The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 179 Young Dragon Fights Old Dragon, Western Poison Devises Evil Plan
The night was dark and the wind was strong; they met on a narrow path.

Zhou Yan, Huang Rong, Mei Chaofeng, and others encountered the Iron Palm Clan's guards.

As for Master Lingzhi, it was purely coincidental.

Inside the stone village, everyone was drinking and chatting, having a great time. He was a monk who did not eat meat or drink alcohol, so he left early and sat in meditation in the stone house. Suddenly, he heard a disciple of the Iron Palm Clan shout, "Someone is breaking into the mountain!"

He took the cymbals out of the house, and the two cymbals collided.

With a loud "bang," the sound was transmitted outwards.

Master Lingzhi sent out a message, his steps propelling him forward. His red figure, like a night owl soaring over the waves of grass, quickly approached.

"Let's go, I'll draw the enemy away."

Huang Rong, Mei Chaofeng, and Liang Xiaowu remained motionless.

He said quickly, "The cymbal-clad cassock belongs to Master Lingzhi. Yang Kang has arrived at the Iron Palm Clan, and Ouyang Feng must be there as well. Once Western Poison and Qiu Qianren catch up, no one will be able to escape. I will lead them to the Central Peak."

Huang Rong suddenly realized, it was a rope.

Zhou Yan encountered Gongsun Zhi and Qiu Qianchi in the outskirts of Xiangyang. He escaped using ropes. He used the lower rope and the auxiliary rope, and by pulling the auxiliary rope, he was able to unscrew the loops of the two ropes one by one and pull the rope back.

This was to prevent Gongsun Zhi from cutting the rope during the descent and causing them to fall off the cliff.

He led Huang Rong, Mei Chaofeng, and others into the Valley of Heartbreak, and his current retreat from Iron Palm Peak were all done with the same rope, tied tightly, hence the rope remains in place.

Huang Rong understood Zhou Yu's intention and felt much more at ease. Liang Xiaowu and Mei Chaofeng also realized what was going on.

"I'm with the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort)."

“My lightness skill is no worse than yours,” Huang Rong said.

"Let's go, we can't waste any time. Merchants, please follow our instructions."

Zhou Yan covered his face with a handkerchief, took off his bow case, and handed the giant ox-horn bow to Liang Xiaowu. "Let's meet at Luxi."

When he said "Luzhou," he was still among the crowd; but when he said "He," his clothes fluttered, and he was already several feet away.

Huang Rong watched Zhou Yan disappear into the darkness, pouted, and muttered, "Let's go!"

Mei Chaofeng obeyed Huang Rong's every word, and Liang Xiaowu dared not disobey Zhou Yan's orders.

The three hurried forward, heading deeper into the pine forest.

The two Iron Palm Clan disciples who discovered Zhou Yan and his group did not rush to attack, but waited for the night patrol team and Lingzhi Shangren. Suddenly, from the darkness, a violent and domineering heavy spear came like a wave cutting through the water.

Three figures clashed together, and sparks flew as two swords and a spear clashed in the night. Zhou Yan passed through the two figures that had been thrown apart and rushed towards the Tibetan monk.

……

The first thing that appeared in Lingzhi Shangren's vision was the palm-width spearhead that gleamed with a cold light, followed by the dark spear shaft and the gray figure wielding the spear. The spear thrust was a straight line, carrying an unstoppable force like an avalanche splitting the earth.

Master Lingzhi felt his hair stand on end. He shouted and held up his right cymbal like a shield in front of him.

With a loud clang, sparks flew from the spearhead, and the spearhead pierced the cymbal. A sliver of cold light, gleaming in Lingzhi Shangren's eyes, was stuck in the cymbal.

What kind of gun is this? It actually pierced through a bronze cymbal? Master Lingzhi was terrified.

If his cultivation level were to increase by several more degrees, this spear could pierce through the bronze cymbal and kill Lingzhi Shangren. Thinking this, Zhou Yan advanced, spear in hand.

Lingzhi Shangren was pushed back step by step by the immense force of the Xuan Tie spear as it rammed into him. Amidst the ear-piercing scraping sound, the spear squeezed in several inches further.

Seeing that the spearhead was about to completely penetrate, Master Lingzhi shouted, disregarded the cymbals, and suddenly abandoned his weapon, rolling away several feet with a "lazy donkey roll".

In a split second, several figures darted forward like rabbits and falcons. Three Iron Palm Gang experts on night watch attacked together, their long swords clanging as the blades slashed down.

