The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 106 The Love Flower's Photographic Forgetfulness Technique
Zhou Yan returned and saw Huang Rong resting on a rock, Mei Chaofeng standing to the side holding a soft whip, and three guards standing a short distance away with knives in hand.

"Are there any boats or ships?" Huang Rong asked.

"We haven't found it, but we have a way," Zhou Yan said, looking at a cliff in the valley.

Huang Rong, being quick-witted, instantly understood Zhou Yan's intention.

Before the group set off, they packed their equipment. Huang Rong noticed that the scouts had brought ropes, and she smiled and said, "Let's climb to a high place and use the ropes to lower them down."

"Okay. Wait a moment. I'll go up the cliff first."

Zhou Yan summoned the men and had them wrap all the ropes they carried around their shoulders before heading to the side of the cliff.

The cliffs were not sheer cliffs, but were covered with trees of varying lengths and names, and occasionally one could see gnarled pine trees. For Zhou Yan, who practiced the "Golden Goose Skill," the climb was not difficult.

As he circulated his internal energy along the Qiao Meridian, his pelvis expanded, and his hips, sacrum, and coccyx all moved. As his internal energy rose, a feeling of lightness arose spontaneously. With a breath that reached his upper palate, Zhou Yan leaped into the air, rising more than fifteen feet, landing on a horizontal tree trunk as thick as a wrist. Using his toes for leverage, he soared into the air once more.

Mei Chaofeng was blind and could not see Zhou Yan stretching his body and leaping up. Huang Rong saw it and was secretly amazed. When a martial artist cultivates his internal energy and reaches a certain level, leaping ten feet into the air is not considered impressive. Her father could leap several feet into the air. However, it was rare to see a light body technique like Zhou Yan's, where the body could bend slightly to the left and right in the air.

It should be noted that when a person is in the air, their center is wide open, making them most vulnerable to attack. If Zhou Yan deviates even slightly in the air, he can cause his opponent's attack to miss by a great deal, thus securing a decisive blow.

He really has many secrets. Huang Rong thought to herself.

In just a short while, Zhou Yan had climbed to the top of the cliff like a monkey. Looking around, the stream flowed away amidst lush flowers and grasses, towering trees with dense foliage and branches. If one did not climb up and look down, it would be impossible to discover that there was a hidden paradise in the valley.

Zhou Yan found a large rock protruding from the ground, tied a rope to it, and threw it down.

The rope handlers waiting at the bottom of the cliff took the rope, pulled it taut to test its strength, and said to Mei Chaofeng, "The merchants will climb first."

Mei Chaofeng had already carried Huang Rong on her back. She remained silent, took the rope and tugged at it. Huang Rong then pointed out, "There are trees to rest on when you go up about 15 feet."

With a whoosh, Mei Chaofeng leaped into the air and landed precisely on the tree trunk.

Huang Rong indicated the direction, and Mei Chaofeng climbed up with a rope without making the slightest mistake. The people below watched in astonishment.

Zhou Yan remained unmoved. In the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Mei Chaofeng moved swiftly up and down the desert cliffs. Although the environment here was unfamiliar, with Huang Rong as her guide, climbing cliffs was nothing to Mei Chaofeng.

Mei Chaofeng landed, and Zhou Yan threw down a rope. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, all three of the rescuers had climbed up.

The group walked along the cliff top for two or three miles, but saw that the mountain peaks on both sides were steep and extremely difficult to climb. The sky seemed to be cut off by the cliff, and the valley below was deep and shrouded in clouds and mist.

After walking a few more miles, the cliffs on both sides ahead resembled blooming lotus palms. Zhou Yan knew that if he continued to walk along the cliff top, he would be going further and further away from the Valley of Heartbreak.

Huang Rong also noticed the change in terrain. When she saw Zhou Yan stop ahead, she knew that the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) had realized this, so she gave up the idea of ​​reminding him.

With several people traveling together, descending using ropes becomes much simpler, eliminating the need for auxiliary ropes like Zhou Yan encountered Gongsun Zhi in Snake Valley.

He found a pine tree on the cliff top, tied a rope to it, and rappelled down first.

