The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 242 Where in life do we not meet each other

After verification, the goods were loaded onto the truck.

Zhou Yan instructed Liang Xiaowu to select more than ten experienced and absolutely loyal scouts to go to the courtyard.

The fact that the caravan was traveling to the Western Regions was common knowledge among all the caravan leaders and porters. The journey took more than a month, and they naturally had to give their families some explanation. However, the nature of the goods being transported was known only to Liang Xiaowu and a dozen or so others.

Inside and outside Fu'an, everyone was united in their efforts, and the escort agency was thriving. But then again, people die for wealth, just as birds die for food. Let alone rare treasures, no one could guarantee that a chest of gold wouldn't taint a sincere heart.

There are specific techniques for loading goods onto wagons. Some items need to be protected from shocks, while others need to be protected from moisture. The porters selected are all highly experienced individuals, quick and skilled.

Gold is the easiest to store. The gold and jade Guanyin mutton fat cup is packaged individually in a brocade box, lined with sawdust to prevent shock.

After a busy day, all the goods were loaded into the escort vehicle, sealed, and secured with elm wood anti-theft locks.

Liang Xiaowu was among the guards and porters who ate and slept at the escort agency, and set off with the escort team the next day.

This is the rule of the escort agency when transporting valuables.

Zhou Yan was on night duty. He returned to the inner courtyard of the city to pack his bundle, which contained a change of clothes, a bag of lime, several ingots of gold and silver, a bag of pebbles the size of pigeon eggs, flint and tinder, three volumes of handwritten scriptures to carry with him, a giant ox-horn bow with a quiver on his back, and a heavy black iron spear with a green blade in his hand.

He bolted the door shut, leaped over the wall, and left the courtyard. He glanced at the white-walled, blue-tiled courtyard, then turned and departed. His return was uncertain. According to his plan, he would return to the Yellow River, travel downstream to Zhongnan Mountain, visit Li Mochou and Xiaolongnu, and then proceed to Hengshan City. Afterward, he would check on Yang Miaozhen's preparations and fight the bandits of Tongbai Mountain.

Going to Hengshan was an agreement with Liu Qingzhou, to prevent the Iron Palm Clan from expanding its power in Jiangnan after Qiu Qianren defected to Yang Kang, which would be detrimental to the Hengshan Sect.

He had planned the itinerary perfectly.

Before dusk, Zhou Yan arrived at the Fu'an Escort Agency.

Liang Xiaowu, who was staying at the escort agency, came up to greet them, "The head escort has arrived?"

"Ah."

"Two vehicles were prepared for the high monk, one for his residence and the other for carrying water and golden dolls."

"Well done." Zhou Yan patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder and instructed him, "Prepare more long arrows for me, and arrange for two porters to buy some fireworks, choosing the loudest and longest-range ones."

"Got it."

Escort agencies always carry communication smoke bombs when they deliver goods. Zhou Yan asked Liang Xiaowu to buy fireworks, just in case. The few luxurious carriages they sent to Wuwei attracted several groups of bandits. This was the first time the escort agency had ever traveled to the Western Regions; who knew how many monsters they would attract? But one thing was certain: apart from battle-hardened cavalry, ordinary mounted escorts had never received training in explosion prevention. The fireworks could easily startle the horses.

Zhou Yan meticulously prepared and arranged the final escort mission before heading to the council hall.

Zhang Wangyue was all alone and spent his nights eating and sleeping at the escort agency. When Zhou Yan entered, the agency had placed a sketch on the table.

Hu Yanlei was also there. A descendant of the Hu Yan family said, "Brother Zhou, come over for tea and let's discuss the route."

Zhou Yan sat down and looked at the map, which roughly depicted some mountains and rivers, and marked the major cities along the way.

Zhang Wangyue said, "It mainly follows the route Brother Zhou took to Wuwei. The Western Regions route is really unfamiliar. However, business in the south will become increasingly difficult in the future. We can travel more to the Western Regions and beyond the Great Wall. This escort mission can also be considered as exploring the way."

“That makes sense.” Zhou Yan examined the map closely and drew two routes. One route went southwest from Datong Prefecture, along the Shaanxi and Gansu routes, and then north near Xining, passing through Wuwei to Yumen Pass. The other route also passed through Datong Prefecture, but followed the Yellow River upstream, passing through the Gobi Desert, from the northern part of the Western Xia Kingdom to Yumen Pass.

"Brother Zhou, which road do you think is easier to travel?"

Zhou Yan didn't mince words or guess, and said directly: "Going along the Yellow River, the road is flat, and more than half of it is in Mongolian territory. Going along the Shaanxi and Gansu routes, there are many mountains along the way, and the deep mountains are home to bandits, which could easily lead to accidents. Moreover, there are many Western Region sects along this route."

