Chapter 5

With a loud noise in the sky, Yang Guo, the great hero, made his grand entrance!

Jiang Chen's heart was still pounding, and Guo Xiang was overjoyed, thinking to herself, "The Condor Hero has arrived!" She looked up and saw a man sitting on a branch of a large tree, with a huge, ugly, and monstrous condor crouching beside him.

The man was dressed in a gray robe, his right sleeve tied around his waist, clearly indicating he had lost an arm. When she saw his face, she couldn't help but shiver. His face was dark yellow, stiff, and withered, looking more like a zombie than a living person. Among the West Mountain One-Cave Ghosts, there were many with fierce and ugly appearances, but none as hideous as him.

Of all the people present, only Jiang Chen knew that Yang Guo was wearing a human skin mask. He was not only a martial arts master but also incredibly handsome.

In just a few breaths, Yang Guo defeated the Shi brothers, used his Lion's Roar to stop the beasts, and asked about the reason for their feud.

Jiang Chen watched with shining eyes, thinking to himself that Yang Guo's martial arts had truly reached the pinnacle. The Condor Hero was indeed a remarkable man in the world of martial arts, living up to his reputation.

The Shi brothers then recounted how Shi Shugang had stood up for justice in Liangzhou and was injured by the Mongol prince Huo Du, who needed the blood of a nine-tailed fox to heal. However, the nine-tailed fox was an extremely rare and mystical creature, and the five Shi brothers had spent over a year searching before finally discovering its whereabouts in the Black Dragon Swamp, about thirty miles northwest.

Unable to refuse the Shi brothers' request, Yang Guo agreed to go to the Black Dragon Swamp. Everyone knew he usually acted alone, so although they wanted to help, they did not dare to volunteer. Yang Guo bowed to the crowd and turned north to leave.

Guo Xiang thought, "I came here to see the Condor Hero, and now I have. Although he is ugly, his martial arts are astonishing, and he helps those in need and acts swiftly. He truly deserves the title of 'great hero.' This trip has not been in vain." Curious about how he would capture the nine-tailed fox, she unconsciously followed him at a slow pace.

Jiang Chen, whose plans were centered on the Black Dragon Swamp, naturally followed without hesitation.

Guo Xiang was young and weak, and although she knew some lightness skills, they were not very refined. With her shallow internal strength, Jiang Chen, who did not know lightness skills but was strong and robust, kept up with her. However, Yang Guo was a different level altogether. He moved faster and faster, the condor walking beside him, taking large strides as swift as a galloping horse. In a short time, Jiang Chen and Guo Xiang were already ten or so yards behind, watching as his sleeves fluttered in the snow, but the distance between them grew. In less than a moment, Yang Guo and the condor had shrunk to two black dots.

Guo Xiang became anxious and called out, "Hey, wait for me!" This caused her internal energy to falter, and she stumbled. Jiang Chen, who was following behind, hurried forward to help her but was too late. Guo Xiang fell into the snow, feeling both embarrassed and frustrated, she began to cry.

Suddenly, a gentle voice sounded in her ear, "Why are you crying? Who bullied you?"

Seeing Yang Guo appear, Jiang Chen couldn't help but sigh. Everything was fate! He stood aside, quietly listening to their conversation. In the end, he realized that Guo Xiang was already developing feelings for the familiar Condor Hero.

Yang Guo ultimately agreed to take Guo Xiang to the Black Dragon Swamp, and he also brought Jiang Chen along, though it seemed a bit discriminatory. But considering the martial arts gap between them, Jiang Chen, with a sense of resignation, said:

"I'll endure it!"

The three of them and the condor headed for the Black Dragon Swamp, which was easily recognizable as a large area within a seven or eight-mile radius where no grass or trees grew. The Black Dragon Swamp was originally a large lake, but due to the drying up of its water source, it had gradually become a large swamp filled with mud. After about an hour's journey, they arrived at the edge of the swamp.

Looking around, they saw a desolate scene. In the center of the swamp, there were many piles of dry wood and grass, spreading widely, which was likely where the nine-tailed fox was hiding.

Yang Guo broke off a branch and threw it into the swamp. Initially, the branch lay on the snow, but soon it began to sink slowly, though it did not stop. The snow on both sides gradually covered it, and the branch eventually disappeared without a trace.

Seeing this, Guo Xiang was startled, "The branch is so light, yet it still sinks. How can anyone stand on this mud?" She stared at Yang Guo, unsure of what he would do.

Jiang Chen, however, knew that Yang Guo would soon display his intelligence, which was as impressive as his looks, and his eyes shone with excitement.

