I am Zhao Zhijing, a poor Taoist priest, and I have disciples all over the world.

Chapter 187 I Believe in Free Love
The three of them came to a secluded place in Lujiazhuang. They saw a bright moon in the sky and cicadas chirping in the woods, which made the night seem even more quiet.

However, Zhao Zhijing and Guo Jing and his wife were not at peace.

"Master Guo, Master Huang, please do not lie in front of a real person. I do feel that it is inappropriate to discuss the private affairs of our children in such an occasion."

Once a teacher, always a father. Yang Guo's father, Yang Kang, is no longer alive. If Zhao Zhijing does not agree, this marriage will definitely not take place.

Guo Jing was a straightforward person who spoke whatever came to his mind. He hurriedly asked, "Master Zhao, is it possible that my wife and I are lacking in some manners, or is it that Fu'er is naughty and not a good match for you in your eyes?"

Seeing Guo Jing's expression, Zhao Zhijing knew that he would have to face this matter eventually. Although he himself felt that Yang Guo and Guo Fu were not suitable to be together, it did not mean that he had to obstruct them.

"Master Guo, your daughter is from a famous family, her looks and martial arts are both top-notch, and the Guo and Yang families are old friends, so I shouldn't make any comments."

Zhao Zhijing sighed and whispered, "You two, Guo'er still doesn't know the cause of Yang Kang's death, right?"

After these words were spoken, both Guo Jing and Huang Rong changed their expressions. Guo Jing felt that he owed the Yang family because he had not taught his sworn brother Yang Kang well, which led to his tragic ending.

Because of this incident, Huang Rong was always wary of Yang Guo, which was why she let Yang Guo go to Zhongnan Mountain and finally become a disciple of Zhao Zhijing.

"Master Zhao, where did you learn about this?"

When Yang Kang died tragically in the Iron Spear Temple in Jiaxing, only a handful of people knew about it. Some of them, such as Wanyan Honglie, had even passed away long ago.

And Zhao Zhijing should be thousands of miles away in Chongyang Palace. How could he suddenly bring up this matter today, more than ten years later?
When Zhao Zhijing saw Huang Rong's tone of panic when she asked questions, he knew that this incident had a profound impact on her and she could never let it go.

But I can't say that I am an alien and know everything that happened in the past, so I have to use other people's names to explain it.

"Please don't worry too much, Chief Huang. Although I have not personally witnessed this incident, I have absolutely no doubts about the character of this virtuous couple."

"In fact, the reason why I left Chongyang Palace and settled in Huashan Yunv Peak is because of some reasons that are not known to outsiders."

At this point, there was no need for Zhao Zhijing to hide anything, so he immediately made a long story about how he had caused a scene in the Sanqing Temple and was thrown into prison.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong looked at each other, and both felt as if they had suddenly realized something.

As early as a year ago, when the two of them visited Zhao Zhijing at Mount Huashan for Yang Guo, they felt that with this person's character and martial arts, wouldn't he be qualified to be the third-generation first disciple of Quanzhen Sect?

It turns out there is such a hidden story.

"This"

Guo Jing was not good at speaking. He felt that he should say something, but he didn't know how to say it properly. In the end, he could only say, "Master Zhao is really a man of character!"

As soon as the words came out, the three of them found it funny, and after a few chuckles, the slightly tense atmosphere just now disappeared.

"Boss Huang, do you still remember the few people who were captured by Grandmaster Zhou during the second Huashan Sword Contest and then handed over to Uncle Master Qiu to be taken back to Chongyang Palace for imprisonment?"

Huang Rong was extremely intelligent. With just a glance, she guessed what happened next without Zhao Zhijing having to continue talking.

"I see!"

Guo Jing was confused, so Huang Rong explained, "Brother Jing, you must remember that year on Mount Hua when the old naughty boy captured Sha Tongtian, Hou Tonghai and the others, right?"

"Ah!" Guo Jing finally reacted. He was usually slow-witted, but this matter concerned the life and death of his daughter and Yang Guo. Suddenly, he had an idea and asked, "Could it be that Taoist Zhao happened to be imprisoned with these villains?"

"Brother Jing is smart for once."

Zhao Zhijing also smiled and said, "That's right. Chongyang Palace originally didn't have any prison cells. They were temporarily built to detain these four people."

"After I was imprisoned, I met Sha Tongtian and the other four. Some of them were blind, some were lame, but they were still very stubborn and often talked about how they were so powerful in the past."

Guo Jing and his wife had dealt with Sha Tongtian and others many times in the past. When they heard that the four had been imprisoned for more than ten years and still did not repent, they could only shake their heads.

Zhao Zhijing continued, "Master Qiu showed some leniency by allowing Guo'er to bring Man'er to the prison cell to visit him. As time went by, Sha Tongtian, who left behind a pair of eyes, also remembered him."

"That day, I was meditating, but suddenly I heard him ask sinisterly, is this child surnamed Yang the descendant of Yang Kang, the young prince of the Jin Kingdom?"

Both Guo Jing and Huang Rong knew that Yang Kang and his son looked quite similar. In addition, Sha Tongtian had been a guest of Wanyan Honglie and had spent quite a while with Yang Kang, so they did not doubt Zhao Zhijing's statement.

"I didn't want to pay attention to it, but Sha Tongtian became more and more excited as he spoke, and his story was very detailed. It didn't seem like something that could be made up."

Zhao Zhijing looked at Guo Jing and said, "Master Guo, I naturally don't believe his one-sided words, so I never mentioned it before."

"But at this point, I have to ask, what exactly happened back then?"

The evening breeze was blowing gently. After a moment's silence, Huang Rong finally told the whole story. Guo Jing gently held his wife's hand, obviously still feeling guilty.

"Thank you, Boss Huang, for speaking frankly."

Zhao Zhijing shook his head slightly, "Although Yang Kang brought this upon himself, he is Guo'er's biological father after all."

"We can't keep this a secret from Guo'er forever. When he goes out into the world, he will have to look around for the cause of his father's death, and he will inevitably be put in a passive position."

Guo Jing really couldn't think of how to tell Yang Guo, so he pleaded, "Guo'er regards you as my teacher and father. As long as you agree to this marriage, I will never object."

"This way, the Guo and Yang families will become even closer, and my husband and I will naturally love him even more. Wouldn't it be better to choose a suitable opportunity to tell him the truth?"

Zhao Zhijing was usually easygoing, but at this moment he refused directly, saying, "Please forgive me, Mr. Guo, I am not unwilling to do this, but I just can't do it."

"Even if there is no dispute, I will not interfere with the marriage of any of my disciples, including Guo'er."

"This"

Guo Jing was very puzzled. Since ancient times, marriage has been decided by parents and matchmakers. If Zhao Zhijing didn't make the decision for Guo'er, who else could make the decision for Guo'er?
"Whether you are a heretic or arrogant and ignorant, I can't control others, but I can always control myself."

"So if Guo'er and your daughter fall in love, I will never stop them. But if they are not destined to be together, I will not force them to be together."

Seeing Zhao Zhijing's determination, Huang Rong recalled that her father, Huang Yaoshi, had been determined to marry her to Ouyang Ke.

"Master Zhao is even more unrestrained and open-minded than my father."

"It's a pity that Fu'er is spoiled and Guo'er is proud and arrogant. They are not a good match. Brother Jing's wish will eventually fail."

(End of this chapter)