From both sides, whistling sword light, carrying immense killing intent, flowed like water, and shuttles flew erratically.

Zhou Yan sheathed his spear, his right leg springing out. The cymbals hanging from the spearhead whistled towards the swordsman in front of him. The man dodged to the side, and without hesitation, Zhou Yan leaped forward, narrowly missing the long swords and flying shuttles attacking from both sides.

Amidst billowing dust, Zhou Yan's heavy iron spear was withdrawn like a phantom. In an instant, he launched a counter-attack, thrusting it behind him.

The spearhead whistled past as it appeared before the Iron Palm Gang's knife-wielding expert, who was dodging the cymbals, piercing his chest and then his back.

Zhou Yan drew his gun and darted forward without stopping.

Two top Iron Palm Clan experts, Lingzhi Shangren and Lingzhi Shangren, shouted angrily and gave chase. This pursuit attracted all the Iron Palm Clan disciples who came after hearing the noise.

……

The sound of Lingzhi Shangren's cymbals rang out, and Ouyang Ke, Helian Chuncheng, Yin Kexi, Nimo Xing, and seven or eight hall masters of the Iron Palm Clan, who were at a banquet in Shizhai Hall, all jumped out of the main hall and onto the roof.

In Ouyang Ke's line of sight, the light from the torches on the flanks stretched out in a winding line, extending towards the peak.

The Iron Palm Gang leaders, all of considerable skill and height, were enraged and leaped from the rooftops one after another, intercepting Zhou Yan's path.

"Someone actually had the guts to dare to trespass on the Iron Palm Gang," Helian Chuncheng said incredulously, watching the seven or eight hall masters disappear into the distance.

"Let's go take a look." Yin Kexi was about to leap out when a deep, majestic voice suddenly sounded behind him, "No need for you gentlemen, I want to see who dares to act so recklessly."

Ouyang Ke, Helian Chuncheng, and the others were all taken aback. They hadn't even noticed when Qiu Qianren had appeared behind them. Such lightness skill was astonishing.

Qiu Qianren's face turned ashen.

The visit of the Jin prince made me eager to make my mark on the world. Yet, someone dared to barge into the Iron Palm Clan's territory at this banquet, clearly a deliberate attempt to cause trouble and embarrass me.

"Brother Ouyang, I'll be right back," Qiu Qianren said to Ouyang Feng, who remained expressionless beside him.

"it is good."

Since this was a strategic location for the Iron Palm Clan, Ouyang Feng naturally had to consider Qiu Qianren's reputation. He didn't make a move, but he thought to himself that Qiu Qianren's lightness skill and Iron Palm technique were unparalleled, so it would be a good opportunity to observe the opponent's lightness skill.

With his Iron Palm Water-Walking Skill, Qiu Qianren's lightness skill was undoubtedly unparalleled. One moment he was on the roof of a stone house, and the next he appeared five or six zhang away, his figure breaking through the night and scattering through the wind.

Ouyang Feng was secretly surprised; the opponent's lightness skill was indeed no less than his own "instantaneous travel of a thousand miles."

Qiu Qianren darted out, and Ouyang Ke asked, "Uncle, should we go over and take a look?"

Ouyang Feng said, "No need. With the Iron Palm Clan's formidable strength, even Hong Qigong would suffer."

Ouyang Ke recalled Qiu Qianren's lightning-fast figure as he darted away a moment ago and nodded, saying, "Uncle is right."

Instead of returning inside, the group stood on the rooftop watching and listening for any sounds.

Qiu Qianren moved too fast, and in just over ten breaths he overtook all the hall masters of the Iron Palm Clan. Enraged, he ran wildly, his momentum kicking up dust and grass, leaving a straight line behind him, the end of which was Zhou Yan, a mile away.

……

"Where are you going?" a voice boomed from afar.

Zhou Yan had long since shaken off Lingzhi Shangren and the others who were pursuing him. The iron-gray shadows hanging in the night sky gradually faded away. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a figure running at high speed in his oblique field of vision.

Before the person even arrived, the sound of the approaching waves already revealed the other party's unparalleled cultivation. The figure broke through the darkness before dawn, coming at lightning speed. As the distance closed, it was revealed to be an old man wearing a yellow linen short shirt. The other party was so fast that it was as if he was flying on the tips of grass, and the sea of ​​grass beneath his feet seemed to be cleaved and crashed to the left and right.

Qiu Qianren.

Zhou Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Ouyang Feng didn't come.

He moved like a rabbit, sprinting at full speed.

