The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 174 Huang Rong's Plan to Escape Iron Palm Peak

"Yueyang?"

Zhou Yan went to the council hall of the escort agency and Zhang Wangyue gave a general account of the situation of the personal escorts.

The middle-aged male merchant, along with his wife and maid, a total of three people, picked up two people in Luoyang and then headed to Yueyang.

The Mongol army has now captured Zhongdu and continues its southward advance. The Cangzhou and Baoding areas are in chaos, and merchants are providing ample escort fees.

Fu'an accepted the escort mission.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan was reminded of the Beggars' Sect assembly.

However, based on the limited information available about the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, the Beggars' Sect Conference seems to be held in June or July, so I'm sure I'll miss it.

Zhang Wangyue said, "Brother Zhou, aren't you going to explain the matter of the ambush on the escort team at Tongguan Wharf to Young Master Lu?"

Zhou Yan understood his meaning, "I'll take on this escort mission."

"Thank you for your help, Brother Zhou."

"You're too kind, Chief Escort."

Zhou Yan replied in this way, thinking that he would take the first escort mission of the spring for Fu'an. After returning from Yueyang, he would go to Yang Miaozhen's stronghold in Caizhou. When he arrived in Zhongdu, he would tell his boss and chief escort about his future plans, resign from his position as chief escort, go to Zhongnan Mountain to see Li Mochou and Xiaolongnu, and visit Qiu Chuji. He would then look for an opportunity to kill Helian Chuncheng and his son, Yin Kexi and others.

The merchant couple brought a maid, Mu Nianci, who was suitable to accompany them. However, by sheer coincidence, Mu Nianci and Guo Jing went to Chaya Mountain to visit Yang Tiexin and his wife.

Zhou Yan then asked Liang Xiaowu to select a group of escorts to carry out the escort mission.

Two escort agency carriages, three porters plus Zhou Yan and Liang Xiaowu, a total of five people. The porters also served as drivers along the way.

Zhou Yan returned to the courtyard, bringing back several sets of clothes, two ingots of gold, and dozens of taels of silver. He then went to the escort agency with a spear, a sword, and a bow on his back.

Around noon, we saw the merchant couple and their two companions.

The head of the household, surnamed Zhang, was around forty years old. He was gentle and refined, with the air of a scholar. His wife was slightly younger, but appeared knowledgeable, reasonable, and virtuous. The maidservant was from a modest family and was quite pretty.

He was clearly the head of a wealthy family.

The hour of Wei (1-3 PM) is auspicious, bringing wealth and prosperity. This is how the镖局 (security escort agency) describes an auspicious time.

Firecrackers were hung under the gate of the security escort agency, and the scent of pine resin wafted in the spring breeze.

Duan Huai'an prepared a farewell feast.

Zhou Yan drank the bowl in one gulp, and the host said, "Raise your cup to gaze at the blue sky, tread on mountains and rivers, go forth as a dragon, return and soar across the four seas."

After saying this, the master said with deep emotion, "Amidst the chaos of war, Fu'an is thriving thanks to the hard work of the chief镖头 (head镖头, head镖头 Zhou) and others. If Changfeng can open a branch, so can Fu'an. The chief镖头 and I eagerly await your return."

Zhou Yan understood his master's intention perfectly: Fu'an wanted to open a branch, and he, as the second chief镖头 (chief镖师, a kind of bodyguard/escort) after Zhang Wangyue, would oversee the branch. Given Fu'an's current strength, opening a branch was indeed feasible.

He was about to leave, making no promises, but said, "Thank you, sir. I will do my best to carry out this shipment."

"Bon Voyage."

"it is good!"

Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, Zhang Wangyue, Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, and others saw Zhou Yan and the merchants off. Because they were bodyguards, they did not raise any flags but instead used small triangular flags. Liang Xiaowu led the way, Zhou Yan brought up the rear, and the charioteers drove the carriages, the axles rattling as they left Zhongdu.

……

Zhou Yan, having traveled through time, embarked on his first mission as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) in Jingzhou. Upon arriving in Baoding, he was met with a desolate scene of "lonely villages, setting sun, lingering rosy clouds, wisps of smoke, old trees, and crows in the cold."

When the Mongols marched south, after the Battle of Zhongdu, they took this route again, leaving behind a scene of widespread suffering and starvation.

Seeing this, Zhang, the merchant, often couldn't help but curse a few times, which made Zhou Yan think more highly of him.

Nothing happened along the way. Zhou Yan led the team through Baoding, out of Anyang, across the Yellow River, and directly to Luoyang.

Zhang, the merchant, had his escort team wait for him in the suburbs while he himself entered Luoyang with his wife and maids.

The carriage stopped in the woods in the countryside, where Zhou Yan shot and killed several wild rabbits, which were then roasted by the crowd.

