The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 186 Gift of a Book, On the Verge of Death

As dawn broke, the pale blue-gray light spilled from the eastern horizon. As far as Zhou Yan could see, sheer cliffs rose abruptly, and towering peaks stood majestically, their jagged edges creating a rugged and imposing landscape.

Traveling from western Hunan, without any further delay, Zhou Yan, Liang Xiaowu, and others crossed the river from Jingzhou, galloped into Xinyang, and went straight to Chaya Mountain in Caizhou.

"Head镖师, do you think we might run into people from the镖局 (escort agency)?"

Zhou Yan smiled and said to Liang Xiaowu, "What a coincidence! The caravan must first travel along the Huai River, and secondly, it must be escorted by the head caravan leaders Huyan, Wang, and Shi."

"That's true."

Liang Xiaowu drank herbal wine to enhance his skills. Although the journey was long, Zhou Yan used the giant ox-horn bow to obtain any prey to replenish his qi and blood. Therefore, the young bodyguards in Fu'an were much stronger than when they set off from Zhongdu.

In late April, as the temperature gradually rises and people wear light clothing, Xiao Wu, who practices external martial arts, moves his arms slightly, and his muscles ripple like pythons, making him as strong and muscular as a leopard.

The five men rode forward on horseback when suddenly a whistling arrow shot into the air and fell in front of them.

A pair of foot soldiers roared out from the woods.

"He who comes is stopped."

"Ah, it's Master Zhou."

A stocky junior leader came running over excitedly, “Master Zhou, I saw you when the leader arrived at the Huai River Fu’an camp.”

Zhou Yan dismounted and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Brother, how should I address you?"

"Shi Yizhu".

"So it's Brother Shi. It's a pleasure to meet you. Is Chief Yang here?"

"Yes, I'll send the message right away."

Shi Yizhu ordered his men to bring over hemp paper and a pigeon cage. He took out a piece of charcoal from the cloth bag he was carrying, wrote a sentence in a crooked manner, and put the hemp paper into the letter tube.

With a fluttering sound, a carrier pigeon flapped its wings and flew towards the mountain village.

"Please, Mr. Zhou."

"Thank you."

The two walked side by side, and Zhou Yan asked, "Is Senior Yang here?"

“I left the mountain a month ago with Miss Mu and the young hero surnamed Guo.”

Zhou Yan sighed that Yang Tiexin was truly loyal and righteous, unable to leave Fu'an behind, and returned to Zhongdu.

Has anyone from the escort agency come recently?

"Unfortunately, Master Zhou, Chief Escort Huyan was on his way to Luzhou a few days ago and stopped at the mountain stronghold on his way through the Huai River."

Zhou Yan let out a sigh and missed it.

However, the escort agency seems to be doing very well, which makes sense when you think about it. With Guo Jing around, no one in Zhongdu City will cause trouble for the escort agency. The Changfeng branch has also been completely eradicated, so it's only natural that it's thriving.

The two talked as they traveled for several miles when a tall, red horse emerged from the glow of the sunset. Before the horse and rider arrived, its voice could be heard.

"Eldest brother of the Zhou family."

Shandong girls are known for their fiery personalities. Zhou Yan laughed.

The chestnut horse galloped over like a whirlwind. Yang Miaozhen dismounted and complained, "The Guo brothers, Sister Nianci, Chief Huyan, and others have all come, but you are the only one."

"He came all the way from Yueyang on a mission to deliver goods, and came here specifically to visit."

"That's very kind of you. I've already had a banquet prepared. Come on, let me treat you to a welcome feast."

"It's disrespectful."

Zhou Yan cupped his hands in thanks to Shi Yizhu, saying, "Thank you for leading the way, brother."

"Master Zhou, please don't be so polite," the junior leader hurriedly said.

Zhou Yan nodded, mounted his horse, and rode off into the depths of Chaya Mountain with thunderous hoofbeats.

……

Although it was called a banquet, it was actually much more meager than the food Huang Rong cooked in Baicao Valley.

That means there's plenty of beef and drinks.

Zhou Yan wouldn't care.

Yang Miaozhen was a woman who was just as capable as any man, and her capacity for alcohol was no exception.

The two drank wine from large bowls, and Zhou Yan recounted his encounter with Yang Kang and Ouyang Feng in western Hunan.

Yang Miaozhen said, "When Sister Mu came over, she mentioned that the Great Khan wanted to massacre the city. She was persuaded by Brother Guo. These Mongol soldiers are indeed just like Brother Zhou said, with the same gluttonous ways as the Jin soldiers. If it weren't for listening to Brother Zhou, I would have almost done something to aid and abet evil."

"The rise of the Mongol, Jin, and Liao dynasties was strikingly similar, and they also used almost the same methods to treat the Han people."

“Yes, those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts. Brother Zhou, what should I do from now on?” “I am just a镖人 (bodyguard/escort).”

"No, that's not true. Brother Zhou, if you say that, I'll get angry."

"Heh." Zhou Yan raised his cup, and the two drank together. He said, "Yang Kang becoming the crown prince and Wanyan Honglie ascending the throne are certainly not good things for Brother Guo. The hatred of killing his father will be difficult to avenge in the short term."

"Indeed."

