The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 210 The Demonic Cult Robs the Divine Monk, the Old Rascal Leaves the Island

A high wind blows, sparse leaves fall with frost, and a lone goose cries out as it flies away from the water.

In the late autumn of Xishan, the morning mist shrouded Zhou Yan's figure. He guided his qi with his mind, and his pure internal energy flowed along the three main meridians of the foot, using the thirty-six major acupoints as anchors, completing a cycle in an instant.

With each breath he took, his exhalation was like a tiger roaring on a hill, and his inhalation was like a dragon drawing water. His pelvis, shoulder bones, and tailbone relaxed, and suddenly he felt as light as a swallow, floating in the wind.

Zhou Yan obtained the Ancient Tomb Lightness Skill training method from Li Mochou in Zhongnan Mountain. With his profound foundation and superior talent, he practiced diligently and tirelessly during the battles with Ouyang Feng and others, eventually mastering the skill.

Ten days after Huo Du held the grand banquet for heroes, he told Zhang Wangyue about his resignation, but he wanted to leave Fu'an with nothing to lose, and wait until Duan Huai'an and Duan Chaoxi returned.

Genghis Khan convened a grand meeting on the grasslands, Guo Jing headed north, the war between the Mongols and the Jin Dynasty ceased, and the business of the escort agency gradually recovered.

Taking advantage of a brief moment of free time, Zhou Yan went to Xishan to cultivate. After half a month, he had mastered the lightness skill of the Ancient Tomb.

As the autumn wind rustled, Zhou Yan, feeling as if he were ascending to the heavens, reached his peak. Suddenly, he moved and disappeared into a flurry of falling petals and leaves. His gray robes fluttered like an unpredictable ghost, his movements graceful and ever-changing, truly moving like a god within a radius of several feet.

Suddenly, he let out a long howl, and with one foot on the ground and the other sweeping around several times, the thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground were swept up by the wind and burst into the air, fluttering and swirling.

Zhou Yan waved his arms, creating palm shadows in all directions, enveloping the leaves in his palm strikes. At first glance, it looked just like a sudden gust of wind in a peach grove, causing all the flowers to fall.

Zhou Yan's movements were graceful amidst the falling petals and leaves, as if he were dancing, yet his palm strikes were as sharp as swords.

With a "hissing" sound, the sound continued in a continuous line as Zhou Yan's palm sword sliced ​​the fallen leaves in half. At first, the leaves were not perfectly even, but as his skills and techniques became more refined and his control of the qi became more and more precise, the cut leaves became more and more uniform.

As the time it takes to eat a meal approaches, the leaves within Zhou Yan's palm become increasingly dense, and from a distance, it looks as if a golden dragon is leaping and turning between his fingers.

"call!"

Zhou Yan exhaled with thunderous breath, and the "Falling Flower Divine Sword Palm" technique instantly transformed into the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms".

He slightly bent his left leg, bent his right arm inward, drew a circle with his right palm, and with a whoosh, pushed it outward.

The powerful palm strike tore through the air, producing a sharp, piercing sound like a red-hot iron falling into ice water. It carried the golden leaves and suddenly flew several feet away. At first glance, the leaves looked like scales, and there seemed to be a dragon in the void.

Zhou Yan straightened up, a satisfied expression on his face.

The ultimate skill of Peach Blossom Island, "Falling Flower Divine Sword Palm," has been mastered to a certain extent. Due to the continuous improvement of internal strength through the practice of "Tendon Changing and Bone Forging Chapter," the power of "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" has also reached a new level.

Zhou Yan felt that if he were to encounter Qiu Qianren again, with whom he had the most direct and intense battle, it would be impossible for Qiu to catch up with him easily, let alone exchange dozens of blows.

As the sun rose higher, the forest was teeming with active beasts. After a series of bowstring twangs, he shot and killed four pheasants and a yellow antelope.

The pheasant was put into a cloth bag, the yellow antelope was placed on the horse's back, and Zhou Yan headed straight into the city.

Passing through the western suburbs, they saw wisps of smoke rising from chimneys. The "Jade Lion Under the Night" stopped in front of a courtyard along the river. Zhou Yan, carrying Huang Ling, called out, "Brother Yang."

He has already announced his resignation and now addresses Yang Tiexin as "elder brother".

Because of Bao Xiruo's return and the increased income of Yang Tiexin and his daughter, as well as the growing number of friends and guests, the Yang family's riverside courtyard was expanded into a two-story building with a courtyard. The riverside side had a terrace extending out, giving it a rather elegant Jiangnan feel. Zhou Yan estimated that this change in architectural style was probably for Bao Xiruo.

There's a chicken coop inside the yard, and a vegetable garden enclosed by a fence outside the building. It's full of life.

This is the change in Bao Xiruo after Yang Tiexin returned.

As Zhou Yan called out, the curtain under the eaves was lifted, and Bao Xiruo, dressed in a cloth skirt and with a beautiful face, appeared in the autumn light. "Chief Escort Zhou, come in and sit down."

Yang Tiexin followed his wife out, saying, "The镖头 (bodyguard/escort) has arrived just in time; let's have a meal together."

"Okay," Zhou Yan said with a smile as he entered the hospital. "I caught a yellow antelope this morning and brought it over to you, brother."

When Zhou Yan goes to the western suburbs to cultivate, he will definitely go hunting on his way back, either bringing prey to Hu Yanlei and others, or to Yang Tiexin. Bao Xiruo has long been used to it by now.

