The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 230 Skilled and Daring, One Against Four
Zhou Yan's casual stroll out of Shaolin Temple was already unexpected by everyone.

In the blink of an eye, Bao Lei was sent flying by a "Iron Mountain Lean".

A series of unexpected events have occurred, and a great deal of noise has arisen.

Several days ago, Shaolin Temple recalled its monks and lay disciples from within a radius of 500 li. These disciples, like beads, were strung together to form part of the curtain of the martial arts world.

The martial world is like a curtain, the beads represent cultivators and warriors from all walks of life, and the thread that strings the beads together represents social interactions. Therefore, with the arrival of the outer monks and lay disciples of Shaolin Temple, some came upon hearing the news, their hearts set on Shaolin Temple.

The old fisherman praised Zhou Yan, and a chorus of cheers followed.

Where there are cheerers, there are also those who become angry and embarrassed.

"What a madman."

As the morning sunlight fell from the horizon, a roar erupted, and a gray-robed monk raised his heavy octagonal copper staff, sending a flurry of shadows flying towards Zhou Yan.

"Using the majority to bully the minority." The old fisherman of the misty waves sneered, and his fishing rod suddenly trembled. The golden hook fell towards the monk. The monk's eyes flashed with golden light. He dared not be careless. He touched the ground with his copper staff and suddenly flipped over.

The old fisherman in the misty waters put away his fishing rod, sneered, and remained silent.

Taking the opportunity, Liang Xiaowu stepped forward and handed Zhou Yan's Qingfeng sword.

"Master, here's your sword." The young bodyguard was unaware that Zhou Yan had already told Zhang Wangyue about his resignation, but he was quick-witted and assessed the situation. He didn't call for the head bodyguard, but instead handed over the sword and spear like a servant.

Zhou Yan took the Qingfeng sword and turned to look at Baoshu and his group.

The old fisherman spoke up: "You people are so rude. My brother comes from a temple and always answers questions. Has he ever provoked anyone? That monk tried to kill someone without saying a word. It's only because my brother's martial arts are superb that he was in danger. Otherwise, wouldn't he have been killed?"

The old fisherman's words were reasonable and well-founded, and he received a chorus of agreement.

"That's right, an unreasonable and evil monk."

"He looks fierce and menacing; he's not a good person."

Enraged, Bao Lei jumped up and said, "Kid, you were careless just now. Try again."

Zhou Yan chuckled softly, "Then come on over."

Bao Xian is the second disciple of Huo Gong Toutuo. His cultivation, vision, and temperament are far superior to Bao Lei's. The abbot of Shaolin Temple and others have not yet shown up. How can we lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of a small matter?

"Junior brother, stop."

He stepped forward and said to Zhou Yan, "My junior brother has been impetuous and offended you, please forgive him."

“You are the ones who hit people, and you are the ones who say you’re forgiving. If your martial arts skills were weak, you would have been either dead or seriously injured long ago. How can you just let it go with a simple ‘forgiveness’?” Zhou Yan said.

"What is your intention, benefactor?" Bao Xian asked.

Before Zhou Yan could answer, Ku Cheng's voice rang out from inside the temple, "Amitabha, Benefactor Zhou is kind and righteous, well done, well done."

Ku Cheng's voice was not as deafening as Bao Lei's, but it was like heavenly music striking straight into the heart, and everyone present, whether near or far, could hear it clearly.

Following closely behind, two rows of 108 monks emerged from the open main gate of Shaolin Temple. These were disciples of the Arhat Hall, representing the 108 Arhats.

Eighteen monks followed, wearing grey robes over pale yellow kasayas; they were all disciples of the Arhat Hall and Bodhidharma Hall. A moment later, seven or eight elderly monks emerged, all with wrinkled faces, the oldest being ninety years old. The ascetic was in the middle, with Indian monks among them.

Shaolin Temple had not ventured into the martial world for a long time, and no one knew its strength upon arrival. The mere sighting of its 108 disciples, all in formation and swiftly appearing, caused the atmosphere to freeze, and the martial arts practitioners from the Western Regions, unaware of the true strength of the situation, fell silent.

From near and far, in the light and in the shadows, Huang Yaoshi, Ouyang Feng, Qiu Qianren, Zhang Sanqiang, and Huogong Toutuo were all observing Kucheng.

The abbot of Shaolin Temple put his hands together and said to Zhou Yan, "Benefactor Zhou is kind and benevolent, but since you are not a member of our temple, you should not be involved in any karmic consequences."