Zhou Yan stood firmly on the ground and looked around. It was a paradise on earth. The surrounding vegetation was lush and green, and flowers were in full bloom. Squirrels and rabbits could be seen everywhere, and they were not afraid of people.

Zhou Yan was certain he was in the Valley of Heartbreak, but there was little information left about his exact location within the valley. He could only proceed cautiously and adapt to the changing circumstances.

Zhou Yan shook the rope.

Before long, Mei Chaofeng and Huang Rong landed.

Huang Rong looked up and exclaimed with delight, "The grass is lush and the petals are falling in profusion. There are fertile fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees, bamboo groves, and crisscrossing paths. The sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard everywhere. What a paradise this is!"

Zhou Yan recognized that Huang Rong was referring to a line from "The Peach Blossom Spring," and said, "It truly is a place like a paradise on earth."

Mei Chaofeng couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is this place?"

"Like Peach Blossom Island."

Mei Chaofeng immediately became aware of it.

Zhou Yan thought to himself that Huang Rong was truly clever. If it were anyone else, it would be difficult to describe her with words, but she could do it with just one sentence.

The three rescuers landed, and the ropes hung down on the cliff.

Zhou Yan was in front, Mei Chaofeng followed closely behind, and the other two were positioned to the left and right at the rear.

After walking a few miles, the view was obscured by bamboo groves, and the wind rustled through the bamboo leaves, revealing several stone houses nestled among them.

Zhou Yan said, "I'll go and find out what's going on."

"it is good."

Zhou Yan carried his iron spear and walked through the forest.

Huang Rong said to Mei Chaofeng, "Put me down, you should rest too, there might be a fierce battle coming soon."

Mei Chaofeng obeyed and put Huang Rong down. The scouts hid in the bamboo forest with their hidden weapons. Huang Rong looked around, her lively personality shining through. Now that her health was gradually improving, although she was in danger, she was in a good mood and not as fearful as the scouts.

There were squirrels in the bamboo forest, unafraid of strangers, so Huang Rong had no problem walking around. She went over and teased the squirrels a few times, then got up and walked around again, her gaze falling on the flowering trees not far away.

The flowers were incredibly beautiful, resembling hibiscus but even more fragrant, and like camellia but even more vibrant; I had never seen them before.

Curious, she went over to pick a flower. There were thorns on the tree, and Huang Rong avoided them, but little did she know that there were small thorns hidden behind the flowers, and she still pricked her finger, with a pinprick-sized bead of blood oozing from her fingertip.

Huang Rong winced in pain, took a silk handkerchief to wipe her fingertips, and muttered, "I knew I was unlucky; even the flowers pricked me."

She carefully picked a flower and smelled a faint scent of alcohol. Intrigued, she picked a few more, wrapped them in a handkerchief, and put them in her bosom, intending to study them carefully when she had some free time.

As she walked around, a woman with a dignified appearance and seemingly strong features emerged from a stone house at the end of a blue stone path on one side of the bamboo forest.

Huang Rong was dressed in a white gentleman's robe, while Mei Chaofeng was dressed in black. The two were clearly distinguished by their contrasting colors. The woman was originally heading towards the houses Zhou Yan was pointing towards, but upon seeing the two conspicuous figures, she moved with the agility of a flying duck, and in a few leaps, she was behind Huang Rong.

"Who are you?"

Huang Rong was startled by the sound, knowing that if she suddenly exerted her strength, she would be injured again, and even a Great Immortal would be powerless to help her. She slowly turned around and looked at the woman in front of her.

As Zhou Yan walked along, he described the physical characteristics of Gongsun Zhi, Qiu Qianchi, and Fan Yiweng. Huang Rong recognized the man in front of her as a woman in her late twenties dressed in black; it was none other than Qiu Qianchi.

"Mei Ruohua, come here and tell us who we are." Huang Rong said this with a smile. Qiu Qianchi was surprised and thought to herself that she had never seen any strangers since she entered the valley. Could they be guests invited by Gongsun Zhi?

When Qiu Qianchi appeared, Mei Chaofeng broke out in a cold sweat. She could tell from the sound that the newcomer was swift and had a cultivation level that should not be underestimated. Since the newcomer was outside the range of the soft whip attack, she was afraid that she would not be able to rescue her junior sister in time.

