A Blood-Moving Realm has arrived in the world of The Return of the Condor Heroes.

"Rong'er! What brings you here in such a hurry?" Guo Jing's strong and cheerful voice rang out, deep and steady, full of vigor and strength.

Like a wronged little bird finally finding someone to rely on, Guo Fu instantly forgot all her unhappiness, rushed to Guo Jing's side, hugged his broad and strong waist, buried her face in her father's body, and said in a sweet and coquettish voice:

"Father, you're finally back! Your daughter has missed you so much."

Her father was always focused on the important task of defending Xiangyang, and he rarely saw her, let alone his daughter.

Da Wu and Xiao Wu quickly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, "Greetings, Master!"

Guo Jing simply waved his hand, indicating that the two should dispense with formalities. The messenger had already explained the whole story to him, so there was no need for further pleasantries.

Guo Jing then quickly walked up to Zhang Huai, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke sincerely, without the slightest hint of a great hero's condescension:

"My daughter and my disciple are young and ignorant, and they have offended you greatly just now. Their words and actions were inappropriate and disturbed your peace. As a father and master, I have failed to discipline them properly, and I apologize to you for this."

Upon seeing this, Zhang Huai quickly put down his teacup, stood up to return the greeting, his posture respectful yet neither servile nor arrogant:

"It's alright, it's just a misunderstanding. It's just a little quarrel between young people, there's no need to take it to heart. Master Guo, there's no need for such formality."

He sighed inwardly, thinking that Guo Jing truly lived up to his reputation, possessing integrity and a broad mind.

He may have known what happened, but he took the initiative to apologize to him before he had fully understood the truth of the matter. Such magnanimity is far beyond that of ordinary martial artists. No wonder the world calls him the Great Hero Guo and he is respected by everyone in the martial arts world. He truly deserves the title.

Of course, Guo Jing's straightforward apology might also be because he knows his daughter's personality too well. He knows that Guo Fu is spoiled, willful, and loves to cause trouble, and he had already guessed that she was the one who started the trouble.

To be honest, this incident really had little to do with Guo Fu; it was entirely Da Wu and Xiao Wu's own doing. They impulsively stepped forward to provoke her, hoping to show off in front of Guo Fu, but they were outmatched and ended up causing her to lose face as well.

While Zhang Huai was sizing up Guo Jing, Guo Jing was also subtly sizing him up.

He has long held a high position and guarded Xiangyang for many years. He has come into contact with all sorts of people, from court officials to outlaws of the martial world. He has seen heroes and villains alike, and he is no longer as simple and innocent as he was in his youth. In addition, Huang Rong's teachings over the years have greatly improved his ability to judge people and situations.

His years of experience stationed in Xiangyang have made him more composed, experienced, and meticulous.

Guo Jing saw that the young man was so young yet had an upright posture, a calm and restrained aura, and clear and firm eyes. He had no trace of the frivolity and impetuosity of a young man, nor the slickness of a person from the martial arts world. Guo Jing felt a sense of goodwill towards him.

His voice was booming, and his tone was sincere and genuine, without a trace of hypocrisy.

"My daughter has been spoiled since childhood, and is unruly and ignorant of rules. Her two disciples have always indulged her, and the three of them often cause trouble and offend others. Young hero, you are so skilled at such a young age, and yet you are so kind-hearted and merciful, sparing my daughter and your unruly disciples from harm. I am deeply grateful. May I ask your esteemed name, your master, and the purpose of your journey to Xiangyang?"

"My name is Zhang Huai, and I come from Zhongnan Mountain. I have important matters to report to you..."

Zhang Huai didn't elaborate on what it was about, but simply glanced at the crowd standing around him.

Huang Rong immediately understood his meaning and whispered to Da Wu, Xiao Wu, Guo Fu, and the others beside her, "You guys step back first."

"yes!"

Da Wu, Xiao Wu, and the Beggar Clan members beside them bowed and immediately withdrew.

Guo Fu was clearly reluctant to leave, and was about to whine and act spoiled when Huang Rong gave her a serious look. She knew her mother was serious, and had no choice but to leave unwillingly.

Then Huang Rong turned to Zhang Huai and asked softly, "Brother Zhang, shall I leave?"

After all, Zhang Huai had previously said that he would only tell Guo Jing about this, so Huang Rong asked him a question to test the waters.

"It's alright."

Zhang Huai spoke softly.

The reason he didn't let Huang Rong leave was because he knew that what Huang Rong cared about most was the safety of Guo Jing and her family. If he had only told Huang Rong alone, she might have chosen to hide the matter from Guo Jing for the sake of her own family's safety, or convey a distorted message.

Now that Guo Jing is present, if I tell him the truth, no matter what Huang Rong plans, she will eventually fully support Guo Jing's decision.

Moreover, Huang Rong is exceptionally intelligent, and her presence saves me a lot of trouble explaining myself.

After everyone had left, Zhang Huai was about to speak when Guo Jing excitedly stepped forward and asked, "Young brother, you come from Zhongnan Mountain. Do you know anything about the Quanzhen Sect of Chongyang Palace?"

"That's natural."

Zhang Huai chuckled lightly; he had already anticipated what Guo Jing was going to ask.

As expected, Guo Jing followed up by asking, "Then, young brother, do you know the Daoist Qiu Chuji?"

"Of course I know him, not just know him, but am quite familiar with him."

Upon hearing this, Guo Jing was overjoyed and quickly asked, "Young brother, have you ever heard of a Quanzhen Sect disciple named Yang Guo?"

As Zhang Huai had expected, they were indeed inquiring about Yang Guo.

Zhang Huai feigned shock: "How do you know Yang Guo? Yang Guo and I are sworn brothers."

"So you're Guo'er's sworn brother. It seems Guo'er has been doing quite well in the Quanzhen Sect these past years, to the point of becoming sworn brothers with you. Young man, there's no need to be surprised; Guo'er is my nephew. Why didn't Guo'er come with you?"

"Hehe." Zhang Huai chuckled softly, finally revealing his relationship with Yang Guo.

The reason why he didn't mention his friendship with Yang Guo when he entered the city was because Guo Fu, Da Wu, and Xiao Wu were simple-minded. If they had heard that he knew Yang Guo, they would have let him into the city directly.

But if he did that, just like before, if he met Huang Rong first, Guo Fu would definitely tell Huang Rong about his relationship with Yang Guo immediately.

Huang Rong was already wary of Yang Guo, at least in the current situation. She mostly believed that Yang Guo would grow up to be like his father, Yang Kang. Therefore, if she were to reveal the matter of becoming sworn brothers with Yang Guo too early, Huang Rong would first suspect that he was trying to curry favor, which would reduce her trust in him.

Now, it was only after Guo Jing asked him that he revealed this relationship. With Huang Rong's intelligence, she would surely understand that his actions were not intended to curry favor.

"So it's Uncle Guo. This lad greets Uncle Guo." Zhang Huai immediately bowed in greeting.

"Young brother, there's no need for that. Let's keep to ourselves. Just call me Guo Jing." Guo Jing waved his hand. Although he was resolute and taciturn, he never cared about such formalities.

Zhang Huai quickly denied it, saying, "I wouldn't dare. We still need to observe proper etiquette and respect seniority. Otherwise, how will Brother Yang conduct himself when he arrives?"

Zhang Huai: Brother Yang, you call me uncle, and I call you brother. We can't mess up the seniority.