The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 166 Little Dragon Girl Grants a Fortuitous Opportunity to Obtain the Nine Yin Manual
The night breeze was cool, and mist rose from the mountains.

Zhou Yan searched for nearly ten miles in the direction Ouyang Ke and the others had fled, but to no avail. He arrived at the mountain forest where the "Night-Shining Jade Lion" had been placed and led his horse along a stream that flowed gently from the direction of the ancient tomb.

When one is in Zhongnan Mountain, it is inevitable to think of the "Nine Yin Manual". The manual was left by Wang Chongyang. Zhou Yan had no moral obstacles in sneaking into the ancient tomb to search for it.

Jiang Chao practiced boxing and developed excellent swimming skills. He could hold his breath and eat underwater without any problem, which gave him the conditions to explore.

He simply thought that the Mongol army should be close to Zhongdu by now, and the siege would be fierce and bloody. He wondered if Genghis Khan's army would also commit massacres within the city, and whether the Jin soldiers would drive out strong civilians,镖局 (security escort agencies), and 趟子手 (porters) to participate in the city's defense. These were all unpredictable events. Therefore, he dared not linger in Zhongnan Mountain for too long.

Zhou Yan weighed his options and decided to return to Zhongdu once Lin Chaoying's maid had fully recovered from her injuries. During this time, he would search for the underground river that led directly to the ancient tomb. If he couldn't find it, it would mean that he didn't have the opportunity for the time being.

Fortunately, there are some clues from The Return of the Condor Heroes that we can refer to: Little Dragon Girl and Yang Guo emerged from the underground river of the Ancient Tomb, which leads directly to a cave. This is something we can keep an eye out for and make use of.

Zhou Yan traveled several miles and saw a bag of rice, candied fruit, and other items on the ground. He figured it was supplies that Li Mochou had purchased from the market at the foot of the mountain. He put the rice bag on his horse and took the candied fruit and pastries with him to the woods outside the ancient tomb.

The "Night-Shining Jade Lion" was released into the mountains and forests to graze on its own. Zhou Yan cut down tree branches and gathered some wormwood to build a simple thatched hut in the forest before searching the areas where the fighting had taken place.

They found fourteen corpses in total, and obtained more than three hundred taels of silver from looting them.

He collected the money, kept a few long knives, threw the corpses one by one into the nearby valley, and then surveyed the terrain around the ancient tomb and began searching.

The Zhongnan Mountains are majestic and continuous, and the ancient tomb is surrounded by secluded valleys and crisscrossing streams and rivers. In the middle of winter, many streams and rivers are frozen, which adds to the difficulty.

As the sun rose in the east and the mountains were shrouded in mist, he returned to the forest with the rabbits and pheasants he had shot. He explored the area in the middle of the night, finding more than twenty streams and pools on the outskirts. His next task was to trace the source of each one and enter the water to investigate.

The campfire crackled and popped, and the aroma of roasting meat filled the forest.

Li Mochou, dressed in a green dress, emerged from the ancient tomb. She carried a pottery jar, and upon seeing the rice bag placed at the tomb entrance, a look of joy appeared on her face. Then, like a butterfly among flowers, she gracefully leaped into the woods.

Knowing she would come, Zhou Yan had already cut grass with a knife and made a soft, thick grass mat.

"I think your meticulousness surpasses that of most young women," Li Mochou said, sitting sideways with her legs crossed. She was referring to Zhou Yan bringing over the rice bag and also mentioning the straw mat she had made.

"The world is a dangerous place, so one must be meticulous and insightful, and be vigilant in everything, otherwise there is no such thing as 'capsizing in a ditch'."

Li Mochou smiled gently: "It feels like I'm back at the mountain temple on the outskirts of Datong Prefecture, where you were telling me about your experiences in the martial world." She chuckled as she said this, "But last night, when I heard screams, I lost my composure and cried out in pain. I heard from my junior sister that you secretly killed many people. If I hadn't disturbed you, perhaps those thieves would have all died from bows and swords."

"Concern leads to confusion, and it's the same for everyone. Actually, killing those people was still difficult. In terms of martial arts, the man in white named Ouyang Ke is no less than me. The other three are only slightly inferior."