Zhou Yan returned the greeting with a bow and said, "Abbot's words are kind; I will observe them."

"Thank you, Benefactor Zhou."

"Abbot, you're too kind." Only Huang Rong, the Indian monk, Liang Xiaowu, and the Fisherman of Misty Waves could understand Zhou Yan's words. He planned before he acted.

Ku Cheng thanked Zhou Yan and then looked at Bao Shu and his group.

Baoshu stepped forward, put his palms together, and said, "Baoshu of the Vajra Sect greets the Abbot."

At his age, Ku Cheng had long since reached a state where he could not show his joy on his face, nor express his emotions in words, nor show his anger on his face. He put his palms together and said, "Who is your master?"

"Why does the abbot need to ask a question he already knows the answer to?"

"Goodness is goodness."

Baoshu said, "This humble monk has come to seek justice for my master."

Not everyone at Shaolin Temple has the nature of Ku Cheng. When Huo Gong Tou Tuo committed murder and rebelled against the temple, Tian Xin, the head monk of the Luohan Hall, was a disciple of the hall. He witnessed Huo Gong Tou Tuo severely injuring Ku Zhi, the head monk of the Bodhidharma Academy, and then breaking into Shaolin Temple at night to commit murder.

He had a fiery temper and shouted, "You wretch! You spout nonsense and try to twist the truth to claim you're seeking justice. Let's see what you're capable of!"

The arrogant monk Baoxiang stepped forward and said, "Please enlighten me."

A gasp rang out from the crowd as the elephant stepped forward, leaving deep footprints several inches deep on the bluestone ground wherever it went.

Moreover, there were no cracks at all around the footprints.

The head monk of the Luohan Hall, Zen Master Tianxin, became solemn. He knew he couldn't possibly leave a mark as heavy as his opponent without cracking, but he showed no fear. He leaped out and landed in front of Baoxiang, saying, "Please make your move."

"Wait a minute." Bao Xiang's senior brother, Bao Shou, stepped out, still taking one step at a time, but his footprints were several inches deeper than Bao Xiang's on the bluestone.

This time, even Ku Cheng's expression showed a slight change. Zen Master Tianxin asked, "What do you intend to do?"

Bao Shou said, “Shaolin Temple has many martial monks, but our Vajra Sect is not to be outdone. If the two sides clash, blood will surely flow like rivers. I think it would be better if the Vajra Sect and Shaolin Temple each sent three people to fight three rounds. If Shaolin Temple wins, the Vajra Sect will immediately return to the Western Regions.”

So what if we lose?

"How about Shaolin Temple publicly apologize to the Vajra Sect and send someone to the Western Regions to apologize to my master?"

Zhou Yan suddenly said, "I will also seek justice from the Vajra Sect."

When Zhou Yan spoke, everyone's eyes turned to him.

Bao Xiang's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Boy, do you want to provoke me?"

Zhou Yan slowly explained, "As you sow, so shall you reap. The monk from the Vajra Sect just tried to kill me. It was a matter of enmity. If there is enmity, then revenge should be taken; if there is resentment, then resentment should be taken. How could I provoke him? You, Vajra Sect, are allowed to seek revenge, but you won't allow me to reason with you."

Bao Xiang asked, "What do you want?"

“This is a sacred Buddhist site, not a place for killing. Let’s have a fight. If I lose, we’ll call it quits. If I win, the Vajra Sect will apologize to me. What do you say?”

Huang Rong smiled broadly, secretly lamenting that she couldn't speak up while standing next to the Fire-Worker Monk; otherwise, she would have definitely competed in three rounds and dragged her father down with her.

The old fisherman on the misty waves exclaimed, "Good!"

The lay disciples of the Shaolin outer sect and the martial arts practitioners from the Central Plains who had witnessed Zhou Yan's cultivation all cheered him on.

Bao Xiang was indecisive. His junior brother had been defeated by the opponent, and he himself might not be able to win. However, if he let his senior brother take action, it would affect his strength compared to Shaolin Temple.

Yang Kang frowned and whispered a few words to Helian Chuncheng and Nimo Xing.

Qiu Qianren also spoke to Gongsun Zhi: "Valley Master Gongsun, it was this kid who we encountered at the Xiangyang dock that allowed Qianchi to escape."

Gongsun Zhi gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "Chief Qiu, you may not know this, but I have a long-standing feud with this kid."

