Huang Rong from The Return of the Condor Heroes: Guo'er, calm down.

Inside Qianjintai, the place was bustling with noise.

Yang Guo, with Huang Rong in his arms, swaggered over to the gambling table in the very center.

The dealer was a one-eyed man, shaking the dice cup, his fleshy face trembling wildly.

"Place your bet now! Place your bet now!"

Yang Guo tucked the folding fan in his hand into the back of his collar, grabbed a handful of gold leaves, and without even looking at them, slapped them directly onto the character "大" (big).

"Young Master is in a good mood today, I'm going all in on Big!"

The surrounding gamblers gasped in shock.

Where did this spendthrift come from? This handful of gold leaves is enough for an ordinary family to eat for ten years.

Huang Rong's body stiffened.

Even though I knew it was just acting, this was still quite a large-scale production.

I just gave all my travel money to this kid, and I didn't expect him to bet half of it right away.

She was about to speak when Yang Guo pinched her waist hard.

"My lady, don't worry about the money." Yang Guo whispered in her ear, his tone flirtatious, his breath hot against her skin. "As long as I'm happy, what's a little money? Tonight, just take good care of me when we get back."

Huang Rong's face flushed red.

This brat, he's never satisfied with taking advantage of others, is he?

Her eyes sparkled as she glared at Yang Guo, then nestled into his arms, letting out a sweet, coquettish hum: "You rascal, if you lose everything, I'll skin you alive!"

That coquettish cry made the bones of the surrounding gamblers melt.

A glint of light flashed in the eyes of the one-eyed Zhuang family man.

fat sheep.

He's still just a fat sheep with top-quality women.

"Open! One, two, three, six o'clock!"

The one-eyed man lifted the dice cup, grinning from ear to ear, "Young master, you flatter me."

Yang Guo's expression changed, and he slammed his fist on the table: "Damn it! Why is it the younger one again? Let's do it again!"

He then took out a gold ingot and threw it on the table.

"Still big!"

"Open! Two, two, three, seven o'clock!"

"Again!"

"Still too small!"

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Yang Guo had lost all the gold and silver he brought.

His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulged on his forehead, and he had ripped open his collar, looking exactly like a gambler who had lost everything.

"Young master, your luck is terrible..." the one-eyed man said feigning concern, "How about we call it a day?"

"Bullshit!" Yang Guo's eyes were bloodshot as he ripped open his collar, looking like a gambler who'd lost everything. "I've got plenty of money! Let's play again!"

He reached into his pocket and groped around for a long time, but found nothing.

A burst of laughter came from the surrounding area.

"No money? If you have no money, get out!"

"Exactly, what are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty?"

Yang Guo's face flushed red, and he suddenly pushed Huang Rong in front of the table.

"Who says I have no money? I have connections!"

Caught off guard, Huang Rong stumbled two steps, her waist hitting the edge of the gambling table. She turned around in astonishment, meeting Yang Guo's crazed eyes.

"Take her away!" Yang Guo roared. "This is my concubine, bought for a fortune. She's a Yangzhou courtesan, skilled in all the arts! I'm betting on the woman you just arrested, and all the silver on the table!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

All eyes were fixed on Huang Rong, as if trying to see through her clothes to get a clear view of her.

The one-eyed man squinted, sizing up Huang Rong. Her figure and face were truly exquisite. If he could get his hands on her, he'd enjoy her for a while, then sell her to a brothel—she'd be a money tree.

"Alright!" The one-eyed man slammed his hand on the table. "I'll take this bet!"

Huang Rong was furious. Even though she knew it was a setup, this little rascal was too audacious. Yangzhou courtesans? Who did he think he was?

"Wait a minute."

Huang Rong suddenly spoke. She straightened up, no longer appearing as frail as before. She walked to Yang Guo's side, extended her jade-like finger, and gently touched his forehead.

"You bastard, you just sold me out like that?"

That single gesture exudes charm and allure.

Yang Guo grabbed her hand and kissed it: "Baby, trust me this time. We'll definitely win this time."

"What if we lose?"

"If you lose, I'll go home, get the money, and redeem you."

Yang Guo turned to look at the one-eyed man: "Shake it."

The one-eyed man sneered and picked up the dice cup.

"Splash—"

The dice struck with a rapid, crisp sound.

Huang Rong's ears twitched slightly. Locating sounds by ear was one of her specialties.

The three dice rolled in the cup.

Four, five, six. Large.

With a flick of his wrist, the one-eyed man sent the dice cup crashing to the table. The instant it hit the table, he subtly hooked his little finger under the table.

organ!

There is a magnet under the table.

The mercury in the dice was drawn in and instantly flipped over.