Li Mochou placed the pottery jar beside Zhou Yan, tightened her slender legs slightly, curled them inward, hugged her knees, and laughed, "I even told my junior sister that you were no match for me, but last night you really gave me a fright. Your martial arts are far beyond mine, so the upcoming six-month agreement will have to be postponed."

After she finished speaking, fearing that Zhou Yan would refuse, she immediately said, "I collected the honey in the earthenware jar. I also know how to keep bees. If those thieves come in a few months, I have ways to deal with them."

"Bee sting."

"Ok.

"It's a good method, but the most important thing is cultivation. There are actually many ways to counter a bee sting."

"Yeah, remember."

"How are your injuries, senior?"

"Once the enemy retreats, you can calm down and recuperate. Once your injuries are stabilized, you should be able to recover in about ten to fifteen days."

"Alright, I'll leave once you've recovered from your injuries, senior."

"Really?"

"nature."

Li Mochou was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Then I can spar with you. I never expected that we could defeat such a powerful enemy together."

Zhou Yan smiled and changed the subject, "Changfeng Escort Agency and Fu'an have a grudge. I went to Changfeng Escort Agency at night and learned that Ouyang Ke had arrived at Zhongnan Mountain, so I rushed over."

“So that’s how it is. I couldn’t figure out how you suddenly appeared. I couldn’t find Senior Hong in the outskirts of Datong Prefecture, so I was thinking of hiring a镖局 (bodyguard agency) to take you to Zhongnan Mountain to find my master for treatment. That’s how the people from Changfeng镖局 and Ouyang Ke found out where I was staying. Once my master recovers, I will take some time to go down the mountain and avenge this.”

“It is right to seek revenge, but one must act within one’s means. Uncle Ouyang Ke is none other than Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison, who is as famous as Senior Hong.”

“We can combine our swords,” Li Mochou said, her mind racing.

"That requires us to strive for excellence in martial arts. At our current level, we are far from being able to deal with Ouyang Feng."

"Remember that. There has always been a grudge between our sect and the Quanzhen Sect, so please don't take it to heart."

“I am not a disciple of Quanzhen, how could I be?”

"I'm relieved." Li Mochou straightened her back and said, "I'll head back now. My master needs to be taken care of. I'll come back when I have time."

"Taking care of our seniors is the most important thing." "Mm."

Li Mochou stood up, and Zhou Yan saw her off out of the forest. The woman waved, turned around, and gracefully walked towards the ancient tomb. She took the rice bag and other supplies, and her figure disappeared inside.

Zhou Yan returned to the forest, waited until the chicken and rabbit were roasted, ate the meat to fill his stomach, and then led the "Night-Shining Jade Lion" away from the ancient tomb and headed straight for the market.

He arrived at the market, bought several jars of strong liquor, ropes, and waterproof felt, and reached the ancient tomb at noon. Following the instructions of the exploration stream, he dived down to search for the tomb.

……

"brush"

As the sun set, the surface of the mountain stream's clear pool suddenly parted. Zhou Yan emerged from the pool and leaped ashore. He opened a wine jar and drank heartily, embracing the jar.

The water was as cold as needles. Even though Zhou Yan had profound internal strength and the warm energy emanating from the Jade Guanyin could relax his muscles and promote blood circulation, he still felt his muscles stiff and his blood as if it had congealed when he took out the water after holding his breath for half a meal.

After the strong liquor burned his body and the chill subsided slightly, Zhou Yan put on his clothes, performed a set of "Free and Easy Wandering" exercises to fully activate his muscles, and then went into the woods.

"Big brother is here."

Zhou Yan had shot and killed some pheasants along the way, and had already cleaned himself up. When he saw Xiaolongnu, he smiled and said, "Hmm, where's your senior sister?"

"Take care of Master."

"Are you hungry? I'll make you beggar's chicken."

"I'm not hungry. I've had honey and pastries. But I'll still eat the beggar's chicken that my older brother made."

Zhou Yan chuckled, "This is just a child's nature."

He took a water bag, mixed some mud, wrapped it around the pheasant, and lit a fire to roast it. Once the wet mud had dried completely, he peeled it off, and the pheasant feathers fell off with the mud, revealing tender, white meat with a rich, fragrant aroma.

