The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 147 Meeting an Old Friend: Changchunzi Discusses Chivalry
A gentle autumn breeze blows, and the flowing water makes a soft, melodious sound as it turns at the bend of the small bridge in the courtyard.

The sound of "Jade Lion Under the Night Light" and the hoofbeats of a chestnut horse, along with the sound of water, approached the courtyard.

The two dismounted and tied the reins to a willow tree.

Zhou Yan bought "Chrysanthemum White" wine from a long-established winery in the city, and Yang Miaozhen bought several portions of pastries.

Mu Nianci set up a wooden table and cups under the old tree in the courtyard. She heard footsteps and turned around.

"It's Leader Yang."

"Mu, it's been a long time."

Zhou Yan got some pastries for Yang Miaozhen, then quickly stepped forward and took Mu Nianci's hand, saying, "You're getting more and more beautiful, girl. Your skin is so radiant, it looks like you could squeeze water out of it!"

"Chief Yang, please don't make fun of me." Mu Nianci quickly said, "Chief Yang, please sit down, I'll pour you some tea."

"Thank you, sister."

"Don't be so polite."

Yang Tiexin came out of the hall, cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Chief Yang."

Yang Miaozhen was straightforward and laughed, "I missed Sister Mu very much while I was in Zhongdu on business. I happened to run into the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), so we came over together. Please forgive me for disturbing you."

"When we met, Chief Yang, Nianci often talked about you."

"Really? Thank you, Sister Mu."

"Father, why do you say such things?" Mu Nianci blushed.

"Mu is just shy."

"I'll pour some tea." Mu Nianci couldn't resist Yang Miaozhen's teasing, who was used to being a generous leader, so she quickly used pouring tea as an excuse to leave.

Zhou Yan put down the wine jar and pastries, and was about to call the silly girl over to eat some pastries when a loud voice came from outside the courtyard: "Young friend Zhou, where is my brother Yang?"

Zhou Yan looked over and saw four people walking quickly towards him. The Taoist priest in front had a long, black beard and a spirited demeanor. He carried a long sword on his back and was none other than Qiu Chuji. The two behind him were Yu Yangzi Wang Chuyi and Dan Yangzi Ma Yu.

Guo Jing, the Golden Knife Prince Consort, followed at the very end.

When Zhou Yan was in Lin'an Prefecture, he made a promise with Qiu Chu and others to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. He naturally told them the address of Yang Tiexin, one of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen.

In the morning, he encountered Yang Miaozhen, and they went to the escort agency together. Yang Miaozhen drank tea and rested, while he washed up and changed his clothes. After the two of them bought wine and pastries from the street, they went to Yang Tiexin's place. Coincidentally, they bumped into Qiu Chuji and his group, who were heading straight for Zhongdu without entering the capital.

Qiu Chuji possessed profound internal strength and remained youthful. Although eighteen years had passed, his appearance was still largely unchanged, and Yang Tiexin recognized him at a glance.

He quickly stepped forward and was about to kneel down: "Master Qiu."

Qiu Chuji hurriedly helped the other man up, but seeing Yang Tiexin weathered by time, his temples gray, he was no longer the bold and vigorous man he once was. He said in a trembling voice, "Brother Yang."

"It is I, Daoist Master."

"It really is you. I'm so sorry for you."

The phrase "I'm sorry you've suffered" is filled with so much heartache, and Yang Tiexin's eyes welled up with tears.

Qiu Chuji pulled him aside and said, "Look, this is Guo Jing."

Guo Jing had been waiting for the recognition, but he was simple and honest by nature, and respected his teachers and elders. Without Qiu Chuji, Ma Yu and others speaking up, he waited politely. He had been carrying his emotions since he came from Lin'an Prefecture, and when he heard Qiu Chuji's words, he suddenly burst out.

He knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Jing'er greets Uncle Yang."

Looking at Guo Jing with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, Yang Tiexin vaguely saw his sworn brother. He quickly helped him up, tears streaming down his face before he could speak. He felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest, and all his words could only be condensed into a few simple sentences.

"Good, good nephew, please rise quickly."

Yang Tiexin wanted to help him up, but Guo Jing's martial arts skills were already quite good. After traveling north from Lin'an, he had received guidance from Qiu Chuji, and his skills had improved considerably.

Guo Jing's body slumped down, and he kowtowed several times with a loud "thump, thump, thump".

He had so much to say, but words failed him. He stood up and strode toward Zhou Yan, saying, "My benefactor, please accept my bow."

Zhou Yan firmly supported him, and Guo Jing could no longer get up.

“Brother Guo, please don’t stand on ceremony.” Zhou Yan changed the subject, saying, “Senior Yang has been waiting for a long time. Please, fellow Daoists, take a seat, and let us chat leisurely.”

"Yes, yes, please, fellow Taoist priests, Nianci."

Yang Miaozhen was straightforward and said that Mu Nianci was becoming more and more beautiful. She was shy and blushed, unable to say anything, but having traveled all over the country and worked in a security escort agency, she was very good at manners.

When Yang Tiexin summoned her, she stepped forward gracefully and bowed, saying, "Nianci greets Daoist Qiu, Daoist Ma, and Daoist Wang."

