The Prodigal Disciple of Mount Hua: Seizing All Opportunities

The next morning, inside the Fang family residence.

As the sun rose, its soft light bathed the courtyard, yet it could not dispel the solemnity between Guo Jing's brows.

He sat upright in his room, the scene of his battle with Qi Wuyai yesterday still echoing in his mind.

That cold, poisonous palm strike was indeed extremely domineering, but he possessed the supreme internal energy of the Nine Yin Manual. After a night of meditation and several cycles of circulation, his internal injuries were no longer a major concern.

What truly worried him was Yang Guo, the son of his sworn brother Yang Kang.

Last night, he tried to persuade the child for a long time with great effort, but the child was so stubborn that it was a headache.

The atmosphere in the room remained heavy.

Huang Rong sat at the table, her slender fingers gently holding a teacup, slowly sipping the freshly brewed Longjing tea, her gaze wandering thoughtfully.

Yang Guo, meanwhile, huddled far away in a corner, his youthful face etched with untamed arrogance.

With a creak, the door was gently pushed open.

Chen Qianyang strolled in, already dressed in a clean blue robe.

After the toxins were completely removed, he was full of energy, his eyes were sharper, and his steps were light and agile.

"Brother Chen!" Yang Guo's eyes lit up, and he leaped up like a rabbit, quickly hiding behind him.

"Brother Chen," Guo Jing rose to greet him, his brows slightly relaxed, "This time, we are very grateful for your help. Otherwise, if those villains Qi Wuyai and Fang Wei had escaped, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Chen Qianyang smiled slightly and cupped his hands, saying, "Brother Guo, you flatter me. Eliminating evil is simply my duty."

His gaze swept across the room, sensing the unusual atmosphere. "The wicked have been eliminated, but why does Brother Guo still look so worried?"

Guo Jing sighed and pointed at Yang Guo: "Isn't it all because of this troublesome brat?"

He said in a heavy tone, "After much thought, I have decided to send Guo'er to Zhongnan Mountain. The Quanzhen Sect is the orthodox school of Taoism, and Master Qiu Chuji is an unparalleled chivalrous figure. Perhaps only they can smooth out Guo'er's violent temper."

"I said I'm not going!" Yang Guo peeked out from behind Chen Qianyang, glaring stubbornly at Guo Jing. "I don't want to be a Taoist priest! I don't want those old Taoists to control me! I'd rather die in the street than go to Zhongnan Mountain!"

"You wretched creature!" Guo Jing roared in fury, his raised hand pausing in mid-air before finally falling limply to the ground.

Looking at the son of his old friend, he felt utterly exhausted.

"Brother Jing".

Just then, Huang Rong, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.

She put down her teacup, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Do you really think those pedantic Taoist priests of the Quanzhen Sect can control Yang Guo?"

"Rong'er? Why are you here too..." Guo Jing was stunned.

"What's wrong with me?" Huang Rong gracefully stood up and walked to Yang Guo, her beautiful eyes sweeping over the young man as she scrutinized him. Yang Guo felt uneasy under her gaze and unconsciously shrank back behind Chen Qianyang.

Huang Rong stared at Yang Guo's eyes and brows, a strange sense of disgust lingering in her heart.

Although she tried her best to restrain herself, the child looked so much like Yang Kang that it always stirred up the memories she least wanted to recall.

Moreover, the cause of his father's death...

Jing-gege wanted to send him to the Quanzhen Sect, and his initial intention was certainly good.

But how could the Taoist priests of the Quanzhen Sect, who couldn't even manage their own sect, possibly control Yang Guo's unruly nature?

She had seen Zhao Zhijing and Yin Zhiping, the third-generation disciples, in her early years. They were all mediocre people, so what good disciples could they teach?

Her gaze inadvertently swept over Chen Qianyang, and a thought flashed through her mind like lightning.

Yes……

Huang Rong suddenly recalled the details of yesterday's naval battle.

She witnessed firsthand how Chen Qianyang guided Yang Guo, and Yang Guo indeed had great faith in this "Brother Chen".

Although Chen Qianyang was young, he was meticulous, had extraordinary martial arts skills, and most importantly, Yang Guo was willing to listen to him.

Moreover, Chen Qianyang was intentionally or unintentionally guiding things in that direction.

Thinking of this, a bright smile bloomed on Huang Rong's face.

