The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 168 Asking About Love, Besieged City

Thick fog blankets the ground like cotton wool, and even at midday, only the faint silhouette of a startled swan can be discerned.

Li Mochou's figure moved swiftly, her advances and retreats were precise and methodical. In the blink of an eye, she could unleash a hundred palm strikes, her palm movements transforming into light and shadow, as if weaving a net that easily trapped dozens of sparrows within.

Even for ordinary people with exceptional lightness skills, catching a sparrow with their bare hands would be extremely difficult, but for Li Mochou, it was as easy as pie.

A thin mist hung in the air, yet her figure appeared fluid and graceful, pleasing to the eye.

With a "whoosh," the green shadow disappeared, and the sparrow fluttered its wings and flew away.

A hint of joy appeared on Li Mochou's face as she muttered to herself, "The head镖师's technique is truly amazing. I've only practiced it for less than ten days, and I already feel my power has increased by more than 20%."

In the morning, Li Mochou cooked porridge, filled a pottery jar, and went to find Zhou Yan, but she couldn't find him. So she placed the pottery jar near the campfire and then began to practice the Ancient Tomb martial arts technique "Heavenly Net Formation".

Since Li Mochou began practicing the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" (a martial arts manual), she had already felt an increase in her internal energy. However, she couldn't fully assess the impact of this rapid improvement on her technique until she was about to unleash the "Tian Luo Di Wang" (a powerful martial arts technique).

With a simple stride, he can leap several feet, his body light as if he were riding a horse. What used to be a slightly strenuous movement now flows smoothly like water.

This is why the palm technique resembles a thousand knots in a net, making it difficult for sparrows to fly to the sky.

Li Mochou was overjoyed and used the "Jade Maiden Sword Technique" again.

"Keng!"

A clear sword cry rang out, and the sword light flashed like lightning on a summer night in Zhongnan Mountain. At the end of the sword light, as Li Mochou used the "Wandering the World" technique of the "Jade Maiden Swordplay," a sword light descended from top to bottom, as if hundreds of swords had made an incredible arrangement in the space between Mount Sumeru, forming a crystal-clear fan.

Li Mochou's "Jade Maiden Sword Technique" moves flowed continuously, truly elegant and graceful, with a divine and unrestrained spirit, and the moves were linked by a continuous flow of intent.

Zhou Yan is focused on practicing swordsmanship, and now Li Mochou has also begun to grasp the essence of the "Jade Maiden Sword Technique".

The sword has intent, and the moves are fluid.

Li Mochou's progress in cultivating the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" over the past nine days has actually surpassed that of Guo Jing and Huang Rong during their time on Mingxia Island in the Legend of the Condor Heroes world.

The reasons for this are that, besides having the same talent for cultivation as Huang Rong, she possesses a perseverance that Huang Rong at this age lacks, and she also benefits from the auxiliary cultivation provided by the Jade Bed.

Zhou Yan's jade Guanyin has a similar effect to the cold jade bed, except that it exudes a warm and gentle aura rather than a cold one. In terms of the quantity of aura, it is inferior to the cold jade bed in the ancient tomb. But it is superior in quality.

"My sister is amazing."

The sudden child's voice interrupted Li Mochou. The sword light faded, and she looked at Xiaolongnu, who was wearing a white jacket, had her hair in two buns, and had a face as white as fresh snow.

"You can also tell that my skills have improved?"

Little Dragon Girl nodded seriously: "Since I can't see my sister's complete figure anymore, her power must have increased."

Li Mochou boasted a little, "It was Zhou Yan who taught me this technique. You're not allowed to tell your master, or I won't buy you candied fruit or sweet cakes when we go down the mountain."

"Can you teach me, sister? If I learn it, the bad guys won't be able to catch me. If you don't teach me, I'll go find my older brother."

Li Mochou scoffed, thinking that her junior sister was now being threatened, having just "threatened" Xiaolongnu.

She then thought that the cultivation method could improve one's physical constitution, and since her junior sister was currently growing and shaping her body, it would be just the right time for her to practice the "Tendon Changing and Bone Strengthening Chapter".

Okay, but keep it a secret.

"Ok!"

"Come on, let me tell you."

