Chapter 20: Cherishing Her Beauty

On Mount Hua, snow and wind drifted erratically.

Yang Guo stood frozen in the snowstorm, listening to Gu Qing’s words, murmuring: “No wonder my mother always told me not to seek revenge—my father was a man who recognized enemies as his own. No wonder my mother buried her in the Iron Spear Temple—my father died right there.”

Knowing who his father truly was, Yang Guo suddenly understood Huang Rong’s wariness toward him.

Although Yang Kang’s death was his own doing, he had still been killed by his own spiked armor.

As for Ouyang Feng killing several of the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan and other deeds, Yang Guo stood on the mountain, chilled to the bone, and let out a bitter laugh: “You once scolded Da Wu and Xiao Wu, saying their blood was vile—what about me...?”

Now, recalling every cruel treatment he endured in childhood, Yang Guo felt it was all repayment for his father’s sins.

“You are not only Yang Kang’s son—you are also the grandson of Yang Tiexin, and a descendant of the famed general who resisted the Jin, Yang Zaixing.”

Gu Qing cut off Yang Guo’s self-pity and said: “Though I dislike judging by bloodline, over the time we’ve known each other, I’ve felt your chivalry flows straight from your ancestors.”

Hearing this, Yang Guo pressed his chest, feeling lighter, and turned to Gu Qing: “Brother Gu, I beg you sincerely—what do you truly think of my aunt?”

Gu Qing had already disgusted him many times over Xiaolongnu; this time, Yang Guo insisted on pressing to the root.

“Your aunt is too pure—playing with her is quite amusing.”

Gu Qing said cheerfully.

“...”

Yang Guo took a deep breath: “So because my aunt has nothing to do with you, she doesn’t care that you want to marry Cheng Ying?”

Gu Qing nodded. To obtain the secret manual from Yang Guo, he needed Yang Guo to lower his guard first—to be good brothers for a while.

In that moment, Yang Guo felt the great stone in his chest lift entirely—Xiaolongnu would never marry Gu Qing...

“My aunt is naturally unpretentious. Brother Gu, you’d best keep some distance from her henceforth.”

Yang Guo casually drew a line between Gu Qing and Xiaolongnu.

“I’m merely cherishing her beauty.”

Gu Qing looked at Yang Guo and said.

In the original editions of The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes, Yang Guo’s mother was not Mu Nianci, but Qin Nanqin—Yang Kang defiled Qin Nanqin, and Yang Guo was born of that act; Yang Guo’s stubborn nature was largely inherited from Qin Nanqin.

In the original edition of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, there was a highly inflammatory exchange: after Qin Nanqin was defiled and sought revenge against Yang Kang, Mu Nianci, that sycophant, slapped her hard and said: “How cruel you are! Even if Yang Kang defiled you, it was because he cherished your beauty...”

Gu Qing deliberately brought up these details before Yang Guo to observe his reaction.

“Just show some respect to my aunt.”

Yang Guo, hearing nothing suspicious, said only that.

With these topics now laid bare, the two began exchanging martial arts on Mount Hua: Gu Qing taught Yang Guo the internal circulation methods from the Nine Yin True Classic; Yang Guo taught Gu Qing the contents of the Nine Yin False Classic and the Toad Skill.

“The Toad Skill is an unorthodox internal art—I’ve rarely used it.”

Yang Guo said: “But at the beginning of martial cultivation, it has extraordinary effects. I relied on its internal power to escape danger multiple times. As for the Nine Yin False Classic, though its text is reversed, my adoptive father did manage to cultivate it.”

Ouyang Feng had fully transmitted the Nine Yin False Classic to Yang Guo; Yang Guo once used its acupoint-shifting technique to resist Da Wu and Xiao Wu’s One Yang Finger, with remarkable success.

In the revised edition, the reversed Nine Yin and Hong Qigong’s orthodox Nine Yin internal arts merged—their energies blended, Hong Qigong’s became reversed Nine Yin, Ouyang Feng’s became orthodox Nine Yin, and together they achieved perfect harmony, yin and yang entwined, flowing effortlessly, until he passed away with a smile.

This seamless harmony, balancing yin and yang, is roughly the highest realm of the Nine Yang True Classic.

It is the internal achievement attained by Jin Yong’s designated number-one master, Zhang Wuji.

Upon hearing of the Nine Yin False Classic and the Toad Skill, Gu Qing first attempted to cultivate them using Good Deeds, and only after mastering the basics did he proceed cautiously; Yang Guo, meanwhile, while cultivating the orthodox Nine Yin True Classic, had no such reservations—he immediately activated the internal energy and, after its transformation, felt profound benefits.

The two trained on Mount Hua: Gu Qing merely experimented with the Toad Skill and reversed Nine Yin’s internal flow, mainly studying their techniques and force application; Yang Guo, at this time, transformed his own internal energy—from the Jade Maiden Heart Scripture to the Nine Yin True Classic—infusing his movements with greater power.

One day, as they trained, suddenly someone appeared, snatched the roasted rabbit, and began devouring it.

Gu Qing heard the wind and turned to see Hong Qigong, eating heartily.

“You really know how to stir up trouble.”

Hong Qigong gnawed on the rabbit leg, glared at Gu Qing, and grumbled: “You don’t know how much effort it took me to lure the Five Ugly Ones from Tibet to a spot—I had to go through all that, and you? You go down and slaughter Mongol officers and lamas, throwing everything into chaos. The Five Ugly Ones didn’t even come, so now I have to climb up here and kill them myself.”

Hong Qigong was deeply displeased with the butterfly effect Gu Qing had caused. After killing the Five Ugly Ones, he came to Mount Hua for the food.

“Did you extract their martial arts?”

Gu Qing asked quickly.

The Five Ugly Ones were disciples of the Golden Wheel Lama, and cultivated the Dragon and Tiger Divine Power.

“Why would I care about their martial arts?”

Hong Qigong eyed Gu Qing’s stance and grumbled: “You’re a disciple of Wang Chongyang—he was the number-one man of the world. Why are you learning the Poisoner’s arts?”

Hong Qigong had noticed Gu Qing practicing the Toad Skill.

“Wang Chongyang was the number-one man of the past; Ouyang Feng is the number-one man of the present.”

Gu Qing said: “It’s all the fault of the old Master Chongyang—he seized the Nine Yin True Classic but forbade his disciples from cultivating it. He made a whole circle of trouble, letting the manual fall into Guo Jing and Huang Rong’s hands. As a Quanzhen disciple, I can’t even learn it.”

Gu Qing complained, then called Yang Guo over to introduce him to Hong Qigong, one of the Five Greats.

“So you want Master Hong to propose for you?”

Yang Guo asked.

“Propose?”

Hong Qigong stared at Gu Qing in surprise: “Even the reformers within Quanzhen can’t change the rule against marriage, can they?”

Though one of the Five Greats, Hong Qigong had no desire to wade into this mess.

“The one I wish to propose to is Huang Yaoshi’s disciple.”

Gu Qing named the woman first, then added: “As for the Quanzhen rule against marriage—don’t worry, I’ll reform Quanzhen soon enough.”

This piqued Hong Qigong’s interest.

“Who’s going to propose to Huang Yaoshi’s disciple?”

A deep voice echoed from the mountains—Ouyang Feng arrived upside-down, a sight he was familiar with.

(End of Chapter)