The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 225 The Vajra Sect's Journey South: The Conflict Between the Two Buddhas

“‘From afar, the mountains are colorful; up close, the water is silent.’ What a wonderful place, blessed by nature.”

Zhou Yan, Liang Xiaowu, and Yanbo Diaosou rode their horses from Baishui Temple in Xiangyang, arriving at Chaya Mountain in Caizhou several days later. Before them lay a breathtaking panorama of towering peaks, deep caves, ancient trees reaching for the sky, verdant vines dripping with dew, and shimmering lake reflections—a truly magnificent sight.

This prompted even the fisherman who loved to immerse himself in nature to exclaim in admiration.

Before traversing the mountain, Zhou Yan had visited Chaya Mountain and knew about its cultural relics and historical charm. He also knew that the mountain was a filming location for "Journey to the West". He said with great familiarity, "The lake reflects the mountain scenery. There are many lakes here, such as Xiumi Lake, Pipa Lake, Baihua Lake, and Tianmo Lake. You can fish to your heart's content and enjoy the pleasure."

"Haha, definitely!" said the old fisherman on the misty waves, intrigued.

The fisherman laughed twice, and suddenly someone came running swiftly through the dense forest ahead.

"Master Zhou!"

Zhou Yan followed the sound and chuckled. He recognized the voice as that of a small leader named Shi Yizhu. The last time he came, Shi Yizhu was the one who sent a message by pigeon up the mountain, and Yang Miaozhen came down to meet him.

He dismounted and said, "Brother Shi."

Shi Yizhu said happily, "Miss Qiu and the high monk have already arrived at the mountain stronghold. The leader told me to wait here to meet them."

"Thank you."

"I took Master Zhou to the mountain stronghold."

"it is good!"

Shi Yizhu waved his hand, and his men released carrier pigeons from the woods. With a fluttering sound of wings, the white pigeons soared into the blue sky and flew to the mountain stronghold. Zhou Yan and the other two followed the junior leader on horseback and moved slowly forward.

We passed through a valley, where dust swirled and we could faintly hear the sounds of drills.

"What is this?" Zhou Yan asked.

Shi Yizhu said, "This valley is spacious and more than ten miles long. The leader can use it to train the troops."

"How does it feel?"

Shi Yizhu said, "It was after Master Zhou came that the leader corrected the training method. The intensity was quite high, and many brothers were not used to it. Now it's much better."

In Zhou Yan's eyes, this was a very normal result. Yue Fei wrote "The Military Manual of Yue Fei," which naturally referenced the training methods of the Yue Family Army. Throughout history, the Yue Family Army has always been a top-ranked iron-blooded army. The saying "Rather freeze to death than dismantle a house, rather starve to death than plunder" shows how strict the military discipline was. At that time, Yue Fei was fighting against the Jin Dynasty at its peak, which had many powerful generals. Even so, the Jin people had the saying "It is easier to shake a mountain than to shake the Yue Family Army," which shows the quality of the Yue Family Army.

If Yang Miaozhen were to undergo a complete transformation within a year or two of training, that would be against the natural order.

"Are there any difficulties with the mountain stronghold?" he asked casually.

“Horses,” Shi Yizhu explained. “In the past, we could buy mules and horses from the surrounding areas, but now that the Jin and Mongol kingdoms are fighting in Hebei, horses are in short supply, and we can’t plunder them. Other things are still available.”

Zhou Yan nodded. It's a very real problem.

Not only are the mountain strongholds short of horses, but even the imperial court in Lin'an is in need of them, and they have to be purchased from Guangxi and transported thousands of miles away.

Zhou Yan thought it would be good to discuss with Yang Miaozhen about buying several hundred mules and horses from the Zhongdu Horse Shop. The shop's fine horses came from the Western Regions and were no less than Mongolian horses.

As they talked, the mountain stronghold came into view. Two fine horses, one red and one black, galloped in. The red one was fiery red, and the black one was like leaden clouds. They were Yang Miaozhen riding a chestnut horse and Qiu Qianchi riding a black horse.

The sound of hooves thundered as the two riders drew near, their black robes and red skirts fluttering as they landed gracefully.

“Brother Zhou.” Yang Miaozhen stepped forward with a spirited air.

"Sister Yang." Zhou Yan greeted her, glancing at Qiu Qianchi. He noticed that she was in much better condition than when he saw her at the Xiangyang dock. This must be because Yang Miaozhen had comforted her. Yang Miaozhen was cheerful and eloquent, and she was indeed a good companion for Qiu Qianchi, who was in a bad mood at the moment.

