The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 137 Recognizing the White Horse by Chance

Raindrops fell like broken strings, pelting and colliding on the ground, plunging the sky into a dark, gloomy haze.

"Captain, the caravans have all been moved in."

"Very timely, well done," Zhou Yan patted Liang Xiaowu on the shoulder.

Around noon, the weather suddenly changed, and when the clouds pressed down, Zhou Yan and Hu Yanlei found a spot in the woods to set up camp.

Many of the escort teams carried medicinal herbs, which couldn't withstand the rain.

During the rainy season, escort teams have their own corresponding preventative measures for different types of goods.

Goods such as leather goods and medicinal herbs would be carried with felt.

Before the heavy rain started, Zhou Yan led dozens of people, including his bodyguard Liang Xiaowu, to cut down trees in the forest and use the materials on the spot to build a rain shelter with felt.

As the torrential rain poured down, all the caravans had already been pushed inside.

This place is less than ten miles from the Tongguan Yellow River ferry. Zhou Yan and Hu Yanlei originally planned to arrive at the Yellow River at dusk, rest for a night, and cross the river the next day. Now it seems that they will likely be stopped by this rainstorm.

“Brother Huyan, I’m going to the Yellow River to take a look. If the water level is high and the current is turbulent, the caravan will camp here and wait for the weather to clear up.”

"Row."

"Xiao Wu, come with me."

"okay."

The two men, wearing straw hats and rain-proof clothing, rode their horses straight to the banks of the Yellow River.

Upon reaching the ferry crossing, we found the river shrouded in rain, with surging waves, making it impossible to cross.

"Chief镖师, it seems we'll have to wait at least a day or two."

"almost."

"I don't know if the caravan over there is waiting to cross the river or if they just happen to be coming from Tongguan," Liang Xiaowu said.

Not far from the two of them, the bodyguards and porters of the caravan were busy at work. Zhou Yan said, "Let's go take a look."

The two rode past, and when they were still several dozen steps away, a loud voice came from behind: "Brother Zhou, we meet again."

Zhou Yan recognized the voice. He was taken aback. It was Lu Beihe, the young master of the Zhenwei Escort Agency in Kaifeng.

"I saw your 'Jade Lion Under the Night' from afar," Lu Beihe said, already striding over.

Zhou Yan dismounted and laughed, "This horse is easy to recognize. Where are you entrusting my goods, Brother Lu?"

"Taiyuan Prefecture, the weather changed just as we reached the Yellow River. We had to rush to cross the river, but luckily we made it. Where is Brother Zhou now?"

Xianyang.

"This weather is likely to last for a few more days."

"Fortunately, it's not far to Xianyang once we cross the river, so there's no rush."

“That’s right.” Lu Beihe invited, “I also need to camp here and wait for the rain to stop before I can set off. When I was in Kaifeng, I had a martial arts discussion with Brother Zhou, but I felt that the time was too short and not very enjoyable. How about we have another free discussion?”

"I can't ask for it."

"happy."

"please."

There was an inn at the ferry crossing, but no rooms. Zhou Yan and Lu Beihe went inside and ordered a pot of tea. Looking out from the doorway, they could see the Zhenwei Escort Agency's bodyguards and porters setting up tents in the distant rain and mist.

Zhou Yan turned his gaze back and asked, "Is the escort route through Taiyuan Prefecture easy to navigate? Few people use it in Fu'an."

"It's not difficult, but it's not easy either." Lu Beihe didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "There are quite a few who occupy the mountains and become kings, but they are not like the bandits in the Tongbai and Funiu Mountains. Most of them are descendants of the righteous army who responded to General Zong Ze's call to fight against the emperor, but times have changed, and now they also engage in robbery."

Lu Beihe sighed: "But they are much better than the remnants of the Great Qi and the bandits of Jiangxi. They won't make things difficult for us when we visit their mountain and offer gifts."

There is no peaceful road in the world.

"No."

After a moment of reflection, the two returned to the topic of martial arts. Just then, three horses galloped up and stopped in front of the inn. A childish voice called out, "Waiter, three rooms."