Sure enough, after a short while, Yang Guo broke off two tree trunks, each about seven feet long, stripped them of their branches, and tied them to his feet. "I'll try it out and see if it works," he said. He leaned forward and slid across the snow as if flying, turning and twisting without a moment's pause, circling the swamp several times before returning to the starting point.

Guo Xiang laughed, "What a skill, what a technique!"

Yang Guo saw the admiration in her eyes and knew she desperately wanted to join him in the swamp to catch the fox but lacked the lightness skills. He smiled and said, "I promised to take you to the Black Dragon Swamp to catch the nine-tailed fox. Do you have the courage?"

Guo Xiang sighed softly, "I don't have your skills. Even if I have the courage, it would be in vain."

Yang Guo smiled without speaking and broke off two more tree trunks, about five feet long, handing them to Guo Xiang. "Tie them to your feet," he said. Then he asked Jiang Chen, "What about you? Do you want to come along?"

Jiang Chen quickly waved his hands, chuckling with self-awareness, "No need for that."

Guo Xiang, both surprised and delighted, tied the branches firmly to her feet. Yang Guo said, "Lean forward and don't use any force on your feet." He extended his left hand to hold her right hand and said, "Don't be afraid!" With a firm grip and a pull, Guo Xiang involuntarily followed him into the swamp. Initially, she was panicked, but after sliding a few yards, she felt as if she were gliding through the air, her feet not touching the ground at all, and she exclaimed, "This is really fun!"

Jiang Chen watched them leave and then smiled, leaning against a tree and closing his eyes. He knew that Yang Guo and Guo Xiang would surely encounter Yinggu and fail to catch the nine-tailed fox. This was the final moment of his plan, and now it was time to act!

At that moment, a Buddhist chant came from behind him: "Amitabha!" Then a voice said, "This old monk, Yideng, seeks an audience with Yinggu."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen opened his eyes, a half-smile on his face, and murmured, "Master Yideng, you have finally come. And you, Qiu Qianren, have finally come too!"

He knew that Yideng was using the advanced internal skill "Voice Transmission over a Thousand Miles." Although it was called "Voice Transmission over a Thousand Miles," it could not truly be heard from a thousand miles away. However, if there were no major obstacles like mountains, a skilled practitioner could transmit their voice for several miles, and it would sound as if the person was right beside you. The deeper the internal strength, the softer the transmitted voice.

In the past, when Master Yideng was the emperor of Dali, Yinggu was his concubine. The old rogue Zhou Botong had an affair with her, and they had a son. Later, Qiu Qianren used his Iron Palm to injure the child, and Emperor Duan refused to save him out of jealousy, leading to the child's death. Emperor Duan, filled with regret, became a monk and was known as Yideng.

Qiu Qianren, nicknamed "Iron Palm Water Walker," was a top-tier expert on par with the Five Greats. He once used his Iron Palm to inflict heavy casualties on the Hengshan Sect, causing it to decline. After the first "Huashan Sword Meeting," he infiltrated the Dali Imperial Palace and severely injured Yinggu's illegitimate son, hoping to exhaust Emperor Duan's internal strength so he couldn't be a threat in the second "Huashan Sword Meeting."

This experience brought endless trouble to Qiu Qianren. On the Green Dragon Beach, Yinggu recognized him from his triumphant laugh and attacked him like a mad tiger, determined to take him down with her. Later, during the second Huashan Sword Meeting, Qiu Qianren was subdued by Master Yideng and converted to Buddhism, taking the Dharma name Cien.

However, although Cien had become a monk, he could not control his murderous thoughts. Later, in the Valley of Absolute Affection, he encountered his resentful sister, Qiu Qiansui, and in a moment of confusion, almost killed the infant Guo Xiang. Huang Rong, in a panic, imitated Yinggu's madness, which finally enlightened Cien.

After that, Cien and Master Yideng lived in seclusion in Hunan. However, recently, rumors had spread that the Mongol army, unable to capture Xiangyang, was sending troops to attack Dali from the south to outflank and retake Xiangyang. Cien, seeing Master Yideng's concern for his homeland, went out to gather information and encountered the Golden Wheel Dharma King. They fought for a day and a night, and Cien, ultimately, was severely injured.

On the brink of death, Cien reflected on his many sins. Although he had tried to atone for them over the past decade, one thing still troubled him, preventing him from dying in peace. It was not a desire for revenge or to kill his enemies but a wish to be forgiven by someone, allowing him to die in peace.

Initially, Yinggu had failed to kill Qiu Qianren on the peak of Huashan and had not caught Zhou Botong. She wandered the江湖 and eventually settled in the Black Dragon Swamp. Master Yideng, upon learning this, brought Cien to the Black Dragon Swamp and had been calling out to Yinggu every day for seven days, but she, remembering the hatred of his refusal to save her child decades ago, refused to meet him.