The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 173 Certificate of Surrender

The rising sun, like a splash of golden ink, fell upon the golden tent, its rays filtering through the round skylight, transforming into a pillar of light and floating dust.

The Great Khan was on this side of the light, and Guo Jing was on the other side.

The question, "How about it?", may seem like a question, but a decision has already been made.

When offered a city's worth of men and women as a reward, Guo Jing instinctively wanted to refuse.

But when he looked at the Khan, all his words got stuck in his throat.

The Great Khan may appear kind, but the ruthlessness brought on by his military career is equally evident. Guo Jing felt that if the Great Khan changed his expression slightly, his face would immediately become rugged, his muscles would become more defined, and the beard on his lips and chin would resemble raised swords, ready to stab and slash anyone who dared to disobey him.

Guo Jing trembled slightly, enduring the oppressive aura emanating from the Khan. He thought to himself, "If I refuse, the people of Zhongdu will be lost. When the Khan marches on, how many cities will fall into his hands? If he were to massacre again, how could I possibly protect them? Countless parents in this world, like my mother and Uncle Yang, have endured hardship to raise their children. Master Qiu said, 'The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people.' What merit do I possess to be a great hero of the nation? But now that I have this opportunity to protect the people, how can I let it slip away? However, I cannot accept the Song King."

Guo Jing thought this through and bowed, saying, "The Great Khan is as steady as a mountain towards my mother and me, and Wanyan Honglie is my father's killer. I will do my utmost to take that traitor's head, but I would never dare to accept the Song King's head."

The Khan laughed heartily, quite satisfied. He knew Guo Jing's character perfectly well. He said that appointing Guo Jing as the King of Song was a long-term plan, not something for the present. Guo Jing refused, but the Khan was not angry but pleased.

"Because of your bravery and because of Hua Zheng, I grant your request. All the women of Zhongdu City will be given to you as a reward, and you may ask for whatever you desire. I hereby appoint you as a commander of ten thousand men."

In the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, when Genghis Khan quelled the rebellion on the grasslands, Guo Jing made great contributions and was appointed as a commander of a thousand men. At that time, he was only a teenager. Now, he is about to turn twenty. He became a commander of ten thousand men for conquering Zhongdu. He is once again ranked alongside Muqali, Bo'erchu, Bo'erhu, Chilaun, Jebe, Jelmi, Subutai and others who have made great contributions in the past years.

In an instant, the Khan's personal guards entered the city to deliver military orders, and news of Guo Jing's reward spread. The Mongol soldiers were fierce and warlike, and they admired heroes. They all knew that Guo Jing was the first person to climb the city wall of Zhongdu, which had been under siege for a long time, and open the city gate. Those Mongol soldiers who had seen Guo Jing rescue the Khan on the grasslands and who had led the charge to climb the city wall in the western part of Zhongdu cheered loudly.

Jebe, Huazheng, and Tolui were all in the city and came to offer their congratulations upon hearing the news. However, Guo Jing bid farewell to the Khan at this time and entered the city to go to the Fu'an Escort Agency.

The rising sun hung between rolling clouds, and the sound of horses' hooves occasionally echoed through the long street. Zhou Yan and Zhang Wangyue stood on the rooftop, watching Mongolian generals gallop out of the city on horseback.

The Mongol soldiers who had driven away the city's residents had long since retreated. Zhang Wangyue said, "It seems the Guo brothers have persuaded the Han."

“That should be the case,” Zhou Yan said with a sigh of relief.

"Let's go downstairs and talk."

The two landed in the courtyard and walked side by side. Zhou Yan asked, "Chief镖头, what do you think of the Mongol troops' strength?"

"The Jin Dynasty is doomed, but with Wanyan Honglie's ascension to the throne, the Jin Dynasty will at least be able to survive a little longer than before. If the Great Khan destroys the Jin Dynasty and then marches south, the Song Dynasty will be doomed."

Zhou Yan exclaimed in admiration, "As expected of a descendant of Zhang Xian from the Yue Family Army, he has such keen insight." He said, "When will the singing and dancing at West Lake ever end? They treat Hangzhou like Bianzhou. What if Lin'an Prefecture had the pillars of the state like General Zong Ze, General Han, and General Yue, and the court had a wise ruler who could take advantage of the Jin Dynasty's resistance against the Mongol army to strengthen the army?"

“There is certainly a possibility of regaining our land, but unfortunately you, me, the Great Khan, and even Wanyan Honglie are all sober, while we are all drunk in the Lin'an court.” Zhang Wangyue sighed deeply.

The two walked through the courtyard, and as they approached the council hall, Liang Xiaowu led Guo Jing over from the long corridor.

