The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 20 Martial Arts Ultimate Technique: Night-Illuminated Jade Lion
A breeze comes to peek at the crisp autumn air; the lamp wick is trimmed frequently as the third watch approaches.

A thin mist lingered between the upturned eaves of the security company. Silence fell.

The bodyguard from Sihai Escort Agency, Su, was released, and the corpses and bloodstains in the courtyard had long been cleaned up by the escorts. Huyan Lei and Zhang Wangyue were in the side room, where the head escort was teaching the Yue family spear technique.

Zhou Yan, sitting on the stone bench in the octagonal pavilion, fiddled with the lamp.

With a snap, the wick flickered and the flame flared up. He opened the "Yue Family Boxing Manual," genuinely curious about the differences between Yue Family Boxing and "Yanqing Boxing," "Xiaoyao Boxing," and "Taizu Changquan."

Under the lamplight, the characters that entered Zhou Yan's eyes were vigorous and dynamic. The lively spirit, rigorous composition, and powerful strokes exuded a pure and upright air, full of the temperament of a hero.

His gaze fell on the general outline.

"Deception and reality, movement and stillness, offense and defense, advance and retreat, all connected and compact, with a firm stance and steady steps, swift and fierce, achieving unity of all six directions."

The first twenty characters were easy for Zhou Yan to understand, but he looked at the last four characters.

The six directions are united as one.

The pages rustled as he turned directly to the explanation.

"The Six Harmonies are the inner and outer three harmonies. The inner three harmonies are: the mind and intention harmonize, intention and qi harmonize, qi and strength harmonize. The outer three harmonies are: the hands and feet harmonize, the elbows and knees harmonize, the shoulders and hips harmonize..."

"It feels a bit like Xingyi Quan." Zhou Yan continued to turn the pages, his gaze falling on "Elbow Techniques".

"Elbow techniques include: Break, Roll, Fall, Break, Mandarin Duck, and Block. The 'Break Elbow Technique' says: 'Break elbow must begin with a series of hand movements, advance with the shoulder tip to strike the chest, step in with the hip peak to find the emptiness and fullness, and in the blink of an eye, the iron fan comes to meet the wind.' The 'Rolling Elbow Technique' says..."

His gaze continued downwards, landing on "Yue Family Freehand Technique".

Zhou Yan was overjoyed. He remembered that Ouyang Feng had praised this technique, saying it was a unique skill among martial arts. The fact that it caught the eye of the Western Poison Master showed its quality.

To be honest, Zhou Yan really likes this kind of martial arts that delivers powerful, bone-crushing blows.

Hong Qigong's "Xiaoyao Fist" is mostly concentrated on the tip of his fist, while "Yanqing Fist" excels in agility. "Taizu Changquan" is grand and imposing, but this "Yue Family Boxing Manual" is different, with extensive descriptions of elbow techniques, shoulder techniques, and freehand techniques. How can one describe this set of boxing techniques?

Grounding gas.

……

Before dawn, a gust of wind rose, making the chill even more intense. Zhou Yan focused intently on studying the boxing manual, until the rooster crowed and the sky began to lighten with a faint gray.

He put the boxing manual in his pocket, got up and walked towards the martial arts arena.

It was impossible to fully comprehend Yue Fei's masterpiece, which combined traditional martial arts and battlefield combat techniques, in the middle of the night. Zhou Yan only remembered the elbow strike from the "Yue Family Boxing Manual".

As they journeyed on, they couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of fate. They hadn't been in this world for very long, yet they had already crossed paths with figures like Li Mochou, Hong Qigong, and Zhang Wangyue.

Compared to Hong Qigong, he actually also enjoyed dealing with镖头 (bodyguards/escorts).

The Nine-Fingered Beggar was unpretentious, and Zhou Yan felt no reverence for him. However, the Beggar Clan leader seemed to live a carefree life, and Zhou Yan always felt there was a barrier between them. Their values ​​also differed.

Just like when facing people like Ouyang Ke, Sha Tongtian, and Hou Tonghai, unless the other party reaches the level of the "Four Evils" in Tianlong, Qigong will not kill them.

But Zhou Yan believed that if he had the chance, he would definitely kill the other party.

This is a clash of ideas.

Zhou Yan enjoys dealing with Zhang Wangyue and Hu Yanlei for this reason: they are clear about their grudges and are decisive in killing.

Perhaps this is just how ordinary people survive. But I am an ordinary person too.

There are sandbags hanging in the training ground.

Zhou Yan stood before him, his consciousness filtering through the various attack techniques in the "Elbow Techniques." Suddenly, he unleashed his power, unleashing a series of powerful and forceful elbow strikes—a series of upward, upward, horizontal, downward, and reverse elbow strikes—that resonated on the sandbag with dull thuds and scattered dust.

The force of the elbow strike far exceeded that of the punch. The elbow technique was unleashed like a storm, and the sandbag weighing over a hundred pounds was thrown into the air and remained suspended for a long time.

Such training was truly physically demanding. The gentle aura emanating from the jade Guanyin pendant hanging around his neck began to noticeably soothe his muscles and improve blood circulation, relieving fatigue. Zhou Yan showed no signs of slacking off and gradually entered a better state of mind.

