The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 127 The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms

"The Qiang flute plays in the clear weather, the water chestnut song floats on the night, the fishermen and lotus-picking children are having a good time. A thousand horsemen surround the high-ranking official. Drunk, they listen to the flutes and drums, and admire the misty clouds. One day, they will paint this beautiful scene and return to the capital to boast of it." Young Prince, if we talk about the grandeur of a city, Lin'an is far inferior to Zhongdu, but in terms of wealth, Zhongdu still cannot compare to this place, "a place of strategic importance in the southeast, a metropolis of the three Wu regions, and a prosperous place since ancient times." Ouyang Ke said this while waving a folding fan on a painted boat on West Lake.

Ouyang Ke was handsome and dashing.

Wanyan Kang, standing beside him, was even more handsome than the young master of White Camel Mountain, with his red lips and white teeth.

This caused the young ladies and maids to frequently turn around and look whenever a pleasure boat passed by.

Wanyan Kang also held a folding fan with a white jade handle. He recognized Ouyang Ke's description as Liu Yong's "Wang Hai Chao" (Watching the Tide), and said, "During the Zheng Long era of our Great Jin Dynasty, the Jin emperor, upon seeing Liu Yong's poem, was captivated by the scenery of West Lake. Therefore, when he dispatched an envoy south, he also sent a renowned painter to paint a picture of the landscape of Lin'an (Hangzhou), depicting the Jin emperor on horseback atop Wu Mountain within Lin'an. The Jin emperor even inscribed a poem on the painting."

Ouyang Ke said, "It is the poem that the young prince recited at Taihu Lake that day."

"Hmm!" Wanyan Kang swiftly opened his folding fan. "Mr. Ouyang, please take a look."

Ouyang Ke looked over and saw ten characters written on the fan: "Iron strokes and silver hooks".

"If you hold the reins of power, you can bring peace and prosperity to the world."

Ouyang Ke read it through one by one and said, "It is full of lofty ambitions."

"This is also the handwriting of the patron. He had great ambitions but could not fulfill them. My father upheld his will, but he received the folding fan and then gave it to me."

Ouyang Ke said, "In terms of martial arts, few among the rising stars in the world can match the young prince. In terms of talent and strategy, no one can match him. Once the young prince inherits his father's business and holds great power in his hands, his ambition to conquer Wushan will surely be fulfilled."

Wanyan Kang bowed respectfully: "My father is leading his troops to pacify the Mongols and conquer the south. He is only missing the 'Wumu's Legacy'. I will be taking a night tour of West Lake these next two days, accompanied by officials from the Lin'an court. The Imperial City Guard will send people to protect me. The palace is empty, so I will trouble you, Mr. Ouyang."

Ouyang Ke said, "With your uncle here, Your Highness can rest assured that there will be no mishap."

"Thank you, sir." Wanyan Kang was overjoyed.

He traveled south from Zhongdu, only to be dealt a heavy blow by Lu Guanying and his naval heroes at Taihu Lake, in which Peng Lianhu was also killed. The fleet retreated to the north shore of Taihu Lake, and it was half a month later that Lin'an Prefecture would send another convoy to pick him up.

Peng Lianhu had instructed Wanyan Kang in martial arts at the Prince of Zhao's residence, but he was cold-hearted by nature and would not be sad. Now he was focused on Ouyang Feng and his nephew.

Ouyang Ke made a confident guarantee, and Wanyan Kang also believed that the plan was foolproof, so he was in a great mood.

"Mr. Ouyang, the courtesans of Sanyuan Tower in Lin'an are famous throughout Qiantang. How about I send someone to bring some over to sing and accompany our drinks?"

This was exactly what Ouyang Ke wanted.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Wanyan Kang smiled slightly:
"It's nothing to worry about."

……

As dusk settles, the singing and dancing on West Lake continue.

When the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) arrived, Zhou Yan headed straight for the imperial city.

His current thought is that it is not easy to find the Six Heroes of Jiangnan, Ouyang Ke and others in the city. He does not know where they are staying or when they will enter the palace. It would be better to go directly to the palace and wait for them.

The palace is so spacious that there are buildings every five steps and pavilions every ten steps. Finding a hiding place is an easy task; all you have to do is wait.

The palace towered above the common dwellings, its golden tiles gleaming and easily identifiable. Zhou Yan used his "Golden Goose Skill" to silently leap over the palace wall. The palace was heavily patrolled by armed guards, but with his current exceptional agility, how could he possibly be discovered?
The night was dark, and the moonlight was faint. Even those with excellent eyesight could only see blurry outlines in the distance. Zhou Yan, who had been wandering around the palace for more than half an hour, finally arrived at Jiaming Hall.

This hall was where the imperial meals were served, and the candlelight was bright, but the few eunuchs who were on duty were all dozing off.

