Chapter 7: The Inscription Left by Chongyang
Yang Guo followed Xiaolongnü through the corridor and out of the ancient tomb, overwhelmed with joy. Breathing deeply under the starlight, he said, “Aunt, I will lower the Dragon-Cutting Stone and trap those two wicked women in the tomb.” He then moved to find the mechanism. Xiaolongnü shook her head and said, “Wait, let me go back inside first.” Yang Guo was startled and quickly asked, “Why?” Xiaolongnü replied, “Master instructed me to guard this tomb carefully and never let anyone else occupy it.”
Yang Guo said, “If we seal the tomb entrance, they won’t survive.” Xiaolongnü replied, “But then I also can’t get back in. I must always obey my master’s words, unlike you!” She gave him a stern look. Yang Guo’s chest surged with emotion, and he grabbed her arm, saying, “Aunt, I’ll do as you say.” Xiaolongnü composed herself, fearful of becoming too emotional, and said nothing more. She freed herself from his grasp, walked into the tomb entrance, and said, “Lower the stone!” Turning her back to him, afraid she might change her mind, she did not look back.
Yang Guo had made up his mind. He took a deep breath, filling his chest with the fresh scent of flowers and vegetation, and looked up at the sparkling stars. He thought, “This will be the last time I see the stars.” He ran to the left side of the tombstone and, following Xiaolongnü’s earlier instructions, exerted his strength to move a large stone. Sure enough, there was a round stone beneath it. He grabbed the round stone and pulled it with force. As soon as the stone moved from its position, a hole was revealed, and fine sand began to flow out rapidly. The two giant stones above the tomb entrance slowly began to descend. These Dragon-Cutting Stones, weighing over ten thousand pounds, had been installed by Wang Chongyang with the combined strength of hundreds of men and massive ropes. Now, as they blocked the tomb entrance, even the combined martial skills of Li Mochou, Xiaolongnü, and Hong Lingbo would be powerless to escape.
Hearing the sound of the descending stones, Xiaolongnü couldn’t help but shed tears and turned to look back. Just as the stones were about two feet from the ground, Yang Guo suddenly performed the move “Jade Maiden Throws the Shuttle,” darting like an arrow through the remaining gap. Xiaolongnü let out a startled cry, and Yang Guo stood up inside the tomb, smiling. “Aunt, you can no longer drive me out. We will die together!” As soon as he finished speaking, there were two loud thuds as the giant stones landed firmly on the ground.
Xiaolongnü was overwhelmed with a mix of joy and surprise, feeling faint from the intense emotion. She collapsed into Yang Guo’s arms, panting heavily. Yang Guo gently held her, lightly patting her back. After a long while, Xiaolongnü finally said, “Alright, we will die together.” She took Yang Guo’s hand and led him towards the inner chamber.
Master and disciple, Li Mochou and Hong Lingbo, were anxiously searching for mechanisms, knocking and tapping everywhere without success. Suddenly, they saw Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo reappear, and their joy was beyond measure. With a swift movement, Li Mochou blocked their retreat. Xiaolongnü said coldly, “Senior Sister, I will take you to a place.” Li Mochou hesitated, thinking, “This tomb is full of traps; I must not fall into her trick. If she uses some trick, I cannot guard against it.” Xiaolongnü continued, “I will take you to pay respects to Master’s coffin. If you don’t want to go, so be it.” Li Mochou replied, “You can’t deceive me by using Master’s name.” Xiaolongnü faintly smiled and said nothing, heading toward the door. Li Mochou saw that her words and demeanor carried a certain authority, making it hard to defy her, so she and her disciple followed cautiously, not daring to let down their guard. Xiaolongnü held Yang Guo’s hand as they walked ahead, unafraid of her Senior Sister’s potential treachery, and led them into the chamber with the stone coffins.
Li Mochou had never been to this place before. Thinking of the kindness her master had shown in raising her, she felt a twinge of sorrow, but then remembered her master’s favoritism and her grief turned to anger. She did not bow to the coffin but instead said angrily, “The bond between us as master and disciple was severed long ago. Why did you bring me here?” Xiaolongnü responded calmly, “There are two empty stone coffins here. One is for you and one is for me. I’m just letting you know; you can choose whichever one you like.” She pointed to the two coffins.
Li Mochou was furious and shouted, “How dare you mock me like this?” She then struck out, aiming a palm strike at Xiaolongnü’s chest. To her surprise, Xiaolongnü did not dodge or block. Li Mochou hesitated, thinking, “I mustn’t kill her with this strike.” She stopped her palm a few inches from Xiaolongnü’s chest. Xiaolongnü said calmly, “Senior Sister, the Dragon-Cutting Stone has already been lowered, sealing the tomb.”
Li Mochou’s face turned pale instantly. Though she didn’t know all the tomb’s mechanisms, she knew that the Dragon-Cutting Stone was the ultimate trap for sealing the tomb. She remembered that their master had once faced a formidable enemy and almost had to use the Dragon-Cutting Stone to block the enemy, ultimately resorting to the Icy Soul Silver Needle and Jade Bee Needle to injure the foe. She hadn’t expected her junior sister to seal her inside the tomb. In a panic, she trembled and asked, “Do you have another way out?”
Xiaolongnü replied indifferently, “Once the Dragon-Cutting Stone is down, the tomb entrance can never be opened again. Don’t you know that?” Li Mochou grabbed her by the collar and shouted, “You’re lying!” Xiaolongnü remained calm and said, “The Jade Maiden Heart Manual is right here.” She took an old book from her bosom and threw it into an uncovered empty coffin. This old book was a Taoist classic, “The Book of Changes”. Every practitioner of Taoism had to study it. Xiaolongnü had just read a few pages and had it with her, so she threw it out and said, “If you want to read it, go ahead. Master your skills as much as you want; there are no opponents left. Guo’er and I are here. If you want to kill us, go ahead. But if you think you can leave the tomb alive, I doubt it.”
Li Mochou didn’t know the truth and was greatly shaken, thinking that the Jade Maiden Heart Manual she had longed for was right in front of her. She thought of bending over to retrieve it from the coffin but hesitated, fearing that if she turned her back, Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo would attack her. She decided it would be safest to kill them first before retrieving the manual. She struck at Xiaolongnü’s face, but Yang Guo stepped in front of Xiaolongnü and shouted, “Kill me first!”
Li Mochou lowered her palm and instead pointed her sword, which she had seized from Yang Guo’s waist, at his throat. She said menacingly, “I only need to kill one person. Say it again: should it be you or her?” Yang Guo smiled at Xiaolongnü and shouted, “Of course, it should be me!” At this moment, both of them had disregarded their lives and didn’t care about any deadly strike Li Mochou might deliver.
Li Mochou sighed deeply and said, “Junior Sister, your vow is broken. You can go down the mountain now.”
The founder of the Tomb Sect, Lin Chaoying, had once had a deep, unfulfilled love for Wang Chongyang. Heartbroken, she set a rule that anyone who inherited her teachings must swear to stay in the tomb forever and never leave Zhongnan Mountain. But if a man were willing to die for her, the vow would be considered broken. However, this had to be unknown to the man beforehand because Lin Chaoying believed that all men were heartless and fickle. If even Wang Chongyang, a hero, was like this, how could anyone else be different? But if such a man existed, her disciples could leave the mountain with him without regret. Although Li Mochou entered the sect before Xiaolongnü and should have inherited the teachings, she refused to swear to stay in the tomb forever. Thus, Xiaolongnü received the true teachings.
Seeing Yang Guo’s sincere devotion to Xiaolongnü, Li Mochou couldn’t help but feel both envious and angry. Remembering how Lu Zhanyuan had betrayed her, she raised her eyebrows and shouted, “Junior Sister, you are truly fortunate.” Overcome with jealousy, she didn’t want her sister to experience true love either. She thrust her sword at Yang Guo’s throat. Xiaolongnü, seeing that she was truly going to kill him, had no choice but to intervene. She threw a handful of Jade Bee Needles at Li Mochou.
Li Mochou leaped up, avoiding the needles. Xiaolongnü grabbed Yang Guo and ran toward the door. She said, “Senior Sister, whether my vow is broken or not, we are destined to perish together in this tomb. I don’t want to see you again. Let’s die separately.” She pressed a button on the wall, and a stone door fell, separating the four of them once again.
Xiaolongnü, overcome with emotion, found it difficult to move. Yang Guo supported her to Granny Sun’s room to rest and poured two cups of jade bee honey, serving her a cup and drinking one himself. Xiaolongnü sighed softly and asked, “Guo’er, why are you willing to die for me?” Yang Guo replied, “In this world, you’re the only family I have. You’ve been kind to me, and I can’t bear to leave you. How could I not be willing to die for you?” Xiaolongnü remained silent for a while before saying, “If I had known, we wouldn’t have had to return to the tomb to die with them. However, if we hadn’t returned, I wouldn’t have known you were willing to die for me, and my vow wouldn’t have been broken.” Yang Guo suggested, “Let’s find a way out, okay?” Xiaolongnü replied, “You don’t know how intricate this tomb is; we can’t get out anymore.” Yang Guo sighed.
Xiaolongnü asked, “Do you regret it?” Yang Guo responded, “No, being here with you is all that matters. There’s no one outside who cares for me.” Xiaolongnü, who had previously not allowed him to say “you care for me,” felt warmed by his words. She asked, “Then why did you sigh?” Yang Guo explained, “I was thinking that if we could leave the mountain together, there are so many fun things in the world. Being with you would be the happiest.”
Xiaolongnü, who had lived in the tomb since infancy, had always been calm and detached. Her master and Granny Sun had never told her about the outside world, so she couldn’t imagine it. But hearing Yang Guo’s words, her mind was filled with new thoughts, and she felt her heart surge with warmth. She tried to suppress her emotions with her training but found it impossible to remain calm, feeling astonished. She had never experienced such emotions before and thought it might be because of her injuries. She didn’t realize that suppressing emotions was against nature; it didn’t eliminate them, only suppressed them. Now over twenty years old and facing great danger, having a young man willing to die for her naturally stirred her true feelings, causing a flood of emotions.
She sat on the bed, trying to meditate, but couldn’t calm down. She paced the room, becoming increasingly agitated, eventually running. Yang Guo, seeing her flushed cheeks and agitated state, was shocked, as he had never seen her like this since they met. Xiaolongnü eventually sat back on the bed, looking at Yang Guo with eyes full of concern and affection. Suddenly, she thought, “I’m going to die anyway, and so is he. Why should we stick to the master-disciple and aunt-nephew boundaries? If he comes to embrace me, I won’t push him away; I’ll let him hold me tight.”