She was secretly anxious. When Huang Rong spoke, she immediately understood and stepped forward several feet, saying coldly, "We're here to take your life."

The soft whip snapped open with a sharp crack, its momentum incredibly fast, yet it carried absolutely no wind, striking Qiu Qianchi's chest in a straight line.

"You vixen!" Qiu Qianchi cursed as she saw Mei Chaofeng dressed in black, with a pale face and long hair, suddenly attacking. She reached for the soft whip.

Suddenly Qiu Qianchi noticed the barbs on the tip of the whip. She was shocked and cursed, "What a vicious witch!"

Qiu Qianchi had no time to dodge to the left or right. Her body suddenly leaned back, parallel to the ground but without her spine touching the ground. Her left and right feet touched the ground, and her body flew backward with a whoosh.

She earned the nickname "Iron Palm Lotus" for her exceptional lightness skills.

Mei Chaofeng, having gained the upper hand, was also furious at being called a "wicked woman." With a fierce determination, she unleashed the "White Python Whip Technique" from the Nine Yin Manual, extending her storm-like offensive towards Qiu Qianchi.

Despite the danger, Qiu Qianchi remained calm and avoided Mei Chaofeng's first attack. She moved swiftly, finding a tiny space in Mei Chaofeng's whip-like movements, and suddenly lunged forward. Her iron palms flew, her left arm extending and retracting like a snake's tongue, while her right palm slashed like lightning. When Mei Chaofeng's whip-like movements subsided, she touched her briefly and then retreated to attack again.

The two men, both dressed in black, fought to a standstill.

Mei Chaofeng wielded a whip, allowing the two to move swiftly, their battle covering an area of ​​several feet. Huang Rong, being astute, knew that joining forces with the troop carriers or staying with Zhou Yan, who had come upon hearing the commotion, would only be a hindrance. She bypassed Mei Chaofeng and Qiu Qianchi, slipping into the stone chamber.

……

The stone chamber was spacious, filled with the fragrance of ink and brush, and contained a wealth of classical texts, with ancient and simple desks and tables.

Huang Rong looked around and saw that although there were no luxurious gold and silver artifacts inside, the furnishings were arranged with great care.

She walked to the desk where the ink and brush had been left.

What came into view was a martial arts manual, which read "Golden Knife, Black Sword, Yin-Yang Twin Blades".

She flipped through a few pages and found a martial art that combined swordsmanship and saber techniques, blending strength and gentleness, yin and yang. Huang Rong read it carefully and saw many detailed annotations in ink, and she suddenly understood.

Just now, Qiu Qianchi was studying this technique in the stone chamber.

The guess was absolutely right.

The three martial arts techniques—the Sealing Acupoints Technique, the Fishing Net Formation, and the Yin-Yang Dual-Edge Golden Saber and Black Sword—are ancestral skills of the Gongsun family. The Gongsun lineage lives in a secluded valley, rarely interacting with outsiders; therefore, although these three martial arts are extraordinary, they are unknown to the world. Furthermore, each of these three techniques has its weaknesses.

Qiu Qianchi's martial arts skills were personally taught by Qiu Qianren, the leader of the Iron Palm Clan. She had outstanding martial arts talent and a high level of insight, and she even noticed the flaws in the technique and helped Gongsun Zhi improve it.

This explains why Zhou Yan encountered Gongsun Zhi wielding swords and knives.

Huang Rong found this skill quite interesting. Since he could wield a knife in his left hand and a sword in his right, then the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) Zhou Yan could also use a spear and a sword simultaneously.

Qiu Qianchi has high standards; how could she, as the daughter of the Eastern Heretic, be anything less?

Huang Rong subconsciously wanted to steal the martial arts manual to repay a favor to Zhou Yan, but then she thought about how the situation was unpredictable when everyone entered the valley and Mei Chaofeng fought with the other party. She also didn't know if there were other masters in the valley. Even if everyone escaped unscathed, once the other party found out that they had stolen the manual, they would inevitably be entangled in a life-or-death struggle.

The exercise manual is only a dozen pages long, so it's not difficult to memorize.

Huang Rong abandoned her concentration and forcibly memorized this unique martial art from the Valley of Heartbreak.

(End of this chapter)