Zhou Yan introduced the Fisherman of Misty Waves to Yang Miaozhen and Qiu Qianchi. Before Yang Miaozhen could speak, the eccentric fisherman said, "Brother Zhou said that there are many lakes scattered around here. I am fond of mountains and rivers and would like to stay for a few days. Is that alright?"

"What if the senior fishes for a year or two?"

"That's wonderful! No wonder Brother Zhou praised our leader as a woman who is just as capable as any man." Yang Miaozhen was delighted to hear this, but said, "Senior Fisherman, you flatter me. I am not even a fraction as good as Brother Zhou. He is the real hero."

“Of course, of course,” the old fisherman agreed, and Zhou Yan chuckled.

During their journey up the mountain, Yang Miao and Yang Miaozhen told the Indian monk that the golden baby had been entrusted to the mountain stronghold. Since arriving at Chaya Mountain, the monk had been traveling around, leading a few disciples from the stronghold who knew a little about medicine to explore the mountains and identify herbs to treat the soldiers' injuries, which had really helped the stronghold a lot.

Zhou Yan sighed inwardly, thinking that in the world of Condor Heroes, the Indian monk died at the hands of Li Mochou while searching for herbs to cure the poison of the Love Flower. He believed that such a thing would not happen again in the present world.

……

The gathering hall was simple, with a square table, ten dishes (meat and vegetables), and the wine was Dukang from Luoyang.

Zhou Yan, Qiu Qianchi, Yanbo Diaosou, and Yang Miaozhen each sat in the four positions of the east, south, west, and north.

The Indian monk who tasted hundreds of herbs was not in the mountain village, hence his absence.

Yang Miaozhen poured wine and said with a smile, "Back in the Huai River, Young Master Lu from Zhenwei Escort Agency said that when Brother Zhou came to Kaifeng, he would be treated to Dukang wine. So I prepared some at the mountain stronghold and saved it for you to drink when you come."

"You're very kind, sister."

"Du Kang's wine is wonderful, clear and mellow." With the conversation flowing, the old fisherman praised the wine's rich aroma, then said to Qiu Qianchi, "I have an eccentric personality, I act without restraint, and I don't adhere to trivial matters. Outsiders say I'm both righteous and wicked, but I dare not overstep the bounds of principle. I admire Miss Qiu's actions. We forget our worldly affairs, and always say that Du Kang can dispel worries. Come, let's drink."

Qiu Qianchi guessed that Zhou Yan had mentioned some things about her, so she quickly said, "Thank you, senior." As they exchanged toasts and spoke freely, Qiu Qianchi asked, "Why did my second brother consider Chief Escort Zhou an enemy at the Xiangyang docks?"

"It's a long story," Zhou Yan said succinctly. "I unintentionally acquired a scroll painting, which was made by General Han Shizhong."

Qiu Qianchi, Yang Miaozhen, and the Fisherman of Misty Waves were all taken aback.

“Let’s drink, and I’ll tell you the story slowly.” Zhou Yan’s voice was slightly low. “The scroll had a hidden compartment, and there was ink inside. It said that General Yue’s ‘The Military Manual of Yue Fei’ was on the central peak of Iron Palm Mountain. So I went to Iron Palm Mountain and happened to meet Wanyan Kang, Ouyang Feng, and others visiting your brother. Actually, even earlier, Wanyan Kang had gone to Lin’an to look for ‘The Military Manual of Yue Fei’. I stole the military strategy and some of General Yue’s notes. During that time, I fought with your brother, but he didn’t know about ‘The Military Manual of Yue Fei’.”

Qiu Qianchi hurriedly asked, "Is it in the Iron Palm Clan's forbidden area?"

"It was found at the remains of Chief Shangguan. Chief Shangguan was holding a wooden box with the words 'Key to Breaking Gold' engraved on it."

“It’s fate, it’s fate,” Qiu Qianchi murmured to herself.

"Please forgive me, Miss Qiu, for this."

“Zhou Biaotou, there’s no need for this. What’s wrong with it? Does he want to fall into my second brother’s hands one day and be used by Wanyan Kang to gain fame and fortune, and to harm the Han people? Chief Shangguan has dedicated his life to the country…” Qiu Qianchi said sadly, “Perhaps he saw through my second brother’s nature long ago, and preferred to seal the ‘Wumu’s Legacy’ in the Iron Palm Clan’s forbidden area, leaving it to a destined person, rather than let my second brother get his hands on it.”

