The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 14 A man should be viewed with new eyes after three days of separation.
The steed gallops like the wind, whip cracking as it enters the capital.

As the last rays of sunset faded on the horizon, Zhou Yan, riding into the city, arrived at the Fu'an Escort Agency.

"Zhou the bodyguard has arrived."

The porters at the gate knew that he had ridden out of the city to hunt, but they did not see any large prey on the green horse. They thought to themselves that Zhou Yan must have been unlucky this time and had not encountered any beasts such as deer or wild boars.

With Tangzi leading the horse, Zhou Yan asked, "Is Escort Huyan here?"

"They're at the martial arts arena."

Zhou Yan took a pheasant out of his bag and tossed it to the porter, saying, "Go back and have a treat."

"Thank you very much, Escort Master Zhou." The porter was overjoyed.

Without saying another word, he picked up his cloth bag and strode into the escort agency, heading straight for the martial arts arena.

Several bodyguards were practicing martial arts at the training ground, including Hu Yanlei, Shi Baichuan, and Cui Qingshan.

He reached the side and called out, "Brother Huyan."

"Brother Zhou is here." Hu Yanlei tossed his rifle to the scouts, grabbed a towel, and walked over while wiping his sweat.

"I went hunting in the mountains and caught a few pheasants and rabbits. I'll treat you to dinner at my house tonight."

"Okay."

"Are you with Escort Master Shi and Escort Master Wang together?"

"You're a true friend. They got some delicacies from the mountains and rivers yesterday with just a few words and enjoyed a good meal."

"It's better to share than to enjoy alone."

"It's all up to you."

"Okay, I'll go back and pack my things first."

"it is good!"

Zhou Yan's banquet was actually to avoid wasting the meat of the giant snake, which still sat in a cloth bag after its blood had been drained. His thinking was simple: since the snake had been fed with cinnabar, ginseng, and other medicinal ingredients, its meat, while not as nutritious as its blood, was still a rare and valuable tonic for replenishing qi and blood.

Huyan Lei had been very kind to him, and the head镖师 (bodyguards) Shi and Wang had also shown him goodwill yesterday, offering advice on how to improve his lightness skill. He was repaying their kindness in return.

Zhou Yan's world is a world of clear-cut gratitude and resentment.

As he left, Hu Yanlei said casually, "Master Shi, Master Wang, Brother Zhou has invited us to a banquet. Let's go together."

Upon hearing this, Shi Baichuan smiled and said, "I almost did something wrong yesterday because I was thinking of inviting Brother Zhou to Songhelou. How come he invited me instead?"

Are you going or not?

"Of course I will go."

"Where is Escort Wang?"

"Of course I'll go. Let me change into casual clothes."

Huyan Lei then turned to Cui Qingshan and asked, "Would you like to join me, Escort Cui?"

The bodyguard who had previously made things difficult for Zhou Yan already knew about what had happened at the martial arts arena yesterday from the porters. He scoffed inwardly, thinking that Hu Yanlei and Wang, the bodyguards, were just putting on a show for him, assuring him that Zhou Yan had their protection. With this in mind, Cui Qingshan said with a forced smile, "I can't accept a reward without merit!"

Hu Yanlei cupped his hands in greeting: "In that case, please excuse me."

"Walk slowly!"

……

Along the way, Zhou Yan bought eggs, ginger, shiitake mushrooms, and wood ear fungus at the market to make snake soup. He also bought three jars of green ant wine at Songhelou Restaurant.

Willow head on the moon, after dusk.

The aroma of chicken soup and snake soup wafted from the kitchen.

He came out of the kitchen, crossed the courtyard, and looked outside to see if Hu Yanlei and the others could be seen at the end of the alley. When he came back into the courtyard, he heard the sound of boiling soup.

The scene before my eyes is very much like a poem.

The sound of soup and the wind in the pines have already reduced my alcohol ailment by two-tenths.

Its flavor is rich and its aroma lingers. The road to intoxication has become a beautiful place.

Just like under the lamplight, an old friend, thousands of miles away, returns to face only his shadow.

Pheasant and snake soup needed to be cooked, but Hu Yanlei and the others did not arrive. Zhou Yan, who had just entered the courtyard, was itching to use his hands because his two extraordinary meridians had been opened. He stretched out his body and began to perform the "Free and Easy Fist" in a smooth and flowing manner.

He moved with the agility of a swallow, his steps were nimble, and even in the rapid and fierce shifts, he still displayed a graceful posture, a reserved demeanor, and a light and rhythmic movement. This "Free and Easy Wandering" boxing style truly embodied the essence of the word "free and easy".