Qiu Qianren was taken aback. Nimo Xing, Yin Kexi, and Helian Chuncheng, who were next to Yang Kang, jumped out at the same time: "How should we settle our score?"

"shameless."

With a clang, the metal clanged as Gongsun Zhi, wielding a golden saber and a black sword, landed on the field.

"You trespassed into my valley and ruined my marriage. How can I express this grudge?"

Zhou Yan's gaze swept past Gongsun Zhi and landed on Yang Kang in the crowd. Now the Crown Prince of Jin, second only to the emperor, Yang Kang gave Zhou Yan a helpless look, clearly conveying the message that personal grudges had nothing to do with him.

Zhou Yan shifted his gaze from Yang Kang to Qiu Qianren.

The leader of the Iron Palm Gang had a sinister expression.

Zhou Yan chuckled in a low voice. If he defeated Helian Chuncheng and the others, Qiu Qianren would be next. Yang Kang would try every means to stop him from seeking revenge against the Vajra Sect.

As he thought this, his gaze continued to wander, then suddenly stopped, landing on Huang Rong and Huogong Tou Tuo on the outskirts of the crowd. Huang Rong blinked, but Zhou Yan remained expressionless, shifting his gaze and scanning them briefly before lingering for a moment on Zhang Sanqiang, who was carrying a gun holster and wearing a straw hat.

"I'm asking you a question. You broke up my marriage, and I will not be a gentleman if I do not avenge this." Gongsun Zhi's handsome face was full of ferocity.

Zhou Yan looked away. "Xiao Wu, the gun."

Liang Xiaowu quickly stepped forward and handed the Xuan Tie Heavy Spear to Zhou Yan, who was carrying the Qingfeng Sword on his back and holding the spear.

Qiu Qianchi is now in Chaya Mountain and seems to be settling down. Zhou Yan, in front of hundreds of martial arts heroes, has to protect the reputation of Iron Palm Lotus, so he doesn't say much. He holds the Xuan Tie Heavy Spear in his hand, the tip of the spear touching the ground, and the spear body emits a low "hum".

"come together!"

Those in the martial arts world who didn't know the backgrounds of Helian Chuncheng, Nimo Xing, Gongsun Zhi, and others didn't care when he said that, but Liang Xiaowu, Yang Kang, and others all changed color.

Ouyang Ke muttered under his breath, "Back in Zhongnan Mountain, he was so arrogant because of the combined power of his two swords. Now that the woman is gone, he's still so cocky."

Ouyang Feng said, "This kid's martial arts are improving rapidly. It's hard to say who will win. Ke'er, if you don't strive for improvement, the gap between you and this kid will only widen."

Ouyang Ke said solemnly, "Uncle, rest assured, the hatred for having my love stolen will be etched in my heart."

Ouyang Feng was pleased.

Huang Yaoshi, perched in the treetops, looked at Zhou Yan with an expression of appreciation.

This personality trait is very similar to mine.

Helian Chuncheng was initially shocked, but after regaining his senses, he was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Brother Nemo, Brother Yin, Valley Master Gongsun, he is so provocative, let's go together."

Nemo Xing, who had just recovered from being severely injured by Zhou Yan at the "Drunken Immortal Pavilion" in Xiangyang, pulled out the iron-forged spirit snake whip, and with a sway of his body, landed in the space cleared by martial arts figures from the Western Regions and the Central Plains.

Holding a golden whip inlaid with pearls and jade, Yin Kexi leaped and landed in another location.

Gongsun Zhi, relying on his status as the Valley Master of Jueqing Valley, hesitated for a moment, but Helian Chuncheng whispered, "Valley Master Gongsun, this kid can fight Qiu Gang Leader for dozens of moves. He is not to be underestimated. We must seize this opportunity."

Gongsun Zhi no longer hesitated. The golden saber and black sword clashed together, the clanging sound echoing across the fields. He moved gracefully, leaping more than two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) in one bound, and stood in front of Zhou Yan.

A true expert's skill is immediately apparent. Although Nemo Xing and his companions did not actually make a move, their graceful movements and mastery of lightness skills were enough to put ninety percent of the martial artists present to shame.

They all wondered what these four people were, their origins unknown, yet their cultivation was so extraordinary. The young man from Shaolin Temple, seemingly not even twenty, was also a mystery. Who was he? He had first defeated a master from the Western Regions' Vajra Sect, and now he was taking on four opponents single-handedly. When did such a formidable figure emerge in the martial world?

Why have I never heard of this before?

(End of this chapter)