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

Back to Peach Blossom Island.

Guo Jing was meditating in the Sword Testing Pavilion.

Seeing everyone return, and with their faces all looking strange, Guo Jing was somewhat stunned.

"What's wrong?" Guo Jing put down his sword. "Weren't you going out to play? Why does Fu'er look so sad?"

Guo Fu was about to complain when Huang Rong glared at her, and she could only stand aside, looking aggrieved.

"Brother Jing, I have something to discuss with you." Huang Rong walked over and poured Guo Jing a cup of tea.

"What is it?" Guo Jing took the tea and smiled憨厚ly.

"It's about Guo'er." Huang Rong glanced at Yang Guo standing in the corner. "Guo'er wants to go to Quanzhen Temple to learn martial arts."

"The Quanzhen Sect?" Guo Jing exclaimed in surprise. "Why do you suddenly want to go to the Quanzhen Sect? Wouldn't it be better if I taught him on the island?"

"Brother Jing," Huang Rong said softly, pressing Guo Jing's hand, "Guo'er has grown up and has his own ideas. He said he wants to go to Quanzhen Sect to learn martial arts and become a great hero like you in the future. This is a child's filial piety. Besides, Quanzhen Sect is a righteous sect, and Master Qiu and the others are highly skilled in martial arts. They will definitely be able to teach Guo'er well."

She didn't mention the bullying.

If we bring it up, given Guo Jing's temper, he'll beat Da Wu, Xiao Wu, and Guo Fu half to death, and then the house will be in chaos.

Guo Jing remained silent for a long time after hearing this.

He looked at Yang Guo: "Guo'er, is this your own decision?"

Yang Guo stepped forward and knelt down: "Yes. Uncle Guo, I wish to go to the Quanzhen Sect. I beg you to grant my request."

Guo Jing looked at the child who resembled his sworn brother, and his eyes welled up with tears.

"Good boy, I'm very pleased that you have this thought." Guo Jing helped him up and patted him on the shoulder. "The Quanzhen Sect is indeed a good place. Since you want to go, I will personally escort you to Zhongnan Mountain!"

"Thank you so much, Uncle Guo!"

The matter was settled.

That evening, the atmosphere on Peach Blossom Island was somewhat somber.

Guo Fu was punished by being forced to kneel in the ancestral hall and did not come out to eat. Da Wu and Xiao Wu also hid in their rooms, afraid to show their faces.

Only Guo Jing, Huang Rong, and Yang Guo were at the dinner table.

"Guo'er, when you go to the Quanzhen Sect, you must listen to your master and not be naughty." Guo Jing kept putting food on Yang Guo's plate and kept giving him instructions.

Yang Guo agreed to everything, behaving exceptionally well-behaved.

Huang Rong sat to the side, watching the father and son, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

She picked up her wine glass and took a sip.

Wine enters my sorrowful heart.

The effects of last night's alcohol seem to have lingered.

She looked at Yang Guo under the lamp; the young man was meek and refined in his eating manners.

For some reason, she suddenly felt empty inside.

She felt a pang of reluctance at the thought of this boy she had been wary of and disliked for years leaving.

"Guo'er," Huang Rong suddenly spoke.

Yang Guo put down his chopsticks and said, "Aunt Guo."

Huang Rong took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve and placed it on the table.

"This is the Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill from Peach Blossom Island," Huang Rong said calmly. "You have some bruises on your body; take it for the journey."

Yang Guo was taken aback.

He looked at the exquisite porcelain vase, then glanced at Huang Rong.

Under the lamplight, Huang Rong leaned slightly forward, and her pale yellow dress clung to her figure, outlining her slender yet full waist, like a willow in the wind, exuding a languid charm unique to mature women.

As she handed over the medicine, a breathtakingly full curve was revealed at the hem of her clothes. Although her snow-white breasts were hidden under her clothes, they rose and fell gently with her breath, creating a beautiful scene.

Yang Guo recalled the scenery he had seen the previous night, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.

"Thank you very much, Aunt Guo, for the medicine."

Yang Guo accepted the porcelain bottle with both hands.

His fingertips inadvertently touched Huang Rong's palm.

This time, he paused for a moment.

It was only for a moment.

He felt Huang Rong's fingers tremble slightly, then she quickly withdrew them.

Yang Guo chuckled inwardly.

"Since it's decided, let's set off tomorrow," Guo Jing declared decisively.

"So soon?" Huang Rong blurted out.

Guo Jing looked at her with some surprise: "Rong'er, what's wrong?"

Huang Rong blushed slightly and tossed her hair as if to hide her embarrassment: "No...it's nothing. It's good to go and come back sooner."