Zhou Yan was taken aback, as Qiu Qianchi's words seemed to make a lot of sense.

"Now that Miss Qiu says so, I am relieved."

"The镖头 (镖头 is a term of endearment for a镖师, meaning someone who is a镖师, and doesn't need to take it to heart)."

Yang Miaozhen said, "I am delighted to see Sister Qiu, Brother Zhou, and the Fisherman here. Du Kang can dispel boredom, and daylilies can relieve worries. I will keep you company, and we will not leave until we are drunk."

"it is good!"

As they drank, the sun sank from its zenith into the west.

Qiu Qianchi was completely drunk, while the other three remained sober; truly, "it wasn't the wine that intoxicated them, but their own state of mind."

……

Chaya Mountain is a spur of the eastern edge of the Funiu Mountains, covering a vast area. Because an Indian monk tasted hundreds of herbs and taught several disciples in the mountain village the way of pharmacology, Zhou Yan also felt at ease staying in the mountain village for the time being.

Discussing martial arts with Yang Miaozhen and Qiu Qianchi, and fishing with the old fisherman on the misty waves, such leisurely moments were unprecedented. "Watching the clouds drift by in the morning and observing the battles at night," he comprehended the techniques, striving for excellence, and gained a lot.

Seven days later, the Indian monk returned, and Zhou Yan happened to be accompanying Yang Miaozhen to watch the mountain stronghold soldiers drill.

The mountain stronghold was not only short of horses, but also of weapons and armor. Yang Miaozhen looked worried when she talked about these things. Zhou Yan suddenly remembered some things that the young master of Zhenwei Escort Agency had said.

The two rode out of the training valley on horseback. Zhou Yan said, "Lu Beihe once said that there are tens of thousands of remnants of the Great Qi in Tongbai and Funiu Mountains. They burn, rob, and commit all sorts of atrocities. Since they were formerly the Great Qi army, they are naturally well-equipped with armor, weapons, and horses. If Sister Yang has any ideas, I will go to Kaifeng to consult with Lu Beihe and we can eliminate this band of thieves."

Yang Miaozhen was overjoyed: "How about we train them for a few more days? My troops are good at taking down ordinary mountain strongholds and scattered soldiers, but they are not up to the task when they encounter well-trained bandits."

"Alright, then the girl can send the letter to Zhongdu."

"Thank you." As they walked forward, Yang Miaozhen was about to ask Zhou Yan if he still wanted to escort the Indian monks to the Western Regions, but she saw a rider speeding ahead.

The rider saw Yang Miaozhen and sped straight towards her.

Yang Miaozhen said to Zhou Yan, "They are the scouts I deployed in Kaifeng Prefecture."

Zhou Yan remembered this matter; it was something he had suggested when he arrived at the mountain stronghold and gave Yang Miaozhen the "Wumu's Legacy"—to select clever people and plant a few spies in Kaifeng Prefecture to monitor Yang Kang and the others' movements.

The rider dismounted and stepped forward. Yang Miaozhen smiled and said, "Such a hurry, you must have found out some news."

“Returning to the capital, a few days ago more than a hundred monks and laypeople came to Kaifeng Prefecture and were received with great respect by Wanyan Kang.”

What is its origin?

"Having not been able to find out, I dared not delay and came to report."

Zhou Yan had a sudden thought, "Both monks and laypeople are included."

"Yes, there were at least forty monks, each one burly and imposing, seemingly martial monks."

Zhou Yan had a rough idea.

The Vajra Gate, people from the Vajra Gate of the Western Regions.

He immediately said to Yang Miaozhen, "I can guess where they came from. Let's go back to the village and make some arrangements."

"it is good!"

Zhou Yan was unsure if Hong Qigong knew about this. When he arrived at the mountain stronghold, he had a servant lead two horses day and night to Zhongdu to pray for safety from Fu'an, and then find Lu Youjiao to inform him of the matter.

He then approached the Indian monk and asked him to stay at the mountain stronghold for a few more days while he made his way to Shaoshi Mountain.

The Indian monk, having learned the whole story, said with delight, “The Buddhist traditions of India and the Shaolin Temple in China have a deep and long-standing connection. I have long yearned to go there, and now that I have this good fortune, I will go to seek the Dao and study the scriptures. I will go with the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort).”

Bodhidharma was from India and the founder of Zen Buddhism. Zhou Yan agreed with this statement made by the Indian monks.

(End of this chapter)