Yang Guo, seeing her eyes sparkling and her chest heaving, thought her injuries were acting up and said urgently, “Aunt, what’s wrong?” Xiaolongnü softly replied, “Guo’er, come here.” Yang Guo walked to the bed, and Xiaolongnü held his hand, gently touching her face. She asked softly, “Guo’er, do you like me?” Yang Guo felt her face burning and, worried, asked, “Is your chest hurting?” Xiaolongnü smiled and said, “No, I feel fine. Guo’er, I’m about to die. Tell me, do you really like me?” Yang Guo answered, “Of course, you’re my only family in this world.” Xiaolongnü continued, “If another woman treated you as I do, would you treat her well too?” Yang Guo replied, “Anyone who treats me well, I’ll treat well too.” As soon as he said this, he felt Xiaolongnü’s hand tremble and become cold. He looked up to see her face, which had been rosy, turn pale again.
Yang Guo was startled and thought, “There are countless women in the world. If countless women treated me well, would I love countless women? Just like that little nun, Hong Lingbo, who held me and spoke affectionately to me, it felt comfortable, but how could she compare to my aunt?” He said, “Aunt, even if I’m nice to them, it’s different from how I feel about you. When you lowered the Dragon-Cutting Stone, I thought I could never be with you again, which was worse than death. I’d rather starve in the tomb with you or be killed by Li Mochou. Aunt, if I can’t be with you, I’d rather die. If another woman treated me as well as you do, I’d consider her a good person, but just a friend. I could never die for her.”
Xiaolongnü asked, “Why? Is it because I’ve been good to you?” Yang Guo replied, “Aunt, I like being with you, and it doesn’t matter if you’re nice to me or not. Even if you beat and scold me daily and cut me with a sword every day, I’d still like you. Even if Heaven turned me into a dog or a cat, and you whipped and kicked me daily, I’d still follow you. Aunt, in my lifetime, I’ll only love you.” Xiaolongnü said, “That’s good; I feel the same way about you.”
The two had been living together in the tomb, their feelings for each other growing deeply, but they had never fully realized it. Besides practicing martial arts, they hadn’t discussed anything else. Only now, facing life and death, did they truly understand their deep affection for each other and how hard it would be to part. Xiaolongnü sighed, “Now I can rest easy.” She held his hand tightly, feeling warmth spread from her hand.
Xiaolongnü said, “Guo’er, I’m not good.” Yang Guo quickly responded, “No, you’ve always been good.” Xiaolongnü shook her head, “I was very harsh to you before. At first, I wanted to drive you away, but luckily Granny Sun kept you here. If I hadn’t tried to drive you away, Granny Sun wouldn’t have died!” As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. She had not cried since she started training at the age of five, but now she was crying again. Her entire body shook as she felt her strength and inner power leaving her. Yang Guo was terrified and cried, “Aunt, what’s wrong? How do you feel?”
At that moment, there was a grinding sound as the stone door opened, and Li Mochou and Hong Lingbo walked in. Li Mochou had realized that since the Dragon-Cutting Stone was lowered, they would die anyway, so she no longer cared about the dangerous traps in the tomb. She boldly ventured forward and, to her surprise, passed through several stone chambers without triggering any traps. She had reached Granny Sun’s room and was secretly relieved, thinking she was lucky not to have been caught in any traps. However, she didn’t realize that the traps were designed to stop a large force of Jurchen soldiers and were made of large stones, requiring someone to activate them to be effective. Since Xiaolongnü hadn’t set any traps, there was no movement. Li Mochou had lived in the tomb during her youth and had a basic understanding of the major mechanisms. However, her master had not taught her the details, as she had not been chosen to inherit the tomb’s secrets.
Yang Guo immediately stepped in front of Xiaolongnü. Li Mochou said, “Step aside, I have something to say to my junior sister.” Yang Guo, fearing she might try to harm his master, refused to move and said, “Speak from where you are.” Li Mochou stared at him for a moment and sighed, “A man like you is truly rare in this world.” Xiaolongnü suddenly stood up and asked, “Senior sister, what do you think of him? Is he good or bad?” Li Mochou replied, “Junior sister, you’ve never left the mountain and don’t know how treacherous people can be. A man as deeply devoted and righteous as him is hard to find.” She had been deeply hurt in love, and in her bitterness, she exaggerated, dismissing all men as unfaithful.
Xiaolongnü felt great comfort and said softly, “Then, having him with me in death makes this life worthwhile.” Li Mochou asked, “Junior sister, what is he to you? Have you married him?” Xiaolongnü replied, “No, he is my disciple. He said he only loves me and would rather die than leave me.”
Li Mochou was very surprised and shook her head, “Junior sister, let me see your arm.” She gently held Xiaolongnü’s hand and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a small red dot on her snow-white skin, the mark left by their master known as the “virgin mark.” Li Mochou secretly admired, “These two have lived closely together in the tomb and yet have remained proper; she is still pure.” She then rolled up her sleeve, revealing her own mark, still as vibrant. Their two white arms side by side were strikingly beautiful. However, she had kept herself chaste out of necessity, while her junior sister had a man willing to die for her, yet she remained pure. The difference in difficulty was stark. Thinking of this, she sighed deeply and let go of Xiaolongnü’s arm.
Xiaolongnü asked, “What do you want to say to me?” Li Mochou had originally intended to shame her, accusing her of seducing a man and dishonoring their sect, hoping to provoke her into revealing the tomb’s secrets in anger and shame. But now, she had nothing to say. After a moment of contemplation, she came up with a new idea and said, “Junior sister, I am here to apologize to you.” Xiaolongnü was greatly surprised; she knew her senior sister to be proud and never one to apologize, so she didn’t understand her intention. She replied coolly, “You do what you want, and I do what I want; there’s no need for apologies.” Li Mochou said, “Junior sister, listen to me. As women, the greatest fortune is to have a true-hearted man. The ancients said: ‘It’s easy to find priceless treasures, but hard to find a devoted lover.’ Your elder sister has been unfortunate, but let’s not talk about that. This young man treats you so well; you truly lack for nothing.” Xiaolongnü smiled slightly and said, “I am very happy. I know he will always be good to me.”
Li Mochou, feeling envious, thought of her own misfortune and slowly said, “Junior sister, you’ve lived your whole life in this stone tomb, and the only man you’ve known is him. You don’t realize that most men in the world are unfaithful, and there might not even be half a man who is truly loyal to you. I once had a man who spoke all sorts of sweet words to me, saying he would die a thousand times for me without any regret. But after being apart for just two months, he met a young and beautiful girl and immediately became infatuated with her. When he saw me again, he acted as if he didn’t know me. I asked him what was going on, and he said, ‘Miss Li, we are just friends in the martial world. I appreciate how well you treated me in the past, and I won’t forget it if I can repay you in the future.’ He even had the nerve to say, ‘Miss Li, I’m getting married to Miss He in Dali on the 24th of next month. If you’re free, please come and have a drink at our wedding.’ I was so angry that I fainted on the spot. He woke me up, took me to an inn to rest, and then left.”
As she recounted the heartless words Lu Zhanyuan had once said to her, her tone and expression were filled with deep resentment and hatred. Over the years, she had constantly thought about the words Lu Zhanyuan had said to her that day.
Xiaolongnü asked, “What happened next? Did you let it go?”
Li Mochou coldly replied, “What could I do? Once a man changes his mind, you can’t bring him back, not even with a thousand horses! Even if you force him back with a knife to his neck, and he comes back to you with sweet lies, what satisfaction can there be? All men are like that, always seeking new things and discarding the old. Even if you’re as beautiful as a fairy, they can’t stay truly devoted forever. Junior sister, this man is truly willing to die for you, a man like that is all I’ve ever wished for. Even if he’s a fool or an ugly monster, I’d still treat him with all my heart. Junior sister, you’ve found such a good disciple; you’re truly fortunate! I don’t envy you for being taught the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra, but I do envy you for having such a good disciple!”
Yang Guo loudly declared, “Master Li, I’m the lucky one to have such a great master!” Li Mochou sighed and said, “Both of you are fortunate, but it’s a pity that at such a young age, you’ll be trapped in this dark tomb forever, never seeing the outside world again. You will regret it in the future.”
Yang Guo responded passionately, “Absolutely not, absolutely not! If I ever regret it even a little, she can kill me with one sword stroke, and I won’t escape!” Xiaolongnü looked at him tenderly and reassured him, saying, “Guo’er, don’t worry. I believe that as long as we are together, we will never regret it!” Yang Guo reached out and held her hand. As their hands touched, they felt a deep connection, knowing that they would never betray each other for the rest of their lives. They looked at each other, and though the stone room was dimly lit, it felt as if they had said countless words, confirming their love for each other without any doubt of future betrayal.
Li Mochou sighed and said, “Little sister, you’re a young woman and don’t understand the deceitfulness of the human heart. It’s not your fault. Today, your senior sister will teach you a self-defense move. This is something our master wouldn’t have taught you because she never left the tomb and didn’t understand it herself.” Xiaolongnü listened intently and said, “Thank you for your guidance, senior sister.”
Li Mochou continued, “If one day your man suddenly changes his attitude towards you—he used to be so affectionate, loving you to death, but suddenly becomes distant and polite—then that means he’s had a change of heart. You might not notice it immediately, but you must be on guard and look for any signs. Don’t let him go easily.”
Xiaolongnü replied, “We’re just in this stone tomb, so what signs could there be? Senior sister, thank you for sharing your experience with me, but I won’t need it because he will never change his heart towards me, not in a thousand years.”
Li Mochou felt a pang of sadness and continued, “That’s wonderful. Then you should go down the mountain and enjoy yourselves. In the outside world, you two can enjoy countless pleasures together.” Xiaolongnü looked up, lost in thought, and softly said, “Yes, but now it’s too late.” Li Mochou asked, “Why?” Xiaolongnü replied, “The Dragon Severing Stone has already been lowered. Even if our master were resurrected, we couldn’t leave.”
Li Mochou, feeling increasingly desperate, had hoped to spark a desire to live in Xiaolongnü, thinking she might find a way out of the tomb with her knowledge of its layout. But realizing there was no hope, she became overwhelmed with anger and despair. In a sudden burst of rage, she flipped her wrist and struck towards Xiaolongnü’s head with her palm.
Yang Guo saw Li Mochou’s sudden attack and, in his panic, instinctively crouched down and let out a shout, pushing out his palms with the Toad Stance technique taught by Ouyang Feng. This was a skill he had learned as a child but hadn’t practiced since entering the tomb. However, it was deeply ingrained in his memory and came out naturally in this critical moment. Li Mochou, about to land her strike, suddenly felt a strong gust of wind from the side. She quickly withdrew her palm to block it. Yang Guo’s internal energy had greatly increased during his time in the tomb, and though unrelated to the Toad Stance, his push had become much stronger. With a loud bang, Li Mochou was sent flying backward, hitting the stone wall hard, causing severe pain in her back.