"Brother Jing," she called softly, her voice gentle, "Rong'er thinks that rather than letting Guo'er join the Quanzhen Sect, it would be better to..."

"Not as good as what?" Guo Jing and Chen Qianyang asked in unison.

"I say," Huang Rong moved gracefully to Chen Qianyang's side, her smile as bright as a flower, "why not let Guo'er join the Huashan Sect?"

She extended her slender fingers and analyzed point by point: "First, the Huashan Sect is a prestigious and righteous sect. Its leader, Yue Buqun, is known as the 'Gentleman Sword' and is of noble character. We are most at ease having him teach Guo'er."

"Secondly," she glanced at Yang Guo, who was listening intently, "you've seen Yang Guo's personality, Brother Jing; he only listens to Young Master Chen."

Although Young Master Chen is young, his martial arts skills and intelligence are both top-notch. During yesterday's naval battle, Yang Guo followed Young Master Chen's lead without question. Wouldn't having Young Master Chen personally supervise and discipline him be a hundred times better than those Taoist priests of the Quanzhen Sect?

"I agree!" Yang Guo exclaimed, jumping up immediately when Huang Rong spoke up for him. "I want to go to Mount Hua! I want to learn swordsmanship from Brother Chen! I'd even be willing to become his disciple!"

"Nonsense!" Chen Qianyang pretended to be serious. "I am about the same age as you, how could I accept you as my disciple? But if you really enter Huashan, as your senior brother, I will definitely discipline you strictly."

A thought struck him: Huang Rong had revealed all his thoughts. He wondered what this exceptionally intelligent female strategist was planning.

Huang Rong met Chen Qianyang's gaze, winked meaningfully, as if to say, "Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"

Chen Qianyang's face flushed slightly, and he secretly sighed that Huang Rong was indeed exceptionally quick-witted.

When Guo Jing saw that Huang Rong and Yang Guo had actually reached an agreement, he, as their uncle, felt like an outsider.

He pondered for a long time, recalling the character, martial arts skills, and wisdom that Chen Qianyang had displayed over the past few days, which were indeed extraordinary.

Entrusting Yang Guo to him might indeed be a good choice.

"Very well," Guo Jing finally relented. "Rong'er is right."

He turned to Chen Qianyang, his expression solemn: "However! Becoming a disciple is a major matter. I must see Headmaster Yue in person before I can entrust Guo'er to you with peace of mind."

This was exactly what Chen Qianyang was waiting for.

"Brother Guo is absolutely right," he immediately replied. "To be honest, my master is not currently at Mount Hua. He has important matters to attend to recently and has instructed me to go to Fuzhou Prefecture first to meet up with my senior brother Linghu Chong and the others."

"Once things are settled in Fuzhou, we will travel together to Hengyang to attend Uncle Liu Zhengfeng's 'washing hands of his profession' ceremony. My master will also appear in Hengyang at that time."

Chen Qianyang bowed deeply to Guo Jing and Huang Rong, extending a sincere invitation:

"Fuzhou and Mingzhou are not far apart. After this matter is settled, why don't you and Sister Huang travel together with me by sea to Fuzhou first, and then go to Hengyang?"

You two can enjoy the scenery along the way, and you can also meet my master in Hengyang to discuss Brother Yang's apprenticeship. Wouldn't that be perfect?

Huang Rong chuckled inwardly; this little fox certainly had ulterior motives. Fuzhou…could it be related to the recent rumors surrounding the Fuwei Escort Agency?

Rumors have been circulating in the martial arts world that Lin Zhennan, the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of Fuwei镖局 (escort agency), is all talk and no action, and his martial arts skills are weak. Several underworld figures have their eyes on his family's Evil-Repelling Sword Manual.

This trip to Fuzhou is probably related to this matter.

"Brother Jing," Huang Rong smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling with intelligence, "I've heard that Fuzhou cuisine is the best in Southeast China, but we've never been there. Since Young Hero Chen has so kindly invited us, let's go together."

Although Guo Jing didn't know the secret, seeing his beloved wife speak, he immediately nodded: "Alright! Then I'll trouble you to lead the way, brother, let's go to Fuzhou together!"

Chen Qianyang felt much more at ease. With Guo Jing and Huang Rong by his side, he felt much more confident about his trip to Fuzhou.