Seeing Zhou Yan rushing towards the sect's sacred ground, Qiu Qianren secretly groaned. He pushed himself to his peak condition while running, his body seemingly generating the sound of wind and thunder as he continuously approached Zhou Yan.

Two figures leaped up the hillside one after the other and entered the pine forest. Further ahead lay the burial place of the Iron Palm Gang's past leaders.

The moment Zhou Yan entered the pine forest, he could already feel the thunderous sound of wind breaking through the air.

You can't outrun them.

Zhou Yan guided his Qi through his Qiao Meridian with his mind, his pelvis expanded, and his body rose like a goose taking flight. He stomped and stomped rapidly up the trees in front of him. Qiu Qianren's iron palm slammed down on the tree trunk with a "bang," smashing the arm-thick pine tree. The tree fell, and Qiu Qianren, holding the tree with both hands, stabbed Zhou Yan, who had fallen to the ground, like a giant club.

Zhou Yan wielded the heavy iron spear with both hands, thrusting it forward with a horizontal thrust that pierced the tree trunk. His refined internal energy circulated from his dantian, ascending along the path to the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, then roaring out from between the "Yemen" and "Guangchong" acupoints, flowing into the spear. Zhou Yan twisted his hands, using a "grinding" force to force the spearhead to spin rapidly like a drill.

Suddenly, wood chips flew everywhere, and metal clanged.

The pine tree trunk that lay between Zhou Yan and Qiu Qianren exploded with a bang as the spear penetrated and advanced.

The spear, imbued with murderous intent, lunged at Qiu Qianren.

Qiu Qianren was astonished. In his life, he had seen countless masters of spear fighting, but none had ever been as skilled as the masked man before him.

His body moved almost imperceptibly, yet he had already dodged the spearhead, his iron palm striking the heavy black iron spear with tremendous force.

The metallic clang of the gun reverberated through the pine forest. The tip of the heavy spear fell to the ground, scattering dirt everywhere. Zhou Yan felt a tingling sensation in his hand, and Qiu Qianren floated over into his line of sight.

When a master strikes, they seize the initiative in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Yan discarded his spear with his right hand and drew his sword instead. The gleaming, narrow blade of the Qingfeng sword swayed slightly, its tip flashing with lightning speed. With a single strike, it split into seven, thrusting towards Qiu Qianren.

"What a scoundrel!" Qiu Qianren was shocked. He couldn't understand how his opponent, who clearly had extraordinary spear skills, could use a sharp sword to secretly injure people, and whose swordsmanship was also so exquisite.

Enraged, Qiu Qianren roared, unleashing his inner force in a wave-like surge that swept outwards. In that instant, he channeled his inner force into his sleeves, deflecting the seven swords of "One Sword, Seven Stars." Dust billowed everywhere, and Qiu Qianren's sleeves transformed into countless butterflies fluttering beneath the Qingfeng sword.

Zhou Yan suddenly kicked the Xuan Tie Heavy Spear with his right foot, causing the spearhead to spring up and pierce Qiu Qianren's abdomen.

Qiu Qianren was caught off guard by Zhou Yan's "Yin-Yang Reversal Blade Technique," which used both sword and spear simultaneously.

He quickly retreated.

Zhou Yan sheathed his sword with a backhand motion and turned to run away again.

Enraged, Qiu Qianren unleashed a torrent of force, channeling his strength into his legs and landing with the power he had gathered beneath his feet to launch another pursuit.

……

Shizhai direction.

Upon hearing Qiu Qianren's roar, Ouyang Ke asked in surprise, "Uncle, it seems that Chief Qiu has suffered a loss."

Ouyang Feng also found it unbelievable. Qiu Qianren had clearly called him a little thief, yet among the younger generation, there was someone that even the leader of the Iron Palm Clan couldn't handle.

"I gonna go see!"

Ouyang Feng's clothes fluttered, and his entire body seemed to transform into a phantom, soaring like a falcon towards the pine forest from which the sound could be heard in the distance.

……

Qiu Qianren's figure approached again like a ghost, shortening the distance between him and Zhou Yan.

"Let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve."

Qiu Qianren shouted sharply and lightly slapped Zhou Yan's back with his palm.

Zhou Yan chuckled softly, and with his right hand, he swung the "Divine Dragon Tail Swing" backward. This was a life-saving move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. He had never missed practicing the "Tendon Changing and Bone Forging Chapter" since he came from Zhongdu, and his skill had now increased by more than 30%.

The power of this move used by the general this time is far greater than what he used when he fought against Ouyang Feng in Datong Prefecture.