She turned her head away, no longer looking at Yang Guo.

Only the knuckles of the hand holding the wine glass were slightly white.

Yang Guo gripped the porcelain bottle tightly in his hand.

Zhongnan Mountain.

Little Dragon Girl.

And the unparalleled martial arts techniques found in the ancient tomb.

……

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

The mist over Peach Blossom Island had not yet dissipated.

A white dove flew through the thin mist, fluttering its wings as it landed on the window frame.

The cooing sound was particularly jarring in the early morning.

A section of bamboo tube was tied to the pigeon's leg, and the seal was marked with cinnabar, which was the urgent sealing wax sent by the Xiangyang garrison.

Guo Jing got up early.

He was meditating in the courtyard when he heard the noise. He stopped and quickly walked to the window.

Remove the bamboo tube from the pigeon's leg.

Pour out the letters inside.

Unfold.

Guo Jing's expression changed after just one glance.

"Brother Jing, what's wrong?"

Huang Rong carried breakfast from the corridor. Today she wore a simple, light green silk dress, her hair was simply tied in a bun, and she wore no jewelry, which made her face appear even more fair and delicate. As she walked, the hem of her skirt swayed like a lotus leaf, her waist graceful, exuding an indescribable charm and elegance.

Yang Guo stood to the side, his eyes downcast, but his peripheral vision couldn't help but drift towards her waist.

If my waist had been pressed down two inches lower last night...

He swallowed hard, suppressing the agitation in his heart.

Guo Jing, oblivious to these details, handed the silk cloth to Huang Rong: "Urgent report from Xiangyang. The Mongol Tartars have amassed a large army, and that coward Lü Wende is trying to abandon the city and flee south. General Meng Gong is alone and cannot hold out; please send me to provide immediate support."

Huang Rong took the document and glanced at it, her delicate brows furrowing: "Lu Wende is incompetent, but Xiangyang is the shield of the Song Dynasty. Once it falls, half of Jiangnan will be in danger."

"Exactly." Guo Jing clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking. "Rong'er, the matter of sending Guo'er to the Quanzhen Sect will probably be delayed. With the country in peril, I must set off immediately."

Yang Guo's heart skipped a beat.

You're not going to join the Quanzhen Sect anymore?

How can that be? If we don't go to the Ancient Tomb, wouldn't all that Jade Maiden Heart Sutra and that Little Dragon Girl in white be wasted? Besides, if we stay on Peach Blossom Island, we'll be exposed sooner or later.

He was about to speak when Huang Rong spoke first.

"Brother Jing, the matter in Xiangyang is of utmost importance, you should go first." Huang Rong hesitated for a moment, her gaze sweeping over Yang Guo and Guo Fu. "Guo'er's trip to the Quanzhen Sect cannot be delayed either. The child is growing up, the sooner he learns his skills, the sooner he will become a talent."

She paused, then said, "Here's what we'll do: you take Da Wu and Xiao Wu to Xiangyang first. These two children have been training with you for several years; it's time for them to gain some experience on the battlefield. As for Guo'er..."

Huang Rong looked at Yang Guo with a complicated expression: "I'll take Fu'er to escort him to Zhongnan Mountain."

Yang Guo was overjoyed.

This is like a windfall!

Guo Jing left, and his two little followers, Da Wu and Xiao Wu, also left. Only he and Huang Rong and her daughter remained on the journey.

A lone man and a lone woman, far apart.

This opportunity... wow.

Guo Jing hesitated for a moment: "Rong'er, you've just recovered, and now you're going on a long journey..."

"It's alright," Huang Rong interrupted him, stepping forward to straighten his collar.

She was shorter than Guo Jing, and when she tilted her head back slightly, her snow-white neck was exposed to the air without reservation.

Yang Guo stood to the side and slightly behind, and could see the slight bulge under her neckline and the taut lines of her back caused by her movements.

He knew those lines well.

I touched every inch of it last night.

"I've been bored staying on the island for the past few years, so it's a good opportunity to go out for a walk," Huang Rong said softly. "Besides, I'm worried about Yang Guo traveling alone. Those Taoist priests of the Quanzhen Sect have strange tempers; without an introduction, he might not even be able to enter the sect."

Guo Jing was an impatient person; once he made up his mind, he didn't hesitate any longer.

"Okay! Let's do it that way."

He turned to Da Wu and Xiao Wu: "Dunru, Xiuwen, go pack your things. We'll depart in half an hour!"

Upon hearing that they were going to war, Da Wu and Xiao Wu were both excited and scared, but they also knew that this was an opportunity to show off, so they quickly agreed and ran to pack their luggage.

