated the Four Fiends' past misdeeds, they had to admit that Guo Jing's words were all reasonable.

No matter how great personal grudges may be, they can never compare to the eternal righteousness of the survival of the nation!

Several young disciples who had just drawn their swords silently sheathed them, their anger fading slightly.

Seeing this, the Four Fiends and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Erxi is the most shrewd and cunning. Having spent half his life in the martial arts world, he is the best at assessing situations and seeking advantages while avoiding disadvantages.

He knew that with so many heroes gathered today, the Quanzhen Sect had the advantage in numbers and was in the right. If it weren't for Guo Jing's mediation, the four brothers would have had no chance of escaping today.

The fact that the most prestigious martial arts master has stepped forward to uphold justice is already a good outcome. If they continue to argue and stubbornly persist, they will likely end up disgraced and killed.

His eyes darted around, and he immediately put away the bone-piercing dart from his sleeve, cupping his hands in greeting to Guo Jing:

"Master Guo truly lives up to his reputation for benevolence and justice, and he is the most respected figure among us brothers in the martial world! Since Master Guo has handled this matter impartially, the four of us brothers have no objections whatsoever and will follow his arrangements without question!"

Seeing that one side had already backed down, Guo Jing felt somewhat relieved and immediately wanted to strike while the iron was hot to completely quell the dispute in front of the gate.

Unexpectedly, at this very moment!

A deep, cold, and sharp shout suddenly rang out:

"Wait!"

The person who spoke was none other than Qiu Chuji, whose face remained ashen and gloomy as ever.

These two short words, brimming with anger, instantly shattered the recently eased atmosphere.

The hearts of everyone in the room jumped.

The Quanzhen disciples immediately became solemn and focused, all looking towards their master.

The Four Fiends and their companions, who had just lowered their guard, instantly became alert again. Their muscles tensed, their fingers gripped their weapons tightly, and they once again assumed a posture of fighting to the death.

Qiu Chuji strode out of the ranks and walked straight to Guo Jing.

His beard and hair stood on end, and his tone was absolutely resolute:

"Jing'er, it's not that your master is unwilling to give you face today, but rather that you have no idea how vicious and wicked these four people are!"

"They committed heinous crimes first, the evidence is irrefutable, and their evil deeds are blatant! Now, having been fortunate enough to meet again, not only do they show no remorse, but they also publicly distort the truth, slander our Quanzhen School as colluding with the enemy and betraying the country, wantonly ruining the century-old reputation of our Taoist sect!"

"If such a vicious criminal is let off lightly and tolerated today, he will surely become a great scourge to the martial arts world in the future!"

Upon hearing this furious accusation, Guo Jing's expression hardened slightly.

He knew in his heart that Qiu Chuji was a man who hated evil and was fierce in nature. Now, his obsession with hunting down the murderer for four years had long been ingrained in his bones and could not be dispelled in a few words.

He quickly stepped forward, lowered his voice, and earnestly advised:

"Uncle Qiu, I know the resentment in your heart, but today all the heroes have gathered here for the great plan to resist the Mongols! If we were to use torture and interrogation and engage in endless fighting in front of this manor gate, it would inevitably cause the heroes from all directions to become estranged and chill the hearts of righteous men all over the world."

His words were sincere and his manner was tactful:

"This disciple humbly begs Master Uncle to bear with this for a few days, to temporarily set aside personal grudges, and to personally accompany Master Uncle to investigate this case after the Heroes' Gathering concludes, to capture the culprits from back then, and to give the Quanzhen Sect an explanation, ensuring that our sect is not wronged and the wicked are not exonerated!"

Qiu Chuji's expression changed repeatedly, his anger churning within him.

He glanced at Guo Jing's sincere and earnest expression, then looked at the crowd of heroes around him who were eagerly watching.

long silence.

The surging anger in his chest finally subsided, and he nodded slightly, saying coldly:

"Very well! With the formidable enemy of the Mongols at our doorstep, the greater good of resisting them is ultimately more important. Let us set this matter aside for now!"

"But these villains are cunning, treacherous, and eloquent! To offer empty words of reconciliation now would be an unbearable disgrace for our Quanzhen Sect! Today, we must confront them in court to ascertain the truth!"

Having said that, he abruptly turned his head, looked at the ranks of Quanzhen disciples behind him, and shouted loudly:

"Zhiping! Step forward and tell me! Were those four the ones who injured you four years ago? Today, in front of all the heroes of the world, answer the truth!"

The sound field was deafening!

The Quanzhen disciples all turned to look at the slender figure at the end of the line—it was Yin Zhiping, who hadn't drawn his sword and charged forward with the others.

He stood alone at the back of the crowd, his figure lonely and forlorn, standing out from his indignant fellow disciples.

Faced with Qiu Chuji's loud shouts, all eyes were on him, and everyone was waiting to see him confront him face to face.

But he stood there, stunned.

His ears seemed deaf, and he was completely unaware of everything around him.

Those eyes, which were usually so proper and upright, were now completely unfocused.

His gaze went straight past the throng of people, gazing intently at the graceful figure in white robes and with ethereal white hair standing under the eaves of the manor gate.