The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 240 The Golden Dart (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival)
A breeze swept through the mountains and fields, carrying the fragrance of flowers. The afternoon sun shone peacefully, and the leaves seemed to rustle in the air. Huang Rong emerged from beneath a peach tree.

She patiently waited in the mountains until Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong, Ouyang Feng, Huogong Toutuo, and the others had all left before descending the mountain. Huang Rong recognized Zhang Wangyue and watched Zhou Yan and the other man descend the mountain, assuming they were heading back to the escort agency.

She strolled along, a peach blossom branch in her hand, thinking that after finding Mei Ruohua, she would go to Zhongdu and try to trick Zhou Yan into exploring the Zhongnan Mountains.

"Young master stay."

Suddenly a sound came, and nearly ten figures emerged from the woods on both sides of the mountain path. Huang Rong looked over and her heart skipped a beat. She saw that the person in front of her was about thirty years old, with a burly build and a shiny bald head. He was the disciple of the Fire-Worker Monk. Behind him was the monk holding a bronze staff, and there were also six or seven martial arts practitioners from the Western Regions.

Huang Rong turned and ran away.

“Ah…” Monk Baoyin slightly opened his lower lips, then chuckled to himself. He hadn’t finished speaking when he ran away. He called out, “Young master, this humble monk is Baoyin of the Vajra Sect.”

Huang Rong possessed remarkable lightness skills, and with a few leaps, she disappeared into the depths of the forest.

"Master, if we don't chase after him now, the young master will disappear without a trace."

Baoyin's monk robes fluttered violently, and the air exploded with a loud bang. He shot towards Huang Rong like an arrow, with the monks and others following closely behind, flanking her.

……

Bao Yin's burly body seemed to generate the sound of wind and thunder as the two figures, one after the other, swiftly crossed a hillside at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain.
The distance between the two gradually shortened as they ran at high speed.

Huang Rong lamented that these evil monks from the Vajra Sect were all incredibly powerful, following her like shadows, preventing her from setting up an array to escape. Just as she was thinking this, the sound of wind breaking suddenly came from behind her.

Bao Yin smiled and said, "Young master, my master said to treat you well, so please don't anger this humble monk."

Huang Rong suddenly stopped.

Bao Yin rushed past Huang Rong and blocked her way. Following the path the monk had taken, a burly figure of the monk emerged from the woods more than ten feet away, followed by several martial arts men from the Western Regions.

"How can I know if what you say is true or false?" Huang Rong asked.

Baoyin said, "My master said that the young master has 'Black Jade Broken Heart Ointment' on him."

Huang Rong's eyes darted around, and she smiled, "It seems it's true. Are you going to take me to see the master?"

"Master has arranged for this humble monk to escort the young master to the Vajra Gate."

Huang Rong turned pale: "I want to see the master."

“Master is already on his way to the Western Regions. Young master, please follow me and hurry. Perhaps we can catch up before we reach Zhongdu.”

Huang Rong quickly composed herself, assessed the situation, and realized that she couldn't escape now. She would wait and see, and then figure out a way to escape once she reached a crowded market or the capital.

“Is that so? Then I will do as the master says, but I should make it clear beforehand that I cannot eat simple food.”

"Master instructed that you should treat the young master well and allow him to eat whatever he wants, ride a horse or a carriage, as he pleases."

"Okay, let's go."

Huang Rong walked forward, Bao Yin followed, and the monks and others followed behind. From a distance, if one did not know the situation, one would inevitably mistake Huang Rong for a prince or nobleman like Yang Kang or Huo Du.

……

Let us drink and sing, and speak freely.

In the gathering hall of the Chaya Mountain stronghold, wine cups clinked and people sat around a table, Zhou Yan, Yang Miaozhen, Zhang Wangyue, Lu Beihe, Qiu Qianchi, and Yanbo Diaosou.

Zhou Yan briefly recounted what happened at Shaoshi Mountain, focusing on the appearance and battle between Qiu Qianren and Gongsun Zhi.

He did not hide anything from Qiu Qianchi.

The atmosphere grew heavy. Qiu Qianchi sighed, "It seems Second Brother has wholeheartedly pledged allegiance to the Jin Kingdom." She then looked at Zhou Yan, "Does the镖头 (镖头 is a nickname for a镖师, a kind of bodyguard/escort) think it might be feasible for me to reason with Second Brother again?"

"It's true that Chief Qiu cares about Miss Qiu, but it's also true that you have different personalities and pursuits."

"That's true."

Yang Miaozhen said, "Since that's the case, let's put it off for now. In a few days, I'll accompany Sister Qiu to find Chief Qiu, and we'll also see what kind of person Gongsun Zhi really is, whether he's truly infatuated with Sister Qiu or just pretending."

"That's fine too, thank you, Sister Yang."

Zhou Yan chuckled. It seemed that Qiu Qianchi would have no problem settling down in Chaya Mountain. It was hard to say how much Gongsun Zhi's character would change if he were only with Yang Kang, but with Ouyang Ke around, it wouldn't be long before his lust was unleashed, and he would be just like the lecherous man in the later stages of The Return of the Condor Heroes.

Thinking this through, he changed the subject and said to Lu Beihe, "When I went to western Hunan, I passed through Kaifeng and talked with Brother Lu. You mentioned that you had the idea of ​​leading the escort agency and inviting some heroes to deal with the bandits in Tongbai Mountain and Funiu Mountain."

"That's right, but those remnants of the Great Qi are numerous and powerful."