As the autumn wind rustled by, leaves detached from the branches and drifted down leisurely. Zhou Yan lightly touched the ground with his toes, his body swaying like willow catkins in the wind, his movements as swift as a rabbit startled by a shadow. With his hands half-open, thumbs and forefingers facing each other, resembling cups, he continuously performed the "Eat into the Bowl" move from the Free and Easy Fist, gathering several fallen leaves into his palms.

"Huh..." A sudden sound startled Zhou Yan. He hid himself and looked in the direction of the sound.

Hong Qigong, his clothes patched all over, holding a green bamboo cane and carrying a large vermilion lacquered gourd on his back, stood in the courtyard as light as a yellow leaf falling silently.

He clicked his tongue in admiration: "You really are a remarkable young man. You've only been learning the Free and Easy Fist for a short time, yet you've already achieved the level of skill that comes from years of diligent practice."

Zhou Yan was first surprised, then delighted: "How did you get here, senior?"

"You can stay in Daxing Prefecture, but I'm not allowed to come here."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "It was a pleasant surprise, which is why I asked."

Hong Qigong then explained, "I came all the way from Datong Prefecture and saw many famous figures in the martial arts world heading towards Zhongdu. So I came to take a look and found that they were looking for a place to stay. I smelled the aroma of snake soup and followed the scent, but I didn't expect it to be you, kid."

Zhou Yan was not surprised that Hong Qigong did not go to the Zhongdu Beggars' Sect branch. If he had to do everything himself, the Beggars' Sect would not have become a mixed bag, and there would not have been such a power struggle.

As soon as Hong Qigong finished speaking, he went straight to the kitchen.

The firewood crackled and popped, the snake soup boiled, and the aroma of medicine filled the air.

Hong Qigong exclaimed in admiration, "You have excellent skills, lad!" He then simmered the shredded snake meat with shredded chicken coated in egg white and cooked in oil, shredded shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and snake broth together.

"Is this a poison snake?"

Zhou Yan did not hide anything, "I went hunting outside the city during the day and happened to encounter a disciple of Liang Ziweng. This snake smelled blood and came to coil around my body. In the heat of the moment, I killed the snake."

"So it was a snake raised by that old monster. That bastard actually did some outrageous and wicked things."

"Do you know the senior?"
Hong Qigong said, “This happened twenty years ago. That old monster believed in some heretical theory of ‘yin-yang replenishment.’ He found many women and deflowered them, saying that it would grant him immortality. I caught Liang Laoguai doing this evil thing and taught him a lesson. I made him swear a solemn oath that he would never do such evil again, or I would make him wish he were dead.”

Zhou Yan asked, "Why didn't you kill him, senior?"

Hong Qigong said, "You're a bloodthirsty brat. Did you kill the old monster's disciple because of this giant snake?"

"My explanations are useless. They are determined to kill me, so I must fight back."

Hong Qigong nodded, but the next moment Zhou Yan's voice rang out again.

"Of all evils, lust is the worst. Didn't you think back then that Liang Ziweng's lewdness and abuse of women would lead those innocent women to commit suicide because they couldn't bear the humiliation, and how many families would be destroyed?"

"Are you implying that I did something wrong?"

“How could it be wrong to uphold justice?” Zhou Yan thought for a moment. “In my opinion, Liang Ziweng is extremely vicious and deserves to be killed without mercy. Excessive soft-heartedness and kindness can sometimes allow evil thoughts to grow like weeds.”

“I’ve inquired, and the old monster hasn’t committed any more crimes in recent years.”

Zhou Yan chuckled softly, no longer arguing with Hong Qigong. He said, "I've invited a few friends. Would you like to join me, senior?"

"I dislike noise, so I'll definitely save a portion of this snake soup for the beggar."

"Leave a copy for the seniors."

"Good!" Hong Qigong beamed. "I'm off to get some wine. I'll definitely come back for soup before midnight."

"Senior, wait a moment."

Zhou Yan left the kitchen, then returned with a jar of green ant wine.

"This is Songhelou's fine Green Ant Wine, please accept it, senior."

"Thank you for your kindness, young man. This wine is too sweet for my taste. Three cups of strong liquor, and my dreams are empty. This beggar likes this. Your guest has arrived, I'm off."

Hong Qigong's figure floated down like a large bird, landing in the courtyard and soaring into the night. Hu Yanlei's excited voice rang out from the courtyard gate: "I can smell snake soup! Wonderful!"

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "They're all gourmets."

　Thank you so much, "Big Brother, Don't Use My Name"! I'm extremely grateful for the monthly pass.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)