Liang Xiaowu said, "Chief镖师, once the group gets closer to Kaifeng Prefecture, shall I go to Zhenwei镖局 to find Young Master Lu?"

Zhou Yan patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder, praising his thoughtfulness.

After eating rabbit meat to fill their stomachs, half an hour later, two carriages arrived from the direction of the city.

"Could it be that Mr. Zhang has arrived?"

Liang Xiaowu stood up and craned his neck to look.

The carriage approached from afar and stopped at the caravan, where Mr. and Mrs. Zhang, the merchants, disembarked.

Liang Xiaowu looked at the carriage behind and asked, "Sir, is the person we're supposed to meet in this carriage?"

"Exactly!"

As soon as Zhang finished speaking, a woman with a fair, jade-like wrist lifted the curtain of the carriage, and a figure gracefully descended.

As Zhou Yan looked closely at his face, a familiar voice rang out: "Long time no see, Chief Escort Zhou, how have you been?"

As the spring breeze passes, the willows turn green like silk threads. Along the roadside, the new buds of the weeping willows are like curtains, their tender yellow color appearing and disappearing in the spring light.

Huang Rong stood with her hands behind her back, under a willow tree, a half-smile on her face.

"Master Zhou."

The medicine boy followed Huang Rong and jumped down from the carriage.

"Big brother"

Silly Girl landed and ran towards Zhou Yan.

A figure in black robes drifted down like leaden clouds and landed on the ground. Mei Chaofeng said, "Head镖师 Zhou, we meet again."

“Ah, Merchant Mei, Silly Girl.” Liang Xiaowu couldn’t stop smiling.

Zhou Yan was dumbfounded, he really hadn't expected that the person who met Zhang was Huang Rong.

If Zhang had said he was going to Kaifeng to pick up four people, Zhou Yan would have made some connections, but picking up two people in Luoyang was completely unexpected. Huang Rong looked at Zhou Yan's surprised expression and felt quite pleased, thinking to herself, "There will always be times when you can't expect this."

Merchant Zhang bowed and said apologetically, "I am the manager of Guiyun Manor. This is my wife. I did not tell her the truth about the escort mission. Please forgive me, Chief Escort."

Zhou Yan gave a wry smile.

Huang Rong waved the escort manifest in her hand and said, "Chief Escort Zhou, I'm going to Yueyang. Is this escort still valid?"

Liang Xiaowu had never encountered such a situation before, and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Zhang said he was picking up two people."

"Simple," Huang Rong smiled. "Silly Girl and Medicine Boy have both gone to Guiyun Manor, so it's just Mei Ruohua and me. Does that count as two people?"

Liang Xiaowu knew that the other party was arguing unreasonably, but he had no way to refute it, so he looked at Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan belatedly realized, "How do you know where Iron Palm Mountain is?"

Huang Rong smiled gently: "You're clever, knowing my purpose. I should thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know Qiu Qianchi or the Iron Palm Clan. The will was on Iron Palm Mountain, so naturally I thought of the Iron Palm Clan. After a little investigation, I learned that the previous leader of the Iron Palm Clan was Shangguan Jiannan, a subordinate of General Han. Do you think it would be difficult for me to guess that Iron Palm Mountain is at the Iron Palm Clan's headquarters?"

Zhou Yan was truly impressed by Huang Rong's intelligence.

"What you said seems to make sense. What about Mr. Zhang?"

"It's simple. When we were in Kaifeng, I contacted Zhenwei Escort Agency to deliver a message to Guiyun Manor. The couple and their maid came to Kaifeng. I anticipated that the manager would say that they were picking up people in Kaifeng, which might arouse your suspicion. So I changed the location to Luoyang, and then they went to Zhongdu to hire an escort. Do you want me to analyze why I was sure that the escort was you?"

Zhou Yan said, "Several carriages are needed. The escort agency will travel from the Huai River to Yueyang, which will be tiring and time-consuming. We should go through Nanyang and Xiangyang. I am the most confident in taking this route from Fu'an."

"Such a clever man! If we join forces, we'll be invincible. The escort fee has been paid, and reputation is our priority. Even if you don't go to the Iron Palm Gang, you must still escort me to Yueyang."

"Row."

Huang Rong, beaming with pride, said, "Then let's get going, Chief Escort Zhou."

……

The two groups parted ways. The manager and his wife, along with the simple-minded girl, the medicine boy, and the maid, took the Huai River route and headed straight for Guiyun Manor on Taihu Lake.

Zhou Yan and Liang Xiaowu continued their escort mission, changing routes after reaching Kaifeng, and then traveling through Nanyang, Xiangyang, and Jingzhou to Yueyang.