Enraged, Li Mochou rubbed her palms together, filling the small room with a foul stench that made one want to vomit. Xiaolongnü knew that Yang Guo’s earlier strike had only succeeded by chance. If her senior sister used her true strength with the Scarlet Serpent Palm technique, even combined with Yang Guo, they would not be able to withstand it. She quickly grabbed Yang Guo’s arm and darted out of the room.
Li Mochou swung her palm to strike, but before she could fully extend it, she suddenly felt a slap on her left cheek. Though it didn’t hurt, the sound was crisp and clear. Xiaolongnü called out, “You want to learn the techniques from the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra? Here they are!” As Li Mochou hesitated, she was slapped on the right cheek as well. She knew her master’s Jade Maiden Heart Sutra techniques were extremely powerful, and seeing Xiaolongnü’s swift and unpredictable moves, she was certain it was the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra’s skill, which she didn’t understand at all. Fearful, she could only watch as Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo entered another room and closed the door behind them. Li Mochou touched her face and thought, “Fortunately, she went easy on me. If those slaps had any force behind them, would I still be alive?” She didn’t know that the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra techniques emphasized speed and precision rather than brute strength, so Xiaolongnü’s slaps, while impressive, were not meant to cause harm.
Yang Guo was overjoyed to see his master slap Li Mochou twice and said, “Aunt, with the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra, Li Mochou can’t even compete…” Before he could finish, he noticed Xiaolongnü trembling uncontrollably, as if unable to control herself. Alarmed, he asked, “Aunt, what’s wrong… you…?” Xiaolongnü, shivering, replied, “I’m… so cold…” The two light slaps she delivered had used her inner strength, but with her severe injuries, her inner power had not fully recovered, causing her significant strain. Having trained on the icy jade bed all her life, her body was already extremely cold. Now, as her energy dissipated, she felt as if she had fallen into an abyss of ice, freezing to the bone, with her teeth chattering uncontrollably. Yang Guo, frantic, exclaimed, “What should we do?” In his desperation, he hugged her tightly, trying to warm her with his body heat, but after a while, he felt Xiaolongnü’s body growing colder and colder, until he could barely withstand it himself.
Xiaolongnü felt her inner strength slowly fading away and said, “Guo’er, I can’t hold on any longer. Take me… take me to the room with the stone coffins.” Yang Guo, heartbroken and unable to speak, suddenly realized that since they didn’t have much time left to live, dying together now would be the same, and he cheerfully said, “Alright.” He carried her to the room with the stone coffins, placed her beside one of the coffins, and lit a candle. Under the candlelight, the heavy stone coffin made Xiaolongnü appear even more delicate and fragile.
Xiaolongnü said, “Push open the lid of that… that stone coffin and put me inside.” Yang Guo replied, “Okay!” Xiaolongnü noticed that his voice lacked any sadness and felt a bit puzzled. Yang Guo pushed open the coffin lid, gently placed her inside, then leaped into the coffin, lying down next to her. The two of them squeezed together, with no room to move.
Xiaolongnü, both happy and confused, asked, “What are you doing?” Yang Guo said, “I’m naturally staying with you. Let those two bad women have the other coffin.” Xiaolongnü sighed with relief, feeling at peace. Her coldness was no longer as intense as before. She turned to look at Yang Guo, who was also gazing at her. She snuggled against him, feeling a warmth in her heart. Yang Guo extended his arm and held her tightly.
Xiaolongnü felt a slight shyness as she lay in Yang Guo’s embrace, the coldness dissipating. She turned her head away, not daring to look at him, her mind in a whirl. Suddenly, she noticed that there seemed to be writing on the inside of the coffin lid. Focusing her eyes, she saw sixteen large characters: “Jade Maiden Heart Sutra, hoping to surpass Quanzhen. Chongyang in life, not inferior to anyone.”
These sixteen characters were written in bold ink, with strong brush strokes and large characters. Although only half of the coffin lid was open, they were still clearly visible at a slant. Xiaolongnü exclaimed, “What does that mean?” Yang Guo, following her gaze, saw the sixteen characters and pondered, “Is it written by Wang Chongyang?” Xiaolongnü said, “It seems to say that our Jade Maiden Heart Sutra hopes to surpass the Quanzhen Sect’s martial arts, but actually, he himself is not inferior to our ancestor.” Yang Guo laughed, “That old Taoist is boasting.” When Xiaolongnü looked at the sixteen characters again, she noticed more small characters written below them. However, the small characters were difficult to discern as they were on the other end of the coffin lid. She said, “Guo’er, get out.” Yang Guo shook his head and said, “I’m not leaving.” Xiaolongnü smiled and said, “You go out for a moment, and then come back in to be with me.” Only then did Yang Guo climb out of the coffin.
Xiaolongnü sat up, asked Yang Guo to pass her the candle stand, turned over to the other end, and began reading the small characters. She read them slowly, twice over, and suddenly felt weak, dropping the candle stand onto her chest. Yang Guo quickly picked it up, helped her out of the coffin, and asked, “What do they say?”
Xiaolongnü’s face looked unusual, and after calming herself for a moment, she sighed and said, “It turns out that after our ancestor passed away, Wang Chongyang came to the tomb again.” Yang Guo asked, “What did he come for?” Xiaolongnü replied, “He came to pay his respects to our ancestor. He saw the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra left by our ancestor in the stone room and said it could counter all the Quanzhen Sect’s martial arts. He left a message under the coffin lid saying that what our ancestor countered was only the basic Quanzhen Sect techniques. Compared to the highest level of Quanzhen martial arts, the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra is insignificant.”
Yang Guo spat and said, “Our ancestor is already gone, so he can say whatever he likes.” Xiaolongnü said, “He also wrote in the message that he left a way to counter the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra in another stone room. If later generations are fated, they will understand it at a glance.” Yang Guo, curious, said, “Aunt, let’s go take a look.” Xiaolongnü said, “Wang Chongyang’s message said that the stone room is beneath this one. I’ve lived here all my life and didn’t know there was another stone room.” Yang Guo pleaded, “Aunt, let’s find a way to go down and take a look.”
At this point, Xiaolongnü was not as strict with him as she used to be. Although she was tired, she still felt it was best to go along with him and smiled slightly, saying, “Alright.” She inspected the room and thought deeply, then stared at the stone coffin they had just slept in for a moment, and said, “It turns out this stone coffin was also left by Wang Chongyang. The bottom of the coffin can be opened.”
Yang Guo was overjoyed and said, “Ah, I see, it’s the door to the stone room.” He immediately leaped into the coffin and felt around, eventually finding a small indentation that fit his hand. He gripped it tightly and pulled upward, but it didn’t budge. Xiaolongnü said, “First turn it to the left, then lift it up.” Yang Guo followed her instructions, and with a clicking sound, the stone slab at the bottom of the coffin lifted. He shouted in excitement, “It worked!” Xiaolongnü said, “Don’t be hasty, wait until the stale air has cleared out before going in.”
Yang Guo sat anxiously for a while before asking, “Aunt, is it done?” Xiaolongnü sighed, “You’re so impatient, it’s amazing you’ve been able to stay with me for these years.” She slowly stood up, took the candleholder, and they entered the space below the stone coffin. There was a row of stone steps leading to a short corridor, and after turning a corner, they found another stone chamber.
The chamber appeared unremarkable at first. Both of them instinctively looked up and saw that the ceiling was densely covered with writings and symbols. On the far right were four large characters: “Nine Yin Manual.”
Neither of them knew that the Nine Yin Manual contained the highest level of martial arts knowledge. They stared at it for a while, finding it incomprehensible. Xiaolongnü said, “Even if this martial art is incredibly powerful, it’s useless to us now.”
Yang Guo sighed and was about to lower his head when he caught a glimpse of a drawing in the southwest corner of the ceiling. It didn’t seem related to martial arts. Focusing on it, he realized it looked like a map. He asked, “What’s that?” Xiaolongnü followed his gaze and, after looking for a moment, froze completely, unable to move.
After a long while, she remained as still as a statue, staring at the drawing in a daze. Yang Guo, worried, tugged at her sleeve and asked, “Aunt, what’s wrong?” Xiaolongnü, with a muffled sob, suddenly buried her face in his chest and started to cry. Yang Guo gently asked, “Are you in pain again?” Xiaolongnü replied, “No, no.” After a while, she said, “We can leave now.” Yang Guo, overjoyed, jumped up and shouted, “Really?” Xiaolongnü nodded and softly said, “That drawing shows a secret way out of the tomb.” Familiar with the layout of the tomb, she immediately understood the meaning of the map.
Yang Guo was ecstatic and said, “That’s great! But why are you crying?” Xiaolongnü, with tears in her eyes, smiled sweetly and said, “I used to never be afraid of death. After all, my whole life would be in this tomb, so it didn’t matter if I died early or late. But these past few days, I’ve been thinking that you’re so good to me, and I want to spend some happy days with you. I want to see the outside world. Guo’er, I’m both scared and happy.”
Yang Guo held her hand and said, “Aunt, come with me outside. I’ll pick flowers for you to wear and catch crickets for you to play with, okay?” Having spent all his years in the tomb, although he had grown up, his idea of fun was still like a child’s. Xiaolongnü had never played with anyone before, so she listened quietly as he spoke excitedly. After a while, she couldn’t hold back any longer and slowly leaned against Yang Guo’s shoulder. Yang Guo continued talking for a while, but when he didn’t hear her respond, he turned his head to see her eyes half-closed, breathing softly, already asleep. Feeling a wave of contentment, he also felt tired and soon fell asleep as well.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Guo suddenly felt a sharp pain in his waist, as someone had pressed a point on his back. Startled awake, he tried to jump up to defend himself, but someone had already grabbed him firmly by the neck, making it impossible for him to move. He turned his head and saw Li Mochou and her disciple standing nearby, smiling. His master, Xiaolongnü, had also been subdued. It turned out that Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü, having no experience in dealing with enemies from the martial world, had let their guard down in their joy and failed to replace the stone slab at the coffin bottom. Li Mochou discovered the underground chamber and successfully ambushed them.
Li Mochou sneered, “Ah, so there’s such a comfortable place here, and you two were hiding away enjoying yourselves. Junior sister, why don’t you think about it carefully? There might be a way out of the tomb.” Xiaolongnü replied, “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you.” Li Mochou had initially believed Xiaolongnü’s earlier statements were truthful and had even inspected the tomb door, seeing that the Dragon-Closing Stone had indeed been lowered, leaving no hope of escape. However, Xiaolongnü’s tone and demeanor suggested she might know the secret to leaving the tomb. Li Mochou was overjoyed and said, “Good sister, if you take us out, I won’t trouble you anymore.” Xiaolongnü said, “You came in on your own, find your own way out. Why should I lead you?”
