Yang Guo: I'm invincible in the opening battle against Aunt Guo!

At midnight, outside Xiangyang City.

The night was as dark as ink, and the stars and moon were without light.

Yang Guo changed into a dark night outfit and darted out of Xiangyang City like a ghost.

The soldiers on the city wall only felt a gentle breeze and saw nothing.

Using his superb lightness skill, he silently made his way towards the Mongol camp.

Three miles away, the endless camps lay sprawled on the earth like black behemoths.

Campfires flickered, and night patrol cavalrymen carrying torches moved among them, occasionally accompanied by the neighing of warhorses and the whispers of soldiers.

Yang Guo lay hidden behind a sloping hill and observed quietly.

He obtained a detailed map of the Mongol army camp from Huang Rong.

The main tent was in the center, surrounded by side tents, with provisions in the east and stables in the west.

Important hostages would be held in a side tent near the central command post, which would make them easy to guard without disturbing the commander-in-chief.

At this moment, the central command area was brightly lit, and the number of patrolling soldiers could be seen to be several times greater than elsewhere.

Yang Guo took a deep breath and activated the "Snake-like Leaping" technique from the Nine Yin Manual.

This was a stealth technique he had learned from his understanding of the Nine Yin Manual. He glided along the ground like a snake, silently and quietly, even suppressing his breathing to a minimum.

At the first guard post, two guards were talking in hushed tones.

Yang Guo emerged from the shadows, striking out with both palms, delivering two precise hand chops to the sides of the two men's necks.

The two of them collapsed before they could even utter a sound.

Yang Guo dragged them into the shadows and continued onward.

The second sentry was hiding behind a haystack, chewing on dried meat, looking around listlessly.

Yang Guo circled behind him and struck the man on the back of the neck with a palm strike.

The man rolled his eyes and collapsed to the ground.

Yang Guo put the other person's clothes on himself before continuing on his way.

After passing through seven sentry posts, Yang Guo finally made his way to the vicinity of the central army.

Thirty feet ahead, a side tent stood quietly.

Four guards stood outside the tent, each one sharp and capable, with a sword at their waist and eyes fixed straight ahead.

The curtains were tightly closed, but the flickering candlelight inside could be faintly seen.

Yang Guo lay in the shadows, took out a disguise mask from his pocket, and put it on his face.

He circulated his internal energy slightly, and his facial muscles moved and reorganized. After a moment, he transformed into a square-faced Mongolian man with thick eyebrows.

He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and swaggered toward the side tent.

"Halt!" the guard shouted, drawing four swords simultaneously to block the way. "This is forbidden territory; do not approach!"

Yang Guo didn't stop, but he showed an impatient expression and said in a low voice in Mongolian:

"I have come to relieve you on the orders of the Imperial Preceptor. You few go to the east flank to provide support; there's some activity there."

The guards were taken aback. The leader frowned and said, "A shift change? We haven't received any notification..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Yang Guo glared, adopting the posture of a superior reprimanding a subordinate. "The Imperial Preceptor has given an order, how dare you disobey? The commotion over there is quite significant, and we're short-handed. Sending you is an honor. Now get going!"

The guards exchanged glances, hesitation flashing in their eyes.

Yang Guo sneered inwardly, but his expression showed even more impatience: "What? Do you really need the Imperial Preceptor to come and invite you in person?"

The leader gritted his teeth, finally cupping his hands in a gesture of respect and saying, "Then...then let's go take a look. Here..."

"I'll guard this place," Yang Guo waved his hand. "Go on, don't delay our important business."

The four exchanged glances and finally left hesitantly.

Yang Guo watched them walk away, then turned and crawled into his tent.

The moment the curtain was lifted, a wave of heat from the candlelight rushed out.

The tent was small and simply furnished.

A wooden stake was driven deep into the ground in the very center. A girl in a pale yellow dress was tied to the stake, her hands were bound behind her back, and a rag was stuffed in her mouth.

It was Guo Fu.

Her hair was disheveled, her face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were filled with terror.

On either side of the wooden stake, two people stood guard.

Darba, holding a vajra, sat cross-legged.

Huo Du leaned against a pillar, gently waving his folding fan, looking utterly bored.

As soon as Yang Guo entered, Huo Du looked up warily: "Who are you? It's not time for the change of guard yet."

Yang Guo did not answer.

He moved swiftly and was already in front of Darba.

Darba was shocked. He had only raised the vajra halfway when Yang Guo pointed a finger at his chest's Tanzhong acupoint.

That was a vital acupoint on the human body. With one finger, the true energy was sealed, and Darba's eyes widened before he fell straight down.

Huo Du's expression changed drastically. He suddenly stood up, unfolded his folding fan, and poisoned needles shot out from the fan bone!

Yang Guo turned around, dodging all the poisoned needles like a ghost, and at the same time struck out with a palm, the palm wind like a tide, heading straight for Huo Du's face.

Huo Du barely managed to take the blow, but was knocked back three steps and crashed into the tent wall.

He opened his mouth as if to shout—

"Come--"

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Guo was already in front of him, striking him on the side of the neck with a palm strike.

Huo Du rolled his eyes and collapsed limply to the ground.

Guo Fu stared wide-eyed at this scene, tears welling up in her eyes.

Yang Guo turned around, took a few steps to her, cut the ropes binding her with his sword, and tore the gag from her mouth.

"Brother Yang—!"

Guo Fu threw herself into his arms, clinging tightly to his waist, her whole body trembling.

She dared not cry out loud, but buried her face in his chest, her shoulders trembling violently.

Yang Guo gently patted her back and whispered, "It's alright, I've come to take you home."

Guo Fu nodded frantically, her tears soaking a large patch of his clothes.

Just then—

"Guards! Someone's trying to break in!"

Huo Du's voice rang out from outside the tent!

Yang Guo's expression changed drastically. He turned around and saw that Huo Du, who should have been unconscious, had actually woken up and was staggering away, blowing his whistle as he ran!

A sharp whistle pierced the night sky!

"Damn it!" Yang Guo gritted his teeth.

He was a bit careless; he thought Huo was already unconscious after that palm strike.

To everyone's surprise, he was able to wake up.

He hurriedly pulled Guo Fu out of the tent.

Outside the tent, torches blazed brightly, and countless Mongol soldiers surged in from all directions, their scimitars drawn and arrows nocked, completely surrounding the tent.

Four figures emerged from the darkness and landed steadily at the forefront of the encirclement.

The Golden Wheel Dharma King, dressed in a red monk's robe, had a gloomy expression.

Nemo's body was twisted like a snake, and his eyes gleamed with an eerie light.

Xiao Xiangzi's face was ashen, and he held his mourning stick across his chest.

Yin Kexi, dressed as a merchant, held a golden whip in his hand, his smile still kind and gentle.

Four top masters have gathered here.

The Golden Wheel Monk stared at Yang Guo, his gaze sharp as knives, and slowly asked, "Who are you?"

Yang Guo shielded Guo Fu behind him, acting as her protector.

He said calmly, "Yang Guo."

"Yang Guo?" The Golden Wheel Monk frowned, then relaxed. "So it's you. You're quite a man."

He paused, a cold smile creeping onto his lips: "Too bad, once you're here, it won't be easy to leave."

Yang Guo did not answer, but simply held Guo Fu even tighter.

……