The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 101 Youthful Spirit, Mutual Appreciation

Zhou Yan rode a yellow horse, carrying a steel spear, a steel sword at his waist, and an iron bow on his back. Beside him, Mei Chaofeng, dressed in black, rode a green horse, holding a soft whip, her black hair flying.

As the two approached the bandits, he quickly observed them.

The group consisted of over a hundred people, including more than thirty riders. Several riders were firing arrows at the defensive formation formed around the caravan, demonstrating impressive archery skills and posing a significant threat to the guards and porters of Zhenwei Escort Agency.

The bandits on horseback were also fierce. Few bandits charged alone with knives. They usually worked in groups of three to five, attacking fiercely from both sides. Some bandits even used large spears to stab and stab.

Zhou Yan, who had been traveling all over the country escorting goods since he was a porter, was very experienced. He could tell at a glance that this band of bandits was no ordinary group of desperate mountain people who had gathered together to fight each other.

He saw in these bandits the shadow of Zhang Sanqiang's followers from Jingzhou, as well as the style of some soldiers. More than ten bandits remained motionless, their leader wielding a spiked club; he was probably the chief.

“Follow me. The bandit leader’s weapon is a spiked club,” Zhou Yan told Mei Chaofeng. He believed that Mei Chaofeng could identify the weapon by its sound, so that if they encountered each other in the melee, he could kill the leader first.

"I know!" Mei Chaofeng was ruthless and didn't talk much.

None of the bandits noticed the two approaching. Zhou Yan was less than 150 steps away from the caravan, and the other party was within the range of the iron bow.

"Swish!" He plunged the iron spear into the ground and opened the bow quiver.

In the hazy morning light, the iron bow was drawn in a breathtaking arc.

……

The air was thick with the stench of blood, and dust filled the air.

A bandit on horseback drew his bow and aimed an arrow at the young man wielding two guns.

"Kid, let's see how long you can be so arrogant." A sinister smile appeared on the bandit's lips.

The sharp sound of the arrow exploded in his ears in an instant. With a "thud," the arrowhead that came flying through the air easily tore open the back of the bandit's head and came out through the facial bone hole.

The immense penetrating force sent the opponent flying off the tall horse and crashing heavily to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the arrows flew like meteors, never missing their mark. Zhou Yan shot thirteen arrows from horseback, killing ten archers on horseback and on the ground. Three of them, however, saw their companions being shot and reacted quickly, hiding in the stirrups to avoid the fatal arrows.

When the bandit leader, wielding a spiked club, looked in the direction of the sound, Zhou Yan and Mei Chaofeng had already launched their attack.

The bandit leader, whose body resembled an iron tower, was furious.

"Kill those two scoundrels."

The bandits beside him roared and charged toward Zhou Yan and Mei Chaofeng.

As the distance closed, Mei Chaofeng's soft whip flew out before Zhou Yan's iron spear. The whip struck straight forward, reaching the bandit's chest. Then, the tip of the whip rose, like a seemingly dead viper suddenly striking back, whistling out towards the bandit's face. Even before the tip arrived, the force it carried caused the bandit to gasp for breath. The bandit hastily used his steel saber to parry, and the whip and saber clashed. With a jolt, the bandit's long saber flew from his hand.

The whip tip snapped open the opponent's face with a "crack" like a broken pottery jar, and red blood and black hair splattered into the air.

Ahead of Zhou Yan, a bandit, having gathered his strength to its peak while galloping, fiercely thrust his spear forward. Zhou Yan, sitting on his horse at an angle, bent his arm to catch the spear, and with his right hand, he pointed out the iron spear, which pierced through the bandit's head with a "thud".

He drew his spear, and his yellow horse galloped into the enemy's cavalry. With a simple yet powerful move, "Yue Family Spear" and "Lonely Mountain Ten Thousand Miles," he thrust the spearhead straight out, and the spearhead struck the bandit's saber with a clang, bending into a magnificent arc.

Zhou Yan slightly reduced his strength, and the iron spear snapped back into a straight line, using the force of the impact to send the opponent's saber flying into the sky.

With a "thud," the spear pierced through the chest of the incredibly strong bandit and emerged through his back.

Zhou Yan did not draw his spear, and his yellow horse galloped forward.

A clear, ringing sound of a sword rang out. He drew his steel sword with his right hand, thrusting it out with a single strike that multiplied into three, a single sword strike transforming into three distinct attacks. The bandits on the flanks saw only flashes of sword light in their vision, their movements unpredictable. The bandits roared and, in a desperate attempt to break free, slashed at Zhou Yan with their steel blades.

With three sharp "thuds," the bandit was struck in the elbow, chest, and face simultaneously by a sword.

Zhou Yan rode his yellow horse and charged through the middle of the two bandits. To his left, a tall horse carrying a lifeless bandit charged forward. Zhou Yan leaned forward and pulled a steel spear from the bandit's back.