Li Mochou knew her junior sister was stubborn and defiant, and even their master had often been lenient with her. Using force was usually ineffective, but in this life-and-death situation, she had no choice but to try. She pressed two points on their necks, the “Heavenly Projection” points, and another on their hips, the “Five Focus” point. The “Heavenly Projection” point connects the Yin Wei and Ren meridians, and the “Five Focus” point is associated with the Shaoyang and Dai meridians. Li Mochou used a secret technique from the Ancient Tomb Sect, knowing it would soon cause unbearable itching all over their bodies, forcing them to reveal the secret.
Xiaolongnü closed her eyes, ignoring her. Yang Guo said, “If my aunt knew the way out, why wouldn’t we escape? Why would we stay here?” Li Mochou smiled and said, “She already gave it away earlier. She must know the tomb has another secret exit. Once you’re well-rested, you would surely leave. Junior sister, are you going to tell us or not?” Xiaolongnü softly said, “Even if you leave, you’ll only go back to killing and harming others. What’s the point of getting out?”
Li Mochou sat down with her knees drawn up, smiling without saying a word. After a while, Yang Guo couldn’t bear it any longer and called out, “Hey, Li Mochou, the Grandmaster left this technique to protect us, not to bully our own people. Are you betraying the Grandmaster’s trust by using it to harm your junior sister?” Li Mochou smiled and said, “You call me Li Mochou, so we are no longer on the same side anymore.”
Yang Guo whispered in Xiaolongnü’s ear, “Don’t reveal the secret of the exit. If Li Mochou doesn’t know, she won’t kill us. But if she finds out, she’ll kill us immediately.” Xiaolongnü replied, “You’re right, I hadn’t thought of that. I wasn’t going to tell her anyway.” As she lay on the ground, she could see the map on the ceiling and thought, “If my sister finds that map, it’ll be terrible. I mustn’t look at the map.”
When Wang Chongyang learned of Lin Chaoying’s death in the Tomb of the Living Dead, he remembered her deep affection for him throughout her life. This kind of gratitude was unparalleled, and though they were now separated by life and death, the pain in his heart was intense. He quietly entered the tomb through a secret passage, avoiding her maid and disciples. He gazed at the remains of his old acquaintance from the martial world for a long time, silently weeping. He then surveyed the tomb he had built, seeing the portrait of himself that Lin Chaoying had drawn and the inscriptions she had left on the ceiling. He found the martial arts described in the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra to be intricate and mysterious, with every move being a counter to the Quanzhen School’s techniques. His face turned ashen, and he immediately left.
He retreated to a deep mountain, built a small hut, and did not leave for three years. During this time, he meticulously studied ways to counter the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra. Though he made some progress in minor aspects, he was never able to form a comprehensive martial arts system that encompassed both internal and external techniques. Discouraged, he admired Lin Chaoying’s intelligence even more, acknowledging her superiority and giving up further research. More than ten years later, during the Huashan Sword Debate, he won the martial arts manual, the Nine Yin Manual. Although he resolved not to practice the techniques within, his curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn’t resist reading through it.
By then, his martial arts were already the best in the world. After understanding the profound secrets and principles in the Nine Yin Manual, he realized that mastering its essentials made countering the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra easy. He laughed aloud, returned to the Tomb of the Living Dead, and carved the key points of the Nine Yin Manual on the ceiling of the most hidden underground chamber, detailing the methods to counter the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra. Seeing the empty coffins, he anticipated they would be used by Lin Chaoying’s disciples, likely lying in them to await death in the end. He inscribed sixteen characters on the bottom of an empty coffin lid, intending for Lin Chaoying’s descendants to understand at the end of their lives that the founder of the Quanzhen School’s martial arts was not inferior to the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra.
This act was driven by a moment of competitiveness, not by a desire to reveal the Nine Yin Manual to the world. He believed that when Lin Chaoying’s disciples found the manual, they would be on their last breath, unable to spread the secret further.
Wang Chongyang and Lin Chaoying were both martial arts geniuses, seemingly destined to be a perfect couple. There was no third party causing emotional turmoil between them, nor any familial or disciple conflicts. Initially, Wang Chongyang focused on leading an uprising against the Jin invaders, leaving no room for personal emotions. After the rebellion failed and he lived in seclusion in the tomb, Lin Chaoying came to comfort him with tender emotions and high moral integrity, deeply moving him. Despite the perfect conditions for their relationship, they still ended up with unfulfilled love—Wang Chongyang became a Taoist priest, and Lin Chaoying ended her days in the tomb. The disciples of Qiu Chuji and others did not understand the reasons, nor could Wang and Lin themselves, attributing it to “lack of fate.” However, “lack of fate” was the result, not the cause. Their high martial skills and strong pride often led to disputes whenever their feelings grew, neither willing to yield. Ultimately, Lin Chaoying had a slight edge, and Wang Chongyang, unwilling to be inferior to a woman, suppressed his feelings for her. Later, Lin Chaoying created the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra to counter the Quanzhen techniques, prompting Wang Chongyang to leave the essence of the Nine Yin Manual in the tomb. He considered that while Lin Chaoying created her techniques, he relied on the work of predecessors, making him feel inferior. This realization led him to frequently advise his disciples to practice humility and restraint.
As for the secret map on the ceiling, it had been engraved when the tomb was first constructed, intended as a means of escape if the tomb was besieged by Jin soldiers. Even Lin Chaoying was unaware of this secret passage. She believed that once the “Dragon Severing Stone” was lowered, it would ensure mutual destruction with the enemy, not realizing that Wang Chongyang had planned for a grand uprising to reclaim the Central Plains. He had no intention of being trapped after a single defeat. When he handed over the tomb, he feared that Lin Chaoying would mock him for keeping an escape route, seeing it as a lack of manly courage, so he kept it a secret—again, driven by a sense of competitiveness.
Xiaolongnü didn’t dare to look at the map and kept her gaze fixed on another corner. Suddenly, the four small words “Method to Unlock Acupoints” flashed into her eyes like a spark of lightning. She felt a thrill of excitement and carefully read the method several times, nearly crying out in joy, but her self-control held. The method described how to unblock one’s own acupoints. If internal energy went awry during training, causing the acupoints to close, this method could be used to unblock them oneself. The “Nine Yin Manual” contained profound internal techniques; if a practitioner made a mistake and sealed their own acupoints, not even nearby experts could help, and they would have to rely on this secret method. Otherwise, someone proficient in the “Nine Yin Manual” would already be at a top-tier level in martial arts, making it unlikely they would be easily subdued by others.
The manual also described three related techniques: “Method to Unlock Acupoints,” “Breathing Suspension Technique,” and “Soul Shifting Technique.” When a person’s acupoints and meridians are blocked, it is difficult to clear them without external force. However, by using the “Breathing Suspension Technique,” one can temporarily halt their breathing and stop the flow of internal energy, thereby unblocking the acupoints and meridians. “Breathing Suspension” is challenging and requires the “Soul Shifting Technique” to enter a state of detachment, allowing the body to remain calm and unaffected. This ensures that the breathing can be paused briefly without suffocating. By shifting the soul and suspending breathing, one can unblock acupoints, forming a cohesive set of skills. The highest level of the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra involves techniques that are elusive and hard to grasp, requiring the use of the Soul Shifting Technique to reach a state of detachment, making it difficult for anyone to control or be controlled by these techniques. It was hard to say whether Quanzhen Sect martial arts were superior or if the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra was superior; it was merely that neither side could dominate the other, allowing each to enjoy their respective skills freely. These three profound techniques were vital to Xiaolongnü in her current situation.
She thought, “Even if I unblock my acupoints, I can’t defeat my senior sister; it’s still useless.” She carefully examined the ceiling text, searching for a skill she could immediately use to subdue Li Mochou. However, each technique was complex and required time to master, even the easiest ones. She dared not read too much, fearing that Li Mochou might follow her gaze and discover the ceiling map and the “Nine Yin Manual.” The “Soul Shifting Technique” required advanced internal skills, and Xiaolongnü knew her skills were inferior to her senior sister’s. If she used it recklessly, she might end up being controlled instead. She listened to Yang Guo’s loud complaints as he verbally sparred with Li Mochou, grateful for the distraction. It kept her sharp sister from noticing her gaze. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She memorized the “Method to Unlock Acupoints,” “Breathing Suspension Technique,” and “Soul Shifting Technique,” then whispered them into Yang Guo’s ear.
Yang Guo immediately understood. Xiaolongnü whispered, “Unblock your acupoints first.” Afraid Li Mochou and her apprentice would notice, Yang Guo groaned loudly and babbled nonsense, “Ouch, Aunt Li, you’re too cruel. You’re not being fair to our ancestors! Aunt Li, you’re quite young and not as pretty as my master, but you’re still a rare beauty. With such a wicked heart, I’m afraid your face will darken, marring your lovely looks. What a shame! You don’t fear our ancestors…” His words were disjointed and nonsensical as he attempted to detach his soul, distract his mind, and suspend his breathing. Li Mochou found his ramblings amusing, especially when he complimented her looks, and listened with a smile.
Following Wang Chongyang’s instructions, Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo used the “Method to Unlock Acupoints” to focus their energy. Their internal skills had a foundation, and in moments, they unblocked the sealed acupoints. Although they showed no outward signs, Li Mochou sensed something was amiss and snapped, “What are you doing?” She leaped toward them. Xiaolongnü sprang up and gently struck her shoulder with a technique from the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra. Li Mochou was shocked, not expecting Xiaolongnü to unseal her acupoints. She quickly retreated. Xiaolongnü asked, “Sister, do you want to leave?”
Li Mochou was overjoyed. She prided herself on her martial arts skills and intellect and was furious at being outwitted by an inexperienced junior. However, she decided to swallow her pride for now, leave the tomb, and deal with Xiaolongnü later. Though Xiaolongnü had some strange moves, her strikes lacked power. Li Mochou felt they weren’t too formidable, so she smiled and said, “That’s my good junior sister. I apologize. Lead me out.”
Yang Guo saw the opportunity to sow discord between Li Mochou and her apprentice and said, “Aunt said she could only lead one of you out. Should she take you or your disciple?” Li Mochou snapped, “You wicked brat, shut up!” Xiaolongnü hadn’t grasped Yang Guo’s plan but still stood by him and said, “That’s right. I can only take one of you. More than one won’t work.” Yang Guo smiled, “Aunt, it’s better to take Sister Hong out. Sister Hong may not be as beautiful as you, but you’ve lived long enough.” Li Mochou was annoyed but stayed silent. Yang Guo continued, “Alright then! We’ll go! Aunt leads the way, I’ll go second, and whoever is last can’t leave.”
Xiaolongnü now understood the situation, smiled slightly, and took Yang Guo’s hand, leading him out of the stone chamber. Li Mochou and Hong Lingbo hurriedly followed, both squeezing through the doorway at the same time, fearful that Xiaolongnü might trigger a trap to seal the last person inside the tomb. Li Mochou snapped, “Are you trying to cut in front of me?” She reached out with her left hand and grabbed Hong Lingbo’s shoulder. Knowing her master’s ruthless nature, Hong Lingbo, fearing for her life, stepped back to let her master go first, feeling both resentment and fear.