Both chicken drumsticks were given to Xiaolongnu. Zhou Yan ate meat and drank wine, while Xiaolongnu, tearing off small pieces of chicken, praised its deliciousness and asked, "Where did big brother go during the day?"

"Take a walk around the neighborhood and see the amazing mountains, clear streams, and emerald pools."

Little Dragon Girl said, "It's the dead of winter now. If you come to Zhongnan Mountain during the transition from spring to summer, you'll find lush pines and cypresses, waterfalls and strange rocks. Every scene here is unique. My sister and I once went to a place where the ground was covered with dense shade and flowers were shimmering. The flowers were fiery red, snowy white, emerald green, and indigo blue. It was a colorful place, like being in a sea of ​​flowers."

What was said in jest was taken seriously by Zhou Yan. He suddenly thought of the world of The Return of the Condor Heroes, where Xiaolongnu and Yang Guo emerged from the underground river and walked out of the stone cave to find themselves in a colorful land.

He asked, "Where?"

“Over there.” Little Dragon Girl stood up and pointed to the foot of the mountain.

Looking around, Zhou Yan saw a seemingly remote valley at the foot of the mountain. He wasn't sure if there was an entrance, but thought he could explore it that evening.

While the two ate, Zhou Yan talked about some interesting things that happened during his escort missions, or about Jiang Chao practicing his martial arts and observing the sea of ​​clouds on the mountaintop to comprehend swordsmanship. He never spoke of the dangers of the martial world or the evil of human nature.

Little Dragon Girl had never heard any of this. She was so engrossed that she was reluctant to leave even as night fell. Zhou Yan then told her that he would definitely return by sunset so as not to worry his master. Little Dragon Girl, being sensible, listened to his advice and left.

As the weary birds returned to their nests and night fell, Zhou Yan, carrying oiled paper and several tinderboxes, sealed them in a pottery jar and took a felt cloth with him, heading straight for the valley that Xiaolongnu had indicated.

A cold wind howled, the valley was desolate, and a stream flowed gently at the bottom. Zhou Yan followed the stream upstream for no more than half a mile, and suddenly a stone cave appeared in the night.
Zhou Yan felt as if he had stumbled upon a paradise.

He sighed. If it weren't for Xiaolongnu searching the valleys and pools according to the previous survey, they would have returned empty-handed, and might not have found anything even if they came back again.

Zhou Yan stepped into the cave. After walking for a while, the cave gradually deepened, and an underground river appeared. Without a doubt, this underground river led to the ancient tomb at one end and flowed through the rock at the other end, becoming a stream in the valley.

He turned and left the cave, found a thick wooden stick, returned, cut a piece of felt, and placed the cloth, stick, pottery jar, and his clothes on the waterproof felt. He then wrapped it up properly and dived into the water.

He was an expert swimmer; though not as skilled as Hou Tonghai or Huang Rong, he was no less adept than the Yellow River Water Ghost, moving against the current with the grace of a fish. As the water level rose, Zhou Yan inhaled and submerged to the riverbed, taking small steps forward.

Before the time it takes to eat a meal, the terrain gradually rises, the riverbed rises, and Zhou Yan is revealed, with a pitch-black tunnel in sight.

After he was completely out of the water, he used his breath to ward off the cold, squatted down to untie the felt cloth, fumbled to put on his clothes, lit a tinderbox, and made a simple torch out of the felt cloth and a stick before walking forward.

At the end of the passageway is a stone chamber.

Zhou Yan raised the torch high, looked around, and then looked up at the ceiling. He saw that the ceiling was covered with dense characters, with four large characters on the far right: "Nine Yin Manual".

He examined it closely and found "Secret Manual for Unlocking Acupoints", "Secret Techniques for Holding Breath", "Secret Techniques for Acupoint Stimulation", "Snake-like Movement and Fox-like Turning", "Tendon Changing and Bone Strengthening Chapter", "Great Subduing Demon Fist", and so on.

Zhou Yan was overjoyed. He knew that the stone chamber contained only a very small part of the martial arts of the Nine Yin Manual, but it happened to be exactly what he needed right now.

"Snake-like Movement and Fox-like Turns," "Tendon Changing and Bone Strengthening Chapter," and "Acupoint Striking Secrets" were timely and invaluable skills for Zhou Yan.

(End of this chapter)