"Chief镖头, Chief镖头 Zhou, Young Hero Guo has arrived."

Liang Xiaowu was unaware of Guo Jing's true identity, and since the Golden Saber Prince Consort was disguised as a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world), he referred to him as the Young Hero.

The two men approached, and Liang Xiaowu took his leave. Zhou Yan said, "Just now I saw the Mongol soldiers driving away the people in the city. Was it Brother Guo who said he was going to restore the Great Khan?"

Guo Jing said, "It was because the Great Khan saw that I was the first to capture Zhongdu that he appointed me as a commander of ten thousand and rewarded the people of the city. Only then were the people saved."

Zhang Wangyue was astonished, thinking to himself that Guo Jing was truly of noble status.

Zhou Yan sighed. Just as he had guessed, Guo Jing had indeed been rewarded by the Great Khan. Given this trajectory, it was now a foregone conclusion that Guo Jing, Yang Kang, and Wanyan Honglie would clash on the battlefield and in the martial world.

“Brother Guo is kind and benevolent, which is a good thing for the people in the city.”

“Brother Zhou, I feel much more at ease saying that. At the time, I was thinking about what Master Qiu once said, ‘The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people.’ I wondered what virtue or ability I had to be a great hero. But if I could save the people of the city, I would gladly become a commander of ten thousand.”

"Brother Guo is very righteous," Zhang Wangyue said.

"The chief镖头 (chief镖头 is a slang term for a bodyguard/escort) is joking." Guo Jing cupped his hands in greeting. "I came here to tell you about this matter. I have other important business to attend to. We can meet at the镖局 (镖局 is a type of security agency) after the city has fully returned to order."

"It's no problem," the two returned the greeting, and Guo Jing hurriedly left again.

After the incident, some strong young men in the city were organized to collect the corpses. Then, the Mongol soldiers carried out routine checks to prevent Jurchen spies from conducting inspections.

Zhang Wangyue, Duan Huai'an, Huyan Lei and others could not linger at the escort agency and returned to their respective homes and courtyards. Such a search was effective, and at least a thousand Jurchens were found and brought to the city wall to be beheaded, with heads rolling in for a time.

The people, completely unaware that they had escaped death, clapped and cheered.

As the sun set behind the western mountains, Zhou Yan prepared a simple dinner. Just as he was about to eat, a sound suddenly came from inside the courtyard.

"Kid, the beggar's here for a free meal." Hong Qigong landed.

"We have wine and meat, it's just in time for you to come, senior." Zhou Yan greeted them with a smile and quickly cooked several meat dishes. While the two were drinking and eating, Zhou Yan asked, "Senior, have you been in Zhongdu all this time?"

"Hmm." Hong Qigong picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp, saying, "The big beggar and the little beggar are both safe and sound. If the old beggar hadn't been thinking about not sharing his insights on the application of the 'Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms,' he would have left long ago."

From Hong Qigong's words, Zhou Yan knew that nothing had happened to the Beggars' Clan during the Mongol invasion of Zhongdu.

"Your arrival is just in time, senior. I was just wondering if I could encounter any Beggar Clan disciples looking for you these next few days."

Why?

"The appointment at Zhongnan Mountain has been postponed for six months."

"You went to Zhongnan Mountain, kid?" Hong Qigong asked in surprise.

"Back in Datong Prefecture, Miss Li and Ouyang Ke fought. It was Ouyang Ke who led his men to Zhongnan Mountain. I learned of this by chance and rushed out of the city before the Mongols besieged it."

"The trouble is resolved?" "We joined forces with Miss Li and her master to defeat the enemy."

Hong Qigong naturally wouldn't ask about Li Mochou's sect, so he nodded and said, "That's fine, the old beggar can take a trip to Yueyang."

Zhou Yan remembered the Beggars' Sect meeting.

However, in today's world, there won't be a scene like Yang Kang wielding the Dog-Beating Stick and impersonating the Beggar Clan leader, or Hong Qigong being tricked and injured by Ouyang Feng. The Beggar Clan assembly is nothing to worry about.

As he was thinking this, Hong Qigong said, "During the daytime, Mongol soldiers wanted to drive the people out of the city, but Brother Yao said the Mongols wanted to massacre them. Later, they stopped. Do you know why?"

It turned out that Huang Yaoshi was still in the city. Huang Rong did not mention him and did not know if the father and daughter had met. Zhou Yan said, "It was the disciples of the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan who strongly advised the Khan and saved him from being killed."

"Ke Zhen'e and his men can be called great heroes who punish evil and promote good, but how could his disciple persuade the Khan?"