When the heat rises, it forms a misty haze above the head.

After Zhang Wangyue finished explaining the essentials of the "Yue Family Spear" technique in the side room, he and Hu Yanlei walked out side by side to the martial arts arena.

The dull thud grew louder and louder. As it approached the field, Zhou Yan suddenly leaped several feet into the air and fiercely slammed his elbow down on the sandbag.

With a loud "bang," the sandbag shattered, and a curtain of sand burst open like an inverted funnel. Gravel flew out, striking the weapon rack and making a crackling sound.

Zhou Yan already possessed a pair of iron arms, and his elbow training immediately demonstrated their power.

Hu Yanlei couldn't help but scratch the top of his head. The elbow strike to the top of his head was like cracking a watermelon.

Zhang Wangyue was stunned for a moment, then praised him highly: "Brother Zhou is truly gifted." "Indeed, he's already opened the meridians," Huyan Escort said quietly.

……

Tiny, wispy clouds drifted across the sky, and the autumn sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds, creating a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere.

Zhou Yan and Hu Yanlei led more than ten escorts out of the escort agency.

The group arrived at a street breakfast stall and each ordered tofu pudding, porridge, steamed buns, and other items.

The shopkeeper was initially apprehensive, fearing that the gang was trying to freeload. But after Zhou Yan told him not to be afraid and to take as many buns as he wanted, and gave him two coins, the couple became happy.

More than ten people ate and drank to their hearts' content, emptying the breakfast stall. Afterwards, the porters followed Hu Yanlei and Zhou Yan, making a ruckus as they went to the horse shop to fetch mules and horses.

Nearly forty escort wagons would require an equal number of mules and horses, plus a few spares.

The镖局 (escort agency) and the马行 (horse trading company) are like family. The horses ridden by the镖师 (escorts) all come from the horse trading company, but they are purchased, while the mules and horses used for escorting goods need to be hired.

The horse trading companies in Zhongdu have extensive routes and often have good horses.

Mongolian horses, Ferghana horses, and Liaodong horses were frequently purchased by horse brokers, in addition to the escort agencies, which were major users of horses. Some wealthy young men from the Jin dynasty and chivalrous figures from the martial arts world also often went to the horse brokers to buy horses.

They were all acquaintances. The horse shopkeeper was overjoyed to hear that the escort agency was hiring forty or fifty mules and horses.

As the mule handler led the mule, the shopkeeper said, "Brother Zhou is truly a remarkable man. Just a month ago he was a mule handler, and now he's a bodyguard. We should keep in touch."

Hu Yanlei praised Zhou Yan without holding back his words, saying, "He is now a rising star in Fu'an, highly regarded even by the head镖师 (bodyguards/escorts)."

The shopkeeper had sharp eyes; the spirited young man before him had a bright future.

There are only two large escort agencies in Zhongdu, but there are many horse companies. With such escorts, wouldn't it be a source of wealth in the future?

Congratulations, Brother Zhou.

Zhou Yan cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Shopkeeper, there's no need to be so polite."

"Master Huyan, Brother Zhou, you're in luck! A few days ago, a batch of horses arrived, including a 'Jade Lion Shining in the Night.' Are you interested?"

Equipment and horses are the right and left arms of a镖师 (bodyguard/escort).

How could Hu Yanlei and Zhou Yan not be interested?

"Let's go and take a look!"

"okay."

The shopkeeper led the two to a separate stable. Zhou Yan saw that the tall horse in sight was pure white all over, without a single blemish.

“Good horse.”

Hu Yanlei, being an expert, gave a shout of approval.

Zhou Yan looked at the "Jade Lion Under the Night" whose breath seemed to flicker like two small snakes when it saw a stranger, and he liked it too.

Guo Jing had a little red horse; wouldn't it be wonderful if he could get his hands on this fine steed? The green horse he rode on his escort missions belonged to the escort agency, not to its original owner.

"Shopkeeper, how much is this horse?" Zhou Yan asked.

The shopkeeper said, "Money is a small matter, but these horses have just been delivered and are still wild. The horse company doesn't have any grooms who can tame them."

"Shall we give it a try, Brother Zhou?"

"Hey bro, come here."

"I have my own black horse, but you lack a good one."

Horses are currently quite expensive. When the imperial court in Lin'an buys horses in Guangxi, a horse that is four feet seven inches tall costs 45 strings of cash, and a horse that is four feet one inch tall costs 13 strings of cash. Horses are slightly cheaper in Zhongdu, but the "Jade Lion Illuminated by Night" is a different story.

Zhou Yan killed the Four Demons of the Yellow River outside Datong Prefecture and took several money pouches. The original owner also had some savings and was financially well-off.

He then said:

"Okay, let me try."

　拜谢书友“202306130733”、“202209161135”、“202303117405”、“非我痔疮就”、“落空玄”、“160700708”、“烙馍 V5馍”、“jckerr“、“咸鱼味懒猫”、“飞哥”、“2017061222”、“幻想着之梦”、“溪如绩焉”“百合心”、“月织 suzuna“大大月票支持，感激不尽。”“飞哥”大大那字我没打出来，便这样称呼。抱歉哈！

　　
　
(End of this chapter)