The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 175 Hengyang Iron Sword, Fisherman on Misty Waves

Like a rabbit darting away, a hawk swooping down, lightning flashing past, pearls turning over lotus leaves.

Zhou Yan was in the inn. The two fighting on the long street were only a few feet apart, and he could see them clearly. The figure who rushed out of the building was about thirty years old, tall and thin. He wielded an iron sword and his movements were as swift as a rabbit or an eagle. The sword light flickered and flashed, like twisted snakes and lightning.

He himself wielded a sword and had seen masters of swordsmanship such as Qiu Chuji, Ma Yu, and Wang Chuyi, and had even experienced the Jade Maiden Sword Technique. He had a keen eye for swordsmanship.

But the swordsmanship before me was something I had never heard of or seen before.

The essence of Quanzhen swordsmanship lies in its momentum; the sword techniques are continuous and powerful.

The Jade Maiden Swordplay of the Ancient Tomb is graceful and gentle, with moves that are continuous yet connected, flowing endlessly, elegant and unrestrained, and spirited.

The swordsmanship of the man before them was unpredictable, with ever-changing and elusive moves, like a winding mountain path, truly difficult to grasp.

Zhou Yan wondered if the man was a member of the Hengshan Sect.

As he thought this, the man had already spun around and fallen out.

With a "whoosh," the man sheathed his sword and said in a deep voice, "Get lost!"

This man could have easily taken the other's life, but he showed mercy, which was quite magnanimous.

As he thought this, his pupils suddenly contracted. He saw a figure burst through the dense rain curtain and rush towards the man. At a distance of two zhang, a wax pole was swung diagonally and horizontally, trembling like a strange snake, carrying a powerful force as it covered the man.

Zhou Yan was quite surprised.

The man's sword was unusual, but the weapon in the hand of the figure rushing over was even more surprising.

It turned out to be a fishing rod.

Quan Jin, one of the Six Heroes of Jiangnan, wielded a large steelyard balance, complete with a hook and weight, which was already quite remarkable. To use a fishing rod as a weapon was truly eye-opening. Moreover, judging from the way the opponent pounced on him, Zhou Yan's cultivation level was probably above that of the swordsman.

The world is vast and full of wonders.

Zhou Yan suddenly felt a sense of awe, like in the Condor Trilogy, "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," where Zhang Wuji sneaks into Shaolin Temple at night and is besieged by eight people, including the Three Swords of Qinghai, who attack Du'e, Du'nan, and Du'jie. The two sides are evenly matched, and Zhang Wuji, unable to discern the origins or sects of the eight people, marvels at the vastness of the world and the hidden talents among the common people, wondering how many unknown heroes are lurking in the shadows.

With a creak, the wooden door opened, and Huang Rong walked in.

Zhou Yan didn't turn around; he knew it was Huang Rong just by the sound of her footsteps.

"You've only just arrived in Hengyang and you've already seen martial arts practitioners fighting. Do you think the swordsman is from the Hengshan Sect?"

Huang Rong had gathered information about the Iron Palm Clan, so she naturally knew about Qiu Qianren's "annihilation of the Hengshan Sect."

"It's highly likely."

Huang Rong leaned against the window, watching the street fight, and said with a smile, "If you don't help that man with the iron sword, and he really is from the Hengshan Sect, you can find out the exact location of Iron Palm Mountain."

"That's exactly what I was thinking, but it's hard to say who will win in a short time, so there's no need to rush." ​​As Zhou Yan said this, he looked at the long street. Suddenly, the white wax fishing rod was poking, probing, flicking, and striking, its silver light as white as snow. Suddenly, there was a series of crisp sounds, like large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate.

Within Zhou Yan's sight, the swordsman groaned, and a splash of blood erupted from his shoulder. In an instant, one after another, more blood-red light burst open tragically in the rain and mist.

"You've misjudged me," Huang Rong said with a smile.

Zhou Yan smiled wryly. The man holding the fishing rod had a fishing line made of some unknown material attached to it, which was extremely difficult to spot in the rain and mist. It was only when the fishhook collided with the iron sword and sparks flew that he noticed the clue.

Zhou Yan suddenly retreated and then advanced, already holding the giant ox-horn bow in his hand.

In a flash, Zhou Yan drew his bow and nocked an arrow, drawing a breathtaking arc in Huang Rong's sight.

"Look at the arrow"

Zhou Yan felt a sense of goodwill towards the swordsman who showed mercy, but he knew nothing of their past grievances, so he refrained from killing him. He spoke first before releasing the string.
"bang"

In the pouring rain, the long arrow flew out with unparalleled beauty. The raindrops in front of the arrowhead seemed to be forced to pause in the air for a moment before being pushed away, leaving a gray mark on the man using the fishing rod.

Zhou Yan spoke first, and the man who was about to attack the man with the iron sword sucked in his stomach and tucked in his chest. With just a small movement, he was able to lift his qi and flip over more than two zhang away in mid-air.

