The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 224 We are all of the same origin, why are we so eager to harm each other?

The murals are gilded in dark gold, and the hall is deserted as dogs bark. The ancient moss is moistened by the weather, and the jade-like water is a mile away.

The "old place" that Zhang Sanqiang mentioned to Zhou Yan at the "Drunken Immortal Pavilion" in Xiangyang is none other than the Baishui Temple mentioned in the poem.

The former leader of the Ming Cult was surrounded and killed by the Imperial City Guard of the Lin'an court. The enemy calmly killed his enemies and escaped. Zhou Yan went alone to this ancient temple.

Plum blossoms cover the mountain, their subtle fragrance filling the air.

Zhou Yan, Liang Xiaowu, and Yanbo Diaosou dismounted.

Without saying a word, he sat cross-legged and used the gentle energy of the Jade Guanyin to treat his internal injuries.

Ouyang Feng unleashed his full power with his Toad Stance, forcing even Hong Qigong and Huang Yaoshi to avoid its edge. Zhou Yan, however, suffered a loss by taking the blow head-on. But compared to when he took Ouyang Feng's Toad Stance directly at Huayan Temple in Datong Prefecture and was severely injured, his condition was now vastly different.

The powerful internal energy of the Jade Guanyin, combined with her gentle and pure energy, is like a spring rain that "enters the night with the wind, silently nourishing all things," smoothing out the wrinkles and damaged meridians that resemble a dried-up riverbed, and then watering and nourishing them so that they can be quickly repaired.

An hour later, the white steam rising above Zhou Yan's head dissipated, and his complexion changed from pale to rosy.

"Hoo," Zhou Yan exhaled and opened his eyes.

"The recovery is faster this time than last night," said the Fisherman of the Misty Waves.

"Fortunately, you ambushed Ouyang Feng with a fishhook, which prevented him from unleashing his second attack, the Toad Stance. If you had taken that palm strike, things wouldn't have turned out this way." Zhou Yan said this, but in his heart he thought that Ouyang Feng's skill had improved by about 10% since Datong Prefecture. At this rate, in about a year, Hong Qigong would probably be at a disadvantage against Ouyang Feng.

The old fisherman recalled the scene of the window and wall of the "Drunken Immortal Pavilion" being shattered into pieces, and he was still in shock: "If that's the case, then Ouyang Feng must be invincible."

“That’s not true. The Southern Emperor’s One-Finger Divine Skill can counter the Toad Skill,” Zhou Yan laughed. “If Ouyang Feng doesn’t use the Toad Skill, I can actually fight him. Also, he must have built up his strength before using this skill. If you encounter him again, you can be prepared.”

The old fisherman laughed and said, "I'd better never encounter Ouyang Feng in my life. Known as the Western Poison, he must be a ruthless person. I even mock him as a little old man. How could Ouyang Feng let this go so easily?"

Zhou Yan couldn't help but chuckle, "That's true, it's about seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune."

"Who is that person? He's incredibly skilled; he actually managed to withstand Ouyang Feng's attack."

"Zhang Sanqiang, leader of the Demonic Cult".

"Zhang the Devil!" the Fisherman of Misty Waves exclaimed in surprise.

"Ok!"

Why would he help you?

"It's a long story." Zhou Yan briefly recounted his encounter with Zhang Sanqiang at the "Drunken Immortal Pavilion" in Xiangyang, how Zhang was arrested by the Imperial City Guard of Lin'an, and his conversation with Zhang Sanqiang at Baishui Temple.

"Cheng Hu from the Poyang Lake stronghold said that the Demonic Sect and the Beggars' Sect have a conflict. Although the Beggars' Sect is also a mixed bag, overall it is at least stronger than the Demonic Sect. Zhang the Demon has done such things and yet he has helped you. What do you think of him?"

"The Demonic Cult is eager to expand its power, so it's inevitable that it will be a mixed bag of all sorts of people. Zhang Sanqiang is still a very generous and upright person."

"Outsiders see things more clearly, aren't you going to offer some advice?"

"When you're with someone like Zhang Sanqiang, you can only offer a brief reminder. If you go on and on, you'll just be kicked out."

“This one is too.” The Fisherman of Misty Waves nodded.

As the two were talking, Liang Xiaowu's voice suddenly interrupted them.

"Head镖师, that man is here."

Zhou Yan stood up and looked into the distance. On the main road, a man and a horse were approaching. It was Zhang Sanqiang. As they got closer, the man dismounted and stepped forward with his gun.