The woman's face radiated the same happiness that Zhou Yan hadn't seen when he sneaked into Prince Zhao's mansion at night. She thanked him and said, "I'll send some more to the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) after I make the smoked meat."

"it is good."

Zhou Yan washed his hands and entered the room. Bao Xiruo brought over some meat porridge and an extra dish of pickled vegetables. He ate and chatted casually. After filling his stomach, he and Yang Tiexin headed to the escort agency.

……

When Zhou Yan and Yang Tiexin arrived at the escort agency on horseback, they could faintly hear a commotion in the air.

"It seems something has happened?" Yang Tiexin said.

"really."

The guards at the gatehouse had already spotted the two men. One of them quickly stepped forward, his expression somewhat somber, and asked, "Head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), has something happened to镖师 Liang?"

"what's the situation?"

"The bodyguard Liang didn't come back. He was a porter, and he collapsed as soon as he arrived at the escort agency."

Zhou Yan's heart skipped a beat. He leaped off his horse, handed the reins to the porter, and headed straight for the escort agency. ...

Autumn sunlight streamed through the window, creating a line of light and shadow in the room, and Zhang Wangyue and Huyan Lei looked somewhat somber.

When Zhou Yan entered, he saw the porter in a coma.

“Brother Zhou, come and sit down. Let me tell you about the situation,” Zhang Wangyue said.

"He's awake?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at the porter.

"After being given some sugar water, he regained consciousness for a short while. His physical condition is fine; he's mainly exhausted."

Zhou Yan and Yang Tiexin sat down, and Zhang Wangyue said, "The incident happened in Yueyang."

"How so?"

"When Liang, the bodyguard, was escorting the Indian monk across Yueyang, he encountered more than ten martial arts practitioners along the way."

Zhou Yan listened quietly without interrupting.

"Nearly half of the group were injured, and the monk treated them."

Zhou Yan nodded in agreement. Liang Xiaowu, as a镖局 (镖局 is a type of security escort agency), would strictly abide by the agency's regulations and avoid trouble. The fact that the Indian monk had saved someone perfectly matched the monk's character, and Xiaowu couldn't do anything about it, since the monk had rescued Duan Huai'an before.

Zhang Wangyue continued, "The divine monk's miraculous healing skills brought those martial arts practitioners back to health. However, seeing the divine monk's superb medical skills, those people harbored evil intentions and decided to kidnap people."

"In that case, this group of people are not ordinary figures in the martial arts world; they are very likely bandits who occupy the mountains and forests."

"Pretty much," Tangzi said. "When the monk was treating him, the other person mentioned Poyang Lake and the head of the hall in his conversation."

Zhou Yan instantly had a thought.

Demonic cult.

Zhang Sanqiang operated in the Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Guangxi areas.

"Where are Xiao Wu and the others?"

"His fate is unknown. After the fight broke out, Liang, the镖师 (bodyguard), risked his life to protect the镖手 (bodyguard) and break through the encirclement to send a message."

"I'll make preparations so that the porter can recover after he's sober and then come with me to Jiangxi."

“I’m with Brother Zhou,” Huyan Lei said.

"The escort agency only has one head镖师 left now, brother. How can he go to Jiangxi? I ​​have some free time now, so I can take care of this matter."

Zhang Wangyue was a decisive person when it came to important matters. He nodded upon hearing this, "Alright, pick a few more skilled bodyguards and escorts." "I'll go with Chief Bodyguard Zhou."

Zhou Yan said, "Thank you, Brother Yang. You only need to bring one messenger. If there are any troublesome matters, there are heroes I know in western Hunan. I can visit them for help."

Yang Tiexin knew that Zhou Yan meant what he said, so he said, "That's fine too."

Around noon, the scout awoke, and Zhou Yan gave him a "Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill," a pill that nourishes the brain and strengthens the body. After taking it, the scout felt much better.

The other party recounted the events in great detail, adding many details, including their conversation with the monk and their mention of the Western Regions.

Zhou Yan was absolutely certain that the Demonic Sect was kidnapping people.

The following day at noon, Zhou Yan, carrying a spear, sword, and bow, rode off on horseback, leading his men, who had recovered their strength and energy, straight to Jiangxi.
……

Peach Blossom Island is a riot of color, with peach trees forming forests, a winding floating bridge, and a babbling brook. The peach blossoms, the floating bridge, the clear stream, and the sea complement each other, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Huang Yaoshi, having returned from Zhongdu, continued his journey until he arrived at a cave on the island.

"Huang Yaoshi, you've arrived?"

Following the sound of voices, one could see a person sitting cross-legged in the cave, with long hair that reached the ground, long eyebrows and beard, and his nose and mouth were covered, making it difficult to see his appearance clearly.

However, the way the people in the cave shook their heads and swayed when they spoke also showed their unruly nature.

Huang Yaoshi said to the man, "Brother Botong, you can leave Peach Blossom Island now. I will prepare a feast to apologize and see you off."

"Haha, Huang Yaoshi, do you think I'd fall for that? Such a clumsy lie to trick me into leaving the cave."

Huang Yaoshi addressed him as "Brother Botong," implying that the person in the cave was none other than the Old Urchin Zhou Botong.

He suddenly spun around on the ground, lay on his back, crossed his legs, and said:

"No, I'm not going anywhere."

(End of this chapter)