One, one, two. Small.

Huang Rong saw it clearly. This one-eyed man was very skilled; if she hadn't been quite knowledgeable about mechanisms on Peach Blossom Island, she wouldn't have been able to spot the flaws.

Yang Guo stared intently at the dice cup, his palms sweating profusely.

He was gambling. He was gambling that Huang Rong could see through it all, and that Huang Rong would make a move.

"Open!" One-Eyed Dragon shouted, reaching out to lift the lid.

In that very instant.

Huang Rong moved.

She simply raised her hand casually and tidied the stray hairs at her temples.

"bite."

A very faint, crisp sound.

It was a pearl button on her cuff, which she flicked off with her finger-flicking technique.

The pearl button moved with lightning speed, striking precisely a node on the table leg.

That node is the key to controlling the magnet mechanism.

"Click".

The tabletop trembled almost imperceptibly.

The magnetic force disappeared instantly.

The dice, which had been held in place, were freed and rolled around in the cup due to inertia.

Unaware of what was happening, the one-eyed man suddenly lifted the lid.

"One, two, three... Hmm?"

The one-eyed man's sinister smile froze.

On the table, three dice lay quietly.

6, 6, 6.

leopard!

A complete sweep!

A deathly silence.

Then, Yang Guo burst into a wild laugh.

"A leopard! Hahahaha! A leopard!"

Yang Guo hugged Huang Rong tightly and kissed her hard on the cheek: "My wife! You are truly my lucky star!"

Huang Rong's cheeks burned from his kisses, but a long-lost sense of pleasure welled up inside her.

She hadn't felt this way in a long time—dancing on the edge of a knife, toying with villains. Since marrying Guo Jing, she had tempered her nature and become the dignified Chief Huang.

But deep down, she was still the unruly Huang Rong.

She looked at the one-eyed man's face, which looked like he had swallowed a fly, and couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

With that smile, her eyebrows curved and her eyes sparkled, she had lost all the composure of a young woman; she was clearly a girl who had just succeeded in a prank.

Yang Guo was stunned for a moment.

gorgeous.

"What? Can't accept defeat?" Yang Guo put one foot on the stool, tapping his palm with his folding fan. "Give it all to me! I want both the people and the money!"

"Perfect pair! They'll serve me together tonight!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The one-eyed man's face turned ashen.

He had lived in Shuangqiao Town for so many years, and this was the first time he had been played like this.

"Kid, you've come to Qianjintai to cheat?" the one-eyed man said sinisterly. "Don't you even know whose territory this is?"

"What? Trying to renege on your debt?" Yang Guo sneered. "Everyone saw it just now. You rolled the dice yourself, you opened the game yourself. How did it become me cheating?"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

The one-eyed man slammed the cup down.

"Splash!"

The door slammed shut.

The gamblers who had been watching the spectacle were so frightened that they scattered and hid in a corner.

More than twenty burly men rushed out from the back room, each wielding a stick and with a fierce look on their faces, and surrounded the two men.

A middle-aged man dressed in a black robe slowly walked out from the second-floor railing.

The man's hands were as black as ink, and his eyes were sinister.

"Iron-Handed Judge!" someone exclaimed.

This is the mastermind behind Qianjintai, and also the underworld tyrant of this area. It is said that his iron hands can tear tigers and leopards apart.

"Causing trouble in my territory, and you think you can just leave?" The Iron-Handed Judge looked down at him, his voice icy. "Break the man's arms and legs and throw him out. The woman stays."

Huang Rong's eyes turned cold.

She released her grip on Yang Guo's hand, about to begin circulating her internal energy.

"Aunt Guo, why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"

Yang Guo suddenly blocked her way.

He slowly rolled up his sleeves, and the arrogant expression on his face disappeared.

"Leave these bastards to me."

Before he finished speaking, Yang Guo moved.

He didn't use any particularly advanced techniques.

He grabbed the pile of chips he had won on the table and flung them up.

"A celestial maiden scatters flowers!"

Dozens of chips flew out like projectiles.

"Ah! My eyes!"

"My legs!"

Screams echoed throughout the room.

Yang Guo's move didn't target acupoints; instead, it targeted the eyes, groin, and knees.

ruthless.

poison.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Yang Guo grabbed the solid wood stool from under his bottom and charged into the crowd like a tiger descending a mountain.

"Snap!"

The sound of bones cracking is enough to make your teeth ache.

Immediately afterwards, he kicked another person in the groin.

The man didn't even have time to scream before his eyes rolled back and he passed out.

Gouge eyes, kick groin.

Do everything to extremes.

Huang Rong stood there, dumbfounded.

What... what kind of playing style is this?

Why does this kid fight like a street thug?