Yueyang is five or six hundred li away from Hengyang. Qiu Qianren once "annihilated the Hengshan Sect," so it is likely that the Iron Palm Clan's headquarters are within the Hengyang area. Zhou Yan thought that he would have Liang Xiaowu and the others wait in Hengyang while he accompanied Huang Rong and Mei Chaofeng to explore Iron Palm Mountain. If they really obtained the "Martial Arts Manual of Yue Fei," he would make a copy and give it to Zhang Wangyue and Yang Miaozhen later.

The group moved forward, with Liang Xiaowu heading ahead to Kaifeng Prefecture.

Huang Rong and Mei Chaofeng rode together in a carriage.

Traveling swiftly by light carriage, they arrived at the outskirts of Kaifeng Prefecture in the evening, where Lu Beihe had been waiting for them for a long time.

During the journey, Zhou Yan inquired about the situation in the city from Huang Rong.

Huang Rong's knowledge was limited.

After Wanyan Honglie moved the capital, Ouyang Feng and members of the Vajra Sect were in the palace. Huang Rong did not risk seeking out Hou Tonghai, but she learned from Huang Rong that Yang Kang was now recruiting martial arts masters on a large scale.

Changfeng's branch in Kaifeng is already operational, but it has a different owner.

Zhou Yan pondered that Helian Chuncheng and Yin Kexi had completely surrendered to Yang Kang.

……

We meet with high spirits and drink together, our horses tethered by the willows of the tall building.

Huang Rong and Mei Chaofeng became merchants again, and Zhou Yan and Lu Beihe met, naturally drinking together without any hindrance.

During this time, Zhou Yan learned from Zhenwei's young master that the owner of Changfeng's branch in Kaifeng was a Hu man surnamed Yin.

He guessed it must be Yin Kexi's father.

Aside from the fact that Wanyan Honglie moved the capital there, the atmosphere in Kaifeng Prefecture remained tense for a while after the loss of Zhongdu, but nothing much changed.

Zhou Yan then spoke frankly, mentioning that Changfeng had hired a hitman at the Tongguan Wharf on the Yellow River, and that the Western Region Vajra Sect monk Baoneng was targeting the Fu'an Escort Team.

Lu Beihe was filled with righteous indignation.

It's common for colleagues to be jealous of each other or to maliciously slander each other to steal goods, but setting up a scheme to completely destroy someone is something Lu Beihe could never have imagined.

Zhou Yan apologized, saying that it was all because of him. Lu Beihe didn't mind at all, and instead advised him not to take it to heart. Huang Rong then smiled and said that Zhou Yan should not be a bodyguard in the future, but should instead fight for justice and take on the Changfeng Escort Agency in Kaifeng Prefecture to kill Helian Zhantai and his son.

Huang Rong was innocent, and Zhou Yan was clever. She couldn't wait for Zhou Yan to be free so she could play with him. So she went to Peach Blossom Island to find Zhou Botong, just like she did with Zhou Botong.

Zhou Yan chuckled. Huang Rong might have been joking, but she had hit the nail on the head.

After the wine was finished and everyone had left, Zhou Yan reminded Lu Beihe to be careful of Helian Chuncheng before parting.

Changfeng and Zhenwei are bound to have a showdown in Kaifeng Prefecture.

Lu Beihe, young and impetuous, suggested that if Helian Chuncheng continued to be aggressive, he should persuade his adoptive father to follow Yang Miaozhen's example and raise the banner of righteousness to resist the Jin, so that Changfeng's caravan would not be allowed to leave the territory of Kaifeng Prefecture.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan exclaimed, "No wonder he's a descendant of the ruthless Lu Wenlong."

……

A myriad of ravines and peaks unfold in succession, with the highest peak, Zhurong, towering majestically. The waters of the Nine Rivers flow to Jing and Yang, while the mountains of the Baiyue region stretch in like wings and chariots.

After arriving from Kaifeng, Zhou Yan, Huang Rong, and their group rode horses across the Yangtze River. They passed Xiangyang but did not enter Snake Valley. They spurred their horses on and, half a month later, passed Yueyang and arrived in Hengyang City.

A misty rain enveloped Hengshan City, and as dusk fell, the group found an inn to rest for the time being.

Zhou Yan looked out the window and gazed at Hengshan Mountain through the misty rain, naturally thinking of the Hengshan School.

His understanding of the Hengshan School stemmed from "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer".

The night rain in Xiaoxiang, Mr. Mo Da, the ever-changing and ever-changing thirteen styles of Hengshan Clouds and Mist, the sound of the erhu is heartbreaking.

Suddenly, the window of the teahouse in front of Zhou Yan shattered, and a burly man rolled out. A figure darted out from inside the building, his sword flashing like a phantom, piercing through the night rain.

Blood splattered in his sight.

(End of this chapter)