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

Deep in the flower-filled woods, the sun shines brightly.

"Master, you need to straighten your back a bit more." Yang Guo poked Yin Zhiping's back with a twig. "Remember, you are no longer that little Taoist priest who made a mistake and was afraid of being caught. You are a peerless master who is about to see through the world and fly far away. That sense of vicissitude, that disdain for the secular world, must come from the very marrow of your bones."

Yin Zhiping winced in pain.

The ribs that had been broken by Xiaolongnu's kick that day hadn't fully healed yet, and when he straightened his chest, it felt like he'd been hit by a sledgehammer again.

But he still forced himself to hold it in, keeping his chin high.

"Guo'er, is this alright?" Yin Zhiping's voice trembled with nervousness. "I feel... is this a bit too arrogant? Miss Long prefers quiet; will my attitude annoy her?"

"Master, you're wrong again," Yang Guo said earnestly. "You were so humble before, and what happened? She wouldn't even give you a second glance. Yesterday, when you sent that letter saying you were leaving, she immediately agreed to meet you. What does that tell you?"

Yin Zhiping looked confused: "What does that mean?"

"That means she panicked!" Yang Guo slapped his thigh. "That's how women are. When you're around all the time, she finds you annoying. But when you're really leaving, she realizes how empty she feels inside. That's what they call 'you only know what you've got when you lose it.'"

Yin Zhiping listened in a daze, feeling that something was wrong, but also that it made a lot of sense.

"So what should I say later?"

"Speak less, show off more."

"No matter what she says, just snort at her. If she asks where you're going, look up at the sky. If she asks if you're staying or not, just sneer. Remember that 'sixteen-character mantra'?"

Yin Zhiping nodded: "Arrogant, sparing with words, never drawing his sword, only defending and never attacking."

"Yes! That's the right touch!" Yang Guo nodded in satisfaction. "It's done. You wait here. Remember, whatever you do, don't break it. If you break it, it's all over."

After saying that, Yang Guo scrambled up a large tree nearby. The view from there was excellent; he could see the situation clearly and hear the conversation below.

About fifteen minutes later.

There was movement over in the woods.

Little Dragon Girl walked over, dressed in white, her clothes as pure as snow.

She didn't dress up specially today, still wearing her hair tied up with a white silk ribbon, but her aloof and cold temperament made the brightly blooming wildflowers around her instantly lose their color when she stood in the woods.

Yang Guo, perched in the tree, could see Xiaolongnu's shapely curves perfectly.

Xiaolongnu's figure was not as voluptuous as Huang Rong's, but she was well-proportioned. When Yang Guo looked down from above, he could only see the tips of her shoes.

Upon hearing the noise, Yin Zhiping instinctively wanted to turn around and bow, his knees already bent halfway down. Suddenly remembering Yang Guo's words, he forcefully straightened his bent leg.

He had his back to Xiaolongnu, his hands behind his back, and looked up at a bird catching insects on a treetop.

Little Dragon Girl stopped and looked at that figure from behind.

Normally, when the Taoist priest saw him, he would have already come up to him with a big smile, asking about his well-being.

His behavior today is indeed unusual.

"Master Yin," Little Dragon Girl spoke.

Yin Zhiping stiffened slightly, but without turning around, he simply snorted through his nose, "Hmm."

That "hmm" was three parts indifference and seven parts impatience, perfectly capturing the feeling of "I don't want to talk to you."

Yang Guo almost burst out laughing in the bushes.

Good job, Lao Yin! Your acting has improved; you didn't even stumble over the words.

Little Dragon Girl frowned slightly.

She originally planned to persuade the Taoist priest to give up his idea of ​​traveling, so that Yang Guo could finish telling the story of the monkey in the ancient tomb.

But the Taoist priest's indifferent attitude left her unsure how to begin.

The two remained frozen in place.

The wind rustled through the treetops.

Yin Zhiping was covered in sweat, and he was extremely flustered.

Why is there no movement?

Why isn't she saying anything?

Are you angry?

Did I overdo it?

Just as Yin Zhiping was about to lose his composure and turn around to kneel down and admit his mistake, Xiaolongnu finally spoke again.

"I heard you're leaving?"

Yin Zhiping's heart pounded wildly.

coming!

Guo'er is right, she really does care about my departure!

He forcibly suppressed the overwhelming joy in his heart and slowly turned around.

It moves very slowly, like a sloth.

"The Quanzhen Sect cannot tolerate me," Yin Zhiping said with a weary voice. "If they won't keep me here, there are plenty of other places that will. The world is vast, and I will go wherever they want."

These were lines he had memorized all night, and when he said them, they were indeed delivered with great force.

Little Dragon Girl didn't hear the heroic spirit in his voice; she only sensed trouble.

If the Quanzhen Sect cannot tolerate him, then he must leave.

With him gone, Yang Guo, as his disciple, naturally had to follow his master and wander the world.

No, we can't let him go.

Little Dragon Girl is simple-minded and always thinks in a straightforward manner.

Since the root of the problem is that he wants to leave, then let's stop him from leaving.

"Do you really have to leave?" Little Dragon Girl asked.

Yin Zhiping forced a bitter smile, his gaze finally landing on Xiaolongnu's face, but only lingered for a moment before quickly looking away.

"What else can I do if I don't leave? The pain of a broken bone is easy to heal, but the wound of a dead heart is hard to cure. I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shines on the gutter."

He then added another line of poetry.

Little Dragon Girl couldn't understand anything about "bright moon and ditch," she only understood the words "broken bones."

Could it be that the kick last time left him disheartened?

Xiaolongnu felt a little guilty.

If this is what drove him away, and he took Yang Guo with him as well, then it is indeed his own fault.

"I'll have my mother-in-law bring you medicine for your injury," said Xiaolongnu.

Yin Zhiping shook his head and let out a long sigh: "Medicine is useless. When the heart is weary, everywhere is a cage. Miss Long, today's farewell is a long and uncertain journey, and we... will never meet again."

After saying that, Yin Zhiping flicked his sleeve and made a move to leave.

This tactic is called "feigning indifference to lure the enemy into a trap".

Yang Guo felt a chill run down his spine as he stood in the bushes.

This step is the most dangerous.

If Xiaolongnu really lets him go, then everything will be over.

Yin Zhiping took one step forward, counting in his mind: one, two, three...

"Wait a minute."

That familiar voice came from behind me.

The moment Yin Zhiping's foot touched the ground, a firework exploded in his heart.

Become!

He suppressed the urge to turn around and hug her, turning slightly to the side with a mocking smile on his face: "What? Does Miss Long want to see me make a fool of myself?"

Little Dragon Girl looked at him earnestly and said, "Can you please not leave?"

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhiping felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

She asked me to stay!

She really did try to persuade me to stay!

Yin Zhiping trembled and almost broke free, turning around to shout, "I'm not leaving!"

But he still remembered the principle of "defense only, no offense," and stubbornly pinched his palm with his fingernails to maintain his last shred of rationality.

"Give me a reason," Yin Zhiping said in a hoarse voice.

Little Dragon Girl was in a dilemma.

reason?

After all, the Ancient Tomb Sect and the Quanzhen Sect have always been at odds, and he simply couldn't bring himself to say that he wanted to keep his disciple.

Instead, it seemed as if there was something between her and Yang Guo.

We need to find another explanation.

After thinking it over, Xiaolongnu decided to proceed from reality.

"Although the Quanzhen Sect is chaotic, it is ultimately your foundation." Xiaolongnu carefully chose her words. "The outside world... may not be as good as you think."

Yin Zhiping felt a warmth in his heart.

She's worried about me!

She was afraid I would suffer outside!