Guo Fu, however, refused to comply.

"Dad! I want to go to Xiangyang too!" Guo Fu tugged at Guo Jing's sleeve and pleaded, "I don't want to go with that brat Yang Guo, I want to help you defend the city!"

Guo Jing's face darkened: "Nonsense! Is war child's play? Swords have no eyes, what are you going to do? Come with your mother to Zhongnan Mountain, you can broaden your horizons along the way!"

Guo Fu shrank back, her eyes reddening, and glared fiercely at Yang Guo.

Yang Guo looked completely innocent, his head hanging low, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if he were afraid, but in reality he was trying to suppress a laugh.

……

Half an hour later. At the dock.

The sea breeze was strong.

Guo Jing was dressed in a coarse blue robe, carrying a bundle on his back and holding his ever-present horsewhip in his hand.

"Rong'er, the journey to Zhongnan Mountain is long and arduous, please take good care of yourself." Guo Jing looked at his wife, his eyes filled with reluctance.

Huang Rong's eyes reddened slightly as she reached out to tidy her wind-blown hair: "You too. When we get to Xiangyang, don't just focus on fighting; use your brain. If you get injured..."

"Don't worry," Guo Jing said with a simple and honest smile.

He then took out a letter from his bosom and solemnly handed it to Huang Rong: "Rong'er, keep this letter safe. When you see Master Qiu, be sure to give it to him personally. I have explained Guo'er's background in the letter, and I also earnestly request that the Master, in consideration of our past relationship, accept Guo'er as his disciple and teach him carefully."

Huang Rong took the letter and carefully put it into her bosom.

Her long, slender, and fair fingers gently traced the envelope.

Yang Guo caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye.

The envelope was placed inside her chest.

I wonder what material that envelope was made of, that it could bring such good fortune.

"Guo'er".

"Uncle Guo." Yang Guo stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Guo Jing patted Yang Guo on the shoulder again, with such force that he almost shoved Yang Guo into the ground.

"Uncle Guo is going to war and can't see you off in person. You must listen to your Aunt Guo on your journey."

Guo Jing spoke earnestly, "Guo'er, your father... made some mistakes back then. Uncle Guo hopes that when you join the Quanzhen Sect, you can cultivate your character and not follow in your father's footsteps. Grow into a truly upright and honorable man!"

Yang Guo felt like his shoulders were about to break, but he looked touched and said, "Uncle Guo's teachings will be remembered by me."

"good!"

Guo Jing climbed onto the boat, with Da Wu and Xiao Wu following behind, not forgetting to turn back and wave to Guo Fu.

The sails were raised, and the ship sailed away with the wind.

Soon, the ship's silhouette became a black dot and disappeared between the sea and the sky.

Huang Rong remained in the waving gesture, not moving for a long time.

Yang Guo stood three steps behind her.

He watched Huang Rong's retreating figure.

Her waist looked particularly thin in the wind.

Without Guo Jing by her side, this Aunt Huang Guo seemed to have lost some of her usual sharpness and gained more of a woman's gentleness.

"Mother, we can't even see the boat anymore."

Guo Fu was getting impatient and tugged at Huang Rong's sleeve. "Let's go too. This wind is hurting my face."

Huang Rong came to her senses.

She took a deep breath and composed herself.

When she turned around, her face had regained its usual dignified expression.

But deep in his eyes, there was a hint of barely perceptible disappointment.

"Let's go."

Huang Rong said calmly, "Let's get on the boat too."

She was the first to walk towards the covered boat.

Yang Guo, with his keen insight, ran over, untied the ropes, and set up the springboard.

"Aunt Guo, watch your step."

He reached out his hand, wanting to help.

Huang Rong glanced at that hand.

I remembered that night again.

She slightly shifted her body to avoid Yang Guo's hand and nimbly leaped onto the bow of the boat.

"Need not."

The voice was somewhat cold.

Yang Guo wasn't embarrassed. He naturally withdrew his hand, still wearing a humble smile on his face.

"Yes, Guo'er is being nosy."

He turned around to help Guo Fu up.

"Young Miss, please."

Guo Fu snorted and jumped up herself without letting him help her.

"Who needs your flattery?"

Yang Guo smiled.

He didn't say anything.

He untied the rope and jumped onto the stern.

Hold the oar handle with both hands.

Shake it hard.

The boat rocked and slowly moved away from the shore.

The rippling water shattered the reflection of Peach Blossom Island.

Yang Guo turned around and glanced at the peach grove.

The place I've lived in for over ten years.

Bye now.

It's hard to say what this island will be called next time I come back.