Li Mochou led Xiaolongnu to a campfire in the forest, where the two sat on a grass mat, and she began to tell her story.

A little later, the sound of children's voices could be heard in the woods.

"Sister, is 'Huang Po' the same as 'spleen'?"

"How do you know?"

"The spleen nourishes the other organs, hence the name 'Yellow Woman.' It's mentioned in the 'Forgetfulness Scroll' given by Master."

Li Mochou felt ashamed.

"Sister, why did Master say that cultivating techniques requires forgetting emotions?"

Li Mochou suddenly remembered Zhou Yan.

She paused for a moment, then whispered, "I don't know?"

"Sister, what is love?"

Li Mochou smiled gently:
You'll understand when you grow up.

……

Ancient tomb, stone chamber.

Zhou Yan withdrew his gaze from the text recording the "Secret Manual of Acupoint Striking." He had memorized every word of this technique. In addition, he also remembered the "Secret Manual of Releasing Acupoints," the "Secret Technique of Holding Breath," the "Soul Transfer Technique," and the "Great Subduing Demon Fist."

Zhou Yan did not memorize all of the Nine Yin Manual that Wang Chongyang had carved in the stone chamber.

Take only what you need.

Zhou Yan withdrew his gaze, cleaned up the traces, extinguished the torch, and dived into the undercurrent. He now knew the waterway like the back of his hand, and in no time at all, he was ashore and out of the cave.

Under the warm sun, he dressed, carried a bow and sword, and shot two pheasants on his way. After cleaning them, he headed straight for the woods beside the ancient tomb. When he arrived at the thatched hut, he saw several thick pieces of firewood burning, with wisps of smoke rising from it. Beside the fire was a pottery jar.

Li Mochou has arrived. Zhou Yan thought to himself, then lifted the lid of the jar, and the aroma of rice porridge wafted out.

Who would have thought that the "Red Serpent Fairy" in the Condor Heroes world could be so caring? Zhou Yan sighed, broke off a twig to use as chopsticks, ate rice porridge and honey to fill his stomach, then got up and went to a high place in the mountains, found a flat boulder to sit on, circulated his internal energy, and began to temper his "Yang Wei Meridian".

Li Mochou practiced the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" for nine days and increased her strength by 20%. Zhou Yan did the same.

He had already been cultivating the Yangwei Meridian for a long time, so opening this extraordinary meridian was a piece of cake for him.

As the exercise is performed, pure internal energy rises from the dantian, travels along the Qiao Meridian, and enters the "Jinmen" acupoint on the outer side of the foot. Powerful internal force surges out from this acupoint, ascends along the Yangwei Meridian, passes the outer ankle, ascends along the Shaoyang Meridian of the foot to the hip joint, passes the back of the ribs, goes from the armpit to the shoulder to the forehead, and then to the back of the neck, where it converges at the "Fengfu" and "Yamen" acupoints on the Du Meridian.

Zhou Yan focused on maintaining his central position and continuously refined himself. As the sun set, he gradually felt the sixteen major acupoints on the Yangwei Meridian being melted by intense flames. Amidst the excruciating pain, he underwent the most thorough tempering and cleansing. Each acupoint was gushing out pure internal energy, and streams of internal energy were grinding and kneading the meridians, making them more resilient and robust, and ultimately transforming them into a bright pathway capable of bearing immense internal energy.

As night fell, suddenly his bones creaked, and Zhou Yan opened his eyes, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light, his Yangwei meridian opening.

He had already opened the Yin Wei Meridian long ago, and now that both meridians are open, the Yin and Yang meridians are connected to each other, regulating the flow of Qi and blood. This not only allows him to efficiently mobilize internal Qi and exert force, but also improves the efficiency of using blood and Qi to stimulate internal force.

Zhou Yan stood tall, looking down into the forest. The campfire glowed faintly, but Li Mochou and Xiaolongnu were nowhere to be seen. He didn't rush back. Instead, he moved swiftly, landing on a flat boulder. His body rolled around on the ground with incredible agility, a technique described in the scriptures as "snake-like movements and fox-like flips."

