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

The next morning, a thin mist hung in the air.

In the valley, Yang Guo was helping Yin Zhiping straighten the collar of his brand-new Taoist robe.

"Master, have you remembered the sixteen-character mantra I just recited?" Yang Guo asked solemnly.

Yin Zhiping straightened his back, his eyes deep: "Arrogant, sparing with words, never drawing his sword, only defending and never attacking."

"That's right!" Yang Guo slapped his thigh. "The fairy sister has a cold personality. If you bow and scrape like usual, she'll just think you're vulgar. You have to be even colder than her! Women all have a desire to conquer. The less you pay attention to her and the more unfathomable you seem, the more she'll want to find out what's going on with you."

Yin Zhiping was a little uneasy: "This...is this okay? Wouldn't it be too impolite?"

"That's called 'aura'!" Yang Guo said with exasperation. "Think about Patriarch Wang Chongyang, how majestic he was! You represent the face of the Quanzhen Sect. As long as you put on an air of 'invincible loneliness,' the Fairy Sister will definitely look at you with new respect."

As they were talking, a cold wind suddenly rose in the forest.

A white figure stepped across the leaves and appeared silently three zhang away, her face as cold as ice.

Yin Zhiping's heart pounded. He was about to greet her with a smile when he suddenly remembered Yang Guo's instructions. He abruptly withdrew his smile, raised his chin at a forty-five-degree angle, and looked directly past Xiaolongnu into the distant void.

Little Dragon Girl frowned slightly.

In the past, this stinky Taoist priest would always bow respectfully when he saw me. Why is he ignoring me today, acting so disdainfully as if even glancing at me would offend his eyes?

"Master Yin wants to spar with me?" Little Dragon Girl asked coldly.

Yin Zhiping remembered the teaching of "saving words like gold," and only grunted through his nose without even lowering his eyelids.

A cold glint flashed in Xiaolongnu's eyes: "Let's begin over there."

Without wasting words, Xiaolongnu used a white silk ribbon with a golden bell wrapped around it to strike Yin Zhiping's door.

Yin Zhiping was shocked and instinctively tried to draw his sword to defend himself.

"Master! Hold on!"

Yang Guo sat on a large rock and shouted, "Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut! Master, didn't you always say that the Ancient Tomb Sect's petty tricks aren't even worthy of your drawing of your sword? Put your hands behind your back and let her have three moves!"

Yin Zhiping's hand trembled, and he failed to draw his sword. His heart skipped a beat: Had Guo'er blown too much of a boast?

But then he thought: Right, if I draw my sword now, wouldn't it make me look like I'm afraid of her? For the sake of maintaining a superior image, I'll risk it!

He forcefully put his hands behind his back, stepped on the Golden Goose Skill, and dodged to the side with great elegance.

When Xiaolongnu's attack missed, her anger, which had been at three-tenths, surged to seven-tenths upon hearing Yang Guo's words. "What a Quanzhen Sect! How dare they call the Ancient Tomb martial arts mere child's play!"

"Arrogant!"

Xiaolongnu's figure swelled up, and her white silk robes emerged like serpents from their holes, instantly transforming into more than a dozen afterimages, each attack aimed at Yin Zhiping's vital points.

Yin Zhiping was caught off guard. Although his lightness skill was not weak, he dared not fight back and was in danger in an instant.

"Snapped!"

A white silk ribbon was slapped on Yin Zhiping's shoulder, instantly tearing a hole in his brocade Taoist robe.

Yin Zhiping's lips twitched in pain, and he was about to cry out.

Yang Guo's voice, filled with admiration, rang out at the opportune moment: "What a magnificent 'Golden Bell Iron Shirt' technique! Master, you deliberately dispersed your protective inner energy to withstand the attack with your bare body, showing your tenderness and fear that the energy might injure Miss Long's wrist! This deep affection is worthy of heaven and earth!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhiping suppressed the scream that was about to come out and turned it into a muffled groan.

Wonderful!

Guo'er's words not only helped me cover up my embarrassment, but also took the opportunity to express my love to Miss Long! If I cried out in pain, I wouldn't be cool; if I fought back, I wouldn't know how to cherish a beautiful woman.

So, Yin Zhiping gritted his teeth, still standing with his hands behind his back, forcing a nonchalant smile onto his face.

When Xiaolongnu saw that he was still laughing even after being hit, she felt it was a great humiliation.

Was he mocking the Ancient Tomb Sect's martial arts for being weak and ineffective?

"court death!"