Li Mochou followed closely behind Yang Guo, not daring to stray even a step. She noticed Xiaolongnü leading them through twists and turns, gradually descending. As they walked, the ground became increasingly damp, and she realized they had left the tomb. In the dim light, she saw many branching paths. After walking for a while, the path became steep, almost vertically downward. If not for their martial arts skills, they would have slipped and fallen. Li Mochou thought to herself, “Mount Zhongnan isn’t very tall, and at this rate, we’ll soon reach the foot. Could we be inside the mountain?”
After descending for about half an hour, the path leveled out, but the dampness increased. Soon, they heard the sound of flowing water, and the path became ankle-deep in water. The water level continued to rise, reaching their legs, then their waists, and eventually their chests. Xiaolongnü whispered to Yang Guo, “Do you remember the breathing suspension technique?” Yang Guo replied softly, “Yes, Aunt, I remember.” Xiaolongnü instructed, “When the time comes, hold your breath and don’t swallow the water.” Yang Guo responded, “Okay, Aunt, be careful yourself.” Xiaolongnü nodded.
Years ago, Wang Chongyang had built the stone tomb’s underground storage next to a mountain stream, diverting part of the stream into the tomb for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. The stream, originating from a high mountain, flowed down into the tomb, where it was used and then briefly stored before being flushed out, returning to its original clarity. Xiaolongnü was now guiding Yang Guo, Li Mochou, and Hong Lingbo through the underground stream channel to escape the tomb, requiring them to dive into the underground current before reaching level ground. As the stream flowed into the underground current, it merged with other streams, increasing in volume and depth.
As they spoke, the water reached their throats. Li Mochou, alarmed, asked, “Sister, do you know how to swim?” Xiaolongnü replied, “I’ve lived in the tomb all my life and have never been outside, so I don’t know how to swim.” Li Mochou felt slightly relieved and took a step forward, only to find the ground suddenly gave way, and a rush of water hit her mouth. Panicked, she retreated, but Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo had already dived into the water. At this point, even if they faced a mountain of blades or a sea of fire ahead, they had no choice but to press on. Suddenly, Li Mochou felt a tug on her back as Hong Lingbo grabbed her clothes, trying to pull her back. Li Mochou, though alarmed, struck back instinctively. But in the water, her force was diminished, and Hong Lingbo held on tightly, refusing to let go. The sound of rushing water was thunderous, even though they were underground. Neither Li Mochou nor Hong Lingbo could swim, and the current swept them off their feet, making them float.
Though Li Mochou was skilled in martial arts, she panicked, flailing around in the water. Suddenly, she grabbed something and held on tightly, realizing it was Yang Guo’s left arm. Yang Guo had been holding his breath and walking hand-in-hand with Xiaolongnü underwater. Startled by Li Mochou’s grip, he tried to free himself using grappling techniques, but she held on tightly, refusing to let go, even as water rushed into her mouth and nose, causing her to lose consciousness. Yang Guo, worried about swallowing water, couldn’t exert too much force and let her hold on.
The four of them struggled underwater for about as long as it takes to eat a meal. Even though Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo used the breathing suspension technique, they still felt suffocated and had to come up for air occasionally. They drank a lot of water but were relieved when the current slowed, and the ground rose, allowing them to surface. After walking for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the path became brighter, and they finally emerged into a cave. Exhausted, they expelled the water from their stomachs and lay on the ground by the stream, gasping for breath.
At this point, Li Mochou was still clutching Yang Guo’s arm tightly until he pried her fingers open one by one. Xiaolongnü tapped the acupoints on the shoulders of Li Mochou and Hong Lingbo, placing them on a round stone to allow the water to drain from their stomachs.
Yang Guo looked around, seeing the dense foliage and vibrant flowers, filled with joy. He said, “Aunt, don’t you think it’s beautiful?” Xiaolongnü nodded and smiled. They thought back to the events of the past few days, feeling like they had lived through a lifetime.
After a long time, Li Mochou woke up, crying out in surprise. Seeing the bright sunlight and recalling the recent dangers in the tomb and the underground current, she shivered despite herself. Although her upper body was still numb, she felt much more at ease than before. After a while, Hong Lingbo slowly regained consciousness. Xiaolongnü said to Li Mochou, “Sister, you’re free to go.” Li Mochou and her apprentice, still paralyzed in their hands but able to move their lower bodies, stood up, exchanged a silent glance, and left without a word.
In the stillness of the night, the surroundings were completely silent; the cave was located in a remote area at the foot of Mount Zhongnan. That evening, Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo slept on the grassy ground under the shade of the trees. The next morning, Yang Guo suggested they go out and explore, but Xiaolongnü, having never seen the bustling world, felt unexpectedly frightened. She said, “No, I need to heal my injuries first, and then we should thoroughly practice the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra.” Yang Guo hit himself on the head and said, “How foolish! I completely forgot about your injuries.” He realized that after they descended the mountain, practicing martial arts together with his master, especially in terms of their clothing, could become inconvenient. So, he used his palm to transfer internal energy, helping her to heal. In less than half a month, Xiaolongnü’s internal injuries were fully healed.
They built two small huts under a large pine tree to shelter from the wind and rain. The huts were covered with wisteria. Yang Guo, who enjoyed strong floral scents, planted roses and jasmine in front of his hut. Xiaolongnü preferred a more subtle fragrance, saying that the pine needles’ scent was far superior to exotic flowers, so the area in front of her hut was left natural, with only wild grass growing.
The two of them slept during the day and practiced martial arts at night. Months passed, and Xiaolongnü first mastered the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra. A few months later, Yang Guo also achieved perfection in his training. They repeatedly practiced together, experiencing no obstacles. Yang Guo then brought up the idea of venturing into the world again.
Xiaolongnü felt that living peacefully like this was unparalleled in the world, but she knew that Yang Guo longed for the outside world and could not be kept in the mountains forever. She said, “Guo’er, although our martial arts have greatly improved, how do we compare to your Uncle Guo and Aunt Guo?” Yang Guo replied, “I’m still far from their level, but you probably have your strengths compared to them.” Xiaolongnü said, “Your Uncle Guo has passed his skills to his daughter and the Wu brothers. If we encounter them in the future, we might still be bullied by them.”
Hearing this, Yang Guo jumped up in anger and said, “If they try to bully me again, I won’t let it slide!” Xiaolongnü coldly replied, “If you can’t beat them, it would be pointless.” Yang Guo said, “Then you can help me.” Xiaolongnü said, “I can’t beat your Aunt Guo either, so it would still be useless.” Yang Guo lowered his head in silence, pondering a solution. After a while, he said, “Out of respect for Uncle Guo, I won’t argue with them.” Xiaolongnü thought, “He has lived in the tomb for over two years and practiced the internal martial arts of the Ancient Tomb Sect. His fiery temper has actually lessened, which is quite admirable.” In truth, Yang Guo had matured and understood more. He realized that Guo Jing had always treated him with genuine affection, which made him grateful and willing to compromise. Moreover, he had no deep-seated hatred for Guo Fu and the Wu brothers; their past conflicts were merely childhood scuffles over trivial matters like crickets, which seemed insignificant now.
Xiaolongnü said, “It’s great that you’re willing to avoid conflicts. But as you said, even if you yield to others outside, they might still try to bully you. If we don’t master the martial arts left by Wang Chongyang, we won’t stand a chance against truly powerful fighters.” Yang Guo knew that she was reluctant to leave this peaceful place and didn’t want to go against her wishes. He said, “Aunt, I’ll listen to you. Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin practicing the Nine Yin Manual.”
Thus, due to this conversation, they stayed in the valley for over a year. Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo once again entered the tomb through the secret passage, memorized Wang Chongyang’s inscriptions for several days, and then came out to practice. Over the course of more than a year, both their internal and external martial arts skills advanced significantly. However, Wang Chongyang’s inscriptions in the tomb only included methods for countering the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra and represented only a small portion of the Nine Yin Manual. They did not know the most crucial mantras and secrets, nor did they have the Sanskrit phonetic translations of the manual. Thus, their knowledge was still far inferior to that of Guo Jing and Huang Rong, though they were unaware of this limitation.
After finishing their martial arts practice one day, both Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo felt that they had made significant progress. Yang Guo was jumping up and down with joy, but Xiaolongnü seemed somber and unhappy. Yang Guo kept telling jokes to cheer her up, but Xiaolongnü remained silent. Yang Guo knew that they had learned all they could from Wang Chongyang’s inscriptions. Though mastering and fully understanding the teachings would take much longer, they had grasped most of the key principles and subtleties. He thought that Xiaolongnü was reluctant to leave the mountain but had no reason to stay, which made her troubled. He said, “Aunt, if you don’t want to go down the mountain, we can stay here forever.” Xiaolongnü responded joyfully, “That would be wonderful…” but stopped mid-sentence. She realized that even if Yang Guo stayed for her sake, he might not truly be happy. With a sigh, she said, “Let’s talk about it tomorrow.” She skipped dinner and returned to her hut to sleep.
Yang Guo sat on the grass, lost in thought, until the moon rose from behind the mountain, then he went back to his hut to sleep. In the middle of the night, he was startled awake by the sound of fierce wind and strange noises. Listening carefully, he recognized the sounds of a fight—punches and palm strikes. He rushed out of his hut and ran to Xiaolongnü’s hut, calling out, “Aunt, did you hear that?”
The sound of the wind and fists was even louder, yet Xiaolongnü didn’t respond from inside the hut. Worried, Yang Guo called out a few more times and then pushed open the door, only to find the bed empty; his master was already gone. Alarmed, he followed the sound of the fight. After running for about ten feet, he still couldn’t see anyone, but he recognized one of the participants as Xiaolongnü from the sound of her fighting style. The opponent’s strikes were powerful and formidable, seemingly stronger than Xiaolongnü’s.
Yang Guo quickly ran toward them and, under the moonlight, saw Xiaolongnü fighting a tall, burly man. Xiaolongnü, despite her agile movements, was clearly struggling under the man’s overwhelming power. Yang Guo shouted, “Master, I’m coming!” With two leaps, he reached them and recognized the man’s bristling beard and porcupine-like face—it was his long-lost adoptive father, Ouyang Feng.
Ouyang Feng stood firm like a mountain, delivering slow, powerful palm strikes, forcing Xiaolongnü to dodge and avoid direct confrontation. Yang Guo yelled, “We’re all on the same side; stop fighting!” Xiaolongnü was startled, wondering how this bearded madman could be an ally. In that moment of distraction, Ouyang Feng’s slanted palm shot towards her face with tremendous force. Yang Guo, seeing that Xiaolongnü had already met Ouyang Feng’s right palm with her left, knew she couldn’t withstand his power for long and would soon be injured. He immediately used a technique from the Nine Yin Manual, “Hand Waving Five Strings,” to lightly flick Ouyang Feng’s right elbow. Though he hadn’t mastered the skill, his touch was precise, causing Ouyang Feng’s arm to go numb and lose strength.
