The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 205 The snipe and the clam compete for the fisherman’s profit
Moonlight filtered through the sparse leaves, casting dappled shadows, and Zhou Yan landed in the courtyard.

He arrived at the escort agency, chatted with Guo Jing for a while, and then everyone went to Songhelou for a banquet. As dusk fell, the wine was finished and everyone dispersed. Guo Jing rode away on his little red horse, and only then did Zhou Yan arrive at his lodgings.

A layer of dust settled on the wine jar on the stone table. Zhou Yan guessed that Lu Youjiao hadn't lingered long after he left in a hurry that day, and that the other party hadn't come over since.

He placed the Xuan Tie Heavy Spear on the weapon rack, hung the bow and Qingfeng Sword on the wall, then went into the courtyard, swept the inside and outside with a broom, took a bath, changed his clothes, and went to bed.

The words of Ouyang Feng and his nephew were not credible, but it was unlikely that they would return to Zhongnan Mountain anytime soon. Zhou Yan was relieved of his immediate worries and slept soundly.

……

As dawn broke, Zhou Yan rose early to cultivate, then left the hospital and went to the escort agency. The two days passed quickly in a rhythm of drinking tea, chatting, and practicing martial arts. During this time, heroes from all directions, like rivers flowing into the sea, entered Zhongdu one after another.

This made Zhou Yan quite look forward to it. This grand feast of heroes would once again feature the heroes and outlaws of the Legend of the Condor Heroes world.

Of course, more often than not, Zhou Yan was thinking about how to secretly sabotage this grand event.

Huo Du and Yang Kang were openly and covertly fighting, which he was happy to see. However, there must be many heroes and good men among the guests. These hot-blooded men could not see the current situation clearly. Just like the Seven Masters of Quanzhen and the Six Heroes of Jiangnan in the past, when the Mongol army marched south, they were helping the Han people fight against the Jin people and were in a friendly manner. How could he let these people be played by Huo Du and lose their lives for nothing?

Another day has passed.

Zhou Yan got up early and went out, eating at a steamed bun shop on the street before heading to the security escort agency.

"Brother Zhou, we've been waiting for you."

Zhang Wangyue, Hu Yanlei, Wang Kui, Shi Baichuan, Yang Tiexin, and others were all present in the council hall of the escort agency.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen."

"There's no time to lose, we'll head over there right away."

"it is good."

The group, dressed in casual clothes, left the escort agency and headed straight for the Xida Military Training Ground, which had once been the site of the Jin Dynasty, on the outskirts of the city.

The weather was fine, and in the center of the drill ground stood a tall platform with chairs and benches arranged on the south side.

By this time, more than a thousand people had gathered below the stage.

A burly man came over and asked about the sect. Zhou Yan then made up a name like the Golden Saber Sect or the Iron Spear Sect. The burly man cupped his hands and said that he had long admired their name, and then let everyone enter the area.

Hu Yanlei and Wang Kui couldn't help but laugh.

Looking around, there was a large crowd of people, of all shapes and sizes, who took their seats at the front. Zhou Yan had just sat down when the loud voices of people talking all around him suddenly came through.

"The Jin dynasty has oppressed us for a long time. Now that heroes from all over the world have gathered here, and everyone is loyal and righteous, it would be a great pleasure to take advantage of the Mongol army's campaign against the Jin and slaughter the Jin dogs."

Zhou Yan glanced around and saw that the speaker was a burly man in his thirties.

Another man said, “As the saying goes, a snake cannot move without a head. We may have the will to be loyal and righteous, but without a leader, we cannot accomplish anything great. I think we should take this opportunity to elect a respected and admired hero to lead us, and then everyone will follow his orders.”

The man's words drew cheers, but an old man with a silver beard suddenly said, "Let's wait and see. After all, it's the Mongolian prince who invited us to this grand banquet, not someone as respected as Chief Hong."

"What's wrong with the Little Prince?" the first man to speak asked.

"Non-my family, its heart must be different."

"The Mongol army helped fight the Jurchens, isn't that something we all saw?"

The elder did not engage in verbal sparring, but laughed and said, "Let's see, let's see!"

The man turned away angrily, ignoring the old man.

Zhou Yan smiled and whispered to Zhang Wangyue, "That old man is a discerning person."

The chief bodyguard of Fu'an nodded.

The hour of Si (9-11 AM) is auspicious, and the sound of striking a chime will be heard from the high platform.

The room fell silent. A young man dressed as a nobleman, wearing a light yellow brocade robe and carrying a folding fan, and a young Tibetan monk in a red robe ascended the platform. Several other imposing men followed him. Hu Yanlei said to Zhou Yan, "That young man is Huo Du."

Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. He knew the name of the young monk Zang Seng beside Huo Du; it was Darba.