Zhang Wangyue laughed and said, "Alright, let's do as Brother Zhou says."

"What does the chief镖头 (chief镖头 is referring to) mean?"

"Walk along the Yellow River."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"I'll go find some wine."

Huyan Lei returned with a jar of wine. He opened the jar, poured the wine, and started the conversation. Zhang Wangyue asked, "Brother Zhou, what do you think the Great Khan's intention is in sending an envoy to Khwarazm?"

The three toasted each other, and Zhou Yan said, "We must eliminate any potential threats before launching a major attack on the Jin Kingdom, so as to avoid being attacked from both sides."

"You mean Wanyan Honglie is also considering attacking Khwarezm?"

"If the Great Khan can think of this, then Wanyan Honglie, who now has ties with the Vajra Gate in the Western Regions, will also consider this aspect. Back then, the Liao Dynasty was powerful, and all the kingdoms in the Western Regions submitted to it. Its influence extended to Khwarazm. When the Jin Dynasty replaced the Liao Dynasty, its influence in these places should still be greater than that of the current Mongols."

"Makes sense."

Zhou Yan said, "It's a pity that the Lin'an court is incompetent; otherwise, this would be a rare opportunity to strengthen our military."

Zhang Wangyue's eyes flashed with a sharp edge. "Indeed. When will the singing and dancing at West Lake ever end? They treat Hangzhou as if it were Bianzhou. Brother Zhou and I are just ordinary bodyguards. We can see the situation clearly, but those corrupt officials who hold their positions without doing their jobs are living a life of debauchery."

Zhou Yan chuckled.

Zhang Wangyue was a descendant of the Yue family generals. When Yue Fei was unjustly accused and Han Shizhong was stripped of his military power, Zhang Wangyue resigned in anger and died in despair. It was a good thing that people like Zhang Wangyue and Lu Beihe, once forced by circumstances, would emulate Yang Miaozhen instead of harboring illusions about the Lin'an court.

At the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), the jar of wine was finished. Hu Yanlei left the escort agency, while Zhou Yan went to the courtyard where the escort vehicles were stored. He picked up his spear, entered the pavilion, sat cross-legged, and began to practice breathing exercises, cultivating the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" (a traditional Chinese medicine text).

Zhou Yan had not yet fully mastered this technique for improving physical constitution and enhancing strength. With his escort mission imminent, he was in no hurry to cultivate the Nine Yang Manual.

……

As dawn broke, Liang Xiaowu and his men lit pine firewood to ward off evil and disaster.

Firecrackers were hung on the gate tower, and the镖人 (bodyguards/escorts) gathered in the courtyard.

Hu Yanlei wielded a tiger-head gold-inlaid spear, Mu Nianci carried a snowflake-patterned iron spear, Zhou Yan carried a black iron heavy spear, and Liang Xiaowu was among the 146 guards, porters, and grooms.

The elite troops of Fu'an, trained by Zhang Wangyue, Hu Yanlei, and Zhou Yan, have all emerged.

Since Yang Tiexin did not accompany them, the escort agency left him as the sole bodyguard to guard the area.

Zhou Yan's former employer, Duan Huai'an, came to see him off. Knowing that Zhou Yan would not return, the old man offered him a bowl of farewell wine and said, "Do not worry about having no friends on your future path, for who in the world does not know you?"

The old man who once said, "Though I am of humble status, I dare not forget my duty to the country," said something to Zhou Yan about his bright future.

"A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near."

"Alright, Brother Zhou."

Duan Huai'an picked up a wine bowl and, for the first time ever, drank with Zhou Yan.

February 24th, 1:15 AM, is an auspicious day and time for traveling.

The镖师 (bodyguards) and 趟子手 (porters) all drank a bowl of farewell wine. Zhang Wangyue looked at Zhou Yan, gathered his strength from his dantian, and roared, "Raise the镖旗 (镖旗 is a type of escort flag)!"

Flags fluttered, firecrackers roared, carriages rumbled and horses neighed, bows and arrows and steel swords were at their waists. The caravan left the escort agency and walked along the street away from the capital.

The escort agency had barely left the city when fast riders emerged from the four gates. Not to mention, Xiao Xiangzi was a Jin spy, and Zhongdu City was rife with spies. This escort mission was destined to be anything but smooth.

The procession was long and impressive, with Liang Xiaowu carrying a horizontal sword at the front. At the rear of the caravan were the two carriages carrying the Indian monk, one for passengers and the other for water buckets and golden dolls.

Zhou Yan, Hu Yanlei, and Zhang Wangyue were left behind.

As they drove further and further away from Zhongdu City, Zhou Yan said to the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of Fu'an, "After passing Datong Prefecture, we will travel southwest during the day and change course at night."

Zhang Wangyue laughed and said, "A feint to the east while moving to the west, good."