But then I realized that I had never taught Yang Guo martial arts; he must have learned them when he was mingling in the streets.

Every move he makes goes straight to the heart of the matter, without any hesitation.

A thug attacked from behind with a knife.

Yang Guo didn't even turn his head. He grabbed the chopstick holder on the table and stabbed it directly into the man's face.

Blood splattered.

That ruthlessness made Huang Rong's heart pound.

But for some reason, watching Yang Guo dashing through the crowd as if he were in an empty place, she didn't feel any aversion.

Instead, there was a strange... admiration?

Why bother with chivalry when dealing with such villains?

Brother Jing is too particular about rules, which is why he had to endure so much hardship guarding Xiangyang.

If only Brother Jing had half of Yang Guo's ruthlessness...

"court death!"

The Iron-Handed Judge upstairs couldn't stand it anymore.

He leaped forward, swooping down on Yang Guo like a large bird.

He thrust out with both palms, accompanied by a whistling sound.

If that palm strike had landed, Yang Guo would have been crippled if not killed.

"Guo'er!"

Huang Rong exclaimed in surprise, her figure flashing like lightning as she instantly stood in front of Yang Guo.

She swiftly moved her palms to meet the Iron Hand Judge's iron palm.

"Bang!"

The energy surged.

The surrounding tables and chairs instantly shattered.

Huang Rong took a half step back, her chest rising and falling slightly.

This Iron Hand Judge is indeed quite skilled; his internal strength is formidable, no less than that of Sha Tongtian back then.

The Iron-Handed Judge was even more astonished.

He felt a gentle, yin-like internal force creep into his arm, causing his blood and qi to surge.

"Who are you?"

He stared intently at Huang Rong.

Such skill indicates she is no ordinary concubine.

"The one who'll take your life!"

Yang Guo emerged from behind Huang Rong.

He suddenly had a dagger in his hand, its cold light gleaming.

"Wife, attack his top lane!"

Yang Guo shouted.

Huang Rong did not hesitate at all.

Her figure was elusive, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, her palms transforming into countless shadows that covered the face of the Iron-Handed Judge.

Falling Petal Divine Sword Palm!

The interplay of reality and illusion is dazzling.

The Iron-Handed Judge could only raise his arms to block.

Just as his vision was obscured by the shadow of the palm.

Yang Guo made a move.

He glided along the ground like a venomous snake, until he reached the feet of the Iron-Handed Judge.

He thrust out the dagger in his hand.

Target – Achilles tendon!

"what!"

The Iron-Handed Judge let out a piercing scream.

He was so focused on guarding against Huang Rong above that he never imagined there was such a vicious young man below.

His left Achilles tendon was severed, causing him to stagger and lose his balance.

Huang Rong seized the opportunity.

Pointing out with one finger.

It hit the Iron-Handed Judge's Tanzhong acupoint.

The Iron-Handed Judge froze and collapsed to the ground.

The battle is over.

The lobby was a mess.

Yang Guo got up from the ground and dusted off his bottom.

"Aunt Guo, that's impressive skill." Yang Guo gave a thumbs up.

Huang Rong tidied her slightly messy hair, looked at Yang Guo with a complicated expression.

"That kick you just gave me..."

"Isn't he handsome?" Yang Guo grinned.

"It's very cunning." Huang Rong rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "Who taught you to specialize in the lower body?"

"Self-taught." Yang Guo shrugged. "Who cares if it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice. What's the point of talking about chivalry when dealing with this kind of person?"

Huang Rong was stunned for a moment.

These words... left her speechless.

In fact, she had a vague feeling that the boy was right.

"Alright, stop joking. Go find Fu'er."

Yang Guo stepped on Iron Hand Judge's still twitching broken ankle, causing the judge to break out in a cold sweat from the pain. Just as the judge was about to scream, the cold blade was already pressed against his Adam's apple.

"Don't scream. If you scream even once, I'll make a hole in your neck," Yang Guo said with a smile, but his eyes were filled with coldness. "Where is the girl you just kidnapped? Lead the way."

The Iron-Handed Judge gritted his teeth, looking at the boy before him who was even more ruthless than a demon, and finally became afraid.

"In...in the secret room at the back..."

"Can you get up? If you can't, I'll drag you along."

Yang Guo applied slight pressure, and the blade sliced ​​through the Iron Hand Judge's skin, drawing blood.

Iron Hand Judge, enduring excruciating pain, staggered to his feet. Yang Guo, holding him hostage, followed closely behind Huang Rong. The three of them passed through the chaotic main hall and headed deeper into the backyard.

Upon entering what appeared to be an ordinary study, the Iron-Handed Judge, his hands trembling, turned a porcelain vase on a display shelf.