Xiaolongnü, quick to seize the opportunity, felt her opponent’s force weaken and immediately attacked. In that instant, Ouyang Feng was completely vulnerable, and even a light strike could have seriously injured him. Yang Guo grabbed his master’s hand and placed it between them, smiling, “Let’s stop; we’re all on the same side.” Ouyang Feng hadn’t yet recognized him and, seeing the young man’s remarkable martial arts skills, was wary. He asked angrily, “Who are you? What’s this talk about being on the same side?”
Yang Guo, knowing his adoptive father’s erratic nature, worried he might not remember him. He shouted passionately, “Father, it’s me, your son!” These words were filled with emotion. Ouyang Feng, stunned, pulled Yang Guo closer to the moonlight to see his face clearly. It was indeed his adopted son, though taller and more skilled in martial arts, making him hard to recognize at first. Overjoyed, he embraced Yang Guo, exclaiming, “My child, I’ve searched so hard for you!” They hugged tightly, both shedding tears.
Xiaolongnü, who had always been cold and indifferent, thought Yang Guo was the only one with such fiery emotions. Seeing Ouyang Feng’s similar display of affection made her even more apprehensive about venturing into the outside world. She sat quietly nearby, lost in thought.
After parting ways with Yang Guo at the Wang Iron Spear Temple in Jiaxing, Ouyang Feng hid under a large bell, where Ke Zhen’e couldn’t reach him. He used his powerful internal energy to heal his internal injuries, which took seven days and nights. However, the external injuries caused by Ke Zhen’e’s iron staff were severe and took longer to heal. Once he recovered both internally and externally after twenty more days of rest at an inn, he set out to find Yang Guo. But after a month of searching, he found no trace of him. Ouyang Feng speculated, “The boy has probably gone to Peach Blossom Island.” He acquired a small boat and sailed there, only daring to land on the back side of the island at night, as he knew he was no match for Guo Jing and Huang Rong, and was unaware that Huang Yaoshi was not on the island. He reasoned that even if he were twice as skilled, he couldn’t defeat all three of them. Therefore, he hid in a remote cave during the day and only ventured out at night to explore the island. Due to the island’s intricate layout, he did not dare wander aimlessly.
For over a year, Ouyang Feng cautiously avoided detection, hiding in a remote cave during the day and only venturing out at night. He finally learned from overhearing Wu Dunru and Wu Xiuwen that Guo Jing had sent Yang Guo to learn martial arts at the Quanzhen Sect. Delighted, Ouyang Feng left the island but arrived at the Quanzhen Sect too late, finding that Yang Guo had already left and entered the Ancient Tomb Sect. This was a great humiliation for the Quanzhen Sect, and everyone kept silent about it. Ouyang Feng scoured the area around Mount Zhongnan for hundreds of miles but couldn’t find any trace of Yang Guo, who was hidden deep underground.
By coincidence, one night, while passing by a valley, Ouyang Feng spotted a girl in white sitting under the moonlight, sighing with her knees hugged to her chest. In his madness, he asked, “Hey, where’s my child? Have you seen him?” Xiaolongnü glanced at him without responding. Ouyang Feng leaped forward and grabbed her arm, demanding, “Where’s my child?” Xiaolongnü, shocked by his powerful grip and superior martial arts, which far surpassed even the Quanzhen Sect masters, quickly used a grappling technique to free herself. Ouyang Feng, surprised that his precise grab had been easily countered, didn’t bother asking her identity and immediately attacked again. The two began to fight without any apparent reason.
The foster father and son shared their stories of the past. Ouyang Feng, with his mind partly clear and partly muddled, could not clearly recount past events and did not fully understand what Yang Guo told him either. He only knew that Yang Guo had been practicing martial arts with Xiaolongnü all these years. He loudly exclaimed, “That little girl’s martial arts aren’t as good as mine; why practice with her? Let me teach you instead.” Xiaolongnü, not bothering to argue, heard him and smiled faintly, walking away on her own.
Feeling a bit awkward, Yang Guo said, “Father, Master treats me very well.” Ouyang Feng, feeling jealous, shouted, “She’s good, but am I not good too?” Yang Guo laughed and said, “You are good too. In this world, only the two of you treat me well.” Although Ouyang Feng’s words were unclear, Yang Guo understood that his foster father had been searching for him tirelessly over the years, going through countless hardships.
Ouyang Feng grabbed his hand, chuckling foolishly, and after a while, said, “Your martial arts are quite good, but it’s a pity you don’t know the two greatest martial arts in the world.” Yang Guo asked, “What are they?” Ouyang Feng’s thick eyebrows shot up as he shouted, “How can you call yourself a martial artist without knowing the two greatest martial arts? What’s the point of having her as your master?” Seeing his foster father oscillating between joy and anger, Yang Guo became worried and thought, “Father’s illness is deep; who knows when he’ll recover?” Ouyang Feng laughed loudly and said, “Hey, let your father teach you. The first great martial art is the Toad Skill, and the second is the Nine Yin Manual. I’ll start by teaching you the basics of the Toad Skill.” With that, he began reciting the techniques. Yang Guo smiled and said, “You taught me before, remember?” Ouyang Feng scratched his head and said, “Oh, you’ve already learned it. That’s great. Show me what you’ve got.”
Since entering the Ancient Tomb, Yang Guo had not practiced the strange skills taught by Ouyang Feng in the past. Now, hearing him mention them, he happily complied. He had already practiced them on Peach Blossom Island, and now, applying them with advanced internal energy, he executed the moves with dazzling flair. Ouyang Feng laughed and said, “Impressive! But it’s just for show; it lacks substance. Let me teach you the key techniques!” He then began to explain in great detail, gesticulating wildly and talking nonstop, not caring if Yang Guo remembered everything. He spoke a bit about the Toad Skill, then a bit about the confusing Nine Yin Manual. Yang Guo listened for a long time, finding each sentence profound and intriguing, yet complex and strange, making it hard to comprehend everything at once.
Ouyang Feng spoke for a while, then suddenly noticed Xiaolongnü sitting nearby. He exclaimed, “Oh no, don’t let your little female master overhear this.” He walked up to her and said, “Hey, little girl, I’m teaching my child martial arts. Don’t eavesdrop.” Xiaolongnü replied, “What’s so special about your martial arts? Who wants to eavesdrop?” Ouyang Feng tilted his head in thought and said, “Fine, then go far away.” Xiaolongnü, leaning against a flowering tree, coldly replied, “Why should I listen to you? I’ll go if I want to, and stay if I don’t.” Ouyang Feng became furious, his eyebrows bristling, and reached out to grab her face, but Xiaolongnü ignored him. Yang Guo shouted, “Father, don’t offend my master.” Ouyang Feng withdrew his hand and said, “Alright, alright. We’ll go far away. But will she still try to eavesdrop?”
Xiaolongnü thought, “Yang Guo’s foster father is such a scoundrel, I can’t be bothered with him,” and turned away, not answering. Suddenly, she felt a numbness in her back; Ouyang Feng had quickly extended his arm and struck a pressure point on her back. This move was so swift that Xiaolongnü had no time to react. As she realized what had happened and tried to resist, she found herself unable to move. Ouyang Feng then struck another point on her waist and said, “Little girl, don’t worry. Once I’m done teaching my child, I’ll come back for you.” He laughed and walked away.
Yang Guo was busy memorizing the Toad Skill and Nine Yin Manual techniques his foster father had just taught him, finding them confusing yet fascinating. He wasn’t aware of Xiaolongnü’s predicament. Ouyang Feng pulled him aside, saying, “Let’s go over there, away from your little master, so she doesn’t overhear.” Yang Guo thought to himself that Xiaolongnü wouldn’t care to listen even if forced, but since his foster father’s mind was unstable, there was no need to argue with him. So he followed him away.
Xiaolongnü, paralyzed on the ground, found the situation both amusing and frustrating. She thought, “Even though my martial arts are well-honed, I’m lacking in experience dealing with opponents. First, I fell for Li Mochou’s trick, and now I’ve been caught off guard by this bearded madman.” She tried using the Nine Yin Divine Skill to unblock her meridians, starting with the breath-holding technique to open up her energy channels. However, the points Ouyang Feng struck were contrary to the Nine Yin Manual’s techniques, and her attempts to counteract them only made things worse. After several tries, she felt a sharp pain at the pressure points and stopped trying, thinking, “That madman will come back to release me after he’s done teaching.” She wasn’t worried and looked at the stars for a while before falling asleep.
After a long while, she felt something lightly touching her eyes. Despite her ability to see in the dark as clearly as in daylight, she couldn’t see anything at that moment. It turned out her eyes had been blindfolded with a cloth, and she soon sensed someone embracing her. Initially, this person seemed very timid in their embrace, but over time, he grew bolder and more audacious. Xiaolongnü was shocked and wanted to cry out, but found she couldn’t move her mouth or tongue. She felt the person kiss her cheek. At first, she thought it might be Ouyang Feng suddenly assaulting her, but as their faces made contact, she realized his skin was smooth, which did not match Ouyang Feng’s beard-covered face. Her heart wavered, and as her fear subsided, a hidden desire began to arise. She thought, “So it’s Yang Guo playing with me.” She felt his hands becoming increasingly inappropriate, slowly undressing her. Unable to move, she had no choice but to let him have his way. Feeling both surprised and shy, she sensed Yang Guo’s tender love and affection for her. She wished they could become one, her mind swirling and her body and soul completely intoxicated.
Ouyang Feng found Yang Guo to be extremely intelligent. Even though Yang Guo couldn’t fully understand everything he was taught, he memorized the techniques quickly, much to Ouyang Feng’s delight. This excitement drove him to continue explaining until dawn, covering the essence of the two major martial arts. After memorizing for a while, Yang Guo said, “I’ve also learned from the ‘Nine Yin Manual,’ but what you’ve taught me seems very different. Why is that?” Ouyang Feng responded, “Nonsense, there’s no other ‘Nine Yin Manual’ besides this one!” Yang Guo replied, “For example, in the muscle and bone strengthening technique, you said the third step is to reverse the blood flow and target the Tianzhu acupoint. However, my teacher told me to focus on the Dantian and go through the Zhangmen acupoint.” Ouyang Feng shook his head, saying, “That’s not right… wait, let me try it your way…” Following Yang Guo’s instructions, he felt his internal energy flow smoothly, experiencing a completely different state. He couldn’t fathom that the manual given to him by Guo Jing had been altered, leading to confusion. He muttered to himself, “How can this be? Is it me or your young girl master who is wrong? How can there be such a discrepancy?”