Thrusting with a spear, killing with a sword, drawing a spear—it all happens in the blink of an eye.

On the other side of the caravan, the young man wielding two pistols watched with fervor. He felt his blood surging and brandished his pistols, his left hand pointing, stabbing, thrusting, and piercing, while his right hand swept and smashed, moving like dragons and snakes, smashing and piercing the heads, necks, limbs, and hands of the bandits in front of him. Under the bright spring sunshine, streaks of blood flew and spun with the advancement of the spears, and the young man seemed to be in a blood-red vortex.

"Excellent marksmanship," Zhou Yan exclaimed sincerely.

Zhou Yan and Mei Chaofeng dealt with the charging bandits in one round.

Iron Corpse brandished its soft whip, and no one could get within a radius of ten feet. The whip crackled and sprang out white wisps of energy as Mei Chaofeng extended her attack toward the bandit leader in the blink of an eye.

The bandit leader was fierce, but he also knew what was good for him. Seeing that his capable men were almost all dead or wounded, and that the newcomers, a pair of scoundrels and women, were highly skilled in martial arts, he knew he could not resist them. So he whistled and spurred his horse to flee.

How could it be too late?

When Mei Chaofeng attacked, Zhou Yan had already intercepted her. When the yellow horse that was charging diagonally in was still four or five zhang away from the opponent, he suddenly threw out the iron spear.

With a clang, the iron spear was knocked away by the spiked club, but Zhou Yan had already leaped out using the speed of his yellow horse, and the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" palm strike enveloped his opponent.

Before the bandit leader could swing his spiked club, he roared, dropped the club, and used both hands to block Zhou Yan's palm strike with the "Heavenly King Holding the Pagoda" technique.

As their palms met, the bandit leader felt the force pressing down from Zhou Yan's palms like a mountain collapsing, indestructible and unstoppable.

With a crack, the bandit's arm was severed, and his tall horse crashed to the ground with a "thud" like a collapsing wall. The bandit rolled to his feet, and Zhou Yan, who was nimbly advancing, suddenly stretched out his right hand, and with a "plop," his five fingers plunged straight into the bandit's forehead.

The bandit leader died instantly.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Zhou Yan and Mei Chaofeng joined forces to first kill the bandit leader's capable subordinates, then behead the bandit leader. The remaining henchmen and generals collapsed and were slaughtered by the bodyguards and escorts led by the young man.

Mei Chaofeng was not interested in killing the henchmen.

She squatted beside the bandit leader, touching the bandit leader's head where Zhou Yan had pierced his finger holes with his "Destroying Divine Claw." She had a puzzled look on her face. Given Zhou Yan's level, there was no reason for him to have mastered the "Nine Yin White Bone Claw" so quickly.

Mei Chaofeng was completely baffled. Finally, she struck down with her palm, shattering the skull. Then she summoned her green horse, leaped onto it, and left.

Mei Chaofeng knew what was good for her and understood that exposing her identity would be harmful to Zhou Yan, so leaving was the best option.

Zhou Yan watched Mei Chaofeng destroy the evidence and leave, and sighed. "At least she knows how to think of others now."

The air was thick with the nauseating stench of blood, accompanied by the groans of wounded soldiers and bandits.

The young man, his white robe stained with blood, handed his twin pistols to a bodyguard beside him and strode up to Zhou Yan: "I am Lu Beihe of Zhenwei Escort Agency. May I ask your name, young hero?"

Zhou Yan was traveling as a bodyguard, not wearing the uniform of a bodyguard, so Lu Beihe, who introduced himself, naturally couldn't recognize his identity. However, Zhou Yan was also puzzled. The owner of Zhenwei Escort Agency was surnamed Han, and Lu Beihe was dressed in white robes with two guns, which was somewhat inconsistent with the attire of a bodyguard.

Judging from the other party's martial arts skills, he should at least be a head镖师 (镖头, a type of镖师, a kind of镖局, a type of镖局, meaning a镖局, a type of镖局, and a镖局, meaning a镖局, a type of ...

He cupped his hands in greeting and replied, "Zhou Yan, head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of Fu'an镖局 (Fu'an Escort Agency)."

Lu Beihe exclaimed in surprise, "So you are Chief Escort Zhou from Fu'an! My apologies for not recognizing you. Thank you for your righteous assistance. Once I return to Kaifeng, I will definitely report this to my godfather and bring gifts to Zhongdu to express my gratitude."

It turns out that Lu Beihe is the adopted son of the owner of Zhenwei Escort Agency. Zhou Yan said politely, "There's no need for that. It's our duty to help those in need. Besides, both Fu'an and Zhenwei are escort agencies, so it's only natural for them to help each other."

Zhou Yan spoke politely, but his heart was actually in turmoil. Among the four major escort agencies—Changfeng, Fu'an, Zhenwei, and Longmen—Changfeng's young master, Helian Chuncheng, was flamboyant and greedy.