"Zha zha zha—"

A dull creak sounded as the bookcase slowly slid open, revealing a dark passageway.

"Let's go." Yang Guo gave him a push.

After descending the steps, the interior suddenly opened up. This was no prison cell at all, but rather an extremely luxurious underground chamber. The walls were inlaid with luminous pearls, the floor was covered with thick Persian carpets, and chests of gold and silver jewels were piled up all around.

In the very center of the secret room, on a grand chair, Guo Fu was bound hand and foot, her mouth stuffed with a rag, staring wide-eyed in terror.

Upon seeing Huang Rong, Guo Fu's tears instantly burst forth, and she began to sob and struggle.

"Fur!"

Huang Rong felt a pang of pain in her heart, rushed over quickly, untied the ropes, and removed the cloth bundle.

"Mom! Waaah—"

Guo Fu threw herself into Huang Rong's arms and burst into tears, "I was so scared! This place is so dark, and they even said they were going to..."

"It's alright, Mother's here." Huang Rong patted her daughter's back, but her eyes warily scanned the surroundings. This secret room was so hidden and luxurious; it couldn't have been just for holding a hostage.

Yang Guo kicked the Iron Hand Judge to the ground in the corner, ignoring the mother-daughter reunion drama. His gaze was drawn to a rosewood table in the corner of the secret room.

On the table sat an exquisite crystal box, which shimmered under the light of the luminous pearl.

Yang Guo walked over and opened it to take a look.

It is entirely blood red, with leaves as fine as feathers, and emits a faint, exotic fragrance.

"Aunt Guo, the Phoenix Blood Grass has been found." Yang Guo closed the box and tossed it aside casually. "That old woman really hid her treasure here."

After he finished speaking, he looked down and noticed a black oilcloth bag under the crystal box.

The bag was placed in a very conspicuous position, clearly indicating that it was something the owner frequently looked through or valued highly.

Yang Guo curiously opened the oilcloth package.

Inside was a stack of letters.

There were no words on the envelope, but the sealing wax was printed with a strange wolf head pattern, exuding a ferocious aura.

"What is this?"

Yang Guo casually opened a letter, and his brows immediately furrowed.

can't read.

The text was all crooked and distorted, crawling all over the paper like earthworms.

"What is this scribbles? It doesn't look like an account book at all," Yang Guo muttered.

Huang Rong, who was comforting Guo Fu, turned around upon hearing the sound, and her expression changed at just one glance.

"Give me!"

Huang Rong released Guo Fu, walked a few steps to the table, and snatched the letter.

She was knowledgeable and had a remarkable memory. Although she didn't understand Mongolian, she had seen the script before when she accompanied Guo Jing on Genghis Khan's westward expedition. Moreover, the letter contained several Chinese place names circled in cinnabar, which was quite shocking.

"Xiangyang"... "Supplies"... "South Gate Garrison"...

Huang Rong's hands trembled slightly. She turned her head sharply to look at the Iron Hand Judge, who was huddled in the corner, her gaze sharp as a knife.

"This is Mongolian script," Huang Rong said in an icy voice. "This Qianjintai is no ordinary gambling den."

"What's that?" Guo Fu asked, sobbing, still not understanding the situation.

"This is a Mongol intelligence point!" Huang Rong slammed the letter on the table. "That Iron-Handed Judge is a Mongol spy! They're collecting maps of the Song Dynasty's defenses, and this one is of Xiangyang!"

Yang Guo's heart skipped a beat.

This has blown up.

Originally, he only wanted to rescue people and maybe double-cross them, but he never expected that this kick would blow up the Mongols' stronghold.

He glanced at the trembling Iron Hand Judge and sneered, "No wonder this old codger wanted to kill him to silence him; he was hiding such a big secret."

Huang Rong quickly stuffed all the letters into her bosom, her expression grave: "It seems the Mongols have already infiltrated Jiangnan. If we hadn't stumbled into this secret room by accident today, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

She turned to look at Yang Guo, her eyes filled with admiration.

If it weren't for this clever kid's insistence on causing a scene at Qianjintai and forcing the judge to lead the way into this core secret chamber, this malignant tumor might have remained dormant for who knows how long and caused much trouble for Brother Jing.

"Guo'er, you have done a great service this time."

Yang Guo chuckled, toying with the dagger in his hand, and leaned closer: "What reward does Aunt Guo have?"

Looking at his face so close to hers, Huang Rong recalled the kiss at the gambling table earlier, and her face flushed.

"We'll talk about it when we get back." She avoided Yang Guo's gaze, pulled Guo Fu up, and said, "We can't stay here any longer. Let's kill this traitor and leave."