Little Dragon Girl was truly enraged. She danced with both sleeves, this time directly using the Ancient Tomb Sect's ultimate technique, "Jade Maiden Heart Sutra Swordplay," and a sky full of white shadows enveloped Yin Zhiping's entire body.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Yin Zhiping was hit one after another. His hair was knocked out, his sleeves were torn off, and he was even kicked in the buttocks. He spun around in the arena like a top.

But his heart was filled with a tragic yet heroic spirit. Because Yang Guo's explanation was simply too brilliant—

"Beautiful! Master's 'Going with the Flow' technique is truly masterful! It looks like he's been hit, but he's actually using his body to sense the rhythm of Miss Long's moves!"

"Ouch! That was a good kick! Master, you actually deliberately exposed an opening just to vent Miss Long's anger! Anyone else would have stabbed her with their sword long ago, but you would rather suffer internal injuries yourself than harm her in the slightest! What magnanimity!"

Yin Zhiping was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.

A true friend!

Guo'er truly lives up to his reputation as the disciple I've chosen; every word he says resonates with me. Yes, that's exactly what I think! The pain I feel is felt deeply by her; she must be heartbroken right now!

The more Xiaolongnu fought, the more frightened she became.

Although the Taoist priest didn't fight back, his contempt was ingrained in his very bones. No matter how much he hit him, the priest would keep his hands behind his back and occasionally make unintelligible humming noises.

Since you look down on me, I'll beat you until you respect me!

Little Dragon Girl flipped in mid-air and used the "Heavenly Net" move, wearing silk glove-like gloves, to aim straight for Yin Zhiping's crown.

This move was extremely aggressive.

Yin Zhiping finally panicked. He looked up at the approaching Little Dragon Girl and instinctively wanted to run away with his head in his hands.

"Master! The time has come!"

Yang Guo suddenly stood up, raised his arms, and shouted, "Miss Long is going to engage you in 'close combat'! Don't dodge! The time has come to show the manly spirit of the Quanzhen Sect! Stand tall and embrace her wrath with your broad chest!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhiping had a sudden inspiration.

Intimate? Acceptance?

He instantly overcame his fear, opened his arms, closed his eyes, and revealed a loving expression that seemed to say, "Come on, come into my arms."

Upon seeing this, Xiaolongnu assumed it was some kind of evil martial art of the Quanzhen Sect that involved mutual destruction.

She twisted her waist to avoid his embrace, and then, taking advantage of the momentum of her fall, delivered a powerful kick to Yin Zhiping's protruding chest.

"Click."

It sounded like ribs breaking.

Yin Zhiping coughed up a mouthful of blood and flew backward.

Xiaolongnu landed gracefully, her breathing slightly rapid, and coldly looked at the dying Yin Zhiping.

"Master!"

Yang Guo let out a scream and rushed over to help Yin Zhiping up, but secretly gave Yin Zhiping a thumbs up.

"Master, it's amazing! At that last moment, you could have used your inner strength to break the fairy sister's leg bone, but you dissipated all your power the instant you made contact, preferring to break your own bones and cough up blood to protect her! This... this is simply a reincarnation of a love saint!"

Yin Zhiping was in so much pain that his vision went black, but upon hearing these words, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

So...so I'm really that great?

His hands trembled as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze towards Xiaolongnu growing even more infatuated: "Miss...Miss Long, are you satisfied with that kick?"

Little Dragon Girl looked at the Taoist priest, whose face was covered in blood yet still had a silly grin on his face, and thought that the entire Quanzhen Sect was full of lunatics.

"Nonsense."

Xiaolongnu felt a chill and didn't want to stay a moment longer. She turned around and used her lightness skill to disappear into the forest in an instant.

As soon as Xiaolongnu left, Yang Guo immediately put away his grief-stricken expression.

"Master, it's done."

While helping Yin Zhiping catch his breath, Yang Guo chuckled and said, "When Miss Long left, she glanced back at you with a very complicated look in her eyes. Your self-inflicted injury ruse today must have left an indelible impression on her. That... 'Golden Goose Skill'?"

Yin Zhiping gasped in pain, but secretly he was delighted.

Yes, she usually doesn't even glance at me, but today she beat me at least fifty times.

What else could this be but love?

"Here...take this..." Yin Zhiping shakily pulled the booklet from his robes and handed it to Yang Guo. "Guo'er, thanks to your guidance, otherwise I almost couldn't resist drawing my sword and injuring her...cough cough, help me back. These ribs...I'm afraid two are really broken. It was worth it, really worth it!"