Zhang Sanqiang still had his fierce eyes and bushy beard, but Zhou Yan could tell at a glance that the other man's face was ashen, clearly indicating that he had also suffered internal injuries.

Although Yanbo Diaosou asked Zhou Yan a lot of questions about Zhang Sanqiang, he had a really bad impression of the Demonic Sect. Whether it was the Demonic Sect or the White Lotus Sect, he thought they were both places that harbored filth and evil.

He went fishing by the stream not far away before Zhang Sanqiang even got close.

Zhou Yan stepped forward and cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your help, Master."

"You know who I am?"

Zhou Yan laughed and said, "The sect leader has already given you the token, the iron spearhead. How could you not know?"

Zhang Sanqiang laughed heartily, "That's true."

His smile aggravated his injuries, and he looked pained. Zhou Yan quickly took out the "Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill," explaining, "This pill can nourish the spirit and strengthen the body."

Zhang Sanqiang waved his hand, his expression arrogant, "Ouyang Feng's martial arts are indeed extraordinary, but it is impossible for him to seriously injure me without the need for elixirs."

Zhou Yan didn't try to persuade him further. He accepted the pills and guessed that Zhang Sanqiang's strength was inferior to Ouyang Feng's, but above Qiu Qianren's. His confidence in escaping from the "Drunken Immortal Tower" was likely due to his mastery of the "Great Shift of the Universe," though he didn't know which level Zhang Sanqiang had reached. In the world of the Condor Trilogy's "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre," it's mentioned that in the hundreds of years of the Ming Cult in the Central Plains, only one leader, Zhong, had mastered the "Great Shift of the Universe" to the fifth level. Zhang Sanqiang was most likely above Yang Xiao and below Zhong, at the third or fourth level.

"How did the leader get to Xiangyang?" Zhou Yan asked.

Zhang Sanqiang said, "Go to Hebei Road and Shandong Road to meet some people."

"So that's how it is," Zhou Yan thought, realizing that Zhang Sanqiang's main purpose on this trip was still to recruit soldiers.

He then changed the subject, saying, "There's a group of people from a water stronghold on the other side of Poyang Lake who are harming the security escorts and merchants."

"Are you going to say you're a member of our sect again?" Zhang Sanqiang asked. "It's the White Lotus Sect. Under interrogation, I learned that the White Lotus Sect seems to be at odds with the sect leader's side, and the White Lotus Sect leader is a descendant of the former Manichaean sect leader, Yu Wupo. I encountered the White Lotus Sect's holy son by chance when I arrived at Longhu Mountain."

"Colorless."

Zhang Sanqiang spoke without thinking, but Zhou Yan was taken aback. Wuse? Could it be the Wuse Zen Master from the Condor Heroes world, the head of the Arhat Hall of Shaolin Temple at the beginning of Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber? Before joining Shaolin Temple, Wuse was a bandit. Was this a coincidence, or were they actually the same person?
His thoughts quickly returned, and he said, "According to Cheng Hu, the leader of the Poyang Lake Water Village, the White Lotus Sect absorbed the doctrines of Manichaeism when it was founded. How come the two sects are now at odds with each other? Wouldn't joining forces strengthen their position?"

Zhou Yan spoke with goodwill, and Zhang Sanqiang did not hide anything, saying succinctly: "All heroes, in their conduct and self-cultivation, follow two paths: power and substance."

"Power" refers to influence, but in reality, it refers to personal strength, Zhou Yan agreed.

Zhang Sanqiang continued, "The conflict between the White Lotus Sect and our sect is nothing more than this. Our sect has a set of sect-protecting techniques that must be managed and practiced by successive sect leaders. When our sect leader Yu failed in his uprising and died, Yu Huacheng was not long after his birth, and the sect-protecting techniques were passed down to the previous sect leader."

Zhou Yan understood: "Yu Hua grew up and felt that the previous leader, Zhang, had seized the position that should have been his and also wanted to take over the cultivation techniques. This is why the two sects had a conflict."

That's pretty much it.

"We are all of the same origin," Zhou Yan said.

“In this chaotic world, who is born with a noble destiny? Who wouldn’t want to use their influence to achieve something? I understand.” Zhang Sanqiang’s words were truly forthright and heroic, without any denigration of Yu Huacheng.

In the struggle for supremacy, the capable raise the banner, while the defeated become mere bones.