Since Zhou Yan began cultivating the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" (a martial arts manual), he has also practiced this true manual's body techniques. Now, he has achieved considerable skill. Suddenly, a sword light rose up and danced in all directions, as swift as Yi shooting down nine suns. When the sword light was dense, it seemed as if hundreds of uneven, cold lights shot out from all around Zhou Yan, flashing into a brilliant ball of light that enveloped him.

Half an hour later, the sword light suddenly disappeared, and Zhou Yan rose like a roc, using the "Golden Goose Skill". His figure floated more than two zhang away, and his body was like a flying duck, landing on the branches of the ancient tree.

With a joyful expression, he unleashed his sword technique, "Snake-like Leaping and Fox-like Turning," which, though seemingly similar to a "Ground-lying Blade" style, could produce unexpected results and lead to victory when facing a powerful enemy encirclement.

The "Snake-like Movement and Fox-like Turn" in the True Scripture is just a simple movement technique, but Zhou Yan incorporated swordsmanship into it, using movement techniques to drive swordsmanship, thus creating a separate martial art.

"Let's call it 'Snake-like Leaping Sword'," Zhou Yan joked.

……

The moon waxes and wanes, and people have joys and sorrows.

Half a month after Zhou Yan left the ancient tomb, Lin Chaoying's maid recovered from her injuries, and Li Mochou also cultivated the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" to the second stage, making great progress in her skills.

When Zhou Yan arrived back at Zhongdu.

In the past, when Lin Chaoying's maid woke up from her rest, Xiaolongnu would always inform her, and Li Mochou would leave in a hurry. Perhaps feeling indebted, the other party allowed Li Mochou to see her off that evening.

The bright moon is shining, and the clear spring stone is flowing.

The two walked along the stream until they reached the foot of the mountain, where Zhou Yan said, "Let's part ways here."

"Okay, my junior sister asked me to tell her to remember the promise. She'll be thinking about it in her dreams these days."

Li Mochou was referring to the pinky promise between Xiaolongnu and Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "You should tell her that if there is any danger, you will definitely appear to subdue the demons."

"Relay it without missing a single word."

"Okay, I'm off."

"Bon Voyage."

"Farewell!"

Zhou Yan bowed in farewell, mounted his horse, and said, "Go back now, I can't bear to see you off."

Knowing that Zhou Yan was worried that her staying too long would displease her master, Li Mochou said, "Alright, then I'll head back now."

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and used her lightness skill to head straight for the ancient tomb. However, as she leaped onto an ancient tree, she suddenly looked back, her gaze piercing through the night, and smiled charmingly at Zhou Yan, who was riding a horse.

A smile that turns heads and captivates, yet holds countless hidden meanings.

"We also have a duel agreement."

Li Mochou's azure figure leaped past the moonlight, leaving only a lingering echo.

Zhou Yan watched the figure disappear into the moonlight and muttered to himself, "This duel is truly going on and on."

He turned his horse around, and the "Jade Lion Under the Night" spread its four hooves, startling the forest birds into flight, and headed straight for Zhongdu.

……

"The Jade Lion Under the Night" was fast on its feet, and Zhou Yan traveled without delay all the way to Zhongdu.

On his journey, he passed through Datong Prefecture and sneaked into the Changfeng Escort Agency. He captured a guard and questioned him, learning that Ouyang Ke and Helian Chuncheng had stayed at the agency for two days before leaving.

Zhou Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

On the way from Datong Prefecture to Zhongdu, Zhou Yan stopped at restaurants along the way to fill his stomach. He also learned from the diners that the Mongol army had been besieging the city for a month. Thinking of the people in the escort agency, he did not sleep in the open at night and rode at full speed.

At dusk the following day, Zhou Yan arrived at Zhongdu and saw the scene of smoke and fire swirling in the distance. As he approached the city gate, he saw the battlefield, which resembled a giant grinding wheel.

Horses galloped, Mongol cavalrymen shot arrows at the Jin soldiers on the city walls, and countless fierce soldiers carried ladders and charged towards the Zhongdu city walls.

Zhou Yan witnessed the fierce battle for the city's defenses, and suddenly his pupils contracted as he saw a familiar figure.

Guo Jing, the Golden Knife Prince Consort.

(End of this chapter)