The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 10 It’s better to teach a man to fish than to teach him to fish
As the autumn wind rustles through the trees, leaves fall and land in the pond in the courtyard, creating gentle ripples.

Zhang Wangyue was raising his wine glass and drinking with Huyan Lei.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of Fu'an镖局 (escort agency) was around forty years old, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. His square face showed signs of hardship, and he exuded a powerful aura when he looked around.

He said, "We'll be heading to Shu in a few days. Do you think we should arrange for Zhou Yan to accompany us?"

Huyan Lei poured the wine, raised the cup, and looked at the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort): "I'll tell you the truth."

"You've always been quick-witted and outspoken."

"Well, then I'll just say it directly, but that's not appropriate."

"Why?"

"Because the team leader is Cui Qingshan."

"What do you mean?"

“Zhou Yan just returned yesterday, and Cui, the bodyguard, immediately made a strange request to spar with him. He wanted to help his nephew get promoted to bodyguard and made some connections, but the agency only promoted Zhou Yan, so he has a grudge against him. I’m worried that it will make things difficult for him on the way.”

"Zhou Yan relied on his genuine talent and learning."

"But 'a narrow mind has nowhere to tolerate others.' Zhou Yan is a promising talent, and Guan Jian is only seventeen years old; he is a hidden gem."

"Is it really that powerful?"

"Of course, I'll tell you. Yesterday, I was drinking with him at Songhelou Restaurant when the guards from Sihai Escort Agency started a fight. He took down two of them in succession."

"Yes, that's true. Please provide details."

"Let me explain in detail." Hu Yanlei took a sip of wine, and just as he was about to speak, hurried footsteps approached from afar, and a bodyguard strode quickly from the long corridor with its flying eaves and brackets.

"Head镖师 (镖师 is a term used to describe镖师 in Chinese, meaning镖师 in Chinese) and镖师 Wang (镖师 in Chinese, meaning镖师 in Chinese) are about to fight."

It was common for bodyguards to fight each other over a disagreement, and they would usually laugh it off afterwards. Zhang Wangyue calmly said, "Then let them fight for a while."

Huyan Lei asked, "What is the reason?"

The bodyguard replied: "Bodyguard Zhou asked Bodyguard Shi how to cultivate lightness skill. Bodyguard Shi gave a lecture, and Bodyguard Wang chimed in. They each had their own opinions and disagreed with each other, which led to a heated argument."

Hu Yanlei was taken aback, then burst into laughter.

Zhang Wangyue laughed and scolded, "This is outrageous! Let's go and see."

The two got up and walked quickly toward the martial arts arena.

……

Shi Baichuan had already taken up his boxing stance.

His signature move was "Hawk Fist." In the autumn light, the short and muscular bodyguard would cross his legs, lean slightly forward, bend his right hand forward with his five fingers like a beak, and place his left fist under his armpit, his figure resembling a hawk pouncing on its prey.

In the martial arts world, there are countless boxing styles created to mimic animal hunting. When Wang the镖师 saw Shi Baichuan use the "Hawk Fist," he lowered his body, bent his right knee, and stepped back with his left leg, assuming a "Mantis Fist" stance.

Zhou Yan hadn't expected the two bodyguards to get into a heated argument over his request for instruction in lightness skills. Several bodyguards and escorts from the martial arts arena tried to break up the fight, but the two men's verbal sparring only intensified.

Zhou Yan hurriedly said, "Brother Shi, Brother Wang, don't be like this. Let's talk things out and find common ground while reserving differences."

His address of "brother" made Shi Baichuan feel quite comfortable, but the die was cast and he had no choice but to speak. He said, "This has nothing to do with you, Brother Zhou. I've had my eye on this scoundrel for a long time."

“Brother Zhou, no need to worry. This old man has a fiery temper; I’ll help him cool down,” said Wang the bodyguard.

The two were exchanging sharp words when suddenly Shi Baichuan let out a whoosh, his figure shifting as if five or six phantoms simultaneously appeared, and a fierce attack spread towards Wang the镖师 (bodyguard/escort).

The figure that suddenly appeared outside the martial arts arena moved without making a sound, as if all movement was swallowed up by his burly figure. The figure took a few steps and stood between the two bodyguards. In the blink of an eye, two punches shattered all of Shi Baichuan and Wang the bodyguard's stances.

"Who the hell..." Shi Baichuan cursed, but when he saw it was Zhang Wangyue, he scratched the back of his head and said, "Why is the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) here?"

Wang, the bodyguard, leaped aside, saying defiantly, "Head镖师, you be the judge."

Zhang Wangyue laughed and scolded, "Alright, I know what's going on. You two are both half-baked teachers, and Zhou Yan is a fearless newborn calf who dares to learn. Aren't you worried about him going astray and going into qi deviation?" The two men looked like zombies.