It's difficult to give a direct assessment of Longmen Escort Agency, but judging from the young escort leader's behavior when they encountered the opposing escort team in Xiangyang, he was quite arrogant and domineering, and it's unlikely that they would be easy to get along with.

Lu Beihe, the young master of Zhenwei Escort Agency, is dashing and speaks eloquently. Although they are all in the same industry, he still falls into the trap of saying, "The same rice, a hundred different people."

"So it's you, young master Zhenwei. A pleasure to meet you."

Lu Beihe said, "Leaving aside this empty title, isn't Chief Escort Zhou also an escort?"

"Yes, let's go to Taihu Lake."

Lu Beihe recited the details with great familiarity: "The best route to Taihu Lake is from Jinan Prefecture southward. The reason why the镖头 (bodyguard/escort) turned to the Xinye line is because of the war there."

"That's right. Where is Zhenwei's dart going?"

"Jingzhou".

Zhou Yan let out a slight sigh, thinking to himself that, just as he had guessed, these mules and horses were also being sent to the military camp.

Do you know the origins of this gang of bandits?

"Speak to Chief Escort Zhou."

"it is good!"

The two walked a little further away, and Lu Beihe sat down on the ground, lifting his robes, with Zhou Yan following suit.

The young head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of Zhenwei Escort Agency asked, "Does the head镖师 know about the Great Qi?"

Zhou Yan knew, but it was information he obtained from the original owner after he transmigrated.

The Jin dynasty established the Great Qi regime south of the Yellow River to counter the Lin'an court. However, due to dissatisfaction with Emperor Liu Yu's repeated defeats against the Lin'an court's army and his inability to eliminate the anti-Jin rebels within the territory, the Jin dynasty deposed Liu Yu.

"Know a thing or two."

"This group of people are remnants of the Great Qi Dynasty. They have wandered to the Funiu Mountain and Tongbai Mountain areas, where they rob and commit all sorts of evil deeds."

"I see."

"That's not all. The Jingxiang area is quite turbulent these days, with a band of horse bandits from Jiangxi active there. If the Fu'an Escort Agency is to take this route, please be very careful."

As Lu Beihe finished speaking, he said resentfully, "Zhenwei Escort Agency is based in Kaifeng Prefecture and has a good reputation in Xinye, Nanyang and Xiangyang. When our escort team goes out, the mountain strongholds and gangs have to give us face. Who knew that the other side would be so audacious as to take advantage of the escort team's departure in the morning to attack us, catching us off guard."

After saying this, Young Master Zhenwei couldn't help but praise again: "Zhou, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and his fellow镖师 (bodyguard/escorts) are truly skilled at capturing the leader first. If the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) passes through Kaifeng Prefecture on his return journey from Taihu Lake, he must visit the镖局 (bodyguard/escort agency) as a guest."

Since Changfeng could annex the Sihai Escort Agency to deal with Fu'an, Zhou Yan could plan ahead and use alliances to strengthen his power to counter Changfeng. He replied, "Definitely."

"A gentleman's word!"

"It's hard to chase a horse."

"I have another question to ask."

"But it doesn't matter."

Zhou Yan said, "Fu'an also made a trip to Jingzhou before the New Year, mainly with mules and horses, and the owner was a merchant named Lü."

Lu Beihe said, "What a coincidence, Zhenwei's shipment is also like that."

"Does the young master know where Merchant Lü has gone?"

"I don't know, it's not appropriate for my godfather to ask." Lu Beihe said thoughtfully, "The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) is worried that if Merchant Lü goes to Zhongdu, he might encounter remnants of the Great Qi and bandits from Jiangxi on his way to Jingzhou."

"Indeed."

After pondering for a moment, Lu Beihe said, "How about this? I will send a messenger on horseback to Kaifeng Prefecture to inform my godfather of this matter, and the escort agency will send another messenger to Zhongdu to deliver the message."

"How about I ask the young master to send a messenger to Fu'an in Zhongdu?"

Lu Beihe laughed heartily: "Zhou, the镖头 (bodyguard/escort), is meticulous and thorough, excellent!"

Zhenwei's young master immediately summoned his men to bring pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. Zhou Yan wrote a letter, which was sealed with sealing wax, and the payment was due upon receipt. Zhou Yan and Mei Chaofeng repelled the bandits, some of whom had left behind tall, magnificent horses.

Lu Beihe dispatched a bodyguard to lead two horses, and they rode straight north at full speed.

One was the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of Fu'an, and the other was the young master of Zhenwei.

Young and spirited, they cherished each other.

Lu Beihe invited Zhou Yan to meet him on his way back through Kaifeng Prefecture. Zhou Yan agreed, took the long arrow, bid farewell to Lu Beihe, and returned to the caravan to meet Mei Chaofeng and Huang Rong.

(End of this chapter)