Wang Chuyi and Ma Yu met Mu Nianci.

The two said in unison, "Miss Mu, please don't be so polite."

Qiu Chuji asked, "Is the young lady the adopted daughter of Brother Yang, as mentioned by Young Friend Zhou?" "That's right," Zhou Yan replied.

"Good, you are dashing and dignified," Qiu Chuji praised.

"Thank you, Daoist Master." Mu Nianci bowed gracefully, then went to Guo Jing and said, "Nianci greets Brother Guo."

"Hello, sister." Guo Jing was born on the grasslands, and he was straightforward and generous, so he directly addressed Mu Nianci as sister.

However, the two ran out of things to say in a few words. Zhou Yu then acted as a go-between, inviting everyone to sit down and saying to Qiu Chuji and the others, "This is Miss Yang Miaozhen, the leader of the Chaya Mountain rebels."

"This humble girl greets Master Ma, Master Qiu, and Master Wang." Yang Miaozhen possessed exceptional interpersonal skills. She was poised and graceful, bowing and saying, "I am fortunate to meet the three masters today, which fulfills a long-cherished wish."

"What do you mean?" Qiu Chuji asked curiously.

Yang Miaozhen smiled without saying a word and looked at Zhou Yan.

"Yang's father had wanted to pay homage to the Taoist priests many times, but had not been able to, so he named Yang 'Miaozhen'," Zhou Yu explained.

"The Wonderful True Scripture?" Ma Yu blurted out.

"That's exactly why I've fulfilled my wish."

The three disciples of Quanzhen sighed upon hearing this, truly never expecting that a leader of the righteous army would have such a past connection with the Quanzhen Sect.

Qiu Chuji was a forthright man who hated the Jin people. He said, "I admire Chief Yang's bravery in resisting the Jin. I will definitely visit him at Chaya Mountain one day."

"This junior is honored and awaits the arrival of the Daoist Master."

"Easy to say, easy to say."

"Taoist Master, please."

"Please, Mr. Yang."

After everyone took their seats, Mu Nianci busied herself serving tea and cakes, and setting out all the dishes and drinks on the table. Yang Miaozhen pulled Mu Nianci to sit beside her.

Silly Girl squeezed next to Zhou Yan.

When Yang Miaozhen resisted the Jin dynasty and Guo Jing wanted to kill Wanyan Honglie, the topic inevitably turned to the current situation.

Qiu Chuji said, "We have been traveling south and north, and the Jingdong Road and Hebei Road have been engulfed in flames of war. Chief Yang, is your trip to Zhongdu about the Jin army's campaign to suppress the rebel army?"

“I kidnapped a Jurchen official who was on his way to Kaifeng. I learned that the Mongols were about to march south, so I came here to investigate. If that’s true, we’ll coordinate to attack the Jurchens from both sides.”

Upon hearing this, Guo Jing was taken aback, thinking to himself that the Great Khan was about to head south.

Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi, knowing that Guo Jing was acting on the orders of the Great Khan to take Wanyan Honglie's head, couldn't help but look at him.

Guo Jing hurriedly replied, "This disciple is unaware of this matter."

Yang Miaozhen was quite curious, wondering why the Guo brothers said that.

Zhou Yan suddenly asked, "What if Mongolia were another Jin dynasty?"

Yang Miaozhen asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by that, Brother Zhou?"

"Back then, the Song Dynasty allied with the Jin Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty to destroy it. Later, the Jin army marched south, causing immense suffering and death, the Jingkang Incident, and the court moved the capital to Lin'an. The Mongols marched south and either destroyed the Jin Dynasty on their own or joined forces with the Lin'an court to destroy it, only to be defeated like the Jin Dynasty in the past?"

This is a question that no one has ever thought about.

Zhou Yan said this so that Guo Jing could hear it.

Without hesitation, Guo Jing blurted out, "No."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "I just had a sudden idea based on what Yang's sister said."

Yang Miaozhen said boldly, "If the Mongols are as wicked as the Jurchens and covet the Han dynasty's land, we, the two righteous armies, will fight the Mongols just as we fought the Jurchens."

Qiu Chuji greatly admired Yang Miaozhen's words and praised her highly: "The old Taoist priest hates evil as if it were his enemy, acts chivalrously, and helps people in distress, but this is only the lesser form of chivalry."

"What defines a true hero?" Yang Miaozhen asked.

"A leader like Yang, who is dedicated to the country and its people, is a true hero. Leader Yang is a woman who is just as capable as any man. I admire her greatly."

Yang Miaozhen hurriedly said, "This junior was merely occupying Chaya Mountain to cause a little trouble, and I am far from deserving the title of 'the greatest of heroes.' However, I will take your words as encouragement and do good and eliminate evil."

Guo Jing was in a daze, and in that instant he remembered what his second master had said when they were at Taihu Lake.

"Let us start anew, reclaim our lost lands, and return to the imperial palace."

Where are the soldiers? Their blood has spilled on the blades. Where are the people? They have filled the ditches. Alas, the land remains the same, yet thousands of villages are desolate.

(End of this chapter)