The man cursed loudly, "You despicable Liu Qingzhou, you've been plotting in secret!"

"Whoosh, whoosh"

The two arrows left distinct patterns in the rain as they hurtled towards the man. The man, who used a fishing rod as a weapon and a silver fishing hook as a concealed weapon, was clearly an expert. He could see the power of Zhou Yan's three arrows in quick succession and was not an opponent to be underestimated.

Facing two opponents alone, he had no chance of winning. He swung his fishing rod, turned halfway, and with both hands, flicked the two long arrows into the rain. Then, with a strange cry, he flipped upside down onto the roof of the teahouse and disappeared into the dimming light.

The swordsman quickly sheathed his sword, his gaze falling on the inn where Zhou Yan was. He clasped his hands and said, "I am Liu Qingzhou of the Hengshan Sect. Thank you for your help, young hero."

Liu Qingzhou was about to say thank you, great hero, but seeing Zhou Yan's appearance, which seemed to be only around twenty years old, he was quite shocked by his excellent archery skills that had forced his enemy to retreat, and instead addressed him as young hero.

"They really are from the Hengshan Sword Sect," Zhou Yan thought to himself, and said, "You're too kind. Senior, would you mind coming upstairs for a chat?"

"nature."

Liu Qingzhou first went to the teahouse and seemed to say something to the manager, which Zhou Yan guessed was about compensation. Then the man quickly went to the guest room. When Zhou Yan heard footsteps in the corridor, he went out to meet him and saw that the man was carrying a wine jar.

Ah, what an open and honest person! He clasped his hands in greeting: "I am Zhou Yan. I was passing through Hengyang and had the good fortune to meet you, senior."

"So it's Young Hero Zhou." Liu Qingzhou said in a spirited manner, "Let's drink a cup of wine amidst peach blossoms and spring breeze. Since we've met by chance, there's no need to be constrained by appearances. How shall we address each other, brother?"

"I would be better off obeying, Brother Liu."

"Brother Zhou."

"please"

"it is good!"

The three sat down, and Huang Rong introduced herself. Liu Qingzhou, unaware that Huang Rong was disguised as a man, called her Brother Huang.

Huang Rong refused, smiling and saying that she was young and should be addressed as a senior.

Liu Qingzhou then followed.

The wine is Ling wine. The Book of the Later Han Dynasty records: "Ling Lake is three li in circumference. The water from the lake is used to make wine, which is extremely sweet and delicious."

Its reputation is no less than that of Du Kang, the famous poet of Luoyang.

Wine warms the body and mind, making it easy to start a conversation. Zhou Yan said, "Who was that person just now? His weapon was quite unusual."

"An old fisherman amidst the misty waves of Dongting Lake."

Since his transmigration, Zhou Yan often recalls the plots and characters of the Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes in his spare time. Perhaps due to his cultivation, his memory is astonishingly good, and he can gradually remember sects and masters that he had never remembered before.

He felt the name "Fisherman of Misty Waves" was familiar and that the person must be quite a character, but he couldn't remember whether it was from The Legend of the Condor Heroes or The Return of the Condor Heroes. After racking his brains without success, he asked, "Hengyang is quite a distance from Yueyang, so how did they become enemies?"

"This man has a strange temper and is unpredictable. You might not believe it, Brother Zhou. Several years ago, my junior brother and I were traveling on Dongting Lake. We were enjoying the lake and the moon in a small boat when he was fishing alone in his boat. I glanced at him a couple of times and that made me unhappy. We had a little argument at the time."

Zhou Yan scoffed inwardly, thinking, "What are you looking at?"

"What do you look at?"

"Take my hook."

"And then what happened?" Huang Rong asked curiously.

"Later, when I gave my name, the man mocked my name 'Light Boat,' saying, 'A fisherman sits in a light boat. How can a great man be insulted?'"

“That’s true.” Zhou Yan nodded.

“At that time, there were three of us, my fellow disciples and I. We fought each other. ‘The Fisherman of Misty Waves’ was no match for him. From then on, he would come to Hengshan City to cause trouble every now and then. The grudges grew deeper and deeper.”

Zhou Yan sighed, realizing that their life-or-death encounter was caused by a single glance and a few more words exchanged.

"By the way, Brother Zhou said you were passing through Hengyang. Where are you going? Brother Zhou and I hit it off immediately. If we're not in a hurry, we can linger for a few days. With the spring rain falling right now, it will be a perfect time to go hiking and enjoy the spring scenery when the weather clears up."

Huang Rong asked, "Senior, do you know how to get to Iron Palm Peak?"

“From here, heading northwest through Changde and Chenzhou, and going up the Yuan River, there is a high mountain between Luxi and Chenxi that looks like five fingers pointing to the sky. That is Iron Palm Mountain.”

After Liu Qingzhou finished speaking, he asked, "What are Brother Zhou and his brother doing going to Iron Palm Mountain? Do you know that it is a dangerous place?"

(End of this chapter)