Seeing Ouyang Feng’s blank stare, Yang Guo called out to him several times without getting a response, fearing that his father’s madness might relapse. Remembering that his father couldn’t recall his own name, and that Aunt Guo had deliberately called him a string of names to confuse him, Yang Guo wanted to remind him of his real name. However, he hadn’t had the chance until now. He said, “Father, your name is Ouyang Feng, do you remember?”
Ouyang Feng suddenly jolted, as if a flash of light had illuminated his mind. Past memories flooded back, and he laughed heartily, jumping up and shouting, “Yes, yes, Ouyang Feng, who is Ouyang Feng? Ha! Ouyang Feng!” He then picked up a branch and began demonstrating the Snake Staff technique, making the wind whistle, and shouting, “Ouyang Feng is incredible… Ouyang Feng is the best martial artist in the world… Ouyang Feng is powerful, no one can defeat him! Ha ha! Ha ha!” Ignoring Yang Guo, he rushed off like the wind.
Just as Yang Guo was about to follow him, he heard a rustling sound from behind a tree a few yards away. He remembered his aunt and saw a shadow darting away, catching a glimpse of a blue daoist robe among the flowers. This remote place rarely saw any visitors, so who could it be? And why was this person sneaking around? Suspicion arose, and he quickly chased after the figure. The figure moved swiftly, and Yang Guo saw from behind that it was a Taoist. Yang Guo shouted, “Hey, who are you? Stop!” and used his lightness skill to catch up quickly.
The Taoist, hearing Yang Guo’s shout, ran even faster. Yang Guo quickened his pace, leaping forward and grabbing the Taoist’s shoulder. He turned the person around and saw that it was Zhen Zhibing. Seeing Zhen’s disheveled appearance and his face alternating between red and white, Yang Guo asked, “What are you doing?” Zhen Zhibing, who had recently been appointed as the head disciple of the third generation in the Quanzhen Sect, usually carried himself with great dignity. However, at this moment, he was visibly flustered and speechless. Yang Guo, noticing his fear, remembered that Zhen had once sworn an oath and seemed like a decent person. He relaxed his grip and kindly said, “If there’s nothing wrong, you should go.” Zhen Zhibing glanced back a few times, then hurriedly left.
Yang Guo laughed to himself, thinking, “This Taoist looks so lost, it’s truly amusing.” Returning to the hut, he noticed Xiaolongnü’s bare feet protruding from the flowers, lying motionless as if asleep. Yang Guo called out twice, “Aunt!” but received no response. He entered the bushes and found Xiaolongnü lying on the ground, with her eyes covered by a piece of blue cloth.
Yang Guo, slightly surprised, removed the cloth and saw that her expression was unusual, her cheeks flushed with shyness. Yang Guo asked, “Aunt, who covered your eyes with this cloth?” Xiaolongnü did not answer, her eyes showing a hint of reproach. Yang Guo noticed her body was limp, as if her acupoints had been struck, and when he pulled her, she couldn’t move. Yang Guo quickly understood the situation, thinking, “It must have been my foster father who used the reverse energy acupoint technique on her; otherwise, with any other acupoint technique, Aunt could have unblocked herself.” Following the method Ouyang Feng had just taught him, he unblocked her acupoints.
Unexpectedly, even after Yang Guo released her acupoints, Xiaolongnü remained limp, leaning against him as if her entire body had melted. Yang Guo supported her shoulders and softly said, “Aunt, my foster father is erratic; please don’t take it to heart.” Xiaolongnü buried her face in his chest and murmured, “You’re the one who’s erratic. You embarrass me and still talk about others!” Yang Guo noticed her behavior was very different from usual and felt a bit flustered. He said, “Aunt, I… I…” Xiaolongnü looked up, playfully scolding, “You’re still calling me Aunt?” Yang Guo, even more flustered, said, “If I don’t call you Aunt, what should I call you? Should I call you Master?” Xiaolongnü smiled faintly and said, “After what you’ve done to me, how can I still be your master?” Yang Guo, puzzled, asked, “What… what did I do?”
Xiaolongnü rolled up her sleeve, revealing a jade-white arm, smooth and flawless. The red spot of the ‘virginity mark’ had disappeared. She shyly said, “Look.” Yang Guo, not understanding, scratched his head and said, “Aunt, I don’t get it.” Xiaolongnü scolded, “I told you not to call me Aunt anymore.” Seeing Yang Guo’s bewildered face, she felt an overwhelming tenderness and softly said, “In the Ancient Tomb Sect, our disciples have always been pure maidens passing on the teachings. My master placed this ‘virginity mark’ on me. Last night… last night, after what you did to me, how could I still have the mark on my arm?” Yang Guo asked, “What did I do to you last night?” Xiaolongnü blushed and said, “Don’t mention it.” After a while, she gently said, “I used to be afraid of leaving the mountain, but now it’s different. No matter where you go, I will willingly follow you.”
Yang Guo was overjoyed and exclaimed, “Aunt, that’s wonderful.” Xiaolongnü responded sternly, “Why do you still call me ‘Aunt’? Haven’t you truly cared for me?” Seeing Yang Guo’s lack of response, she became anxious and asked in a trembling voice, “What do you see me as?” Yang Guo earnestly replied, “You are my master. You’ve shown me kindness and taught me. I’ve sworn to respect and obey you for life.” Xiaolongnü raised her voice, “Don’t you see me as your wife?”
Yang Guo had never considered this before, and suddenly being confronted with the question, he was at a loss for words and stammered, “No, no! You can’t be my wife. How could I deserve that? You are my master, my aunt.”
Last night, Xiaolongnü had been immobilized by Ouyang Feng’s pressure point technique and was violated. Being a virgin with no prior experience and with no one else present, she assumed it must have been Yang Guo. She had already developed feelings for Yang Guo and did not resist, thinking that he had decided to consider her his lifelong partner, changing the dynamic from “aunt” and “master.” Her heart was filled with tender emotions, believing Yang Guo would treat her with deep affection and that they would vow to be together forever, abandoning the titles of “aunt” and “master.” She wondered whether he would call her “Sister Long” or perhaps something more intimate like “wife.” She also didn’t know what to call him; should she start calling him “husband”?
She was lost in sweet thoughts when she heard him still call her “Aunt” and dismissively respond to her mention of the virgin mark, seeming indifferent as if their intimacy the previous night meant nothing to him. This, to her, was a matter of life and death seriousness, yet he appeared unconcerned, clearly not placing much value on their relationship. She suddenly recalled her senior sister’s warning: “If one day your man’s attitude towards you suddenly changes—where he was once very affectionate, as if he’d die for you, and suddenly becomes distant and polite—that means he’s changed his heart. You must be on guard and watch for any signs.” Hearing Yang Guo clearly say, “No, no! You can’t be my wife. How could I deserve that? You are my master, my aunt,” she thought, “Isn’t this exactly what she warned about? This is more than just a sign—being cautious won’t change anything now.” Overwhelmed with emotion, she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Yang Guo panicked and kept calling out, “Aunt, Aunt!” Xiaolongnü, still seething, looked at him angrily, raised her left hand, and was about to strike his head but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Her expression softened from anger to blame, then to pity. She sighed and said softly, “Since that’s the case, you clearly don’t want me. You’d rather be free and unburdened, so don’t see me again; it only makes me sad.” With a flick of her sleeve, she turned and ran down the mountain.
Yang Guo shouted, “Aunt, where are you going? I’ll go with you.” Xiaolongnü turned back, tears welling up in her eyes, and said slowly, “If you see me again, I’m afraid… I’m afraid I… I won’t be able to control myself and might not spare your life.” Yang Guo asked, “Are you upset that I learned martial arts from my adoptive father?” Xiaolongnü replied sadly, “How could I be upset about you learning martial arts from someone? It’s just that… you’ve finally changed your heart!” She then turned and walked away quickly.
Stunned, Yang Guo was at a loss, watching her white-clad figure gradually disappear around the bend in the mountain path. Overwhelmed with sorrow, he fell to the ground and wept. He thought and thought, unable to understand how he had offended his master, why her emotions were so strange—tender and affectionate one moment, and resentful and decisive the next. Why did she say she wanted to be his “wife,” not allow him to call her “Aunt,” and accuse him of “changing his heart”? After thinking for a long time, he concluded, “This must be related to my adoptive father; he must have offended my master.”
Yang Guo looked around, but the mountain was quiet, with only faint bird calls. His heart was filled with anxiety, and he shouted, “Aunt, Aunt! Father, Father!” After a moment, the echoes from the surrounding valleys also called out, “Aunt, Aunt! Father, Father!” The cries were anxious and full of sorrow.
For years, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü had been inseparable, like mother and son, or siblings. Her sudden, inexplicable departure was heart-wrenching for him. In his grief, he almost wanted to dash his head against a rock. But he still held on to hope, thinking that if his master had left suddenly, she might also return suddenly. Even if his adoptive father had offended her, she might later realize he was innocent and come back for him.
That night, how could he sleep peacefully? Any sound of the wind or insects made him think Xiaolongnü had returned. He would jump up, call out, “Aunt!” and rush out to greet her, only to be disappointed each time. Eventually, he stopped trying to sleep, climbed to the mountain peak, and looked around with wide eyes, watching until dawn. All he saw was a vast, mist-covered landscape, with clouds rising from the valleys and fog enveloping the peaks. It felt like the whole world was empty, with only him, Yang Guo, left.
Yang Guo pounded his chest and suddenly thought, “Since Aunt isn’t coming back, I’ll go find her. As long as I see her, no matter how she hits or scolds me, I won’t leave her. If she wants to kill me, then let her.” Resolute in his decision, he felt a surge of energy, hurriedly packed Xiaolongnü’s and his own clothes and belongings into a bundle, slung it over his back, and set out from the mountain with long strides.
Upon reaching a village, he asked around if anyone had seen a beautiful woman in white. He asked several villagers throughout the day, but they all shook their heads, saying they hadn’t seen anyone like that. Yang Guo became anxious and, in his repeated inquiries, inadvertently lacked courtesy. The villagers, seeing a young man so recklessly asking about a beautiful maiden, became annoyed. One of them retorted, asking what relation the girl was to him. Yang Guo replied, “That’s none of your concern. I’m just asking if you’ve seen her pass by here.” The person was about to argue back, but an old man beside him tugged at his sleeve and pointed to a small path to the east, saying with a laugh, “Last night, I saw a fairy-like beauty heading east. I thought it was Guanyin Bodhisattva descending to the mortal world, but it turns out she’s a friend of yours…” Before he could finish, Yang Guo hurriedly bowed in thanks and rushed down the path he pointed to, ignoring the laughter behind him, unaware that the old man, irritated by his rudeness, was deliberately deceiving him.