Zhou Yan chuckled. Better safe than sorry. The fact that Fenglingdu Wharf and Tongguan Wharf were robbed and killed by the Yellow River Gang and the Vajra Gate serves as a warning from the past.

The caravan marched on in a grand procession, neither staying at inns nor restaurants, setting up camp along the rivers they encountered. Three days later, they passed through Datong Prefecture. According to the plan, they would travel towards Shuozhou in Shanxi during the day, and then change course at night, speeding up to head northwest, then going upstream along the Yellow River into Mongolian territory, bypassing the Western Xia Kingdom to reach Yumen Pass.

……

As the sun sets beyond the mountains, its crimson rays seem to set the mountaintops ablaze.

After the nine riders and one carriage traveled forward, they entered a roadside eatery near Shuozhou.

"Waiter, bring out all the best wine and dishes, and pack some wine, meat, and dry rations as well," said the monk holding a bronze staff.

Seeing the monk's imposing and fierce appearance, the waiter quickly said "Okay!" and busied himself with serving him. Huang Rong sat at the table by the window, her face full of worry. If they continued walking, it would be the route to the Western Regions, which was daunting.

She was taken from Shaoshi Mountain to the Western Regions by the monk Baoyin and the ascetic. The monks did not enter the city when passing through the area. Baoyin provided Huang Rong with food, drink, lodging and transportation, but he also kept a close watch on her. Every night, someone would be sent to guard her room. Even though Huang Rong was clever and wise, she could not come up with a foolproof way to escape.

Taking down one or two people isn't a big problem, but it won't do anything to Baoyin and Toutuo. Once they fail, escaping will be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

Huang Rong sat alone at a table, where the waiter brought out three dishes and a pot of wine. Bao Yin, Toutuo, and others shared a table and ate and drank heartily. As she picked up some food with her chopsticks, she thought to herself, "If only I had Zhou Yan's 'Jade Lion Under the Night.'" Suddenly, she burst out of the window, rode off on horseback, and the evil monk could not catch up with her no matter what.

As she thought this, her gaze wandered, then turned to the distant road, where she saw dust swirling and carriages approaching from afar—it was a caravan.

Huang Rong immediately began to think about how to use the escort team to escape.

The caravan approached without any sign of stopping. Huang Rong's gaze suddenly fixed on the rider leading the way—it was Liang Xiaowu.

A镖队 (bodyguard team) from Fu'an?
Huang Rong was overjoyed, but then complained, "This caravan is so annoying. They make so much dust that it's impossible to eat or drink anything."

The restaurant was right by the roadside. Liang Xiaowu, with his considerable cultivation, heard it clearly. He looked in the direction of the sound and his gaze fell upon Huang Rong by the window.

Upon hearing this, Bao Yin said to Huang Rong, "Why don't we eat together over here?"

"You eat so rudely, please bear with it."

The monk laughed heartily, and the eating became even more noisy.

After a moment's thought, Liang Xiaowu turned his horse around and headed straight for the rear of the escort team.

The green horse galloped swiftly, and Liang Xiaowu approached Zhou Yan: "Head镖师, Miss Huang is at the restaurant ahead."

Zhou Yan was taken aback.

"She said the escort team was really annoying, making a lot of dust and affecting the food. Someone in the restaurant even invited Miss Huang to come and eat with them, but she didn't agree."

"It seems that Miss Huang has run into trouble," Zhang Wangyue said.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Yan said, "The caravan continues on its way; I'll go take a look."

“Alright!” Zhang Wangyue nodded.

Zhou Yan rode his horse into the forest and reappeared, having changed out of his escort uniform into an ordinary gray robe. He waited for the caravan to pass before slowly approaching. Seeing Liang Xiaowu leave, Huang Rong knew he had seen through her scheme, and completely relieved. She calmed herself and began to eat.

The sound of horses' hooves approached, and Huang Rong looked up to see Zhou Yan dismount and look over.

Huang Rong smiled sweetly, blinked, and got up to walk outside.

“Young master, we haven’t eaten and drunk our fill yet, what are you doing?” Baoyin said.

"Let's go for a walk."

"Young master, please don't make things difficult for this humble monk." Bao Yin gave a wink, and a burly martial artist from the Western Regions stood up and followed.

Huang Rong flashed out of the restaurant, the big man grinned and followed her like a shadow. The spring light under the eaves moved, and Zhou Yan took a step forward and threw a punch.

"Oh!"

The burly man, caught off guard by the attack, reacted swiftly, drawing his sword immediately. However, with a muffled thud, he made no further move. Bao Yin looked over and saw the man suddenly bend over, his clothing on the back ripping as if torn by an invisible hand. Then, the man leaped into the air and crashed onto the dining table.

A ferocious, beast-like figure suddenly charged forward.

(End of this chapter)