Zhou Yan then succinctly mentioned the kindness and friendship between the Guo and Yang families, Guo Jing's origins in the desert, and his assassination attempt on Wanyan Honglie during the Lantern Festival. He used Qiu Chuji and Yang Tiexin's words as a thread to connect the dots, stopping short of revealing the truth.

Upon hearing this, Hong Qigong sighed and said that the heroes of Jiangnan had successors. He also joked that Huang Yaoshi was preparing to kill the Mongol general who had been wiping out the Tu tribe.

Zhou Yan was astonished.

If Huang Yaoshi had made a move, either Tolui or Jebe would have been doomed. One was Guo Jing's brother, and the other was his archery master. If Guo Jing hadn't saved the people of Zhongdu, and Huang Yaoshi hadn't intervened and killed either Tolui or Jebe, wouldn't Guo Jing have become enemies with Peach Blossom Island?

It was a false alarm. Zhou Yan quickly regained his senses and had dinner with Hong Qigong. After the Nine-Fingered Beggar had eaten and drunk his fill, he shared his insights on the application of the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms".

Since Zhou Yan began practicing the "I Ching Bone Forging Chapter," his skill has improved by more than 20%. He often gains new insights into the use of force, and by combining these insights with Hong Qigong's methods of force, he has reaped considerable benefits.

The moon, with a missing piece, streaked across the mid-sky as Hong Qigong departed in carefree ease.

After Zhou Yan comprehended the fusion and practiced for a long time, he took a bath and washed up before going inside to rest.

……

Time flies, white horses pass by.

This occurred a month after the Mongols captured Zhongdu.

The winter snow on the western hills has quietly melted, and new grass is growing green.

The "Jade Lion Under the Night" grazed in the forest. Under the ancient pine, Zhou Yan propelled his body with his steps. The Qingfeng sword in his hand started with the most basic sword moves of Quanzhen sword: thrust, pick, cloud, and flick. It gradually became faster and faster. From a distance, it stretched and stretched like hundreds of intertwined snakes and lightning, with green light rippling and sword energy spreading.

Suddenly, Zhou Yan thrust his sword into a pine branch in front of him. The clear sword light touched the pine branch, and the thumb-thick branch swayed with the movement of the sword in his hand.

There was a "crack," and the branch broke and fell.

"Hahaha"

Zhou Yan laughed three times, then thrust his longsword again, its light shimmering as it pierced the long pine needle beneath his finger.

The sword light faded, and he stepped forward to examine the pine needles, several of which were on the verge of breaking.

He looked delighted.

The pine needles never stopped, which showed that Zhou Yan had used the sword with such skill that he could do whatever he wanted. He had perfectly integrated the "acupoint striking secret" from the Nine Yin Manual into the Quanzhen Swordplay, striking acupoints with a single sword strike as easily as using his own arm.

He also applied the "entangling force" and "twisting force" he learned from the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" to the Quanzhen Swordplay, which led to the scene where the sword did not cut the pine branch but the branch broke on its own.

The Quanzhen sword techniques taught by Sun Bu'er and Wang Chuyi remained unchanged, but in Zhou Yan's hands, they became even more varied and powerful.

Even if Wang Chongyang were reborn, he would still have to exclaim in admiration upon seeing this.

Since January, Zhou Yan has been practicing martial arts at Xishan every few days. His mastery of martial arts this time is no less than his enlightenment of swordsmanship at Taihang Mountain.

The sun rises over the western hills, bathing the land in spring sunshine. Zhou Yan rides a white horse into the capital.

……

"Head镖师, the merchants have arrived."

The messenger crossed the courtyard and hurried to the council hall.

Wang Kui and Shi Baichuan had already returned to their escort agency in the city. The group was having morning tea in the council hall.

Since the Mongol army besieged Zhongdu, the escort agency's business has been at a standstill for more than two months. Now, upon hearing that merchants have arrived, everyone in the hall is excited.

"What kind of dart?" Wang Kui asked hurriedly.

"A bodyguard heading to Yueyang."

Huyan Lei laughed and said, "Last year, the first dart after the Lantern Festival was also a human body dart, and it's still the same now. I think this dart must belong to Brother Zhou."

Zhang Wangyue asked, "How many people?"

The porter said, "There are three people. The merchant said he would pick up two more in Luoyang."

Zhang Wangyue said, "Two carriages are enough. We can skip the Huai River and go through Kaifeng from Luoyang, which will be just the right distance to Zhenwei Escort Agency. Let's discuss it when Brother Zhou returns."

Hu Yanlei laughed and said, "I told you it was Brother Zhou's."

(End of this chapter)