After running for a while, he came upon a fork in the road and didn’t know which way to go. He thought, “Aunt doesn’t like crowds, so she’ll probably take the more secluded path.” He chose the narrow, rugged left path. However, the path gradually widened, and after a few turns, he found himself on a main road. Having not eaten or drunk anything for a day and a night, he felt his stomach growling with hunger as the evening approached. Seeing a row of houses ahead, indicating a market town, he quickly entered an inn and called out, “Bring me some food!”
The innkeeper brought him a simple meal, but after a few bites, Yang Guo felt choked with emotion and couldn’t eat. He thought, “Even though it’s getting dark, I must continue searching for Aunt. If I miss tonight, I might never see her again.” Pushing the food away, he called, “Innkeeper, I have a question for you.” The innkeeper came over with a smile, saying, “What can I do for you, young sir? Is the food not to your liking? Shall I have something else prepared? What would you like?”
Yang Guo shook his head repeatedly and said, “It’s not about the food. I’m asking if you’ve seen a beautiful girl in white pass by here?” The innkeeper pondered, “A girl in white, hmm, is she in mourning? Did someone in her family pass away?” Yang Guo, feeling impatient, asked, “Did you see her or not?” The innkeeper replied, “There was indeed a girl, and she was dressed in white…” Yang Guo, excited, asked, “Which way did she go?” The innkeeper said, “She passed by more than half a day ago! Young sir, that woman isn’t someone to mess with…” He suddenly lowered his voice and said, “I advise you not to go looking for her.” Yang Guo, both surprised and delighted, realizing he had found traces of Xiaolongnü, quickly asked, “What… what happened to her?” As he asked, his voice trembled.
The innkeeper asked, “First, do you know that the girl can fight?” Yang Guo thought, “How could I not know?” He replied, “Yes, she knows martial arts.” The innkeeper said, “Then why are you still looking for her? It’s very dangerous.” Yang Guo asked, “What’s going on?” The innkeeper replied, “First, tell me, who is this beautiful girl in white to you?” Yang Guo, seeing no choice but to reveal some information, said, “She’s my… she’s my sister. I’m looking for her.” Hearing this, the innkeeper was filled with respect but quickly shook his head, saying, “Doesn’t seem likely.” Yang Guo grew impatient, grabbing his collar and shouting, “Are you going to tell me or not?” The innkeeper stuck out his tongue and said, “Now, that’s more like it!”
Yang Guo asked, “What do you mean by ‘doesn’t seem likely’ and ‘that’s more like it’?” The innkeeper replied, “Young sir, let go first; you’re choking me. Heh, heh, I can speak if you really want, but…” Yang Guo, realizing that forcing him would be futile, released his grip. The innkeeper coughed a few times and said, “Young sir, I said it doesn’t seem likely because your sister is younger and more beautiful, more like a little sister than an older one. And I said it’s more like it because both of you have fiery tempers, quick to use your fists and sticks.” Yang Guo felt overjoyed, smiling and asking, “Did my sister get into a fight?”
The innkeeper said, “Indeed, not only did she fight, but she also injured someone. Look here, look here.” He pointed to several cuts and sword marks on the table, looking proud as he said, “It was quite dangerous; your sister is very skilled. She cut off the ears of two Taoist priests with one stroke.” Yang Guo laughed and asked, “Which Taoist priests?” Thinking it must have been some Taoists from the Quanzhen Sect who had been taught a lesson by Aunt. The innkeeper said, “Well, that was…” As he spoke, his face suddenly changed, and he turned and walked away.
Sensing something amiss, Yang Guo didn’t pursue but picked up his rice bowl and continued eating, while keeping an eye on the situation. He saw two Taoists walk in, both about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with bandages on their cheeks. They sat at the table next to Yang Guo. One of the Taoists, with thick eyebrows, kept urging for food and wine. The innkeeper smiled as he approached, sneaking a glance at Yang Guo and tilting his mouth. Yang Guo pretended not to see and continued eating heartily. He felt relieved and happy, knowing that he had found news of Xiaolongnü. He ate bowl after bowl, savoring the moment. He was dressed in the coarse cloth clothes Xiaolongnü had made, looking simple and plain, and after rushing around for a day and a night, he was covered in dust, blending in like any ordinary country boy. The two Taoists paid him no attention and spoke quietly to each other.
Yang Guo deliberately ate noisily, while focusing intently on listening to their conversation.
Yang Guo overheard the thick-browed Taoist say, “Brother Pi, do you think Han and Chen will definitely come tonight?” The other Taoist, who had a large mouth and a hoarse voice, replied, “Those two are stalwart members of the Beggars’ Sect and have a life-and-death friendship with Senior Uncle Shen. Since Senior Uncle Shen personally invited them, they will certainly come.” Yang Guo glanced at their faces from the corner of his eye and didn’t recognize them. He thought, “There are thousands of Taoists in the Chongyang Palace, I can’t know them all, but they surely recognize me as the traitor who left the Quanzhen Sect. I must avoid them. Hmph, they couldn’t defeat my aunt and now they’re enlisting help from the Beggars’ Sect beggars.” He heard the thick-browed Taoist say, “Maybe the journey was too long, and they won’t make it tonight…” The Taoist named Pi said, “Hmph, Brother Ji, worrying won’t help. How capable can a woman really be?” The Taoist named Ji quickly said, “Let’s drink, don’t talk about this.” He then called the innkeeper to arrange a room for the night.
Yang Guo, hearing their brief conversation, guessed that if he followed these two Taoists, he could find his aunt. The thought filled him with joy. Once they went to their room, he asked the innkeeper to arrange a small room next to theirs.
As the innkeeper lit the lamp, he whispered in Yang Guo’s ear, “Young master, be careful. Your sister cut off those two Taoists’ ears; they’ll surely want revenge.” Yang Guo whispered back, “My sister has the best temper. How could she cut off someone’s ears?” The innkeeper smirked and said in a strange tone, “She’s good to you, but not to others. Your sister was eating in the inn… Hehe, is she really your sister? I find it hard to believe. Even if she is, when those Taoists looked at her legs, she got angry and drew her sword…” He continued talking, but Yang Guo, hearing that the lights next door had been extinguished, gestured for him to stop, thinking angrily, “Those two dirty Taoists must have been ogling my aunt and angered her. Hmph, there’s no good person in the Quanzhen Sect.” He thought further, “Aunt once went to Chongyang Palace to fight; of course, those two Taoists recognize her. They must have looked quite ridiculous then.”
After the innkeeper left and Yang Guo extinguished his lamp, he decided not to sleep. He silently recited the two secret martial arts techniques taught by Ouyang Feng. However, these techniques were extremely complex, and Ouyang Feng’s explanations were confusing and disorganized. Yang Guo could only remember two or three parts at most. He didn’t dare to think deeply about them now, fearing he might get too engrossed and miss any movement from the next room.
He kept watch quietly until midnight, when he suddenly heard two light taps in the courtyard, indicating someone had jumped over the wall. Then the window in the next room was pushed open with a creak. The Taoist named Ji asked, “Is it Han and Chen?” Someone in the courtyard replied, “That’s right.” Ji Taoist said, “Please come in!” He quietly opened the door and lit an oil lamp. Yang Guo listened intently to the conversation of the four men.
He heard the Taoist named Ji say, “I am Ji Qingxu, and this is Pi Qingxuan. We greet the heroes Han and Chen.” Yang Guo thought, “The Quanzhen Sect ranks by the characters ‘Chuzi Qingjing’ (meaning ‘Simple, Pure, Quiet’). These two are fourth-generation disciples. I wonder if they’re from the line of Hao Datong or Liu Chuxuan.” He heard a sharp voice say, “We came as soon as we received your Senior Uncle Shen’s invitation. Is that little vixen really that formidable?” Ji Qingxu said, “I’m ashamed to say that my brothers and I fought her and were no match.”
The person replied, “What kind of martial arts does this girl use?” Ji Qingxu said, “Senior Uncle Shen suspects she’s a disciple of the Ancient Tomb Sect, which is why she’s so skilled despite her young age.” Yang Guo couldn’t help but let out a small “hmph” upon hearing “Ancient Tomb Sect.”
Ji Qingxu continued, “But when Senior Uncle Shen mentioned the Ancient Tomb Sect, the girl spoke disdainfully of Li Mochou, the Scarlet Serpent Deity, so maybe she’s not from that sect after all.” The person said, “If that’s the case, she probably doesn’t have a significant background. Where are we meeting tomorrow? How many people do they have?” Ji Qingxu said, “Senior Uncle Shen arranged to meet the girl tomorrow at noon, forty li southwest of here in Wolf Valley for a decisive duel. We don’t know how many people they have. With the two heroes from the Beggars’ Sect, Han and Chen, supporting us, we don’t fear a large number of enemies.” The other voice, older in tone, said, “Alright, we’ll be there by noon tomorrow. Brother Han, let’s go.”
Ji Qingxu escorted them to the door and lowered his voice, saying, “The Chongyang Palace isn’t far from here. We must keep this duel secret from Masters Ma, Liu, Qiu, and Wang, or we will face severe punishment.” The one named Han laughed and said, “Your Senior Uncle Shen already mentioned that in his letter. Otherwise, with the many experts in Chongyang Palace, why would you need us outsiders as help?” The one named Chen said, “Don’t worry, we won’t leak a word. Not only must we keep this from the Six Masters Ma, Liu, Qiu, Wang, Hao, and Sun, but it wouldn’t be appropriate for your other senior uncles to know either.” The two Taoists agreed in unison. Yang Guo thought, “They’re teaming up to bully my aunt but are afraid of being found out by others in their sect. Hmph, sneaky cowards.”
He listened to them discuss in low voices for a while, then Han and Chen left the courtyard by leaping over the wall, while Ji Qingxu and Pi Qingxuan saw them out.
Note:
The so-called virginity mark (守宫砂, Shougongsha) is a traditional belief in ancient Chinese folklore. It was said that a small animal called Shougong (守宫), resembling a gecko with a long tail and four legs, was mixed with cinnabar and other special herbs to create a paste. This paste was then applied as a small red dot on a virgin’s arm, which would remain visible for a long time. According to the belief, if the woman got married or lost her virginity, the virginity mark would disappear.
In ancient times, this method was used to determine whether a woman was a virgin. It was even employed by authorities or among the populace to judge criminal cases or unjustly administer punishment, sometimes leading to young women being wrongfully punished or even losing their lives. Modern medical science has determined that this method has no scientific basis and is no longer in use. Some people believe that the true Shougong is rare (the name implies preserving virginity and is not actually a gecko or lizard), and the recipe for the necessary ingredients has been lost, thus making it impossible to produce the authentic virginity mark. Therefore, the reliability of this ancient method cannot be entirely dismissed.
In novels, this method is often mentioned to reflect the prevalent beliefs of the time when the story is set, specifically during the Southern Song Dynasty in China. Readers should view it as a historical superstition rather than an actual fact. Even in ancient China, authorities often called upon experienced midwives to determine a woman’s virginity, not solely relying on the virginity mark as definitive proof.