Zhou Yan laughed and said, "Chief Yang is short of warhorses and weapons, and he also happens to have ideas about dealing with bandits. Why don't you keep an eye on this bandit group, find out their exact location, and how to defend the mountain stronghold? When the time is right, we can join them in suppressing the bandits, how about that?"

Yang Miaozhen and Lu Beihe were overjoyed.

"really!"

"Brother Zhou, are you coming with us?"

"nature."

Yang Miaozhen looked at Zhang Wangyue, and the chief镖头 of Fu'an laughed and said, "From now on, Fu'an will lose a pillar of strength, but the martial world will gain a wandering knight, Brother Zhou."

Yang Miaozhen was overjoyed: "The chief镖头 should have released them long ago."

Lu Beihe nodded: "After watching Brother Zhou's battle at Shaoshi Mountain, I also have this mental technique. It's not that I look down on Fu'an, but the martial world is more suitable for him."

Zhang Wangyue said with a smile, "That's true."

"I am waiting for Brother Zhou to come to Chaya Mountain to help me suppress the bandits."

“Okay!” Zhou Yan readily agreed.

"Brother Zhou, when you're about to go to Tongbai Mountain, you might as well ask someone to pass on a message so that I can come and join in the fun."

Yang Miaozhen laughed: "The old fisherman hasn't even fished in Chaya Mountain for a year or two, and he's already leaving?"

The old fisherman chuckled, "It's not that I'm going back on my word, it's that I'm going to Hengshan to challenge that kid to a duel."

Yang Miaozhen knew that the other party was referring to Liu Qingzhou, so she said, "Alright, I will send someone to Dongting Lake to find the old fisherman."

"It's a word."

“I’ll help Yang Meizi too,” Qiu Qianchi said.

Yang Miaozhen spoke up: "How can an older sister not help her younger sister?"

Qiu Qianchi smiled, her eyes misty with a fiercely independent spirit.

They hit it off and had a lively banquet, which lasted until midnight.

Because of Zhang Wangyue's arrival, Zhou Yan and the Indian monk stayed an extra day at Chaya Mountain. During this time, the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of Fu'an watched the military drills and gave some suggestions, which surprised and delighted Yang Miaozhen.

The following day, Yang Miaozhen saw them off, and Zhou Yan, Zhang Wangyue, and the Indian monk set off for Zhongdu. The old fisherman and Lu Beihe got along well and traveled together to Kaifeng. The old fisherman would then head southwest to Hengshan.

Let's have a little fun and then meet again on our journey through the martial world.

……

A gentle spring breeze swept through Zhongdu City, filling the air with warmth.

The light clatter of hooves echoed across the bluestone pavement, and the imposing gatehouse of the Fu'an Escort Agency came into clear view for Zhou Yan and Zhang Wangyue.

About two miles from the escort agency, the two men suddenly saw several fine horses gallop and stop at the gate. A richly dressed Mongolian man dismounted, tossed the reins to his attendant, and quickly entered the escort agency.

Zhou Yan said, "I thought Brother Guo had returned, but it seems he hasn't."

"Judging from their attire, they seem to be someone of importance. I wonder what they do for a living."

"Go over and have a look."

"Hmm!" Zhang Wangyue nodded, and his chestnut horse sped up, galloping towards the escort agency.

……

Bright spring sunlight streamed through the open windows onto the wooden floor of the council chamber. Duan Chaoxi, who was now in charge of Fu'an, stood before a burly Mongolian man.

The rugged-looking man with a bristling beard said, "The Golden Knife Prince Consort has dealings with the Fu'an Escort Agency, which is why he asked Manager Duan to hire him as an escort. The goods are mainly gold, with jewels and rare treasures totaling thirty boxes. Should we accept the escort or not? You can estimate the escort fee."

Duan Chaoxi calculated that with gold as the main ingredient, the profit from thirty boxes of goods would likely be enough to cover the expenses of the escort agency for several years.

"Where are we taking them? Our escort agency doesn't accept shipments of unknown origin or destination."

The man laughed heartily: "I respect the Prince Consort Jin Dao, so I will tell you frankly. Just escort the goods to the Jade Gate Pass in the Western Regions. The Great Khan wants to send an imperial envoy to Khwarezm. We are ordered to collect the jewels. Once the goods arrive in Fu'an, the Great Khan's imperial envoy's team will receive them. How about that?"

"Who is the Golden Knife Prince Consort?" Duan Chaoxi asked, puzzled.

"Interesting. The head steward doesn't even know that the Golden Knife Prince Consort is Guo Jing, the Khan's son-in-law."

The man's voice was like thunder, and Duan Chaoxi's mind went blank. He had been to the escort agency several times, and Guo Jing, who was sworn brothers with Zhou Yan, was actually the Khan's son-in-law. No wonder he was able to stop the Mongol army from massacring the people. A true master doesn't reveal his abilities.

"How is it?" the Mongolian man asked again.

"Okay!" Duan Chaoxi nodded.

"Excellent! Without further ado, we'll inspect the goods tomorrow. The departure time will be set by the escort agency, and the goods will arrive by the appointed time each month."

"Row!"

"Farewell!"

The richly dressed Mongolian man rose, clasped his hands in a salute, and turned to leave. Duan Chaoxi saw him off. As they entered the courtyard, cheers rang out from near and far: "Chief镖头 (Chief Escort), 镖头 Zhou (Chief Escort), and the High Monk have returned!"

Duan Chaoxi looked over and saw Hu Yanlei, Yang Tiexin, and Mu Nianci escorting Zhou Yan and others as they approached.

He let out a sigh of relief, feeling as at ease as a rock.

(End of this chapter)