Zhou Yan found some ready-made food in the food cupboard, and just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a soft voice, "Boy, get the Mandarin Duck Five Treasures Sliced ​​Dish."

The familiar voice, the way it speaks, it's like something a true gourmand would say.

Zhou Yan looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Hong Qigong had already leaned out from the beam, looking at him with a half-smile.

"Senior." Zhou Yan leaped onto the roof beam and sat down. "What are you doing here, Senior?"

"The old beggar had eaten at the Imperial Kitchen for several months and was still craving the chef's skills, so he came here to satisfy his craving."

What are you doing here?

"Looking for someone, my stomach is empty, I came here to find something to fill my belly." Zhou Yan said he was looking for someone, so Hong Qigong didn't ask any questions. He took a couple of sips from his wine gourd and said, "I met you on the Lantern Festival, kid. You said you understood another meaning of 'The dragon that soars too high will regret it' and 'Fullness cannot last,' and that you could add two more layers of strength. And now?"

"Three Strengths".

Hong Qigong paused for a moment, then picked up his wine gourd and drank some wine.

“A month ago, I was escorting goods to Taihu Lake when I happened to encounter the heroes of Taihu Lake Water Village ambushing the Jin Kingdom envoys. Among them was Liang Ziweng, but unfortunately, we did not succeed.”

Zhou Yan once told Hong Qigong in Zhongdu that he killed Liang Ziweng with the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" he had learned, which meant that he had encountered Liang Ziweng in Taihu Lake. He naturally had to explain this to Hong Qigong.

"What's the rush, kid?"

"It was a complete mess at the time."

"To fish in troubled waters."

Zhou Yan didn't elaborate, but smiled and said, "Yes."

"You're becoming less and less like a bodyguard."

"A bit. The world is in chaos, and the more you do escort work, the more likely you are to get caught up in the consequences."

"Just like during the Lantern Festival in Zhongdu, Ouyang Feng dared to provoke you?"

"Didn't you know Ouyang Feng would come at that time?"

What if we knew?

"We'll find another way, but we'll still help the hero who assassinated Wanyan Honglie. One must not lose one's will."

"It's good that you know how to be flexible. Go down and get some more food."

"okay."

Zhou Yan landed on the ground without making a sound. He took some food from the cupboard and jumped back onto the roof beam.

With this beginning, there will be a second, a third...

Hong Qigong asked about some things related to Taihu Lake. Zhou Yan said that Ouyang Feng and Huang Yaoshi had both made appearances and taken action. Hong Qigong pounded his chest, regretting that he had missed the opportunity and the excitement.

During this conversation, Hong Qigong made Zhou Yan bring him food fourteen times.

At dawn, Hong Qigong suddenly said, "Boy, the palm technique I'm teaching you has a total of eighteen moves. You've already mastered four. Old beggar, you're lazy, so you help me get food. I'll tell you the remaining fourteen moves as well. How much you comprehend depends entirely on your own destiny."

Before Zhou Yan could speak, Hong Qigong went straight to the point: "'Dragon Fights in the Wild' - the left arm and right palm can both be used in a deceptive and real manner, without being bound by any single method. You can use techniques that combine deception and reality, yin and yang, to confuse the opponent. 'Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use' - bend the index and middle fingers of the right hand, forming a half-fist and half-palm, while the left hand simultaneously hooks inward, pushing with the right and hooking with the left..."

Hong Qigong explained the moves, gesturing with both hands. Zhou Yan was completely focused, memorizing the methods and formulas for guiding the qi in each move.

After seven moves were discussed, Hong Qigong yawned.

"Boy, that's enough for today."

Hong Qigong lay on his back, no longer breathing, and fell into a deep sleep on the beam.

Zhou Yan sat on the beam, silently gesturing with his hands, reciting the key points of the moves, and explaining their essence.

"The phrase 'Dragons fight in the wild' is taken from the Kun hexagram in the Book of Changes, which represents the earth. The text reads: 'Dragons fight in the wild, their blood is black and yellow,' and the internal energy flows through the five pivots..."

"Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use: Originating from the Kun hexagram, the commentary states, 'Hidden dragon, do not use.' The dragon lies hidden in the abyss, its ambition unfathomable, therefore it should not be used. Its strength is contained within and not released, but anyone who dares to test its edge will surely suffer calamity. Internal energy flows from the dantian to the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian, specifically the 'Dadun,' 'Xingjian,' 'Taichong,' and 'Zhongfeng' acupoints..."

Zhou Yan is now well-versed in the Book of Changes. He can understand each move of the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" by memorizing it with the help of the book. Not only is he accurate, but he can also easily understand its meaning.

When the sun was high in the sky, Hong Qigong woke up and told Zhou Yan to go to the cupboard to get some food.

After eating and drinking, he explained the remaining seven moves, and then fell into a deep sleep on the beam.

(End of this chapter)