The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 122 Night Talk by the Huai River, Breakthrough in Cultivation Technique

In the early hours of the morning, as the eastern sky began to lighten, milky white mist drifted along the banks of the Huai River.

Yang Miaozhen and Qiu Qianchi took a rest.

Zhou Yan had little sleep. He walked over to the "Jade Lion Under the Night," where the horse neighed and the man whispered, just like when he was talking to the Divine Condor.

As the soft footsteps approached, Zhou Yan turned around, and a figure in red came into view.

"Miss Mu."

"I have some questions and would like to ask the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) for advice."

"But it doesn't matter."

“Hmm!” The two walked along the river, with the Jade Lion of Night following behind. Mu Nianci said, “These past few days I have met Sister Yang and Miss Qiu. They are either heroic and valiant women who are not inferior to men, or they have superb martial arts skills. I suddenly feel that my talent is low and I am very useless.”

Mu Nianci's words revealed her deep frustration.

Zhou Yan laughed and said, "That's not quite right."

"Why?"

"Before Senior Yang settled in the escort agency, he sought out the son of an old friend to hold a martial arts contest to find a husband. You were also undefeated in martial arts, having fought all over the north and south."

Mu Nianci laughed, "It's different. No respectable scions of noble families or skilled sects would dare to fight. The people they encounter are all scoundrels and ruffians."

"But Cui Qingshan still lost to you."

"I benefited from the instruction and guidance of the chief镖头 (bodyguard), 胡延镖头 (bodyguard), and 周镖头 (bodyguard).

"What about an ordinary marksman? Could he also grasp the essence of marksmanship and win a battle in a short period of time?"

"this!"

Zhou Yan said, "Look at the Huai River, its waves are vast and boundless, no less impressive than the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, wouldn't you agree?"

"Ah."

"The Huai River originates from the Tongbai Mountains, formed by the convergence of streams. It flows day and night, dripping through stubborn rocks that block its path, carving deep ravines into the mountains. It is only through this gentle convergence that it gains its surging power. Practicing martial arts is similar. Cultivating internal strength is like a thousand streams forming a river, further refining the meridians and elevating one's realm."

"But what if they are dull-witted?"

"There are indeed differences in talent among martial artists, but diligence can make up for lack of talent. It is the same principle as water dripping on stone. If you practice diligently and without stopping, you can overcome most of the barriers of martial arts and become a first-class master in the martial arts world. That is enough. The world is so vast, and there are as many martial artists as there are fish crossing the river. But those who have truly reached the pinnacle of cultivation are still the late Master Chongyang and the four masters: the Eastern Heretic, the Western Poison, the Southern Emperor, and the Northern Beggar."

"Is that what Chief Escort Zhou said? I think it might work again."

"It's good to have this idea."

"Thank you, Chief Escort."

“God rewards hard work.”

"Ah."

Mu Nianci's eyes brightened.

……

As dawn broke, the campsite bustled with activity.

The porters each did their own thing: some cooked, others packed up tents, and some drove the mules and horses.

After a simple bowl of fish soup noodles, Yang Miaozhen and Qiu Qianchi bid farewell to Zhou Yan, Zhang Wangyue, and others.

Yang Miaozhen said to Zhang Wangyue, "If the chief镖头 (chief镖头 is the head镖师) ever passes through Caizhou, I hope you will visit our stronghold. I will host a banquet to apologize."

"I will definitely pay a visit."

"It's a word."

"it is good."

Qiu Qianchi said to Zhou Yan, "Have a safe journey, Chief Escort. Until we meet again."

"Thank you, Miss Qiu."

After bidding farewell at the Huai River, Yang Miaozhen, Qiu Qianchi, Fan Yiweng, and others departed.

Lu Beihe said, "Chief镖头, I am also going back to Kaifeng Prefecture. When you head north, please visit the镖局 (镖局 is a type of security agency) and talk to my godfather about how Zhenwei and Fu'an help each other and are like brothers."

"Thank you for your generous help, young master. I will certainly keep my promise."

"We eagerly await your arrival."

Lu Beihe then turned to Zhou Yan and said, "Brother Zhou, let's drink Dukang wine again then."

"it is good."

"Have a safe journey." Lu Beihe mounted his horse, cracked his whip, and rode away.

The carriages rumbled and the horses neighed as the Fu'an镖队 (bodyguard team) set off again. They continued south along the Huai River, entered Luzhou, and then crossed to the Yangtze River at Xiaoyaojin Ferry, sailing upstream to Jingzhou.

Zhang Wangyue was heading to Lin'an Prefecture and was supposed to travel with the escort team, but he was tied up with important business and decided not to go with them.

The chief镖头 (chief镖师) of Fu'an rode a yellow horse, while Zhou Yan took a large spear from the镖队 (镖队), mounted the "Night-Shining Jade Lion," and the two broke away from the镖队 and rode swiftly to Jiangnan.

……

As the shadows of the trees swayed, the campfire, burning brightly, was suddenly ignited by the gentle breeze rustling the hillside.

The orange light illuminated the figures of Zhou Yan and Zhang Wangyue.

The chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of Fu'an sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to rest, occasionally glancing at Zhou Yan, who was practicing his Qi cultivation.

The two traveled quickly and arrived at the riverbank in Luzhou. They planned to rest for the night and find a boat to cross the river at dawn.

Along the way, they inevitably discussed martial arts techniques. Zhou Yan's cultivation level was now on par with that of Zhang Xian, the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of Fu'an, who possessed superhuman strength and superb internal and external skills. Moreover, his vision was already not much different.