Zhou Yan quickly stepped forward and said, "Greetings, Chief Escort."

Zhang Wangyue asked in a friendly tone, "Isn't today a day of rest?"

"I can't stay idle."

“Young people are so energetic and vibrant,” Zhang Wangyue praised, then looked around and said, “Come here, everyone.”

Zhou Yan was overjoyed, and the group of bodyguards and escorts cheered loudly.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) Zhang Wangyue sat on the stone lock. The others sat in a circle, and Huyan Lei nudged Zhou Yan and whispered, "Listen carefully, this is for you."

Zhou Yan nodded; he knew perfectly well the head镖师's good intentions.

Zhang Wangyue's voice rang out in the autumn afternoon light:

"Meridians are the channels through which the body operates, connecting the internal organs and communicating between the inside and outside, tightly linking the body into a whole. Meridians are a general term for 'Jing' and 'Luo,' meaning pathways, and are composed of Jingmai and Luomai. Jingmai are further divided into regular meridians and extraordinary meridians. There are twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians, which are what we call the twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians."

"In addition, there are the twelve divergent meridians and the twelve muscle meridians. The eight extraordinary meridians are like lakes, while the qi of the twelve regular meridians is like the water of rivers. It is intricately interwoven with the twelve regular meridians, connecting them, governing the qi and blood, and harmonizing yin and yang. When the extraordinary meridians are opened, one will feel the blood flowing smoothly and be full of energy. Therefore, most martial arts in the world focus on cultivating the eight extraordinary meridians, using them to drive the twelve regular meridians. This is because the twelve regular meridians connect to the internal organs, and the slightest carelessness can endanger life. Some martial arts, mainly Taoist, focus on health preservation and thus focus on cultivating the regular meridians. The former is easy at first and then difficult, while the latter is difficult at first and then easy..."

Zhang Wangyue didn't mention any methods for cultivating lightness skills, but his words were invaluable to Zhou Yan. He guessed that the original owner's shallow internal strength was related to his lack of understanding of profound knowledge such as acupoints and meridians. Now, he had a clear understanding of the meridian relationships.

Zhang Wangyue looked at Shi Baichuan and Wang Biaoshi, "In teaching martial arts, the most taboo thing is metaphysics. Wang Biaoshi practices internal martial arts. You think that by tempering the twelve meridians, you can develop a good lightness skill. This idea is not wrong. However, Zhou Biaoshi's skills are mainly external, and his internal strength is insufficient. How can he temper it? When the internal energy and meridian energy clash, once he goes into qi deviation, he will be paralyzed at best and die at worst."

Wang, the镖师 (bodyguard/escort), immediately understood and said with a pale face, "How could I not have thought of that? The镖头 (bodyguard/escort leader) is absolutely right. Brother Zhou, don't listen to my nonsense."

"Brother Wang is truly sincere. Once I have mastered internal strength, I will refine my orthodox skills and practice lightness techniques according to your method," he replied, but in his heart he thought that the jade Guanyin he wore had the effect of repairing internal ailments and should also prevent him from going astray in cultivation.

The bodyguard, Wang, gave him a thumbs up, saying, "Just because of what Brother Zhou said, I'll protect you in the bodyguard agency from now on."

"Forming cliques?" Zhang Wangyue knew that the escort agency had small groups, but he still asked the same question.

Wang Biaotou chuckled.

Zhang Wangyue continued, "Master Shi has made the mistake of 'giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish.' Your technique focuses on tempering the eight meridians, and it is similar to Master Zhou's technique. But let me ask you, do you know the specific pathways of the eight meridians?"

Shi Baichuan said awkwardly, "I only know about the two Qiao pulses."

"How long did it take you to master the acupoints where the two Qiao meridians meet?"

"It took me many days to count all the marks on my wife's body."

The crowd in the martial arts arena burst into laughter.

"Does Master Zhou know these things? If not, how can he temper his eight meridians?"

Hu Yanlei said, "Back then, he was just talking big."

The laughter grew even louder.

Shi Baichuan didn't seem to mind, and everyone laughed, "I hadn't thought of that."

"However, the initial intention was good and deserves recognition."

Hu Yanlei said, "But it still hasn't resolved Brother Zhou's doubts."

Zhang Wangyue stood up and said to Zhou Yan:
"follow me!"

After Zhang Wangyue said this, not only the escorts, but many bodyguards also showed envy on their faces.

Hu Yanlei laughed and scolded:

"Instead of being envious, you should practice hard. A head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) won't bury your talents!"

　I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the author "一炁開造化三五大道君" for the monthly ticket support, and to all the authors for the recommendations.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)