"It's been a long time. I didn't expect your martial arts to have improved so much. Now, let me ask you again: would you like to join our sect?" Zhang Sanqiang suddenly asked.

Zhou Yan laughed and said, "My path is different from the sect leader's."

Zhang Sanqiang laughed heartily, "Everyone has their own ambitions. Let's not bring that up again, lest we be accused of taking advantage of someone's kindness. By the way, you said you met Wuse, the Holy Son of the White Lotus Sect, at Longhu Mountain."

He claims to be the Holy Son, and is around thirty years old.

"Then that's it. You can see that Yu Huacheng is in his eighties."

"Never."

Zhang Sanqiang nodded, asked no more questions, and stood up, saying, "Thank you for telling me, but I have important business to attend to. I'll have to wait until the time comes to regret it."

Take care on your journey.

When Zhou Yan first met Zhang Sanqiang at Baishui Temple, their conversation was like that of gentlemen, flowing gently like water. Two years later, the same was true.

The plum blossoms were in full bloom, filling the mountains with fragrance. Zhang Sanqiang, riding his horse and carrying his spear, entered the mountains alone.

After the Ming Cult leader left, Zhou Yan asked Liang Xiaowu to ride a horse to the nearest market to buy two jars of "chrysanthemum wine." He then used a bow and arrow to shoot and kill a few pheasants in the woods.

The old fisherman in the misty waters caught a few fish.

The three of them drank wine and roasted meat, and after a hearty meal, they rode their horses straight to Chaya Mountain in Caizhou.

……

The sunset is infinitely good, just near dusk.

The atmosphere at the campsite outside Snake Valley on the outskirts of Xiangyang was a bit awkward.

Yang Kang was not in a good mood. He encountered Zhou Yan in Xiangyang City. It was supposed to be a clean and decisive battle, but unexpectedly, a strangely skilled man wielding a spear appeared out of nowhere. Zhou Yan killed the three heroes of the river and seriously injured Nemo Xing before leaving. The big man was defeated after exchanging more than a hundred blows with Ouyang Feng.

Lost the wife and broke down again.

Attending the marriage banquet between the Iron Palm Clan and the Valley of Heartbreak was the most urgent task. Yang Kang led his men and gifts across the river in a hurry to the pre-arranged campsite, only to receive news that the bride, Qiu Qianchi, and the Iron Palm Clan leader and his sister had turned against each other. In a fit of anger, he left the campsite.

He has become increasingly shrewd in his actions. After Qiu Qianren concealed the truth, he told him, and then, seeing the dejected Gongsun Zhi, he comforted him, saying, "Chief Qiu and Valley Master Gongsun, don't worry. I will send someone by carrier pigeon to help us find him."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Gongsun Zhi was overjoyed.

After thanking him, Qiu Qianren said, "I will also cross the river to search."

Taking the opportunity, Yang Kang said, "Let's go together."

Qiu Qianren said, "I promised the Crown Prince that after Qianchi married, I would go down the mountain to help him. Although she ran away, important matters cannot be delayed, so I followed the Crown Prince, searching for Qianchi while doing what I could to help him."

The gloom that Yang Kang had felt because of the "Drunken Immortal Pavilion" incident vanished, and he was overjoyed and thanked Gongsun Zhi. He had come from Kaifeng Prefecture with more than ten wooden boxes wrapped in red silk, containing jewels, gold and stone artifacts, and calligraphy and paintings. These gifts could not be taken back with him, so Yang Kang gave them to Gongsun Zhi, saying with a smile that the celebration would take place after he found the person, and that he had come with nothing but empty pockets.

Gongsun Zhi could not refuse, so he accepted the gift and arranged for Fan Yiweng to transport it to the Valley of Heartbreak.

Qiu Qianren hosted a dinner at the camp. During the meal, Yang Kang asked Qiu Qianren, "Actually, finding Miss Qiu is not that difficult. Does Chief Qiu know where she went after leaving the Valley of Heartbreak, and who she looked for?"

Qiu Qianren suddenly remembered something.

Qiu Qianchi left Iron Palm Mountain for the first time because her good-for-nothing elder brother had turned against her, and this trip was probably to find him.

Younger sisters are hard to find, but older brothers who often flaunt their fame are not.

It truly is a case of "the mountains and rivers seem to block the way, but then a village appears amidst the willows and flowers."

(End of this chapter)