He straightened his body and looked towards one side of the platform. There was a round tent pitched on the ground, and he could vaguely see a Tibetan monk wearing a red robe, extremely tall and thin, with a figure like a bamboo pole.

That must be the Golden Wheel Monk. Zhou Yan guessed.

On the high platform, Huo Du cupped his hands and said, "I am deeply grateful to the heroes from all corners of the world for attending this grand banquet."

Among the heroes of the martial world, who spoke without restraint, someone immediately said, "Little Prince, quickly tell us what this Heroes' Feast is all about. If it's about fighting the Golden Dog, then everyone can just grab their swords and follow along."

A burst of laughter erupted, and someone echoed, "Exactly right, exactly right."

"Please be patient, I will explain now." As soon as Huo Du finished speaking, the arena quieted down. A burly man stepped forward and said in a booming voice, "In the martial arts competition, the one who wins three consecutive matches can sit in the front row of the heroes' seats. Once the seats are full, the competition will end, and the winners will accompany the prince to a banquet to discuss important matters."

A buzzing sound arose, and the silver-haired old man next to Zhou Yan stood up and said, "What if we lose?"

The burly man on the platform said, "Win one match and you'll be rewarded with five hundred taels of silver; two matches and you'll be rewarded with one thousand; three matches and you'll be invited to the banquet and you'll be rewarded with five thousand taels of silver."

The atmosphere was instantly stirred up by the generous reward, and many big spenders were eager to try their luck.

"What is the grand plan?" A voice suddenly rang out from the crowd. Zhou Yan felt it was familiar and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw three young men in white sitting on his right, and the voice came from the middle young man in white.

Zhou Yan scoffed, "Ouyang Ke, this is a grand feast of heroes who have come to Zhongdu to disrupt Huodu."

His guess was absolutely right.

The two fought outside the ancient tomb in Zhongnan Mountain. Zhou Yan did not kill him, but Ouyang Ke had profound internal strength and had also received the "Unpredictable Pill" from Huang Yaoshi, so his internal injuries had long been healed.

Yang Kang arranged for Xiao Xiangzi to act as an undercover agent, a secret agent. Ouyang Ke went to Zhongdu for two reasons: first, to see if Xiao Xiangzi had gained Huo Du's favor, and second, to disrupt the Heroes' Banquet. Although he had been in Zhongdu for quite some time, he rarely showed his face in public, so not many people recognized him. The two white-clad young men beside him were actually beautiful women disguised as men. Sha Tongtian and Helian Chuncheng were also disguised and mingled in the crowd.

When Ouyang Ke asked the question, someone immediately answered for Huo Du: "The grand plan is simply how to slaughter the Golden Dog."

"Is he the Little Prince?" Ouyang Ke tapped his right hand with his folding fan in his left hand, looking quite dashing.

Before Huo Du could speak, another voice rang out, "Instead of asking questions, why not go on stage and perform? After winning three matches, you can attend the grand banquet and everything will be clear."

It was the same familiar voice that Zhou Yan heard from behind. He turned around and saw a handsome young man on the chair to his left looking at him with a half-smile.

With rosy lips, white teeth, and a face as beautiful as jade, who else could it be but Huang Rong?

Zhou Yan smiled slightly, turned around, and said that he didn't need to worry about it anymore.

Huang Rong knew that the Mongols wanted to massacre people after conquering Zhongdu. She went to the banquet to expose the brutality of the Mongol army. While she seemed to be helping Huo Du, she was actually instigating Ouyang Ke to take the stage.

Zhou Yan had no doubt that Huang Rong would expose both Huo Du and Ouyang Ke at the right time, killing two birds with one stone. The clever "Rong'er" was best at doing such things.

Huang Rong's words immediately drew applause.

The burly man on the high platform looked at Huo Du, who nodded. The man then took the gong and, with a clang, announced, "Let's have a martial arts contest. Which hero will go first?"

"I've come to ask for a seat at the banquet." As soon as the words were spoken, a thin, bamboo-like figure emerged from the crowd, swayed a few times, reached the high platform, and leaped onto it.

The tall, thin man cupped his hands towards Huo Du, who was sitting on the platform, then turned around and said in a sinister tone, "Xiao Xiangzi would like to learn from the excellent skills of all the heroes."

Zhou Yan inwardly scoffed, "All sorts of demons and monsters have come!"

Zhang Wangyue said, "This person is very clever."

Zhou Yan laughed and said, "Yes, most people will wait and see how skilled the heroes are at the Heroes' Feast before deciding whether to participate."

"Judging by his agility in leaping onto the platform, securing a spot will be no problem."

Zhou Yan nodded with a smile; the brilliance of this grand feast of heroes exceeded his expectations.

(End of this chapter)