The waiter said with a forced smile, "Sir, I'm sorry, our inn is already fully booked." The woman's voice was icy as she said, "You run an inn, but you don't have guest rooms? What kind of inn is that?"

"Please calm down, the heavy rain is slowing down merchants and travelers, which is why the place is so crowded."

"Never mind, let's go inside to take shelter from the rain."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan gave a wry smile. The three people who had just spoken were Medicine Boy, Mei Chaofeng, and Huang Rong. He had long known that Huang Rong would definitely cause trouble for the Yellow River Gang, but he did not expect to meet her again at the Yellow River ferry.

Seeing Zhou Yan's expression, Lu Beihe asked, "Brother Zhou, do you know him?"

"Ah."

As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Rong rushed into the hall. When she saw Zhou Yan, she was stunned for a moment and immediately said, "Why have you come to Tongguan again? Where is 'Jade Lion Under the Night'?"

"What a coincidence, the caravan has arrived here, and the horses are outside."

Huang Rong was still disguised as a man, but because of the rain, her true form was slightly revealed. She had rushed to seek shelter and hadn't had a chance to look closely. Hearing Zhou Yan's words, she glanced outside and indeed saw a pure white horse near the caravan not far away.

The escort team had already put away their banner, so she assumed Zhenwei was Fu'an, turned her gaze away, and walked in. The young apprentice following behind her said happily, "Master Zhou, we meet again."

"Yes," Zhou Yan replied, then turned to the waiter and said, "Waiter, add a table and chairs, and bring a few more dishes."

"Okay, please wait a moment, sir."

Once Huang Rong sat down, the conversation flowed freely. She asked Zhou Yan where he went when he left the palace in Lin'an, and then mentioned how the palace guards had surrounded and killed Ouyang Ke and his men, who had fled to the city like stray dogs. When she got to the point, she looked quite pleased with herself.

Time passed slowly in this rhythm until dusk.

……

“Gee, gee…”

The rider, carrying a steel sword, galloped at breakneck speed, his horse splashing mud and water everywhere. When he reached the mansion of a wealthy family not far from the dock, he dismounted and ran inside.

"Master, the main character has arrived."

Having usurped someone's place, the monk drinking tea in the hall asked, "Are you sure?"

"It can't be wrong, and the real horse is easy to recognize."

The monk, who was over thirty years old and of a burly build, stood up and said to the dozen or so people in the hall, "Kill them without mercy."

"Of course," everyone agreed.

The monk took a bamboo hat and walked out of the hall, followed by the crowd. Dozens more people emerged from all directions of the courtyard and quickly disappeared into the rain and mist.

……

"Where are you going now?" Zhou Yan asked Huang Rong in the inn's main hall.

"So, you're heading to the Yellow River to help your old lair?"

"I know the address."

"Of course," Huang Rong nodded. "And you, where are you escorting the goods?"

Just as Zhou Yan was about to speak, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the wind and rain outside. The sound was heart-wrenching and utterly miserable.

"Robbery!"

The hysterical shouts of the Zhenwei Escort Agency's escorts suddenly erupted in the twilight rain.

Lu Beihe's expression changed, and he reached under the table to grab the two pistols. He stood up and rushed out of the inn like a hawk.

Zhou Yan followed closely behind.

Before the two arrived at the caravan, in the dim light of dawn, Lu Beihe saw the muscular monk turn his head. Then the monk gave a sinister smile, revealing white teeth. His robe fluttered, and then his entire body seemed to transform into a phantom as he rushed over.

Lu Beihe roared and charged forward with his two guns.

A man in black behind the monk burst through the rain, splashing mud and water at his feet like blooming lotus flowers. As the distance closed rapidly, the man suddenly leaped up, his long sword slashing at Zhou Yan with the force of thunder.

Zhou Yan lunged forward, preemptively striking the man's abdomen with a "Dragon Fights in the Wild" move, forcefully halting his momentum in mid-air. Blood gushed from the man's mouth in an instant. As the man in black landed, Zhou Yan grabbed his arm with his right hand and executed a swift and powerful over-the-shoulder throw.

With a loud thud, the man crashed heavily into a large tree outside the inn, hanging upside down.

(End of this chapter)