Therefore, their conversation was not as it used to be, with Zhang Wangyue lecturing and Zhou Yan listening.

Whether it's marksmanship or hand-to-hand combat, Zhou Yan offers insightful opinions on many of the martial arts techniques widely circulated within the escort agency. Some of his refined techniques, after eliminating the dross and retaining the essence, reveal a mastery that even Zhang Wangyue admires.

The chief镖头 of Fu'an did not consider himself superior because he had taught and instructed Zhou Yan in martial arts, and Zhou Yan was not restrained by status or seniority, speaking freely. This way of getting along was just like his relationship with the two Quanzhen disciples in Zhongdu, where they benefited from each other.

Zhou Yan is currently refining the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian.

He connected the Yin Wei meridian in Taihu Lake. This meridian has the function of storing and storing meridian energy and maintaining the balance of the various Yin meridians in the human body.

With his Yin Wei meridian open, he used the Quanzhen Heart Sutra to capture the warm and pure energy of the Jade Guanyin, transforming it into refined internal energy, achieving twice the result with half the effort. As his internal energy continuously accumulated, the effect of tempering his meridians was naturally outstanding.

The reason he tempered the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian is that the essence of the "Rain of Pear Blossoms Spear" lies entirely in the flow of internal energy along this meridian. However, this meridian is spread across 46 acupoints, making tempering and unblocking it truly difficult.

With Zhang Wangyue present, Zhou Yan focused intently, channeling his inner energy to repeatedly refine and temper the steel, much like forging rough iron.

Zhou Yan was so engrossed in the moment that she lost track of time.

Zhang Wangyue guarded the area for nearly three hours.

In the vast wilderness, with the moon close to people, he suddenly saw a sharp glint in Zhou Yan's eyes, and in an instant, the sound of bones cracking came from Zhou Yan's body.

The Zhou brothers made it.

Zhang Wangyue was delighted.

At this moment, a stream of internal energy was activated from the "Guanchong" acupoint on the ulnar side of the distal phalanx of Zhou Yan's ring finger, and another stream of internal energy came from the "Yemen" acupoint at the junction of the red and white flesh behind the web of the finger, Zhongzhu acupoint, Yangchi acupoint, Waiguan acupoint... streams of internal energy gushed out like hot springs, one after another.

Zhang Wangyue was quite surprised. The Quanzhen internal martial arts should be balanced and peaceful, yet he felt a pure yang heat when Zhou Yan exerted his internal strength.

Zhang Wangyue had this sense because Zhou Yan had integrated the energy of the Jade Guanyin into his internal strength.

Peach and plum trees are planted at Guanchong Gate, and bloom in succession at Zhongzhu Yangchi. Fallen blossoms fill the ravines with fragrance, and butterflies flutter in, forming a pattern like a well.

This poem uses the imagery of planting, blooming, flowers falling, and butterflies to describe how the flow of Qi and blood in the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, after being tempered and unblocked, is as lively as a butterfly dancing.

Zhou Yan let out a long roar.

Suddenly a voice rang out, "Catch the gun!"

With a "whoosh," the large spear with a wooden shaft and an iron tip flew from Zhang Wangyue's hand.

Zhou Yan received the spear, his energy surging from his 46 acupoints, his internal strength radiating outwards. The spear in his hand trembled, unleashing a massive spear flower, like a pear tree suddenly blooming. Before the spear flower dissipated, he stepped forward and thrust the spear, six cold lights flashing and then disappearing in an instant. His figure spun and flew, cold lightning flashing and stabbing. What appeared in Zhang Wangyue's vision was a fan-shaped spear curtain formed by twelve cold lights.

Yang Miaozhen used the "Three Steps and Eighteen Spears" killing move. After the eighteen spears were thrust out, she was sure to run out of strength. However, Zhou Yan's internal energy was vast. Before the momentum of the Three Steps and Eighteen Spears had dissipated, his powerful internal energy surged from his dantian like a great river. He paused slightly, then suddenly rose again and thrust out his spear, splitting it into seven pieces.

Zhang Wangyue blinked. Brother Zhou's spear technique was still the same, but compared to last time, he had added an extra shot, and the speed of the shot was so fast it was almost illusory.

Zhou Yan executed the move in one go, taking three steps and firing twenty-one shots.

He felt exhilarated, having mastered the "Rain of Pear Blossoms Spear" killing move to the level of Sword Seven.

Seeing Zhou Yan put away his gun, Zhang Wangyue was about to speak when he suddenly noticed that Zhou Yan had fallen into deep thought again.

Could it be that he has gained another insight? He wondered in surprise.

The chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of Fu'an guessed correctly.

While practicing his skills amidst the surging waves of the Yangtze River in Jingzhou, Zhou Yan suddenly grasped another layer of profound meaning in the "Fullness Cannot Last" move of the "Dragon Over the Sky Regrets" technique. Watching the sea of ​​clouds atop the Taihang Mountains, he comprehended the essence of the Quanzhen Swordplay through the Taoist maxims of the Huainanzi. His greatest strength was his innate talent for understanding.

The Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian is distributed in the heart, liver, lungs, gallbladder, kidneys and other parts of the human body. It governs the human body and coordinates the various organs. The force he exerted when practicing the spear just now caused the Qi of the five internal organs to move suddenly.

Zhou Yan thought of the "Heart-Shattering Palm" martial art from the Nine Yin Manual, which he had obtained from Mei Chaofeng.

Those struck by the "Heart-Shattering Palm" will have their internal organs shattered, but their bones will not break.

Zhou Yan vaguely felt that he had grasped the key to cultivating the "Heart-Destroying Palm".

(End of this chapter)