With a "bang," the two palms collided, the lime exploded, Zhou Yan plunged his left spear into the ground, bent his left leg slightly, bent his right arm inward, drew a circle with his right palm, and with a whoosh, pushed it outward.

"Ah, you scoundrel."

Qiu Qianren felt his eyes burning. Before Zhou Yan's palm strike arrived, a strong wind rushed towards his face as if scraping his bones. He closed his eyes to listen for the sound and suddenly turned his body slightly to the side, slapping his left palm on top of his right palm, causing his right palm to fly out diagonally.

This is one of the thirteen ultimate moves of his Iron Palm Kung Fu, called "Yin Yang Returns to One," which is extremely fierce and vicious.

The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms and the Iron Palms clashed, amidst the smoke and dust, with lime billowing everywhere.

Qiu Qianren swayed, while Zhou Yan retreated straight back. He swiftly raised his spear with his left hand, turned around, and rushed away. As he ran, he circulated his inner energy, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and calmed the surging blood and qi.

Before the Mongol army besieged Zhongdu, Hong Qigong tested Zhou Yan's skills, saying that he could withstand several moves from Ouyang Feng. At that time, he had not yet practiced the True Scripture of Yi Jin Du Gong Fa.

At this moment, his cultivation had improved, and he was exchanging blows with Qiu Qianren, whose skill was inferior to that of the Western Poison. Although he was still no match for Qiu, the leader of the Iron Palm Clan could no longer injure Zhou Yan's internal organs and cause the poison to attack his heart with a single palm strike.

Zhou Yan's view suddenly opened up. There was tall grass above his knees, and the stone cave was just over ten feet above him. He breathed a sigh of relief; he was safe.

……

As Ouyang Feng descended from the treetop, he saw Qiu Qianren, whose face was covered in graffiti.

Some unpleasant memories instantly surfaced in his mind.

Outside Datong Prefecture, inside Huayan Temple.

His connection with Hong Qigong, a handful of lime from his youth, became an indelible stain on his life, staining his reputation throughout his life.

"Chief Qiu, what's going on?"

"That thief was cunning; he blinded me with lime."

"But what if he used a backhand slash to throw out lime?"

"Indeed, how did Brother Ouyang know?"

“That little thief also tried to scheme against me using this method. He used the Dragon Subduing Palm technique of Hong Qigong from the Beggar Clan.”

"Was that petty thief acting under Hong Qigong's orders?"

"That's how it should be."

If it were anyone else, how could Ouyang Feng have spoken of his bitter experience of being tricked and suffering in silence? But the name of the Western Poisoner is unique in the world. In addition to his poison skills, he is also ruthless. With just a few words, he stirred up conflict between the Iron Palm Clan and the Beggar Clan.

"I will capture the petty thief for Brother Qiu."

"Brother Ouyang, please wait. The area ahead is the sacred ground of the Iron Palm Clan. You are not allowed to enter."

Ouyang Feng was taken aback. "Brother Qiu, you can't either."

"These are the gang rules, and they must not be violated."

"Let's first cleanse Brother Qiu's eyes."

During their conversation, several leaders of the Iron Palm Clan rushed over, and Ouyang Feng ordered someone to fetch sesame oil.

A hall master swiftly flew away.

A moment later, Ouyang Ke, Helian Chuncheng, Yang Kang and others also arrived.

Looking at Qiu Qianren's white face, unpleasant memories also surfaced in Ouyang Ke's mind.

Yang Kang seemed to be deep in thought.

With these connections, it wasn't difficult for Yang Kang to deduce Zhou Yan's identity. He hadn't taken action against Zhou Yan in Zhongdu due to his relationship with the Quanzhen Sect, but now he had no such scruples.

Upon hearing Qiu Qianren's statement that the Holy Land was off-limits, Yang Kang said, "It would be difficult to starve this scoundrel to death. The Holy Land is surrounded by dense forests and tall grass, so finding some food wouldn't be hard. How about we launch a fire attack?"

“This plan is brilliant,” Qiu Qianren said.

……

As dawn broke, Zhou Yan used a rope to descend into the valley.

Suddenly, the birds in the surrounding forest took flight in fright.

He looked up and saw thick smoke billowing from the mountaintop, with flames raging.

"If Yang Kang and the others recognize my identity, and I perish in the fire, it will save me the trouble of worrying about Qiu Qianren causing trouble in Zhongdu. After resigning from my position as head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), I will fight like a dragon in the wild, and the sky is the limit for birds to fly."

Zhou Yan gave a low laugh and strode away, gun in hand.

(End of this chapter)