"But for counterfeiters, it's not necessarily a bad thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Wanyan Honglie is shrewd, and Yang Kang is resourceful. They are at least more capable of causing trouble for the Mongol army than the former Jin ruler. With the Jin and Mongol forces locked in a fierce battle, they are powerless to suppress the rebel army. The mountain stronghold can take this opportunity to strengthen its military."

“That makes sense, Brother Zhou hits the nail on the head.”

Zhou Yan took out the handbook he had copied from Huang Rong's "The Legacy of Yue Fei".

“I have obtained General Yue’s training manual by chance. You can use it to train your troops.”

Zhou Yan's words were like a thunderclap. It took Yang Miaozhen several breaths to react. When she took the book, her slender fingers, which were rough from practicing shooting, were trembling slightly.

The first page had eighteen large characters written on it: “Careful selection, meticulous training, fair rewards and punishments, clear orders, strict discipline, and shared joys and sorrows.”

Yang Miaozhen continued to flip through the book, which contained explanations of matters such as investigation, attack, defense, training soldiers, commanding generals, deploying troops, field battles, and the dynamics of movement, stillness, safety, and danger, as well as the methods of using the orthodox and the unorthodox.

The formation chapter includes eight formations: Heavenly Restoration, Earthly Support, Wind Rising, Clouds Hanging, Dragon Flying, Tiger Wings, Bird Soaring, and Snake Coiling.

Yang Miaozhen had been leading troops in battles against the Jin and Song armies, so she had read some military treatises and was increasingly impressed by them.

She let out a heavy breath, closed the booklet, and said, "Brother Zhou, how can I ever repay your kindness?"

"We strive to save the people; there is no need for repayment."

"Brother Zhou is a man of few words. After you train me in the troops, kill more corrupt officials, bandits, and barbarians from Lin'an Prefecture who are harming the people."

"it is good."

Zhou Yan was unpretentious, and Yang Miaozhen was dashing; this conversation was truly pleasant. He then brought up the matter of Helian Chuncheng, the young master of Changfeng Escort Agency, siding with Yang Kang, and said, "The main threat to our stronghold right now is still the Jin Kingdom. Sister, you might as well place a few people in Kaifeng Prefecture to investigate the movements of Wanyan Honglie and Yang Kang, and also keep an eye on Changfeng Escort Agency and Zhenwei Escort Agency. If Helian Chuncheng is not good for Zhenwei, send someone to deliver a message to me."

"Brother Zhou, rest assured. Young Master Lu has also shown kindness to the mountain stronghold. Whenever the Changfeng Escort Agency crosses the Huai River, they will surely kill everyone on the spot."

"Okay!"

Yang Miaozhen poured wine, and the two drank it all in one gulp. She said, "There's still something I'm confused about."

"Speak frankly."

"The Guo brothers are also good men of honor and loyalty, but they work for the Mongols. What if one day the Mongols destroy the Jin Dynasty and the mountain stronghold clashes with the Mongol army, and they happen to run into the Guo brothers again?"

"I can't say for sure, but Brother Guo is a man of integrity and virtue. Things are unpredictable, and it may not come to this. Let's wait and see."

"Okay, then."

"We're still enjoying our drinks, how about we have another spar with Brother Zhou?"

"Just to my liking."

Neither of them was drunk. When they arrived at the martial arts arena, each was armed with a large spear.

In this contest, Zhou Yan successively used the "Yang Family Method", "Yue Family Spear Method", "Huyan Spear Method", and his self-created spear style that combined some of the Hengshan Five Divine Swords and Quanzhen Swordsmanship. Yang Miaozhen exclaimed that it was very enjoyable and gained a lot of insights.

After their day's work and the evening's departure, Zhou Yan politely declined Yang Miaozhen's offer to stay, bid her farewell, and headed straight for Zhongdu.

Yang Miaozhen gave instructions to her subordinates about planting spies in Kaifeng Prefecture, and then went into seclusion to study spear techniques.

The essence of the Hibiscus Sword Technique of the Five Divine Swords of Hengshan lies in the three words: speed, chaos, and unpredictability. Yang Miaozhen's "Rain of Pear Blossoms Spear" emphasizes speed and chaos. With her outstanding talent, she made an association and thought that if the "Rain of Pear Blossoms Spear" also had "unpredictability", wouldn't it be even more unpredictable, both real and illusory, and difficult to resist?

……

"Chief Escort Zhou is back."

Familiar voices, but a different atmosphere.

Zhou Yan looked at the guard who ran over to lead the horse, his face showing a mixture of joy and seriousness, and a hint of unease.

"Has something happened to the escort agency?"

The porter said, "When the master was hosting a banquet at 'Songhelou,' he was slapped by one of the henchmen of a Mongolian prince, rolled down the stairs, and hit his head. He's been in a semi-conscious state for the past few days."

Zhou Yan's mind went blank for a moment, and he hurriedly asked, "What is the Mongolian prince's surname and given name?"

"His name is Huo Du. Young Master Guo also came to visit his master. That Mongolian prince even sent someone to deliver gold and silver, saying that his subordinates were reckless."

Zhou Yan clenched his fist, then slowly opened it. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, pursed his lips, and strode quickly into the building with a gloomy expression.

(End of this chapter)